Carlos Rodon experienced a stark reversal of fortune, transitioning from his strongest performances of the season to his weakest. Against the Orioles, the southpaw yielded three solo homers and struggled through a challenging fifth inning, leading to a 7-2 defeat at Camden Yards.
Expressing frustration, Rodon acknowledged the need for improvement in his pitch placement to minimize home runs and pitch deeper into games. Prior to this outing, he had excelled, conceding only one run across 13 innings in his previous two starts, lowering his season ERA to 2.48.
However, his command faltered against the Orioles, resulting in seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two hit batters in just over four innings, despite recording six strikeouts.
Rodon lamented the precise locations of the pitches that led to home runs by Ryan Mountcastle, Jorge Mateo, and Ryan McKenna. The Orioles capitalized further in the fifth inning, benefiting from a defensive error by Gleyber Torres. Reflecting on the Orioles’ performance, Rodon credited their disciplined approach and execution, expressing a desire for more effective strategies to induce swings and misses.
Meanwhile, Alex Verdugo returned from the paternity list and contributed one hit and a walk, with a potential shift to the cleanup spot in the lineup anticipated for the next game. Additionally, Jon Berti and Nick Burdi progressed in their rehab assignments, with Gerrit Cole managing a light throwing session as he deals with elbow nerve inflammation.
Manager Aaron Boone addressed the contentious play at the plate in the Mets’ recent game, expressing sympathy for Carlos Mendoza, a former colleague who disagreed with the umpires’ decision regarding obstruction.
Boone acknowledged the ambiguity inherent in such rulings and emphasized the complexities of the rules governing obstruction, highlighting differing perspectives on the incident. While recognizing the potential for an illegal call when obstructing the plate, Boone suggested that the situation was not straightforward and could be subject to interpretation.