Rays Host Yankees Saturday to Open ALDS on TBS and truTV
The short version
- The Rays host the Yankees in ALDS Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 5:30 p.m. CT on TBS and truTV.
- Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA) opposes Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) in the opener.
- Aaron Judge is off New York's ALDS roster with a strained right calf.
- BetMGM lists Tampa Bay at -135 and New York at +115, with the Rays favored by 1.5 runs and a total of 7.
- Games 3 and 4 are in New York; a possible Game 5 returns to Tampa Bay on Oct. 10.
Tampa Bay and New York begin a best-of-five American League Division Series on Saturday, with Gerrit Cole set to oppose Drew Rasmussen on TBS and truTV.
The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays meet this weekend to begin their American League Division Series, a best-of-five round within the 2026 MLB postseason. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, in Tampa Bay, which hosts the opening games of the series. Three victories will be enough for either club to advance.
Beyond the team narratives, the matchup carries individual storylines on each side. New York's Ben Rice and Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero are the position players singled out in the lead-up to Game 1. Caminero, in particular, has expressed belief that the Rays can end the club's postseason slide, a goal Tampa Bay will begin pursuing on Saturday.
The opening pitching assignment falls to an established arm on each side. New York gives the Game 1 nod to Gerrit Cole, who carries a 10-9 record and a 3.61 ERA into the playoffs. Tampa Bay lines up Drew Rasmussen opposite him, and Rasmussen arrives at 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA.
Cole has been candid about one element of the matchup. New York's Game 1 starter acknowledged that he can become 'predictable' when pitching against the Rays, a self-assessment that surfaced in coverage leading into the series.
New York's lineup will look different in this round. Aaron Judge, a three-time MVP, was omitted from the Yankees' ALDS roster because of a strained right calf. The injury means the club faces Tampa Bay without one of the sport's most decorated hitters.
Game 1 begins at 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The broadcast will be carried by TBS and truTV, the two networks also slated to show each subsequent game of the series. Viewers looking to stream can find the game on Sling TV.
The betting market tilts toward the home club. BetMGM's numbers as of Oct. 3 put Tampa Bay at -135 on the moneyline and New York at +115, with the Rays favored by 1.5 runs and a total of 7 set for the game.
The series unfolds over the next week, with all times Central. After Saturday's 5:30 p.m. opener, Game 2 is set for Monday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., also in Tampa Bay. The round then moves to New York for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m., and Game 4, if necessary, would follow Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. A decisive Game 5, if needed, would return to Tampa Bay on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.
Global Sportscast's schedule lists the Yankees at the Rays next: Saturday, October 3, at Tropicana Field, beginning 6:30 p.m. EDT on TBS and truTV.
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