Nationals spoil Carlos Rodón’s return, Everson Pereira’s debut as Yankees lose 9th straight – The Denver Post

All eyes were on Everson Pereira on Tuesday, but another 22-year-old spoiled the outfielder’s major league debut.

With the game knotted at one in the eighth, the Nationals’ CJ Abrams lined a Tommy Kahnle changeup off the right field foul pole. The home run paved the way for a 2-1 Washington win — and the Yankees’ ninth straight loss.

The Yankees have not lost nine in a row since 1982.

“Pretty down, but we gotta fight through it,” Aaron Boone said of the team’s morale. “I think we’re doing and saying the right things. But we’re in it to win it. At the end of the day, you work hard to put yourself in a position to shake hands, and when you get beat over and over again and you’re in the middle of a tough season, it makes it hard, but you gotta fight that feeling and get your ass back here tomorrow ready to compete. But it’s no fun walking in that locker getting beat every night.”

The Yankees had hoped that the promotions of Pereira and Oswald Peraza, 23, would inject some life into the team, but that didn’t come to fruition in the series-opener. The two youngsters went 0-for-7 on the night.

“I thought he laid off some tough pitches too, which was good to see, especially in his first at-bat,” Boone said of Pereira. “Was able to work a walk, hit the ball pretty hard there in his last at-bat, and hit a ball decent to short. But he looked fairly comfortable, and I thought got some pretty good swings off. So he looked good and under control.”

Pereira’s more-seasoned peers accumulated just two hits. For comparison, Yankee Stadium’s jumbotron featured three marriage proposals during the series-opener.

Ben Rortvedt got the Yankees on the board with a solo home run in the third inning. The shot, the catcher’s first in pinstripes, provided an answer to Carter Kieboom’s own solo homer off Carlos Rodón in the top of the frame.

Rodón, fresh off the injured list following a hamstring strain, completed six innings for the first time as a Yankee. He totaled six hits, one earned run, zero walks, one strikeout and 68 pitches during an “interesting outing,” as Boone put it. The manager noted that the Nationals are aggressive and handle left-handed heaters well.

Rodón’s fastball earned him zero whiffs on the night.

“I thought he had enough of a presence with his secondary stuff and moving the ball round to get them off of really selling out to that characteristic [fastball] and really getting into a ball, which was good,” Boone said. “But they were swinging early, putting the ball in play.”

While the line resulted in one of Rodón’s best with the Yankees, the southpaw had some help from his defense and the Nationals, who ran into three outs on the bases. Washington recorded nine hard-hit balls off of Rodón, who now has a 6.27 ERA after seven starts with the Yankees.

“Defensively, the boys picked me up with some outfield assists,” Rodón said. “Some really good plays by the defense today that kept me in the game and kept that game at one run, so thanks to them.”

Meanwhile, New Rochelle native Josiah Gray shined in his first start at Yankee Stadium. The childhood Yankees fan and Nationals starter allowed just one hit, Rortvedt’s homer, over six innings.

While Gray walked five, he struck out four and hung around for 101 pitches. The Yankees had seven hard-hit balls off the righty, but little to show for it.

“We had opportunities out there and hit some balls on the screws,” Boone said, “but we had some chances and some pitches to do some things with tonight and just couldn’t take advantage.”

Tuesday was the third time the offensively-starved Bombers have been two-hit or worse in their last six games. Still, Boone and company said that the team has fight.

“I’m not giving up,” Rodón said. “I don’t feel like any of my guys are giving up.”

The freefalling Yankees entered Tuesday’s contest 9.5 games out of the final wild card spot, which the Mariners occupied. The Blue Jays (1 GB), Red Sox (4 GB) and Angels (9 GB) all led the Yankees in what has become a long-shot race for New York.

With 38 games left, the Yankees are now five under .500.

“Every loss really stinks at this point,” Rortvedt said. “It doesn’t get easier at all.”

Added Rodón: “It’s definitely unsettling. It’s not where we want to be.”

The Yankees will look for their first win in over a week on Wednesday. MacKenzie Gore will pitch for Washington, while Luis Severino will start for the Yankees.

Severino has a 7.98 ERA this season.

The Yankees have not announced their Thursday starter yet, but Patrick Corbin is lined up for the Nationals.

()