Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through 7 2/3 scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“In all honesty, my heartbeat was about a thousand beats per minute, so I just let (catcher) Liam (Hicks) call the game and just try to execute the pitches he called,” Rasmussen said on the TNT Sports broadcast.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen’s no-hit bid in the eighth with a blast down the right field line. However, he was thrown out in his attempt to stretch a double into a triple to end the inning.
“Obviously not a good decision there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Not sure if he saw something on his way between first and second that caused him to go there, but obviously a mistake there.”
Wells said after he passed second base, he saw third base coach Luis Rojas with his hands up for him to stop there, but he already was committed to run to third.
“(They) made two good throws and it got me,” Wells said. “Thought it kicked off more than it did, (right fielder Victor Mesa Jr.) made a good play on the ball. Two outs there, trying to make something happen, be aggressive with not much going on in the game. Obviously, love to safe there or standing on second base.”
That was the lone hit allowed by Rasmussen (1-0), who struck out 10 batters in eight innings.
Right-hander Bryan Baker struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his first career postseason save.
Aranda belted a solo homer in the third inning as one of the five hits for the Rays, who secured a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Monday in St. Petersburg.
Aranda deposited a 2-2 changeup from right-hander Gerrit Cole (0-1) over the wall in right-center field to account for the scoring in the third inning.
The Yankees’ bats went silent after outscoring the rival Boston Red Sox by an 18-2 margin and out-hitting them 26-7 during a two-game sweep in the wild-card round.
Captain Aaron Judge was left off New York’s roster for the ALDS. Judge, 34, has not played since Sept. 16 due to a strained right calf. The three-time AL MVP landed on the injured list three days later and missed the Yankees’ wild-card sweep earlier this week.
Rasmussen also dominated the Yankees in three of four meetings during the regular season, including a one-run, one-hit, 11-strikeout performance over 6 2/3 innings of a 6-1 romp on Sept. 22. The Rays clinched the AL East title with that victory.
“At that point, we had the opportunity to win the division. Obviously, this one is a postseason game. Both meaningful, both impactful,” Rasmussen told reporters about his last two outings against New York.
Rasmussen allowed only a pair of walks, one each in the second and third innings, and retired the final 16 batters he faced on Saturday.
“It seemed like he went and doubled down tonight,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, noting Rasmussen’s previous start against the Yankees. “Made it easy to sit back and just take some decisions out of our hands.”
Rasmussen also showed his defensive chops by getting off the mound to field a bunt and throw out Ryan McMahon to begin the sixth inning. He finished that inning unscathed, marking the deepest no-hit bid in franchise history and the deepest into a postseason game the Yankees have ever been no-hit.
Cole permitted one run on five hits in five innings.
“Biggest issue is Rasmussen shutting us down,” Boone said. “Obviously, we had a handful of guys hit some balls on the screws – Austin (Wells) being one of them a couple times there — we just didn’t generate enough, obviously.”
–Field Level Media
