Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen didn’t allow a baserunner through eight innings before giving up a leadoff double in the ninth to the Orioles’ Jorge Mateo on Sunday at Tropicana Field. Mateo moved to third on a Terrin Vavra groundout to second and came around to score on a wild pitch that would throw out Brett Phillips, but advanced to first on the third strike he dropped. That was Rasmussen’s last at-bat, but he received a standing ovation as he retired from the game. He allowed one hit and one earned run while striking out seven in 8 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander was especially efficient, throwing just 87 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. Rays’ Drew Rasmussen pitches Sunday against the Orioles. USA TODAY Sports The Rays went on to defeat the Orioles, 4-1, as Rasmussen improved to 7-4 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.80. The Rays’ victory in the rubber match against the Orioles comes a day after clearing the bench in another victory in Tampa over Baltimore as the AL East rivals battle for a wild-card spot. The last perfect game in MLB came on August 15, 2012, when Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez pitched a perfect game against the Rays in Seattle. Matt Garza remains the only Rays pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter.
