ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Austin Wells spared the Yankees the infamy of being no-hit in Game 1 of the ALDS. 

What he did next was almost worse and all but guaranteed that Saturday night still ended miserably for the Yankees. 

Wells recorded the Yankees’ first hit off Drew Rasmussen with two outs in the top of the eighth, but then was thrown out easily 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. 

“We didn’t really have much going on there in the game, so every 90 feet matters,” Wells said in a quiet visiting clubhouse. “I was committed to being there and thought I had a good chance to get there. Can’t hang your head too much. They pitched incredible tonight and just trying to make something happen.” 

The Aaron Judge-less Yankees lineup 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. 

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

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, “I was already committed,” 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. 

“Just obviously not a good decision there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But 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’t generate enough, obviously.” 

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

Instead of Ryan McMahon, or possibly a pinch hitter, coming up with a man on second base — which would have been only their second at-bat all night with a runner in scoring position — the inning was over, and soon the game was, too. 

The play sent the packed house — unlike plenty of games here against the Yankees, the Rays fans actually drowned out the swaths of visiting fans — 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. 

“I feel like he was just not giving in,” 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’s big night. “He didn’t miss his spots today, he was all over the corners, he didn’t leave much pitches middle.” 

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, as Baker retired the side in order to finish the one-hit shutout. 

The Yankees will try to rebound in Game 2 on Monday, with Cam Schlittler on the mound, though their ace won’t matter much unless their bats wake up. 

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) reacts after striking out looking during the ninth inning. Charles Wenzelberg

Gerrit Cole gave them a chance to win in Game 1, allowing only a solo shot to Jonathan Aranda across five innings before Ryan Weathers, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick combined to keep it a one-run game the rest of the way. But other than a handful of hard-hit balls — two on deep flyouts by rookie George Lombard Jr. — the Yankees’ offense was nonexistent, save for Wells’ double that was instantly erased by his baserunning blunder. 

“That wins and loses games,” Wells said. “You have to take risks, but in that situation, obviously the risk was wrong.”