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Despite owning the American League's best regular-season record and securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Rays entered their ALDS matchup against the New York Yankees as underdogs in the eyes of many. The Yankees had stormed through the Wild Card Round, sweeping the Boston Red Sox by a combined score of 18-2, and carried significant momentum into the series.
Tampa Bay turned to ace Drew Rasmussen to cool off New York's red-hot offense in Game 1, and the right-hander delivered a performance for the ages. Rasmussen, who has historically dominated the Yankees, continued his mastery by taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and leading the Rays to a 1-0 victory. Jonathan Aranda supplied the game's only run with a solo home run.
The no-hit bid was finally broken up by Austin Wells, who doubled and attempted to stretch it into a triple. However, a perfect relay from right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. to shortstop Taylor Walls to third baseman Junior Caminero cut him down easily for the out.
Rasmussen Makes History Against Yankees
While the one hit allowed stands out, a deeper look reveals a plethora of impressive statistics from what may be the greatest postseason start by a pitcher in Rays franchise history. Rasmussen recorded 10 strikeouts, tying the team record held by Tyler Glasnow, who also struck out 10 Yankees in Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS.
Rasmussen carved through the New York lineup with relative ease all night. Not typically known for overpowering stuff, he confounded the Yankees, who struggled to make any contact. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (subscription required), Rasmussen generated an eye-popping 43% whiff rate, setting a franchise record with 23 total whiffs.
To put that dominance in perspective, San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller posted a 45.3% whiff rate this season while striking out 129 batters in 70 innings. As the game progressed, Rasmussen's arsenal clicked into high gear. His changeup played off his three-fastball mix exceptionally well, and he located it effectively against both right- and left-handed hitters after an uncharacteristically slow start that included walks in the second and third innings. All season, he had issued only 32 walks in 172 innings.
Entering Game 1, Rasmussen sported a 1.81 ERA against the Yankees. Among pitchers with at least 10 starts against New York since 2000, no one has performed better, and those numbers will only improve after Saturday's outing.
With an extra day off in the five-game ALDS, Tampa Bay has the luxury of potentially turning back to Rasmussen later in the series if needed.