Carlos Rodon, and Bullpen, Wins Game 3

Carlos Rodon was marginally good, and the Yankee bullpen did not yield any runs as the Yankees salvaged game three against the Phillies, 4-3. Carlos Rodon pitched 5.1 innings, but he gave up three home runs. All the home runs were of the solo variety, so Carlos Rodon was lucky.

A notable departure from games of the last six weeks, the Yankee bullpen did not yield any runs in the game. Carlos Rodon was just good enough in this game. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. However, it may be too late for the Yankees. Do you think the Yankees are too far behind the Toronto Blue Jays?

Lineup Summary

The Phillies had Trea Turner as the designated hitter, batting leadoff. Kyle Schwaber was the left fielder, batting second. Bryce Harper was the first baseman, batting third. Nick Castellanos was the right fielder, batting fourth. J.T. Realmuto was the catcher and batted fifth. Brandon Marsh was the right fielder and batted fifth. Otto Kemp was the third baseman and batted sixth.

Edmundo Sosa was the shortstop who batted seventh. Weston Wilson was the second baseman and batted eighth. Bryson Stott pinch-hit for him and stayed in to play second base. Johan Rojas was the center fielder and batted ninth. Brandon Marsh pinch-hit for him. He stayed in to play center field.

For the Yankees, Trent Grisham batted first and was the center fielder. Ben Rice was the first baseman and batted second. Paul Goldschmidt pinch-hit for him. Cody Bellinger was the right fielder and batted third. Giancarlo Stanton was the designated hitter who batted fourth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the second baseman who batted fifth. Jasson Dominguez was the left fielder, batting sixth. Ryan McMahon was the third baseman and batted seventh. Anthony Volpe was the shortstop and batted eighth. Austin Wells was the catcher, batting ninth. 

News and Notes: Carlos Rodon Start

Last night, the Yankees acquired Infielder Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals. Rosario is a third baseman by trade. This move was counterbalanced by putting slugger Aaron Judge on the Injured List. Rosario may platoon at the hot corner with new trade acquisition McMahon. Rosario is defensively versatile and said, “I know everybody [on the Yankees] … it helps a lot to go to a place where you know people or where you’ve heard great things about those guys,” Rosario said. “Of course it’s going to make me feel a little bit more comfortable and perform at my best.”

Game Reaction

Oddly, all four runs the Yankees scored off Wheeler were plated in the second inning. Otherwise, he pitched well. Wheeler threw 5.2 innings. Also, oddly, Carlos Rodon gave up three home runs. However, they were all of the solo variety. Light-hitting third baseman Kemp hit two of them. He is batting .252.

The Yankees’ bullpen was good in this game, shutting down the Phillies. This was a noted departure from how things have gone in the past six weeks. The Blue Jays lost, so the Yankees gained a game in the standings.

Scoring Summary

In the very busy second inning, the Phillies first scored two runs, and the Yankees scored four. First, Castellanos hit a solo home run. Then Kemp hit a solo home run. It was 2-0, Phillies. In the bottom half of the second inning, McMahon doubled, and Stanton and Chisholm Jr. scored. That tied the game at 2. Then, Wells hit a sacrifice fly and Domínguez scored. That made it 3-2 Yankees. Then Grisham singled and McMahon scored. It was 4-2 Yankees. In the fifth inning, Kemp hit another solo home run. It was 4-3 Yankees. That was how the game ended.

Final Thoughts

The Yankees needed this win. Carlos Rodon was just good enough. Coupled with the Blue Jays’ loss, the Yankees picked up a game in the standings. It is good that the Yankees are adding talent via trade, though it probably is not the talent the Yankees’ fans want. So far, it has been defensively sound and versatile. The tough Rays are next.