Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays: Final Score & Recap

The Chicago White Sox handed the Tampa Bay Rays a 9-1 defeat at Tropicana Field on August 2, 2026, a result that erased what had been a 59 percent pre-game home win probability for Tampa Bay according to the DiamondIQ model, which closed at zero percent. Chicago scored in four separate innings, building their advantage steadily before a four-run ninth inning sealed the outcome. The Rays managed 11 hits but were unable to convert them into runs against a White Sox pitching staff that controlled the game from the first pitch.

The decisive sequence of plays began early, as Tampa Bay's offense went cold at critical moments. Ben Williamson's groundout in the second inning off Anthony Kay carried a negative 9.8 percent win-probability swing, and Junior Caminero's first-inning grounded into double play off the same pitcher cost the Rays another 8.3 percent in win probability. Jonny DeLuca's pop out in the fourth added yet another 8.2 percent swing against Tampa Bay. On the Chicago side, Andrew Benintendi's fourth-inning home run off Griffin Jax added 8.9 percent in win probability, and Everson Pereira's sixth-inning double off Craig Kimbrel contributed a game-high 10.7 percent swing.

Anthony Kay was the defining performer of the night, posting a staggering plus-37.8 percent win probability added on the mound and receiving strong support from Grant Taylor and Steven Matz. At the plate, Tristan Peters led Chicago with plus-8.5 percent WPA and a 0.9 RE24, while Benintendi contributed plus-8.0 percent WPA and a 1.6 RE24. Pereira rounded out the top three with plus-7.7 percent WPA and a team-best 2.6 RE24. The DiamondIQ model leans toward crediting Kay's dominant outing as the central factor in Chicago's convincing road victory.