Yankees lose ALDS Game 1 to Rays as Austin Wells is thrown out at third after breaking up no-hitter

Yankees fall 1‑0 to Rays in ALDS Game 1

In a tightly contested American League Division Series opening game, the Tampa Bay Rays held the New York Yankees to a single run, earning a 1‑0 victory that gave the Rays a 1‑0 series lead. The win was built on a single Yankees hit, a defensive play that thwarted a potential tying rally, and a pitcher who shut down the Yankees’ lineup for eight innings.

The game unfolded in Tampa Bay on Saturday night. With two outs in the eighth inning and the Yankees trailing 1‑0, Austin Wells of the Yankees broke a no‑hit bid by Derek Rasmussen with a double down the right‑field line. Rather than settle for a single, catcher Yogi Fernández attempted to stretch the hit into a triple. The play back‑up was a textbook out: Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. secured the ball and delivered a quick throw to shortstop Taylor Walls, who relayed it to third baseman Junior Caminero. The relay beat Wells, who was out at third base, preventing the Yankees’ potential tying run from reaching the plate. That out eliminated the possibility of a runner in scoring position and allowed Rasmussen to exit the game with eight scoreless innings.

Rasmussen finished the outing with a flawless performance: 10 strikeouts, 101 pitches, and no hits or runs allowed. His eight‑inning run was the first of three to shut down the Yankees in this series, with the Rays’ bullpen holding them hitless over the final three innings. Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick combined for a flawless final frame, preserving the Rays’ 1‑0 lead.

The sole run for New York came in the third inning. Jonathan Aranda, batting third for the Yankees, lifted a 417‑foot ball off the shoulder of Rays right‑hander Gerrit Cole to right‑center field for a home run. Cole, who had limited the Yankees to 18 runs during their Wild‑Card Series sweep of the Boston Red Sox, surrendered the hit but otherwise kept the Yankees near the rim of his offense. He finished 5‑for‑15 with one run allowed, five strikeouts and 82 pitches over five innings.

After Rasmussen exited the game, Tampa Bay sent rookie pitcher Bryan Baker to the mound for the ninth. Baker made quick work of the Yankees, striking out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice before getting Cody Bellinger to ground out. His two‑inning cameo capped a combined one‑hit game for the Rays, as the only Yankees hit was Wells’ double.

The loss marks a stark reversal for a Yankees team that had scored 18 runs in the two‑game Wild‑Card sweep of Boston. New York also missed captain Aaron Judge, who was left off the ALDS roster while recovering from a right calf strain. With the series now 1‑0 in favor of Tampa Bay, the next game will resume at Tropicana Field on Monday. Yankees’ right‑hander Cam Schlittler, who pitched 6 ⅓ scoreless innings against Boston, is slated to start Game 2 as the Yankees look to even the series.