The Yankees failed to extend their winning streak to four games, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, at PNC Park.
Carlos Rodon only allowed three earned runs, but failed to get much support from the offense. The lefty held the Pirates hitless until the third inning, when first baseman Jared Triolo hit a double off the wall in right field. The first baseman later scored after leadoff man Liover Peguero hit an RBI single to center, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
In the next inning, right fielder Miguel Andujar hit a home run off a Rodon fastball that was high and out of the zone. It was Andujar’s first homer against the team he spent six seasons with.
The former Rookie of the Year runner-up was designated for assignment by the Yankees last year. The Pirates picked Andujar off waivers last September and the 28-year-old has played in just 32 games with the team since then. Coming into Sunday, Andujar was slashing .246/.292/.459 in just 22 games played in 2023.
In the sixth, Andujar reached first base after Anthony Volpe’s 15th error of the season. The error, which occurred on a routine grounder, allowed outfielder Connor Joe, who reached on a single, to advance to third. Rodon got out of the inning by striking out center fielder Jack Suwinski.
The catcher didn’t get so lucky in the seventh inning, though. With two runners on and two outs, Pirates catcher Jake Delay hit a grounder to Oswald Peraza at third. Peraza got in position and was ready to make a routine play, but the ball bounced off the third base bag. It eventually got past Peraza, allowing another run to score.
The unfortunate play ended Rodon’s day. He finished with six hits, three earned runs, and 10 strikeouts over 103 pitches. The offense didn’t do much in support for him, garnering just three hits and three walks.
DJ LeMahieu’s RBI single in the top of the sixth got the zero off the scoreboard for the Yankees. Volpe made up for his error by hitting his 21st home run of the season in the seventh. It tied the game at two, but the Yankees quickly trailed again after Delay’s lucky RBI.
The Pirates used five pitchers in their win Sunday. Righty Andre Jackson pitched the most innings, tossing 4.1 frames. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, two walks and struck out three over 66 pitches. Relievers Colin Selby, Ryan Borucki and Carmen Mlodzinski didn’t allow a hit in 3.2 innings of work.
Randy Vasquez kept the Pirates from scoring in his 1.1 innings of work after Rodon’s departure.
In the top of the ninth, right-hander David Bednar allowed a double to Austin Wells but the reliever eventually secured his 36th save of the season.
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