Rasmussen, Rays wipe out Yankees threat, never to be accepted

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 4, 2026

Drew Rasmussen pitched eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. This win marks Tampa Bay’s first playoff victory since 2020 and sets the stage for Game 2 at Tropicana Field on Monday as the Rays seek to extend their series lead.

Drew Rasmussen delivered a dominant pitching performance as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday night in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rasmussen allowed only one hit, which came with two outs in the eighth inning, while striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings. His effort helped Tampa Bay secure its first postseason win since the 2020 World Series.

Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters before Yankees rookie Austin Wells broke up the no-hit bid with a double down the right-field line. Wells attempted to advance to third base on the play but was tagged out after running past the stop sign from third base coach Luis Rojas. Wells later acknowledged that he committed to running home before seeing the stop signal, while Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the baserunning decision as a mistake.

The only run of the game came in the third inning when Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda hit a solo home run off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Aranda connected on a 2-2 changeup, sending the ball over the right-center field wall for his first career postseason hit. Cole, making his first postseason start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025, pitched five innings and allowed one run on five hits while striking out five.

Bryan Baker closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning, striking out two batters including pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton in his first plate appearance since April. Baker converted his 41st save of the regular season, adding to a streak of 30 consecutive saves without a blown save dating back to last year.

The Yankees entered the series without three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge, who was sidelined since September 16 with a calf injury. Judge’s absence was felt as New York’s bats went quiet after a dominant wildcard series sweep against the Boston Red Sox.

Rasmussen, 31, has been a notable challenge for New York, having dominated the Yankees during the regular season, including a six-strikeout, one-hit outing in a September game that helped Tampa Bay clinch the AL East title. Rays manager Kevin Cash praised Rasmussen’s performance, emphasizing his ability to execute pitches and contribute defensively, including a key bunt fielding play in the sixth inning.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field, where the Rays look to build on their early series lead against the Yankees.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.