Rasmussen silences Yankees with near no-hitter in Game 1 win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Drew Rasmussen didn't allow a hit until two outs in the eighth inning, Jonathan Aranda homered off Gerrit Cole and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 1-0 in their AL Division Series on Saturday night.

Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters before Austin Wells doubled with two outs in the eighth inning, ripping a liner just inside the right-field foul line on an inside sinker.

He was easily thrown out on shortstop Taylor Walls ' relay to third baseman Junior Caminero of right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. 's throw. Wells ran through the stop sign of third base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second.

Rasmussen dominated a lineup that scored 18 runs in a two-game Wild Card Series sweep of Boston and was still missing three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16 by a calf injury.

A 31-year-old righty, Rasmussen struck out 10 and walked two in eight innings. He threw 69 of 101 pitches for strikes, getting 23 swings and misses. That's the most whiffs Rasmussen has induced in a start in his career, according to ESPN Research. He tied the Nationals' Anibal Sanchez in 2019 for the longest playoff no-hit bid at 7⅔ innings since Roy Halladay's no-no vs. the Reds in 2010.

Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth for the save, finishing the one-hitter. He struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton -- in his first plate appearance since April 24 after recovering from calf injuries -- froze Ben Rice with a changeup for a called third strike and retired Cody Bellinger on a grounder to secure Tampa Bay's first postseason win since losing the 2020 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baker converted 41 of 44 saves in the regular season, including his last 30.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday night at Tropicana Field.

Aranda drove a Cole's 2-2 changeup several rows deep into the right-center field stands for his first career postseason hit.

In his first postseason game since Tommy John surgery in March 2025, Cole allowed one run and five hits, striking out five in five innings.

A loud, boisterous, crowd rang cowbells and drowned out Yankees fans in the quirky Trop, which hosted its first postseason game since Hurricane Milton blew the roof off in October 2024. The Rays were forced to play their 2025 season across the bay at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the Yankees.

Rasmussen was 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA for the Rays and made the All-Star team for the second straight season. The 31-year-old twice had surgery for a torn ligament in his elbow in college and needed an internal brace procedure in July 2023 that forced him to miss more than a year.

His 10 strikeouts tied Tyler Glasnow's franchise record for the most in a postseason game.

Rasmussen has had success against the AL East rival Yankees throughout his career. He entered with a 1.81 ERA in 10 career starts and one relief appearance against New York.

RHP Cam Schlittler, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, will start Game 2 for the Yankees. The Rays haven't announced a starter. Right-handers Griffin Jax and Freddy Peralta are two options.