Drew Rasmussen leads Rays to pivotal Game 5 victory over Guardians

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

Drew Rasmussen leads Rays to pivotal Game 5 victory over Guardians

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Oct 18, 2026 8:59 PM ET

Swing-and-misses were high for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who set the tone in Sunday's ALCS Game 5 against the Cleveland Guardians with 15 whiffs. The 31-year-old is now boasting a remarkable 1.29 ERA, coming up big in the postseason.

He has continued to showcase that he is a dominant ace in the making for the Rays.

The right-hander helped lead the team to a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, throwing seven innings on Sunday while allowing only one earned run, with four hits and one walk while striking out six.

His capability of getting outs in the zone continues to help him step up in big moments for Tampa. This comes as no surprise, as Rasmussen was dominant throughout the regular season, and it carried over into the postseason as he flirted with a no-hitter against the New York Yankees on Oct. 3 in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Drew Rasmussen vs. Guardians on Sunday: 7 IP 1 ER 6 K 4 H 1 BB 15 Whiffs 1.29 ERA this postseason. https://t.co/0wJ54umDNC
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) October 18, 2026

Drew Rasmussen continues to show he's the real deal

Rasmussen brought his A-game on Sunday. He used multiple pitches and delivered an eight-pitch outing in the bottom of the third.

Rasmussen also saw his cutter backing up but redajusted by turning to his changeup, which he used for 10 outs. His ability to make an adjustment with poise in the midst of a heated postseason game illustrates how he is the true definition of an ace.

Rasmussen has been on absolute fire across his last 15 starts including the postseason. He is 11-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched with 99 strikeouts and 18 walks. He now has two starts in the playoffs with seven-plus innings pitched and one earned run or less, which is impressive as the Rays are one win away from heading to the World Series.

While the Guardians attempted to threaten Sunday, the Rays defense continued to polish the leather. Taylor Walls demonstrated stellar range with a solid play in the bottom of the fifth inning. In addition, the Rays did a good job of knocking out Parker Messick early in the game, as he only went two innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits.

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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