Evan Longoria homered as the Tampa Bay Rays picked up their first playoff win with victory against Chicago.

Carl Crawford, who - as the longest-tenured Tampa Bay player - had suffered through six losing seasons before the 2008 campaign, singled in a run in the fifth for the Rays.

Longoria put the Rays ahead 1-0 with a solo blast on the first pitch of the second inning and gave them a 4-3 lead with another solo homer in the third.

Tampa Bay's All-Star rookie added an RBI single in the fifth while walking and stealing a base in the seventh.

Gary Gaetti of the 1987 Minnesota Twins is the only other player to homer in each of his first two career post-season at-bats.

James Shields (1-0) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out four and issuing one walk to pick up the win.

The right-hander allowed a three-run homer by Dewayne Wise in the third to give the White Sox a brief 3-1 lead.

But Tampa Bay rallied back in the bottom of the inning, pulling even on Akinori Iwamura's RBI triple and a sacrifice fly by Willy Aybar.

Longoria followed Aybar and drove a hanging breaking ball from Chicago starter Javier Vazquez deep into the left field stands to put the Rays on top for good.

Longoria knocked Vazquez out of the game with his RBI single in the fifth, and Crawford greeted lefthander Clayton Richard with a run-scoring base hit to push the advantage to 6-3.

Vazquez (0-1) was charged with all six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking one.

Chicago drove Shields from the game with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh, but Grant Balfour came on and struck out Juan Uribe and Orlando Cabrera to snuff out the threat.

Balfour and Cabrera exchanged words after a 1-1 pitch sailed far outside, with Chicago's leadoff hitter imploring the right-hander to challenge him.

Balfour did just that, blowing two fastballs past Cabrera for the strikeout.

JP Howell struck out two in a perfect eighth and Dan Wheeler allowed a solo blast by Paul Konerko in the ninth but recovered to pick up the save.

The Rays lost first baseman Carlos Pena in the third inning to blurred vision.