Austin Wells made some truly horrible MLB history for the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. His base-running blunder, which happened after he broke up Drew Rasmussen’s no-hitter in the eighth inning, is a mistake not seen in 46 years, and Yankees fans are blasting him for it.
The Playoff Gaffe That Blew Up
Wells finally broke up Rasmussen’s no-hitter in the eighth inning, with the Yankees down 1-0. There was plenty of optimism as he rounded first, easily on his way to second base. You’d think that’s a good thing, right? A runner on second, two outs, down 1-0 in a playoff game, that’s your chance. But no. He tried to stretch that into a triple and was thrown out at third. It was a horrible mistake, and it squandered what would’ve been their best opportunity to score all day.
Unpacking the 46-Year History
But it gets worse. A lot worse. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, with help from STATS Perform, dug up just how historically awful this gaffe was. Since 1974, out of the 532 no-hit bids that got broken up in the eighth inning or later, only ONE other time had the batter who broke the no-hitter also been thrown out on the base paths. Seriously, just one!
And get this: that one other time? It was 46 years ago, back in July 1980. That incident also happened in the eighth inning, with the Yankees also being no-hit on the road, and also losing 1-0. The player then was Lou Piniella, who tried to stretch a single into a double and got thrown out at second base. It’s like an eerie replay for the Bronx Bombers.
Why This Blunder Hits Harder
Now, while Piniella’s mistake was bad, Wells’s base-running blunder is so much worse. We’re talking ALDS Game 1 here! That 1980 incident was a regular season game. Wells’s gaffe came with two outs in the eighth inning, down by one run in a playoff game. If he had just stayed put at second base, the Yankees would’ve had their absolute best shot all day to tie that game up. Instead, he tried making it to third base, sealing some horrible MLB history that hasn’t been seen since 1980, and crushing the Yankees’ best chance to score all day.
So, the Yankees drop Game 1 of the ALDS, 1-0, in a gut-wrenching fashion. You know they’ve gotta shake this one off fast. Game 2 is next, and they absolutely cannot afford another historic blunder like that. It’s time to show they can recover from this kind of punch to the gut and get back in this series. Every play, every decision, will matter even more now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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