Carlos Rodón gave the Yankees exactly the kind of October-shaped outing they wanted in Tuesday’s opener, carrying New York through eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Rays at Yankee Stadium.
The left-hander kept Tampa Bay from turning the first game of a separate-admission doubleheader into a division-clinching celebration. Cody Bellinger supplied the offense with a two-run homer, his 17th of the season, as the Yankees handled the makeup game from the May 23 rainout.
Quick facts
- Final score: Yankees 2, Rays 0.
- Carlos Rodón: 8 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks.
- Rodón earned his 100th career victory and reached 1,500 career strikeouts.
- Cody Bellinger hit a two-run home run.
- Nick Martinez allowed 2 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings for Tampa Bay.
Rodón did not permit a Tampa Bay hitter to reach second base. He faced the minimum through six innings, worked without issuing a walk, and finished his milestone night by striking out Jonny DeLuca in the eighth for career punchout No. 1,500.
It was a crisp matchup between Rodón and Martinez, with little room for either lineup. Martinez held the Yankees in check for six innings, but Bellinger’s drive accounted for all the damage New York needed.
The performance adds another strong option to a Yankees postseason picture that has not yet been formally arranged. New York is expected to open the American League Wild Card Series at home against the Red Sox, though manager Aaron Boone has not announced a rotation.
Boone has said he expects Gerrit Cole to receive a start, while Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are also in the mix. Rodón’s work against the Rays offered a reminder that, should New York advance, he could be positioned for the first game of a potential American League Division Series against Tampa Bay.
