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CHICAGO -- While the bullpen strains under the weight it is being asked to carry and the defense continues to provide more assistance to the opposing offense, the Chicago White Sox continue to drift aimlessly.

Another loss by a reliever was combined with two more White Sox errors that led to an 8-3 defeat by the Tampa Bay Rays and a 3-5 homestand that followed a 3-7 road trip.

Making it that much worse is that the White Sox need to step up their game in the wake of so many April injuries, not regress in areas that were a supposed strength.

The bullpen is still top-notch, but a lack of run support has left it pitching in tight games each and every night, and things haven’t always gone the Sox's way in such circumstances. Nate Jones was tagged with the loss Sunday, the bullpen’s sixth loss this season. Only the Toronto Blue Jays and their eight bullpen defeats have more in the American League.

“We’re looking at what you have here and what’s available, and you go from there,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You try to win games right now not waiting and looking in the future. Guys are playing hard and this is one of those that is probably a work in progress of trying to figure that out and who’s playing and who’s doing what. But again, you try to make due and make sure everybody is giving a constant effort. That’s all you can ask.”

Ultimately, it all goes back to that ineffective offense. Adam Dunn, whose struggles have been mighty in the early going, continued to show signs of life with a first-inning RBI single. Team leader Paul Konerko added a two-run home run.

Everybody else, though, was an easy target for Rays starter David Price, who snapped a streak of five starts without a victory. His last truimph came Sept. 30 of last season, against the White Sox.

The White Sox have already used the disabled list six times in the first 24 games, an extreme worst-case scenario for a club that lacks not only roster depth but in potential breakthrough prospects at the minor league level.

Tyler Green (second base), Conor Gillaspie (third base) and Dewayne Wise (center field) all filled in for injured players Sunday and were a combined 1-for-10.

“I don’t sense anybody looking around saying we can’t win with what we have,” Konerko said. “I think the only time you think about those guys is when you see them. I think every team is going to have that little span during the season where it seems like every day somebody’s going down. Hopefully, this is ours right now and we start getting guys back and we’re kind of over that and it’s done with and some other team’s going to have to deal with that in August or September, maybe.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox were upended 8-3 by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday to end an abbreviated homestand with a 3-5 record.

How it happened: Paul Konerko hit his fourth home run and Adam Dunn continued his revival with a first-inning RBI single. But the White Sox sprung a leak in the later innings as Matt Joyce hit a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning, while the bullpen, combined with an error from Alex Rios, was touched for a three-run eighth inning. Ben Zobrist singled in a run in the eighth against Nate Jones for a 4-3 Rays lead, and with the White Sox almost out of the inning, Rios dropped a two-out shallow fly ball for two more runs.

What it means: The combination of an inconsistent offense and a less-than-trustworthy defense continues to cause the White Sox problems. Dylan Axelrod gave up three runs over six innings, but the White Sox offense could only match that total. Add to that two more errors, one of which led to the two eighth-inning runs, and the White Sox simply have too much to overcome in a daily basis. The White Sox entered play on Sunday tied with the Indians for most errors among AL Central teams (14).

Outside the box: Konerko managed to move himself up two home run lists Sunday. He not only hit his 426th home run to tie Billy Williams for 45th on the all-time list, but he also closed the gap on Frank Thomas’ White Sox career home-run mark. Konerko is now 29 home runs away from Thomas, who had 448 in a White Sox uniform. Konerko hit seven big league home runs before joining the White Sox.

Offbeat: It might be time to update Conor Gillaspie’s profile from a developing defender to one who has an unconventional give-and-take style. Gillaspie has always been a work in progress with the glove but has been a pleasant surprise since coming over to the White Sox. He made a first-inning error on an easy ground ball, only to atone for the miscue with a diving stop to his left on a ground ball from Evan Longoria and throw to first for the out. He made a similar play earlier in the homestand to cut down a runner at the plate.

Up next: The White Sox will have a day off Monday before opening an eight-game, three-city road trip at Texas. In the series opener on Tuesday, White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana (2-0, 2.78) will oppose Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish (4-1, 1.65) in the 7:05 p.m. start from Rangers Ballpark at Arlington.

