By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Left out of the starting lineup for the New York Yankees’ playoff opener, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was understandably unhappy.
Any accomplished player would be. Chisholm just has a different way of blowing off steam.
“I played `MLB: The Show’ and mercy-ruled someone,” he said. “That’s how I get my stress off.”
Back at second base Wednesday night, Chisholm played a huge part in saving the Yankees’ season as they beat the rival Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.
And this one was no video game.
“Anything to help us win,” Chisholm said. “All that was clear before I came to the field today. After I left the field yesterday, it is win the next game. It is win or go home for us. It is all about winning.”
The dynamic Chisholm raced all the way home from first base on Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and made a couple of critical defensive plays that helped the Yankees push the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night.
“It’s what you expect. He’s a game-changer. He showed his maturity,” New York captain Aaron Judge said. “He showed up at the park today and had the biggest plays for us.”
Afterward, manager Aaron Boone said Chisholm will start Thursday night against rookie left-hander Connelly Early.
A left-handed hitter, Chisholm began Game 1 on the bench with the Yankees facing ace lefty Garrett Crochet. The two-time All-Star entered on defense in the eighth and flied out against left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman with the bases loaded for the second out of the ninth, failing to drive in a run.
That was Chisholm’s only plate appearance in a 3-1 loss that left New York on the brink of elimination.
After the game, Chisholm seemed upset about not starting. His back was turned to reporters while he answered several questions at his locker. Chisholm said Boone texted him Monday night to let him know he wouldn’t be in the Game 1 lineup.
“I did see that,” Boone said Wednesday afternoon. “Every player is not going to agree with every decision that I make. I try and help make them understand my thought process and what I am thinking. I did that with Jazz. He is a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve. So, wasn’t necessarily how I handled it, but I don’t need him to put a happy face on. I need him to go out and play his butt off for us tonight. That’s what I expect to happen.”
Boone said the two had a conversation the day before about the potential move, and he thinks Chisholm understood.
“Jazz and I are good. No concerns that he was going to go out there and get it done,” Boone said after Game 2. “He loves to play. He feels a responsibility to us, his teammates. And, you know, he and I have always been good. Despite what you may think happened yesterday, like, yeah, he’s a gamer, and he likes the stage.”
Amed Rosario played second base in Chisholm’s place Tuesday and batted fifth. A right-handed hitter, Rosario was 6 for 9 with a home run and a double in his career against Crochet before going 0 for 3 in the playoff opener.
Chisholm is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a walk against Crochet.
“There is never a problem between me and Aaron Boone. He’s been my manager all year, and I’ve stood behind him all year,” Chisholm said after Wednesday night’s win. “We always have disagreements. I mean, I played third base this year, and we had a little bit of a disagreement in that.
“But at the end of the day, I always stand with Booney because he always understands where I come from. He knows I am a passionate player. He knows I wear my feelings on my sleeve. He knows I am there to compete.”
New York also put two other dangerous left-handed hitters on the bench against Crochet in Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon. Neither got in the game.
With right-hander Brayan Bello on the mound Wednesday night for the Red Sox, Chisholm was back at second base and batting sixth. Rice was at first base and hit a two-run homer on the first postseason pitch he saw. McMahon played third and went 1 for 3 with a walk.
With the score tied in the seventh, Chisholm saved at least one run with a diving stop to his right of an infield single by pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida. Chisholm also made a tough play to start an inning-ending double play with two on in the third.
There were two outs in the eighth when he worked the count full and drew a walk. Chisholm was running on another 3-2 pitch when Wells pulled a line drive that landed just inside the right-field line and caromed off the low retaining wall in foul territory.
Right fielder Nate Eaton made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, but the speedy Chisholm barely beat it with a headfirst slide.
“He’s a special player. He’s one of the best players in the game. Exciting. One of the best athletes I’ve ever seen,” Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz said. “I knew he was scoring no matter what.”
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