ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen has a no-hit bid through seven innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays led the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Saturday night.
The two-time All-Star right-hander dominated a lineup that didn’t include three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who wasn’t on New York’s roster because of a calf injury.
Rasmussen struck out 10 and walked two, retiring his last 13 hitters. He has thrown 64 of 94 pitches for strikes and gotten 23 swings and misses.
Rasmussen was fired up after striking out Cody Bellinger looking to end the top of the sixth. He pointed at catcher Liam Hicks, shouted a few words and smacked his fist into his glove.
He needed just 10 pitches to get through the seventh.
In his previous start against the Yankees on Sept. 22, Rasmussen pitched six hitless innings before Heliot Ramos' leadoff single in the seventh. He threw a career-high 114 pitches, helping the Rays clinch the AL East title.
Jonathan Aranda homered in the third inning off Gerrit Cole.
There have been three no-hitters in postseason history, by the Yankees’ Don Larsen against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series, by Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay against Cincinnati in the 2010 NL Division Series and by four Houston pitchers against the Phillies in the 2022 World Series.
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