Shortly after Jorbit Vivas battled Ryne Stanek’s 100-mph fastball over the course of an 11-pitch at-bat in a May 18 win over the Mets — resulting in a game-changing, run-scoring grounder — Aaron Boone mentioned that the rookie has had a tough time against heaters since being promoted earlier this month.
“I feel like he’s struggled a little bit with some fastballs, gotten beat with some fastballs. And even early in that at-bat, it was looking that way,” Boone said before noting how Vivas processed and adjusted to Stanek’s gas.
On Thursday, Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t throwing quite as hard. But with the Rangers’ righty taking a 1.61 ERA into the day and his four-seamer maxing out at 97.2 mph, it was notable that Vivas’ first-career home run came on a fastball in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 1-0, series-sweeping win.
“In my first at-bat, he threw me a couple fastballs,” Vivas said. “So going back for that at-bat, I was looking for something high in the zone.”
Now, Eovaldi only pumped 94 on that upper-middle offering, but Vivas pounced on it. With a prolonged leg kick loading his swing, the 24-year-old pulled the pitch over Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right.
As Vivas watched the ball sail, Cody Bellinger held up one finger in celebration while leaning on the Yankees’ dugout railing.
“I actually was a huge fan of him in spring training. Loved his at-bats,” Bellinger recently said. “He’s a very exciting player. He’s got a lot of confidence.”
Vivas, meanwhile, thought it was about time he hit one out.
“There are so many things going through my head right in that moment,” he said. “I said, ‘Oh, my first one. Finally!’”
Vivas added that the Yankees retrieved the ball for him. He plans to take it back home to Venezuela so that supportive family members, who watch every game, can have it.
He also said he gave his mom a call after the game.
“It’s pretty cool to get your first in a 1-0 game and be the difference,” Boone said. “Huge. He’s capable of that. Really good swing. Jumped on that first-pitch heater and didn’t miss it. He’s had a couple big at-bats in this homestand for us, and that one was obviously very big for us and the difference in the game today.”
With Vivas providing the offense against Eovaldi, Carlos Rodón took care of run prevention.
No Rangers crossed the plate over the lefty’s six innings of work. Rodón also tallied two hits, two walks and eight strikeouts as he lowered his ERA to 2.88.
While Boone said Rodón had “a little bit of everything working,” including a curveball that had gotten away from him lately, the southpaw credited catcher J.C. Escarra for his strong performance.
“He’s really great behind the plate,” Rodón said. “Obviously, the glove is great. And then the pitch-calling was just superb.”
Thursday marked Rodón’s latest outing in chilly and/or rainy conditions, as Boone remarked pregame that he’s had to keep the pitcher up to date on the weather several times this season.
“Fortunately, he doesn’t mind the elements,” Boone presciently continued.
Opponents are now hitting just .162 against Rodón this season. With Max Fried owning a 1.29 ERA, members of the Yankees’ rotation lead the majors in both statistics.
The Yankees’ bullpen also kept the Rangers off the board, as Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams and Luke Weaver all threw blank innings in the low-scoring affair.
Weaver pitched for the third day in a row. The closer, who has a miniscule 0.40 ERA, has thrown just 18 pitches over that stretch.
“They swing and get out quicker?” Weaver said with a smile when asked what the key to efficiency is. “I think it’s really just about trying to get strike one as fast as possible. It’s trying to get to two strikes as fast as possible and just try to put them away as quick as you can.
“I don’t necessarily want to try to get two strikes every time. I want to be able to be efficient, to be able to come back the next day and to take load off the arm and to the body and make people breathe easier in the dugout and in the stands.”
With a sweep secured, the Yankees will head west for the second time this month. The three-city trip begins in Colorado on Friday.
Clarke Schmidt, Fried and the red-hot Will Warren are slated to start against the abysmal Rockies. A yet-to-be-determined pitcher, Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela will pitch for Colorado.
The two Rockies starters have ERAs well above 5.00.