The New York Yankees will attempt to take a 2-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in their American League Division Series on Tuesday in San Diego. New York won Game 1 thanks to a four-homer barrage and a solid effort from Gerrit Cole. The two AL East rivals are meeting in the postseason for the first time.
Now, let's set the scene for Game 2 with the essentials.
How to watch
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Location: Petco Park (San Diego, California)
TV: TBS | Stream: TBS app
Odds: TBD
Pitchers: RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. RHP Deivi Garcia
Follow: CBS Sports App
Preview
Yankees rookie Deivi Garcia will be getting the ball in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Rays. Garcia made his first MLB start on Aug. 30 and finished the regular season with a 4.98 ERA in 34 1/3 innings with 33 strikeouts and six walks. A six-run three inning outing against the Red Sox skews his overall 2020 numbers; he posted a 3.73 ERA in his other five starts.
"We just felt like we had a lot of good options there and ways we could have gone ... I don't worry about him not being able to handle it mentally and emotionally," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters prior to Game 1 about the decision to have Garcia pitch Game 2.
Boone ultimately decided to go with the young righty over J.A. Happ or Jordan Montgomery. At 21 years and 140 days, Garcia will become the youngest postseason starting pitcher in Yankees history. Hall of Famer Whitey Ford was the previous youngest at 21 years and 352 days.
The Rays will send out right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the mound for Game 2. Glasnow gets the start since Tampa pushed back Charlie Morton to the No. 3 spot to give him 10-plus days rest from his last appearance on Sept. 25. Glasnow finished the regular season with a 4.08 ERA in 57 1/3 innings. When he faced the Yankees on Aug. 19, he delivered 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two earned runs.
Rays manager Kevin Cash will certainly be prepared to mix and match his bullpen, and avoiding an early deficit is going to be key. This Yankees lineup is now healthy, complete, and they're not showing any signs of slowing down.
Prediction
I'm going with the Yankees in Game 2. Primarily because the offense is locked in. Let's say that the Bronx Bombers give their rookie starter a decent amount of run support in his playoff debut to jump out to a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-five series.
