Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning and struck out 10 batters to defeat the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on October 3, 2026, at Tropicana Field.
Rasmussen Carries No-Hit Bid Into Eighth Inning
Drew Rasmussen turned in a dominant pitching performance, holding the New York Yankees hitless for 7 2/3 innings before Austin Wells broke up the bid with a two-out double down the right-field line in the Rays’ 1-0 win on Saturday night.
Rasmussen became the seventh pitcher in postseason history to take a no-hit bid at least 7 2/3 innings, joining a select list that includes Roy Halladay, Don Larsen, Bill Bevens, Anibal Sánchez, Jim Lonborg, and Red Ruffing.
Working alongside catcher Liam Hicks, Rasmussen set a postseason franchise record with 10 strikeouts and induced a career-high 23 swings and misses across eight scoreless innings. He threw 69 of his 101 pitches for strikes and walked two batters, leaning heavily on a changeup that he used 27% of the time alongside his cutter, four-seam fastball, and sinker. The 31-year-old right-hander entered the night with a 1.81 ERA in 11 career outings against New York, marking the lowest mark against the Yankees over the past 100 seasons.
“He threw the s— out of it,” Rays starter and fellow All-Star Nick Martinez said. “He’s the guy we rely on, man, and he showed why we rely on him.”
Nick Martinez, Rays starter and fellow All-Star
Rasmussen’s gem followed a stellar regular season where he went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and earned his second straight All-Star selection. Locked into a two-year, $8.5 million contract signed ahead of the 2025 season to avoid arbitration, Rasmussen has rebounded strongly after missing more than a year following internal brace surgery on his elbow in July 2023.
Wells Basher Run Cut Down at Third Base
The Yankees squandered their lone hit of the night in the eighth inning when Wells attempted to stretch his double into a triple against third base coach Luis Rojas’s stop sign. Right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. retrieved the ball in the corner and fired to shortstop Taylor Walls, whose relay easily cut down Wells at third base ahead of third baseman Junior Caminero’s tag.
The costly baserunning mistake ended New York’s final serious threat and prevented Ryan McMahon from stepping to the plate with the potential tying run in scoring position. New York manager Aaron Boone watched his squad get shut out despite scoring 18 runs during their two-game Wild Card Series sweep of the Boston Red Sox, with the lineup still missing three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge due to a calf injury sustained September 16.
“I mean, it’s the playoffs. Here we go. Like, every day’s important,” Boone said. “Every win is an exhale and exciting and, you know, the losses are gut punches.”
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager
Aranda Home Run Provides Sole Scoring Play
Jonathan Aranda provided all the offense Tampa Bay needed in the third inning by driving a 2-2 changeup from Yankees starter Gerrit Cole 417 feet to right-center field for his first career postseason hit. Cole allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings in his first postseason appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025. New York relievers Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick subsequently combined to hold Tampa Bay hitless over the final three frames, but the Yankees’ bats could not solve Rasmussen.
The lone run stood up as Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save, striking out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton—making his first plate appearance since April 24 following a lengthy recovery from calf injuries—and freezing Ben Rice with a changeup before retiring Cody Bellinger on a grounder. Baker successfully converted 41 of 44 save opportunities during the regular season, including his final 30 straight. The combined one-hitter handed Tampa Bay a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five series, representing the franchise’s first postseason victory since losing the 2020 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tropicana Field Hosts First Playoff Game Since Hurricane Milton
The electric atmosphere registered with players on both sides as fans rang cowbells throughout the quirky stadium.
Game 2 Schedule and Pitching Matchup Set for Monday Night
The best-of-five American League Division Series continues Monday night at Tropicana Field. Following an off day for the Yankees to ruminate on the Game 1 defeat, New York will lean on ace Cam Schlittler, who is expected to face Rays All-Star Nick Martinez.