Yankees’ Rodon misses 4-year-old record by a whisker in 200th outing

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Yankees’ southpaw Carlos Rodon narrowly falls short of repeating his four-year-old benchmark on his 200th career start.

For five mesmerizing innings Tuesday evening at Camden Yards, Carlos Rodon danced with baseball immortality. Celebrating his 200th career MLB appearance, the southpaw methodically dispatched the first 15 Orioles batters with surgical precision, stirring whispers of another entry in Yankees no-hit folklore. But a sixth-inning free pass followed by a scorching double swiftly extinguished the dream — leaving Rodon tantalizingly close to duplicating the no-hitter feat he accomplished with Chicago on April 14, 2021.

Rodon’s brilliance established the foundation for a lopsided 15-3 Yankees victory that showcased an explosive six-homer assault and marked a historic offensive outburst. Yet despite the thunderous bats, it was his electric arsenal, not the run explosion, that commanded attention throughout most of the contest.

A night of Rodon’s precision and power

“I knew it was there,” Rodon said of the perfect game bid. “Big lead, just try to attack the zone. It’s kind of in the back of your head, but you just keep going.”

Rodon sliced through Baltimore’s batting order with merciless efficiency, requiring merely 62 pitches to navigate five flawless frames. His fastball possessed exceptional life. The slider featured a devastating break. His command remained pinpoint. And as he climbed the mound for the sixth inning, he stood at the precipice of Yankees lore.

The pursuit concluded when Rodon issued a full-count walk to Emmanuel Rivera to begin the sixth. Shortly thereafter, Jorge Mateo ripped a double off the right-field barrier. Though the Orioles would break the shutout via Dylan Carlson’s groundout and later add a solo blast from Gunnar Henderson in the seventh, the Yankees star still departed with an impressive six-inning performance: 91 pitches, 57 strikes, two hits, two earned runs, one walk, and seven punchouts.

Volpe’s glove helps keep the dream alive

Rodon benefited from crucial defensive support during his bid. In the fifth, shortstop Anthony Volpe executed a diving stab up the middle to deny Ramon Laureano a hit, springing to his feet to retire the Orioles outfielder by the narrowest margin. Earlier, Rodon contributed to his own cause, spearing a sharp liner from Adley Rutschman in the fourth.

Manager Aaron Boone praised Rodon’s outing, describing his fastball as “really good” and his overall repertoire as “electric.”

Catcher Austin Wells, who has cultivated a strong rapport with Rodon this season, indicated their strategy was straightforward: “Attack the zone, keep the tempo up, and stay aggressive.”

200 career games, one memorable milestone, none for Yankees

The start represented Rodon’s 200th career big league appearance — a milestone that nearly became an unforgettable achievement. He came within moments of crafting his second career no-hitter and potentially his first perfect game. Such an accomplishment would have complemented his April 14, 2021 no-hitter with the White Sox, where he lost perfection with one out in the ninth after hitting a batter.

Rodon’s current stretch — three straight quality starts — has proven vital for the Yankees. Across his previous 19 innings, he has surrendered just two earned runs while accumulating 24 strikeouts. Tuesday’s effort reduced his ERA to 3.43, and his command appeared sharper than at any point in the current campaign.

Yankees’ bats go ballistic again

Rodon enjoyed substantial run support from the opening frame. Before he even took the hill, the Yankees pounced on Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, launching four home runs in the first inning. Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger, all connected in a remarkable barrage that matched a Major League record for most first-inning homers by a single team — a mark the Yankees themselves established earlier in March.

Rice homered again in the second, and by the time Rodon began warming for the bottom half, New York had built a comfortable 6-0 advantage.

“It’s easy when the boys put up five runs in the first,” the Yankees strating pitcher reflected postgame. “You can just cruise and attack hitters.”

The Yankees would ultimately tally 15 runs on 15 hits, transforming the contest into a blowout by the fourth inning. The output represented their second-highest run total this season and secured their third consecutive victory.

Rodon’s redemption arc

Rodon’s performance highlights a continuing redemption narrative following a disappointing, injury-marred 2023 campaign. The Yankees invested $162 million over six years in the left-hander, counting on him to form an elite tandem with Gerrit Cole atop the rotation. With Cole sidelined recovering from Tommy John surgery, Rodon has inherited heightened expectations — and he’s beginning to fulfill the ace potential.

Overcoming early-season command struggles, Rodon has embraced efficiency, pitch diversity, and rhythm — attributes prominently displayed Tuesday night. Boone commended his in-game adaptability, observing that even after losing the perfect game, the Yankees ace maintained composure and continued challenging hitters.

“He’s showing why we brought him here,” Boone stated.

Yankees rolling with confidence

At 18-11, the Yankees are demonstrating signs of evolving into the complete contender they envisioned during spring preparation. The offense is clicking. The rotation is finding stability. And Rodon, at last, is emerging as the frontline starter they anticipated when signing him.

Though baseball’s historical records won’t place Tuesday’s outing alongside Domingo German’s perfect game in Oakland (July 28, 2023), it provided further evidence that Rodon possesses the capability for such extraordinary performances. And that realization, for the Yankees organization, might prove equally valuable.

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