Yankees’ Carlos Rodon fires blunt message to White Sox after revenge game performance
When athletes face their former teams, they often downplay it by saying it’s “just another game.” However, New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon did not follow this script after playing against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
“Going up against your former club is a big deal,” Rodon admitted to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I definitely wanted to beat them.”
Rodon, who played seven seasons with the White Sox before joining the San Francisco Giants in 2022, helped the Yankees sweep the White Sox with a 7-2 victory on Sunday. He delivered a strong performance, pitching six innings, allowing two earned runs, and striking out six. This brought his season ERA down to 3.27, marking a significant comeback after an injury-plagued 2023 season. Rodon feels more settled this year.
“I sit down in the dugout now and look around, and I feel pretty comfortable sitting in this stadium,” Rodon shared with Hoch. “In April, I thought about how overwhelming it felt, but now it feels like home.”
Rodon’s adjustment to New York is promising after signing a six-year, $162 million contract last offseason. Although Manager Aaron Boone considered pulling Rodon earlier, he allowed him to complete six innings. Rodon reflected on their exchange.
“I wanted that last one,” Rodon said. “I checked the dugout and gave him a little sign, like, ‘Hey, I’ve got this. This one’s mine.’ I’m glad he left me in.”
With this win, New York improved to 33-15, holding a two-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East, the best record in the league. The team is firing on all cylinders, showing significant potential despite the inevitable tough stretches ahead.
Yankees rotation picking up slack in Gerrit Cole’s absence
When it was announced that Gerrit Cole would miss significant time this season, even the most optimistic Yankees fans couldn’t have predicted the starting rotation performing this well. Now, with Cole expected to return sometime in the summer, all five current starters are delivering solid innings.
Besides Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt have been impressive, Marcus Stroman has been reliable, and Nestor Cortes has also held his own.
Rodon, arguably the most crucial piece given his substantial contract, appears to have the right mindset for continued success.
“My goal is to go out there and think about getting 18 outs every time I come to the field,” Rodon shared with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “The goal is to start with 18 outs, and we’ll go from there. I just want to give my team a chance to win. That’s it.”
With this strong rotation, the Yankees seem to have a chance to win every day, regardless of who is pitching.