NEW YORK — All eyes were on the Pinstripers’ new pitcher on Friday night, but a former Yankees starter did the team in for the second time this week.
While Carlos Rodón looked fine in his long-awaited Yankees debut, Cubs starter Jameson Taillon held his previous employer to one measly hit over eight scoreless innings in a 3-0 win for Chicago. The right-handed Taillon, who pitched for the Yankees from 2021-2022 and left in free agency over the winter, entered the game with a 6.93 ERA, but he made easy work of a Bombers lineup that has often looked lost with Aaron Judge on the injured list.
Taillon added two walks and four strikeouts over 102 pitches against his old team. The performance outdid Jordan’s Montgomery’s Sunday afternoon, when the ex-Yankee and current Cardinal blanked New York for 6 2/3 innings.
As Taillon dominated in his return to the Bronx, Rodón threw 5 1/3 innings and 69 pitches in his first start for the Yankees. With his season delayed by a forearm strain and a nagging back issue, the lefty is still building up at the major league level after three rehab starts.
Rodón’s biggest blemish came in the third inning when Cody Bellinger turned on a 94.5-mph fastball and sent it deep into the second deck. The left-handed swing gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead — and looked tailor-made for Yankee Stadium. It surely left some Yankees fans wondering about Bellinger’s availability as the trade deadline approaches.
The Cubs scored another run off Rodón in the fifth inning when Nico Hoerner followed a pair of walks with an RBI single. Patrick Wisdom added another RBI single in the seventh with Ron Marinaccio on the mound.
Rodón allowed four hits while walking two and striking out two. The Cubs made plenty of strong contact, recording nine hard-hit balls. But Rodón limited the damage and exited to applause from a fan base that has been looking forward to his first appearance since the Yankees signed him to a six-year, $162 million contract in December.
With Rodón’s debut over and done with, the Yankees will turn to their ace in the second game of their series against the Cubs.
Gerrit Cole will take the ball on Saturday, his first start since being named an All-Star for the sixth time. The right-hander earned that nod by going 8-2 with a 2.79 ERA over his first 18 starts.
Southpaw Drew Smyly will start for the Cubs. The southpaw owns a 7-5 record and a 4.10 ERA through 17 starts this season.
Domingo Germán, two outings removed from a perfect game, will start the Yankees’ final contest before the All-Star break on Sunday. Kyle Hendricks will go for Chicago.
