NEW YORK -- Carlos Rodon's lowest moment for the New York Yankees occurred in the final start of a disastrous 2023 season on the mound in Kansas City. While Rodon was going through a nightmarish first season in New York, Cole Ragans was providing 12 starts as the Kansas City Royals concluded a 106-loss campaign and looked ahead to better results in 2024. Rodon bounced back in a big way to help the Yankees win the American League East, while Ragans dominated at times as the Royals reached the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Game 2 of their AL Division Series on Monday features both left-handers on the mound. The Yankees are attempting to take a 2-0 lead after opening the series with a 6-5 win on Saturday. Alex Verdugo hit the tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning for the game's fifth lead change and also made a sliding catch in left field for the final out of the fourth to strand two.
Verdugo struggled for most of the final three-plus months of his first season with New York, similar to Rodon's initial campaign when he missed the first three months with a back injury and went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts. He ended the disastrous season by allowing eight runs without retiring a hitter against the Royals and was seen yelling at pitching coach Matt Blake on the mound.
"I just think that the mental growth we've seen of just understanding who he is, understanding who he can be going forward," Blake said Thursday. "And then just seeing how the league's adjusting.
