The Yankees secured a 9-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, splitting their four-game series.
This win was significantly influenced by the exceptional performances of Juan Soto and Carlos Rodon.
Carlos Rodon, who had a difficult stretch in his previous six starts with a 9.67 ERA and no wins for the Yankees, found his form again. He started strong, striking out five batters and allowing no hits in his first four innings.
Rodon continued to dominate, finishing with a season-best 10 strikeouts over seven innings, conceding just one earned run on two hits.
The Yankees also saw offensive contributions from players beyond their star, Aaron Judge. In the second inning, Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe each hit home runs off Rays’ pitcher Zack Littell, marking their seventh home runs of the season and giving the Yankees an early lead.
Gleyber Torres was out of the lineup after a poor performance on Sunday, while DJ LeMahieu, who has struggled recently, returned and hit his first home run of the season in the fifth inning, extending the Yankees’ lead to 5-1.
Juan Soto then took center stage, hitting two home runs—a solo shot in the seventh and a three-run blast in the eighth—effectively sealing the game. These were the fourth and fifth home runs for the Yankees in the game, a powerful response to the Rays’ recent home run spree.
The Yankees’ offense was prolific, accumulating 15 hits. Wells, Soto, Volpe, and Oswaldo Cabrera each had multiple hits, contributing significantly to the team’s dominant performance.
Carlos Rodon was outstanding on the mound, but Soto’s two home runs and four RBIs earned him the game MVP honors. The Yankees now prepare to host the Mets in the Subway Series, with Luis Gil set to pitch against Jose Quintana on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.
