NEW YORK -- The Yankees understand their rallies may look different without Aaron Judge in the heart of the lineup. They’re fine with that, as long as they keep coming.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked, stole second base, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Ryan McMahon’s tiebreaking ground-ball single through the right side, a seventh-inning sequence that proved to be the difference in New York’s 2-1 victory over the Guardians on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
With Judge missing the Cleveland series to undergo testing on his ailing right shoulder and rib cage, the Yankees have not been able to rely on their usual formula of big-swinging power.
Instead, Chisholm’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly facing Slade Cecconi and the seventh-inning push against reliever Codi Heuer got it done, thanks to another sharp Carlos Rodón effort.
Making his fifth start after debuting in early May following left elbow surgery this past offseason, Rodón struck out seven and walked three over six innings of one-run ball. He permitted just two hits, including Stuart Fairchild’s run-scoring single in the fourth.
It was the third consecutive outing in which Rodón allowed just one run, following efforts on May 21 vs. the Blue Jays (5 IP, 1 ER) and May 29 at the Athletics (6 IP, 1 ER).