ALCS Bracket 2020: Updated TV Schedule and Astros vs. Rays Series Predictions

The first two games of the American League Championship Series are in the books, with the Tampa Bay Rays taking a 2-0 series lead over the Houston Astros.

Tampa Bay has been incredibly opportunistic during the playoffs, a trend that continued in Game 2.

The Rays took a 3-0 lead on a first-inning home run from Manuel Margot (who had just one homer in the regular season), but only after Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel fumbled Jose Altuve's throw after a ground ball off the bat of Ji-Man Choi. It would have been the third out of the inning, but it instead led to the Rays taking the early lead.

Meanwhile, the Astros once again struggled to bring runners home. Houston had 10 hits, with just two runs to show. The Astros left 11 runners on base, though they also suffered from bad luck.

Alex Bregman registered five hard-hit balls in five plate appearances, per Baseball Savant, but he failed to get a single base hit. Kyle Tucker had an xBA of over .540 in two separate plate appearances but was merely rewarded with a pair of deep flyouts.

The Rays have also played excellent defense, with Joey Wendle and Willy Adames in particular displaying tremendous infield range and glove work on Monday. That does not even account for Margot's sensational grab in foul territory in the second inning, when he flipped over the side fencing. 

Tampa Bay has every reason to feel confident heading into Game 3. However, the Astros will be hoping their luck starts to turn as they look to climb back into the series.

Here is the updated schedule for the next few games, as well as an outlook for the rest of the series.

Updated ALCS Schedule   

Game 3: Rays vs. Astros, 8:40 p.m. ET, TBS

Game 4: Rays vs. Astros, 8:40 p.m. ET, TBS

ALCS Predictions   

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

Bad luck or not, the Astros missed a massive chance to make this a competitive series from the jump, and now their backs are against the wall.

It probably goes without saying Game 3 is a must-win for Houston, but a win on Tuesday also has the potential to galvanize the Astros for the remainder of the series.

Tyler Glasnow's start on short rest in Game 5 of the ALDS means the Rays and Kevin Cash will make Game 3 a "bullpen" day, with left-hander Ryan Yarbrough getting the start. Yarbrough will go against Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy.

Yarbrough threw five innings against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS, giving up six hits and a pair of earned runs coming via a long Gleyber Torres home run. Urquidy, meanwhile, gave up four runs in Game 3 of Houston's ALDS matchup against the Oakland Athletics, all of which came via the long ball.

Urquidy's issues with the long ball do not bode well against a Rays team that has heavily relied on homers to provide offense. The key matchup should be Urquidy against Randy Arozarena, who already has four round-trippers and is hitting well over .400 in these playoffs. Arozarena has kick-started Tampa Bay's offense, but he can also be a major run-producer if Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe heat up.

On the flip side, Yarbrough ranked in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity against during the regular season, per Baseball Savant, which is a good sign considering the Astros have been barreling up Rays pitching with frequency. Yarbrough is also equally effective against both right- and left-handed hitters. 

Granted, Houston's bullpen arms are also fresh after Framber Valdez and Lance McCullers threw the ball well in their respective starts, so Dusty Baker can take the ball from Urquidy if things get sticky. But it feels like there will be more pressure on the Astros to score in the early innings.

Aside from possibly facing a 3-0 deficit, a loss Tuesday would mean the Astros would have to turn to an ailing Zack Greinke to save their season. Meanwhile, the Rays will get a fully rested Tyler Glasnow. 

A win in Game 3 can alter the complexion of the series for Houston. But the Rays are getting good pitching performances and playing terrific defense while also coming up with big hits.

Tampa Bay is motivated to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2008, and a sweep could be on the table given the upcoming pitching matchups and general feeling of the series.   

Prediction: Rays win the series 4-0

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.