CHICAGO -- You can see a different hitter evolving in the batter’s box these days, as Adam Dunn is slowly starting to make more consistent contact.

Slumps are nothing new for the Chicago White Sox slugger, but so far this season he wasn’t even getting his usual walk numbers.

A recent slump doesn’t support the hypothesis that Dunn is getting it together, (3-for-50 in his last 13 games before Friday), but nonetheless, he and his hitting coach Jeff Manto see a good streak coming. Dunn went 2-for-4 Friday with an RBI in the Sox’s 5-4 win over the Rays.

“He has been working on his base and his base has gotten better,” Manto said before Friday’s game. “We began to see some better at-bats from him in Toronto. He has taken those better at-bats through the homestand but doesn’t have raw numbers to prove it. We see it and we are taking small steps right now. If you watch him flying out to left and left center that is a good sign and he is doing that right now.”

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CHICAGO -- Mired in a horrendous slump of his own, Adam Dunn did not hold back when asked about his team’s poor record.

“We can’t play any worse than we are now,” Dunn said before the Chicago White Sox's Monday matchup against the Cleveland Indians. “Obviously we are getting good pitching. Other than that -- terrible.”

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CHICAGO -- Despite Sunday’s 5-3 defeat to the Minnesota Twins, two Chicago White Sox hitters in deep slumps showed signs of life.

Adam Dunn snapped a 31 at-bat hitless streak with a solo home run in the seventh inning, while Jeff Keppinger managed to drive in two runs while actually extending his hitless run to 24 consecutive at-bats.

Keppinger drove in the White Sox’ s first run with a fourth-inning ground out, and brought home the second run in the sixth inning on a fly ball to center field.

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CHICAGO -- Against a Minnesota Twins lineup that had six players batting .225 or less, the Chicago White Sox were defeated 5-3 in the series finale.

How it happened: Normally dependable, the White Sox’s bullpen couldn’t support a solid outing from Gavin Floyd. Matt Lindstrom, Donnie Veal and Jesse Crain combined to give up four runs in the seventh inning after Floyd completed a day when he gave up one run over six innings. The Twins’ Aaron Hicks, who entered batting .042, drove in the first run of the seventh on a single, while Josh Willingham, batting .225 at the outset, delivered a three-run triple off Crain in the inning. White Sox relievers started the day leading the American League with a 1.63 ERA and a .177 opponents' batting average.

What it means: Runs continue to be hard to come by for the White Sox, who have now scored three times or less in eight of their 18 games this season. Three of the first five hitters in the White Sox lineup Sunday were batting .227 at the start of the game or less, including the first two, Alejandro De Aza and Jeff Keppinger. De Aza and Keppinger managed to deliver, though, as Keppinger brought home De Aza twice, even though it was on outs both times, with a ground out in the fourth inning and a fly ball in the sixth.

Outside the box: While it wasn’t enough to end talk of a slump, Adam Dunn did hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to snap an 0-for-31 dry spell. He had one hit in his previous 39 at-bats before going deep. Going back to Saturday’s game, Dunn had struck out five times in six trips to the plate against the Twins before hitting his home run off of reliever Josh Roenicke, his third of the season. He later struck out to end the game.

Off beat: On the one-year anniversary of Philip Humber's perfect game in Seattle last season, Floyd actually retired the first seven batters he faced before a walk to Hicks. Floyd didn’t give up his first hit until Willingham touched him for a single with one out in the fourth inning. After giving up a combined nine runs over his last two starts, Floyd’s outing Sunday was his best of his four appearances this season. He gave up just three hits to go along with the one run he allowed.

Up next: The White Sox will send right-hander Dylan Axelrod (0-1, 4.70 ERA) to the mound Monday against Cleveland in the opener of a three-game series. The Indians will counter with right-hander Justin Masterson (3-1, 1.67) in the 7:10 p.m. start from U.S. Cellular Field.

CHICAGO -- Despite his struggles and the fact that the Chicago White Sox are facing a left-handed pitcher on Sunday, Adam Dunn is back in the lineup, batting from the fifth spot.

Dunn is in a 1-for-37 slide and went 0-for-4 on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins with three strikeouts.

