Yankees Fall to Rays in ALDS Game 1 After Costly Wells Out

The Yankees opened the American League Division Series with a frustrating 1-0 loss to the Rays on Saturday night, a game defined by dominant pitching and one costly decision on the bases. New York managed only one hit all evening, and when that long-awaited breakthrough finally came in the eighth inning, it ended almost as quickly as it began.

With two outs and the Yankees trailing by a single run, Austin Wells lined a double down the right-field line to break up Drew Rasmussen’s no-hit bid. It was New York’s best chance to mount a late rally, but Wells tried to turn the hit into a triple and was thrown out easily at third base. Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. got to the ball quickly and threw to shortstop Taylor Walls, whose relay reached third baseman Junior Caminero with plenty of time to complete the play.

The out was especially damaging because it ended the inning before Ryan McMahon could bat with the tying run in scoring position. Instead of facing more pressure, Rasmussen walked off the mound after eight scoreless innings, having preserved Tampa Bay’s slim lead and finished one of the sharpest postseason outings of his career.

Rasmussen controlled the game from the first inning on. The right-hander limited the Yankees to one hit and two walks while striking out 10 over 101 pitches. It was another strong performance against New York after he had nearly no-hit the Yankees during Tampa Bay’s division-clinching win at Yankee Stadium late in the regular season. He consistently stayed ahead in counts and never allowed the Yankees to settle into any kind of rhythm.

Bryan Baker handled the ninth inning and finished the combined one-hitter without any trouble. He struck out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice, then got Cody Bellinger to ground out, sealing the win and giving the Rays a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Tampa Bay did not need much offense because Jonathan Aranda supplied the only run of the night in the third inning. He drove a Gerrit Cole pitch 417 feet to right-center field for a solo home run, and that swing stood up as the difference. Cole kept New York within reach for most of his outing, but the Yankees never gave him any support at the plate.

Cole allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings. He threw 82 pitches before turning the game over to the bullpen. From there, Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick combined to keep the Rays hitless over the final three innings, giving the Yankees every opportunity to find a late answer that never came.

The shutout marked a sharp turn from New York’s offensive showing in the Wild Card Series, when the club scored 18 runs in a two-game sweep of the Red Sox. In Game 1 against Tampa Bay, however, the lineup looked overmatched by Rasmussen’s command and could not generate sustained pressure.

The Yankees were again without Aaron Judge, who was left off the ALDS roster as he continues to recover from a right calf strain. His absence remains one of the biggest storylines for New York as the series moves forward.

Game 2 is scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field. Cam Schlittler, who threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Boston in the Wild Card Series, is set to start for the Yankees as they try to even the series before it shifts deeper into October.