Carlos Rodón takes perfect game bid into sixth as Yankees secure series win over Twins
NEW YORK — Following a few dazzling defensive plays and five dominant innings, a special evening appeared to be unfolding for Carlos Rodón.
Alas, the lefty fell several outs short of baseball immortality, as he took a perfect game bid into the sixth inning on Wednesday. While not historic, the performance proved to be more than enough in the Yankees’ 9-5 win over the Twins.
Rodón ended up totaling six innings, three hits, two earned runs, zero walks and a season-high nine strikeouts over 100 pitches. He retired the first 16 batters he faced before Carlos Santana lofted a solo homer the other way with one away in the sixth.
Later in the inning, the Twins scored another run off of Rodón on a Carlos Correa sacrifice fly. Rodón now has a 3.08 ERA this season.
Anticipation of potential perfection may have started a bit early on Wednesday, as the Yankees made several web-gems behind Rodón, who authored a no-hitter with the White Sox earlier in his career.
The first came in the second inning when Alex Verdugo tracked down a Byron Buxton fly ball at the wall in left. Rodón threw his hands up in appreciation as Verdugo crashed into the plexiglass that lines Yankee Stadium’s visiting bullpen. Fellow outfielders Aaron Judge and Juan Soto then hyped Verdugo up as they returned to the Yankees’ dugout.
Left field was a comedy of errors for the Yankees last season, but Verdugo has stabilized the position. He entered Wednesday’s game fourth in Outs Above Average and first in Defensive Runs Saved among left fielders.
The next highlight came in the third when Santana hit a grounder to Anthony Volpe. Volpe dove for the ball, fired to first and benefited from Anthony Rizzo’s footwork as the Yankees recorded another pretty out.
One more followed in the fourth when Soto, in foul territory, made a leaping grab at the wall in right. Once again, Rodón expressed gratitude from the mound while a crowd full of Soto basketball jerseys — Wednesday’s giveaway — cheered along.
Of course, Rodón was also grateful for the early lead the Yankees gave him.
The Bombers started scoring in the first when Volpe scored on a Judge grounder. Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI single before a Gleyber Torres ground-rule double down the right-field line plated two more runs.
Judge then cleared the bases in the fifth inning with the fifth triple of his career. Willi Castro misplayed the knock down the left-field line before Verdugo brought Judge home with a sacrifice fly.
Judge, who finished the game with five RBIs, forced another run home in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk.
Seven of the Yankees’ runs were charged to Chris Paddack, who tallied just four innings. The righty also struggled against the Yankees in Minnesota on May 14, allowing 12 hits and five earned runs over five innings amid concerns over tipping.
The Twins pushed back a bit, first against Rodón and then against Dennis Santana. The latter surrendered three earned runs, including a Royce Lewis solo shot, between the seventh and eighth innings.
Santana now has a 5.68 ERA.
While the Twins found some fight late in the game, the Yankees nonetheless secured their seventh consecutive victory and fourth straight series win. The team is now 44-19.
The Yanks will go for their second sweep of the Twins this season on Thursday when Marcus Stroman takes the mound. Minnesota ace Pablo López will counter Stroman in the finale.
