Carlos Rodon had a rough outing for the New York Yankees, giving up three solo home runs to the Orioles before a four-run fifth inning led to a 7-2 loss. Rodon, who had been coming off two strong starts, expressed his frustration at his performance and acknowledged the need to improve his pitch location to limit home runs and stay in the game longer. Despite his recent success, Rodon struggled against the Orioles, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two hit batters in just four-plus innings while striking out six.
The Orioles capitalized on Rodon’s struggles, breaking the game open in the fifth inning with the help of a Gleyber Torres error. Rodon credited the Orioles’ strong hitting lineup for their performance and admitted that he needed to make adjustments to induce more swing and misses. While Rodon had been effective in his previous two starts, his performance against the Orioles highlighted the need for improvement and adjustments moving forward.
Alex Verdugo returned to the Yankees lineup after being activated off the paternity list, going 1-for-3 with a walk out of the six-hole. Manager Aaron Boone hinted at Verdugo moving back to the cleanup spot in the next game. Meanwhile, Jon Berti resumed his rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset, with a potential return to the Yankees by Friday. Nick Burdi also made progress in his recovery from right hip inflammation, with plans to pitch in a rehab game before returning to the team. Gerrit Cole had a light day of throwing as he continues to recover from elbow nerve inflammation.
Boone shared his thoughts on a controversial call in a recent Mets game, expressing sympathy for his former bench coach Carlos Mendoza. While he didn’t necessarily agree with Mendoza’s assessment of the call, Boone acknowledged the nuances and complexities of the obstruction rule in baseball. He highlighted the challenges of interpreting and enforcing rules in the game, noting that different perspectives can lead to varying interpretations of the same play. Despite the gray areas in the rules, Boone emphasized the importance of understanding and adapting to the unique aspects of each situation on the field.
