In a post-game interview, Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodón reflected on his performance, which was marked by an impressive showing of strikeouts but ultimately overshadowed by a rough inning. The game saw the Kansas City Royals capitalize on Rodón’s struggles in the fourth inning, scoring four crucial runs that led them to a 4-2 victory, evening the series at one game apiece.
Rodón started the game strong with a commanding three consecutive strikeouts in the first inning. The Yankees opened the scoring thanks to Giancarlo Stanton’s hitting in the third inning, but the tide turned decisively in the fourth.
“It all fell apart in that inning,” Rodón explained. “The first batter, Salvador Perez, hit a homer to tie the game. After that, it just spiraled. Yuli Gurriel got on base with a single, and then things got messy with walks and hits. Before I knew it, we were down four runs.”
By the end of his outing, Rodón pitched 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, striking out seven batters along the way.
The Royals’ starter, Cole Ragans, managed a solid performance himself, working through four innings and only giving up one run despite walking four batters. He was lifted early due to increasing pitch counts but effectively controlled the Yankees’ lineup. The only blip was Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s solo home run in the ninth inning, which added a fleeting moment of brightness for the Yankees.
Rodón expressed his disappointment but remained focused on bouncing back in the next game. “I need to put this behind me and come out stronger next time,” he stated.
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