Carlos Rodon Seeks To Get New York Yankees Off On Right Foot In Game 1

Carlos Rodon needs to dominate in the first game of a three-game series in Toronto. He also needs to pitch at least seven innings to save an overworked Yankees bullpen. He was very good in his last start, and he has had an All-Star experience since then. Rodon should be riding high.

He is being opposed by Kevin Gausman. Gausman has been hot and cold for Toronto this season, but came into the season as being anointed the Blue Jays’ ace. These two pitchers matched up a couple of weeks ago when the Yankees visited Toronto. Because Gausman has struggled at times this season, Rodon must go out and win this game. Do you think he will?

Rodon Faces Gausman In Game 1

Rodon gets the ball to open this series, following his first start since his first All-Star appearance in pinstripes (and third overall). Rodon has pitched to a 3.08 earned run average (3.59 FIP) in 119.2 innings this year. He is still hurt by the home run, though not as much as he was in his first two seasons with the Yankees. He has a 1.13 home run per nine innings this year, much less compared to his 2.10 and 1.59 marks from 2023 and 2024.

Rodon will be opposed by Gausman. He has pitched to a mediocre 4.19 earned run average this season (3.86 FIP) in 109.2 innings. Gausman is a workhorse, though he is not quite the pitcher he was when he first signed with Toronto. He has been only average this season. The Yankees have hit him fairly well the two times he faced them. They rocked him for six runs in 2.2 innings in a late April matchup, and got 10 baserunners but only two runs in five innings during their meeting at the start of July.

Hot Times

A heat wave is supposed to impact Toronto at the beginning of this week. Even though the three games of this series will be played at night, the weather is supposed to be warm with a chance of thunderstorms. The roof in the Rogers Centre should be closed. All MLB ballparks should now have retractable roofs. This way, the heat is forecast to get more severe, and the inevitable thunderstorms that come with it.

The Killers

Many hitters on the Toronto Blue Jays are hitting well against the Yankees, but two hitters in the Toronto lineup deserve special mention. Rodon needs to shut them down. First, George Springer has been resurgent this season, and he killed the Yankees two weeks ago. Second, unsung hero Addison Barger may not be counted among the great Blue Jays hitters, but he is doing well.

For the Yankees, it all starts and ends with slugger Aaron Judge. Yesterday, he hit his 36th home run of the year. That home run tied him for sixth all-time on the Yankees list with Alex Rodriguez. Next up for him on the Yankees’ list are Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio, both of whom he should pass this season.

He also got one home run nearer to Cal Raliegh for the American League lead. That is important if Judge is to be the Most Valuable Player in the American League again this year. How Judge goes, so go the Yankees. He is their best hitter, and the rest of the team follows his lead.

Final Thoughts

The Yankees cannot possibly lose seven games in a row to the division rival Toronto Blue Jays. If the Yankees get swept, they will fall six games behind the Blue Jays. On the other hand, if the Yankees sweep the Blue Jays, the two teams would be tied atop the American League East Division. Whatever happens, this will be an important series in July. That is a rarity. Because of that, Rodon needs to pitch like an ace in this game.