Rasmussen sweeps Yankees' lefties aside in near-perfect Game 1 — SkimNews
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- Drew Rasmussen held the Yankees to one hit and two walks over eight scoreless innings, setting a Rays postseason record with 10 strikeouts and a career-high 23 swing-and-misses
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone countered by stacking eight left-handed hitters in the lineup — tying a postseason franchise record — but the approach failed as Rasmussen struck out eight lefties
- Austin Wells broke up a no-hitter with a two-out double in the eighth but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple, ending the inning and squandering New York's only hit
- Jonathan Aranda hit a first-inning solo shot off Gerrit Cole to account for the game's lone run; Cole allowed one run over five innings in his first postseason start since the 2024 Fall Classic
- Closer Bryan Baker struck out Giancarlo Stanton (pinch-hitting in his first game since April 24) and Ben Rice to end it, snapping Tampa Bay's seven-game postseason losing streak
- Tropicana Field hosted its first playoff game since Hurricane Milton tore its roof in 2023; the Rays had played all 2025 home games at the Yankees' spring training complex across Tampa Bay
- Cam Schlittler is set to start Game 2 for the Yankees against Freddy Peralta on Monday
Why it matters: The Rays grab home-field advantage in a best-of-five while their ace validates a pitcher-friendly approach that stranded New York's all-lefty lineup. Tampa Bay's snapback game was also building off a pitching duel in which Cole allowed just one run over five but had no support left.
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