Since Carlos Rodón joined the Yankees, Andy Pettitte has guided his fellow left-hander through a sometimes rocky first three seasons.
In Game 3, the Yankees could use Rodón channelling Pettitte’s postseason success when he’s pitching to save their season, down 2-0 to Toronto in the best-of-five ALDS that comes to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.
“It all starts with Carlos on the mound,’’ Pettitte said Monday prior to a light Yankee workout in The Bronx. “We know that games like this are all about pitching. Yeah, we all know we have to score runs, but it starts with Carlos.”
Rodón was in a similar spot in the wild-card round against Boston after the Yankees dropped the first game of that series.
And while he wasn’t at his best, Rodón put the Yankees in position to come out of that must-win game with a victory before they advanced in three games.
They face even more of a challenge now, needing three straight wins to get by the Blue Jays and into the ALCS.
“I think he’s ready,’’ Pettitte said. “He had one like this the other day and was great, so he’s been there and done it. In these games, you try to simplify as much as you can, control your emotions and make big pitches. No different than any other game, but you know what’s on the line.”
Rodón has been inconsistent in the playoffs as a Yankee, with a 5.32 ERA over 23 ²/₃ innings in five playoff starts.
The Yankees have won three of those games.
But after the Yankees got back-to-back nightmare starts from Luis Gil in Game 1 and Max Fried in Game 2 at Rogers Centre, they need considerably more out of Rodón, who enters Tuesday having pitched at least five innings and allowed three or fewer runs in 11 straight starts — including the one versus Boston.
That’s why Aaron Boone said he had “a ton” of confidence in Rodón heading into Tuesday.
“He’s been, obviously, one of our horses this year,’’ Boone said. “He’s had a great year, and any time we give him the ball, we feel like we have an excellent chance to win. That will be the same [Tuesday].”
Rodón was OK in a pair of starts against the Blue Jays this season — pitching to a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings with both starts coming in Toronto — but Vlad Guerrero Jr., who killed the Yankees in the first two games of this series, has been a menace against Rodón, going 10-for-17 with three doubles and a homer.
Still, his teammates know he won’t back down from the challenge.
“Every time he’s on the mound, full confidence in him,’’ Cody Bellinger said. “I just love who he is as a competitor.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
