Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel had two-run singles and Shane Smith pitched effectively into the sixth inning as the host Chicago White Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Thursday.

Chicago (57-90) took two of three to keep Tampa Bay's American League playoff hopes wobbling.

The Rays fell six games behind the Seattle Mariners, who play later Thursday, in the race for the third and final AL wild-card berth. The Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals are also ahead of Tampa Bay (72-74).

Chandler Simpson went 4-for-4 for the Rays, who stranded seven runners and went 0-for-10 with men in scoring position. It was the rookie's first four-hit game; he scored the Rays' lone run on Junior Caminero's RBI groundout in the eighth.

Simpson hit a leadoff single against Smith in

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