Drew Rasmussen scores no hits in the 8th inning of the Rays’ 1-0 win over the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALDS
Drew Rasmussen was the Tampa Bay Rays’ best starting pitcher during the regular season, compiling a 2.67 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 172 innings. In four starts against the New York Yankees, he recorded a 2.68 ERA while striking out 10.6 batters per nine frames.
Rasmussen also played an ace Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, pitching 7 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and tying a Rays postseason record with 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Yankees.
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From the third inning to the eighth, Rasmussen recorded 15 consecutive outs against a Yankees lineup that scored a total of 18 runs on 26 hits during a two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card round.
Before Rasmussen’s performance Saturday, the Yankees had never been hitless through six innings of a playoff game.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen’s no-hit effort with two outs in the eighth inning, hitting a double on a sinker that hung toward the middle of the strike zone.
However, Wells was thrown out at third trying to extend that double into a triple, thanks to a flawless throw from right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. to shortstop Taylor Walls to third baseman Junior Caminero. With that, Rasmussen allowed a hit but ended the eighth inning. He threw 101 pitches, 69 of which were strikes.
Making Wells’ situation even worse, replays showed the Yankees catcher ignored third base coach Luis Rojas, signaling for him to stop as he rounded second base. It was a crucial mistake late in the game that the Yankees lost by just one run.
“It’s obviously not a good decision,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “I don’t know if he saw something on his way between the first and the second that made him go there. But obviously it was a mistake.”
Rasmussen was four outs away from becoming the third pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason, joining Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series and Roy Halladay’s no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS.
Gerrit Cole also pitched well but couldn’t match Rasmussen
Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole also pitched well Saturday. He went 5 innings, allowing only 1 run and 5 hits with 5 strikeouts. Tampa Bay’s only run came on a Jonathan Aranda solo home run in the third inning.
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On most nights, that kind of performance, combined with three innings of no-hit relief from Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick, would be enough for a Yankees victory, especially in a playoff game. But that’s not the case when the opposing pitcher allows only one hit in eight innings.
Game 2 of the ALDS is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will start for the Yankees, while the Rays will go with Freddy Peralta (3.25 ERA in 10 starts after being acquired at the MLB trade deadline).
Here’s how Game 1 went, with updates and highlights from the Rays’ 1-0 win over the Yankees.
Bryan Baker closed out the Rays’ Game 1 win with a 1-2-3 score in the ninth inning.
He struck out pinch hitters Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice, then finished the Tampa Bays’ 1-0 victory by forcing Cody Bellinger to reach first base.
The Rays take a 1-0 lead in the ALDS, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
With the hit out of reach for Drew Rasmussen. Bryan Baker takes over to start the ninth inning for Tampa Bay.
Baker has 41 saves with a 1.44 ERA in 65 appearances for the Rays this season.
Ian Casselberry
Chandler Simpson grounded out to second base to end the bottom of the eighth inning. And the Rays take a narrow 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth.
Ian Casselberry
Liam Hicks fights back from an 0-2 count and gets a 7-pitch walk against Brent Headrick with 2 outs in the bottom of the eighth.
The Rays have runners on first and second. Manager Kevin Cash is Jorge Mateo for Junior Caminero. He wants that second round.
Ian Casselberry
Junior Caminero gets a walk with 2 outs on 7 pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning.
That will be it for Paul Blackburn. Brent Headrick will take over for the Yankees. Blackburn pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
Ian Casselberry
Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas was telling Austin Wells to stop at second base. Wells ignored the sign and was ejected at third.
Ian Casselberry
Drew Rasmussen was 4 outs away from joining exclusive postseason pitching company. But Austin Wells ended that with a 2-out double in the eighth inning.
However, Wells was thrown out at third on a great throw from right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. to shortstop Taylor Wells and third baseman Junior Caminero to get the third out of the inning.
Ian Casselberry
Paul Blackburn retires the Rays in order in the seventh inning. Gerrit Cole, Ryan Weathers and Blackburn had 12 straight outs for the Yankees.
We go to the start of the eighth and Drew Rasmussen is the story!
Drew Rasmussen went seven innings for the Rays and did not allow a hit. He has 10 strikeouts to tie a Tampa Bay playoff record and has retired 13 consecutive Yankees batters.
Rasmussen is at 94 locations.
Ian Casselberry
Three up, three down for Ryan Weathers against the Rays in the bottom of the sixth. All three withdrawals were overturned.
Going into the top of the seventh, we start with Tampa Bay leading 1-0.
Gerrit Cole is well and truly finished after 5 rounds. Left-hander Ryan Weathers (3.60 ERA) takes over for the Yankees in the bottom of the sixth.
Cole’s final line is 1 run and 5 hits allowed in 5 innings. He struck out five Rays batters and walked 1 for 82 pitches. His only run came on a Jonathan Aranda home run.
Ian Casselberry
Drew Rasmussen ends the sixth inning by striking out Cody Bellinger while looking at a sinker that caught the high inside corner of the zone.
The Rays starter is at 83 pitches in 6 innings.
Ryan McMahon attempted a drag bunt down the first base line to get the Yankees’ first hit against Drew Rasmussen. But the ball went far enough for Rasmussen to easily field it for a takedown.
Ian Casselberry
Gerrit Cole struck out Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda on 4 pitches to start the bottom of the fifth. But Junior Caminero made him work for that third out, forcing Cole to throw 12 pitches.
Cole caught Caminero looking at a curveball for strike three. But he might be done after 82 pitches in 5 innings.
Ian Casselberry
Drew Rasmussen racks up two more strikeouts, getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, before finishing in the top of the fifth with an Austin Wells flyout to right.
Another inning of 9 pitches for the Rays starter. Rasmussen hasn’t allowed a hit for 5 frames and has 8 strikeouts.
Gerrit Cole allowed a single to Victor Mesa Jr. to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but it sailed from there.
A groundout from Richie Palacios was sandwiched by strikeouts from Jonny DeLuca and Taylor Walls, and this game will still be 1-0 in the fifth inning.
Ian Casselberry
Drew Rasmussen didn’t even give the Yankees a chance to tie the score in the top of the fourth. He walked through Luis García Jr., Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. on nine pitches, striking out the last two batters.
That’s 6 strikeouts for Rasmussen in 4 innings.
Ian Casselberry
Rays left-handed hitters hit Gerrit Cole’s changeup hard.
After Richie Palacios missed a home run by a few feet in the previous inning, Jonathan Aranda drove deep to right center to take a 1-0 Tampa Bay lead.
Ian Casselberry
Drew Rasmussen got through quickly in the top of the third, despite Ben Rice walking four pitches. He struck out Austin Wells and got Ryan McMahon out before the walk, then struck out Cody Bellinger on four pitches.
Ian Casselberry
Gerrit Cole shakes off Richie Palacios’ 2-out double to bring Taylor Walls to third base and end the second inning.
The Yankees come to bat in the top of the third.
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