Yankees

Carlos Rodon Aims To Save New York Yankees’ Season In Game 3

Kevin Sweeney

Carlos Rodon has pitched great for the New York Yankees this season. The Yankees need him to pitch great on Tuesday. Rodon faces Shane Bieber in this must-win game for the Yankees. The Yankees are down 0-2 to the Blue Jays and face elimination in this game. The Yankees were embarrassed in Toronto as they lost 10-1 and 13-7. Do you think Rodon will rise to the occasion?

Pitching Preview: Carlos Rodon To Start Game 3 For Yanks in ALDS

Bieber will take on the amped-up crowd at Yankee Stadium in the third game of this series, but do not feel bad for the veteran. He has lots of experience and has performed well for the Blue Jays this year. He was traded from Cleveland to Toronto just as he was set to return from Tommy John surgery. He is an impending free agent, and he needs to pitch well enough to earn another contract. He has so far.

He has made seven starts for the Toronto Blue Jays with a good earned run average of 3.57. He was 4-2 in the regular season. The one problem is his high home run rate, though, and look for the Yankees’ sluggers to take advantage of that. It would be beneficial if Rodon could receive some early run support. That said, it seems like the veteran is all the way back.

In postseason games, where every run seems crucial, making one mistake over the plate could loom large for the deadline acquisition. It is worth at least a quick note that the Yankees faced Bieber twice in the playoffs when he was with the Guardians, clobbering him in 2020 and scoring a pair with 10 baserunners on in 5.2 innings in 2022 on a Giancarlo Stanton homer.

Rodon will start the make-or-break game for the Yankees. The 2025 All-Star did the job against just about anyone during his Wild Card Series start, though he did struggle with Trevor Story, keeping Boston at bay to help keep the Yankees alive. The Blue Jays beat Rodon on July 21 in Toronto. This game is in The Bronx, so there may be a different story.

Rodon won 18 games for the Yankees this year, with a great 3.09 earned run average. he struck out 203 batters in 193.1 innings pitched. He needs to limit the free passes and keep the ball in the park against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Other Interesting Statistics

  • The Yankees scored 7 runs in Game 2 off the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Bieber must be knocked out early so that the Yankees can face those middle relievers.
  • Rodon pitched for the Yankees against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in an elimination game last week, so pitching at home in this elimination game at Yankee Stadium will be familiar to him.
  • Yankee captain Aaron Judge is not phased by the 0-2 hole the Yankees are in. However, Yankee fans are upset by the team’s pathetic performance north of the border.
  • Rookie, Trey Yasavage, making just his first career start in the playoffs, threw 5.2 no-hit innings, striking out 11. The Yankees did not score off him. Meanwhile, the Yankee starting pitcher, ace Max Fried, was awful.

Conclusion

Rodon has been great for the Yankees this season, and he has pitched in an elimination game at Yankee Stadium in these playoffs. The Yankees have a slight starting pitching advantage in this game, but Bieber is a capable veteran who will not be rattled by the raucous Yankee Stadium crowd.

The Yankees must knock him out early to face the awful Toronto bullpen. They can do that by hitting home runs; Bieber is susceptible to that. If the Yankees survive this game, they have phenom Cam Schlittler going for them. It is looking like the potential Game 4 will be a bullpen game for the Blue Jays.

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