In the first of a three-game series, the Yankees fell to the Cubs 3-0 Friday night at Carlos RodonThe beginnings of the team.
Here are the takeaways…
1. Carlos Rodon took the ball in his debut for the Yankees after signing a major free agent contract last winter. After missing the first three months through injury, the southpaw made his first start for New York and looked sharp in the first frame. He removed the side in order and stoked Ian Happ with a 97 mph fastball for his first pinstripe strikeout.
Rodon stayed perfect for two innings before Chicago hit first on a Cody Bellinger home run in the second deck in right field. The southpaw bounced back to end the frame and deliver a 1-2-3 fourth inning.
The southpaw started to lose control in the fifth inning with two walks. With two on and two on, Nico Hoerner fired a right hit to double Chicago’s lead. Rodon escaped further damage in the fifth and was effective overall with just 59 shots in five frames.
On 69 pitches, Aaron Boon made the move to the bullpen after Rodon pitched 5.1 innings with just four hits and two runs while striking out two.
2. Jameson Taillon made the Chicago start on his return to Yankee Stadium. In two seasons with the Yankees, the right-hander went 22-11 with a 4.08 ERA. On Friday, the right-hander allowed just one hit and kept the Yankees scoreless the first time in order. Taillon mixed gears and unbalanced batters in the fifth as the Yankees offense struggled for a second straight night with just two base runners in six innings.
Taillon finished his seventh inning on a hit when Harrison Bader rebounded in a double play and worked eight innings and 102 pitches. The outing marked Taillon’s best outing of 2023 and only his second scoreless performance of the season in addition to his five white frames against the Dodgers on April 15.
3. ian hamilton came on as relief for Rodon in the sixth inning. After walking Christopher MorelHamilton produced a double play ball to end the inning and officially close the book on Rodon’s outing.
4. Patrick Wisdom added another insurance run in the seventh inning when he hit a double to left field from Ron Marinaccio. A pair of impact defensive plays obliterated two Cubs runners to end the inning. Antoine Volpe threw Wisdom while running to third base forward Kyle Higashioka caught Hoerner stealing.
5. Clay Holmes worked a scoreless ninth inning and pulled out the side to give the offense a chance down the frame. For Cubs, Adbert Alzolay faced the minimum to earn the stoppage and secure a 3-0 win for Chicago.
Strong points
And after
The Yankees continue their streak with the Chicago Cubs in the Bronx on Saturday afternoon. The first pitch is set at 1:05 p.m.