BRONX, NY — Salvador Pérez owns Carlos Rodón. A remaining Kansas City Royals veteran from their 2015 World Series championship team continued to haunt the Yankees left-hander Monday evening
However, having a continued dominance over a pitcher in the postseason puts a different perspective on how dominant Pérez has commanded Rodón. It happened again in the Royals fourth inning at Yankee Stadium, a leadoff game-tying home run that led to a four-run inning. The Royals would not look back and evened the best-of-five AL Division Series with their 4-2 win.
Salvador Pérez, Bobby Witt Jr., and the Royals tied the best of five ALDS with the Yankees on Monday night in the Bronx – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Now the series moves on to Kansas City for Game 3 Wednesday night. Pérez, though, hailing from Valencia, Venezuela, would love another opportunity at facing Rodón, (12-for-27) and four career home runs. Three previous home runs came when Rodón pitched in the AL Central division with the Chicago White Sox.
More importantly, the Royals left the Bronx with a two-game split and in a division series that is as good as the home run. In the Division Series format, (2 home-2-road) ties for a team heading home have advanced 66 percent of the time to the ALCS.
“We’re here for a reason,” said Pérez. “Now we go home and hopefully we can win there, too. Every time I do something to help my team to win, it feels amazing. We tie the game, we’re in position and just get excited a little bit too much.”
Salvador Pérez’s Game 2 home run in the ALDS on Monday night marked his sixth career postseason home run – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Excited, when he does something to a Rodón slider, a 2-2 pitch he deposited into the left field seats and suddenly hushed a raucous sellout crowd of 48,034 fans, Then again, Pérez was a catalyst to that Royals championship team and did damage to the cross-town Mets at Citi Field.
But this game of baseball does have moments like this, a hitter who has that continued success against a pitcher. This time, Rodón appeared to be in control of the Royals, three of his seven strikeouts came in the first inning.
Carlos Rodón was amped up during the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday night, striking out the side – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
But this is Pérez, the 34 year-old perennial All-Star. Rodón was careful with the 96-MPH fastball in Pérez’ first at-bat, an easy first pitch pop up to third base. Then the inevitable home run, almost predictable because this is a hitter that owns a pitcher.
So how does Pérez own Rodón? It’s a baseball question that is more important because this is the postseason, a crucial Game 2 and a win the Royals needed to have. Pitchers don’t have the answers during the course of a 162-game season, nor do the hitters. But Perez provided his perspective before his team departed to Kansas City.
“It’s 50/50,” he said. “That’s what I said before the game. I think he tries to do his job, I try to do my job. I think he leave a pitch up in the middle and I hit it pretty good.”
Salvador Pérez waves his hands as he rounds the bases after his game-tying home run on Monday night at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Rodón did not directly comment about Pérez and how he continues to be his nemesis. He could be in line to face the Royals again in a potential Game 5 which would be played Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
He said, “Just have to be better with those pitches. Just more fine with them and get to better spots.”
Said Yankees manager Aaron Boone about Rodón and his secondary pitches “He falls behind him (Pérez), and from there started making some mistakes.”
Salvador Pérez high-fives his Royals teammates after his clutch fourth inning home run – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Mistakes Rodón has continued to make when facing Pérez. Again, difficult to digest but this is baseball and the best have made similar mistakes. Most of the home runs have continued to damage Rodón, and benefit Pérez.
Pérez is also instrumental in commanding a game with the Royals pitching staff. Cole Ragans threw four innings (1-run, 3 hits, 5 K’s, 4 walks) and four relievers shut the Yankees down. Wasn’t the best from Ragans, and the Royals Maikel Garcia drove in a run with four hits.
Cole Ragans finished with five strikeouts across four innings of one-run ball in Kansas City’s Game 2 ALDS win – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“In the fourth inning he lose the command a little bit,” Pérez said about Ragans. “It’s no excuse, three minutes or 15 or 10 seconds between innings so I think he got caught up a little bit. But then he got out of that inning pretty good. That was key coming from the bullpen.”
But it was about Pérez and his continuing to dominate Rodón.
Rich Mancuso is senior writer and contributor Latinosports.com – X (Twitter): @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports
