The New York Yankees walked away with a gritty 1–0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, leaning heavily on a vintage performance from left-handed starter Carlos Rodon and a bullpen that slammed the door shut.

It was the kind of tight, low-scoring game that demanded every pitch be executed and every at-bat approached with purpose—and the Yankees delivered just enough to come out on top.

Rodon Turns Back the Clock

Rodon looked every bit like the pitcher the Yankees hoped they were getting when they signed him to a six-year, $162 million deal two offseasons ago.

Over six scoreless innings, the 32-year-old gave up just two hits while walking four and striking out nine. It wasn’t the cleanest line, but it was filled with toughness and conviction. Rodon threw 102 pitches, working his way out of a few jams with pure velocity and bite on his slider, lowering his ERA to 4.34 on the season.

He set the tone early and held it down long enough to let the bullpen do the rest.

Bullpen Slams the Door

Once Rodon exited, the Yankees turned to Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Luke Weaver to bring it home. The trio combined to strike out six batters and allowed just one hit over the final three innings.

Cruz continued to impress with his elite splitter, while Weaver looked as calm as ever in closing duties. It was a masterclass in late-game control, and against a Rays lineup that’s typically tough to suppress, the Yankees’ arms made it look easier than it should have been.

Grisham Delivers, Goldschmidt Stays Hot

Offense was hard to come by, but one swing was all the Yankees needed.

Trent Grisham knocked an RBI single in the second inning, scoring Paul Goldschmidt from second. That single run stood the test of the night thanks to the pitching, and Grisham continued his redemptive arc with solid defense and timely hitting.

Goldschmidt, meanwhile, picked up three more hits, pushing his slash line to a blistering .373/.415/.480. He’s been everything the Yankees could’ve hoped for and then some at the top of the order.

Cold Bats Drag Down the Bottom Half

It wasn’t all sunshine, though. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was slammed with a one-game suspension for using his phone post-ejection on Thursday, struck out twice. His approach looked rushed, and the Yankees need him to find his rhythm again quickly.

Anthony Volpe continues to slump hard, striking out three times and watching his average dip to .197. The leadoff spot may soon be in question if he can’t turn things around, especially with other bats heating up.

Up Next: Carrasco Takes the Mound

The Yankees now look ahead to Saturday’s matinee, where Carlos Carrasco will face Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. Baz enters with a sparkling 1.42 ERA over 19 innings and has looked like the Rays’ most dominant arm early on.

Carrasco will have to dig deep, especially with New York’s offense needing more consistency to support a rotation finally showing signs of life.