(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

St. Petersburg, FL – Anthony Kay worked into the seventh inning and Andrew Benintendi, Everson Pereira, and Miguel Vargas homered as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Griffin Jax (6-9, 3.63 ERA) takes the loss for the Rays who fall to 65-49. He worked five innings allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out eight and walking none. He made 82 pitches with 59 for strikes.

Anthony Kay (8-5, 4.01 ERA) picks up the win for the White Sox who improve to 59-52 on the season. Kay worked 6.1 scoreless innings on seven hits while striking out three and walking one.

Sam Antonacci grounded to second baseman Ryan Vilade who was unable to field it cleanly. He advanced to third on a double by Colson Montgomery. With two outs Andrew Benintendi grounded back to the mound but Griffin Jax botched the play allowing Antonacci to score from third and Montgomery advanced to third. Jax bounced a wild pitch in but Nick Fortes throw to second was fielded by Ben Williamson whose indecisiveness on tagging Benintendi or throwing home to nab Montgomery led to not getting anyone out and the White Sox had a 2-0 lead.

Andrew Benintendi homered to lead off the fourth inning to extend the Chicago lead to 3-0. It was Benintendi’s 12th home of the season.

Craig Kimbrel came on to work the sixth inning and retired the first two batters. He then walked Tristan Peters and Chase Meidroth before allowing a 2-run double to Everson Pereira to extend the lead to 5-0.

Everson Pereira homered off reliever Alex Cook in the ninth inning to extend the White Sox lead to 7-0. It was Pereira’s fourth home on the season.

Miguel Vargas homered off reliever Chris Roycroft to push the White Sox lead to 9-0. It was Vargas’s 24th homer on the season.

Ben Williamson hit his third homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning to break the shutout and account for the Rays only run.

The Rays head out West for a 10-day, 9-game road trip beginning in Colorado against the Rockies Monday night at 8:40 p.m. EST. Ian Seymour (7-3, 4.37 ERA) is expected to either start or 21