Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK – While Gerrit Cole mowed down the Kansas City Royals as the New York Yankees clinched a series-clinching victory in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday, Carlos Rodon was mentally occupied in the dugout. I took notes.
There’s nothing about Cole doing anything to the Royals’ hitters. It’s not about his approach, pitch selection or mechanics. But as for Cole’s demeanor near the mound. His calmness as he drove through the only traffic he encountered. Lack of screams and fist pumps. Very cool, very calm.
“It’s like a robot walking into the dugout,” Rodon said.
Rodon’s emotions prevented him from making his first start of this postseason, in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Royals. He found in Cole a model to emulate. On Monday, Rodon made the most important start of his professional career, pitching six spectacular innings in the Yankees’ 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. The imitation was a great success.
Rodon held the Guardians to three hits and one run with no walks. He recorded nine strikeouts, seven of which came from his slider, which was a near-perfect match for his fastball. According to ESPN Research, he threw 93 pitches and induced 25 whiffs, the most by a Yankees pitcher in a playoff game in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). He was calm and dominant as the Yankees came within three wins of their first World Series appearance since 2009.
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“Well, he was great,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We talked about whether he would use the experience of his first game, and I felt like he applied all of that perfectly. He was in complete control of himself and his emotions. I thought you were doing it.”
Clay Holmes, Tim Hill and Luke Weaver followed Rodon out of the bullpen for the final nine outs. The Guardians scored one run in the 8th inning against Hill, then added another run, with one out and Weaver on first and second base.
The right-handed pitcher got out of trouble by striking out pinch hitter Will Brennan and grounding out superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez. Weaver, who went from failing as a starter to becoming a shutout closer, went nine innings with three strikeouts, becoming the first Yankees pitcher to make multiple five-out saves since Aroldis Chapman in 2017.
The Guardians’ counter to Rodon was veteran right-hander Alex Cobb, who will make his fifth start in 2024. He secured just eight outs before departing with left hip tightness, back spasms and a bullpen cleanup in disarray.
Cobb’s breakthrough began with Juan Soto’s leadoff shot in the third inning. He then walked with two outs and the bases loaded, prompting Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt to summon left-hander Joey Cantillo to face left-handed hitter Anthony Rizzo. Regular season starts 16 days ago. This movement could not be stopped.
Cantillo allowed two runs on two wild pitches, including a walk to Rizzo. He then walked Gleyber Torres in the bottom of the fifth inning, allowed two more wild pitches and walked Soto, leaving the game without recording an out. Pedro Avila was asked to face Aaron Judge with runners on the corners, and he made a sacrifice fly to escape the inning.
“I didn’t pitch well and obviously lacked control. I need to be better next time,” Cantillo said. “That performance was obviously the difference in the game, so that’s on me.”
According to ESPN Research, the Guardians’ six pitchers combined for seven walks and five wild pitches, tying an MLB postseason record.
“Oh my gosh, he was so good. We talked about how he could use the experience of his first fight. And I felt like he showed all of that perfectly. He was very good at himself and his emotions. I thought I was in complete control.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone talks about Carlos Rodon
“These guys are doing the math,” Vogt said. “They don’t chase much. I think if we take anything from tonight, we just need to attack the zone better, and that wasn’t the case tonight. They made us work. ”
Rodon stepped up his game when he took the mound in his first postseason start in a 4-2 loss to the Royals. He continued to perform well from the first inning, hitting the strike zone on 10 of 12 pitches and hitting 98 mph. he stuck out his tongue. He strutted.
Monday was different. Guardians All-Star leadoff batter Stephen Kwan, one of the best contact hitters in the sport, started the game by popping out on the ninth pitch of his at-bat. Rodon threw 22 pitches in the first inning and 39 pitches until his second pitch. Then he changed gears.
Rodon stopped 11 consecutive batters from the second inning, and in the sixth inning, Brian Rocchio hit a solo home run with a fastball to take the lead. Seven of the outs were due to strikeouts. Everyone was swinging.
“I thought he held his stuff really well,” Boone said. “You watched him with an intensity and poise, and that was what stood out.”
Rodon won a nine-pitch battle with Ramirez, and Ramirez hit a line drive that ended the night with Judge chasing him down at the center field warning track. He was the last to step off the mound to cheers. Cool and calm, like a robot.
“The goal was obviously to stay in control of what I can do, both physically and emotionally,” Rodon said. “I thought we executed that well tonight.”
