For the second consecutive postseason, it will be Tyler Glasnow vs. Gerrit Cole in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, with their respective teams’ season on the line.

After a 5-1 loss to the Yankees in Game 4 on Thursday, the Rays made the surprise announcement that Glasnow would be their Game 5 starter on Friday. Glasnow, who was the winning pitcher in Game 2 on Tuesday, would be throwing on just two days’ rest. The right-hander has never started a game on short rest in his career.

The last pitcher to start a game on two days' rest after a five-plus inning start was Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe, who pitched in Games 4 and 7 of the 2004 AL Championship Series win over the Yankees. Lowe allowed one run on one hit and struck out three in six innings in Boston’s 10-3 win.

In total, there have been nine prior instances in the Expansion Era (since 1961) of a pitcher throwing 5-plus innings in a postseason start, then making his next start on two or fewer days’ rest:

Derek Lowe, 2004 ALCS
Ron Guidry, 1977 ALCS
Ken Holtzman, 1975 ALCS
Mickey Lolich, 1968 WS
Jim Lonborg, 1967 WS
Sandy Koufax, 1965 WS
Mudcat Grant, 1965 WS
Bob Gibson, 1964 WS
Mel Stottlemyre Sr., 1964 WS

“I’m super boring and always say this, but just treat it like any other start,” Glasnow said. “To be honest, my preparation will be exactly the same. Go game plan with [pitching coach Kyle Snyder], but I’m confident and ready to pitch tomorrow.”

Glasnow, who allowed four runs and struck out 10 in Game 2, said he was available to come out of the bullpen in Game 4 and told the coaching staff that he was ready to pitch, if needed. The Rays listened to the right-hander and let him know that he would be starting Game 5 just minutes after Thursday’s loss.

“I don’t know. I haven’t talked about innings or anything; I just know I’m starting,” Glasnow said after Thursday’s game. “I’m excited. I’m ready to come out and pitch well tomorrow.”

In last year’s 6-1 Game 5 loss to Cole and the Astros, Glasnow allowed four runs on five hits in just 2 2/3 innings. However, all of Glasnow’s earned runs came in the first inning as the righty acknowledged he was tipping his pitches. As a fastball-curveball pitcher, that has been a problem throughout Glasnow’s career, but he worked on eliminating that issue during Spring Training and hasn’t run into it in 2020.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Glasnow and Cole are just the second pair of starting pitchers to meet in multiple winner-take-all games. The other pair? Lew Burdette and Don Larsen, who faced off against each other in Game 7 of the 1957 and 1958 World Series. When asked if he would have signed up for an opportunity to avenge his Game 5 loss last season in an identical situation, Glasnow sat up in his Zoom room chair and smiled.

“I’ll put my name in,” Glasnow said. “That’s why you play baseball.”

Though Glasnow will make the start, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said the team will embrace an all-hands-on-deck approach on Friday. While the Rays wouldn’t share their pitching plans, it’s likely that Glasnow will toss the first couple of innings, before handing off to the bullpen -- one that will include Blake Snell, who started in Game 1.

Snell has been a more efficient pitcher the first time through an order, holding opponents to a .462 OPS during the regular season. That number is significantly higher the second time through the order, as hitters posted a .977 OPS against the left-hander. Due to those heavy splits, the Rays could ask Snell to follow Glasnow and get the club through the lineup once. If that goes according to plan, Tampa Bay would then go to Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks to get the final outs of the game.

“I’m sure that will kind of be an opener thing for them, and I’m sure they’ll bring in Snell, too,” said Yankees first baseman Luke Voit. “I mean, [Glasnow] has really good stuff, but we’ve seen him. We’ve got a good game plan against him and just got to get the runs early.”