BC-BBA–Devil Rays-White Sox,0349

Devil Rays 4, White Sox 1

CHICAGO (AP) – Julio Lugo drove in two runs and Doug Waechter allowed one run in six innings to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays over the Chicago White Sox 4-1 Saturday.

Frank Thomas of the White Sox homered for the second straight day after missing three games because of a hamstring injury. With an eighth-inning walk, Thomas moved past Hank Aaron into 21st place on the career list with 1,403.

Two innings earlier, Thomas was hit in the left shoulder by a Waechter pitch, Thomas took a step toward the mound, but plate umpire Ed Rapuano quickly got in front of him. While both benches emptied, order quickly was restored.

Thomas was almost hit in first inning when a pitch from Waechter grazed his bat.

Waechter (1-0), making his first start since Sept. 24, allowed four hits, struck out five and walked none.

Danny Baez relieved with two runners on and two outs, walked Thomas, then got Carlos Lee to pop out. Baez finished for his second save.

Dan Wright (0-3) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He allowed a single to Carl Crawford starting the game, then retired 11 straight batters before allowing four straight hits with two outs in the fourth.

Rocco Baldelli reached on an infield hit and stole second. Robert Fick followed with another infield hit as first baseman Paul Konerko fielded the ball and threw wildly to Wright at first base. Baldelli came home on the error.

Tino Martinez singled, and Lugo doubled for a 2-0 lead, with Martinez getting thrown out at the plate by shortstop Kelly Dransfeldt, who took the relay from Carlos Lee in left.

Lugo hit an RBI single off Mike Jackson in the sixth, and Aubrey Huff hit a run-scoring single against Neal Cotts in the seventh.

Notes: Chicago RF Magglio Ordonez had the day off. … Tampa Bay RF Jose Cruz Jr. also had the day off. He is in a 0-for-22 slump. … Crawford stole three bases, tying a Devil Rays’ record. Crawford also stole three bases last Aug. 13 against Baltimore.

AP-ES-04-24-04 1700EDT