After running out of his shoes to score the Yankees’ first run Sunday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. helped them finish off a much-needed win with his bat in the eighth inning.
Chisholm’s two-run double put the Yankees up for the first time and they held on to beat Baltimore 4-2 to close out a rocky homestand in The Bronx.
“We’re down one run in the bottom of the eighth,” Chisholm said of the situation. “[The count’s] 3-0 and [Bryan Baker] threw me a fastball.”
And Chisholm made him pay.
His blow came after Ben Rice opened the inning with a single, moved to second on a Cody Bellinger groundout and got to third on a rocket single to left by Giancarlo Stanton.
Paul Goldschmidt pinch ran for Stanton and came around to score from first on Chisholm’s double, as third base coach Luis Rojas aggressively sent Goldschmidt on the double to the gap in right-center to make it 3-2.
Chisholm got to third on the play and scored on a fielder’s choice to shortstop by DJ LeMahieu, as Gary Sánchez couldn’t handle Gunnar Henderson’s throw home, to provide an insurance run — only after being alerted to go back and touch the plate by Austin Wells, who was on deck.
The late rally was possible because of another strong outing by Will Warren, who allowed two runs in the first, but none for the rest of his 6 ¹/₃-inning outing.
Lefty Tim Hill got two big outs in the seventh and, after he walked the first two batters in the eighth, Fernando Cruz struck out all three batters he faced to escape the jam and keep the Yankees’ deficit at one run.
It all helped the Yankees make up for going just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position until Chisholm came up in the eighth.
“Quietly, he’s been doing a really good job,’’ Aaron Boone said of Chisholm. “He’s had quality at-bats and taking what the game is giving him. He’s hunting his pitch and getting it.”
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Truthfully, there’s nothing quiet about Chisholm, on the field or off — including on the bases, as he noted Sunday was the first time he managed to run out of both of his shoes.
The first shoe popped off between third and home and the second was knocked off as Chisholm collided with catcher Maverick Handley, who’d come up the third base line to take the throw from Colton Cowser.
“He ran right out of his shoes,’’ Boone said. “It doesn’t surprise me.”
Not much does when it comes to Chisholm.
Warren allowed the first four batters he faced to reach base, as the Yankees fell behind early before the right-hander settled down, and they got the run by Chisholm back in the bottom of the second.
But then the Yankees couldn’t get another clutch hit.
They had a golden chance in the sixth when Aaron Judge and Rice were on second and third, respectively, with no one out and didn’t score, with Judge failing to tag up on Cody Bellinger’s fly ball to right.
And an inning later, Judge whiffed with runners on the corners to end the threat.
None of it mattered when Chisholm delivered an inning later, as he continues to play well since returning from his IL stint caused by an oblique strain.
“Even at 3-0, with that swing I tried not to do too much and drive in the run,’’ Chisholm said.
He did more than that and after Devin Williams finished the victory with a save in a scoreless ninth, the Yankees avoided a third straight series loss before they open a series in Cincinnati on Monday.