The New York Yankees (62-66) may be reduced to playing spoiler down the stretch this year, but Gerrit Cole reminded everyone of how dangerous this team can be in a commanding 6-2 win in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays (78-52) on Friday night. Tampa will try to bounce back and keep pace with the Orioles atop the AL East in game two on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch from Tropicana Field set for 4:10 p.m. ET. New York will send righty Clarke Schmidt (8-7, 4.68 ERA) to the mound while the Rays counter with ace Tyler Glasnow (6-4, 3.35).
Tampa enters as heavy -192 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the Yankees at +160. The run total is set at 7.
Yankees-Rays picks: Saturday, August 26
Injury report
Yankees
Out: 1B Anthony Rizzo (concussion symptoms), OF Billy McKinney (back), SP Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff), 3B Josh Donaldson (calf)
Rays
Out: INF Taylor Walls (oblique), OF Manuel Margot (elbow), RP Kevin Kelly (ankle)
Starting pitchers
Clarke Schmidt vs. Tyler Glasnow
Other than a blow-up against Atlanta a couple weeks ago — an offense that hammers even the best pitchers — Schmidt has been rock-solid, with a 5.2-inning, two-run effort with eight Ks last weekend against the Red Sox representing his fifth start of two or fewer runs in his last eight. It’s hard to imagine where this New York rotation would be without the righty, who’s done yeoman’s work since getting off to a very rough start in April (3.90 ERA in 17 starts since May 19).
Seemingly every other Tampa starter has been lost to injury, but Glasnow just keeps on trucking, with exactly one earned run allowed in six of his last nine outings. The righty is coming off arguably his worst outing of the year, giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with seven Ks over six innings against the Angels last weekend, but that seems like nothing more than a blip on the radar. Glasnow has been nails since making his debut back in late May, with a K rate that ranks among the league’s best (97th percentile). He dominated the Yankees when he faced them last month, with seven innings of one-run ball and eight Ks.
Over/Under pick
This is a very low number, but I’m still taking the under here — if only because it’s awfully hard to get to seven runs when one team is kept off the scoreboard entirely. This Yankees lineup has been dreadful against righties even with Aaron Judge back in the fold, and unless Glasnow totally loses his feel for the strike zone, he should pitch about as well today as he did last time he matched up with New York. Schmidt has been good for just two or three earned runs allowed over the past few months, and if he comes close to that again, we should hit this under.
Pick: Under 7
Moneyline pick
Glasnow gives Tampa a substantial advantage on the mound, and after being held in check by Cole last night, I think this Rays offense — swinging the bats better of late after a midsummer swoon — should do enough to give their star righty a much-needed win today.
Pick: Rays