The White Sox will be facing Twins left-hander Scott Diamond on Sunday and his relatively small sample size against Dunn could have contributed to manager Robin Ventura putting his struggling slugger back in the lineup. Dunn is 3-for-10 (.300) in his career against Diamond with a home run and three RBIs.

“You can think about anything, but for us to turn around and start playing better, he's going to have to get some hits and be part of that, part of the answer,” Ventura said when asked if he considered giving Dunn a rest Sunday.

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CHICAGO -- The lack of run support for Jake Peavy on Saturday was reminiscent of times during his 2012 season. The White Sox veteran had nothing to show for the seven innings of one-run, six-hit baseball he pitched against the Minnesota Twins. The no-decision was the result of another lethargic offensive day by his teammates.

"We said from the first homestand that we are going to live and die with the home run,“ Peavy said. “There are times when we won’t hit it; those are the times you are going to get beat. It is going to come, and we are going to hit some homers. The big boys are going to get going.”

Chicago has been in a season-long funk with runners in scoring position (17-99 for a .172 batting average, the lowest in the AL). Adam Dunn continued his recent slump, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Dunn is one for his past 37, however, no one did much after Alejandro De Aza’s home run to lead off the White Sox first inning.

Peavy acknowledged that he was better equipped to deal with a lack of run support than some of his younger teammates.

“I would rather it be me than [Jose] Quintana or [Chris] Sale or somebody that has not been through it,” Peavy said. “I have really pitched my whole career in tight ballgames. You go back and look at some of those years in San Diego -- I didn’t have a lot of run support. I am fine with it and okay with pitching in tight games. I appreciate [manager Robin Ventura leaving me in some big situations]."

Peavy went through the entire 2012 season with a small amount of runs scored behind him. His offense gave him the fourth-fewest runs scored per outing for a starting pitcher in the league last season. Fourteen of the club's first 17 games have been decided by three runs or less.

“It was a wasted outing for Jake," first baseman Paul Konerko said in reference to his team’s offensive struggles. “The work is there, the approach is good. Everything is in the right place. It just hasn’t happened yet. We just have to keep grinding.”

Peavy has been dominant against Minnesota the past two seasons, lowering his ERA to 1.64 in his past five starts against the Twins.

“When you start a game and your team loses, it is not fun,“ he said. “I believe we will find a way. We went through some rough stretches last year, and, hopefully, we can right the ship sooner or later.“

CHICAGO -- Already without the injured Dayan Viciedo and Gordon Beckham, the Chicago White Sox are now dealing with another hole in the batting order.

Adam Dunn is in the midst of a free fall that has taken his batting average under the .100 mark and has contributed heavily to the team's overall offensive inconsistencies.

With an 0-for-4 game in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by the Minnesota Twins -- not to mention three more strikeouts to boot -- Dunn has just six hits in 61 at-bats this season and practically nothing for the past two weeks. Starting with the White Sox’s game at Washington on April 10, Dunn has gone 1-for-37.

And while it’s true that slumps to start the season are magnified, an .027 batting average over any 10-game sample would be cause for alarm. Going back even further, Dunn has just four hits with 21 strikeouts over his past 54 at-bats.

“Today aside, I don’t feel terrible up there,” Dunn said. “Obviously, the results aren’t there, and this is a result-oriented game. That’s the first thing people think is that there’s something wrong. I don’t feel bad. You just can’t let it snowball and get in your head and start trying to get four hits on one at-bat.”

While any replacement off the bench figures to produce more than Dunn is offering right now, the White Sox need their power hitter to generate the type of run production he is capable of if they want to be the team they envision. So while a day off here and there could be coming, the team is not about to quit on him now.

Teammates note that Dunn is in a good frame of mind, he just continues to be in another one of those ruts that big power, high strikeout guys like him can get into. Dunn’s ruts just seem to be bigger than most.

“Adam’s not one to really press too much,” said Paul Konerko, who is the yin to Dunn’s yang in that Konerko overanalyzes most everything. “He’s handled it well. He’s been through this stuff before. And a guy like him, I mean, two games and he can get it all back. I’m not saying you want to do that, but when you can do what he can do, you can kind of jump back into the ballgame quick when you can do what he can do with the bat.”

