As Carlos Rodón partied in the Yankees’ clubhouse after Game 4 of the ALDS, he had no idea if he would start the club’s next postseason game. Meanwhile, Aaron Boone declined to name a Game 1 starter that night and on Saturday.
But with the Yankees hosting a workout Sunday before the start of the ALCS, a team spokesperson told Rodón to head to Yankee Stadium’s press conference room at 1 p.m. That time slot had already been reserved for the Yankees’ Game 1 starter, and thus the decision was revealed.
“Game 1 just sets the tone,” said Rodón, who will face the Guardians for the first time this season. “Looking forward to being out there again, feeling the energy, and just giving my team the best chance to win.”
Boone said Clarke Schmidt was also consideration for Game 1. It ended up being a “close” call, the skipper said, but Schmidt will start Game 3. Gerrit Cole will start Game 2, while Luis Gil will make his postseason debut when he starts Game 4.
Asked why the Yankees went with Rodón for the opener, Boone and Matt Blake noted that they wanted to keep members of the rotation as on-schedule as possible. But they also have faith in their $162 million starter after a shaky showing against the Royals in the ALDS.
“He’s a really good pitcher,” Boone said. “For him struggling there and getting knocked out in his last outing in the fourth, I also feel like he came out throwing the ball really well in his first big experience. Hopefully it’s something that he can take from that outing that allows him to really break through and have that outing we know he’s capable of.”
Rodón enjoyed a stellar opening against the Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS, striking out the side in the first. Clearly feeling himself in front of a packed home crowd, the southpaw grew increasingly animated as he screamed, strutted and stuck out his tongue.
“I was having a lot of fun,” Rodón recalled. “The energy and everything, it kind of got me going.”
However, the southpaw unraveled in the fourth frame and allowed four earned runs over 3.2 innings. That included a solo homer to Salvador Perez.
“If I look back at that start, the first three innings went pretty well. I mean, my stuff was there. It was pretty electric,” Rodón said. “Then going into the fourth, I knew I had a tough at-bat against Salvador Perez, who notoriously has done well against me and hits lefties really well. His numbers are pretty good, so I knew that at-bat was coming up.
“He made a good swing and it kind of brought me out of focus just a tick.”
The day before that start, Rodón talked about needing to control his sometimes-turbulent emotions. However, after the ALDS ended, he said that he didn’t lose focus or burn too much energy in the first inning.
“I thought my stuff was pretty good,” Rodón said. “I left some stuff over the plate that I think I could have been better with. It just happens, and it all seemed to happen in one inning.”
That one inning led to some threats directed at Rodón’s family, as anonymous users on Instagram messaged his wife. That left the couple understandably upset.
“It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last time,” Rodón said. “I think Ashley and I spoke about it that night, and she said, and I quote, ‘I have thick skin, so I’m going to be okay.’ She does. She’s a tough lady, my wife. Very tough, probably tougher than I am.”
With that unfortunate ALDS experience now behind Rodón, his focus is on what he called a “formidable” Guardians lineup that is headlined by José Ramírez.
Cleveland has hit lefties well this season, batting .251 with a .751 OPS. Those figures ranked 11th and seventh, respectively.
Blake said those splits were “definitely part of the conversation” as the Yankees weighed their Game 1 options. However, the coach is confident Rodón is up for the task.
“You trust that his stuff is gonna play against these guys,” Blake said, “and I think you give him another shot at home. Feel good about him.”
