It was a wild day one of the postseason, with the Wild Card rounds kicking off with epic pitching performances. We saw Tarik Skubal absolutely dominate, pitching 7.2 innings while striking out 14 on the road against the Cleveland Guardians. The San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs followed up with another pitching duel, where we saw the Cubs inch by in a 3-1 victory, thanks to their bullpen.
The best pitching duel of day one went to the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees. Garrett Crochet and Max Fried went bullet for bullet. Crochet ultimately prevailed, despite New York’s ace pitching 6.1 innings of scoreless ball. Boston’s ace allowed one run across 7.2 innings while striking out 11 Yankees. Now the Bronx Bombers will face elimination on Wednesday night, with Carlos Rodón on the mound.
Rodón can earn his pinstripes with Yankee fans in Game 2
Rodón has finally emerged as the guy Brian Cashman thought he could be when he signed him to a six-year/$162M contract before the 2023 season. He pitched to an 18-9 record and a 3.09 ERA. It was arguably the left-hander’s best season of his career. He will now pitch the most important game of his career.
The Yankees are coming off a miserable Game 1. They had a chance to make something happen in the bottom of the ninth, as they loaded the bases with no outs. Aaron Boone’s squad couldn’t pull through with a single run. Boston has all the momentum after Aroldis Chapman worked out of the jam, locking down the win for the Red Sox.
Nevertheless, the Yanks are playing at home. Yankee Stadium was louder than ever the moment the first pitch was thrown in Game 1. Boston will trot out Brayan Bello on Wednesday night, giving New York the pitching advantage. They can easily gain back momentum, but it has to be gained through Rodón. If he pitches deep into Game 2 and does what he’s done all season, the Yankees can take the momentum back heading into Game 3.
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