It remains to be seen what manager Robin Ventura does with Sunday’s lineup. Dunn has sat out just once this season, when the White Sox were in Washington on the just-concluded road trip and the DH spot wasn’t available.

The White Sox will be facing Minnesota Twins left-hander Scott Diamond on Sunday, and it could be a good opportunity to get the left-handed-swinging Dunn a break to clear his mind.

“I think he’s frustrated; anybody would be,” Ventura said. “It’s just one of those where you just got to keep grinding through it, and he’ll eventually get through it. It’s just one of those where both teams had a big [strike] zone today.

“It’s a frustrating day, but I think it’s one of those that he’ll just keep grinding and get out of it. But this is the tough part. This is not the time for guys to start thinking about other things. Just go out and try to do things to help your team win instead of thinking about little individual stuff.”

Plate umpire C.B. Bucknor had such a liberal strike zone that 10 separate times he called out a player looking at strike three. There were 22 strikeouts in the game, with the White Sox striking out 13 times.

Dunn struck out looking two times with his other strikeout coming when he failed to check his swing. He made no excuses, though.

“When you’re getting pitches to hit you need to hit them and not put yourself in that situation,” Dunn said. “When we got some pitches to hit, we didn’t do it.”

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field:

How it happened: The Twins scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Alexei Ramirez in the 10th inning. After a weather-related cancellation on Friday, right-hander Jake Peavy and Twins starter Vance Worley kicked off the abbreviated two-game series. Alejandro De Aza led off the White Sox's first inning with his fourth home run of the season, his fifth career leadoff homer. Twins outfielder Josh Willingham singled home the tying run in the third inning, scoring Brian Dozier.

Peavy kept his streak of good pitching alive. In seven innings, he allowed just one run on six hits with nine strikeouts to lower his ERA to 3.20. Worley also went seven in a no-decision.

Two Web Gem-caliber plays by the Sox in the eighth inning preserved a tie. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie made a diving backhand stop of a bases-loaded one-hopper and forced Chris Parmelee out at home with a perfect throw from his knees. Paul Konerko had an over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory to end the inning.

What it means: Peavy entered the game having defeated Minnesota in four straight starts, carrying a 1.73 ERA throughout those outings. As a team, the White Sox came into the contest with a .177 batting average with runners in scoring position (lowest in the American League). They were 0-for-3 with men in scoring position on Saturday. Adam Dunn is in a 1-for-36 slump and struck out three times in four at-bats.

Outside the box: Outfielder Dayan Viciedo was placed on the 15-day DL due to a strained oblique. Outfielder Blake Tekotte was recalled from Triple-A. Pitching coach Don Cooper returned to the team after missing 10 days with diverticulitis. The Sox had won 12 of their previous 14 games against the Twins.

Up next: On Sunday, RHP Gavin Floyd (0-3, 6.32) faces off against LHP Scott Diamond (0-1, 8.31) in the finale of this two-game series.

TORONTO -- The starting pitcher throws well, the bullpen keeps the score close and the lineup gets a clutch run or two to pull ahead late. It's a simple recipe for winning, yet obviously getting all three parts of the game working at the same time is easier said than done, as the Chicago White Sox could attest in the early part of this season.

On Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, however, the Sox received two things -- quality pitching and key hits -- that have been in short supply for the club. Starter Dylan Axelrod gave the Sox six solid innings, limiting the Jays to two runs and keeping his team in the game despite a shaky final frame. After the bullpen did its characteristic superb job of keeping Toronto in check, the heart of the White Sox order delivered the go-ahead runs in the top of the ninth to put the club ahead for good in the 4-3 victory.

"Those are the big at-bats and we finally got the big hit," manager Robin Ventura said. "Again, it's a work in progress and you keep going at it over and over again. That's the kind of thing you're looking for."

Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko both drew walks to lead off the ninth, and after a Conor Gillaspie strikeout, Dayan Viciedo came to the plate. Viciedo had gone 0-for-3 against Jays starter Josh Johnson and fell behind 1-and-2 against reliever Steve Delabar. The slugger held steady against a close 95 mph fastball that just missed the strike zone and didn't chase a ball in the dirt, then blasted a 3-2 pitch into deep center field for an RBI double.

