Drew Rasmussen wasn’t just good for the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of their American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday, October 3, 2026. He was absolutely lights out, snatching a 1-0 victory for the Rays even with the Yankees rolling out a Cy Young winner in Gerrit Cole. Yeah, you heard that right, Cole was on the mound, but Rasmussen was the guy who absolutely owned that game.
Rasmussen’s Playoff Masterpiece Left the Yankees Dazed
Eight scoreless innings. One measly hit. Two walks. Ten strikeouts. That’s the line Drew Rasmussen dropped on the Yankees, seizing the early advantage in the series like it was nothing. Rays starter Nick Martinez summed it up perfectly, saying Rasmussen “threw the s–t out of it.” Martinez didn’t stop there either, adding, “He’s the guy we rely on, man, and he showed why we rely on him.” Seriously, the dude was dialed in. It wasn’t just a great outing; those 10 strikeouts set a postseason franchise record for the Rays. And get this: Rasmussen has been absolutely owning the Bronx Bombers. He went into Saturday with a ridiculous 1.81 ERA in 11 outings against New York, and he even took a no-hitter into the seventh inning the last time he faced them. Rasmussen admitted his “heart rate was a hair higher tonight than it was [the last time],” but he kept his head on straight, telling everyone, “Yes, tonight was special. Yes, tonight was a good team win. But there’s still a lot of series ahead of us.” Talk about keeping perspective when you just shoved a masterpiece down the Yankees’ throats.
Yankees’ Offense Stumbles, Schlittler On Deck for Must-Win Game 2
Look, Gerrit Cole was still excellent for the Yankees, giving up just one run and five hits in five innings. Their bullpen even threw three shutout innings after he left. But none of that mattered because the Yankees’ offense simply couldn’t get anything going against Rasmussen. It didn’t help that Aaron Judge is still sidelined with an injury; New York just couldn’t generate any kind of sustained momentum. Fortunately for the Yankees, they get a shot to even things up on Monday in Game 2. They’ll likely send American League Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler to the mound, and he’s going to need to be absolutely lights-out if he wants to even come close to matching Rasmussen’s performance. Schlittler struck out 10 in 6.1 scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, so he definitely has the stuff. But the Yankees absolutely need that Game 2 win, or they’re in a deep hole.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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