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With Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn injured, the White Sox’ rotation depth has been tested. In his second start, Vince Velasquez’s opening frame did nothing to make the Sox forget who they’re missing.

Velasquez went 4 2/3 innings and gave up fourruns while walking threein the Sox’ 9-3loss Sunday to the Rays. After an encouraging four-inning, one-run performance on April 12 against Seattle, Velasquez struggled in a four-run first and the Sox were unable to sweep Tampa Bay.

Sox designated hitter Gavin Sheets homered in the ninth.

During a 35-pitch frame when seven straight Rays reached, Velasquez walked in two and gave up Manuel Margot’s RBI single. The key play in the inning came with one out and the bases loaded and Tampa Bay ahead 1-0. Rays left fielder Josh Lowe hit a comebacker to Velasquez for what should’ve been an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play, but the Sox pitcher couldn’t field the ball and didn’t record any outs.

Velasquez did recover to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings after the difficult first. He ended the day with 85 pitches before being replaced by Tanner Banks.

“He’s a competitor. He’s a really good athlete, outstanding athlete, outstanding competitor,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Velasquez before the game. “He wants it bad. Just make sure he breathes and stays within himself.”

Lowe must’ve done something similar in the bottom of the first when he leapt and reached back over the fence to take away a leadoff home run from Tim Anderson. Anderson also thought he had an RBI in the third he appeared to beat out a grounder to first but was called out after review.

Facing a Rays team that used opener J.P. Feyereisen, those were the Sox’ best chance to score until the fourth against reliever Chris Mazza. The Sox loaded the bases with one out and scored when Sheets was hit by a pitch. That was all for the Sox in that inning, as second baseman Josh Harrison struck out to end a nine-pitch at-bat before third baseman Jake Burger grounded into a force.

The Sox created another opportunity in the fifth when right fielder Adam Engel led off with a single and Anderson followed with a walk. Mazza walked first baseman Jose Abreu to load the bases and was replaced by Tampa Bay reliever Jalen Beeks. Catcher Yasmani Grandal popped out but with left fielder Eloy Jimenez at the plate, a passed ball by Rays catcher Francisco Mejia allowed Engel to score. The inning ended when a Beeks pitch got away from Mejia and Anderson tried to score but was tagged out.

Any hopes the Sox had for a rally ended during the Rays’ four-run eighth. After replacing Matt Foster, Sox reliever Anderson Severino allowed a two-run Mejia single and RBI doubles by Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena. Severino was charged with three of the four runs and threw two wild pitches.

Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier added a ninth-inning RBI single off the Sox’ Kyle Crick.

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Two days after a fire decimated Englewood’s historic Antioch Missionary Baptist Church on Good Friday, Pastor Gerald Dew led an Easter service at a nearby funeral home where he compared the tragedy and its fallout to the biblical death and rebirth of Jesus Christ.

“Hearts were broken that Friday,” he said of Christ’s crucifixion. “Tears fell on that Friday. Hopes were dashed on that Friday. These are the emotions that we are so familiar with because we just experienced an awful Friday. Let’s thank God for resurrection Sunday.”

Not long after Dew held a Good Friday service that afternoon, fire began tearing through the historic structure at 6428 S. Stewart Ave. No one was inside the church at the time, according to Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

The fireappeared to begin in the upper reararea of the church and ultimately caused the roof to collapse, officials said. Around 150 fire personnel and 50 engines, trucks and ambulances responded to the scene and put out the fire in about two hours.

Fire investigators determined the blaze was accidental, reporting Saturday that it was caused by a propane torch being used to help work on the roof.

Built in the 1880s, the church has long been an anchor of the Englewood community. After hundreds gathered Sunday at Calahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted St., Dew told reporters the service marked “a new beginning” for the church and even brought new members.

“It was just overwhelming to just see the outpouring of love and to see the positivity,” he said. “And to see [congregants] even work through their own brokenness and their own tears and their own concerns and yet be able to look past that, knowing that God has something better for us.”

Still, Dew acknowledged the congregation’s future remains uncertain, noting it’s unclear where next Sunday’s service will be held. He also called for donations to address the toll of the fire but said there’s no “end goal” for fundraising.

“We just have been bombarded by individuals that want to help and want to give and want to support,” he said. “So we just want to be diligent and responsible by setting up the proper methodology with the proper accountability to receive contributions.”

Dew said he plans to have planning conversations with other church leaders and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was on hand Sunday. Jackson called for $10,000 in donations by next Sunday as he pointed to Antioch’s deep connections to the civil rights movement, recalling the “landmark” church fed him and his family and “helped subsidize [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s] support in Chicago.”

“I’ve seen resurrection in my own lifetime,” he told the Sun-Times. “And this church is gonna be bigger and stronger than ever.”

Dewanda Day, a singer in Antioch’s choir, said she was devastated when she learned the church caught fire shortly after she left Friday’s service. A member of the congregation since she was just 18 months, Day said the spirit of the church extends beyond its walls.

