Normally when a team scores just one run on five hits, while stranding six runners on base, that’s typically not going to be a good sign for them. However, when you get dominant pitching, it can absolutely be enough.
Going for the series sweep against the Rangers, the Yankees handed the ball to Carlos Rodón and he delivered. In six shutout innings, Rodón allowed just two hits and two walks, as he struck out eight Texas batters. While he’s certainly had his frustrating moments since signing with the Yankees prior to 2023, this game continued a very nice run, as the southpaw now has a 1.48 ERA and 10.97 K/9 across seven starts since April 18th.
The Yankees’ only offense on the day was notable for reasons other than the obvious fact that it decided the ballgame. Former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi was quite good himself, allowing just one run on five hits in six innings. However, it was one of the least experienced Yankees who got to him, as Jorbit Vivas (who was just seven years old when Eovaldi was first drafted in 2008) clubbed his first career home run to provide the difference.
As the bullpen followed Rodón in similarly excellent fashion, that gave the Yankees the victory and a series sweep, beating the Rangers 1-0 in Wednesday afternoon’s finale.
Rodón and Eovaldi matched each other with four scoreless innings to start, before the seal was broken in the fifth. Leading off the bottom of the fifth was Vivas, who notched a personal milestone. Vivas took an Eovaldi pitch out to right just over the Short Porch for a solo homer, the first of his big-league career.
Even with DJ LeMahieu back, Vivas will get his opportunities with fellow infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL and the versatile Oswaldo Cabrera likely out for the year. The numbers haven’t been there yet for him, but he’s put in some good at-bats like his effort against the Mets on Sunday, and it’s great to see the rookie rewarded with this milestone.
In the sixth inning, Rodón managed to get out of a jam and strand the tying run at third by striking out Jake Burger on his 105th pitch. That ended up being the last out of the lefty’s day, as Aaron Boone went to the bullpen for the seventh. That inning and the third, where two runners reached base, were really the only times Texas somewhat threatened Rodón on the day.
Mark Leiter Jr. was the choice for the seventh, and things almost came apart there and then. After Marcus Semien led off with a single, a wild pitch allowed him to move into scoring position. A Joc Pederson single then put runners at the corners, before he too moved up a base by stealing second. With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Leiter came up with a huge strikeout of Josh Smith to escape the jam. Then, Devin Williams came in for the eighth and he continued his good recent run with a 1-2-3 inning.
While Paul Goldschmidt came up a couple feet short of adding on to the Yankees’ lead, it remained very thin at just 1-0 going into the top of the ninth. Despite pitching the two previous days, Luke Weaver was Boone’s choice for the inning, as his actual workload was light with just eight pitches needed combined in those two outings. While he allowed one deep-ish fly out, Weaver remained efficient and had no real issues, as he threw a perfect ninth to finish off the win and the sweep.
Having wrapped up both the series against Rangers and a homestand, the Yankees are headed back out on the road this weekend. Tomorrow night, they’ll be in Colorado to take on the worst team in baseball: the 8-42 Rockies. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40pm ET with Clarke Schmidt getting the ball for the Bombers.
