Rodón allows record-tying 8 runs without recording out in final start

Carlos Rodón was hoping to finish his difficult 2023 season with a bang. Instead, he left the mound with a whimper.

The New York Yankees left-hander failed to record an out in his final start of the season. Manager Aaron Boone lifted him after he allowed eight straight Kansas City Royals batters to reach and five runs to score in the bottom of the first. Reliever Matt Bowman then allowed four runs to score, three of which were charged to Rodón, before finally recording an out.

All told, 10 Royals reached base to open the game before Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to finally record an out. Bowman ended the disastrous frame when he struck out Nelson Velázquez, Kansas City’s 14th batter in the first. Kansas City went on to win 12-5.

Royals’ wild 1st inning

Rodón’s eight runs allowed without recording an out tied the MLB record for a starting pitcher, per Stathead. He’s the sixth individual pitcher to match the mark of futility and just the third to have all eight runs allowed be earned, joining the A’s Blake Stein in 1998 and the Reds’ Paul Wilson in 2005.

It’s the first time that the first eight-plus batters of a game reached base against the Yankees since Cleveland did it against Catfish Hunter and Bob Kammeyer on July 27, 1978, per YES Network’s James Smyth.

The start ended what turned out to be a disastrous first season in the Bronx for Rodón, who joined the Yankees on a six-year, $162-million contract in the offseason. The 30-year-old opened his 2023 campaign on the injured list with a forearm strain that delayed his debut in pinstripes until July 7. He also missed time in August with a hamstring injury.

Rodón finishes his season sporting a 6.85 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 8.95 Ks per nine innings, a 3.92 BB/9 rate, and 15 home runs allowed over 14 starts. That’s a far cry from his All-Star-level production with the San Francisco Giants in 2022, and he knows he has to return to form next year.

“We all know the Yankees invested a considerable amount of money in me, and I’ve got to prove my worth,” Rodón told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic before Friday’s disastrous outing.

“You pay for something nice expecting more.”

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