The White Sox keep hopes alive

CHICAGO // The Chicago White Sox battled to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, to stave off elimination in their best-of-five American League Divisional Series. The White Sox rallied for three runs in the fourth inning to give starting pitcher John Danks a lead he would not relinquish in a strong six inning outing by the left-hander. He struck out seven Rays, allowing three runs on seven hits.

The Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen paid tribute to his pitcher's performance. He said: "As soon as the ball came out of his hand, I felt good about it because you could see his stuff was there." Tampa took an early lead through Dioner Navarro's score from third base, but Chicago hit back as a double and a single run from Dewayne Wise, a run-scoring sacrifice fly from Alexei Ramirez and a run from Brian Anderson gave them an advantage they would never lose.

The Rays outfielder BJ Upton narrowed the gap with a two-run home run in the seventh that made it 5-3, but Chicago's relief pitchers held Tampa Bay scoreless the rest of the way to cut their deficit to 2-1 in the series. * Reuters

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.