ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2014 Austin Wells spared the Yankees the infamy of being no-hit in Game 1 of the ALDS.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What he did next was almost worse and all but guaranteed that Saturday night still ended miserably for the Yankees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wells recorded the Yankees\u2019 first hit off Drew Rasmussen with two outs in the top of the eighth, but then was thrown out easily<\/a> trying to stretch a double into a triple, delivering one more gut punch on the way to a 1-0 loss to the Rays and a 1-0 deficit in the best-of-five series in front of a rowdy sellout crowd of 40,542 at Tropicana Field.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t really have much going on there in the game, so every 90 feet matters,\u201d Wells said in a quiet visiting clubhouse. \u201cI was committed to being there and thought I had a good chance to get there. Can\u2019t hang your head too much. They pitched incredible tonight and just trying to make something happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Aaron Judge-less Yankees lineup<\/a> that beat up on the Red Sox for 18 runs in the wild-card series went missing in the first game of the series against their other divisional rivals. Their bats might as well have, too, because they could hardly touch Rasmussen. When they did, the balls found gloves every time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) reacts after ending the seventh inning of Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field, Oct. 3, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n With the Yankees four outs away from becoming the fourth team in postseason history to be no-hit, Wells got them off the schneid, ripping a line drive that landed on the right field line. He thought he saw the ball kick off the wall more than it did and was just over halfway to second base when third base coach Luis Rojas threw up a stop sign. But by the time Wells saw him after he passed second, \u201cI was already committed,\u201d he said. The slow-footed catcher was thrown out easily at third base on a relay from right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. to shortstop Taylor Walls to third baseman Junior Caminero.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJust obviously not a good decision there,\u201d manager Aaron Boone said. \u201cBut the biggest issue is just Rasmussen shutting us down. Obviously, a handful of guys hit some balls on the screws, Austin being one of them a couple times there. But we just didn\u2019t generate enough, obviously.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) at third base as he tries to stretch a double into a triple during the eighth inning. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post<\/p>\n Instead of Ryan McMahon, or possibly a pinch hitter, coming up with a man on second base \u2014 which would have been only their second at-bat all night with a runner in scoring position \u2014 the inning was over, and soon the game was, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n The play sent the packed house \u2014 unlike plenty of games here against the Yankees, the Rays fans actually drowned out the swaths of visiting fans \u2014 into a frenzy, as Rasmussen continued his dominance of the Yankees with a whale of a game: eight shutout innings, 10 strikeouts and two walks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like he was just not giving in,\u201d said Jazz Chisholm Jr., who walked and stole second with two outs in the second inning but was stranded there when Trent Grisham struck out looking at a changeup, a pitch that fueled Rasmussen\u2019s big night. \u201cHe didn\u2019t miss his spots today, he was all over the corners, he didn\u2019t leave much pitches middle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Boone gave Giancarlo Stanton a chance for a dramatic moment in the top of the ninth, pinch hitting him for McMahon against righty closer Bryan Baker for his first at-bat since April 24. But Stanton struck out on five pitches<\/a>, as Baker retired the side in order to finish the one-hit shutout.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Yankees will try to rebound in Game 2 on Monday, with Cam Schlittler on the mound, though their ace won\u2019t matter much unless their bats wake up.\u00a0<\/p>\n New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) reacts after striking out looking during the ninth inning. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n