ST. PETERSBURG, FL − The loudest moments in Tropicana Field in years came in the third inning Saturday night. Jonathan Aranda launched a 417-foot homer and a sellout crowd of 40,542 lost its collective
minds.
Drew Rasmussen missed it. He heard it through the bathroom door.
"Unfortunately, I was in the bathroom," the Rays starter said. "It would have been a really cool time to be in the dugout. But, no, I had to take care of my own business."
Rasmussen handled his business and the Rays' Saturday. He held the Yankees hitless for 7⅔ innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the best-of-five American League Division Series. Aranda's homer was the only run either team scored. Rasmussen made it hold up from the mound, with a save from Bryan Baker.
Rasmussen threw eight scoreless innings and allowed one hit.
The Yankees' lone hit came with two outs in the eighth, when Austin Wells doubled down the right-field line. Wells then ran through his third base coach's stop sign and was thrown out at third.
Only three pitchers or staffs have finished a no-hitter in the postseason. Rasmussen's 7⅔ hitless innings tied Washington's Anibal Sanchez in 2019 for the longest individual bid since Roy Halladay no-hit Cincinnati in 2010. His 10 strikeouts tied a franchise record for the most in a postseason game.
Rasmussen said he never thought about a no-hitter.
"I wasn't worried about it," Rasmussen said. "I was just trying to execute every pitch."
"What wasn't elite?" Rays manager Kevin Cash said when asked about his starter.
Rasmussen, however, didn't feel elite. He just felt wired.
"My heart rate was at a thousand beats per minute," he said with a laugh.
He hadn't pitched in the postseason since 2022 and the crowd hit him the second he walked out of the dugout. The Rays, who had a crowd of just over 19,000 in their last home playoff series opener, opened the third tier and had a genuine sell-out Saturday.
Somewhere around the third or fourth inning, he told pitching coach Kyle Snyder he was throwing at about 50% effort, because anything above it was a "major misfire."
So he handed control to his catcher. He let Liam Hicks call the game.
"I just tried my best to execute, in all honesty, whatever pitch Liam called," Rasmussen said. "He was incredible. Other than me missing middle on a front hip sinker to Wells, I think he did an excellent job."
That ball was lined to the right-field corner. Wells had a sure double, but decided to go for a triple. Rasmussen said he looked back and was relieved to seen Victor Mesa, Jr. on top of it and getting the ball to shortstop Taylor Walls.
"He threw an absolute seed to Wallsy," Rasmussen said of Mesa. "We laugh about it. We joke about it. Anything you can do to get the ball in No. 6's hands is a really, really good option."
And giving the ball to Rasmussen against the Yankees, which the Rays could do again in this series, is a really, really good option, too.
Rasmussen, 31, nearly no-hit the same lineup less than two weeks ago. On Sept. 22 at Yankee Stadium, he struck out 11 on a career-high 114 pitches and did not allow a hit until the seventh inning of a 6-1 win that clinched the AL East for Tampa Bay.
The right-hander has made a habit of tormenting New York. He entered Saturday 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 11 career games against the Yankees.
His path here was anything but smooth. Rasmussen had two Tommy John surgeries in college at Oregon State and underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in July 2023. The last pitch he threw before that surgery finished seven shutout innings at Yankee Stadium. He returned as a reliever in August 2024 before reclaiming a rotation spot.
It capped what has already been a career year for Rasmussen, who set personal bests this season with 16 wins, 174 strikeouts, 172 innings and a 0.91 WHIP that led the American League.
The Yankees were very aware of what they were facing and what they could face again this series with Rasmussen.
"I thought he was really sharp. I thought his change-up was good for him and in play. Obviously, with our left-handed hitters, it looked like he had the cutter going when he needed to. Then the good four-seamer where he mixed in some sinkers off of it," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "His command is just really good and kind of what sets him apart.
"He's got a great arsenal. The ability to pitch on both sides of the plate and up and down obviously makes him challenging and one we've had a hard time solving."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drew Rasmussen gem puts Rays up 1-0 in ALDS, leaves Yankees looking for answers
