Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds homers twice as Yankees drop Carlos Rodón’s last regular-season start

NEW YORK — Once upon a time, when Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds looked like an obvious trade candidate, fans and pundits pegged him as a perfect fit for the Yankees.

On Friday, the Pirates’ left fielder — now on a long-term deal — gave the Bronx faithful a taste of what life would have been like had Yankee Stadium become his home. Reynolds went deep twice in the Yankees’ 4-2, series-opening loss. His second dinger, a two-run blast off Tommy Kahnle in the eighth, broke a 2-2 tie.

Earlier in the night, Carlos Rodón allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings of work. The two runs came on back-to-back, sixth-inning homers from Nick Gonzales and Reynolds. Those long balls quickly followed Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run single in the fifth, which put the Yankees — sporting a lackluster lineup the night after a division-clinching celebration — on the board.

Rodón also totaled four hits, four walks and five strikeouts.

Friday marked his final start of the regular season. With 32 on the year, Rodón set a new career high. He leads the Yankees in games started and innings pitched (175) after three injuries limited him to 14 starts in his first season with the team in 2023.

Rodón is expected to start the second or third game of the ALDS for the Yankees.

First, the team has two more regular-season games to play against Pittsburgh. Saturday will feature a matchup between the two potential Rookies of the Year, as Pirates phenom Paul Skenes will face Luis Gil in his Yankee Stadium debut.