The bases were loaded three batters into the game, but Carlos Rodón dug in and went to work from there.
The Twins scored just one run in that first inning on an infield out, and Rodón retired 17 consecutive batters into the sixth to front the Yankees to a 9-1 victory Tuesday night over Minnesota at the Stadium.
The All-Star lefty permitted just one hit — a leadoff single by Austin Martin to start the game — over seven stifling innings to improve to 12-7 in 25 starts this season.
“We were set up for disaster there, but we got through it,” Rodón said after the game. “We pushed one across [in the bottom half], and it was like a 0-0 game for me and I just wanted to put up a shut down inning [in the second].
“Offensively we were able to swing the bats and put up nine runs, and that made it easier for me to fill up the zone and just attack hitters.”
Aaron Judge, Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton went deep in support of Rodón, who completed at least six innings for the first time in five outings since July 11, his final start before the All-Star Game.
Rodón needed 31 pitches to navigate the opening frame, but no more than 13 in any inning thereafter.
“Not really expecting [to go seven] after 31 pitches in the first, but baseball’s a funny game,” Rodón added.
Martin opened the game for the Twins with a single to center, and Rodón proceeded to walk Byron Buxton and to hit Ryan Jeffers with a pitch to load the bases before recording an out.
But the $162 million lefty whiffed Luke Keaschall for the first out and Kody Clemens for the third around a run-scoring infield out by Royce Lewis.
The Yankees quickly recouped that run on Judge’s first homer in seven games since returning from the injured list, and they went up 4-1 on Volpe’s three-un shot one inning later.
Rodón took it from there, not allowing another base runner until walking Jeffers with two outs in the sixth and no other hits until Tim Hill replaced him with a 7-1 lead to start the eighth.
“It’s one of those like, is he gonna get out of the first inning? That’s where your mind is for a minute,” Aaron Boone said. “But he gets the big strikeout and gets the ground ball and it’s like, ‘Hey, we got a chance to limit damage here.’
“To only give up one, I thought he executed a really good two-strike pitch to Clemens. Then he just settled in and I really thought it looked a lot different, even in the second. Really big effort by him to be able to give us seven innings after a 30-plus pitch first inning, when it’s looking like it’s going to be rough. It was really big.”
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