NYY-TB Game 5 lineups, FAQ (TBS, 7 ET)
The Rays and Yankees have had their fair share of battles throughout the years, but they’ve never been matched up in a win-or-go-home scenario. Until now.
With a 5-1 win on Thursday, the Yankees forced a decisive Game 5 on Friday night in San Diego. The pitching duel will light up the radar gun as Tyler Glasnow takes the mound for the Rays, while Gerrit Cole will toe the rubber for the Yanks, both on short rest.
• ALDS presented by Utz, Game 5: 7 p.m. ET on TBS
It is also a rematch of last year’s American League Division Series Game 5, when Cole was a member of the Astros and outdueled Glasnow to send Houston to the AL Championship Series. The Yankees have made Cole their $324 million man for situations just like this.
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 5 | NYY 9, TB 3 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 6 | TB 7, NYY 5 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 7 | TB 8, NYY 4 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 8 | NYY 5, TB 1 | Watch |
| Gm 5 | Oct. 9 | TB 2, NYY 1 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: Who will be the "home" team?
By virtue of having higher playoff seeding, the Rays will bat last and serve as the “home” team in Game 5. They will wear their home uniforms and be greeted with their walkup songs, while the Yankees will wear the road grays.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
The game will air on TBS at 7:10 p.m. ET/4:10 PT on Friday. It is also available to stream on MLB.TV with authentication.
What do the starting lineups look like?
Yankees: With Tampa Bay set to throw Glasnow and a kitchen sink full of relievers, manager Aaron Boone went with almost the same lineup as Game 4, except Gio Urshela moved up to sixth and Brett Gardner slid down to eighth. And Kyle Higashioka, not Gary Sánchez, is in the starting lineup to catch for Cole.
1. DJ LeMahieu, 2B
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Aaron Hicks, CF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Luke Voit, 1B
6. Gio Urshela, 3B
7. Gleyber Torres, SS
8. Brett Gardner, LF
9. Kyle Higashioka, C
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Rays: This is similar to the lineup the Rays used against Cole in Game 1, with the only change being Austin Meadows in the outfield and Yandy Díaz moving to designated hitter.
1. Austin Meadows, RF
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Randy Arozarena, LF
4. Ji-Man Choi, 1B
5. Yandy Diaz, DH
6. Joey Wendle, 3B
7. Willy Adames, SS
8. Kevin Kiermaier, CF
9. Mike Zunino, C
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Who are the starting pitchers?
Yankees: Cole (7-3, 2.84 ERA) will be starting on short rest for the first time in his professional career, coming off a victory in Game 1. Cole held the Rays to three runs on six hits over six innings in that outing, firing 97 pitches. The right-hander said that he began preparing for the possibility of a Game 5 start immediately afterward, even reaching out to former teammates for advice. Cole and Higashioka have teamed up to produce a 1.80 ERA in six starts, holding opponents to eight earned runs over 40 innings. Cole has struck out 55 of 153 batters faced in that span.
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Rays: Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA) will get the Game 5 start in the ALDS for the second consecutive season. In his Game 2 win on Tuesday, the right-hander allowed four runs and struck out 10 over five-plus innings. Glasnow has never made a start on short rest in his career, and he will become the first to start a game on two days’ rest after pitching five-plus innings in his previous outing since Red Sox right-hander Derek Lowe did it in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. Lowe allowed one run over six innings in Boston’s 10-3 win over the Yankees. Glasnow will become just the 10th pitcher in Major League history to do so.
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How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Yankees: Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton are seemingly locks to appear in Game 5, with Deivi García and Luis Cessa remaining available to soak up outs prior to the eighth inning. Chad Green is the only pitcher on either team to appear in both Games 3 and 4, but that doesn’t rule him out -- he has thrown on three straight days this season (Sept. 2-4).
Rays: After Glasnow, the Yankees will likely see a healthy dose of Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks, the Rays’ top three relievers. Blake Snell, who started Game 1, will also be available for multiple innings out of the bullpen.
• How the bullpens stack up for ALDS Game 5
Are there any relievers who are unavailable?
Yankees: None.
Rays: Aside from Ryan Yarbrough and Charlie Morton, every other pitcher on the roster will be available to pitch in Game 5. After Thursday’s game, Yarbrough said he would tell Tampa Bay that he’s available to pitch if needed.
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Any injuries of note?
Yankees: None that would impact lineup construction, though Torres fouled a ball off his calf in the fourth inning of Game 4. It didn’t seem to bother him when he homered off the left-field warehouse two innings later. Boone has frequently removed Voit from the field late in games due to the first baseman’s persistent “foot stuff.”
Rays: None.
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Who is hot and who is not?
Yankees: Stanton’s home run streak was snapped in Game 4, but he did rope a double, becoming the first player to record an extra-base hit in each of his team's first six postseason games. LeMahieu is riding a 12-game postseason hitting streak, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in Game 4.
Gardner went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk in Game 4 and is batting .400 (20-for-50) in his last 16 games. Hicks has reached base in 13 of 29 plate appearances this postseason. Judge remains ice cold, having gone 3-for-27 (.111), though two of those hits were home runs.
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Rays: Despite going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 4, Randy Arozarena is still the hottest hitter in the Majors. The 25-year-old Cuban outfielder is batting .500 (12-for-24) with three home runs in six postseason games. His 25 total bases were the most in Major League history through his team’s first five games of a single postseason.
Brandon Lowe, who led the Rays with 14 homers in the regular season, continues to struggle in the postseason. Lowe went 0-for-3 on Thursday and has yet to record a hit in the ALDS. Overall, Lowe is now 2-for-23 with just one RBI this postseason.
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Anything else fans want to know?
Yankees: This will be the 10th ALDS Game 5 in franchise history. They have won their last two (2017, '12) and four of their past six. It's also the 29th winner-take-all game in franchise history. New York has gone 15-13 in those games, winning three of four since ‘17.
Rays: The Rays are looking to advance to the ALCS for the first time since the 2008 team lost in the World Series to the Phillies. Tampa Bay has also not lost back-to-back games since Sept. 7-8 against the Nationals.