Jazz Chisholm Jr. sat out Tuesday as the New York Yankees faced Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, but his absence was short-lived.
Though Chisholm seemed less than thrilled with manager Aaron Boone’s decision, he returned Wednesday to make an immediate impact, energizing both himself and his teammates.
Now the Yankees and Chisholm aim to eliminate their longtime rivals Thursday in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the American League wild-card series.
Rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler, a Boston native, will take the mound for New York, while Red Sox rookie lefty Connelly Early gets the start—and Chisholm is guaranteed to be in the lineup.
The winner advances to the best-of-five AL Division Series, opening against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
“I feel like every game is a must-win,” Chisholm said. “We always put everything out there on the line, especially in the playoffs. There’s no space. You don’t want to give any team an edge.”
Chisholm’s impact was clear in the late innings as the Yankees avoided elimination with a 4-3 victory Wednesday.
In the seventh, Chisholm knocked down a grounder by pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida, holding him to an infield single and preventing a run. The game stayed tied when Fernando Cruz escaped a bases-loaded jam.
In the eighth, Chisholm walked with two outs after seeing seven pitches from Garrett Whitlock. He scored from first on a headfirst slide when Austin Wells singled down the right-field line.
“He loves to play,” Boone said of Chisholm. “He feels a responsibility to us, his teammates. And he and I have always been good. Despite what you may think happened Tuesday, he’s a gamer, and he likes the stage.”
The Red Sox never led Wednesday, though they tied the game twice thanks to Trevor Story, who hit well against the Yankees during the regular season. Story belted a two-run single in the third inning and added a solo homer in the sixth after Aaron Judge put the Yankees ahead with a single.
Boston also was aggressive with its pitching staff, pulling Brayan Bello in the third inning after he allowed a two-run homer to Ben Rice in the first. The right-hander was out after 28 pitches.
“I thought it was a great ballgame,” Whitlock said. “Both sides played really well. You saw that in Games 1 and 2. Hopefully, we can put together a good game Thursday and go from there.”
After Crochet pitched 7 2/3 innings Tuesday and Aroldis Chapman got the final four outs, Boston used six relievers Wednesday: Justin Wilson, Justin Slaten, Steven Matz, Zack Kelly, Whitlock and Payton Tolle.
“We were doing everything possible to get to the top of the ninth with a tie game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Whitlock threw a season-high 47 pitches.
Schlittler, who played at Northeastern University just a half-mile from Fenway Park, earned the start after a stellar two-plus months in the rotation. He finished 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts after debuting July 9.
“He gave us a shot in the arm when he became another stabilizing force in our rotation,” Boone said Tuesday. “He will handle it well regardless of the result. I don’t think it will be too big for him, and he will be ready to roll.”
The 24-year-old struck out nine and pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in his latest start.
Schlittler did not face the Red Sox in the regular season but said he faced Boston in an exhibition game at Northeastern.
“Obviously, I am a lot different player than I was then,” Schlittler said. “I didn’t really expect to be in this situation back then, but now I am definitely happy I am.”
Early was Boston’s fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft. He went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA in four starts to open his major league career this year and is filling in Thursday for Lucas Giolito, who likely will miss the postseason due to elbow pain.
Early has yet to face the Yankees. He last pitched Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings while throwing 86 pitches.
“It comes down to this game, and I’m excited to get out there,” Early said. “I’ve stuck to all my preparation and feel pretty good, so I’m ready to go out there and do it.”
