CHICAGO (AP) — Alexei Ramirez made a valiant effort, that's for sure.

Left with no clear path home, Ramirez tried to vault over the catcher Monday night. He got tagged out in the ninth inning, and the Chicago White Sox fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4.

Ramirez led off with a single, stole second and tried to score on a single by Adam LaRoche. Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier's throw beat Ramirez by a wide margin.

Catcher Curt Casali made the tag as Ramirez made a headfirst dive over him toward the plate.

Third base coach Joe McEwing sent Ramirez, and took full blame.

"It's a broken bat and (Ramirez's) first instinct is to freeze, freeze, freeze and it's the right instinct," McEwing said.

"I made a terrible decision to send him there," he said.

Kiermaier said he saw Ramirez was going.

"I got the ball and I peeked up at him," Kiermaier said. "I told myself, 'Just make a good, long, one-hop throw.'"

Mikie Mahtook hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth to put the Rays ahead.

White Sox relievers Jake Petricka, Zach Duke and David Robertson each gave up a run in the final three innings as Chicago's one-run lead heading into the eighth disappeared.

"It's not too often we give up leads like that and we take pride in that," said Duke, who allowed a solo home run to Grady Sizemore in the eighth. "Tonight, it just didn't happen."

Jake McGee (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win and Brad Boxberger worked out of a jam in the ninth for his 27th save.

Robertson (4-3) took the loss.

"They're human — we know that," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You regroup. We've been really good in those situations with those guys. They've been very effective for us and it's a tough one. It's tough tonight."

Jose Abreu and Carlos Sanchez each hit two-run homers for Chicago, which has dropped four of five.

AWARD WINNING

Abreu and Adam Eaton of the White Sox were chosen co-winners of the AL player of the week award on Monday. Both felt they should have at least shared the award with teammate Melky Cabrera, who entered Monday's game batting .500 (12-for-24) with one homer and seven RBIs in his last seven games.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: OF Desmond Jennings (left knee bursitis) was scheduled to play Monday night for Triple-A Durham in the third game of his rehab assignment. LHP Drew Smyly (torn left labrum) will make a rehab start on Thursday for Triple-A Durham.

White Sox: OF J.B. Shuck (strained left hamstring) will be eligible to be activated from the disabled list in two weeks and the team is hopeful he'll be ready. "He's walking around, getting treatment," Ventura said, "but we won't know more until they test it."

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Chris Archer (9-8, 2.54 ERA) pitches the middle contest of the three-game series on Tuesday night.

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (9-6, 3.20), who was roughed up for seven runs and a career-high 12 hits in his last start against the Red Sox.