The New York Yankees have been flying high for much of the season, but they hit a rare rough spot on Friday night in an 8-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon was responsible for all of the damage, giving up eight runs, seven of them earned, in just 3 2/3 innings of work. His brief outing included 11 hits allowed, three of them home runs.
Rodon looked completely shell-shocked in the dugout after being removed from the game. Teammate Gleyber Torres consoled him, with the pitcher seemingly on the verge of tears.
Gleyber Torres consoles an emotional Carlos Rodón before he heads down to the clubhouse pic.twitter.com/lAGYtGhrTh
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 22, 2024
Rodon has been a controversial figure among Yankees fans. After signing a six-year, $162 million deal prior to the 2023 season, he spent a good portion of the year hurt and posted a 6.85 ERA even when healthy. He had been much better in 2024 with a 2.93 ERA in his first 14 starts of the year, but Friday’s outing was his second straight poor showing. That was presumably weighing on him here.
The Yankee rotation, Rodon included, has been a strength all season, and that was before getting Gerrit Cole back from injury. Outings like this one, however, are part of the reason the team might be in the market for even more pitching.
