Rodón, Yanks starting to 'get on a roll' with series win in Boston

BOSTON -- Carlos Rodón was the starting pitcher on the mound -- this same mound, in fact -- when the Yankees’ summer slide began on June 15. The ensuing six-week stretch has tested the club’s mettle, featuring far more defeats than anyone who watched the club’s first 70-something games would have forecast.

Rodón just might have been a big part of a weekend that corrected the Bombers’ path, too. The left-hander fired 6 1/3 strong innings as the Yankees secured a much-needed series victory at Fenway Park, posting an 8-2 win over the Red Sox on Sunday evening.

“We need to get on a roll here,” Rodón said. “This was a big series win against the Red Sox, who are a very good team despite where they are in the standings. They’re not far off from us. … It’s always tough to play here in Fenway.”

Notching consecutive victories for the first time since July 12-13, the series triumph was just the Yankees’ second since that June weekend in Boston, when they held baseball’s best record at 50-22. Now 62-45, they are 2-8-2 in their past 12 series (12-23 record).

“We know where we’ve been the last month and a half,” said outfielder Alex Verdugo, who doubled twice and scored two runs. “It just starts like this, and you just keep on trusting each other, keep on going. Get a couple of guys at the Trade Deadline that are going to freshen it up in here, and we’re excited, man.

“We’re happy with the team we’ve got, and we know we can do some special things.”

Much as the June 14-16 series was identified as a turning point, perhaps this past weekend will also serve as a delineation in the Yanks’ season -- made notable by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s Yankees debut, in which he arrived at Fenway about 90 minutes before first pitch, then collected a single, stolen base and run scored in the ninth.

“It was super exciting. Every kid dreams of being a Yankee,” Chisholm said. “It’s the most famous team in baseball, that Derek Jeter played on. Everybody’s favorite player was Derek Jeter growing up. I had him as an owner [with the Marlins], so I feel like it was only right to come along and put on this uniform.”

Building upon an impressive effort in which he struck out a season-high 10 Rays last Monday, Rodón leaned heavily upon his fastball (42) and changeup (28) in holding Boston to five hits and one walk, striking out seven.

“It seemed like it generated some good swing and miss,” Rodón said of his changeup, which produced nine whiffs. “It kept them off balance.”

Rodón’s only blemishes came as Rob Refsnyder and Connor Wong cleared the wall with back-to-back homers in the fourth inning. He has held opponents to three or fewer runs in 17 of his 22 starts this year.

“To get us an out into the seventh there, we needed that,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think both sides were very short in the ‘pen tonight, and for him to go out tonight in this place -- it was just a big performance, following up a strong one his last time, too.”

As they did in Saturday’s wild contest, the Yankees pounced for three first-inning runs. Verdugo led off with a double and scored on Aaron Judge’s opposite-field single before Gleyber Torres ripped a two-run single.

“It feels good,” Torres said. “I’m more controlled at home plate right now. I just try to drive the guys in when I get opportunities and help the team.”

Ben Rice added a deep sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Austin Wells lifted a sac fly in the seventh. After Jake Cousins relieved Rodón with a pair of seventh-inning strikeouts, Oswaldo Cabrera provided insurance with a two-run ground-rule double in the eighth.

The Yanks have scored seven or more runs in three consecutive games, tying their season high (also April 6-8).

“It’s a gritty series win,” Boone said. “We’re not all the way where we want to be right now, but there’s a lot of fight in there. It’s been really good to see the offense string together a bunch of games where we’re making it real heavy.”