Rays ALDS news: Tyler Glasnow has to save playoff hopes on 2 days rest

The Tampa Bay Rays are asking a lot of Tyler Glasnow with their ALDS hopes on the line

The Tampa Bay Rays had the New York Yankees right where they wanted them on Thursday, and they let them get away.

Now, their best hope is sending right-hander Tyler Glasnow (4.08 ERA) to the mound on Friday night with their American League Divisional Series in the fifth and final game. You might remember him from … all of two days ago, when he towed the rubber for five innings and 93 pitches in Game 2 of the series.

He gave up four runs but struck out 10.

The Yankees have the luxury of tabbing their better-rested ace, Gerrit Cole, who started Game 1, allowing three runs across six innings while striking out eight.

On paper? Advantage: Yankees.

Glasnow, though, might be pitching with a little extra redemption on his mind, because you probably remember him as the losing pitcher for the Rays in the fifth game of the ALDS last year as well.

Tyler Glasnow is ready to go for Rays in ALDS Game 5

Glasnow was quoted in the Tampa Bay Times:

“Obviously I didn’t feel great during it, but I think after the game, I was able to separate and say, ‘You know what, I went out and did everything I could as far as preparation and the result ended up being the result,’ ” Glasnow said Thursday night. “I forgot about it a short time after.”

Glasnow started 11 regular-season games for the Rays this year, striking out 91 and walking 22 in 57 innings. He stuck mainly to his four seamer, going to the 97 mph pitch about 60 percent of the time, with his curveball picking up most of the rest. That curve has one of the best spin rates in the game.

Glasnow’s expected figures, per Baseball Savant, were some of the best by anyone this year, with batters struggling to square up or hit anything all that hard.

He said he feels fine, healthwise, going again on short rest. “Recovery-wise I feel good, I feel great,” the Times quotes. “I was in the pen (Thursday); I was ready to (pitch).”

Glasnow gave up two home runs in Game 2, a solo shot by Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning and then a three-run bomb by Stanton in the fourth.

That accounted for all four runs.

It’s probably not rocket science to point out a key to winning this series lies in limiting Stanton, who has an astounding 1.599 OPS through the first four games, including four home runs.

Of course, the Rays largely did that on Thursday (he went 1-for-4 and grounded into a double play) only to have the bottom half of the Yankees’ order account for six hits and four runs.

Will manager Kevin Cash’s gambit pay off? How fast will he turn to the bullpen if the Glasnow plan goes south?

We’ll find out at 7 p.m. ET at Petco Park. The game will be broadcast on TBS.