Drew Rasmussen will start Game 5 for Rays

It sounded like the Rays had Rasmussen on a limit of about 60 pitches going into the game, but they didn’t bring him back out for the fifth after just 48 pitches. Rasmussen allowed only two hits, walked none and struck out four, and his fastball velocity, which was up one mph from his season average, held steady throughout. After he was pulled, the Brewers scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth. Rasmussen was charged with the loss, his first in a postseason in which he made five starts with a 2.20 ERA.

Rasmussen was handed a four-run lead in the top half of the first inning, but that was halved when he allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. He gave up another in the third in what was at best a lackluster effort for the 31-year-old; especially when you consider how dominant he’s been in the postseason. He was also hurt by his defense, with Jonathan Aranda dropping a foul ball that ended up coming him an out and run in the first, and what could have been a double-play ball hit to Aranda was booted by the first baseman to allow another run to score. It seems pretty likely that Rasmussen will start again in this series, but whether that happens in Game 5 or 6 remains to be determined.

A brilliant outing from Rasmussen, who has had an exceptional postseason that has seen him forge a 1.29 ERA in his three October starts. He scattered four hits, and outside of a fielder’s choice that scored a run in the sixth, there was very little trouble for the 31-year-old. Rasmussen threw 95 pitches, but could be available for Game 7, if necessary. The right-hander has Tampa Bay just one win away from their second World Series for now, with a chance to clinch that trip Monday at home.

Rasmussen received an early two-run cushion and carried a shutout into the sixth inning before Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter connected for a solo homer. He was pulled after surrendering a game-tying blast to light-hitting backstop Patrick Bailey on his 91st and final pitch of the contest to lead off the seventh. Rasmussen finished with seven strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. He’s in line to take the ball again for a potential Game 5 of the best-of-seven series. This felt like a missed opportunity for the Rays, who carried a lead into the late innings with their ace on the mound and a fully-rested bullpen before watching things unravel.

That had been the expectation all along, but it’s now official. The 31-year-old is coming off of a brilliant outing in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees, where he carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning and struck out 10 batters over eight scoreless frames. He’ll look to get the Rays off on the right foot as they continue their quest to secure the first World Series title in franchise history.

Rasmussen authored one of the most dominant starts in Tampa Bay history, carrying a no-hit bid into the eighth inning before Austin Wells doubled to right field with two outs on his 101st pitch of the contest. The 31-year-old ace cruised through the early innings, retiring 15 consecutive batters after issuing a two-out walk to Ben Rice in the third. He generated an astronomical 23 swinging strikes, including 10 on his changeup alone, while allowing just seven batted balls with exit velocities over 95 mph. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that Rasmussen, who remains relatively unknown to casual baseball fans, is the most underrated starter in baseball. He finished the regular season with a pristine 2.67 ERA across a career-high 172 innings over 30 starts and looked nearly unhittable in his first postseason outing since appearing in relief against the Guardians in 2022. He’s in line to take the ball for Game 4 of the best-of-five series, if necessary, at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Rasmussen struck out 11, which is the second highest total of his career. He had 13 against Boston earlier this year. Unless the Rays decide to have him make a cameo on Sunday, Rasmussen will end the regular season 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and a 174/32 K/BB in 172 innings. He’s probably looking at finishing third or fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting.

Rasmussen needed only 76 pitches to secure his 15th win. He joins Nick Martinez there as the 11th and 12th 15-game winners in Rays history. Rasmussen is due to finish the regular season with a start against the Yankees next week. He could then face them again a week later, as everything is setting up for the Yankees and Red Sox to face off in a Wild Card series for the right to face the Rays.

Rasmussen pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings to start Friday’s game, but allowed back-to-back hits in the fourth inning, which led to Isaac Paredes coming around to score on a fielder’s choice to put the Astros up 1-0. Rasmussen wouldn’t allow another run the rest of the night, thanks in part to him escaping the fifth inning after he struck out Jeremy Peña to end the frame with runners on second and third. Rasmussen has been dominant as of late, allowing just four earned runs over his last 20 innings of work while striking out 22 batters. He gets a plus matchup in his next start when he takes the mound on Thursday at home against the Athletics.

Rasmussen was outstanding on Saturday, limiting the Rangers to just one run over seven frames. The one run came on a solo homer by Joc Pederson in the sixth inning. He gave up just two other hits and did not walk a batter while striking out seven. The bullpen would cost him the win in the eighth inning. The 31-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 2.88 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 156/27 K/BB ratio across 153 1/3 innings. Rasmussen will take on the Astros in Tampa Bay on Friday.