ALDS Game 2: Rays at Houston Astros — Pregame News and Notes

Updated 6:30 p.m. After a 6–2 loss in game one of the ALDS, the Rays will look to even the best-of-five series against the Houston Astros before heading home tonight. To accomplish that, Tampa Bay will likely need to play a cleaner game on Saturday then it did on Friday, when the team allowed five walks and committed a key error.

The Rays have tweaked their lineup for game two, with Joey Wendle not starting and both Yandy Diaz and Avisail Garcia in the lineup, with Diaz hitting leadoff as he did in the wildcard game:

Diaz 3B

Meadows LF

Pham DH

Choi 1B

Garcia RF

B Lowe 2B

d’Arnaud C

Kiermaier CF

Adames SS

Blake Snell (6–8 4.29) will start game two for the Rays. It’s the fourth MLB start for Snell since he had bone chips removed from his pitching elbow. Here’s the lineup he’ll face:

Springer CF

Altuve 2B

Brantley LF

Bregman 3B

Alvarez DH

Gurriel 1B

Correa SS

Tucker RF

Madonado C

Snell has not gone beyond two innings in his three prior starts, walking five while striking out 11 over six innings.

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While Snell said he hopes to go five innings on Saturday, the Rays are expected to rely heavily on the bullpen in game two. The Astros lineup, which was third in baseball in runs scored, did not change the top seven hitters today. That group is 24-for-63 lifetime (.381) with six homers against Snell.

Going into an off day, Tampa Bay will have plenty of options available, including length from Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough.

The challenge at the plate after Justin Verlander threw seven one-hit shutout innings on Friday will be Gerrit Cole (20–5 2.50). Cole has allowed four runs in each of his two starts against the Rays. However he also has struck out 24 in those two outings. Cole struck out at least 10 in his last nine starts this season, and the Astros won his last 13 outings.

Coverage on the Rays Radio Network begins at 8:30 p.m. and Andy and Dave will have the call with first pitch at 9:07.