Tampa Bay Rays Defeat New York Yankees in ALDS Opener

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday night, Yahoo Sports and Reuters reported. Pitcher Drew Rasmussen delivered a historic performance to secure the shutout victory for Tampa Bay in the opening matchup of the playoff series. [1][2][4][11]

MLB.com reported that Rasmussen carried his no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the New York lineup. According to Fox News and CBS Sports, Austin Wells broke up the no-hitter with the Yankees only hit of the game, but he was thrown out at third base after a baserunning mistake. [2][3][5][9]

Rasmussen made his Major League Baseball debut in 2020 with the Milwaukee Brewers before joining Tampa Bay, where he earned All-Star selections in both 2025 and 2026. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Rasmussen nearly completed the no-hitter while leading the pitching staff. [1][12][14][15]

CBS Sports reported that three-time Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge was left off the roster for the series as he continues to recover from a calf injury suffered on Sept. 16. Judge had previously missed New York's two-game Wild Card Series sweep against the Boston Red Sox. [6]

The New York Times reported that the Yankees now face questions about whether their batters can bounce back after mustering just one hit. The outcome gives Tampa Bay a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2. [2][10]