RODON Dominates Again. Devin Williams Gives Agita. NY 3 LA Angels 2

May 28, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0

Carlos Rodon dominated again — throwing 7 innings of 5-hit, shutout ball, striking out 10 with 0 walks — leaving with a 3-0 lead.

Jonathan Loaisiga pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 8th, but Devin Williams gave Yankee fans agita by allowing 2 runs in the 9th, and with the tying run on 1st, going 3-0 to the Angels best hitter, 14-HR Logan O’Hoppe, before getting him to just miss a high fastball and pop out.

Phew.

Rodon out-dueled Tyler Anderson, who had a strong start for the Angels with 6 innings of 5-hit, 2-run (1 unearned) ball. The Yankee runs came on a solo HR by Ben Rice in the 4th, an RBI-single by Anthony Volpe in the 6th, and a solo HR by Oswald Peraza in the 7th.

It was Rodon’s 8th straight dominant start — over which time he’s gone 6-0 1.29. He is now 7-3 2.60 on the season (after going 16-9 3.96 last year). The 6-year, $27M a year contract is starting to look like money well spent.

Devin Williams had also been good in his prior 12 relief appearances — rebounding from a horrendous start to the season — but had to scrap by this night.

“You know you just keep going, the game’s not over — we didn’t lose yet so — it’s pretty simple,” said Devin Williams afterwards about the 9th. “I didn’t think he’d be swinging there to be honest; kind of did me a favor” added Williams about O’Hoppe popping out. “I was kind of battling myself a little bit today; they were jumping on me early a few times there, but we got the job done.”

“Looked like he left a couple of changeups up in the zone,” said manager Aaron Boone about Williams. “Didn’t have the bite on that as much tonite.”

NY improves to 34-20 and are in 1st in the AL East by 7 games. The LA Angels fall to 25-29.

1. Rodon Dominant

Rodon started off slow, but got more dominant as the night wore on.

He allowed a 1-out single in the 1st, but got 2 groundouts to end the inning. He allowed a leadoff double to former Met Travis d’Arnaud in the 2nd, but got a groundout and then two strikeouts to end the inning. And he allowed consecutive 1-out singles in the 3rd, but then struck out 3rd baseman Yoan Moncada and DH Taylor Ward — both swinging — to end the inning.

Then Rodon rolled — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, 5th, and 6th and getting the first 2 outs of the 7th — retiring 13 batters in a row.

Rodon’s slider was vicious, and his fastball was crackling.

The 10 strikeouts gave Rodon 80 on the year in 65.2 innings.

Rodon helped himself with a Derek Jeter-like play in the 4th.

Rodon was also helped in the 7th by a tremendous diving catch by Trent Grisham in centerfield for the 1st out of the inning.

Rodon allowed a 2-out double to Jo Adell in the 7th, but struck out Chris Taylor to end his outing.

2. Rice HR in 4th Makes It 1-0 NY

Ben Rice gave Rodon and the Yanks a 1-0 lead in the top of the 4th with a 423-foot homer to right center off Anderson.

3. Volpe RBI Single in 6th Makes It 2-0 NY

In the 6th, Cody Bellinger hit a drive to center that Matthew Lugo got to but dropped — Bellinger safe at 2nd on a 2-base error.

Anthony Volpe then singled to center for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

4. Peraza HR in 7th Makes It 3-0 NY

Oswald Peraza added a key insurance run with a 408-foot homer to center off reliever H Neris.

5. Loaisiga a Shutout 8th

Jonathan Loaisiga pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 8th — ground out, strike out, ground out.

6. Devin an Agita Save

And then came Devin Williams for the save — as Luke Weaver had pitched the last few games in a row.

Moncada led off with a 413-foot homer to center and it was a 3-1 game.

Then Ward singled to left, d’Arnard flied out, but 2nd baseman Luis Rengifo singled to center and here we go again.

Jo Adell hit a grounder to shortstop that Volpe made a great play on — “just” getting Rengifo out at 2nd on a great diving catch by DJ LeMahieu at 2nd — just keeping his foot on the bag. A run scored, making it a 3-2 game with the tying run at 1st.

Angels’ Manager Ron Washington challenged the call at 2nd — but lost the challenge. Phew.

Up Steps Angels’ Best Hitter

Logan O’Hoppe stepped in as a pinch hitter — O’Hoppe who sports a 14-30-.265 slash line — the Angels best hitter.

Devin Williams threw 3 straight balls to run the count 3-0 — and then got O’Hoppe to just miss a 91-MPH four seam fastball up in the zone for a pop out to 3rd and the old ballgame.

PHEW.

Etcetera

Aaron Judge singled in the 1st to raise his batting average back up over .400 to .401 — but finished 1-4 for a .395 batting average.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401695728

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