Drew Rasmussen looked every bit like the kind of pitcher who can flatten a game by himself on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
The Rays right-hander carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, struck out 10 and walked two, and Tampa Bay rode that effort to a 1-0 win over the Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Before a sold-out crowd of 40,542, Rasmussen turned the postseason opener into his own showcase and gave the Rays a huge early edge in the best-of-five series.
The only run of the night came in the third inning, when Jonathan Aranda drove a solo homer to right-center off Gerrit Cole. That was all Tampa Bay needed.
Rasmussen’s bid at history finally ended with two outs in the eighth, when Austin Wells doubled down the right-field line. The Yankees briefly thought they had something going, but Victor Mesa Jr. made a perfect relay to Taylor Walls at shortstop, and Wells was thrown out trying to stretch it further.
Rasmussen had already stacked up 15 straight outs before that. He finished with a career-high 23 swinging strikes while mixing cutters, changeups, four-seam fastballs and two-seamers to keep New York off balance.
“I’m a pretty big believer that it comes down to two things,” Rasmussen said. “Preparation and execution.”
That formula has become part of his identity. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder has called Rasmussen “the standard” for Rays pitchers, and manager Kevin Cash drew a comparison to Roy Halladay before Rasmussen’s final regular-season start at Yankee Stadium on Sept.
- Cash had said the right-hander’s work ethic and preparation reminded him of the Hall of Famer he caught in Toronto, and Rasmussen backed up that praise by carrying a no-hitter into the seventh in that game while striking out 11 in a victory that clinched the AL East title for Tampa Bay.
This one may have been even sharper. The Rays’ ace kept the Yankees quiet from the start and never let the moment get away from him, even with the ballpark rocking around him.
“Yeah, this place is crazy," said Rasmussen. "It’s one of my favorites when it’s packed out and I haven’t gotten to see it like this a whole lot. So, it’s really special to be here in an environment like this.”
Rasmussen said the pressure was real, even if he did his best to hide it.
“In all honesty, my heartbeat was about a thousand beats per minute, so I just let [catcher] Liam [Hicks] call the game and do my best to execute the pitches he called,” said Rasmussen.
Aranda was quick to put the performance into perspective afterward.
"I think the definition of ace is Drew Rasmussen," said Aranda. "He did a great job on the mound, and he’s done that for us the entire year. So, I’m really happy for him.”
For Tampa Bay, it was its first playoff win since Game 1 of the 2021 ALDS. And in a short series, that matters. Teams that win Game 1 in best-of-five postseason series have gone on to take the series 116 of 160 times, and in Division Series played under the current 2-2-1 format, home teams that grab the opener have advanced 42 of 56 times.
Rasmussen’s history against New York only adds to the feeling that this matchup suits him. In 10 career regular-season starts against the Yankees, he is 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA, and he has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of those 10 outings.
On this night, he was better than all of that. He was nearly untouchable.
In Other News...
Rays Just Added Another Problem For The Yankees In This Series
Drew Rasmussen gave the Rays exactly the kind of October start that changes a series, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Austin Wells finally broke it up in Game 1 of the ALDS. Tampa Bay still walked away with a 1-0 win over the Yankees, and the result only sharpened the pressure on a New York lineup that spent most of the night chasing a pitcher who never seemed to lose command.
Giancarlo Stantons return added another layer to the Yankees situation, with the slugger coming off the bench in the ninth inning for his first game action before striking out against Bryan Baker. Aaron Boone pointed to Stantons preparation afterward and left open the possibility of more appearances in the series, which gives New York one more variable to manage as it tries to answer a Rays staff that already has the upper hand. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Have One Big Concern After That Game 1 Loss
Drew Rasmussen made a lot of Yankees fans uneasy in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, and for good reason. The Rays right-hander carved through New York for eight scoreless innings, allowed only one hit and struck out 10, turning the opener into a tense, low-scoring grind at Yankee Stadium.
Austin Wells finally broke up the no-hit bid with a double in the eighth, but the inning ended with him thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, and Tampa Bay kept its 1-0 lead intact. Jonathan Arandas solo homer was the only run the Rays needed, leaving New York staring at an early series deficit and wondering what it has to do differently before the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Brosseau Explains Why That Rays Yankees Moment Still Hits Hard
Mike Brosseaus name still carries a certain jolt in Tampa Bay, and for good reason. His eighth-inning home run against the Yankees in the 2020 American League Division Series became one of those October swings that never really leaves a franchise, especially when it helped push the Rays past a familiar rival on the way through the postseason. Now effectively retired, Brosseau has had a little more time to look back on both that moment and the winding path his career took to get there.
What makes the memory linger is how neatly it fits the Rays identity from that era: a roster built on underdogs, timing and the ability to turn one pitch into something much bigger. Brosseau also touched on his recent retirement and a few personal-life updates, giving the story a more human edge beyond the highlight reel. And while the current Rays are being discussed through salary projections and prospect rankings, that 2020 swing remains a reminder of how quickly one player can become part of the teams permanent history. [Read more 🡒]