Rays 12, White Sox 3: A new low

You didn't think Luis Robert Jr. wasn't going to get off that easy, did you?

One of the least acceptable efforts of the season almost became a distant sidebar when the White Sox led the Rays 3-0 after six no-hit innings from Lance Lynn.

When the Sox came to bat in the bottom of the seventh, they trailed 10-3, and Robert's absence played a part in the inning's aesthetics, if nothing else.

Because Grifol (correctly) benched Robert after the second inning, Gavin Sheets moved from right to left, where he misplayed Isaac Paredes' drive to left with one out and the Rays trailing 3-1. It was likely a double, but Josh Lowe doesn't try scoring from first if the left fielder either cut it off or played the carom off the wall. Sheets did neither, and because he got turned around and needed extra seconds to collect it, Lowe got the green light.

Now, Sheets did recover to start a strong relay home, with Elvis Andrus making an on-target throw to Yasmani Grandal and Lowe closed in on home plate. But Grandal's mitt rejected the ball, as it is wont to do, and Lowe scored to make it a 3-2 game.

Then it got even uglier -- and before the play was even over. Lynn, who wasn't backing up Grandal as the throw came in but did collect the ball in time to prevent an initial advancement, flipped the ball in Grandal's direction, but Grandal was looking at home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt to question whether Lowe actually tagged the plate (he did), and the ball rolled up the third base line. Paredes took third, and those 90 feet turned out to be very important, because Aaron Bummer was warming.

Pedro Grifol probably pulled Lynn one batter too late -- he was at 98 pitches and things were on the verge of unraveling -- but that one batter drew a walk that created the possibility of a double play.

Those 90 feet mattered because that's when Aaron Bummer entered. He's had a miserable time retiring the first batter he faces the last two years, whether it's because he takes a while to get dialed in, or because the bad contact he generates ends up perfectly placed.

Tonight, it was the latter. Manuel Margot nubbed a ball to the first base side of the mound, which Bummer vacates when he falls off to the third-base side. He tried to reverse course, but the ball slipped past him and crawled too slowly for Romy González to do anything about it, and that tied the game.

Bummer then allowed an easy double steal, but almost escaped further damage when Grandal held on to Andrus' throw home for a fielder's choice at the plate, preventing a run while notching a second out. But Jose Siri's harder-hit grounder stayed inside third base and bounded down the line for a go-ahead double, and that's when the wheels flew off.

To summarize the rest of the inning in list form:

• Yandy Diaz walked-- Jimmy Lambert replaces Bummer --
• Wander Franco singled past a diving González for two runs
• Randy Arozarena three-run homer
• Jose Lowe homer

And the Rays went from trailing 3-0 to leading 10-3. They added a solo shot off Keynan Middleton and a solo shot off Jake Diekman, but sadly, they fell short of the 10-run cushion needed to close out the game with a position player for the second time this series.

The focus should've been on Lynn, who endured the usual barrage of long Rays at-bats in the first inning to striking out 10 batters over six no-hit innings, allowing just one walk. His reward is a record that dropped to 0-4, although his ERA did fall to 7.16, for what that's worth. He was even charged with the error for the flip that Grandal didn't see.

No, the attention drifts back to Robert, who eased up halfway down the line on what should've been an easy infield single.

Given the various traumas suffered by the White Sox running those first 90 feet, the easiest explanation was an injury. Robert initially sprinted out of the box, whereas most players who are dogging it start jogging immediately after contact.

But then Robert headed out to man center field.

For a half-inning.

Then Oscar Colás pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the second.

The White Sox announced during the game that Robert was lifted due to a "managerial decision," which is to say he wasn't injured.

Or was he?

Either the Sox still don't have clear lines of communications on injuries, Robert's terrible at making excuses, or Robert thought being viewed as a loafer would be superior to being hurt. I didn't see the media session, but Josh said that Robert had to ask Billy Russo for the name of the White Sox's bench coach. Combine it with his unwillingness to call for balls in the outfield, and he's lost the thread this week.

The Sox did momentarily disrupt the Rays' pitching plans when they drew two walks off Calvin Faucher, and both came around to score on an Elvis Andrus single in the second inning. Kevin Cash had to go to their bulk pitcher earlier than imagined, but Yonny Chirinos got the game through six innings just the same. The Sox didn't get to him until that last frame, with Andrew Vaughn and Eloy Jiménez doubling for a 3-0 lead.

Then Franco led off the seventh inning with a solo shot that spoiled Lynn's bids for a no-hitter and a shutout. Everything else turned rotten in short order.

Bullet points:

*Lynn generated 19 whiffs on 103 pitches, and while his stuff didn't jump off the page, he got a lot of mileage out of the high fastball.

*Lambert's ERA is up to 6.92 after giving up three runs over one-third of an inning.

*The White Sox were held to four hits and three walks.

*González was robbed of his first walk of the season, rung up on a strike three below the zone on a full count. He ended up going 0-for-3 with another strikeout on top of that.

*The White Sox will finish April without a series victory or consecutive wins. They have to beat the Rays on Sunday to avoid being swept for the season.

*An announced crowd of 28,462 showed up for the hockey jersey promotion. Most of those folks will go home wondering why they would even bother returning, and that's what makes a fan-murdered a fan-murderer.

Record: 7-21 | Box score | Statcast