The Yankees stayed hot in the Bronx on Tuesday night, riding yet another gem from Carlos Rodón and a seventh-inning power surge to a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of their three-game set. Behind dominant pitching, timely homers, and a bullpen that sealed the deal, the Yankees continued to show why they’re one of baseball’s most complete teams.
Rodón’s Reign Continues
Carlos Rodón turned in another brilliant outing, going 7.0 innings while allowing just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts. The lefty retired 17 straight Guardians at one point, carrying the Yankees with ease through the heart of the game. His 20-inning scoreless streak came to an end in the seventh, but it hardly slowed his momentum.
Rodón is now 8-2 on the season and 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA over his last nine starts. He’s thrown at least 6.0 innings in 10 of his 13 outings and has fanned at least eight in eight of them. The Yankees have won each of his last seven starts, and he hasn’t allowed a home run in his last four appearances.
Dating back to last season, Rodón has gone 15-5 with a 2.68 ERA (147.2IP, 100H, 48R/44ER, 51BB, 181K, 19HR) over his last 25 starts (since July 22, 2024). He’s held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 18 of those starts, and one-or-zero in 13 of them. He’s also recorded at least eight strikeouts in 13 of those outings, showing just how consistent—and overpowering—he’s been.
Simply put—Rodón is looking every bit like an ace.
Jazz & Volpe Go Back-to-Back
In his return to the lineup after missing over a month, Jazz Chisholm Jr. made sure Yankees fans remembered his name—taking a fastball deep to right field in the seventh inning. Moments later, Anthony Volpe followed it up with a blast of his own, marking the Yankees’ fifth set of back-to-back home runs this season.
Chisholm hadn’t played since April 29, but wasted no time making his presence felt. His homer sparked the offense in a tight game, and Volpe’s swing gave the Yankees just enough cushion to ride into the late innings with the lead.
This marked the fifth time this season the Bronx Bombers have hit back-to-back home runs.
Leiter and Williams Slam the Door
With Rodón handing over a two-run lead, the Yankees bullpen didn’t flinch. Mark Leiter Jr. fired a clean eighth inning, walking one but allowing no damage—continuing a stellar season that’s seen him hold opponents scoreless in 24 of 28 appearances.
In the ninth, Devin Williams earned his sixth save of the season, working around two hits to shut the door. With Luke Weaver placed on the IL, Williams will now get another run as the team’s primary closer—and as long as he trusts his changeup, he appears to be ready for the role.
All Rise: Judge Crowned AL Player of the Month…Again
Before first pitch, Aaron Judge was recognized for yet another milestone in his already decorated career. Earlier Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced that Judge had been named the American League Player of the Month for May—his second consecutive monthly honor to open the 2025 season and a record-setting 11th time overall, the most in Yankees franchise history. Only Barry Bonds (13) has more in MLB history.
And the numbers behind it? Absurd.
Judge slashed .364/.453/.798 in May with 11 home runs, 25 runs scored, 18 RBI, and 20 extra-base hits—including eight doubles and a triple—across 26 games. He led the Majors in slugging percentage (.798), OPS (1.251), and intentional walks (8), while also ranking in the top three across nearly every major offensive category: second in total bases (79), runs scored (25), and WAR (2.2), third in home runs (11) and times on base (53), and seventh in batting average (.364).
Judge also became the first Yankee ever to win AL Player of the Month in March/April and May, and just the second player in team history to do it in back-to-back months—joining himself, having pulled the same feat last year in May and June 2024. He’s won five of the last seven AL Player of the Month awards dating back to May 2024 and nine of the last 19 since May 2022. No hitter in baseball has sustained this level of dominance across seasons like Judge has.
Oh, and he’s still tormenting Cleveland. Including postseason matchups, Judge has now reached base safely in 21 straight games against the Guardians dating back to the 2022 ALDS. Over that stretch, he’s hit .316 with nine home runs and 20 RBI—just another team added to the growing list of those who can’t seem to figure him out.
Transaction Tracker
The Yankees were busy reshuffling the roster before Tuesday’s win:
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. was reinstated from the 10-day IL and immediately contributed with his clutch home run.
- Fernando Cruz returned from the 15-day IL to bolster the bullpen.
- Yerry de los Santos was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
- Luke Weaver hit the IL with a left hamstring strain (retroactive to June 1).
- Jorbit Vivas was optioned to Triple-A.
- Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment.
As the Yankees continue to roll, their depth is being tested—and so far, they’ve had all the right answers. Clarke Schmidt and Max Fried are slated to take the mound in Game’s 2 and 3 of the series.
