Yankees' ALDS Game 1 Debacle: One Hit, Crushing Loss
Drew Rasmussen delivered a historic performance, holding the New York Yankees hitless for 7 2/3 innings as the Tampa Bay Rays secured a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of their ALDS. The Yankees' lone hit was an Austin Wells double, but his baserunning blunder attempting a triple ended their only threat, highlighting their offensive struggles.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 1-0 in a dramatic Game 1 of their American League Division Series at Tropicana Field, propelled by a historic pitching performance from Drew Rasmussen. The right-hander outdueled Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, holding the Yankees hitless for 7 2/3 innings in front of a roaring, towel-waving sellout crowd of 40,542.
Rasmussen's dominance was a continuation of his strong outings against the Yankees; he had previously carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against them on September 22. In Saturday's postseason clash, Rasmussen allowed few hard-hit balls, walked two, and struck out 10 batters. He combined with reliever Bryan Baker to pitch to only two batters more than the minimum. This exceptional control and deception kept the Yankees' offense completely stifled, marking the first time in franchise history, spanning 445 postseason games, that the Yankees were held hitless through seven innings. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rasmussen became only the seventh pitcher in the modern era (dating to 1900) to carry a no-hit bid through 7 2/3 innings of a postseason game. Ben Rice, a Yankees catcher, praised Rasmussen's ability to