Rays 1, Yankees 0

Despite a gem from their pitching staff, the New York Yankees’ offense mustered one hit in a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game One of the ALDS. The loss moves the Yankees to 2-6 on the year at Tropicana Field, a stark contrast to their 4-2 home record against the Rays.

Game Summary

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The Rays needed one run to beat their division rivals on Sunday, and it came in the fourth inning. Locked in a 2-2 count with Jonathan Aranda, Yankees starter Gerrit Cole left an 85 MPH changeup on the outside-half of the zone, a pitch Aranda took 417 feet into the right field seats.

The Yankees threatened to come back in the eighth, as Austin Wells recorded the team’s first and only hit of the night with a two-out double. However, the Yankees catcher was thrown out at third base attempting to leg out extra bases.

What Went Right For Yankees

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For the third time this postseason, the Yankees’ starting pitching was dominant. Cole, in his first postseason start since 2024, allowed one run on five hits, striking out five in the process. The bullpen was just as good, as Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick combined to throw three shutout innings.

What Went Wrong For Yankees

Despite compiling 26 hits in two Wild Card games, the Yankees offense was no-hit through 7 2/3 innings. The team struck out 12 times, with three players striking out multiple times.

What Went Right For Rays

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Two weeks after striking out 11 Yankees in a 6-1 victory, Rasmussen struck out 12 in his longest outing of the season. Despite pitching only 4 2/3 innings in his postseason career before Saturday, the 31-year-old was in control all night.

What Went Wrong For Rays

Outside of Aranda’s solo home run, the Rays’ offense was held in check all night. Excluding his home run, the team managed four hits in its 1-0 win.

Manager Reactions

Despite dropping Game One, Yankee manager Aaron Boone has full trust in Cam Schlittler to get the team back on track in Game Two. “I’m always thrilled when we hand the ball to Cam,” said Boone postgame. “Hopefully, we can go out, put some points on the board to support him, come out of here with a split, and head back home.”

Following his best outing of the season, Rays manager Kevin Cash had high praise for Rasmussen. “I compared him to Roy Halladay earlier this season,” said Cash postgame. “I’ve said a lot of dumb things in my life. That wasn’t one of them.”

Next Matchup

The Yankees and Rays will meet at Tropicana Field for Game Two on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern, with Schlittler and Freddy Peralta set to start for the Yankees and Rays, respectively.