Carlos Rodon bounces back to win but Trevino’s knuckleballs steal the limelight

On Saturday, Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon rebounded strong after giving up an early homer and his outing was one of the best in the recent months. However, despite his quality start, he lost the spotlight to catcher Jose Trevino’s Unlikely Pitching Appearance

Though Carlos Rodon had the luxury of a substantial Yankees lead, he refused to take the night off, instead tightening the vise on the Brewers’ bats. The Yankees’ left-hander delivered another masterful performance, fanning a season-best eight batters across six commanding innings en route to a resounding 15-3 triumph over Milwaukee on Saturday at American Family Field.

Carlos Rodon was virtually untouchable, surrendering a mere two hits and issuing just one free pass. The lone blemish on his line was a solo shot off the bat of Rhys Hoskins in the opening frame. However, with his offense staking him to a 3-0 advantage before he even took the mound – a lead that rapidly ballooned – Carlos Rodon was afforded the freedom to attack the strike zone aggressively and cruise to victory.

Carlos Rodon wins Yankees’ admiration

Carlos Rodon’s stellar performance extended his impressive stretch to open the season, reinforcing the notion that last year’s struggles are firmly in the rearview mirror. Through his first six outings, the left-hander has delivered quality start after quality start, compiling a sparkling 2.48 ERA across 32 1/3 innings pitched. With each dominant outing, Carlos Rodon increasingly separates himself from the disappointment of his inaugural Yankees campaign, firmly establishing himself as a formidable force in the Yankees’ rotation.

Aaron Judge remarked that it was impressive. He mentioned his belief that it typically takes a year or two for players to adjust when coming to New York due to its unique market, situation, and atmosphere. Judge emphasized that when Carlos Rodon signed with the team, he expressed a genuine desire to be with it and to thrive in a powerful way.

According to him, Carlos Rodon appears at ease and comfortable in his role. Judge expressed the team’s excitement and gratitude for having him, emphasizing his anticipated significant contribution throughout the season.

“Impressive,” Aaron Judge said. “I’ve always said, it takes a year or two for guys when they come over to New York. It’s a different market, different situation, different atmosphere. But when he signed here, he wanted to be here. He wanted to be in those big moments.

“He just looks comfortable. We’re excited to have him and lucky to have him because he’s going to be a big part of this team this season.”

The Yankees’ offense erupted in a 15-3 demolition of the Brewers, with Aaron Judge, Alex Verdugo, and Anthony Rizzo all flexing their muscles by going deep. Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon was dealing on the mound, his wipeout slider proving virtually unhittable. The potent breaking ball accounted for seven of Rodon’s eight punchouts on the night as the left-hander dominated Milwaukee’s lineup. The trio of homers and Rodon’s overpowering stuff propelled the Bronx Bombers to an emphatic victory.

While the Yankees’ bats provided ample breathing room, Carlos Rodon refused to exhale, instead opting to asphyxiate the Brewers’ lineup with a barrage of precise, overpowering stuff. His dominance underscored yet another brilliant outing for the talented southpaw.

The pitcher commented that the Brewers were indeed a proficient hitting team on Saturday and had a tendency to excel against fastballs. According to him, the scouting report indicated vulnerability to sliders, particularly resulting in swing-and-miss situations. Therefore, they aimed to utilize sliders in two-strike counts when holding an advantage, and the strategy proved successful.

“This team’s a really good hitting team, they really are,” Carlos Rodon said. “They get to the fastball, so in the [scouting] report we could tell there was some swing-and-miss on sliders. So we wanted to use that in two-strike counts when we’re ahead and it worked out.”

Manager Aaron Boone stated that he simply wanted Carlos Rodon to continue. He mentioned that the player isn’t limited to one approach and has multiple strategies for securing outs. Boone throughout the game, there was an observable improvement in his performance, with pitches becoming crisper and more refined.

“I just want him to keep going,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s not one-dimensional. He’s got different ways of getting you out. Depending on what he’s got that day, he can make adjustments. I thought as the game went on, the stuff ticked up and continued to get sharper and a little bit better.”

But Trevino steals the spotlight on the mound

In a light-hearted moment amidst the lopsided affair, Jose Trevino etched his name into the record books by making his pitching debut. With the Yankees holding a commanding 14-run advantage in the ninth, the catcher was summoned to the mound to secure the final three outs. Although he surrendered a pair of runs on two hits and a walk, Trevino ultimately got the job done, even uncorking a couple of knuckleballs along the way. It was a memorable first on the bump for the versatile Yankee.

Trevi pitching 😂#RepBX #Yankees pic.twitter.com/hZ6BObOfdN

— Pinstripes Nation (@pinstripesnat) April 28, 2024

Alex Verdugo suggested that the pitcher should have utilized the knuckleball more frequently. He remarked on its unpredictable movement, describing it as having significant dance-like qualities. Verdugo expressed his desire to witness the pitcher throw several knuckleballs, indicating that it would add an enjoyable element to the game.

“I think he needed to go to the knuckleball a little bit more,” Alex Verdugo said. “His dances, man. It dances a lot. It would be fun to see him throw a handful of those.”

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