On Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox 1-0, powered by a dominant pitching performance. Drew Rasmussen and four relievers combined to strike out 16 batters while giving up only five singles. The White Sox were shut out for the game, unable to turn any of those hits into runs.
The victory was a needed bounce-back for the Rays, who had lost the previous contest. The White Sox, meanwhile, wasted a strong pitching effort of their own, as their offense could not provide support. The game was a showcase of pitching and defense, though the defense saw little action given the high number of strikeouts.
The matchup was listed among Friday's top games to watch, and it lived up to that billing as a tight, low-scoring affair. For the Rays, the win was a return to form after a disappointing result the night before. For the White Sox, the loss was a frustrating one despite another solid outing from their pitchers, who kept the game within reach but got no help from the bats.