The New York Yankees had a much-needed blowout victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, defeating their division rival 9-1 in a home laugher to split the series. However, they played mind games within the game, as Juan Soto and Jose Siri each took elongated home-run trots.
Soto sounded off on Siri's 30-second jog around the bases, and if his 37-second trot in the seventh inning was a response, via SNY.
“I don't know what he was doing,” Soto said. “For me, just, you know. Hot weather, tough day, try to save the hammies and make sure I go nice and easy.”
Monday's game was a culmination of a slow-trot saga between the two squads that started when Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena took his time around the bases after his homer in the fourth inning of Sunday's game, which Tampa Bay won 6-4. Aaron Judge then took 31 seconds to circle the diamond after his three-run blast later in the contest, and the war was on.
On Monday, which was Siri's birthday, the outfielder celebrated extensively after blasting his solo shot off of Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon, which brought the score to 4-1 in favor of New York. Soto's 424-foot blast to right in the seventh gave the home team the last laugh, as the 25-year-old coincidentally preserved his hamstrings much more than usual while jogging around the bases.
Soto, of course, followed that up with a three-run shot in the eighth, which brings him to 25 homers and 71 RBI on the season.
“I think it's just part of the game,” he continued. “At the end of the day, I don't know what they're doing. Like I said, I don't know what they have back there. But I know from this side, we always come out and play hard every day, try to respect our teammates and the other teams too.”
However, the petty home-run antics weren't the only subplot of the day.
Carlos Rodon had one of his best starts of the year for the Yankees
Rodon, who had a 7.76 ERA in June and a 6.08 mark in July coming into Monday, sounded off on his masterful outing, via YES.
“Yeah, [catcher Austin] Wells and I had a nice rhythm,” he said. “Just a steady mix of everything, just getting ahead and attacking the strike zone, just worked well with the defense behind me, and we swung the bat really well. Our guys hit some homers, and it was a good win.”
Rodon tossed seven innings of one-run ball with a season-high 10 strikeouts against just two walks and two hits. The 31-year-old mentioned that he mixed up his usual combination of pitches, experimenting with early breaking balls and hitting fastball locations all over the zone.
“Yeah, I mean, it's just going out there and doing it,” Rodon continued. “Just moving the fastball around, and going to some different secondaries. You know, getting ahead in a different way, and then just finishing with the slider or maybe something different.”
New York is now tied again with the Baltimore Orioles for the most wins in the American League, with 60. Next up is a two-game Subway Series with the New York Mets in the Bronx.
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