Rodón Dominates as Yankees Shut Out Rays, Lock Up Wild-Card Home Field

Eight strong innings from Carlos Rodón and a Cody Bellinger homer lifted New York past Tampa Bay to clinch the AL's fourth seed.

The New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in the opener of a Tuesday doubleheader, clinching the No. 4 seed in the American League and home-field advantage for the wild-card round. A two-run shot by Cody Bellinger in the fourth inning accounted for all the scoring.

Carlos Rodón handled the rest, working eight innings while giving up three hits and recording eight strikeouts. Among them was the 1,500th strikeout of his career.

Already assured of a postseason berth after last week, New York remains a distant contender for the AL East crown. The club trails Tampa Bay by five games with six remaining, while the Rays need only a single victory in their final six to wrap up the division.

With at least the top AL wild-card slot secured, the Yankees appear set for a first-round meeting with the Boston Red Sox for the second consecutive October. New York took that series in 2025, winning two games to one.

Aaron Judge's availability remains uncertain after a calf strain put him on the injured list last week. Manager Aaron Boone indicated Tuesday that the team is not counting on having the slugger back for the start of the playoffs. The best-of-three AL wild-card series begins Sept. 29.