Rays' Drew Rasmussen Sees Impressive Streak End Against Guardians

Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Progressive Field. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Rays' Drew Rasmussen Sees Impressive Streak End Against Guardians

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 30, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays wrapped up their series against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, but were unfortunately unable to pull off the sweep and saw their six-game winning streak snapped. Furthermore, one of their players also saw an impressive streak come to an end.

It has been a really strong stretch for the Rays of late, and they are comfortably in second place in the American League East behind only the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay is a team that has exceeded expectations so far this year, and a major reason why has been their starting rotation.

Coming into the year, this is a unit that was expected to be the strength of the Rays, and that has proven to be true. While the lineup has been better than expected for the most part and the bullpen has been surviving injuries, the rotation has carried them.

While newcomers Nick Martinez and Steven Matz have performed well, it has still been right-hander Drew Rasmussen leading the charge. The All-Star from 2025 has picked up right where he left off and has been pitching really well. Unfortunately, he saw an impressive streak dating back to last year come to an end in the loss to the Guardians.

Rasmussen Sees Impressive Streak Come to an End

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

For the first time since June 19th against the Baltimore Orioles last season, Rasmussen was handed a loss in the game. With the streak nearly lasting a full calendar year, it has been a really impressive stretch of pitching for the right-hander.

Against the Guardians, Rasmussen didn’t pitch badly, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, in five innings of work. Even though one streak might have come to an end for the All-Star, he was able to keep up his streak of starts without allowing four runs or more. That streak has now moved to an impressive 44 games.

Even though he took the loss, it has been a fantastic campaign for the right-hander. With a 2-1 record and 2.64 ERA, he is trending toward being an All-Star once again. Rasmussen has emerged as one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball, with his ability to avoid blowup-type games.

Anytime he is on the mound, the Rays have a chance to win the game. That is a hard thing to find in a starting pitcher, and he is one of the main reasons why they have been so good to start the year.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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