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Rasmussen earned the win in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk over seven innings.
It was another strong showing from Rasmussen, who has surrendered just three earned runs over 21 frames in three playoffs starts and has given up two runs or fewer in each of his past nine outings dating back to Aug. 24. The right-hander has blossomed into an ace, and Sunday's performance puts Tampa Bay one victory away from making the World Series.
Rasmussen didn't factor in the decision in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Monday, allowing two runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and no walks over six innings.
After striking out 10 and allowing just one hit across eight scoreless frames against the Yankees in the ALDS, Rasmussen wasn't quite able to replicate that performance to begin the championship series. Still, it was a good showing from the right-hander, who departed after serving up a leadoff homer to Patrick Bailey to begin the seventh inning, which tied the game 2-2. Rasmussen has a 1.29 ERA and 17:2 K:BB across 14 innings through his first two starts of the playoffs and tentatively lines up to take the ball in Game 5 at Cleveland on Saturday.
The Rays named Rasmussen as their starting pitcher for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Tampa Bay's three-game sweep of the Yankees made it easy to set up their ace to start Game 1 of the ALCS, so this announcement is hardly a surprise. Rasmussen dominated New York in the division series, striking out 10 with just one hit and two walks allowed across eight scoreless innings.
Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Dazzles in division-clinching win
Rotowire
Rasmussen (16-5) picked up the win in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out 11.
With the 6-1 victory, the Rays clinched the AL East crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos led to New York's only run of the game. The quality start was the right-hander's 18th of the season, while the 11 Ks represented his third outing of the season in double digits, and first since Aug. 1. Unless the Rays decide to get him some work on the final day of the regular season to keep him on turn, Rasmussen wraps up the 2026 campaign with new career bests in innings (172), wins (16), strikeouts (174) and WHIP (0.91), and he seems almost certain to be on the bump for Tampa Bay's first postseason contest Oct. 3.
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