Drew Rasmussen was nearly perfect in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Rasmussen threw eight scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks over 101 pitches while recording 10 strikeouts and 23 swing-and-misses. His only allowed hit was a line drive by Austin Wells that was negated by a throwing error at third base.
The win marked Rasmussen's second consecutive dominant performance against the Yankees, bringing his career ERA against them to 1.81 in 11 outings. Rays manager Charlie Montoyo trusted Rasmussen with eight left-handed hitters in the lineup, and the pitcher responded by increasing his changeup usage from 13% to 27% of pitches, using it effectively against the Yankees' lefty-heavy attack.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing