New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon clearly remembers the first time he set eyes on Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The two will meet again on Wednesday as the Angels attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees in Anaheim, Calif.
Back on Sept. 7, 2018, Rodon was just 25 but already a veteran in his fourth major league season. Ohtani was 24, a tall, skinny newcomer to the majors who was on his way to an American League Rookie of the Year season.
On that day, though, Rodon didn’t know Ohtani was angry — the budding star had just learned earlier in the day that he would need Tommy John surgery, which would derail Ohtani’s full-time, two-way ambitions until 2021.
In the third inning, Ohtani ambushed a Rodon fastball and drove it for a 412-foot homer to center, setting a major record for home runs by a Japanese-born rookie.
“That opened my eyes,” Rodon said. “Now, if you see him walking around, he’s built like a Greek god.”
Rodon (0-2, 5.23 ERA) goes into the Wednesday game having thrown just 10 1/3 innings after signing a six-year, $162 million free agent contract with the Yankees in December. His debut in pinstripes was delayed until July 7 due to forearm and back injuries.
In five career starts against the Angels, Rodon is 2-3 with a 4.23 ERA. In Anaheim, he is 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA in two starts.
Other than Ohtani, the only current Angel who has had success against Rodon is Eduardo Escobar, who is 6-for-21 (.286) in his career against the lefty.
The Angels announced late Tuesday that 23-year-old right-hander Chase Silseth (1-1, 5.30 ERA) would be recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday to start in the series finale. Silseth has never faced the Yankees.
Silseth has appeared in nine games (one start) for the Angels earlier this season, walking 13 batters while striking out 15 over 18 2/3 innings. He began the season in Triple-A, then returned there in early June. Overall for Salt Lake, he has a 4-1 record with a 2.79 ERA in nine starts.
The Angels, who have won three of four to get back to the .500 mark, have an off day on Thursday before hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates for three games beginning on Friday. They were helped greatly in the first two games of the series by a 120-pitch outing from Griffin Canning on Monday in a 4-3, 10-inning win.
When Patrick Sandoval followed by throwing 7 1/3 innings on Tuesday — the longest outing by an Angels starter since May 14 — the Los Angeles bullpen got some rest.
“I can have pretty much everybody pitching (Wednesday),” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “Our bullpen has been taxed a bit, so with our starters going deep two days in a row has been great.”
The Yankees, meanwhile, are looking to shake a slump that has seen them lose three in a row and eight of the past 10.
“The mood’s down, for sure,” New York first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We definitely expect better of ourselves individually and as a team. And it’s OK to be down right now. This is a low point. …
“It’s hard to have fun when you get your teeth kicked in, individually and as a team.”
–Field Level Media