Carlos Rodón avoids damage as Yankees' defense assists narrow win over Rays

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Apr 18, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — Entering Friday’s start against the Rays, Carlos Rodón’s 12.9 BB% was the fifth-highest figure of any pitcher in baseball.

Asked about that number pregame, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it has “gotta be better.” But Boone also maintained that Rodón has been much sharper than his recent lines — littered with poorly-timed free passes and long balls — would suggest.

“It’s execution in the biggest spots, but I feel like he’s throwing the ball incredibly well,” Boone said. “There’s no reason that he can’t go out there and do that and run off an impressive string.”

Rodón followed his manager’s comments by walking the first batter he saw on Friday night. He walked three more after that, but a soul-crushing homer never followed in the Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Instead, Rodón logged six scoreless innings while permitting just two hits. He also struck out a season-high nine batters. His last K came on his 102nd and final pitch of the night, resulting in a loud scream and triumphant strut as he left the mound.

While Rodón avoided his home run woes, he also had some help from his defense.

Anthony Volpe made a pretty play in the fourth inning, taking a backhanded stab at a Curtis Mead grounder before tossing an off-balance throw to a scooping Paul Goldschmidt.

The Yankees then kept the Rays off the board in the fifth when José Caballero leaned too far off third on a Taylor Walls grounder to Goldschmidt. The first baseman, playing in, then got Caballero in a rundown. J.C. Escarra tagged the runner out in front of the plate.

More strong defense followed Rodón’s exit, as Jonathan Aranda tried stretching a double into a triple with Mark Leiter Jr. on the mound in the seventh. That didn’t work out well for the Ray, who didn’t run hard out of the box on the deep drive to center, as Trent Grisham, Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera teamed up for a picture-perfect relay.

The Yankees would have had a few more runs had it not been for Tampa Bay’s own web gem, as Caballero robbed Ben Rice of a two-run homer in the eighth inning. However, a second-inning RBI single from Grisham off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen proved to be sufficient after Fernando Cruz and Luke Weaver took care of the eighth and ninth innings.

With the Yankees and their renters now halfway through their four-game set, the Bombers will try for a series win with Carlos Carrasco on the hill Saturday. The veteran right-hander is coming off his best start as a Yankee, as he held the Royals to one run over five innings on April 14.

Shane Baz will start for the Rays. He has a 1.42 ERA over three starts this season.