Rays' Drew Rasmussen flirts with no-hitter against Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rays' Drew Rasmussen flirts with no-hitter in Game 1 of ALDS against Yankees

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Oct 3, 2026 9:51 PM ET

The New York Yankees offense was no match against Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday. He flirted with a no-hitter across seven innings and was dealing against the Yankees.

But Austin Wells played spoiler by hitting a double off of Rasmussen in the top of the eighth inning, breaking up the no-hit bid. Wells' hit was immediately erased after he tried to stretch his double into a triple and was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Rasmussen's lights-out performance helped the Rays complete a 1-0 shutout, keeping Yankees hitters off the scoreboard. His outstanding performance was followed by a scoreless ninth inning from Bryan Baker.

The Yankees were practically held hitless, unable to produce the long ball, let alone generate any offensive momentum aside from Wells' lone hit. Even with Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton coming up to pinch-hit in the ninth, Baker struck him out, adding to the pitching dominance that Rasmussen set up for him.

Drew Rasmussen goes 7 innings without allowing a hit in Game 1 of the ALDS.

A true ace.
— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero) October 4, 2026

Drew Rasmussen sets franchise record and makes postseason history against Yankees

Even with Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees, who went five innings and only gave up one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk, the Yankees couldn't provide him with run support.

Rasmussen capped off his electric performance going eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts (tying the postseason franchise record), one hit and two walks.

Rasmussen also generated 23 whiffs on 101 pitches, and he had Tropicana Field buzzing after he retired the Yankees on nine pitches in the fourth inning. But when he reached 20 swings-and-misses in the game, he set a franchise record for whiffs recorded by a Rays pitcher in a postseason game.

While Rasmussen was seamlessly dominant getting strikeouts from five different pitches, which he perfectly painted on the corners of the zone, he also got help from his defense. Cody Simpson made a stellar sliding grab in the outfield in the top of the fourth inning, helping to keep Rasmussen's no-hit bid intact.

Rasmussen's mastery on the mound allowed him to become the first pitcher in postseason history to toss seven or more scoreless innings against the Yankees.

All things considered, making Rasmussen the Game 1 starter was ultimately a wise decision by the Rays, as he proved he is the true ace of the Rays' rotation. He effectively utilized a three-fastball mix paired with a lethal changeup and cutter. Evidently, his changeup was one weapon from his arsenal that illustrated elite depth, making it a filthy pitch that froze Yankees hitters.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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