With Yanks' bats struggling, Rodón's few mistakes prove costly

NEW YORK -- After allowing 20 earned runs in his previous 13 2/3 innings, left-hander Carlos Rodón didn’t pitch badly against the Reds on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. But the long ball did him in as the Yankees were defeated, 3-2.

Unlike his previous three starts, Rodón didn’t let the first inning get out of hand. In fact, he retired the Reds in order. But in the following inning, Rodón found himself behind when he allowed a two-run homer to Noelvi Marte.

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“I kind of pulled that fastball down and in. That ball was supposed to be up,” Rodón said.

Rodón settled down until the fifth inning, when he allowed a solo homer to Stuart Fairchild to make it a three-run game. Rodón made the mistake of throwing the slider to Fairchild down and in.

“There were some pitches I would like to have back,” Rodón said. “… I wish I kept some runs off the board and give the boys a better chance. It’s on to the next [start] now.”

Rodón lasted until the sixth inning, when manager Aaron Boone took him out with one out at 95 pitches (57 strikes). By the look on his face, Rodón didn’t want to leave the game and voiced, “No way. No way.” It took teammate Gerrit Cole to calm him down in the dugout.

Boone said there wasn’t a chance he was going to let Rodón stay in the game like he did last Thursday against the Blue Jays. The skipper wanted Michael Tonkin to get the last two outs in the inning.

“You are competing. I didn’t want to come off the wrong way,” Rodón said. “I wanted to stay in and get those last two outs of that inning. I understand they turned it over to Tonkin. He gets two outs easily. He is great.”

Boone said he liked the way Rodón threw the ball and hopes he will build momentum into his next start against the Rays next week.

The Yankees tried to rally in the seventh inning. After Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott left the game with one out, Anthony Volpe doubled home Jahmai Jones and Austin Wells off Fernando Cruz to make it a one-run game. Volpe advanced to third on a wild pitch, and after Juan Soto drew a walk, Aaron Judge came to the plate with two runners on, but he hit into a double play to end the threat.

“He’s the best hitter in the world,” Cruz said. “There’s no better way to compete than getting him to hit into a double play with a game like that.”

The following inning, the Yankees had runners on first and second with two outs, but Reds left-hander Justin Wilson struck out Trent Grisham to end the threat.

The Bronx Bombers didn’t have much luck with closer Alexis Díaz in the ninth inning. After Wells led off with a walk, there wasn’t a thought to have Volpe bunt to advance the runner.

“I figured he was going to be hard to double up,” Boone said. “You are taking a shot with Soto and Judge coming up.”

Instead, Volpe hit into a double play. Soto followed and flied out to left fielder Spencer Steer to end the game.

The Yankees have lost 13 of their past 18 games and are two games behind the first-place Orioles in the American League East.