Drew Rasmussen dominated the New York Yankees over eight scoreless innings, carrying a no-hit bid into the eighth and striking out 10 batters to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of their American League Division Series on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
Opening their best-of-five matchup in front of a raucous crowd in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Rays found all the offense they needed in the third inning. Jonathan Aranda drove a 2-and-2 changeup from Yankees starter Gerrit Cole several rows deep into the right-center stands, marking the infielder’s first career postseason hit.
Rasmussen joined a select group of pitchers in postseason history. He became the seventh pitcher in postseason history to take a no-hit bid at least 7 2/3 innings, joining Roy Halladay, Don Larsen, Bill Bevens, Anibal Sánchez, Jim Lonborg, and Red Ruffing.
Others on the list with no-hit bids of 7 2/3 innings include Sánchez, Lonborg, and Ruffing.
During the regular season, Rasmussen posted a 16-5 record alongside a 2.67 ERA for Tampa Bay and earned a consecutive All-Star nod.
Rasmussen Fires Eight Scoreless Innings
Rasmussen carved up a potent New York batting order that had just plated 18 runs during a two-game sweep of the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, though the visitors remained without three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge due to a calf issue that has sidelined him since Sept. 16.
The 31-year-old right-hander permitted just one hit and two walks over eight frames while compiling a career-high 23 swings and misses.
His 10 strikeouts tied the franchise record for the most in a postseason game, tying the club mark for most strikeouts in a playoff game previously held by Tyler Glasnow from the 2020 ALDS.
After issuing two walks early in the contest, Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters, overwhelming hitters with his three fastball variants—cutter, four-seam, and sinker—and a changeup he threw 27% of the time across his 101 pitches.
Wells Breaks No-Hit Bid With Double
The Yankees were hitless through seven and two-thirds innings until catcher Austin Wells sliced a two-out line drive down the right-field line on an inside sinker.
The hit erased the no-hit bid, placing Wells at second base with New York’s first breakthrough of the night.
Looking to spark a dormant offense, Wells attempted to stretch the double into a triple. Ignoring the stop signal flashed by third base coach Luis Rojas—who had both arms upraised as Wells rounded second—the catcher charged ahead.
Right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. retrieved the ball and fired to shortstop Taylor Walls, whose relay reached third baseman Junior Caminero well ahead of the sliding runner. The baserunning error ended the frame, preventing Ryan McMahon from stepping to the plate with the tying run in scoring position.
Baker Closes Out Game One
With a one-run lead heading into the ninth, closer Bryan Baker was called on to secure the victory.
Returning to action at a buzzing Tropicana Field—which hosted its first playoff action since October 2024 when Hurricane Milton stripped away the roof, forcing the Rays to spend 2025 across the bay at the Yankees’ spring training home of Steinbrenner Field—Baker slammed the door on the one-hitter.
Baker made quick work of the Yankees, striking out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton, in his first plate appearance since April 24 after recovering from calf injuries, freezing Ben Rice with a changeup for a called third strike, and retiring Cody Bellinger on a grounder. Baker converted 41 of 44 saves in the regular season, including his last 30.
