In one year Carlos Rodón went from being non-tendered by the White Sox to becoming the 20th White Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter. The ninth inning of Wednesday night’s game between the White Sox and Indians was an encapsulation of Carlos Rodón’s career. A strange and wild ride that resulted in history.
Rodón was on the verge of completing a perfect game. All that stood between him and baseball immortality was Cleveland’s seven, eight and nine hitters.
He was able to get Josh Naylor hit a slow chopper to Jose Abreu. Naylor hustled down the line and forced Abreu to scramble to the bag and slide into the spilts to beat the diving Naylor by a split second. Rodón returned to the mound, still perfect by a mere inches.
The Stretch™ pic.twitter.com/Q0493H3pZA
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 15, 2021
He then got Roberto Perez to fall behind 0-2. The crowd was working into a frenzy. Rodón tried to burry a slider past him but it got away and nicked Perez in the foot. Just like that the perfect game was gone. Rodón had some words with Perez as he headed to first base, baffled that he did not try harder to avoid the pitch but was able to gather himself. He still had a no-hitter to protect.
Carlos Rodón lost the perfect game bid on this hit by pitch to Roberto Perez. Rodón was not happy with Perez afterwards. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/QLmyKRfPKH
— Lunch Break Baseball (@LunchBreakBB) April 15, 2021
He went after Yu Chang, and with the help of a generous call got him to go down on strikes. Finally the moment of truth came when he got Jordan Luplow, the infamous White Sox killer, to ground out to Yoan Moncada. Rodón jumped into Moncada’s arms while the rest of his teammates swarmed the mound to join the euphoric celebration. This moment had been a long time coming for Carlos Rodón.
Your daughter just watched you throw a no-hitter. It doesn't get better than that! pic.twitter.com/JqmlfkPXOS
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 15, 2021
Pitching With A Chip On His Shoulder
Carlos Rodón has been pitching with a chip on his shoulder ever since he was drafted.
His bulldog mentality on the mound finally and years of toiling through rehab cumulated in the 20th no-hitter by a White Sox pitcher Wednesday night.
Despite coming of North Carolina state with a school record 436 career strikeouts, the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins passed on him in the draft. He was selected by the White Sox with the third overall pick. Rodón wanted to prove they made a mistake.
He failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him. He always showed talent. During his rookie season his 139 strikeouts were the second most by a White Sox rookie behind Gary Peters. He followed that up by establishing a career high in strikeouts, innings pitched and quality starts in 2015. Then injuries began to creep up on him.
He was limited to just 12 starts in 2017 due to left bicep bursitis and left shoulder inflammation. In 2019 he made just seven starts before undergoing season ending Tommy John surgery in May. After battling these significant arm injuries Rodón wanted to prove he could stay healthy. But was only able to pitch in four games for the White Sox in 2020 due to left shoulder soreness.
The once future ace, was non-tendered by the White Sox in the offseason. They brought him back on a one year $3 million dollar deal, but Rodón said he was pissed off. He even considered not returning to the White Sox. Ultimately he rejoined the team and was forced to compete for a starting job in spring training.
He was excellent. Pitching coach, Ethan Katz helped transform his mechanics and get his lower half more involved. This took stress off of his arm and made his delivery more explosive. The Indians lineup never stood a chance.
A Dominant Rotation
Rodón was suppose to start on Monday night but was scratched because of an upset stomach. He took the ball on Wednesday night and showed why he was drafted so high in 2014. He struck out seven hitters and only faced 28 hitters all night. Not even a long delay in the dugout as the White Sox offense erupted for eight runs could phase him.
He peppered the strike zone all night, throwing 75 of his 114 pitches for strikes. He endured 10 groundouts and 5 flouts. The Indians were struggling to square the ball up twice, but each time they found a White Sox glove.
After an impressive opening start in Seattle, Rodón’s history making performance serves as a reminder just how deep this rotation can be. It was also a great way to wash out ugly April losses. This could be just what the White Sox need to turn the corner on their way to a championship.
