The White Sox’ ninth consecutive loss Friday night came with extra layers of frustration.

Manager Pedro Grifol was ejected for the second game in a row after doffing his cap in protest of a warning from home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson to both dugouts in the first inning. Rays starter Zach Eflin had drilled Luis Robert Jr. with the next pitch after Andrew Vaughn hit a home run.

Sox starter Lucas Giolito threw 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, but his effort was wasted as Isaac Paredes opened the ninth with a homer off Kendall Graveman (1-2) to give the Rays a 3-2 victory.

“It sucks,” Giolito said of the losing streak. “There aren’t too many words to describe it.”

Robert popped to short with the tying and winning runs on base to end the game.

“I don’t think that we should ever, ever be penalized for using the inner part of the plate because their guy hit our guy,” Grifol said. “I don’t believe in that. It’s part of the rules. You’ve got to play by them. But I don’t have to believe in it.”

About three hours after Grifol lamented the Sox’ mental lapses on defense, second baseman Lenyn Sosa caught Brandon Lowe’s fly in shallow right field in the first but didn’t keep Yandy Diaz at third while Randy Arozarena broke toward an unoccupied second base. By the time Sosa threw late to cutoff man Vaughn in front of second, Arozarena scored without a throw to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

“If two guys go for it, the shortstop [Elvis Andrus] has priority and the second baseman covers the bag, and you’ve got both places covered,” Grifol said. “It’s pretty simple. “Last-case scenario, you throw a ball to home plate and preserve the runner at third base.”

Liam looking good

Closer Liam Hendriks appears closer to starting a minor-league rehab assignment. After announcing April 20 that he was cancer-free after completing chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hendriks struck out four in an extended spring game in Arizona.

Shortstop Tim Anderson (sprained left knee) went hitless in four at-bats but drove in a run in Triple-A Charlotte’s 6-3 win over Norfolk in the first game of his rehab assignment. He performed designated-hitter duties while infielder Hanser Alberto (strained left quadriceps) went 3-for-3.

Left-hander Garrett Crochet (recovering from Tommy John surgery) is eager to start his minor-league rehab assignment Sunday for Double-A Birmingham.

“I’ve got some checkmarks I’ve got to hit along the way as far as two out of three [days pitching and] multiple innings as well throughout the rehab assignment,” Crochet said.

Minor-league moves

Outfielder Clint Frazier was signed to a minor-league contract. 

Pitcher A.J. Alex was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte.