It was a tense ninth inning for the Chicago White Sox. Reliever Grant Taylor stepped to the back of the mound after throwing a ball to Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Tristan Gray with a runner on first and no outs in the ninth.
The training staff checked on the right-hander, who exited with a right groin strain.
Holding on to a one-run lead, the Sox turned to Wikelman González. He walked Gray. The two runners moved up a base on a bunt.
González made his biggest pitches of the night, striking out Yandy Díaz. Tyler Gilbert entered to face Brandon Lowe in a lefty-lefty matchup. Gilbert struck him out to preserve a 6-5 victory in front of 12,099 at Rate Field.
“They still had a number of guys on the bench where they could match up,” manager Will Venable said. “We talked about maybe bringing in a lefty there, Gilbert or (Tyler) Alexander, but just thought Wikelman was the right choice. He did a great job and was able to pass the baton to Gilbert there in a big spot where he was just kind of really going all-in on that at-bat against Lowe.
“When you’re put in that spot where you have to adjust and be flexible, these guys did a great job stepping up.”
The Sox (56-90) won on a night where infielder Miguel Vargas returned from the injured list and starter Sean Burke made his way back from Triple-A Charlotte.
Burke allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
The opening day starter for the Sox had been optioned on Aug. 18 after going 4-10 with a 4.28 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 24 games (20 starts) this season.
“I almost felt like I was kind of debuting for a second time, being back up, just happy,” Burke said. “I’m obviously following along, seeing these guys playing really good ball the last couple weeks. So just to get back up here and help join that and help them win has been fun.”
He got out of a major jam in the second inning. After walking the first three batters of the inning, Burke struck out Carson Williams and got Chandler Simpson to bounce into a double play.
“I was just trying to get my stuff back in the lower half of the zone,” Burke said. “I felt like when I was ahead of guys tonight, I was able to do a good job of getting them finished off and getting weak contact. So that was kind of my mindset once those guys got on. And then (shortstop) Colson (Montgomery) turns that big double play, helped me a lot.”
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The Sox made the most of their scoring chances in the bottom of the second.
Vargas, who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list after suffering a sprained left hand on Aug. 28, blooped a single to center field with one out against Mason Montgomery to begin a five-run inning.
“Obviously back in the game, have to get back on the rhythm, but it feels good, it feels great,” said Vargas, who went 1-for-4 and made several standout defensive plays at third base.
With two outs, Chase Meidroth reached on a bunt single. That caused Rays third baseman Junior Caminero to take a couple of steps forward when Michael A. Taylor batted. The center fielder hit a grounder past a diving Caminero for an RBI double.
Mike Tauchman followed with a two-run double. Kyle Teel walked and then scored along with Tauchman on a double by Lenyn Sosa, extending the Sox lead to 5-1.
“That was a great inning for the guys,” Venable said. “(Vargas) with the base hit there and love the bunt by Chase. Reading the defense is something that we’ve been talking about and he’s been working on and been looking for some spots, and that really opened things up for us.
“And then the guys behind him did a great job just continuing the rally.”
Andrew Benintendi hit a solo home run against Kevin Kelly in the third inning.
The Rays then started chipping away. They hit two homers in the fifth — a solo shot by Williams off Burke and a two-run home run by Caminero against reliever Brandon Eisert. The Rays scored once more in the sixth, cutting the Sox lead to 6-5.
They threatened in the ninth, but the Sox held on. Now they’ll await an update on Taylor.
“We’ll get an MRI tomorrow,” Venable said. “We’ll know more information tomorrow.”
Luis Robert Jr. injury update
The immediate future for center fielder Luis Robert Jr., as in a return this season, was a topic of discussion before Wednesday’s game. Robert went on the injury list on Aug. 27 with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
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“It feels like we’re running out of time,” Venable said. “No decisions have been made. We’re still taking it day by day with him, but it feels like we’re going to be up against it. Some of the early progress, maybe not there to kind of get excited about momentum and getting to a spot where we could get him built back up and put him on the field.
“We’re not sticking the fork in him yet, but we acknowledge we’re probably running out of time here.”