ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Chris Sale only needed one run, and Melky Cabrera got it for him in the ninth
Sale tossed a two-hitter, Cabrera singled in Jimmy Rollins and the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Friday night.
Sale (3-0), from nearby Lakeland, struck out nine for his best start to a season since going 5-0 in 2014. He retired 16 straight between singles by Desmond Jennings in the second and Steve Pearce in the seventh.
It was Sale's second career shutout. The left-hander tossed a one-hitter in a 3-0 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on May 12, 2013.
"I was just trying to keep the pitch count down and throw strikes," Sale said. "When you find that rhythm you try to keep it going as long as you can and hope something comes of it."
Chicago has won eight of 10 for its best start since 1982.
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes after the seventh so a woman struck by a foul ball in the bottom of the inning could get treatment.
The fan was sitting in box seats next to the Tampa Bay dugout on the first-base side. The ball came off the bat of Rays designated hitter Steven Souza Jr.
"It looked like it caught her right in the eye, which wasn't a good sight," Souza said. "I'll be praying for her, hoping that she's OK. She was able to talk to me, say a few things. Never a good sight to see."
After an in-depth study last year, when several fans were hurt by broken bats and foul balls, Major League Baseball recommended the extension of safety netting at its ballparks to the ends of both dugouts and anywhere within 70 feet of home plate.
The ball went through a gap between netting of about the size of 1 1/2 baseballs behind an area designated for photographers.
The primary home-plate area screen at Tropicana Field ends at the start of the photo area. A second screen was installed this season behind the photo area. The ball got through a narrow opening.
"Totally unfortunate," Souza said. "People are more important than that game right there. That woman's health is way more important."
Rollins started the ninth with a single to left and moved up on Todd Frazier's fly ball to right. Cabrera then singled to right against Alex Colome (1-1) with two out.
"In the end, (Rollins' tag up) was the play that gave us the victory," Cabrera said through a translator.
Jake Odorizzi gave up four hits in seven innings for Tampa Bay, which has lost five of six.
Tampa Bay lost second baseman Logan Forsythe and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier to injuries following a fourth-inning collision in shallow right-center field.
The team said Kiermaier had a head contusion and went through the concussion protocol.
Forsythe has a bruised left hip and lower leg. He was limping as he headed toward the dugout.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) threw 20 fastballs in his second session halfway up a bullpen mound. ... RHP Chase Whitley (Tommy John surgery) threw 25 fastballs halfway up a mound during his second session.
LAKELAND LEGENDS
Both Sale and Pearce attended Lakeland High School. Pearce singled in three at-bats and is 4 for 12 overall against the lefty.
ROLLINS ROLLING ON
Rollins played in his 2,200th major league game at shortstop, and is 18 games away from tying White Sox great Luke Appling for seventh place on the majors' career list.
UP NEXT
Rays fifth starter Erasmo Ramirez (1-0) makes his first start Saturday night after three relief appearances. The right-hander will go against White Sox LHP John Danks (0-1).
