CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have been a historically bad baseball team the past two years, a mere 120 games under .500 as recently as two weeks ago. But you wouldn't know it by the way they play against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The White Sox won the season series finale 5-1 on Thursday afternoon at Rate Field on the south side of Chicago. They took the series 2-1, just like they did in July in Tampa. They also won the season series 4-2 last year, even though they went a record 41-121. No team in MLB history had ever lost so many games.

To say they have the Rays' number is an understatement.

And the number that matters the most? It's the Rays odds of making the playoffs. It's all the way down to 0.6 percent now. So yes, this 2025 season is basically over.

And what's the explanation for why the White Sox seem to own the Rays — and no one else? Tampa Bay is the only American League that Chicago has taken a season series from in both 2024 and 2025. They topped the Los Angeles Angels last year and the Minnesota Twins this year, but no one twice.

No one, other than the Rays, of course.

And what's the explanation? Basically, there isn't one. 

"They have nine players, and we have nine players,'' said Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. "We just go out there and compete.''

OK. There's no question the Sox have competed hard. And played better. That's the message.

Rays manager Kevin Cash didn't have a message for this team, either.

"I don't have a message right now. They need to play better, and they know that,'' Cash said.

The Rays were never in this one on Thursday. On a sun-splashed 71-degree day, lefty starter Ian Seymour gave up two runs in the first inning, allowing three hits. Former Rays infielder Curtis Mead had a rocket double to left and rookie sensation Colson Montgomery had the big blow, a two-run single on a line drive to center. 

It was a rough start, but Seymour (3-2) settled down from there. It was still 2-0 as he worked into the sixth. and came out of the game at 90 pitches with one out and one on. Eric Orze, who had just been called up from Durham earlier in the day, then allowed a single to Michael A. Taylor, a walk to Brooks Baldwin and a two-RBI single to Kyle Teel that Simpson misplayed against the wall in center field. "Should have been caught,'' he said.

Suddenly, it was 5-0, with Seymour charged with the first run. It was tough.

"The pitch to Curtis (in the first inning) just caught too much over the plate,'' Seymour said. "I was battling and sort of keeping things held together from there, rather than letting it unravel. Especially if someone puts a crooked number up in the first inning, you really want to shut it down from there the rest of the way. I wanted to keep us in the game.''

It didn't help that he didn't get any run support. There were a few highlights, but not many. Outfielder Chandler Simpson went 4-for-4 and stole his 40th base, just the fifth Tampa Bay player to reach that milestone, Junior Caminero drove in the Rays' only run for his 106th RBI of the year. The team record is 121, set by Carlos Pena in 2007.

They had a few chances off of Chicago starter Shane Smith (6-7). Simpson led off with a single and got that 40th steal, but got stranded there. Jake Mangum led off the second with a hit and also stole a base, but never advanced. 

Simpson led off the sixth with his third hit and Brandon Lowe walked with none out, but Caminero hit into a double play and pinch-hitter Christopher Morel struck out.  Their only run came in the eighth with Simpson and Lowe each singled with one out, and Simpson scored on a Caminero groundout.

The Rays are now 72-74 and six games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild-card spot with just 16 games to go. They'll try to make one last run starting on Friday, when they head across town to play three games with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are 83-63, and will be a formidable challenge.

Shane Baz (9-11, 4.94 ERA) will pitch Friday's game for Tampa Bay, a 2:20 p.m. ET start at iconic Wrigley Field. He's face Matthew Boyd (12-8, 2.92 ERA) who's been one of the best left-handers in baseball all year.'

It's not over yet, but it's feeling like it is. They need t

"A couple hiccups, and we just kind of got out-baseballed the last couple of games,'' Simpson said. "We just need to try to get back on track these next couple of days.''

TOM BREW COLUMN: Rays starter has had a great year, and he's been historically nasty the past month. But he missed Wednesday's start with ''total body fatigue'' and it's time to shut him down for the season, columnist Tom Brew said. Here are his reasons why. CLICK HERE

RAYS LOSE BULLPEN GAME (Wednesday): Mason Montgomery got lit up on a bullpen night, and the Tampa Bay RAys lost 6-5 to the last-place Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, severely damaging their playoff hopes. CLICK HERE

GRAY MATTERS FOR RAYS (Tuesday): Seldom-used Tristan Gray hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, breaking a tie and lead the Rays to a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Here's the game story, live from Chicago. CLICK HERE

KARAOKE DOES THE TRICK FOR RAYS: After a tough loss to Cleveland, the Rays got well on their night off in Washington, putting on a show at a karaoke bar.  “Everybody did their thing there, so that was a good little bonding session for everybody,'' Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson said.  CLICK HERE