The Yankees are already staring down a 1-0 hole in the ALDS after getting absolutely stifled by Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in Game 1, with the right-hander taking a no-hitter all the way into the eighth inning before Austin Wells finally broke it up. This wasn’t just a loss, it was a 1-0 shutout that felt like a complete pitching masterclass, leaving manager Aaron Boone and the whole squad scratching their heads.
Rasmussen’s Unhittable Arsenal
Rasmussen’s performance was straight-up lights out. He tossed eight shutout innings, gave up only one hit, walked just two, and punched out 10 Yankees. This wasn’t just a good start, it broke multiple franchise postseason records, and the Yankees could do nothing but tip their caps. Boone himself admitted Rasmussen was “really sharp.” He said the change-up was working, the cutter was on point against lefties, and his four-seamer mixed with sinkers kept them off balance. Boone summed it up perfectly: “His command is just really good and kind of what sets him apart. He’s got a great arsenal.” Jazz Chisholm Jr., who actually drew one of those rare walks, put it bluntly: “He just hit all his spots today. He was on. He wasn’t leaving anything [over the plate]. He wasn’t giving in.” Luis Garcia Jr., through an interpreter, echoed that, saying, “All eight innings, it felt like he never missed a pitch, location-wise and execution-wise. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the opposing pitcher.”
Deja Vu All Over Again Against the Rays Ace
What’s even more frustrating for the Yankees is that this kind of dominance from Rasmussen isn’t new. He’s been a thorn in their side all season. Back on September 22 in the Bronx, he went 6.2 innings, giving up just one run on one hit while striking out 11. Aside from one rough outing where New York somehow got six runs off him in 2.1 innings, Rasmussen’s previous two starts against the Yankees this season saw him throw 13 shutout innings. Boone’s assessment of Rasmussen’s consistent success against them really tells the story: “I feel like he’s got a lot of different ways to beat you. Starts with great command. And when he has a presence on both sides of the plate and up and down… he was able to freeze us a lot on different sides of the plate, as well. His mix was really strong. I thought he kind of used everything against us, and he cut us up again.” Garcia Jr. mentioned trying to battle and extend at-bats, but Rasmussen was just “pretty sharp tonight.”
With this being a best-of-five series, you know the Yankees are going to face Rasmussen at least one more time. Boone is trying to project confidence, saying they’re “due the next time” and that they’ve “done it before.” He believes his guys are confident, acknowledging that “you’ve got to beat probably a great pitcher at some point.” Austin Wells, the lone hit-getter, acknowledged Rasmussen’s past dominance against the team but “likes his t…” What exactly he likes is the real question, because right now, this team needs to find an answer, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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