Aaron Boone said Sunday that Jazz Chisholm Jr. was not confused after the Yankees’ costly loss to the Rays, defending the infielder a day after a bobble in the 10th inning helped Tampa Bay win at Yankee Stadium.
The play came with the game tied 4-4, one out and the Rays loaded on the bases. Jonathan Aranda chopped a grounder to Chisholm, and Boone said the Yankees needed a forceout at home plate or a double play to keep the game alive. Chisholm bobbled the ball, Chandler Simpson was the runner at the plate on the play Boone described, and the Rays won.
Boone said the mistake was not a simple one to finish, even if Chisholm had handled it cleanly. “It turns out to be a tough play,” he said, adding after watching it back that “there might have been a chance if he gets it cleanly, he gets the tag off.”
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The manager also pushed back on the way Chisholm handled the postgame questions Saturday, saying he should have answered reporters in a better way. Chisholm admitted after the game that he was unaware of MLB’s forceout rule, a response that fueled attention around the loss and his role in it.
The episode landed during a rough stretch for Chisholm, who entered Sunday with a.482 OPS, no home runs and six stolen bases. Boone said, “He’s not a dumb guy,” and insisted, “Jazz is gonna hit” and “Jazz will get it going,” while adding that the main work is “getting that ball on a line.”
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That support comes with a bigger backdrop. Chisholm is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the year, and he has been vocal about wanting to join the 50-50 club with Shohei Ohtani. For now, though, the focus is on whether the Yankees can put Saturday’s ending behind them and whether Chisholm can steady his season before the pressure around him grows louder.