“We will continue on, even though our building has been destroyed. It’s not going to stop what we do as Christians,” said Day, who lives in Harvey and brought her young daughter Sunday. “Wherever we have to be, wherever we relocate until we rebuild, that’s where we’re going and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

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DENVER – For the first time this season, Cubs manager David Ross worked both his catchers into the starting lineup on Sunday against the Rockies.

Backup catcher Yan Gomes took his place behind the dish, and Willson Contreras got to rest his legs and serve as the designated hitter.

“It’s felt easy to me,” Ross said of balancing Contreras and Gomes’ playing time. “Both guys you trust. With everybody, we would still have a week left in spring training in a normal season.”

With that in mind, Ross has been cognizant of possible workload issues, avoiding having relievers throw in back-to-back games, and in Contreras’ case, not having him catch in Sunday’s day game right after a night game. And Ross liked the matchup for both Contreras and Gomes against Rockies lefty Austin Gomber.

“Yan dove in, found his groove getting to know guys, how we do things, very communicative,” Ross said. “… They’ve got a good way about them, they care a lot about the pitching staff and how to get the most out of them. They both can really hit. So, it’s nice to have that core tandem catching guys. It’s always nice to have two good ones.”

The Cubs went through a backup catcher carousel last season, with multiple injuries and additions. So, Contreras shouldered a heavy workload. Ross said he’s looking forward to seeing what a rested Contreras looks like in the second half of the season.

“It already seems to be playing out really well,” Ross said. “… His batting practice, just the way he’s going about his business, his work, his engagement throughout a game with the pitching staff and the at-bats has really stood out so far to me and the way he’s running the bases. I think he’ll be able to give us that little bit extra intensity now and not be like he’s got to conserve so much. That should pay off in the long run.”

Contreras backed up Ross’ conjecture with a home run in his first at-bat Sunday. He entered the game with a .304 batting average.

Leiter poised for another start

Cubs right-hander Mark Leiter Jr., after allowing seven runs in 3 1/3 innings, promised “going forward, it’ll be better.”

It looks like he’ll get that chance soon.

“I don’t know if there’s anything guaranteed in this game,” Ross said, “but I expect him to make another start.”

The Cubs’ 9-6 loss at Coors Field on Saturday was Leiter’s first major-league game since 2018, after he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.

“First time back on the mound in a long time,” Ross said after the game, “looked sharp for a short stint, and thing got away from him quickly, and sometimes the ballpark can do that, and just the ballpark, travel, all that happens. I’m not making excuses for him, just lock that back in.”

On deck

RAYS AT CUBS

Monday: Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 7.00) vs. Shane McClanahan (0-1, 3.00), 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

Tuesday: Justin Steele (1-0, 1.80) vs. TBD, 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

Wednesday: Marcus Stroman (0-1, 6.00) vs. Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.00), 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

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The White Sox bullpen has already shown its depth. Anchored by closer Liam Hendriks and late-inning arms Kendall Graveman and Aaron Bummer, the Sox have also gotten strong contributions from relievers Bennett Sousa and Jose Ruiz.

When Joe Kelly (biceps nerve injury) returns, that group will get even deeper.

Manager Tony La Russa said Kelly recently had a “real good” throwing session at the team’s Arizona complex, pitching in the mid 90s with no discomfort. Even more encouragingly, La Russa said Kelly’s stamina showed improvement from his prior outing and is on track to face hitters soon.

“He’s doing well,” La Russa said.

Kelly’s arrival would add another personality to the bullpen mix, not to mention an arm with World Series experience. La Russa said Kelly provides “the whole package.”

“The dugout, there’s a lot of people in there, and when the team comes off the field, there’s a lot of guys,” La Russa said. “The bullpen, they’re like a little small club. And it’s good to have some characters down there, there’s some conversation. And we definitely have that going for us. But along with it, he’s going to add quality and depth to our bullpen.”

As for a rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte, La Russa said he thinks that’s the plan for Kelly, but with the reliever’s experience it might not be necessary.

For openers…

Tampa Bay used righty J.P. Feyereisen as an opener. The Rays have been at the forefront of the strategy, and La Russa said it’s something they use intelligently.

“I remember I was there in Boston when they did it. They didn’t do it because they wanted to spook everybody, they did it because their starters were hurt,” La Russa said. “And it’s just a really smart way to compete. If you do it once in a while, it does give you potential matchups, because you can go through a couple innings and change the look, don’t get to see the same guy over.”

Winning Ugly can wait

Sunday home games are usually reserved for the Sox’ 1983 “Winning Ugly” throwback alternate uniforms, but that wasn’t the case for the series finale with the Rays. Because of supply chain issues that have affected other teams around the sport, the Sox do not have their 1983 set and instead wore their standard home pinstripes on Sunday.

SOX AT GUARDIANS

Monday: Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Triston McKenzie (0-1, 2.57), 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Tuesday: Jimmy Lambert (0-1, 6.00) vs. Shane Bieber (0-0, 2.70),, 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Wednesday: Dylan Cease (2-0, 1.69) vs. Zach Plesac (0-1, 1.64), 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Thursday: Michael Kopech (0-0, 1.00) vs. Cal Quantrill (1-0, 3.72), 12:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

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