Rodon, Bello Set for Pivotal Yankees-Red Sox Duel
Carlos Rodon and Brayan Bello will square off Wednesday night as the New York Yankees look to avoid elimination against the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card series.
Boston struck first in the best-of-three with a dominant outing from Garrett Crochet, who allowed just one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings. The left-hander struck out 11, retired 17 straight batters after Anthony Volpe’s home run, and ended his night with a 100-mph fastball.
The Yankees nearly staged a late rally against former closer Aroldis Chapman, loading the bases with no outs before Chapman escaped with two strikeouts and a flyout. New York finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
“We have been playing with a lot on the line seemingly every single day,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Tonight was a great baseball game that we just couldn’t get that final punch in. So we will be ready to go, and I expect us to come out and get one tomorrow.”
Rodon, an All-Star this year, led the AL by holding hitters to a .188 average and set a career high with 18 wins. He closed the regular season strong, going 7-2 with a 2.43 ERA in his final nine starts. That stretch included a dominant win over Boston on Aug. 24, sparking the Yankees’ 25-8 run to finish the season.
Against the Red Sox this year, Rodon went 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA and is 5-6 lifetime with a 4.28 ERA across 12 starts. In last year’s postseason, he appeared in four games with a 5.60 ERA.
“I learned a lot about staying within myself and just trying to keep, you know, everything in check,” Rodon said. “So hopefully I can keep that going for this year.”
Boston turns to Brayan Bello, who posted career highs in innings (166 2/3) and ERA (3.35) during the regular season. The right-hander struggled late, going 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in his last three outings, but has historically fared well against New York. Bello is 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 career starts vs. the Yankees, including a 2-1 record with a 1.89 ERA this season.
At Yankee Stadium, he has been even sharper, with a 3-1 record and 1.44 ERA in five starts.
“I feel like as soon as you step on the field, you feel the pressure from the fans,” Bello said through a translator. “For me, nothing changes preparation-wise, but I feel like that extra pressure from the fans and from everybody, it gets me going.”
Boston manager Alex Cora said he expects another tight matchup. Rodon has been amazing throughout this season. They are obviously going to have their left-handed hitters in the lineup. We have Brayan, who likes it here and has pitched well here throughout his career. I expect the game to be just like this one.”
The Red Sox lead the series 1-0 and are one win away from advancing to the AL Division Series.
