New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted that his side have failed to find an answer to stop Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen.
The Yankees fell to a defeat at the hands of the Rays for the second time this week, with Rasmussen starring again. It was in the aftermath of Thursday's 8-2 defeat that Boone said:
“We certainly haven’t solved him yet."
In Thursday's encounter, Drew Rasmussen shut out the New York outfit in their home stadium over the seven innings he pitched on the night (with 7 strike outs and conceding 0 runs).
The performance was a disappointing one for the Yankees, who sit at the bottom of the AL East table with a 21-18 record so far this season.
Drew Rasmussen started his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he spent a year before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in May 2021. Since then, he has been a consistent performer with a 2.84 ERA in 146 innings pitched in 2022. This season, he has managed a 2.64 ERA in 44.2 innings so far.
While the Rays are flying high in the MLB this year, Rasmussen has been a nightmare for the Yankees who have failed to deal with him so far.
How long can Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays continue their impressive run?
The Tampa Bay Rays are far ahead of the pack this season. They have easily been the best team in the country and boast a 30-9 record so far.
This has left many wondering how long they can go on like this before their players tire out and hit a slump. It is even more important for pitchers to manage their output as they are the most prone to injuries. The Rays must be careful with Drew Rasmussen's game management if they want to keep the pitching ace fit and healthy over the course of the season.
They have three more games against the New York Yankees over the weekend, which, given Boone's comments, they will surely be looking forward to.