The Chicago White Sox battled to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, staving off elimination in their best-of-five American League Divisional Series with the Game Three victory.

The White Sox rallied for three runs in the fourth inning to give starting pitcher John Danks a lead he would not relinquish in a strong 6 2/3 inning outing by the left-hander.

"As soon as the ball came out of his hand, I felt good about it because you could see his stuff was there," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters.

After losing the first two games of the series on the road, the White Sox needed a solid outing by Danks in his first career postseason start and his second must-win game in less than a week.

"If Danks loses either game... we would not be here right now," Guillen said.

Danks held division rivals the Minnesota Twins scoreless in a one-game tiebreaker last Tuesday to earn the White Sox the division crown and a playoffs berth.

He struck out seven Rays yesterday, allowing three runs on seven hits.

"I was more nervous going into the Minnesota game last week than I was this game," Danks said. "(White Sox catcher) A.J. (Pierzynski) did a good job of keeping me under control."

BROKE TIE

Tampa Bay struck first in the game, with catcher Dioner Navarro scoring from third base on an infield hit by second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

Rays starter Matt Garza could not hold the lead as the White Sox tied the game an inning later when outfielder DeWayne Wise scored on a two-out single by Pierzynski.

A run-scoring sacrifice fly by Chicago second baseman Alexei Ramirez broke the 1-1 tie in the fourth inning before a two-run double by Wise gave the White Sox a three-run lead.

"He's tough," Pierzynski said of Garza. "Lucky for us he made a couple of mistakes and we were able to hit them."

Chicago third baseman Juan Uribe delivered another run on a two-out single to bring home Brian Anderson in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-1 for the hosts.

Rays outfielder B.J. Upton narrowed the gap with a two-run home run in the seventh that made it 5-3, but Chicago's relief pitchers held Tampa Bay scoreless the rest of the way.

White Sox closer Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth inning to earn his first save of the postseason.

The AL East Champion Rays, in the postseason for the first time in the franchise's 11-year history, still lead the series 2-1 after winning the first two games against the Central Division champion White Sox.

Game Four is in Chicago Monday and if the White Sox emerge victorious, the teams could return to Tampa Bay for a deciding Game Five on Wednesday.

In the history of the American League Divisional Series, only five of the 35 teams that have fallen behind 2-0 have battled back to win the series.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 6, 2008)