Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-04 · by Zak Gilbert The Associated Press
Austin Wells of the New York Yankees committed a crucial baserunning error in the eighth inning during their AL Division Series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, resulting in a 1-0 loss. After hitting an inside sinker for a double, Wells ran through a stop sign from third base coach Luis Rojas and was easily thrown out at third by Taylor Walls of the Rays. This mistake prevented Giancarlo Stanton from pinch-hitting with runners loaded later in the game. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged it as "a mistake there," while Wells admitted to being overly aggressive despite his relatively slow sprint speed, ranked 481st among MLB batters this season.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Drew Rasmussen dominated the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday night at Tropicana Field, limiting them to one hit and two walks while striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings. The Rays' right-hander had a no-hit bid going until Austin Wells broke it up with a double down the right-field line in the eighth inning but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, ending New York's best scoring chance. Rasmussen threw 69 of 101 pitches for strikes and got 23 swings and misses. The Rays won 1-0, thanks to Jonathan Aranda’s solo home run off Gerrit Cole in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton made his return after five months out due to calf injuries but struck out on five pitches in his first at-bat of the game. Despite missing three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge and dealing with other lineup absences, Rasmussen's performance highlighted significant challenges for the Yankees moving forward. Up next, RHP Cam Schlittler will start Game 2 for the Yankees. Austin Wells’ error prevented Ryan McMahon from coming to the plate with a potential tying run in scoring position, further illustrating the critical nature of that missed opportunity for New York. With these developments, the Yankees face an uphill battle if they are unable to solve Rasmussen's pitching prowess in subsequent games.
Written for “Yankees vs Rays ALDS Game 1” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.
Austin Wells got the New York Yankees’ first hit of the AL Division Series with two outs in the eighth inning of Saturday night’s opener, then ran through a stop sign and was thrown by a large margin trying to stretch a double into a triple.
asserted
Wells → get → triple
“I was trying to make something happen,” the relatively slow-footed catcher said after a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
asserted
catcher → try → Rays
Drew Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters before Wells pulled an inside sinker into the right-field corner on his 101 pitch.
asserted
Wells → retire → pitch
Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas held up both arms before Wells rounded second.
asserted
Wells → hold → second
Wells kept on going and was thrown out by about 15 feet on shortstop Taylor Walls’ relay to third baseman Junior Caminero of right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. ’s throw.
asserted
Wells → keep → throw
“Just obviously not a good decision there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
asserted
Boone → say → ?
“Not sure if he saw something on his way between first and second that, you know, caused him to go there.
asserted
him → see → way
But, obviously, you know, a mistake there.”
asserted
you → know → ?
If Wells had held at second, Boone would have sent up Giancarlo Stanton to pinch hit for Ryan McMahon, forcing Rays manager Kevin Cash to decide whether to bring in closer Bryan Baker.
asserted
Boone → hold → Baker
“After I was passing second base I saw his hands up.
asserted
I → pass → hands
Was already committed,” Wells said.
asserted
Wells → commit → ?
Tampa Bay’s defense executed perfectly.
asserted
defense → execute → ?
“It takes one bobble there and I’m safe or a little off-line target there and I’m safe,” Wells said.
asserted
Wells → take → line
“They made two big throws right on the money and got me.”
asserted
They → make → me
Wells ranked 481st in sprint speed this season at 26.0 feet per second among 567 batters with 10 or more opportunities, according to MLB Statcast.
uncertain
Wells → rank → Statcast
Like I said, we didn’t really have much going on there in the game, so every 90 feet matters,” Wells said.
asserted
Wells → say → game
“You have to take risks but in that situation, obviously, the risk was wrong.”
asserted
risk → have → situation
Baker pitched a perfect ninth, finishing the one-hitter in the opener of the best-of-five series.
asserted
Baker → pitch → series
The Yankees lost a 1-0 postseason game for the first time since Hall of Famer Don Drysdale’s three-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1963 World Series.
asserted
Yankees → lose → Series
Cole returns to postseason after surgery
Gerrit Cole allowed five hits over five innings in his first postseason start since Tommy John surgery in March 2025.
asserted
Cole → return → March
The 36-year-old right-hander, winner of the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, gave up Jonathan Aranda’s solo homer in the third inning on a changeup.
asserted
hander → give → changeup
“Down and away,” Cole said.
asserted
Cole → say → ?
“It got to the edge, but it didn’t get down enough.
asserted
it → get → edge
It’s a pretty, pretty steep price to pay but he crushed it.
asserted
he → ’ → it
So yeah, that’s just the way it goes.”
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Stanton returns
asserted
Stanton → return → ?
Stanton’s plate appearance when he batted for McMahon against Baker leading off the ninth was his first since April 24 after he recovered from multiple calf injuries.
asserted
he → bat → injuries
In his first postseason pinch-hitting appearance, Stanton struck out on a foul tip of a 96.3 mph fastball.
asserted
Stanton → hit → fastball
Weathers pitches out of bullpen
Left-hander Ryan Weathers made his first appearance since Aug. 22, recovered from a left forearm flexor strain.
asserted
Weathers → pitch → strain
In his first relief appearance since 2023, Weathers entered in the sixth and retired Liam Hicks, Chandler Simpson and Victor Mesa Jr. on groundouts to first base.
asserted
Weathers → enter → base
He needed just nine pitches.
asserted
He → need → pitches
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