NEW YORK – In anticipation of the most important game of his career, Carlos Rodón took full advantage of the benefits that come with being part of the New York Yankees.

He then proved the Yankees’ substantial investment in his powerful left arm was worth it.

On Monday evening at Yankee Stadium, Rodón delivered on the expectations placed upon him when he inked a six-year, $162 million deal prior to the 2023 season. His past two seasons, which were marred by injuries and a shaky 4.74 ERA, faded from memory with each strikeout he notched against the Cleveland Guardians and every scoreless inning he pitched.

In Game 1 of this American League Championship Series, Rodón not only joined the postseason excitement unfolding in the Bronx but also proved he could be a key factor in the Yankees’ pursuit of their 28th World Series title.

New York secured a 5-2 win and took a 1-0 lead in the ALCS, largely due to their power—both physical and financial. Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton each blasted home runs into the outfield bullpens. New closer Luke Weaver skillfully navigated a tight spot in the eighth inning, keeping the tying run stranded at the plate and striking out the side in the ninth for a five-out save.

Nevertheless, it was Rodón’s stellar six innings that truly gave the Yankees their advantage, helping to erase many of his regular-season struggles.

“He was the driving force tonight,” remarked Stanton, who rounded off the Yankees’ scoring with a powerful 439-foot homer to left field in the seventh, surpassing Yogi Berra and Reggie Jackson with his 13^th postseason home run.

“He demonstrated his preparation and focus.”

The Yankees are just three victories away from the World Series for the first time since 2009 and boast a 4-1 record this postseason; their only defeat this postseason came from Rodón.

He started off strong in Game 2 of the Division Series against Kansas City, breezing through three scoreless innings with exuberance that suggested a sprint rather than the lengthy effort typical of a successful October run.

However, he faltered, losing the lead in the fourth inning by allowing all four runs and failing to finish the inning. With ace Gerrit Cole leading the charge in Kansas City’s clincher and Rodón entrusted as the Game 1 starter in the ALCS, he knew he couldn’t let that happen again.

So, Rodón sought guidance. He received a “debrief” from pitching coach Matt Blake, who consulted Yankees legend, fellow lefty Andy Pettitte, on keeping emotions in check during the postseason. He observed Cole’s methodical approach when he barely broke a sweat over six innings in the Kansas City clincher, only truly expressing himself once he secured the 21^st out.

Rodón took it a step further.

He began the night by triumphing in a nine-pitch duel against one of baseball’s most challenging hitters, Guardians leadoff Steven Kwan. He concluded his outing with another nine-pitch confrontation versus Cleveland’s star, Jose Ramirez.

The switch-hitter hit that final offering towards center field, where Aaron Judge sprinted into the gap to make an impressive catch.

This was Rodón’s 93^rd pitch. His evening was likely over. Yet he retained what he referred to as Cole’s “poker face” and simply acknowledged Judge with a pointed gesture of respect.

“The goal was to maintain control over my physical and emotional state,” said Rodón. “I felt I executed that well tonight.”

“Watching Gerrit pitch that Game 4 in Kansas City, I was mentally taking notes on his approach, and I aimed to replicate that.”

At one point, Rodón retired 11 consecutive hitters and 13 of the last 15 he faced. He racked up an extraordinary 25 swings and misses, with the majority stemming from his potent fastball-slider combo, striking out nine while allowing no walks.

Soto and Stanton’s powerful home runs were complemented by a troubling outing from Guardians starter Alex Cobb and reliever Joey Cantillo, who together issued six walks while recording just nine outs. Cantillo’s two wild pitches with the bases loaded allowed Judge and Stanton to score additional runs.

Brayan Rocchio broke Rodón’s shutout attempt with a leadoff homer in the sixth, and Cleveland threatened the Yankees in the eighth with three straight singles off reliever Tim Hill. This sequence prompted Weaver’s entrance to the dramatic sounds of a techno remix of Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver.” He fanned four of the six hitters he faced, notching his fourth save of this postseason.

Cole is scheduled to start Game 2. The Yankees are in a strong position to take charge before the series shifts to Ohio.

“There’s still three wins needed,” Stanton reminded. “While this is a positive result for us, we view it as just the beginning.”

“We need to win three out of six games and take it as if we must win all three.”

Nonetheless, the Yankees recognized the importance of their Game 1 victory, particularly the contributions from Rodón and how he improved from his previous outing.

“There was a lot of talk about how his last outing ended after such a strong start,” Blake noted, the pitching coach. “Seeing him collect six solid innings was crucial for everyone involved.”

To move past that recent game and start focusing on the upcoming one.

“He was fully aware of how his last performance turned out and how his emotions got the best of him early on. After every inning, it was evident that he was trying to remain calm and neutral, aiming to keep gathering outs,” said Blake.

Blake also noted that as Rodón’s feelings intensified, the Royals “notified each other about it. They understood it was unnecessary to let the opposing team take advantage of his emotional state.”

No concerns this time. On Monday, Rodón maintained a steady demeanor throughout the night, a quality that will be beneficial if he is called upon for a Game 5 start. For now, it’s hard to imagine this performance being outdone in his career.

“There’s no greater platform in baseball,” Rodón stated, “so I would definitely rank this highly.”

However, there is one larger stage, and Rodón has brought the Yankees one step closer to reaching it.