Carlos Rodón understood his assignment and the stakes. What he needed to give the Yankees in a must-win Game 3 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays was what two teammates couldn't deliver in Games 1 and 2 over the weekend — quality length as a starting pitcher.
But fans' long-standing fears about Rodón's reliability in October were once again realized on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, since he, too, didn't meet the job's demands. While the Yankees miraculously staved off elimination with a thrilling 9-6 comeback victory, Rodón was responsible for the necessity of a huge rally, as he gave up six runs and failed to complete three innings.
"All year since we've played them, the miss is just not really there," Rodón said after the win. "Just trying to force weak contact. They put some good swings. Obviously, I made some pitches that could've been way better. They force the issue. They make us play defense. Up and down the lineup, they have pretty good at-bats. The chase isn't really there, and they just put the ball in play."
The signs of trouble for Rodón appeared almost immediately. After allowing a one-out walk in the first inning, he left a soft changeup in the middle of the zone to the red-hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who clobbered it into the left field bullpen for a two-run blast. The superstar slugger became the first player in Blue Jays history to start the playoffs with a homer in each of the first three games.
Rodón worked around a leadoff infield single and a two-out hit-by-pitch in the second, but that inning turned out to be his easiest. The wheels fell off in the third, and his mess began with a leadoff double to Davis Schneider that was followed up by an intentional — and sensible — walk to Guerrero.
With one out, Rodón gave up a single to Dalton Varsho that brought Schneider home due to a botched Yankees relay. Then, sharp singles from Ernie Clement and Anthony Santander doubled the Blue Jays' run total to six and extended their lead to five. Rodón's eight-pitch bout with Santander was his last — he was pulled with one out at 67 pitches (44 strikes). He struck out only two.
For a third straight game, the Yankees didn't see their starter record 10 outs. The combination of Luis Gil, Max Fried, and Rodón allowed 15 runs on 18 hits (four homers) for a ghastly ERA of 16.88. And by the time of Rodón's exit, Yankees pitchers had given up a whopping 29 runs, the most allowed in any three-game stretch within a single postseason in franchise history (h/t Katie Sharp).
Of course, the Yankees were lucky that dormant bats finally woke up in the Bronx to not only bail out Rodón, but also to force a do-or-die Game 4 on Wednesday night. The bullpen deserves ample praise, too, as five relievers kept the relentless Blue Jays in check by providing 6.2 scoreless innings.
"They were incredible," Rodón said of the bullpen. "They didn't give up a run. They covered 21 outs and were really impressive. They shut them down and won us the game there, too."
By the numbers, Rodón's efforts weren't the worst among the Yankees' three starters, but the timing of his clunker was disastrous. There was little reason — maybe even no reason — to believe the team was capable of summoning eight unanswered runs en route to stunning survival when the veteran left-hander walked off the mound.
Whether or not the Yankees overcome the series deficit to the Blue Jays and advance to the ALCS, the topic of Rodón's struggles under the bright postseason lights is sticking around. The 32-year-old southpaw has a 9.72 ERA across 8.1 innings (two starts) this month.
Rodón seemed poised to put that narrative to bed, too. He produced the second 200-strikeout campaign of his career, while logging career-high marks in both innings (195.1) and starts (33). For extended stretches, he performed near ace level, living up to his high-priced salary.
Luckily for Rodón, the postgame conversations weren't centered on him this time. The massive weight of the season now rests on other shoulders.
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