White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski singles in the third inning off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza to drive home Chicago's first run Sunday. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski singles in the third inning off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza to drive home Chicago's first run Sunday. (M.Spencer Green/Associated Press)

The White Sox returned to the south side of Chicago and avoided elimination at the hands of the upstart Tampa Bay Rays Sunday in the American League Division series.

Left-fielder Dewayne Wise collected a pair of RBIs and starter John Danks went 6 2/3 solid innings as Chicago downed the Rays 5-3. The Rays still lead the best-of-five tilt 2-1 and can wrap the first playoff series in the team's history with a victory in Game 4 on Monday (5:05 p.m. ET) in Chicago.

The contest will feature White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd facing Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstine.

The return to U.S. Cellular Field clearly sparked Chicago, which posted the third best home record in the AL this season. The White Sox also hit 143 of its league-leading 235 home runs in Chicago.

Wise provided the clutch hit in the fourth inning, doubling home Paul Konerko and Ken Griffey Jr. to give Chicago a three-run lead it would never relinquish.

Closer Bobby Jenks preserved the victory with his first save of the post-season.

Danks, who beat Minnesota 1-0 last Tuesday in the tiebreaker for the AL Central title, delivered another big performance.

He allowed three runs while striking out seven. His biggest mistake came in the seventh when he surrendered a two-run homer to B.J. Upton.

Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza, pitching on eight days' rest, failed to shut the door on the White Sox's season. Garza lasted six innings, giving up five earned runs and four walks.

With the score tied 1-1, the White Sox went to work in the fourth. Slugger Jim Thome began with double to centre; Garza walked Konerko and allowed a Griffey Jr. single to load bases.

Alexei Ramirez, who hit a record four grand slams as a rookie this season, scored Thome on a sacrifice fly to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.

Both Konerko and Griffey alertly advanced a base on the play before coming home on Wise's two-run double to left.

The White Sox added another run in the fifth on a Juan Uribe RBI single to go up 5-1.

Upton's two-run blast off Danks in the seventh brought Tampa Bay to within two runs, but the Rays couldn't complete the comeback.