CHICAGO (AP) - Logan Morrison makes himself heard daily in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse. Lately, he’s been doing the same thing on the field.
Morrison hit his 34th homer and drove in three runs, Blake Snell pitched into the seventh inning to win his third straight decision and the Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night.
Morrison, who went 3 for 4, has five homers in his last five games. He’s hitting .480 (12 for 25) with 11 RBIs in that span.
“Yeah, he’s loud,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “Hopefully, his bat just continues to be as loud as his mouth.”
Snell (3-6) allowed one unearned run and induced three double plays in 6 2/3 innings. He hasn’t lost since July 24.
Alex Colome got the final three outs for his major league-leading 41st save in 46 opportunities.
The Rays have won two straight and are three games out of the second wildcard spot in the AL.
Kevan Smith went 2 for 4 with a run scored for Chicago, which has dropped four straight.
Reynaldo Lopez (0-2) allowed three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Lopez, who had been on the disabled list since Aug. 19 with a strained back, settled down after a shaky start and retired the last 11 batters he faced.
“Other than for a couple of pitches, I thought he did a nice job,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “You could kind of see him settling down, feeling a little more comfortable as the game progressed.”
Morrison put the Rays on top with a two-run shot in the first. Lopez left a 2-2 changeup out over the plate and Morrison sent it six rows back in the right-center bleachers.
“I swung at one down out of the zone earlier in the at-bat,” he said. “He went fastball away off the plate and came back to the changeup. It was just something I saw pretty well and was able to get the barrel to it and get enough on it to get it out.”
Chicago got its only run in the second. Smith doubled with one out and scored when Leury Garcia hit an infield single and Morrison’s throw to first sailed past Snell.
Morrison hit an RBI single in his next at-bat.
Snell was lifted with two outs and one on in the seventh despite having thrown just 85 pitches.
“I knew he had more pitches left in the tank, but our bullpen’s been so good for us,” Cash said. “He had done his job.”
PITCHER’S BEST FRIEND
Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria started all three double plays, including one in the fifth when he fielded a one-hop smash by Chicago’s Tim Anderson with a backhand stab.
“He makes everything look easy and those are not easy plays,” Cash said.
SEPTEMBER CALLUPS
With rosters expanding from 25 to 40 on Friday, the Rays called up C Curt Casali, RHP Ryne Stanek and LHP Adam Kolarek from Triple-A Durham. Casali hit .263 with five homers for Durham this season.
The White Sox recalled RHP Carson Fulmer and LHP David Holmberg from Triple-A Charlotte. Fulmer, Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 2015, made one start in the majors this season, allowing six runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings on Aug. 21 against Minnesota. He likely will be used as a reliever and spot starter this month.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 1B Jose Abreu missed a second straight game with a sore right elbow. Abreu wanted to play and lobbied to get in the lineup. “That’s my decision to keep him out,” Renteria said. … INF/OF Garcia left after the fourth with a right hand contusion. He slid headfirst into first base on an infield hit in the second. … 2B Yoan Moncada (bone contusion in right shin) has been cleared to resume baseball activities this weekend. He’s eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Monday, but likely won’t be ready then.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Chris Archer (9-7, 3.66 ERA) faces LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.27) in the second game of the series Saturday night. Archer is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA on the road against Chicago. Rodon allowed five runs and seven hits in his last start against Detroit last Saturday.
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