NEW YORK -- Carlos Rodón has learned not to let the noise get too loud. That’s easier said than done in the Bronx, especially now, with the Yankees’ season hanging by a thread.
Trailing the Blue Jays, 2-0, in the best-of-five American League Division Series, all margin for error has vanished. As Rodón prepares for Tuesday’s Game 3, he knows exactly what kind of atmosphere to expect when he walks out of the dugout at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s a lot louder,” Rodón said. “I can’t say there’s more people, because it seems like we’re always sold out, but I guess we’re at max capacity during the playoffs. I’m sure we’ll stuff an extra thousand somewhere. We find places for them.
“The energy is a lot more heightened. It’s really fun. It’s a treat to be able to step on the mound in Yankee Stadium during the playoffs.”
Two years ago, Rodón did not look ready for a stage like this. His first season in New York unraveled into frustration, capped by a disastrous final outing in Kansas City that symbolized everything that had gone wrong.
Rodón walked out of Kauffman Stadium that September evening knowing he needed to hit reset, disappearing for a few weeks to a cabin in the Missouri woods. No cameras, no noise, no social media -- just space to clear his head.
“I just got in the car and drove away,” Rodón recalled.
That escape became a turning point. Rodón returned to the Yankees determined to rebuild, not just physically but mentally. He studied Gerrit Cole closely, identifying the ace’s robotic focus as a model to slow the game down and control his emotions.
Rodón credits special advisor Andy Pettitte and pitching coach Matt Blake for helping him stay even-keeled, learning to ride out rough patches that once derailed him.
“I’ve had a lot of help with that,” Rodón said. “I think pitching in big games last year and, obviously, pitching in the World Series, it’s hard to replicate that. I learned fairly quickly last year that things need to be in check and save that energy for some extra innings down the road.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone frequently says that Rodón is “chopping wood” -- blinders on, attacking one log at a time, never trying to split the whole forest at once. It’s Boone’s shorthand for the daily work that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
Now, Boone says, “Carlos has built himself quite a fire.”
“He’s been one of our horses this year,” Boone said. “He’s had a great year, and anytime we give him the ball, we feel like we have an excellent chance to win. That will be the same [in Game 3]. He’ll be ready to roll and hopefully get us off to a good start.”
The stuff matches the mindset. Rodón’s big heater still sets the tone, but the repertoire has expanded beyond the fastball/slider combo that defined his early career. A changeup, sinker and curveball keep opponents honest.
After a recent start against the White Sox in Chicago, Rodón was asked if he would have ever envisioned pitching this way.
“Probably not. The younger version of me would probably say no,” Rodón said, with a laugh, “but now I’m a little older and a little wiser.”
That evolution brings him to another must-win game in October; one week removed from Rodón’s last such assignment, working Game 2 after the Yankees dropped the AL Wild Card Series opener to the Red Sox.
Rodón watched as Luis Gil and Max Fried made early exits this weekend in Toronto, uninvited guests to parties that started way too early. The Yankees have scored just eight runs through two games, with most of that damage done against the soft underbelly of Toronto’s bullpen.
They know the only way out is through -- and behind -- Rodón.
“We’re very confident,” Cody Bellinger said. “Just who he is as a competitor, just the type of year that he’s had. Every time he’s on the mound, I have full confidence in him. I just love who he is as a competitor.”
Rodón’s challenge will be to channel that energy without letting adrenaline overtake execution. The Blue Jays have seen him plenty, but the Yanks hope this version -- the one who once sought silence in a Missouri cabin and came back steadier -- can give them the reset they need.
If he succeeds, the Yankees will live to fight again another day. If not, the lights go out on a 94-victory season.
“Every game,” Rodón said, “is a must-win game.”