Rays send out Glasnow to go for sweep of White Sox

Tyler Glasnow hasn't looked anything like the pitcher he was during spring training, and that's a good thing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Glasnow will look for his third straight victory to open the season when the Rays finish their three-game series with the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Glasnow, a 6-foot-8 right-hander, went 0-5 in spring training, becoming the first pitcher since Ross Ohlendorf in 2011 to lose all five decisions in the preseason.

So far in the regular season, however, he has allowed just one earned run in 11 innings to help the Rays to a 9-3 start.

Tampa Bay won the series opener against the White Sox, 5-1, on Monday, then came back with a 10-5 win on Tuesday, the fourth straight series the Rays have won to start the season. They had never won three straight to begin a season.

The Rays are 45-22 since Aug. 1, the best record in the majors in that span. They are 50-28 since the last All-Star break, which is the best mark in the American League.

Glasnow came to Tampa Bay last summer as part of the trade that sent right-hander Chris Archer, a two-time AL All-Star, to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the July 31 trade deadline.

Glasnow made 11 starts for the Rays over the final two months of last season, going 1-5 with a 4.20 ERA

Glasnow said he has learned a lot in a short time from Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell, who won the AL Cy Young Award last season in his third year in the majors.

Glasnow initially kept track of Snell in the minors after the West Coast natives were selected in the 2011 draft, Snell going in the supplemental first round and Glasnow in the fifth round. When Glasnow arrived in Tampa Bay, he learned how much intelligence Snell brings to the game.

"He really does have it all," Glasnow said. "It's nice he's right next to me. We talk about the game all day long, and it's a good locker buddy to have, for sure."

Reynaldo Lopez (0-1) will make his third start of the season for the White Sox, but the 25-year-old right-hander is still seeking his first win.

Lopez most recently went five innings against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Friday, allowing six runs on six hits, including three home runs. He was unable to earn the victory, despite having an early 6-1 lead in the eventual 10-8 win by the White Sox.

There were high hopes for Lopez after he went 3-1 over his final six starts last season, allowing five earned runs over 40 innings in that span.

"I feel like I have the same rhythm that I had last season, at the end of last season," he told reporters after his most recent outing. "This season, the beginning of this year is two bad starts. I think I have plenty of season in front of me, and I'm going to improve."

Getting off to a good start will be key for the White Sox, as the Rays have outscored their opponents 14-1 in the first inning.

--Field Level Media