New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon had his way with the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series and set a modern postseason record in the process.
Rodon allowed only one run in six innings, putting the Yankees in position to win the first game of the best-of-seven series. They led 4-1 at the time the veteran left-hander was removed after the sixth inning.
Rodon also struck out nine batters and recorded 25 swings and misses in the process — a record in MLB’s pitch-tracking era (since 2008).
Yankees teammate Gerrit Cole set the previous record of 23 whiffs in the 2020 American League Wild Card series against the Cleveland Guardians. Cole struck out 13 batters in seven innings in Game 1 of the best-of-three series, which the Yankees won 12-3.
Rodon, 31, got 12 swings and misses with his four-seam fastball on Monday, commanding the pitch and changing speeds with impeccable precision. He threw the pitch 52 times — only 13 for balls, the rest for strikes.
Rodon also got nine swings and misses with his slider, three with his changeup, and one with his cutter. It was a masterclass in pitching by the veteran, and it set up the Yankees’ bullpen well for the remainder of the series.
Rodon went 16-9 with a 3.96 earned-run average in 32 regular-season starts for the Yankees. It was a remarkable bounce-back season for the veteran in Year 2 of a six-year, $162 million contract signed in Dec. 2022.
In 2023, Rodon made only 14 starts and went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA. The Yankees missed the postseason altogether. Like Rodon, they rebounded in a big way in 2024, winning the American League East and claiming the No. 1 seed in the league.
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Rodon made one start against the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card round. It didn’t go well. He allowed four runs in 3.2 innings as the Yankees suffered their only loss in the best-of-five series.
Given new life in the ALCS, Rodon made the most of his opportunity.
New York Yankees/Getty Images
Starting pitching was seen as a key advantage for New York in the series. Cole is scheduled to start Game 2 on Tuesday. Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil figure to start Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Friday, respectively, in Cleveland. Each is capable of pitching effectively deep into a game.
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No American League team got fewer quality starts this season than the Guardians, and no team got fewer starts (five) of 100 pitches or more.
That advantage was on full display in Game 1 when Guardians starter Alex Cobb allowed three runs in only 2.2 innings.
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