The Yankees got one hit in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, and then they ran themselves out of the only inning that mattered. Tampa Bay beat New York 1-0 on Saturday at Tropicana Field, and Austin Wells’ trip around the bases in the eighth is the play everyone will remember.
Rasmussen Was Untouchable
Drew Rasmussen held the Yankees hitless through seven innings. He finished eight innings with one hit allowed, two walks and 10 strikeouts on 101 pitches. That is the kind of start that can win a short series by itself. Ten strikeouts and one hit in a playoff game makes the other team’s lineup look broken, and the Yankees had no answer for eight innings.
The only run came in the third, when Jonathan Aranda hit a 417-foot homer off Gerrit Cole. Cole gave up that one run on five hits over five innings with five strikeouts. It was a solid start in his first postseason outing since the 2024 World Series, and it was wasted.
The Wells Play
With two outs in the eighth, Wells doubled to break up the no-hit bid. Then he tried to stretch it into a triple. According to MLB.com, he arrived too late to see the stop sign from third-base coach Luis Rojas. Victor Mesa Jr. relayed to shortstop Taylor Walls, whose throw to Junior Caminero got Wells at the bag.
The Yankees were down 1-0, and the one baserunner they had was gone. Wells owned it afterward. “I was being aggressive,” he said. “We didn’t really have much going on there in the game, so every 90 feet matters.”
That logic does not hold up with two outs in a one-run game and your team still without a run. Aaron Boone said it plainly, calling it “just obviously not a good decision there.” He is right. Wells was already in scoring position, and the next hitter had a chance to drive him in.
What the Yankees Face Now
New York is without captain Aaron Judge, who is sidelined with a right calf strain. A lineup missing that bat cannot afford to hand out outs on the bases, and it cannot count on a second chance against Tampa Bay’s pitching.
Cam Schlittler takes the ball for Game 2 on Monday night against Freddy Peralta. Boone said the margin is thin in a short series: “Every day is important. Every win is an exhale and exciting, and the losses are gut punches.”
He is correct. The Yankees lost a game they were in because of one decision, and they cannot repeat it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.