o scored first in seven of their eight games. ... The Fl | Forum

CHICAGO -- The Tampa Bay Rays waited a long time to lose a game Wednesday night. Fake Air Max . At least they learned more about their young relievers in the process.Todd Frazier hit his 40th home run, Miguel Gonzalez waited out a lengthy rain delay to throw 8 1/3 dominant innings and the Chicago White Sox edged the last-place Rays 1-0. The defeat was their sixth in a row and ninth in the last 10.Starter Blake Snell was forced to depart after a one-hour 16-minute delay before relievers Ryan Garton, Eddie Gamboa and Danny Farquhar combined for 5 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit relief.Those guys have done a really nice job, manager Kevin Cash said. Seems like every time theyve come in, theyve kept the score right there and given us every opportunity to win a ballgame.Frazier became the seventh White Sox player to reach the homer milestone when he connected off knuckleballer Gamboa (0-2) with two out in the seventh. Frazier is hitting .391 (18 for 46) during a 12-game hitting streak.Gonzalez (5-7) returned after a 1 hour, 16-minute delay in the third inning and retired 18 of 19 before being lifted after Logan Forsythes one-out single to left in the ninth. David Robertson got the final two outs for his 37th save in 44 tries.The game was also delayed by 21 minutes before the start. It was 57 degrees at first pitch and rain came and went amid blustery conditions as a tiny crowd watched Chicago win its fifth straight. The game itself lasted only 2 hours, 10 minutes.Yeah, Im not sure what Gonzalez did over there in that other clubhouse ... but he definitely didnt get out of rhythm, Cash said. I mean, he started out good against us and finished just as good if not better.Snell allowed one hit while getting five outs, but the right-hander was replaced by Garton after the second delay.I felt really good tonight, said Snell, who wore a heat pack on his arm in hopes that he would return to the mound. I wish that it didnt rain so I could have seen what would have happened.Snell finished the season with a 6-8 record and 3.54 earned run average.It was a good learning year, Snell said.Gamboa entered in the fifth and flustered the White Sox into off-balance swings and soft outs until Frazier pulled a 74 mph knuckler into the left-field seats for his 98th RBI.Its a great feat to have, Frazier said. I had a bunch of people text me its coming, today is the day. It wasnt that much pressure.The rainy night capped an odd day for the White Sox. USA Today reported the front office has decided to retain embattled Robin Ventura, but the manager had yet to decide whether he wanted to return.Ventura deflected pregame questions about his future, saying any decisions would be made after the season ends Sunday.WHIFF OF SUCCESSThe Rays stuck out only five times, well below their season average. They entered the game with the most strikeouts (7.3 per game) in the AL and third most in the majors.Theres so much of a reward it seems right now for guys not shortening up (swings) to give up that chance to hit a ball in the gap or out of the ballpark, so yeah, Cash said. So yeah, its easier said than done for sure.PITCHING CHANGERays RHP Chase Whitley will make his first start in place of LHP Drew Smyly in Sundays season finale at Texas. Whitley, who has a 1.74 ERA out of the bullpen since returning from Tommy John surgery last month, is scheduled to throw 75-80 pitches. Hes deserving, Cash said of the assignment.TRAINERS ROOMRays: OF Kevin Kiermaier (bruised left hand) was in the lineup after a two-game absence.White Sox: Left-hitting RF Adam Eaton didnt start, but played in the field in the ninth a night after returning following a three-game absence due to crashing into the outfield wall in Cleveland. I felt a little sore, but I was fresh, Eaton said. ... 2B Tyler Saladino (back) missed his sixth straight game.UP NEXTRays RHP Chris Archer (8-19, 4.02 ERA) tries to avoid a 20th loss Thursday night in his final start of the season as the teams conclude the four-game series. LHP Jose Quintana (12-11, 3.26) starts for Chicago. Wholesale Air Max . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Replica Air Max . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. https://www.airmaxchina.us/ .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. CALGARY, Alberta -- Marcus Johansson had quite a weekend for the Washington Capitals.Johansson scored twice Sunday night, leading the Capitals to a 3-1 vicotry over the Calgary Flames. The previous night, he had two goals and an assist in a win at Vancouver.Sometimes they find a way to go in and sometimes you struggle a little bit, said Johansson, who has five goals and a team-leading nine points. I guess Ill take it and move on and hopefully it keeps going.The reigning Presidents Trophy winners had lost two straight before the 5-2 win over the Canucks.Its big for us to come back and get those points. Were never happy with losing, and especially not when were not playing well, Johansson said.Brett Connolly also scored for Washington, Jay beagle had two assists, and Braden Holtby stopped 21 shots.Connolly opened the scoring 2:01 into the game and Johansson redirected Alex Ovechkins snap pass on the power play at 7:14 to double the lead and give the Capitals two goals on their first four shots.Great pass by Ovie. He hit me right on the tape. I just had to put my stick there, Johansson said.Mikael Backlund scored his first of the season for Calgary, and Brian Elliott had 26 saves while ending a three-game win streak.Chronic poor starts at home are becoming a concern for the Flames, who have lost four of six at the Scotiabank Saddledome.We have to find a way to play way better at home and have better starts, Backlund said. Its our barn.Backlund pulled the Flames within one with 6:16 remaining in the first as he whipped a shot inside the far post from near the boards.Calgary had two power plays in the second to try and tie it but were unable to generate any dangerous chances.I was disappointed with our execution, Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. JJust throwing each other grenades, it seemed like. Clearance Air Max. We didnt generate, we didnt get any momentum from those.Both goalies made some stellar saves in the second period. First, it was Holtby kicking out a pad to deny Micheal Ferland from 15 feet out.Elliott, was especially sharp during a power play. First he scrambled across to thwart Ovechkin at the side of the net. Shortly after, he threw up his glove to stab John Carlsons blast from the blue line.Another big glove stop for Elliott came in the first. Keeping the Flames within two goals, he snagged a hard shot from Nate Schmidt.Backlund socred just 11 seconds later.Backlund had one of Calgarys best chances to tie it in the third when the puck squirted out to him in front, but he wasnt able to get very much wood on it.I was going the other way, and I had to shift the other way and the puck was just a little too far away, he said.Calgary now departs on a four-game road trip to Chicago, San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim.This is a huge road trip obviously, Flames captain Mark Giordano said. We cant dwell on this one too long. Weve got to learn from it, get going again. We had two big wins on the road earlier in the week. Hopefully we can carry some of that into the next few games.Game notes The Capitals have outscored teams 11-4 in the first period this season. Theyve also scored first in seven of their eight games. ... The Flames play 11 of their next 15 games on the road. ... Ferland and Sam Bennett each had his four-game point streak snapped.UP NEXTCapitals: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night to complete a four-game road trip.Flames: At Chicago on Tuesday night. ' ' '