3 Yankees to blame for Game 2 ALDS loss: Carlos Rodon and NY offense lays an egg

The New York Yankees suffered a 4-2 loss against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, splitting their American League Division Series at one game apiece.

The Yankees finished the 2024 season with the best record in the American League, but their regular season success has done little to quell fears of another postseason collapse. In the past two seasons, the Yankees deceived fans with a scorching hot start only to completely fall apart by the postseason. 

The Yankees began the 2022 season with a 61-23 record, but finished with a 38-40 record before getting swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS. In 2023, a 36-25 start was wiped away by a 26-43 finish.

If the Yankees hope to prevent history from repeating itself, there are a few players that will need to tighten some things up before Game 3.

Carlos Rodón

Yankees left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón had a promising start to the postseason, but he completely fell apart in Game 2 against the Royals.

Everything was going smoothly in the early stages of the game. Rodón started by striking out four and retiring six of seven batters in the first two innings, and Giancarlo Stanton gave New York a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the third.

In the fourth inning, the floodgates opened. Salvador Perez led off the fourth by crushing a hanging slider from Rodón to tie the game at 1-1. Yuli Gurriel followed with a single, advanced with a wild pitch, and then was brought home by Tommy Pham’s single to right-center on another poor slider from Rodón. Garrett Hampson followed with a single, ending Rodón’s night with three home runs allowed. 

Juan Soto

Yankees right fielder Juan Soto has been the darling of Yankees fans all season. The 25-year-old arrived to the Bronx on a one-year deal, and he will likely receive the most lucrative contract in MLB history this offseason.

Unless he plays better, that offseason may come sooner than expected.

In Game 1 against the Royals, Soto went 3-for-5 with a double. In Game 2, he was invisible. Soto failed to record a single hit in his second postseason game as a Yankee.

Soto entered Game 2 with a career postseason slash line of .276/.359/.509 with an .867 OPS and seven homers and 21 RBI in 30 games. He went 9-for-17 when he helped the Washington Nationals secure a World Series in 2019. He’ll have to return to form in Game 3 if he wants to keep New York’s hopes alive.

The entire offense

Yankees captain Aaron Judge hit a single in the bottom of the eighth inning, beating out the throw from Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia. His team proceeded to leave him stranded. Aaron Wells struck out before Stanton grounded a double play to end the inning.

The Yankees hit 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, bringing their total up to 3-for-19 in both postseason games, per ESPN.

Maikel Garcia’s single in the ninth inning brought him to four hits for the night, just one hit away from matching the Yankees’ total heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

If the Yankees want to see Soto in the Bronx again this season, New York will have to enter Game 3 with a much better offense than they’ve trotted out so far. 

Also, it wouldn’t hurt if Stanton could run a bit faster.

Game 3 will take place on Wednesday at Kansas City, the Royals’ first home postseason game since 2015.