Yankees vs. Rays: The ALDS blog

Cole over Rodon in Game 1?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Yankees seriously considered giving Max Fried the ball in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox but, ultimately, decided to go with Cam Schlittler, who is all but certain to win the AL Cy Young.

That decision, which obviously paid off, left the Yankees up to zero second guessing.

That isn’t the case with their call for Game 1 of the Division Series. Based on respective resumes, of course, choosing Gerrit Cole to face Yankee-killer Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 is a no-brainer.

But based on how each pitcher finished the regular season?

That’s something else altogether.

The reason why, inside the Yankees organization, there was plenty of debate on having Carlos Rodon start Game 1 instead of Cole.

Rodon, who had two separate stints on the injured list this season, went 7-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 16 starts. The lefthander was particularly good down the stretch, pitching better than anyone in the rotation not named Cam Schlittler, going 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA over his final seven starts. He allowed four homers in 38 innings in that stretch.

Cole, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as good as the regular season drew to a close. The righthander started the year on the IL recovering from Tommy John surgery and went 10-9 with a 3.61 ERA in 22 starts. Over his last seven starts, though, Cole went 4-3 with a 4.46 ERA and allowed 11 homers in 40 1/3 innings in that stretch.

Each pitcher’s most recent start against the Rays reflected those numbers. Facing the Rays on Sept. 22, in the first game of a doubleheader and the Yankees' slim division hopes alive, Rodon had maybe the best outing of his season in a 2-0 victory, allowing just three hits over a season-high eight innings.

Facing the Rays in a meaningless game a day later – the Rays clinched the division with a win in the second game of the Sept. 22 doubleheader – Cole allowed two runs and three hits, including a homer, over 5 2/3 innings of a 9-2 victory. He walked three and struck out eight in the outing.

Yankees at 'The Trop'

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tropicana Field hasn’t always been a house of horrors for the Yankees.

From 1998, the first year the then-expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays began playing there, through 2011, the Yankees were 68-50 at the Trop.

It was, by far, one of the opposing team venues in which the Yankees had the most success.

But that has not been the case for the last nearly 15 years now.

Whether the Rays have been good – the case the vast majority of time in that stretch – or not so good, the Yankees have struggled at Tropicana Field.

Their record in this domed facility, rarely high on the list of any rival player’s favorite-ballpark list, since 2012 is 47-62. That includes going 2-5 there this season.

The Rays, who won the AL East title and are the top seed in these American League playoffs, weren’t just tough on the Yankees at the Trop this season.

The Rays went 55-26 at Tropicana Field in 2026, tying them with the Brewers for the best home record.

Both clubs will work out here this afternoon in advance of Saturday night’s Game 1. The Rays are slated to work out at 2 p.m., with the Yankees to follow at 4 p.m.

Here's how Gerrit Cole has performed in Game 1

When Gerrit Cole gets the ball for Game 1 at Tampa Bay on Saturday, it will be the seventh time he takes the mound to start a postseason series (and sixth with the Yankees).

In his previous six career Game 1s, Cole is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA, 1.098 WHIP, 43 strikeouts and six walks in 37 1/3 innings.

In his five previous Game 1s with the Yankees, which excludes a Game 1 loss for Houston in the 2019 World Series, Cole is 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA, 1.055 WHIP, 37 strikeouts and five walks in 30 1/3 innings.

Here’s a look at each of Cole’s previous Game 1 starts:

• 2024 World Series at Los Angeles Dodgers (ND): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
• 2024 ALDS vs. Kansas City (ND): 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 4 SO
• 2022 ALDS vs. Cleveland (W): 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
• 2020 ALDS vs. Tampa Bay in San Diego (W): 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
• 2020 AL Wild Card Series at Cleveland (W): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 SO
• 2019 World Series (with Houston) vs. Washington (L): 7 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

The Yankees announce their ALDS Game 1 starter

Gerrit Cole gets the start for Game 1 for the Yankees. He'll go against Tampa's Drew Rasmussen.

Nicely done, @Raysbaseball

Yankees vs. Rays ALDS schedule

The ALDS between the Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays begins on Saturday, with all games airing on TBS and streaming on HBO Max.

Here’s the schedule so far:

Game 1: Yankees at Rays, Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m

Game 2: Yankees at Rays, Monday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.

Game 3: Rays at Yankees, Wednesday, Oct. 7, TBD

* Game 4: Rays at Yankees, Thursday, Oct. 8, TBD

* Game 5: Yankees at Rays, Saturday, Oct. 10, TBD

* if necessary

Tale of the Tape: What to expect between the Yankees and Rays

 The Yankees completed a sweep of Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium and now advance to meet AL East division champion Tampa Bay in the AL Division Series. The series opens on Saturday at Tropicana Field.

The Rays won the 13-game season series 7-6 and finished with 98 victories. The statistical comparison of the teams in head-to-head play is about as close as the series.

We offer the tale of the tape between the Yankees and Rays: