The New York Yankees continued their strong run of form on Friday night, defeating the Athletics 8-2 behind another impressive performance from Carlos Rodon. After watching his starter overcome an early scare and settle into one of his best outings of the season, manager Aaron Boone highlighted the left-hander’s evolution as a pitcher following the victory.
“He’s really become a pitcher and he’s able to get you out in different ways,” Boone said after the game, according to MLB.com. “He doesn’t have to overwhelm you with stuff on a given night. It took him a minute tonight, but he found it and settled in.”
Rodon’s outing helped extend New York’s winning streak to five games and marked the sixth consecutive quality start by a Yankees pitcher. The veteran lowered his ERA to 3.32 while continuing to establish himself as a key part of a rotation that has been among the best in baseball over the past week, even as Boone recently shared concerning injury update on Max Fried.
Rodon settles in after rocky beginning
The night didn’t begin smoothly for Rodon. He surrendered a solo home run to Nick Kurtz in the first inning and faced additional trouble in both the second and third innings. At one point, Boone admitted he was unsure how long his starter would remain in the game.
However, Rodon gradually found his rhythm. “In the beginning, it wasn’t great, but there was a job to be done,” Rodon said. “It’s nice to pitch with a lead. This offense is pretty good. We go out there and attack the zone and let the defense do their job and win a lot of games.”
The left-hander completed six innings on 93 pitches, his longest start of the season since returning from offseason elbow surgery. He allowed only four hits while working efficiently through the middle innings and finishing his outing with three strikeouts.
Yankees rotation continues dominant stretch
While Rodon did not rely on his usual swing-and-miss stuff, he found success by pounding the strike zone and generating weak contact. He threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 22 batters he faced and induced nine ground-ball outs, showcasing another dimension of his game.
The outing was another sign of the Yankees’ recent dominance on the mound. Since Gerrit Cole‘s season debut on May 22, New York starters have produced six straight quality starts, helping the club build momentum as the summer months approach.
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With both the lineup and rotation performing at a high level, New York appears to be hitting its stride. Rodon’s ability to adapt and succeed without relying solely on overpowering velocity offered another encouraging sign for a Yankees team that continues to strengthen its position among the American League contenders.
