The Tampa Bay Rays were terrible houseguests Tuesday night.
They showed up at Yankee Stadium wearing their brand-new Road Gray uniforms, refused to give the Yankees much at the plate, and then helped themselves to the American League East title. Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Yandy Díaz drove in four runs, and Tampa Bay defeated New York 6-1 before taking the celebration into the visitors’ clubhouse, where the beverages were flowing, and the Yankees’ staff were left with
the cleanup.
In short, they walked in Yankee Stadium and took over Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay had an early opportunity against Max Fried when Junior Caminero doubled with two outs in the first inning. Jonny DeLuca struck out swinging to leave him at second, and Fried followed with a clean second.
Rasmussen was even less accommodating.
The right-hander struck out the side in the first, getting Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger swinging before freezing Heliot Ramos for the final out. He retired the Yankees in order again in the second, adding another strikeout against Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The Rays got things going in the third without much hard contact.
Taylor Walls opened with an infield single, and Cedric Mullins followed with a walk. Yandy Díaz moved both runners into scoring position with a fly ball to right before Ryan Vilade grounded out to second, bringing Walls home for a 1-0 lead.
One run was enough to give Rasmussen something to work with for a while.
Austin Wells drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third, but Rasmussen retired Ryan McMahon and struck out Rice to preserve the lead. Bellinger walked to start the fourth, but Rasmussen retired the next three hitters, striking out Luis García Jr. and Spencer Jones to end another potential scoring opportunity.
Fried continued keeping the Rays from adding to their advantage.
Nick Fortes singled to open the fifth, but Walls lined out, and Mullins grounded into what was originally ruled a double play. Tampa Bay successfully challenged the call at first to keep Mullins aboard before Chisholm made an over-the-shoulder running catch on Díaz’s popup to end the inning.
Vilade drew a leadoff walk in the sixth, but Caminero grounded into a double play, and DeLuca struck out looking.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen kept putting zeros on the scoreboard. He struck out two more in the fifth and retired the side in order in the sixth, taking a no-hitter into the seventh with the division title getting closer.
The Rays finally gave him some breathing room.
Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson opened the seventh with consecutive singles, putting two aboard with nobody out. Fortes flew out to center, allowing Simpson to advance to third. Walls then dropped a bunt toward Fried, bringing Simpson home on an RBI single to double Tampa Bay’s lead.
After Mullins struck out, New York turned to John Schreiber to face Díaz with two runners aboard.
The pitching change did not produce the desired result.
Díaz lined a single into center field, scoring Williamson and Walls. The Yankees challenged the tag play, but the call was upheld, and Tampa Bay suddenly led 4-0.
Rasmussen returned for the seventh with a chance to keep his no-hit bid alive, but Ramos ended it immediately with a leadoff double to left.
García moved Ramos to third with a groundout before Rasmussen struck out Jones for the second out. A walk to Chisholm ended his night, with Kevin Kelly entering to face George Lombard Jr.
Lombard singled into right to bring home Ramos and get New York on the board. Kelly prevented further damage when Wells grounded out to Caminero, ending the inning with Tampa Bay leading 4-1.
Rasmussen finished with 11 strikeouts, allowing one hit and one run across 6 2/3 innings.
The Rays threatened again in the eighth when DeLuca doubled with one out, but Ryan Yarbrough retired Simpson and Williamson to strand him.
Cam Booser took over for Tampa Bay in the bottom half and delivered a clean inning, retiring pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt, striking out Rice and getting Bellinger to fly out.
New York’s bullpen still had one more encounter with Díaz ahead.
Walls singled with one out in the ninth, and Mullins followed with a single that moved Walls to third. Michael Fulmer replaced Yarbrough, and Mullins stole second to put two runners in scoring position.
Díaz responded with another two-run single, this time into left field, extending the lead to 6-1 and giving him four RBIs.
Bryan Baker handled the ninth, allowing a two-out walk and single before getting Lombard to ground out to Walls for the final out.
The Rays had already punched their postseason ticket. Now, with the AL East secured, they will enter October as division champions.
And after showing off their new uniforms, nearly no-hitting the home team, and celebrating a division title at Yankee Stadium, Tampa Bay made itself right at home.
These teams face each other again tomorrow with LHP Ian Seymour scheduled to start for the Rays and RHP Gerrit Cole for the Yankees.
