In what felt like a must-win moment, the New York Yankees showed more cracks than character Monday night.
Carlos Rodón delivered six quality innings, but when Luke Weaver entered the seventh, everything unraveled.
A 7-0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Twins not only thumped the scoreboard, but it also spotlighted how fragile New York is in high-leverage moments.
Rodón scattered five hits over six innings and yielded just two runs, enough to keep the game within reach.
But the Twins blew the game open after his exit. A five-run seventh, sparked by Austin Martin‘s bases-clearing double, turned what could’ve been a competitive outing into a rout.
When Weaver took the mound, the collapse was swift and damning: one out, five runs, two walks, three hits.
His postgame reflections were blunt. “That was trash,” he said. “Felt like I was fighting myself the whole time, mentally trying to overcome it with a good mindset and stay within myself. Those two things just weren’t coming together.”
Rodón’s praise amid Weaver’s breakdown
Despite the damage, one of the clearest signals from the night came from his own teammate. In an interview following the game, Rodón offered what many saw as both support and an evaluation.
“The stuff is there,” Rodón said. “Good life. Profile is good, changeup is good. Cutter is good … Next time he goes out there, puts up a zero.”
That faith matters more than it might appear. Weaver has been walking a tightrope since returning from a hamstring injury in mid-season.
Before that, he was among the most reliable relievers in the bullpen; since then, results and confidence have wavered.
The Yankees, meanwhile, were flat in nearly every way they could be. Their offense managed only two hits all night. Aaron Judge drew walks but couldn’t find the barrel.
Minnesota starter Simeon Woods-Richardson was dominant, six scoreless innings, 11 strikeouts, only two hits allowed, walking three.
Defensively, there were miscues. Subtle ones, but ones that proved costly. Rodón got let down early in the game on plays that might not always make highlights but shift momentum.
Defense of Yankees’ pitchers
Veteran voices in the Yankees’ orbit have pushed back, though, against disproportionate criticism of individuals.
On the Locked On Yankees show, hosts Stacey Gotsulias and Brian McKeon defended the team’s decisions.
“I got the decision to go with Weaver and [Camilo] Doval. Like I understood that because why not keep the game close with how bad Minnesota’s been!” McKeon said.
Gotsulias, McKeon, and others argued that fatigue might be contributing in an undeniable way.
They went on to note that by traveling to Minnesota, the Yankees lost an hour of rest time.
“Every time [the Yankees] play on Sunday night baseball … they don’t have an off day on Monday. “
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