Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen mowed down the Boston Red Sox’s Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu during a 7-5 win on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field. And then the righty did it again, and again.
Rasmussen struck out each of Boston’s top-three batters three times. In the first and fourth innings, the 2025 All-Star got all three of them swinging.
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In a surgical performance that paralyzed an already stagnant Red Sox offense, Rasmussen piled up 13 Ks, shattering his previous career high of 10 that he set in a victory over the New York Yankees on Sept. 9, 2022.
Rasmussen allowed only two hits in seven innings of work. He didn’t give up a run. The bulk of the Red Sox’s scoring came in the top of the eighth, the first frame Rasmussen wasn’t on the bump.
Caleb Durbin launched a solo shot to left off right-handed reliever Cole Sulser. Soon after, with Steven Matz on the hill, Rafaela suddenly found success, taking an 83-mph changeup to left for a three-run homer that made it a 5-4 game.
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Tampa Bay needed one more bullpen arm to get out of the inning and another to secure a win and, by extension, a series sweep over an AL East rival.
Fortunately for Rasmussen, his masterpiece wasn’t spoiled. Providing immediate relief in the bottom of the eighth, Cedric Mullins blasted a two-run dinger to right. That big fly gave Tampa Bay a three-run cushion heading into the ninth.
Although Durbin went yard again amid the Red Sox’s final stand, their comeback bid proved insufficient.
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