CHICAGO — Part of Carlos Rodón will always feel at home here on the South Side, especially when he’s on the mound. This was where he threw his first big league pitches, launching a seven-year run with the White Sox that included a career highlight: a no-hitter in 2021, sealed on this very diamond.
That version of Rodón was a snarling package of four-seamers and sliders, daring opponents to catch up. The fearless edge is still there, but he carries more polish and savvy now, showcasing a broader arsenal to his former club as he guided the Yankees to their sixth consecutive victory on Friday, a 10-2 win at Rate Field.
“I’m more of a pitcher than a thrower, I would say,” Rodón said. “I rely on some weaker contact and let the defense work. The style is a little different. I’m still somewhat of a power pitcher, but I’m not just going to blow fastballs by you. I’m not stubborn.”
With the victory, the Yankees gained ground in the American League East, moving into second place behind the Blue Jays. Now just three games back of Toronto, it’s the closest New York has been in the division race since July 22.
“It’s a fun time of year. There’s a lot on the line,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s not something we can worry too much about. We’ve got to handle our business, play our game and go.”
With about 30 friends and family members in the seats, Rodón held Chicago to a run and seven hits over six innings, striking out five with a pair of walks.
Though he faced the White Sox in New York last May, Friday’s outing represented Rodón’s first start in Chicago as an opponent, acknowledged by a second-inning scoreboard message that prompted the lefty to doff his cap.
“I was grateful for it. I was just trying to stay focused,” Rodón said.
The fans who applauded may not recognize the pitcher Rodón has become. He rebounded from a frustrating 2023 season by fine-tuning his repertoire, one that now features curveballs, changeups and sinkers as legitimate weapons.
“He’s just a more complete pitcher,” Boone said. “If you’re going to have real longevity in this game, you’ve got to be able to adjust and adapt. And he’s done that.”
Rodón isn’t sure the 2021 version of himself would recognize who he’s evolved into.
“It was the beginning,” Rodón said. “I was 22 years old when I made my debut for the White Sox, pitching some big games, pitching some playoff games. I think the best thing about it was the staff over there and my teammates. The team we had, we were all really close.”
So are the current Yankees. They have won each of Rodón’s last five starts, dating to Aug. 6. Their current six-game win streak is their longest of the season, built against a stretch of softer opponents as September’s tougher tests loom.
Trent Grisham provided the big swing Friday, launching his fourth career grand slam — and second of the season — in the fourth inning. Grisham’s drive off Yoendrys Gómez carried to the visitors’ bullpen, representing the outfielder’s career-high 28th home run.
It was Grisham’s seventh homer in his last 10 games; he credits his mental focus, which he says has been locked in.
“I like it, and I want to get there a lot more often,” Grisham said. “It’s really hard to do on a night-in and night-out basis, just because we’re humans. But getting there, it’s a big thrill to do it. And then to do it with a bunch of guys that are trying to do the exact same thing, playing against the best players in the world every night, it’s really special.”
Boone said that if he was told this spring that Grisham would have a .354 on-base percentage, 28 homers and cement a place in the leadoff spot, “I would have signed up for that in a heartbeat.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a different kind of milestone, swiping his 25th base in the sixth inning to complete a rare power-speed combo.
He owns just the seventh season of at least 25 homers and 25 steals in franchise history, joining Bobby Bonds (1975), Rickey Henderson (1986), Alfonso Soriano (2002, ’03), Alex Rodriguez (2004), and Curtis Granderson (2011).
The Yanks piled on late, with Anthony Volpe’s seventh-inning homer helping them notch a double-digit run total for the third consecutive game.
This is the kind of top-to-bottom lineup production they believed was possible; now, they must prove they can keep it going when the schedule grows tougher.
“I never take anyone lightly on the schedule, ever,” Boone said. “That’s not lip service — it’s the big leagues. If you don’t play well, you’re going to get beat.”
