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Gerrit Cole was inconsistent before getting skipped in the rotation due to body fatigue.
Luis Gil has straightened himself out, but his escalating innings total is concerning.
Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman have taken large steps back after solid starts to their seasons.
Is Carlos Rodon, a flop last season, suddenly the most dependable Yankees starter?
Rodon was solid again and pitched better than his 5 ¹/₃-inning, three-run line in the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in The Bronx on Saturday.
“That’s why we went out and got him a couple years ago,” Aaron Judge said of Rodon, who has allowed just six earned runs in his past three starts. “He’s an incredible pitcher.”
The lefty had electric stuff in striking out eight and allowing just three hits while walking two.
He dazzled against eight Toronto batters and struggled against Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which is understandable with the Yankees killer.
Guerrero smoked a home run in the first inning, and the Blue Jays didn’t get another base runner until the fourth and another run until the sixth.
Rodon’s fastball touched 99.6 mph, his second-fastest pitch of the season, and he induced 13 of his 17 whiffs on a good four-seamer with life.
He has added to his arsenal this season, which might be making his trusted four-seamer more effective.
“I think [my fastball is] opening back up after using the secondaries a little more, especially in hitters’ counts,” Rodon said. “Got some fastballs by guys today.”
Rodon’s only true bit of trouble after the first inning arrived in the sixth, when he walked George Springer before striking out Joey Loperfido with his 100th pitch of the game. Aaron Boone chatted with Rodon on the mound, and Rodon convinced his manager that he should see Guerrero one more time.
Rodon pumped in a 99.6-mph fastball just off the plate, but Guerrero drove it down the right-field line for a double.
“The last pitch I threw was 100 [mph] away, and he shoots it to right,” said Rodon, who watched Jake Cousins allow two inherited runners to score in the only instance of the bullpen getting dented on the afternoon. “I tip my cap on that.”
Part of an otherwise struggling rotation, Rodon’s ERA is back down to 4.37 and trending the right way — as is his stuff.
“I thought stuff-wise, he was really good again,” Boone said. “I thought the fastball got better as he went. … Good job of mixing really all day.”
