The infield got a fresh look with contributions from a left-hander who’s definitely sporting a new vibe this season.
During the game, the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs from newcomer Jazz Chisholm Jr. and shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Currently, the Yankees (37-22) have secured victories in seven of their last nine games and hold a 23-15 record against teams with .500 or better, aiming to assert dominance over a familiar opponent they faced in last year’s ALCS.
In a pitcher’s duel, Rodon and Tanner Bibee faced off, both pushing through the seventh inning.
The Guardians scored first, tying the game with a few plays that could hardly be blamed on Rodon. Jose Ramirez managed to steal second base after breaking a streak of 17 consecutive outs with a well-placed single.
David Frye hit a hard ground ball to the right side, which led DJ LeMahieu to make the move to second base. Chisholm advanced to third, but they couldn’t quite connect with the ball in time.
Despite the pressure, Rodon managed to limit the damage during that inning, which proved critical later.
In his third at-bat after returning from the injured list, Chisholm launched the first pitch he saw deep into right field for a home run. After spending five weeks sidelined, it seemed he had picked up right where he left off, celebrating energetically with his teammates as he rounded the bases.
The excitement barely faded before Volpe followed suit, hitting a shot into left field, adding extra insurance and forcing the bullpen into action.
Earlier in the day, Mark Reiter Jr. had pitched a flawless eighth inning, allowing Devin Williams to navigate a tense ninth. Williams allowed a run due to a soft single that found a gap, alongside a double from Carlos Santana and a soft single by Daniel Schneiman when he returned to close the game. However, he managed to strike out Bo Naylor, taking care of what could have been a game-tying situation.
The Yankees wrapped up the night with only five hits, struggling offensively until the second inning when Aaron Judge walked for the fourth time.
In that second inning, Chisholm had a chance to connect, but an uncalled strike might have cost him. However, he came back with a looping single to left, preventing Bibee from making history.
Following a walk from JC Escobar, LeMahieu delivered a two-out single to right, marking the Yankees’ first run of the game—this stood as the only score until the seventh inning.
Aside from the challenging seventh, Rodon performed impressively against the Guardians, only allowing five hits and securing eight strikeouts over his innings.
He allowed the initial two hits but managed to escape a couple of sticky situations, giving up three hits in the seventh but shutting them out in other frames.
The left-hander, looking markedly different this year, extended his scoreless inning streak to 20 before LeMahieu’s hit broke through.
