Yankees Suffer Tough Loss to Marlins
Miami – Carlos Rodon’s promising start took a sharp turn, resulting in a disappointing outcome.
While the Yankees squandered a six-run lead, the spotlight shifted to new reliever Kamilo Doval, recently acquired from the Giants. He faced a tough moment in the ninth inning, watching a 12-10 lead evaporate. Two talented rookies, Jake Bird and David Bedner, had already given up six runs over seven innings, transforming a comfortable 9-3 Yankees lead into a precarious 10-9 deficit for Miami.
Rodon’s performance was a catalyst for this troubling turn of events.
“I had a good run, but then it became really inconsistent,” Rodon reflected. “Seventy pitches resulting in five walks and only 13 outs is just not acceptable.”
The Yankees initially built a solid 6-0 lead, thanks to Giancarlo Stanton’s three-run homer and a two-RBI single from Cody Bellinger.
However, things began to unravel in the fifth inning. Rodon allowed a two-run homer to Javier Sanoja after a seemingly harmless leadoff walk.
After his 107th pitch, he recorded two strikeouts but was replaced by Jonathan Loáisiga.
The relief pitcher quickly faced challenges, giving up a hit to Otto Lopez and allowing pinch hitter Liam Hicks to contribute with a two-run single, tightening the score to 6-4 before the bases were loaded.
“Rodon started strong,” manager Aaron Boone commented. “But in the last two innings, he struggled with the strike zone, and I had to make a change.”
“I’m not sure why,” he continued. “He was missing a lot of pitches and was in some tough 3-2 counts. Early on, he looked sharp, but then he lost control.”
Rodon’s record now stands at 11-7, but his performance has been declining recently.
Back in May, he enjoyed an impressive 1.47 ERA over the course of five starts. By June, that number had risen to 3.71 over six outings, and in July, he posted a 4.24 ERA across another six starts.
Friday night’s performance only added to those concerns.
Just a day earlier, Marcus Stroman, benefiting from a 7-0 lead against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, faltered in the fourth inning, giving up four runs. He was released by the Yankees amid this ongoing struggle.
