In Game 1 of the American League Division Series, the Yankees managed just one hit, and that hit produced their best opportunity of the night. With two outs in the eighth inning and New York trailing by a run, Austin Wells ended Drew Rasmussen’s no-hit bid with a double down the right-field line. Wells then attempted to turn that double into a triple, was thrown out at third base, and the Yankees finished the game shut out 1-0.
The runner Wells tried to advance past second base on a play that should have ended there. Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. gathered the ball and threw to shortstop Taylor Walls, whose throw arrived at third baseman Junior Caminero before Wells could reach third. That out kept Ryan McMahon from stepping into the box with the tying run in scoring position, which allowed Rasmussen to walk off the mound after throwing eight scoreless innings.
The Throw That Ended the Hit
Wells reached base and moved into scoring position on his own, and the Yankees had no other runner in a similar spot for the rest of the game. Rather than allowing McMahon to face the pitcher with a man on second, Wells attempted to advance on his own. Caminero put an end to that attempt without much trouble.
Rasmussen held the Yankees to just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 across 101 pitches. The right-hander once again gave the New York lineup fits, having nearly no-hit that group during Tampa Bay’s division-clinching win at Yankee Stadium near the end of the regular season. Bryan Baker took over for the ninth inning and swiftly finished off the Yankees. He struck out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice before getting Cody Bellinger to ground out, securing the combined one-hitter and handing Tampa Bay a 1-0 edge in the series.
Jonathan Aranda’s Home Run
The game’s only run came from Tampa Bay’s side. Jonathan Aranda drove a Gerrit Cole pitch 417 feet to right-center field in the third inning, and that was enough for the Rays. Cole kept the Yankees within striking distance but received no offensive support. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings and 82 pitches.
The Yankees’ trio of Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick kept Tampa Bay hitless over the final three innings, yet New York’s lineup was unable to solve Rasmussen. The shutout marked a sharp contrast for a Yankees offense that had pushed across 18 runs during its two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.
The Absence of Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge remains sidelined while recovering from a right calf strain, so New York played its ALDS game without him as captain. The Yankees got just one hit off Rasmussen, but it made no difference at all.
What Went Wrong for the Yankees
The Yankees had their one big chance in the eighth inning. They hit the ball, got a runner to second base, and then lost the runner entirely. Wells’s throw to third ended the inning and the game’s only scoring threat in one motion.
Every element fell into place for Tampa Bay. Through eight innings, Rasmussen did not allow a hit, and Baker shut the door in the ninth. The Yankees were unable to find a way across the plate.
The Road Ahead
Monday night brings the best-of-five series back to Tropicana Field, where Cam Schlittler will take the mound for the Yankees in Game 2. He threw 6⅓ scoreless innings against Boston during the Wild Card Series.
Key Facts From the Game
- Game: ALDS Game 1, Yankees vs. Rays
- Score: Rays 1, Yankees 0
- Hits: Yankees 1
- Walks: Yankees 2, Rays 1
- Strikeouts: Rasmussen 10, Cole 5
- Pitches: Rasmussen 101, Cole 82
- Run: Aranda homered 417 feet in the third inning
- Out: Wells thrown out at third after breaking up no-hitter
The Verdict on the Loss
Rasmussen shut down the Yankees’ offense entirely. They put the ball in play, yet they failed to cross home plate. Every contact turned into an end to an inning, a cruel twist of fate for any team.
The turning point came when Wells was thrown out trying to advance to third base. Had he remained at second, McMahon would have come to the plate with the tying run in scoring position. Instead, Wells was caught, the inning ended, and the game went to Tampa Bay.
There was no question about the result here. It was an entire victory for one side. The Yankees were given their opportunity, and they failed to take advantage of it.
What Comes Next
Cam Schlittler starts Game 2 on Monday. The Yankees will need to find a way to score against Rasmussen, who has shown he can shut them down. The Rays will be happy with this result. A 1-0 win in the opener gives them the advantage. The Yankees will be looking to bounce back on Monday.
The Yankees lost ALDS Game 1 to the Rays, 1-0. Austin Wells’s throw to third ended the Yankees’ only scoring chance, and that was the difference.
Source material: “Yankees lose ALDS Game 1 to Rays as Austin Wells is thrown out at third after breaking up no-hitter,” Fox News.
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