The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the American League East title and home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs with a resounding victory at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22.
Drew Rasmussen put together a dominant effort that night and would love to do so again on Saturday when the Rays host the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA, AL-leading 0.91 WHIP this season) allowed his only hit in the seventh inning and struck out 11 in the Rays’ 6-1 romp over the Yankees that night. The two-time All-Star right-hander hasn’t pitched since that night.
Rasmussen has dominated the Yankees in three of four meetings this season. He yielded one hit over six scoreless innings in a 5-4 victory on April 12 and scattered five hits over seven runless frames in a no-decision on May 24. New York solved Rasmussen on July 9, however, collecting six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings on their way to a 12-4 shellacking of Tampa Bay.
“Obviously, a team we play a lot. (A) team that neither side really has a whole lot of secrets,” Rasmussen said Friday. “I mean, shoot, I feel like every time we play them, it’s a tight game, it’s a dogfight. I’d say that’s probably what should be expected.”
Ben Rice belted a two-run homer off Rasmussen in the third inning in that July 9 game and added a three-run shot three innings later. He went 16-for-45 (.356) with seven home runs, three doubles and 12 RBIs against the Rays this season.
Rasmussen, 31, is 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against the Yankees.
In addition to Rasmussen’s impressive numbers, the Rays boast a 55-26 record at home this season, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for best in the majors during the regular season.
Rasmussen will face a New York team that put up some stellar numbers of its own in dismissing the rival Boston Red Sox in the wild-card series. The Yankees outscored the Sox 18-2 and outhit them 26-7 en route to a convincing two-game sweep.
Three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge (right calf strain) was left off the Yankees’ roster in that series. New York manager Aaron Boone wasn’t ready to make the call on his slugger’s availability for the ALDS on Friday afternoon.
“We’ll see. He’ll be working out (Friday). He hit again live (Thursday) at Yankee Stadium. He’s doing more today, I think, over at (George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa) and here,” Boone said. “We’ll make those calls probably later (Friday night).”
After dominating starts by Cam Schlittler and Max Fried in the wild-card round, New York right-hander Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61) will bid to follow suit when he takes the mound Saturday.
Cole last pitched on Sept. 23 against the Rays, permitting two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-2 victory.
The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner also pitched well in his two other starts versus Tampa Bay this season. He yielded two hits over six scoreless innings in a no-decision on May 22, in his first start since his return from Tommy John surgery. He was saddled with the loss on July 8 while allowing three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
“Certainly, (Tropicana Field) plays a different kind of way. I think it sets up well for Gerrit,” Boone said. “… It was more just we like him here. I feel like he’s always thrown the ball really well here. Not that that’s everything. But I’m excited to give the ball to Gerrit Cole in a Game 1 scenario.”
Cole, 36, is 6-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 23 career appearances (all starts) versus the Rays.
The Rays defeated the Yankees in seven of their 13 meetings during the regular season. Tampa Bay also toppled New York in the teams’ lone encounter in the playoffs, in the 2020 ALDS.
–Field Level Media
