NEW YORK – Just hours before his start in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, Carlos Rodón vowed to set baseball aside for the moment. Rather than delving into scouting reports on hitters like José Ramírez or Josh Naylor, the left-handed pitcher opted for a more playful approach, engaging with his children in a submarine-themed tent while taking on the role of a “sea monster” in an impromptu family performance.
Rodón certainly recognized the pressure to deliver stellar performances, and he did just that, pitching six impressive innings in the Yankees’ 5-2 win over the Guardians at Yankee Stadium, which secured a 1-0 lead for New York in the ALCS. As he reflected in a nearly vacant clubhouse late Monday night, he stated, “I’m a dad first.” This perspective helped him stay grounded, as a certain songstress might suggest; he needed to find a way to calm his nerves.
Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton both hit home runs, and Aaron Judge contributed a sacrifice fly for his first RBI of the postseason, fueling Rodón’s first career playoff victory. His performance, which included nine strikeouts and only three hits, was precisely what the Yankees envisioned when they signed him to a six-year, $162 million deal prior to the previous season.
“That was a dominant performance. It was really great to see,” remarked manager Aaron Boone. “He can be intense and emotional at times, but I thought he managed all that really well. That’s what he’s capable of when he’s fully focused like that.”
Historically, in best-of-seven postseason series, the team that wins Game 1 has gone on to win the series 123 out of 191 times (64%). In series following the current 2-3-2 format, home teams winning Game 1 have claimed the series 66 times out of 99 (67%).
“There’s still three more to get,” Stanton noted. “We know this is a good start, but we feel we haven’t accomplished anything yet.”
There was some internal debate within the Yankees organization about giving Rodón the ball for Game 1, a hesitation rooted in his previous playoff start with the team, which had not gone well. As Sunday night unfolded, decision-makers considered starting right-hander Clarke Schmidt instead.
Ultimately, Boone decided it would be wiser to trust Rodón, believing he could harness his energy more effectively than in ALDS Game 2 against the Royals, where he struck out the side in a thrilling first inning but appeared emotionally drained by the fourth.
Rodón mentioned that he observed how Gerrit Cole approached his ALDS Game 4 start in Kansas City, noting how the ace right-hander maintained a focused demeanor, only unleashing an emotional outburst when he left the mound after his final inning. This provided Rodón with a model to emulate.
“Mentally, I was taking notes on how he was going about his business out there,” Rodón explained.
Cole responded, “That’s a compliment from Carlos, and I appreciate that. I think we’re all trying to achieve the same goal: to get into that competitive mindset and stay there for as long as we can.”
Like the Royals’ Maikel Garcia had previously joked, Rodón was determined not to celebrate prematurely this time. One of the voices he leaned on for guidance was that of Andy Pettitte, who provided insights into managing similar moments throughout his career.
The Guardians struggled to solve Rodón; he was touched only by Brayan Rocchio’s solo home run in the sixth inning. Utilizing his fastball (52 pitches) and slider (25 pitches) effectively, he generated 25 swings and misses, tying for the fourth-most in a postseason game since pitch tracking began in 2008.
“He was outstanding. He drove us tonight,” Stanton said. “He demonstrated how prepared and focused he was.”
Pitching coach Matt Blake noted that Rodón exhibited sharpness right from the first inning, when he navigated around a single and a passed ball. Blake observed Rodón’s confidence grow as the game progressed.
“He was fully aware of how his last outing went, and how the emotions had gotten the better of him early,” Blake explained. “After each inning, you could see he was making an effort to remain steady and neutral, just focusing on collecting outs.”
Soto hit his first postseason home run in the third inning off Alex Cobb, who allowed three runs and five hits over 2 2/3 innings. Joey Cantillo replaced Cobb and threw four wild pitches, two of which came in the third inning, allowing runs to score as Judge and Stanton crossed the plate.
Judge added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning before Stanton crushed his second postseason homer into the visitors’ bullpen, a seventh-inning blast off Erik Sabrowski. After an obstruction call at first base resulted in a Cleveland run in the eighth inning off Tim Hill, Luke Weaver secured the final five outs for his fourth save of the postseason.
Reflecting on Rodón’s performance, Weaver said, “I found it quite remarkable, to be honest. He had numerous swings and misses, indicating his stuff was really on point. Lots of strikeouts, which is always exciting. I told him after the game that going six strong innings like that in a close game — I was really proud of him.”
