About Last Night: Yankees 3, Angels 2
- Tamar Chalker
- May 28
- 3 min read
About Last Night: Yankees 3, Angels 2
By Tamar Chalker
May 28, 2025
***
With the bullpen a little light on Tuesday night, Carlos Rodón put together exactly the start the Yankees needed. He was dominant for seven innings, shutting out the Angels and giving the Yankees the chance for a series sweep tonight. The Angels made a run in the ninth, but the Yankees were able to escape with the 3-2 victory.
Quick Stats -
Carlos Rodón - Rodón went seven innings and scattered five hits while holding the Angels scoreless. Not only did he not walk any batters, but the lefty struck out a season-high ten batters.
Tyler Anderson - The Angels' starter went six innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk. He allowed a homer to Ben Rice.
Devin Williams - It wasn't a great return to closing, but he still managed to get the save. Williams gave up two runs on three hits for his fifth save of the year.
Player(s) of the Game -
Carlos Rodón was dialed in on Tuesday night. Not only did he put together a great start on the mound, but he also made an impressive defensive play to end the fourth inning. Fielding the ball on the third base side of the infield, he made a jump throw that just beat out the runner.
Notable Performances -
Ben Rice picked up his eleventh homer of the season, putting the Yankees on the board in the fourth.
Oswald Peraza has struggled to get his bat going this year, but he hit a big, solo homer that gave the Yankees a cushion they would ultimately need.
Better to Forget -
Trent Grisham had a rough day at the plate, but he did make a great diving catch in the bottom of the seventh.
My Takes -
Random thoughts in no particular order:
Rodón continues to pitch like this, and that ugly 2023 season when he first showed up in New York will be worth it.
I was excited to see Devin Williams get a save opportunity for the first time in over a month. He has pitched well since being demoted to set up, but with Luke Weaver unavailable, he had the chance to close out, but almost immediately, he looked like he was throwing batting practice. I'm glad he was able to get through it, but it seems like he still has some sort of block when it comes to the ninth.
Jonathan Loásiga pitched a stellar 1-2-3 eighth inning, picking up right where Rodón left off.
It's great when Judge is belting the ball, but winning games off homers from Rice and Peraza gives me faith in this team's potential this season.
Grisham's diving grab in the seventh and Rodón's play to end the fourth were just as exciting as the Yankees' homers.
What do you suppose was going through Judge's head when a foul ball that he probably was going to catch got taken from him by a fan who was wearing his jersey? I'd ask what was going through the fan's head, but considering he should have let Judge get the out, I'm assuming not much.
Next Up -
The Yankees finish up their series with the Angels tonight with another late-night game for those of us on the East Coast. Clarke Schmidt will take the ball for the Yankees. He is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA and 38 Ks in seven starts. Yusei Kikuchi will be throwing for the Halos. He is 1-4 with a 3.17 ERA and 54 Ks in eleven starts. First pitch will be at 9:38 pm EST.
BTW, that was Rodon's best start of the year (Game Score of 77; he had two other such games last year). From April 18 on, he's 6-0 (team 6-2), 1.27 ERA, K/BB ratio 4.5.
Yankee lefty starters (Fried, Rodon, Yarbrough) in 2025: 27 GS (50% of all starts), 16-3 (team 20-7), 162.2 IP (6 IP/GS), 36 ER, 1.99 ERA, 176 K, 47 BB (3.7 K/BB ratio). Outstanding.
You know a pitcher stinks when I'm thinking, "I'd much rather see Yerry De Los Santos on the mound right now."
Williams should not be let near the 9th inning unless it's a blowout. He's a headcase who can't close in New York. Last night, he should have pitched the 8th and JLo given the 9th. Williams needs to know there is somebody behind him to clean up his messes -- that's when he can relax and focus on making his pitches effectively. In soccer terms, he's a fullback, not a goalie. He must not be the last line of defense before closing out a win.
Last night showed me why I really hate the one-inning reliever. Loaisiga ripped through the 8th, so why wasn't he allowed to come out for the 9th too?
It's official; Williams is a pretty good set up man!