ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 1-0 in Game 1 of the AL Division Series Saturday night at Tropicana Field, backed by an announced crowd of 40,542 — the highest attendance at the stadium since Game 5 of the ALDS in 2010.

Drew Rasmussen was dominant on the mound, and the sold-out crowd — with the upper deck fully open for the first time in recent memory — gave the Rays a jolt that players and manager Kevin Cash said they had never experienced inside the dome. “It was incredible. Tampa Bay showed out for us tonight, and that was awesome to see,” Rasmussen said. “The adrenaline was definitely a hair higher than it normally was. … This place is as loud as any place is when it’s filled up.”

Cash, who has managed the Rays since 2015, went further. “That’s the best crowd noise I’ve ever witnessed in any ballpark,” he said. “The atmosphere that was created, the hype before the game. Give [Rays CEO Ken Babby] and his group an incredible compliment in that we need to create that atmosphere — and [I] can’t wait to see them back out there on Monday.”

Shortstop Taylor Walls, with the club since 2021, said the crowd felt different from typical regular-season Yankee series at the Trop. “The crowd was absolutely electric. I’ve never seen this place like that,” Walls said. “Usually when the Yankees come here, even if it’s a weekend series, it’s really hard to tell what side’s winning as far as the attendance goes. Tonight it felt like Rays fans were there.” He added: “The third [deck] being full, it’s electric, dude. That was awesome. … It feels like you’re at a NASCAR track.”

The atmosphere sets the stage for Game 2 on Monday night, when New York sends AL Cy Young Award front-runner Cam Schlittler to the mound just after 8 p.m. ET. Schlittler went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA in 17 road starts during the regular season, leading all Major Leaguers in road ERA, WHIP (0.74), strikeouts (129), opponents’ batting average (.153), OBP (.206) and OPS (.456). Before Game 1, he downplayed any concern about the Tropicana Field environment. “I wouldn’t say there’s really too much of an away crowd here. I expect there to be a lot of Yankees fans,” Schlittler said. “In some ways, you are, to an extent, kind of playing at home. I feel like the guys are excited to have that atmosphere here.”

The Rays have faced Schlittler three times this season with mixed results. On July 6 at Tropicana Field, he threw eight innings of one-run ball and struck out eight without issuing a walk. Tampa Bay surrendered a 5-4 loss on April 12 when Schlittler held them to three runs on seven hits over five innings. In their most recent matchup Sept. 24 at Yankee Stadium — a tuneup start for Schlittler ahead of the AL Wild Card Series — the Rays ran up his pitch count over three innings. Cash acknowledged the challenge ahead. “From afar, you appreciate Cam Schlittler’s overall body of work. It’s just amazing stuff,” he said. “There’s a lot of things he does, [along with] the strike-throwing and the pitch execution, that make him an elite pitcher.”

Game 2 of the ALDS is scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field, with Tampa Bay countering Schlittler with starter Freddy Peralta.