CLEVELAND — Of all the miserable Yankee seasons in 2023, Carlos Rodon may have had the miserablest.
So perhaps it was fitting that it was Rodon who helped pitch the Yankees into the World Series for the first time since 2009, with 4 ²/₃ solid innings in a 5-2, 10-inning win over Cleveland in Game 5 of the ALCS.
“It shows who we really are,” Rodon said of his turnaround, along with the team. “We’re not scared to look adversity in the eyes. We had a rough year last year and now it’s behind us. We still have more work to do.”
On Saturday, Rodon wasn’t nearly as effective as he was against Cleveland in Game 2 of the series in The Bronx, but he kept the Yankees in the game and gave the offense a chance to come alive.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity because this is what you dream of as a kid,’’ Rodon said. “The goal was to go out there and compete.”
He did that despite leaving with the Yankees trailing.
“We were down by two runs when I came out, but I know the lineup can do damage and wanted to keep us within striking distance,’’ Rodon said.
The lefty retired the first four batters he faced before Josh Naylor reached on a slow roller to third with one out in the second.
He got Jhonkensy Noel swinging before the other Naylor brother, Bo, got to Rodon, with a double to the corner in right to score Josh Naylor from first.
It gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead.
Rodon recovered and had an easy third and fourth before he stumbled again in the fifth.
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This time, Andres Gimenez doubled to left with one out and after Brayan Rocchio went down swinging, Steven Kwan singled to center to make it 2-0.
It was the fourth hit off the lefty Rodon, all by left-handed hitters.
After a single by the righty-swinging David Fry, Rodon’s night was over.
He’s completed five innings just once in three starts this postseason and needed 85 pitches to get through two outs in the fifth, despite walking just one.
And Saturday night was not an ace-like performance from Rodon, who bounced back from a nightmarish first year with the Yankees and had a solid 2024 regular season.
But in these playoffs, starting pitchers are held to a different standard than in previous years, as well as the regular season.
“October baseball is different nowadays,” general manager Brian Cashman said before the game. “These hitters grind it out pretty good and take every pitch out of these guys. There’s a lot of pressure on managers to go to the pen and match up [with hitters].”
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