Carlos Rodón (33), a left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees, fully revived after giving up consecutive home runs to Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants). Rodón became a winning pitcher for two consecutive games, achieving a streak of 13 innings without an earned run.

On the 24th (Korean time), Rodón started in an away game against the Cleveland Guardians in the 2025 Major League Baseball at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, pitching 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 8 while giving up 1 unearned run, leading the Yankees to a 5-1 victory.

In the first inning, Rodón allowed a double to Gabriel Arias and a single to José Ramírez, giving up the first run due to a fielding error by center fielder KODI Bellinger. Although he could have been shaken, Rodón remained calm. He overcame the situation in the second inning with 1 out and runners on first and second, striking out the next batter and getting the following one to pop out, passing the inning without further scoring. By the seventh inning, he had retired 14 of the last 15 batters faced.

Rodón threw a total of 90 pitches, achieving a maximum speed of 97.5 miles per hour (156.9 km) and an average of 95.1 miles per hour (153.0 km), primarily featuring his four-seam fastball (39 pitches), followed by changeups (19), sliders (18), curves (8), and sinkers (6). He effectively utilized his powerful fastball along with sliders, changeups, and curves as decisive pitches.

Rodón, who secured his third win of the season (3 losses), also lowered his earned run average from 4.34 to 3.50. Despite struggling in the first four games with 1 win and 3 losses and an earned run average of 5.48, he rebounded with consecutive games of 13 innings without an earned run following a performance against the Tampa Bay RAY on the 19th, where he pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9 without giving up any runs.

Coincidentally, he showcased a revived performance after giving up consecutive home runs to Lee Jung-hoo. On the 14th against San Francisco, Rodón suffered a loss after pitching 5 ⅔ innings, allowing 3 hits (2 home runs), 3 walks, and 4 earned runs. He only gave up 3 hits, but 2 of them were consecutive home runs by Lee Jung-hoo.

Rodón, an 11-year veteran who has been selected as an All-Star twice and is a top-tier starter, signed a massive 6-year, $162 million free-agent contract with the Yankees in December 2022. This was the first time in his career, spanning 202 games, that he gave up 2 home runs to left-handed hitters in a single game.

In that game, Rodón gave up consecutive home runs, a solo shot in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the sixth, resulting in 4 earned runs. The second home run in the sixth inning was particularly painful, as the fifth pitch curveball was a hit right down the middle, which Lee Jung-hoo did not miss.

After the game, Rodón noted, "I feel frustration for giving up runs with two strikes. I should have pitched better. The opposing players are big league hitters, the best in the world, and I threw a terrible pitch," while recognizing Lee Jung-hoo as a world-class player.

However, whether it was the effect of those consecutive home runs, Rodón found stability with 13 innings without an earned run over the next two games. According to local media such as the New York Post, Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Rodón after the game against Cleveland on the 24th, saying, "Rodón showed his strength once again. He found his rhythm during the game and got better. The power of his fastball was really good."

Rodón is also recovering his confidence after overcoming the shock of giving up consecutive home runs to Lee Jung-hoo. He stated, "Games like this help build confidence. I was fine in the early part of the season, but I want to keep this good momentum going. I want to win games and pitch as long as I can. I will work hard throughout the season to grow and become a better pitcher."

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