Drew Rasmussen gave the Tampa Bay Rays exactly what they needed Saturday, shutting down the New York Yankees in a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. His performance was so dominant that it drew high praise from a pitcher who knows plenty about postseason baseball.
Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez watched Rasmussen hold New York to one hit across eight scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out 10 and walked two while taking a no-hit bid into the eighth inning.
Martinez highlighted Rasmussen’s ability to command his entire arsenal against the Yankees. “I enjoyed everything he did. How he located the fastball, the curveball, the slider, the cutter, the changeup… he was literally perfect!” Martinez wrote on X.
Rasmussen entered the postseason after a strong regular season for Tampa Bay. He went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 174 strikeouts and a 0.91 WHIP across 172 innings, earning his second consecutive All-Star selection.
His success against New York was hardly new. Rasmussen finished the regular season with a 1.81 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees, and he had already carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against them on Sept. 22.
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The outing also carried extra weight because of Rasmussen’s injury history. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 and 2017 before having an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in 2023. He returned in 2024 and re-established himself as a frontline starter, making the latest postseason performance another milestone in his comeback.
Tampa Bay now leads the best-of-five series 1-0 after finishing the regular season 98-64, four and a half games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. New York finished 93-68 before sweeping Boston in the Wild Card Series.
Rasmussen’s performance gives the Rays an early advantage, but the series is far from decided. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at Tropicana Field, with the Yankees needing a response after being limited to one hit in the opener.
