Astros aces Verlander, Cole and Greinke will be tough test for Tampa Rays in AL Division Series

“As long as I’ve got the type of top-end rotation, then I certainly firmly believe in the starting pitcher setting the tone and doing all the things that a normal, traditional starting pitcher would do ... I love the three at the top of our rotation, and I’ll take that model every day,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said.

“[What] I wanted to do in August was text him and say: ‘I don’t know if you’re going with an opener, but I’m going with Verlander, Greinke and Cole,'" Hinch said. “And the same goes for this series.” Despite their penchant for openers, the Rays will go with three true starters in the first three games of this series. Tyler Glasnow will start Game 1, 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell gets Game 2 and Charlie Morton, who got the win in their wild-card game against Oakland Wednesday night, will start Game 3.

Though all three are starters, it’s unclear how long Glasnow and Snell will be able to go after both missed huge chunks of the season with injuries. Glasnow sat out from May 11-Sept. 8 with a right forearm strain and pitched just 4 1/3 innings in his last start. Cash said he thinks it’s “reasonable” to expect Glasnow to be able to pitch six innings on Friday.

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