MLB

• Rays' Sonnanstine tosses three-hit shutout over Chicago

  
  

  St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Andy Sonnanstine tossed the first complete game of his career, as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Chicago White Sox, 5-0, in the middle test of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

  Sonnanstine (2-1) scattered just three hits, walked a batter and fanned four in the effort as the Rays won for the second time in three games.

  "I felt like tonight I did exactly what I planned," Sonnanstine said. "Everything looked sharper because I was throwing more fastballs. I felt like my fastball was coming out of my hand pretty well."

  The 25-year-old undoubtedly had not just his best start of the season, but also the best of his brief career. Having broken into the league just last year, he fired eight innings of one-run, two-hit ball against the New York Yankees on August 27, 2007. It had been Sonnanstine's longest outing to date, as Tampa went on to a 9-1 victory in that contest.

  B.J. Upton had three hits and drove in a run, while Carl Crawford went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Rays.

  The loss went to Mark Buehrle (1-2), who allowed five runs on 12 hits over seven innings for the White Sox, who have dropped two of three. The Sox managed just three singles in the contest and didn't get a runner past second base.

  "We couldn't get anything going," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "You're not going to win too many games getting three hits. You have to give credit to the kid pitching (Sonnanstine). He had a good ballgame."

  The Rays used a pair of walks, a stolen base and four straight singles on their way to a three-run third inning.

  After Carlos Pena drew a free pass but was erased on a double play, Jonny Gomes also worked a walk and swiped second. Eric Hinske, Shawn Riggans, Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura then ripped four consecutive base hits, making it a 3-0 game before Crawford fanned to end the frame.

  Gomes tripled in his next at-bat, in the fourth, and scored on Riggans' sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

  Tampa tacked on a run in the seventh when Crawford singled and scored on Upton's double to left. Game Notes

  Sonnanstine had faced the White Sox just one time prior to this contest, getting a no-decision in a 2007 start after allowing six hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings, with six strikeouts and no walks...Buehrle fell to 6-2 in 13 lifetime appearances, including seven starts, against Tampa Bay.

  04/19 22:32:59 ET