New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon got some revenge against the Kansas City Royals in a 4-2 win Monday night.
The last time Rodon pitched in Kansas City, it was nothing short of a disaster. He allowed six hits, eight earned runs and two walks without recording a single out.
This time, it was much different. Rodon was dominant, tossing 7.0 innings allowing five hits, one run, no walks and striking out three. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before it was broken up by a slow roller.
The Yankees saw the return of Juan Soto after giving him the weekend off due to left forearm inflammation. They also gave Aaron Judge a regular day off for the first time this season.
Without Judge in the lineup, it was clear the Yankees focused more on manufacturing runs with small ball when they had the chance.
Giving Clay Holmes a rest, reliever Michael Tonkin, who entered the game with a 0.93 ERA with the Yankees, got the save in the ninth inning.
Yankees at Royals game recap final box score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| NYY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| KCR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
Yankees at Royals results, highlights
Carlos Rodon shines again
It has been a heck of a season for Rodon. He looks like a completely different pitcher, giving the Yankees the type of consistency they need out of a No. 2 starter. Rodon lowered his season ERA to 2.93 while tossing 103 pitches (74 strikes). He generated 14 swings and misses relying mostly on a fastball-slider combination.
Carlos Rodón's 2Ks in the 3rd. ⛽️⛽️ pic.twitter.com/vl69tqLqSV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 11, 2024
Rodon's fastball averaged 96.1 mph and generated eight swings and misses. He got into a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning, but he was able to escape without allowing more than one run. It was another big outing for Rodon, who looks much more comfortable with his spot in the rotation.
Juan Soto makes his return
After a slight scare over the weekend, Soto made his return. Even three days was too long for the Yankees to keep him out of the lineup. His absence only increased the value of his next contract. Being without Soto simply isn't a fun experience for Yankees fans.
But, he made his return Monday night and got right to work. Soto singled up the middle in his first at-bat and got the Yankees on the board first. He also added a walk while holding the No. 2 spot in the order as the designated hitter.
Small ball wins the day
Without Judge in the lineup, there was a concerted effort to manufacture runs using small, a process that is becoming more antiquated by the day. The Yankees had two sac bunts within the first three innings, including a safety squeeze from DJ LeMahieu that put them up 2-0 in the first inning.
Trevino RIPS a 2-RBI single and the Yanks lead 4-0! pic.twitter.com/dngE4ODLTQ
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 11, 2024
It's interesting that the Yankees switched up their offensive approach without Judge in the lineup. A sac bunt in the fourth inning set up a two-run single for Jose Trevino. It seemed to be a wise move considering what happened in 2023 without Judge.
For more Yankees coverage, check out Kevin Hickey's work on Sporting News.
