Rays' Tyler Glasnow to Start on 2 Days' Rest vs. Gerrit Cole, Yankees in Game 5

The Tampa Bay Rays announced they will hand the ball to starter Tyler Glasnow to begin a decisive Game 5 in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Friday.

Glasnow will take the mound on just two days' rest after tossing five innings in Game 2 on Tuesday. The Rays righty gave up four runs on three hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks in a 7-5 victory for Tampa Bay. 

The Yankees will counter with Gerrit Cole, who last pitched in Game 1 on Monday, going six innings with three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.

It'll be the first career start for Cole on three days of rest. He's previously pitched on four days of rest on four occasions in the postseason. For Glasnow, it'll be his first time taking the mound on just two days of rest. He's previously never gone less than four full days off before starting again.

Tampa Bay has become one of baseball's most experimental teams when it comes to pitching. The Rays made bullpen games a regular occurrence and introduced the concept of an "opener" in recent years, using one pitcher for the first inning before handing the ball over to either a long reliever or a typical starting pitcher. 

For a winner-take-all game on Friday, both teams are likely to mix and match their arms throughout the day as they look to exploit advantages in each other's lineup. 

Expect both starters to have a short leash, as both bullpens—and more than likely a few additional starters—will be ready to finish out the game. 

Because of the MLB's bubble format this year, teams do not have travel days to help their pitchers get extra rest. This will be the first time that comes into play this postseason. The winner will punch their ticket to the  American League Championship Series where the Houston Astros are already waiting.