TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brooks Baldwin hit a three-run homer, Miguel Vargas added a two-run shot and the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Monday night for their season-high fourth straight win.
Coming off a sweep at Pittsburgh, Chicago has won four consecutive games for the first time since May 8-11, 2024. The White Sox are 15-36 on the road.
Baldwin gave the White Sox a 3-0 lead in the second and Vargas made it 8-2 with a two-run homer in the fifth. It was Vargas' second homer in two games after a 96 at-bat drought.
Luis Robert Jr. had a two-run single and Chase Meidroth had three hits.
White Sox starter Sean Burke left after 89 pitches and giving up a leadoff walk in the fifth. Tyler Gilbert (4-1), the second of six White Sox pitchers, got the win.
Shane Baz (8-6) allowed eight runs and eight hits with two walks in four innings for the Rays.
Taylor Walls' two-run double and Yandi Díaz's solo homer accounted for the Rays' runs.
Tampa Bay All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, who left Saturday’s game after a flare-up of plantar fasciitis, missed his second straight start. He returned from the injured list on July 18 (oblique tightness). Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim left the game in the fourth with lower back tightness.
Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery singled before Baldwin hit his fifth homer of the season to right-center field with two outs to start the Chicago offense.
Chicago has scored 35 runs through four games to begin the second half of the season.
Chicago hasn't named a starter for Tuesday's game. RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 2.86) will pitch for the Rays.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, left, and Andrew Benintendi (23) celebrate after scoring on a single by Luis Robert Jr. during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (8) runs to third base on a single by teammate Colson Montgomery during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, July 21, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Chicago White Sox's Brooks Baldwin celebrates after his three-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, July 21, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--
Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/
Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.
Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.
“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”
Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.
About Kuleana Rum Works
Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.
https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/
