Carlos Rodon was cruising for most of Monday night.
Then, things took a turn when Devin Williams stepped in and gave up five runs.
The Yankees fell apart in the eighth inning, turning a three-run lead into a one-run loss, ending the game with a 4-3 defeat against the Padres at a rain-soaked stadium.
Williams, who had just returned from a streak of three scoreless outings, struggled, allowing three runs from two walks and a hit while getting just two outs. In the first 11²/₃ innings, he allowed 13 runs, similar to the Yankees’ recent struggles. Intriguingly, that’s the total he scored over the past two seasons combined, pitching 80¹/₃ innings.
Despite the rainy weather, Rodon managed to pitch 6²/₃ innings without giving up a run before Fernando Cruz took over, in a game that saw the Yankees lead 3-0.
But instead of sticking with Cruz for the eighth, Aaron Boone called on Williams from the bullpen. He started strong with a strikeout but then got into trouble. After walking former Yankee Tyler Wade and allowing a single to Brandon Rockridge, he walked Luis Aréz on four pitches, loading the bases and finishing his night poorly.
Weaver came in and quickly gave up a two-run double to Manny Machado and then a two-run single to Xander Bogaerts, putting the Padres ahead at 4-3.
This marked Weaver’s first runs allowed of the season after going 21 innings without allowing a run, which is a little frustrating for fans who were hoping for a smooth outing.
Rodon allowed just five hits and one walk, continuing his impressive run over the last four starts. He conceded three runs (two earned) and has given up only 11 hits over 25²/₃ innings. This brought his ERA down to 2.96, providing a solid second option behind Max Fried in a struggling Yankees rotation.
Trent Grisham, who was part of the trade that brought Juan Soto to the Yankees, gave Rodon a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a deep home run into right field. This was Grisham’s ninth home run this season, coming after 93 plate appearances, a remarkable improvement from last year’s output.
Grisham has been a regular in the lineup, playing 11 out of 13 games since returning from a brief absence for personal reasons. His strong performance has made it hard for Boone to consider taking him out of the game, especially with his superb defense in center field.
Anthony Volpe was back in the lineup after missing a game due to a shoulder issue, contributing with a sacrifice fly that extended the Yankees’ lead to 3-0 in the sixth inning. This was set up by Paul Goldschmidt, who led off the inning with a single, stole second and third due to some errors, making things look promising for the Yankees.
The Yankees had an early opportunity to score in the first but ran into some trouble. Aaron Judge, standing on first base after Ben Rice hit a double, tried to score when a second throw from Bogaerts went awry, but he got tagged out at the plate.
