Yanks Crush Diamondback Ace Rodriguez to Back Cole. NY 9 Arizona 2

September 19, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Ben Rice with his 39th HR of the year -- a solo shot in the 3rd to make it 6-2 Yankees.

The Yankee offense bashed Diamondbacks’ Ace Eduardo Rodriguez in support of strong pitching by Gerrit Cole for a 9-2 win on a Friday night in Arizona.

The Red Sox beat the Tampa Rays, so NY pulls within 4 games with 9 games left — and a 4-game series with Tampa looming this week.

Eduardo Rodriguez came in with a 15-6 2.62 record, but was wild to begin the game and the Yankees took full advantage, scoring 5 runs on 3 walks, a wild pitch and 3 singles to take a 5-0 lead in the 1st. George Lombard Jr. capped the rally with a 2-RBI hit.

After Cole allowed a 2-run HR in the 2nd to make it a 5-2 game, Ben Rice added to the NY lead with a HR in the 3rd to make it 6-2, and Lombard hit a HR off Rodriguez in the 6th to make it 7-2.

Cole pitched 6 strong innings of 4-hit ball, striking out 6 and walking 0 — good news for the Yanks as he made the adjustments he promised after getting bombed in his last start. He wins to go 9-9 3.63.

“I tried to flush the last one as soon as possible,” said Cole afterwards. “And get on to tightening up a little bit of the delivery and get the ball to better areas more often. Stay a little bit more compact and a lttle bit more over my legs, and deliver the baseball while coming through the baseball, not coming off the baseball too early. I don’t think we did a perfect job tonite — I think we moved the needle in the right direction but there’s still some meat on the bone there. And it’ snot easy but it’s necessary — it’s the big leagues.”

NY improves to 89-64, 4 behind Tampa and 5.5 ahead of Boston. Arizona falls to 80-74, 14 back of the Dodgers and 5 games behind a Wild Card spot in the West.

1. Yanks Jump on a Wild Rodriguez in 1st

Eduardo Rodriguez — the 33-year-old, 6’2 lefty who was a long-time Red Sox Ace (going 19-6 3.81 for them in 2019) — is having his best year for Arizona after signing a 4-year, $80M contract with them in 2024. He had shoulder issues which forced time on the 60-day IL and limited him to 3-4 5.04 in 2024, then went 9-9 5.02 in 2025.

He’s been living up to his contract this year, but was wild in the 1st — walking Paul Goldschmidt to leadoff the game, then allowing a single to Cody Bellinger, and walking Heliot Ramos to load the bases.

Rodriguez then walked Ben Rice to force in a run for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

Next batter Amed Rosario singled to center and it was 2-0 NY.

Rodriguez then threw a wild pitch for another run and 3-0 Yankee lead.

Next batter George Lombard Jr. singled to left for 2 more runs and a 5-0 game.

2. Rice HR in 3rd Makes It 6-2 NY

Rodriguez finally settled down to strike out the last 2 batters of the 1st, and then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, before Ben Rice came up to leadoff the 3rd and wacked a 390-foot HR to left center for a 6-2 game.

3. Lombard HR in 6th Makes It 7-2 NY

After the Rice HR, Rodriguez again settled down — retiring 10 of the next 11 batters, before George Lombard Jr. ripped a 368-foot HR to left in the 6th for a 7-2 Yankee lead.

4. Cole Brilliant

Good news for Yankee fans: Gerrit Cole made adjustments after his poor prior start — and was back looking great again as he has for most of this season.

Cole pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st and looked strong.

He made one mistake — a 97-MPH, four-seam fastball that was yanked to right for a 2-run HR with 2 outs in the 2nd by Corbin Carroll to make the game 5-2 at the time.

It was a momentary glitch. Cole continued to mow the Diamondbacks down — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd, allowing but a 1-out single in the 4th and 5th, and pitching a 1-2-3 shutout 6th.

Spencer Jones helped Cole with a terrific diving catch in centerfield in the 3rd.

During the game YES network surfaced a photo of Cole as a kid in Arizona at the 2001 World Series — holding up a Yankee sign. Cole grew up in California a Yankee fan.

5. Yanks Make It 9-2 in 7th

Zac Gallen came in to pitch the 7th and also had wildness issues. Gallen allowed an infield single to Paul Goldschmidt, then with 1 out, walked Heliot Ramos and Ben Rice to load the bases.

Ryan McMahon hit a chopper down the 1st base line, but 1st baseman Pavin Smith tossed the ball away in trying to get it to the pitcher covering, for an error and a run — making it 8-2 NY.

Spencer Jones then hit a hard grounder to 2nd that the Diamondbacks tried to turn into a doubleplay — but Jones beat out the throw to 1st for a groundout RBI and 9-2 NY lead.

6. Yarbrough, Fulmer, & Gil = 3 Shutout Innings

Ryan Yarbrough got into and out of trouble in the bottom of the 7th — allowing a 1-out single and then a double by Nolan Arenado to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 9-2 game.

But Yarbrough struck out the last 2 batters of the inning to strand the runners.

Yarbrough got the first out of the 8th before handing the baton to Michael Fulmer who got the next 2 batters for a 1-2-3 inning.

And Luis Gil pitched a shutout 9th — allowing a leadoff walk and 1-out single to Arenado — before getting a fly out and strikeout for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401816995

 

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