Rays Draw the Yankees in the ALDS as Drew Rasmussen Gets the Game 1 Ball at Home

The Tampa Bay Rays finally know who stands between them and the American League Championship Series, and it is the most familiar face possible. The New York Yankees completed a two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series with a 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium, setting up a best-of-five Division Series between the two AL East rivals that opens Saturday, Oct. 3, in Tampa Bay.

Rays manager Kevin Cash has already settled his first and most important pitching decision. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen, the club's Opening Day starter and a two-time All-Star, will take the ball in Game 1, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern. Cash told reporters he was very confident in naming Rasmussen for the opener and indicated that the rest of the rotation would be sorted out as the week went on, according to MLB.com.

The matchup gives Tampa Bay a chance to finish a job it started in the Bronx last week. The Rays clinched the division on Sept. 22 with a 6-1 victory over the Yankees in the second game of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, sealing the AL East with five games left on the schedule. Now the same opponent returns, this time with the season on the line for both clubs.

How the Bracket Fell Into Place

Tampa Bay finished the regular season 98-64, the best record in the American League, which earned the club the No. 1 seed, a bye through the Wild Card round and home-field advantage through the ALCS. That bye meant the Rays spent the first days of the postseason watching and waiting while the Yankees and Red Sox settled their series.

The waiting did not last long. New York won the first two games of the best-of-three series, closing it out at home with a 9-2 victory that featured home runs from Cody Bellinger, according to game accounts. The sweep sends the Yankees to the Division Series for the third straight season and gives them a couple of days to reset their pitching before the trip to Florida.

For the Rays, the outcome removes the uncertainty that hung over their preparation. Coaches and analysts had been building scouting reports for two possible opponents. Now the club can focus its full attention on a Yankees lineup it saw repeatedly during the regular season, including the stretch of games in New York that ended with Tampa Bay celebrating a division title on the visitors' side of the field.

The rest of the bracket also took shape over the past two days, with the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox among the clubs advancing out of the Wild Card round, according to CBS Sports' running results. The AL Division Series winner between Tampa Bay and New York will meet the winner of the other AL series in the ALCS, where the Rays would again hold home-field advantage.

The Schedule

Major League Baseball has released the following schedule for the Yankees-Rays Division Series. Games 1 and 2 are in Tampa Bay, Games 3 and 4 move to Yankee Stadium, and a decisive Game 5, if needed, returns to Florida.

• Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET, in Tampa Bay
• Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 8:00 p.m. ET, in Tampa Bay
• Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7, time to be announced, at Yankee Stadium
• Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 8, time to be announced, at Yankee Stadium
• Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, time to be announced, in Tampa Bay

The off day between Games 1 and 2 matters for both clubs. It gives Cash more flexibility in how he lines up his starters behind Rasmussen and allows the bullpen extra recovery time after the opener. It also gives the Yankees, who used their top arms against Boston, a little more breathing room to restore their rotation before the series shifts to New York.

Tickets for the home games have been sold through the Rays' official channels, and the club has encouraged fans to buy only from authorized sellers. Fans planning to attend should check the team's website for gate times, parking information and bag policies, which can differ from regular season procedures during the postseason.

Why Rasmussen Gets the Nod

Rasmussen's selection was the least surprising decision of the week. He was Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter, earned his second consecutive All-Star selection and was on the mound for the two biggest regular season dates on the calendar: the playoff-clinching win on Sept. 11 and the division-clinching win over the Yankees on Sept. 22, according to MLB.com.

That last start is particularly relevant. Rasmussen has already seen this Yankees lineup in a high-pressure setting this month and came away with a win that ended the AL East race. The Rays are betting that familiarity, combined with his command and ability to work efficiently through a lineup, gives them the best chance to grab the early lead in a short series.

Game 1 carries outsized weight in a best-of-five format. Historically, the team that wins the opener of a Division Series advances far more often than not, and for a club with home-field advantage, splitting the first two games at home would put the Rays in the uncomfortable position of needing to win at least once in the Bronx. Starting the series with the club's most reliable arm is the conventional move, and Cash did not hesitate to make it.

Cash has not yet formally announced starters for Games 2 and 3. He said further decisions would come as the week unfolds, which leaves room for the Rays to adjust based on health, matchups and how the bullpen is set up after Saturday.

What the Yankees Bring

The Yankees arrive with a deep pitching staff built for exactly this kind of series. National previews of the matchup have pointed to a rotation that can include Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, a group that gives New York several options capable of matching Tampa Bay start for start. Bleacher Report's preview noted that the Yankees can deploy those arms throughout the best-of-five set.

Cole's presence is a reminder of how much the Yankees' staff has changed over the course of the season. Game accounts from the Wild Card Series described Cole struggling in his outing against Boston, but New York's offense and bullpen carried the club through anyway. That kind of depth is what makes the Yankees a dangerous opponent even for a top seed.

Offensively, the Yankees remain built around the power of Aaron Judge and a lineup capable of breaking a game open with one swing, as they showed in the 9-2 clincher. For Rays pitchers, limiting free passes in front of the middle of the order and keeping the ball in the park will be central to the game plan.

The rivalry adds another layer. The two clubs have met repeatedly in the postseason over the past decade, including a 2020 ALDS that Tampa Bay won in five games on its way to the World Series. Many of the names have changed since then, but the division familiarity means few surprises for either scouting department.

A Florida Postseason Stage

For Tampa Bay, the series is a showcase moment in a season that has been about more than baseball. The franchise has spent years navigating questions about its long-term home and its relationship with the region, and a 98-win season with home playoff games gives local fans a rare chance to fill the stands in October and make their presence felt.

Postseason games also carry economic weight for the area. Home playoff dates bring visitors, hotel bookings and restaurant traffic, particularly when a team as widely followed as the Yankees is in town. Yankees fans have long made the trip to Florida, both for spring training and regular season games, and local businesses typically see the effect.

The Rays are also the only Florida club still alive in baseball's postseason. The Miami Marlins did not qualify, which means the state's October baseball attention is concentrated entirely on the Gulf Coast this year. A deep run would give Tampa Bay its first American League pennant since 2020.

Within the clubhouse, the message has been about staying with the process that produced the best record in the league. Cash and his staff have leaned on pitching depth, defense and a lineup that consistently pressured opponents, and the club believes those strengths translate to the postseason format.

Keys to the Series

Starting pitching depth will likely decide the matchup. Both clubs have quality arms at the top, and in a five-game series the third and fourth starters can swing the outcome. How Cash sequences his rotation behind Rasmussen, and how deep his starters can work, will shape how fresh the bullpen is by the time the series reaches New York.

Home field matters as well. The Rays were the top seed for a reason, and the opportunity to play three of a possible five games at home is a meaningful advantage. Winning both home games before the off day would put the Yankees in a must-win situation in the Bronx.

Finally, the Rays' ability to manufacture runs against elite pitching will be tested. Postseason games tend to be lower scoring, and the club's speed, situational hitting and defense could prove decisive in close games where one extra base or one clean inning makes the difference.

What's Next

The Rays will hold workouts in Tampa Bay through Friday before Game 1 on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Rasmussen on the mound. The Yankees are expected to announce their Game 1 starter in the coming days, and MLB will confirm television assignments and start times for Games 3 through 5 as the series progresses.

Game 2 follows on Monday, Oct. 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET, before the series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 7. If the series goes the distance, Game 5 would return to Tampa Bay on Saturday, Oct. 10, with a trip to the American League Championship Series on the line.

The Florida Press will continue to follow the Rays' postseason run, including pitching announcements, injury updates and game results throughout the Division Series.