Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Petco Park, San Diego, California, 8:10 p.m. ET
Yankees at Rays Betting Preview: Yankees (+102), Rays (-116)
New York Yankees
Giancarlo Stanton continues to make himself at home at Petco Park, and for good reason, considering he is from Southern California. Stanton’s grand slam in New York’s 9-3 win in Game 1 of the best-of-five American League Division Series gave him nine homers in 20 career games at the San Diego park.
Stanton has gone deep in all three of the Yankees’ postseason contests to push the team’s total in runs to 31 and in homers to 11 — the most ever through a club’s first three playoff games. Aaron Judge is responsible for two of those homers while DJ LeMahieu has erupted for 11 hits over his past five games.
Rookie right-hander Deivi Garcia, who is 21 years and 140 days old, will become the youngest pitcher to make a postseason start in franchise history. Garcia will get his first look at the Rays after producing a 3-2 record with a 4.98 ERA in six appearances, all starts, this season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Rays manager Kevin Cash said his top-seeded team isn’t fazed after dropping the first game of the series. Tampa Bay, after all, won an AL-best 40 of its 60 games this season and eight of 10 against New York.
Randy Arozarena, who belted a two-run homer in the Rays’ 5-2 win at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 2, added a solo shot Monday to continue his stellar start to the postseason. The 25-year-old is 7-for-12 in the playoffs and 13-for-27 (.481) with three homers in his past seven games overall.
Brandon Lowe, who led the team in hits (52), homers (14), RBIs (37) and runs (36) during the regular season, struck out three times in the series opener. He is 3-for-18 in his past six games overall.
Yankees at Rays Betting Pick for Game 2
While New York manager Aaron Boone downplayed the notion that a statement was made against the Rays, the truth of the matter is his team’s sluggers put its rivals on their heels. Tampa Bay can’t match firepower with the Yankees, so quality pitching is of utmost importance for Cash’s crew. Tyler Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA regular season) will be charged with holding down the New York attack on Tuesday. He has made five career starts against the Yankees, going 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA.
The Yankees also have the luxury of a well-rested Aroldis Chapman, who wasn’t needed for the ninth inning in the opener after Stanton’s grand slam put the game out of reach.
Yankees at Rays Betting Pick:
Yankees 6, Rays 3
Yankees at Rays Best Bet for Game 2
New York has been keeping the scoreboard operator busy by scoring 12, 10 and nine runs to begin the postseason. Tuesday’s game will be more of the same.
Yankees at Rays Best Bet: OVER 8 runs (-102)
–Field Level Media
