ST. PETERSBURG - Jonathan Aranda hit a Statcast-projected 417-foot solo homer off Gerrit Cole in the third inning, and Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Aranda turned on an 85.2 mph changeup from Cole and sent it to right-center field for the game’s only run - one of just 17 postseason games in history to end 1-0 with the winning run coming on a solo homer. The most recent before Saturday came off the bat of Jeremy Peña in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS.
“It was a big hit that was obviously very important for today’s victory,” Aranda said in Spanish through a translator. “I took it like another game. I am very happy with that swing. I was able to get rid of all the nervous feelings I had.”
Aranda entered the game having gone 2-for-9 with four strikeouts against Cole in his career, and said he was looking for a fastball when the changeup arrived. “It was simply a reaction to the pitch,” he said. “I was looking for the fastball, I know that I do well against the high fastball. It was just something that I had to see at the moment.”
Manager Kevin Cash credited both the swing and the electric atmosphere inside Tropicana Field, where blue rally towels waved and cowbells rang throughout the night. “Jonny came up in a big way – got a changeup that looked to be kind of middle-middle from Gerrit Cole, who was tremendous tonight, as usual. We were fortunate to get that run,” Cash said. “Our crowd … that’s the best crowd noise I’ve ever witnessed in any ballpark. It was just – the atmosphere that was created, the hype before the game.”
Rasmussen matched the moment on the mound, retiring Yankees hitters through seven-plus innings before the no-hit bid ended in the eighth. Aranda, watching from his spot at first base all night, said the dugout grew increasingly tense as the no-hitter progressed, even though no one dared mention it. “He was the definition of Rasmussen,” Aranda said. “He has been doing it all year. It is impressive the job that he has done for us the whole year. He is our Cy Young.”
Rasmussen, for his part, missed Aranda’s homer entirely. “I was in the bathroom, so I missed it,” the pitcher said. “It would have been a really cool time to be in the dugout. But, I mean, he’s done it all year for us. It’s big swings in big moments constantly. What a special night for him. What a special moment. It was so much fun. It was so much fun to see.”
Aranda also recorded the final out, waving off reliever Bryan Baker to handle a Cody Bellinger grounder himself with two outs in the ninth. He finished the regular season slashing .274/.358/.434 with a .792 OPS and 22 homers. Game 2 of the ALDS is scheduled for Sunday in St. Petersburg.