
BRONX, NY — Juan Soto had that dramatic postseason home run last October that propelled the Yankees to a four-to-one ALCS win over the Cleveland Guardians. There is no more Soto with the Yankees, he’s across town with the Mets and that historic contract.
The Yankees made that pivot, they could be better without Soto and it reflects with their 6.5-first place lead in the AL East. The Guardians, 6.5 games behind the MLB Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, almost the same game with the hit, steal, and lack of home run production. And a starting rotation that struggles.
Regardless Tuesday evening in the Bronx, they met again. The Yankees’ Carlos Rodón and Guardians’ Tanner Bibee had a pitching duel. Jazz Chisholm Jr. returned from the injured list and his go-ahead home run in the 7th inning helped the Yankees to a 3-2 win in the first of a three-game series.

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Preview of another ALCS in October? Perhaps, though the Guardians would likely need to win their division, and the Tigers show no signs of losing their hold on a division that could also gain an AL Wild card spot. The Yankees lead the AL in home runs (96) and hold the fourth best record in the majors.
Guardians, the names have not changed much, José Ramírez extended his on-base streak to 29 games and scored a run with two hits. Bibee threw a season-high 107 pitches, allowing three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings, the Chisholm Jr. home run (8th of the season) was the 14th home run the right hander allowed and 11th on the road.
But the Yankees have Rodón, a former LatinoMVP Pitcher of the Year (2021: AL). And left-hander Max Fried, fourth in ERA (1.92), a duo that could be difficult to oppose in October. Rodón, though continues to be dominant, one run in seven innings, five hits, eight strikeouts, a walks, (7-0, 1.27 ERA, 70 strikeouts) in his last nine starts.

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He extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings and retired 17 straight batters entering the seventh, when Ramírez singled, stole second and came around when David Fry bounced a single past DJ LeMahieu at second.
Good pitching stranded base runners, and Rodón left them at the corners. If they do meet in October, the Cuban-American southpaw will be a major factor. The Yankees and Guardians are not talking about meeting yet in the postseason, but Rodón at this pace is unbeatable.
“I think he’s just really grown at the craft of pitching over the last few years,” said manager Aaron Boone of Rodón’s talent and fastball. “He takes pride in knowing that I got a lot of different ways of going about this to beat you any given night and he keeps showing that.”

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On Chisholm Jr.’s return, Rodón said, “It’s nice to have him back. I decided to go out there and make pitches, they had a good idea what they wanted to do.” he said about that inning of standing Guardians at the corners. “I just go out there and get outs.”
He referred to Ramírez and speed of the Guardians. He beared down and got that last out with some outstanding defense also from Chisholm Jr. at third.

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It’s a major difference of this Yankees team in that World Series loss to the Dodgers in October, Rodón has become an elite pitcher again, the Yankees defense has made a difference in preventing runs.
LeMahieu’s fifth-inning single drove in Chisholm Jr., who had blooped a single for the Yankees’ first hit. And with Luke Weaver sidelined with a hamstring, Devin Williams is back in the closer role. Williams allowed Carlos Santana’s one-out double and pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann’s two-out RBI single in the ninth, then retired Bo Naylor on a fly-out for his sixth save in seven chances.
Rodón got the win and the Yankees, losing two-of-three back in April at Progressive Field, are 11-3 in their last 14 games. This could be a preview of another October Series.

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“I just want to win, I want a ring,” said Chisholm Jr. “We have a lot of great guys in here. All I think about is being a team guy,” regarding his move back to third base after starting the season at second prior to an injury that kept him out for the month of May.
And the Yankees have Rodón to help him get that ring. The Guardians, they also have the tools. Rematch in October? Time will tell.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X (@Ring786), Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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