ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Austin Wells ended Drew Rasmussen’s no-hit bid when he doubled with two outs in the eighth inning in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Saturday night only to get thrown out trying for a triple, and the Tampa Bay Rays led the New York Yankees 1-0.
Wells ripped a liner just inside the right-field foul line on an inside sinker. He was easily thrown out on shortstop Taylor Walls’ relay to third baseman Junior Caminero of right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. ‘s throw. Wells ran through the stop sign of third base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second.
Rasmussen 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.
The two-time All-Star right-hander struck out 10 and walked two, retiring 15 consecutive hitters before Wells’ hit. Ramussen has thrown 69 of 101 pitches for strikes, getting 23 swings and misses.
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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