The Yankees knew they were getting a fierce competitor when they signed Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract over the offseason.
They got their best look yet on Wednesday night at what that can look like on the mound in a big game.
Rodon showed off his fiery nature while tossing 5 ²/₃ innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over the Mets.
His performance was filled with screams and curses as he worked in and out of trouble.
“He’s just a bulldog out there,” Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. “That’s the kind of energy we need and it’s fun to play behind him. … It fires me up. It fires us up. We want to make plays for him. We know how bad he wants it.”
Exactly a week earlier, Rodon went viral for blowing a sarcastic kiss at a heckling fan in Anaheim, which he said was his way of tempering his emotions during a rough start against the Angels.
Rodon provided some more memorable snapshots Wednesday at Yankee Stadium for his emotional reactions while walking off the mound after getting some big outs.
That included one after striking out Pete Alonso to strand a pair of runners in the fifth inning.
“I just kind of lose it sometimes in big moments,” said Rodon, who is lined up to make his next start on Tuesday against the Rays.
Manager Aaron Boone said he is all for Rodon wearing his emotions on his sleeve, with one stipulation.
“Carlos does let off some of that steam,” Boone said. “So as long as he’s not taking too much away from executing pitches, that keeps him sharp mentally and keeps that edge going, then I love it.”
The Yankees won the first two matchups of a four-game series against the Orioles in The Bronx the last time the two teams played, from July 3-6.
Since then, the Orioles have gone 13-5 to take over first place in the AL East, though they lost two of three to the Phillies this week.
“They’re a good team,” Kiner-Falefa said as the Yankees prepared for a three-game series at Baltimore beginning Friday. “At the end of the day, everybody knows it’s going to be a tough week right here and we gotta take care of business.”
Former Yankee Aaron Hicks will not play in the series for the Orioles. He landed on the injured list Tuesday with a strained hamstring.
Jose Trevino tweeted on Thursday that his surgery to repair a right wrist tear “went well,” though the procedure is expected to end his season early.
“Not how I wanted it to end but will be back stronger and better and I can’t wait to be back on that field with the best teammates in front of the best fans!” the catcher wrote on social media.
The Yankees, who had two days off this week, will slightly tweak their rotation for the Orioles series.
Gerrit Cole will leapfrog Clarke Schmidt to start on Friday.
Schmidt will start on Saturday and Luis Severino will close out the series on Sunday.
