No dominant display, yet Carlos Rodon shuts down Padres ‘on their heels’

Saturday May 25, 2024

Carlos Rodon secured his sixth victory of the season on Friday against the Padres, tossing six shutout innings while limiting them to three hits and three walks. Despite a modest two strikeouts, the left-hander’s performance was enough to stifle San Diego’s offense in the Yankees’ 8-0 win.

This outing marked his fourth consecutive quality start, during which he has compiled a 4-0 record and allowed just five runs across 24.1 innings.

Barring a forgettable outing on May 2nd in Baltimore, Carlos Rodon has been a model of consistency for the Yankees. Through 11 starts, he boasts a 2.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 57:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 61 innings pitched.

After the game, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge commended Carlos Rodon’s scoreless effort, stating on the YES Network that the left-hander has the ability to keep hitters off-balance and give the team a chance to win. According to him, Carlos Rodon’s pitches were so effective during the game that he put hitters on their heels. The Yankees captain mentioned seeing the pitcher mix in a couple of changeups, which he found impressive. “He was impressive from the jump,” Judge remarked about Rodon’s performance.

“All his pitches were working. When he gets ahead he puts hitters on their heels. I saw him mix in a couple of change-ups in there which is great. He was impressive from the jump,” Judge said.

Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon on the mound during the game against the Padres on May 24, 2024, in San Diego. — NYY

An unlikely win for Carlos Rodon

Despite not possessing his swing-and-miss arsenal, Carlos Rodon’s resurgent campaign rolled on Friday night as he navigated six scoreless frames against the Padres. In a testament to his growth as a pitcher, he demonstrated the ability to neutralize San Diego’s lineup without relying on missed bats.

“The offense was on fire again and it made it easy to go attack the zone,” the lefty said.

Although he generated a season-low four swings-and-misses, Carlos Rodon limited the Padres to three singles and three walks, allowing just six baserunners in total. This outing contrasted with his previous start against the White Sox, where he induced a season-high 22 whiffs.

“It’s been reassuring to build some confidence,” the Yankees pitcher said. “Just want to keep going. Stay on the mound and keep pitching for these guys.”

Crucially, Carlos Rodon extended his streak of quality starts for the Yankees this season to four games. During this stretch, the left-hander has compiled a 4-0 record while surrendering only five runs across 24 1/3 innings, trimming his ERA to an impressive 2.95 through his first 11 outings.

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