Tonight, the New York Yankees will have a game for the ages! Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it will be a game that no New York Yankee fan will want to miss. Multiple storylines are going into tonight’s game, from pitchers starting on just two days rest, to settling the question of who is best, the New York Yankees or the Tampa Bay Rays. Lingering in the background is what could be the biggest baseball story of the season. If the Yankees win tonight, it will cause a matchup of the 2019 ACLS, with the Yankees meeting up again with the cheating Houston Astros that won their ALDS last night.
Facing elimination last night, the New York Yankees rallied to win a big one 5-1. The game featured good pitching and home runs by Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres. Last night, the Yankee team looked like the team that went on long winning stretches during the regular season. Both Yankee wins in the ALDS was with Kyle Higashioka behind at backstop. Higashioka has become a bit of a lucky charm for the Yankees. In contrast, the Yankees have benched the poor hitting Gary Sanchez, and Higashioka will certainly be behind the plate tonight.
The ALDS will switch back to the Tampa Bay Rays’ home-field advantage in this final game of the series. Both teams tonight, being out of dependable starters will start pitchers on short rest.
In a desperate move, the Tampa Bay Rays will start Tyler Glasnow in just two days rest. Glasnow has a devastating fastball, but how effective that pitch will be on just two days rest will be interesting to see. Glasnow was 5-1 on the regular season with an ERA of 4.08 with 91 strikeouts. In the postseason, he won his start in the Wild Card by beating the Toronto Blue Jays. In his start in the ALDS, he beat the Yankees and J.A. Happ in the second game of the ALDS 7-5. Glasnow, in his career, has never started a game on short rest.
The New York Yankee’s seasoned ace Gerrit Cole will also start on short rest, but Cole hasn’t pitched since Monday. Cole, on the regular season, was 7-3 with an ERA of 2.84 with 94 strikeouts. So far, in the postseason, he has won both of his starts, garnering a 3.46 ERA. He won his start against the Cleveland Indians 12-3 while striking out a record 13 in seven innings of work. On Monday, he went six innings in the Yankee 9-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
With both pitchers pitching on short rest, both teams’ bullpens may be the deciding factor in who wins this last elimination game. Both teams yesterday used few relievers in preparation for the possible need tonight. Last night the Yankees used Chad Green and Zack Britton. The Rays used only Ryan Yarborough and Aaron Slegers. Yarborough went five innings, so it is doubtful that he will be available. For the Yankees, everyone will be available, although they will avoid using Green and Britton unless absolutely necessary.
In a winner take all game, you may see starters come in in relief. The Yankees Deivi Garcia will be available, and for the Rays, Blake Snell will also be in the bullpen.
If the New York Yankees can pull out a win tonight, they will go on to the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, presenting an interesting storyline. The Yankees lost to the Astros in last year’s ALCS in the six-game of the series. They won when the Yankees believe Jose Altuve knew what pitch was coming from Aroldis Chapman. After the Series, MLB proved that the Astros cheated electronically in the 2017 postseason. The Yankees also lost to the Astros in that ALCS.
In a bit of luck, if the Astros face the Yankee’s whey will do it without fans in the stands at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. If fans were allowed in the stands, every Yankee fan that could afford to be there would be in the stands booing the Astros at every move. But first, the Yankees have to win tonight. Every stop will be out, as the Yankees were reenergized after the huge win last night.