Price wins 1st of season, Rays beat White Sox

1-Sports-_Sox.jpgChicago White Sox right fielder Alex Rios (51) commits an error on a fly ball hit by Tampa Bay Rays’ Ryan Roberts, allowing for two runs scored, during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, April 28, 2013. Tampa Bay won 8-3. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Injuries and errors are hurting the Chicago White Sox.

Alex Rios dropped a fly ball, helping the Tampa Bay Rays score three runs in the eighth inning of David Price’s first win of the season, 8-3 over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Before the game, the White Sox placed starter Gavin Floyd on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his right arm. Floyd left Saturday’s 10-4 loss to Tampa Bay after 2 2-3 innings.

The White Sox now have six players on the disabled list.

“Every team is going to have that span through the season where it seems like every day someone is going down,” said Paul Konerko, who homered. “Hopefully this is ours right now and we can start getting guys back and we are over with it, getting guys back and done with. Some other teams will have to deal with it in August or September maybe.”

An impressive pitching performance by Price was overshadowed by an exchange of words that Price had with home plate umpire Tom Hallion after he got his final out of the seventh inning.

Price took exception to what he thought should have been a called third strike to Dewayne Wise with two outs. Hallion called the pitch a ball and on the next pitch he retired Wise on a comebacker to the mound.

As Price walked to the dugout it appeared Price and Hallion exchanged words. And Price accused Hallion of using an expletive during the exchange.

“I’m walking off the mound I’m just mad at myself. I didn’t say a single word or look at him. He (Hallion) yells at me,” Price said.

Hallion vehemently denied Price’s claim.

“I’ll come right out bluntly and say he’s a liar,” Hallion told a pool reporter.

The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. The Rays lost all five of Price’s five previous starts this year and were the second team to lose in the first five starts by a reigning Cy Young winner. The Minnesota Twins lost in Frank Viola’s first seven games in 1989.

Price (1-2) walked two and threw 119 pitches.

Jose Lobaton and Matt Joyce each homered for Tampa Bay, which improved to 4-9 on the road.

Zobrist also had an RBI single in the ninth and Evan Longoria added more insurance with a double to score Zobrist.

Konerko hit a two-run homer for Chicago off Price in the third inning to give Chicago a 3-1 lead, but White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod, gave up his second homer of the game to Joyce in the sixth inning to tie it.

The Rays took advantage of a key error by Rios, the right fielder, in the big eighth inning.

Sean Rodriguez led off the eighth with a single off White Sox reliever Nate Jones (0-2) and advanced to second on a wild pitch. One out later, he scored on Zobrist’s single to break a 3-all tie. With two outs and bases loaded, Ryan Roberts hit a shallow fly to right, Rios came charging in, but the ball popped out of his glove, allowing two runs to score and giving the Rays a 6-3 lead.

“It’s one of those things that are going to happen occasionally, but if we’re going to get on an extended run of playing well you got to make those plays,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

The White Sox have committed 16 errors in 24 games.

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