MILWAUKEE — On a night when Carlos Rodon had plenty, he suffocated the Brewers.
The Yankees left-handed pitcher had a season-high eight strikeouts in six innings in a 15-3 victory over the Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday.
Rodon allowed just two hits and one walk, and his only damage was a solo home run by Reece Hoskins in the first inning.
However, before he even took the mound, the offense gave him a 3-0 lead, a lead that quickly grew, allowing Rodon to attack batters and cruise.
“I just want him to keep going,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s not a one-dimensional guy. He has different ways to get you out. Depending on the situation that day, he can make adjustments. As the game goes on he gets better and gets sharper. I thought it was getting better little by little.”
Rodon’s slider was particularly effective Saturday, accounting for seven of his eight strikeouts.
“This team is a really good hitting team, it really is,” Rodon said. “They go for the fastball, so [scouting] Reports indicate that the slider was whiffed. So I wanted to use it on a two-strike count when I was leading, and it worked. ”
This game comes as Rodon is off to an encouraging start in six games this year, posting a 2.48 ERA in 32 1/3 innings pitched, as he looks to distance himself from a tough first year in the Bronx, and continues his recent high-quality performance. marked.
“Amazing,” Aaron Judge said. “I’ve always said, it takes a year or two for a guy to come to New York. It’s a different market, a different situation, a different atmosphere. But when he signed here, he knew he wanted to be here. He wanted to be there for that important moment.
“He just looks comfortable. He’s going to be a big part of this team this season, so we’re excited to have him and we’re lucky to have him.” is.”
Jose Trevino was called up in the ninth inning to protect a 14-point lead, making his first career appearance.
He allowed two runs, one walk, and a hit, but got three outs and threw two knuckleballs.
“I think he needed to work on his knuckleball a little bit more,” Alex Verdugo said. “His dancing. He dances a lot. It’ll be fun to watch him throw some.”
Boone said Ian Hamilton was only able to make an emergency appearance in Friday’s 7-6 loss in the 11th inning because he was sore all over his body before the game.
“We felt it was best for him to practice before the game and keep him at emergency level.” [Friday] It’s night,” Boone said. “It was kind of a systemic feeling. We had an issue right before the match and the trainers felt it was best to keep him at emergency level.”
Had he been available, Hamilton would have had a chance to end the game in the 10th inning with the Yankees leading 6-5. Instead, Boone hired recently acquired Michael Tonkin. Tonkin was one of two relief pitchers left in the bullpen (along with left-handed pitcher Victor Gonzalez) and allowed two earned runs in the loss.
John Barty (left groin strain) is scheduled to begin rehab at Double-A Somerset on Sunday. … DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced foot fracture) is still out for a week, but Saturday was the first day he felt good after aggravating it in Tuesday’s rehab game, Boone said.
