The Rays won Monday’s opening game of the big-for-June series with the White Sox, 5-2.
But the bigger concern is whether they will lose top starter Tyler Glasnow for an extended period of time as he left the game after four innings due to what the team said was “right elbow inflammation.”
Glasnow (5-2, 2.66) did not show any signs of injury while pitching, though Bally Sports Sun had several shots of him shaking, flexing and stretching his arm.
He allowed two runs on three hits over the four innings, striking out six, while throwing 53 pitches. He was clocked as high as 98.4 mph in the fourth inning, matching his top velocity for the night.
Glasnow missed nearly four months of the 2019 season due to a right forearm strain.
The series matched the teams with the top two records in the majors, the Rays coming in 42-24 and the Sox at 41-24. Both Tampa-born managers, Sox Hall of Famer Tony La Russa and the Rays’ Kevin Cash said going in they expected a competitive matchup.
The Rays took the lead from the start. Randy Arozarena doubled with one out off Sox starter Lance Lynn, then with two outs Austin Meadows homered, his 15th of the season.
They expanded the lead to 3-0 in the third as Brandon Lowe, continuing his warming trend, homered with one out in the third.
Glasnow zipped through the first two innings and struck out the first batter of the third before getting into trouble. Leury Garcia doubled, went to third on a flyout and scored when Glasnow bounced a pitch that Mike Zunino couldn’t corral.
Tim Anderson doubled on the next pitch, and two pitches later Brian Goodwin singled him in to cut the lead to 3-2. An error by Joey Wendle extended the inning, but Glasnow struck out Jose Abreu, on an 89-mph slider, to end it.
The Rays extended the lead to 4-2 when Arozarena, who had a grand slam Sunday, led off the eighth with a homer. Then to 5-2 in the ninth when rookie Taylor Walls doubled and scored on Brett Phillips infield single and a White Sox error.
After Glasnow left, Ryan Thompson, J.P. Feyereisen, Diego Castillo and Pete Fairbanks covered the final five innings.
The Rays won for the 24th time in their past 29 games, and improved their majors-best road record to 24-10.
