CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays erupted for three runs in the ninth inning to break a late tie and secure a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, completing a three-game series sweep.

In a game defined by missed opportunities and strong relief pitching, the Rays finally broke through against the White Sox bullpen in the final frame. Junior Caminero led off the ninth with a solo home run off Seranthony Domínguez, snapping a 2-2 deadlock and handing Domínguez the loss. The Rays then piled on, scoring two more runs on bases-loaded walks to Hunter Feduccia and Taylor Walls to provide critical insurance.

The late rally made a winner of Kevin Kelly, who improved to 2-1 after recording two outs in the eighth inning. Bryan Baker pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season, navigating a leadoff walk to seal the win before an announced crowd of 10,128.

The game’s most pivotal sequence came in the bottom of the eighth, immediately before the Rays’ decisive rally. The White Sox had just tied the game 2-2 on a solo homer by Everson Pereira, injecting life into the home crowd. After a walk to Edgar Quero, Chicago had the potential go-ahead run at the plate with only one out. However, Colson Montgomery grounded into an inning-ending double play, started by second baseman Richie Palacios, snuffing out the threat and setting the stage for Tampa Bay’s immediate response in the ninth.

Tampa Bay’s early offense was sporadic. They took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Taylor Walls singled home Jonny DeLuca. They added another in the seventh on an RBI single from Palacios that scored Cedric Mullins. The Rays, however, stranded 10 baserunners through the first eight innings, repeatedly failing to extend their lead against a parade of Chicago relievers.

Chicago’s scoring came via the solo home run. Miguel Vargas put the White Sox on the board with a homer in the third inning. They tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth on an RBI ground-rule double from Quero that plated Chase Meidroth, who had doubled. Pereira’s eighth-inning blast then evened the score again at 2-2.

The starting pitchers set a tone of tight control. Tampa Bay’s Steven Matz delivered a key performance, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking none. He worked out of several jams, stranding five White Sox runners. Chicago’s Grant Taylor was effective in his 1 1/3-inning opener, yielding one run on one hit and striking out three as part of a planned bullpen game. White Sox relievers Sean Newcomb, Jordan Leasure, Anthony Kay and Lucas Sims combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings before the ninth-inning collapse.

With the win, the Rays improved to 11-7 and have won four straight games. The White Sox fell to 6-13, having lost five of their last six. Tampa Bay outhit Chicago nine to eight in a game that lasted 3 hours, 15 minutes.

The Rays now travel to Pittsburgh to open a three-game series against the Pirates on Friday. The White Sox head west to begin a three-game set against the Athletics on Friday.