It was a much-needed big hit for Viciedo, who entered the game hitting just .184 for the season and was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. After a three-hit performance on Monday, and Tuesday's clutch double, there are signs the Cuban outfielder was turning things around.

"I was very calm and was concentrating at swinging at good pitches," Viciedo said through an interpreter. "I had to get a good pitch to hit here. I felt calm during that at-bat, different than the other ones. I trust the work I've been doing in the cage. I'm getting better slowly and I'm feeling better slowly but definitely I've stayed positive."

The winning run was scored by Konerko, who came home on a Hector Gimenez sacrifice fly. It was one of three runs for Konerko, who also scored from third on a wild pitch in the second and hit a solo homer in the seventh. While Gimenez's fly ball went fairly deep into right field, it was still a challenge for the less-than-speedy team captain.

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TORONTO -- The Chicago White Sox scored a pair of ninth-inning runs and then hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at the Rogers Centre.

How it happened: White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod and Jays starter Josh Johnson engaged in a pitchers' duel for much of the game, with each right-hander allowing two runs over six and seven innings, respectively. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko led off the ninth with consecutive walks, paving the way for Dayan Viciedo to drive in a run on a long fly ball to center field. Konerko later came in to score the game winner on a Hector Gimenez sacrifice fly. Addison Reed allowed his first run of the season in the ninth to cut Chicago's lead to one, but the closer held on to record his fifth save.

What it means: The White Sox picked up their second road win of the season, improving their record to 2-6 away from U.S. Cellular Field this season. Konerko's home run in the seventh inning was the 425th of his career, putting him one away from tying Cubs great Billy Williams for 45th on the all-time list. Konerko scored three runs in a game for the first time since May 26, 2012.

Outside the box: Axelrod threw a quality start (six innings, two earned runs, seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts), and yet the right-hander came ever so close to avoiding damage altogether. Axelrod twice allowed two-out solo homers on 1-and-2 counts -- Colby Rasmus connected on a long ball in the second inning, and J.P. Arencibia went deep in the sixth to temporarily give Toronto the lead. The two homers were the first homers allowed by Axelrod this season, and he had given up just one home run over his previous 32 1/3 innings dating to last season.

Offbeat: Axelrod was aided by some quality glove work from the White Sox infielders. Alexei Ramirez made a nifty jumping grab of a Brett Lawrie line drive to end the fifth inning. Dunn snagged a liner the next inning, a scorcher off the bat of Maicer Izturis that went right to Dunn at first base. Dunn made the catch and then stepped on first to double off Rasmus for an unassisted double play.

Up next: The White Sox play the third game of their four-game series with the Blue Jays on Wednesday at 6:07 p.m. CT. After throwing seven shutout, one-hit innings in his previous start, left-hander Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.09 ERA) returns to the mound against fellow southpaw J.A. Happ (2-0, 3.48).

CLEVELAND -- With the season still young and the weather still cold, All-Star first baseman Paul Konerko will be the White Sox designated hitter on Saturday afternoon as they look to even up their series with the Cleveland Indians. The team’s usual designated hitter, Adam Dunn, will play first base in Konerko’s absence.

“With the weather and everything, for [Konerko], it’s easier to keep him loose,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of his slight lineup change. “He had mentioned it earlier in Chicago, so we will go with it today -- maybe tomorrow, I don’t know.”

Konerko, at times, feels that his approach at the plate can be impacted negatively if he is forced to lead off an inning after being sedentary in the field for any considerable amount of time. A career .283 hitter, Konerko’s batting average when leading off an inning in 2013 is .091. In 2012, these averages were .298 and .263, respectively.

In Konerko’s place, Ventura will play Dunn, a player who he feels is more than capable of filling in for the six-time All-Star as he has two other times in this young season.

“Paul has played first base more, so he’s probably better at picking balls out of the dirt and stuff like that,” Ventura said. “Adam, as big as he is, he’s athletic enough to feel comfortable over there once he’s been over there enough. In part of spring training, we had him playing over there quite a bit.”

