ST. PETERSBURG — It wasn’t just the uniforms. The Rays looked like a completely different team against the White Sox on Monday night.
A week after Chicago swept Tampa Bay in the Windy City, which was a low point in a rough start to the season, the Rays dominated the White Sox 8-2 in front of an announced crowd of 12,042 at Tropicana Field.
The Rays (18-18) extended their winning streak to a season-high four games and got a little revenge.
They also wore their dark gray and neon City Connect jerseys for an unexpected fourth straight day at the players’ request. In a game of superstition, the players are begging to wear them every game.
“These jerseys are sick,” Jonny DeLuca said. “They’re undefeated so hopefully we keep them going.”
But more important than the specialty uniforms, which originally were only for last weekend and a few select Saturday games the rest of the season, the Rays had a different lineup and vibe.
DeLuca, who walked off a win Sunday, came back from starting the year on the injured list Friday and in four games with the Rays has driven in 10 runs. Monday night, DeLuca had a two-run single and a two-run home run for a career-high four RBIs.
“I believe he’s undefeated as a Ray,” Josh Lowe said. “That’s pretty cool. He’s swinging the bat well, even when I was with him in Durham — when we were in rehab — he looked great swinging the bat there, too. So it’s just cool to see him have some success early.”
Lowe was back in the lineup Monday night as well.
It was DeLuca’s third career homer and first since July 22, 2023, at Texas with the Dodgers. His 10 RBIs are the most through a player’s first four games with the Rays in club history. And they’re the most through a Rays hitter’s first four games of a season, surpassing Evan Longoria, who had eight in 2009.
The last player in the majors with 10 or more RBIs in his first four games with a new club was, coincidentally, former Ray and Josh Lowe’s brother, Nathaniel, in 2021 for Texas.
DeLuca’s 10 RBIs are the most by a Ray over any four-game span since Brandon Lowe recorded 10 from April 8-11, 2023.
“That’s pretty impressive. I mean, the home run was impressive,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I liked the two-strike shot to right on a ground ball.”
DeLuca, acquired with Ryan Pepiot in the trade that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers, has already surpassed his RBI total for last season (six in 24 big-league games).
“Timing, timing is all good. Yeah, it’s fun to go out there and play with these guys and obviously a winning atmosphere so I’m just doing my thing and everyone’s contributing,” DeLuca said. “So it’s fun.”
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Josh Lowe had two hits in his season debut after dealing with oblique and hamstring issues this spring. Harold Ramirez had a career high-tying four hits (including a double), drove in a run and scored three times, also tying a career high.
“We want a lot of these guys to feel good in the batter’s box, feel good about themselves and ... (Harold had) two soft-hit balls and two balls he squared up really, really well,” Cash said. “So encouraged by that.”
There was a lot for the Rays to feel good about Monday night. Randy Arozarena doubled and walked twice. Each of his last five hits have been for extra bases. Amed Rosario hit his second triple of the season, and Ben Rortvedt had his first RBI since April 24.
Tyler Alexander went four innings, allowing two runs, both on Tommy Pham’s third-inning home run. The White Sox (8-27) had four hits off him, he walked one and struck out a season-high seven. Erasmo Ramirez pitched three hitless innings with just one walk to earn his second straight win.
The four-game winning streak got the Rays back to .500 and the clubhouse feeling good. They were already talking about wearing the City Connect jerseys again on Tuesday.
“We’re not taking them off,” Ramirez said. “We’re going to wear them all season.”
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