Yankees’ Losing Streak Extends After Rodón’s Poor Performance

New York, NY — The New York Yankees continued their downward spiral, suffering a sixth consecutive loss on Saturday against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Carlos Rodón delivered one of his worst outings of the season, leaving the Yankees in a significant early deficit.

Rodón allowed seven runs, six of which were earned, over five innings of work. The damage was largely inflicted by Brandon Nimmo’s grand slam in the first inning and Pete Alonso’s two-run homer in the fifth. After the game, Rodón acknowledged his shortcomings, saying, “I [had] a lot of misses today, and they punished them. Obviously, we fell short again, and the performance by me was very subpar.”

The Yankees entered the game hoping to take advantage of their pitching edge but instead endured their 16th loss in their last 22 games. Rodón expressed disappointment with his performance: “I should have been better at my craft, but today, I just wasn’t good enough.”

In an effort to bolster their lineup, the Yankees signed veteran third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a minor league deal on Saturday. Candelario, who has recently struggled with the Cincinnati Reds, will play with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he attempts to regain his form.

Following a rough start, Candelario hit just .113 in 22 games with the Reds before being placed on the injured list and later designated for assignment. The Reds chose to release him, eating approximately $23 million left on his contract due to “sunk cost,” according to their president of baseball operations Nick Krall.

The Yankees hope that acquiring a third baseman will allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to shift back to second base, improving the team’s defensive capabilities. Chisholm made his third error in four games during Saturday’s matchup, contributing to the Yankees’ defensive struggles.

In addition to the pitching woes, catcher Austin Wells took a hit to his mask during the third inning but remained in the game after passing precautionary tests. Wells commented, “I think Laz was being nice and giving me some time,” referring to home plate umpire Laz Diaz who called for the trainer.

For the first time this season, Cody Bellinger started at first base, with Paul Goldschmidt resting and Ben Rice serving as designated hitter. Meanwhile, reliever Yerry De Los Santos returned to the mound for his first bullpen session since landing on the injured list with right elbow discomfort. De Los Santos, boasting a 1.80 ERA over 14 games, would provide a much-needed boost to the Yankees’ struggling bullpen.