Dunn, who can also play left field when needed, could also be called upon to fill in given that the team is carrying only four outfielders on the 25-man roster and used the roster spot vacated by Gordon Beckham (wrist) to add an arm in the bullpen.

“I think where we are at now, if we need to start moving people around, [Dunn] is the option to go out there,” Ventura said of left field. “I don’t see it being like this for a month, but right now, it works.”

WASHINGTON -- Washington Nationals starter Dan Haren scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Ryan Zimmerman added a two-run double moments later as Washington completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 7-4 victory Thursday night.

How it happened: The Nationals kept getting key hits at the right time; the White Sox didn’t. Washington scored twice in the third for a 3-1 lead before Chicago’s Alejandro De Aza and Jeff Keppinger got back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth to tie the game. But Washington took over in the bottom half as Haren got a double and later scored on starter Dylan Axelrod's wild pitch to give the Nats a 4-3 lead. Zimmerman lined a two-run double to right later in the inning to go up 6-3. Adam Dunn collected an RBI double in the sixth for the Sox -- a ball that hit about halfway up the left-field wall, coming close to being a game-tying three-run homer.

What it means: It was a night of wasted chances. The White Sox finished with 13 hits, 10 of which came in the first five innings off Haren, who still got the win. Chicago missed on numerous scoring opportunities, finishing just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The White Sox also left 11 on base.

Outside the box: Hector Santiago made just his third appearance of the season but pitched well again. After Axelrod gave up six runs in 3⅔ innings, Santiago blanked the Nationals for 2⅓ innings. That not only kept the Sox in the game, but it extended his scoreless streak to 13⅓ innings dating back to Oct. 1.

Off beat: Numbers tell the story of Axelrod’s long night. He needed 103 pitches to get through 3⅔ innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and taking the loss. There were 40 pitches in the first inning alone, plus four walks. Along with a wild pitch that brought in the go-ahead run in the fourth. Some good news -- Axelrod got his first major league hit. First baseman Adam LaRoche tried to make a diving catch of the pitcher’s sacrifice bunt in fourth but couldn’t quite do it and nobody else could make a play.

Up next: After the interleague series in Washington, the White Sox return to American League competition Friday in Cleveland when Jose Quintana (0-0, 11.25 ERA) takes on Justin Masterson (2-0, 0.69) in the series opener.

WASHINGTON -- Danny Espinosa drove in two runs, and starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed two runs in seven solid innings as the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Adam Dunn and Alex Rios each drove in a run for Chicago.

How it happened: The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first inning for the second straight night, but couldn’t do much after that. Starter Gavin Floyd began the game well, but the Nationals got to him the second and third times through the order. Floyd blanked Washington in the first three innings, striking out four while doing it. But the Nationals scored five in the next three innings, and he left after 5 1/3. Dunn and Alex Rios each had RBI groundouts, but Chicago couldn’t do anything else. Zimmermann (2-0) gave up the two runs and scattered seven hits in seven innings.

What it means: The home runs have been coming often. But when they don’t, the White Sox don’t seem to find much offense this season. There were no homers in this game, and Chicago now has needed homers to score 20 of its 31 runs. Alex Rios' homer streak ended at four games, one short of the team record. The homer numbers are good, but if you live by the round-trippers, you often die by them, too.

Outside the box: The White Sox again found trouble in the middle innings. Washington’s potent lineup scored a total of six runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of Tuesday’s win, and the Nationals used the same formula Wednesday night. Floyd got touched up for all five of his runs during those same three innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.

Off beat: Extra-base hits are becoming a problem for Floyd. He allowed only four hits in a six-inning effort in his first start against the Kansas City Royals, but two of them were for extra bases. Then, in Wednesday’s loss in Washington, Floyd allowed nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, and five of them went for extra bases. The Nationals banged out three doubles, a triple and a homer to help score five runs off the tall right-hander.

Up next: The White Sox wrap up their three-game interleague series with the Nationals on Thursday, when right-hander Dylan Axelrod (0-0, 0.00) takes on Washington right-hander Dan Haren (0-1, 13.50) as Chicago tries to prevent a sweep.