DeLuca stays hot with homer and 4 RBIs as Rays beat Clevinger and White Sox 8-2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jonny DeLuca continued his hot stretch with a homer and four RBIs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Mike Clevinger and the Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Monday night for their fourth consecutive win.

DeLuca has driven in 10 runs in four games after being sidelined with a broken right hand all season.

DeLuca had a two-run single in a three-run second against Clevinger, and hit a two-run drive off Jared Shuster during a three-run fifth that made it 7-2.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The home run was impressive. I liked the two-strike groundball to right. It was just as benefiting for us.”

DeLuca's 10 RBIs are the most through a players' first four games in Rays' history.

Clevinger (0-1) was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, and allowed four runs, six hits and four walks without a strikeout over two-plus innings in his season debut.

“It’s just his first outing, and again, it’s tough to do what he did," White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Sign late, speed it up. I mean, there’s a reason why there’s a spring training, right? I just think he's in the building process.”

Clevinger got a late start this season after finalizing a $3 million, one-year contract on April 4. He went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA and two complete games in 24 starts with the White Sox last season before becoming a free agent.

“This was a long time coming,” Clevinger said. “It's really cool to get in here and feel energy in this clubhouse again.”

Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer for the AL-worst White Sox (8-27), who had won two in a row and five of nine. Chicago swept a three-game home series with the Rays April 26-28.

Erasmo Ramírez (2-0) replaced starter Tyler Alexander with two on and no outs in the fifth and got out of the jam. Ramírez also got the win in the Rays' 7-6, 10-inning win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

“Erasmo did a tremendous job,” Cash said. “To come right through the 2-3-4 of their lineup and get three flyballs in six pitches was pretty huge.”

Alexander gave up two runs and four hits in four-plus innings.

Tampa Bay's Harold Ramírez had four hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP Dominic Leone went on the 15-day IL with lower back tightness.

Rays: OF Josh Lowe (oblique and hamstring) made his season debut and went 2 for 5.

UP NEXT

White Sox RHP Michael Soroka (0-3, 6.48 ERA) and Rays RHP Zach Eflin (1-4, 4.17) are Tuesday night’s starters.

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Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena (56) steals second base ahead of the tag by Chicago White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez (8) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Making the call is umpire Carlos Torres. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, left, relieves pitcher Mike Clevenger, center, during the third inning of a baseball game, Tampa Bay Rays Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Chicago White Sox center fielder Tommy Pham leaps but can't make the catch on a triple by Tampa Bay Rays' Amed Rosario during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Amed Rosario runs the bases after hitting a triple off Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevenger during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Alexander reacts as Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham runs around the bases after his two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham (28) celebrates with Robbie Grossman (30) after Pham hit a two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Alexander during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena celebraters his double off Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevenger during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jonny DeLuca connects for a two-run single off Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevenger during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger goes into his windup against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Alexander delivers to the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Caballero, right, high fives Jose Siri after scoring on a two-ruyn single by Jonny DeLuca off Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevenger during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jonny DeLuca, left, celebrates his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Jared Shuster with third base coach Brady Williams during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia reported some 60 drones and several missiles shot down over its territory overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine in turn saying it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. Russia’s renewed offensive continues to play out in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast.

Russian air defenses shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over its southern Krasnodar region overnight Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday morning.

Local military officials said drone debris hit an oil refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but there was no fire or damage. Local news outlet Astra published videos appearing to show an explosion at the refinery as it was hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.

Nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, following Friday morning’s massive Ukrainian drone attack that cut off power in the city of Sevastopol.

A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. According to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, a church roof was set on fire by falling drone debris, but there were no casualties.

In Ukraine, air force officials said air defense shot down all 37 Russian drones launched against the country overnight.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday morning that one person died and 11 were wounded as a result of shelling over the previous day.

Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a visit to China that Moscow’s offensive in the Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.

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Morton reported from London.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov during their meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian police officers look for fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian police officer and war crime prosecutor inspect fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house, after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)