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Yankees get outplayed by Rasmussen, Rays in Game 1 of ALDS

The opening game of the American League Division Series proved disastrous for the New York bats as they fell in a tight one-zero defeat. Pitcher Drew Rasmussen carried the Tampa Bay effort by tossing eight frames without surrendering a run, giving up just a single hit and two walks.

Gerrit Cole absorbed the loss for New York after yielding a solo home run to Jonathan Aranda during the third frame, though Cole managed five strikeouts across five innings before exiting. Relief pitchers Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick subsequently kept Tampa Bay off the board, but the visiting lineup failed to provide any run support.

New York lost its bid for a no-hit performance in the eighth inning when Austin Wells doubled with two outs, though Wells was immediately erased on the basepaths trying to stretch the hit into a triple following a throw from Victor Mesa to Taylor Walls. Managerial decisions later saw Giancarlo Stanton make his initial plate appearance since April as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter, yet reliever Bryan Baker shut down the final frame to secure the victory.

Rasmussen finished just four outs short of a complete no-hitter while holding the opposing team completely quiet.

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