The New York Yankees still couldn't solve the Cincinnati Reds in their ongoing series at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. On Tuesday night, Cincy suffered a 5-4 loss to Elly De La Cruz and company again despite a strong start from Carlos Rodon. The veteran left-handed pitcher had quite an individual performance against the Reds, as he tossed six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and a walk while collecting five strikeouts.
But Rodon only threw for 88 pitches, his fewest in a start so far in the 2025 MLB regular season. Although he was having his way against Reds hitters, he couldn't overcome the hot weather in Cincinnati.
“Usually I’m going back out, kind of thing, but I was huffing and puffing a little bit,” Rodon said after the game, per Phillip Martinez of SportsNet New York. “Most situations I want the ball, but I could tell, I was gassed. They had some good at-bats, and some long at-bats. Just one of those days where the energy was coming out of me quick.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that he felt it was time to end Rodon's night not only because the pitcher looked tired but also because of who was up next at the plate for Cincinnati.
“Once he came out, I knew he was kinda done on a 100-degree night like that,” Boone said. “[Spencer] Steer had a pretty good at-bat on him his last time. I felt like he was done there.”
Rodon struck out Steer in the first inning on four pitches. In the fourth frame, Steer got the better of Rodon, recording a double after a six-pitch battle.
Rodon finished the top of the sixth inning before getting replaced on the mound by reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, who got Steer to fly out in the seventh. However, Loaisiga later squandered New York's three-run lead when he gave up as many runs on three hits while issuing a walk in the same inning.
The game was tied at 3-3 at the end of the ninth inning before Aaron Judge gave the Yankees the lead again with a run off a wild pitch from Connor Phillips in the 11th frame. But Steeler did damage anew in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single before Gavin Lux drove in the game-winning run by De La Cruz on a single.
