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In battle of AL heavyweights, Rays win first round vs. White Sox

Fresh off a three-game sweep over the lowly Tigers in Detroit over the weekend, the White Sox took a step up in class after returning to Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night.

A big step up.

"They're very, very impressive," Sox manager Tony La Russa said of the Tampa Bay Rays. "I actually think there are a lot of things that our two clubs have in common, about playing nine innings, giving a lot of priorities to defense and baserunning and taking at-bats the best you can, we both are pitching well.

"I think it's going to be a fun competition."

Round 1 in the three-game set between two of the top teams in baseball went to Tampa Bay, 5-2.

"You kind of know it's a good team coming into town," White Sox starter Lance Lynn said. "You always know they're going to give you a tough game."

Two of the American League's top starting pitchers squared off - Lynn and Tyler Glasnow for the Rays.

By Lynn's standards, it was an off game.

"It's just one of those nights where things were off from the get-go," he said.

Coming in with the best ERA (1.23) in the league, the 34-year-old righty missed his spot in the first inning and Rays DH Austin Meadows hit a 2-run homer.

Lynn gave up another homer in the third inning, a solo shot to leadoff man Brandon Lowe.

In his first 11 starts of the season, Lynn allowed only 3 runs one time, a 5-inning stint against the Indians on May 1 right after he came off the injured list with strained right trapezius.

"They were aggressive early in the count and they jumped him a couple times," La Russa said. "But that didn't discourage him, that didn't deter him. He gave us a great chance to win. He really understands the art of pitching, very proud competitor."

Glasnow came in with at 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 84 innings, and he gave up 2 runs in the third before exiting after the fourth inning with right-elbow inflammation.

Leury Garcia scored the first run on a wild pitch and Brian Goodwin followed with an RBI single.

"I am impressed," La Russa said of the Rays. "I'm also impressed by the White Sox."

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