Carlos Rodon was dealing with a finger blister, which affected his breaking pitches in Game 2, The Post has learned.
Likely due to the blister issue, he became too reliant on his fastball, which eventually got hammered.
Rodon gave up three home runs in 3 1/3 innings on Saturday night — including back-to-back ones to Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the third inning that turned a tie game into a 4-1 Dodgers’ advantage.
You have to wonder whether this could affect his Game 6 assignment, assuming Game 6 is necessary.
Giancarlo Stanton is not only an October dynamo (1.005 career posteason OPS), he’s the hardest working man in show business.
He was one Yankee out before Game 2 taking early hitting on the field (some may be doing it underneath the stands).
Stanton’s key to his great postseason is avoiding nerves. “Nerves? No,” he said when asked about them.
“Nerves hinder you from being successful, so if your ultimate goal is to be successful you better find a way not to be nervous.”
This World Series features the two main players in Boston’s long-regretted Mookie Betts trade: Betts, of course, who remains one of the five best players in the world, and Alex Verdugo, who is 1 for his last 17.
Dodgers people never saw Verdugo as having star potential. They didn’t see him as having enough power or the ability to play center field.
OK, maybe stop the lefty-on-lefty thing with Freeman now that’s homered off Nestor Cortes and Rodon, one scout suggested.
Teammates were thrilled for Freeman, who was spending “five to six hours” a day in the training room during the NLCS vs. the Mets (plus shots).
“I’m so happy to see him smiling and enjoying the moment after all he’s been dealing with,” Miguel Rojas said.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Yankees in the postseason:
- Vaccaro: Yankees may need to go spiritual to save Aaron Judge this World Series
- Sherman: Yankees remain defiant, even as the Dodgers expose all their flaws
- Heyman: Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto flipped Yankees’ greatest World Series edge
- Juan Soto gives Yankees rallying cry after latest offensive one-man show
The White Sox are taking a long look at Rangers bench coach Will Venable as a potential manager after what was termed an “excellent” interview.
Nothing’s done yet, and it’s unknown whether Venable would accept (as the obvious heir apparent in Texas, he previously turned down interviews with the Mets and others).
Ex-Yankees coach Phil Nevin, Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and interim manager Grady Sizemore also are in the White Sox mix.
Albernaz is a a favorite for the Marlins job with Venable also among the finalists in Chicago.
Congrats to Salvy Perez, the Roberto Clemente award winner. He also deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.