The Yankees insisted on a sixth-inning mound visit between starter Carlos Rodónand pitching coach Matt Blake before the Giants sent Jung Hoo Lee to the plate as the go-ahead run on Sunday. A proper time to talk strategy, considering that the southpaw allowed a solo home run to the lefty-batting outfielder just two innings earlier.
But the brief conversation didn’t help solve the problem at hand. While ahead 1-2 in the count, Rodón hung a curveball that Lee launched into the right-field seats for a three-run blast. It was a go-ahead shot that ultimately spoiled Rodón’s afternoon and lifted San Francisco to a 5-4 rubber-game win in the Bronx.
Of the 100 pitches that Rodón threw across 5.2 innings of work, only seven of them were curves. He relied heavily on a slider-fastball combo that yielded eight strikeouts and appeared to be the correct gameplan.
So, when he deviated from that approach to throw an infrequently-used breaking ball, he was at risk of further damage from Lee.
“[Lee is a] good hitter, hit my mistakes… Just terrible execution on a curveball that he punished,” Rodón said following Sunday’s loss. “Really frustrating. Up 3-1 in the sixth, obviously you want to hang up a zero. Just missed execution on a curveball and I got punished. It’s not good enough… We have the momentum and I’ve just got to be better.”
Rodón was cruising through five innings. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and looked well on his way to logging a quality start for the first time this season.
But the energy quickly shifted in the sixth. He gave up a leadoff infield single to Christian Koss, and after fanning Heliot Ramos for the first out, he put the tying run on base with a walk to Willy Adames.
The Yankees sent Blake to the mound to settle Rodón’s nerves with Lee awaiting his third at-bat. Composed or not, Rodón found his way into control of the count before that fatal seventh and final curve.
“I thought he was excellent and a critical mistake with runners on. It’s really one pitch that hurt his outing with two strikes, a hanging curveball,” manager Aaron Boone said of Rodón. “It’s that small of a separator between him being in a dominant position right now. The reality is, we’ve got to look at it as, he’s throwing the ball incredibly well. It’s that next level of avoiding that ball today. I thought the stuff was excellent…”
Rodón’s ERA now sits a 5.48 through four starts this season (23 innings). He’s already given up five homers, tied for most in the majors, and 10 of his 14 earned runs allowed have come on the long ball. Since the start of last season, the 32-year-old lefty has surrendered a league-high 36 blasts.
When looking at Rodón’s full body of work in pinstripes, there’s a clear history repeating itself. He’s been plagued by walks, haunted by home runs, and tormented by winning efforts that evaporate.
The Yankees have no choice but to trust Rodón to work through the well-established issues and provide ace-type performances each week. He’s getting paid to pitch like a No. 1 starter, after all.
“He’s made a lot of big pitches. His stuff is prone to the long ball,” Boone said. “Especially in certain situations, preventing that the best we can is a challenge.”
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