Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees had the last laugh Thursday night after he was repeatedly booed in Kansas City, as the Bronx Bombers defeated the Royals in four games to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Chisholm had claimed that the Royals “got lucky” after the Yankees lost Game 2 at home, and the Kansas City fans did not forget him as they booed him during Games 3 and 4.
But with a 3-1 win Thursday to close the series, those boos were silenced, and Chisholm’s teammates had a funny way of mocking opposing fans afterward.
As beer was poured on his head in the locker room, Chisholm’s Yankees teammates sarcastically booed him as the Bahamian said ‘we love it’ with a big smile on his face.
On Wednesday, he could be seen enjoying the boos of Royals fans during Game 3, saying afterward, “I’ve never seen anyone boo a bum.”
Jazz Chisholm was sarcastically booed by his teammates as they sprayed him with champagne.
He angered Royals fans early in the series by claiming they “got lucky” in Game 2.
The Yankees enjoyed a drunken locker room celebration after beating the Royals in four games.
It’s true that Chisholm is just 1 for 11 in his last three games, but we were still in high spirits after the Yankees moved on to the American League Championship Series, where they’ll face either the Tigers or the Guardians.
“I’d go to war with these guys any day,” he said. told reporters on Thursday. ‘They introduce me as if I were the damn little brother they always wanted. And I feel like I’m the little brother they always wanted. “So to be here now, I know I didn’t produce much on the show, but these guys made me feel like I meant the world.”
Chisholm has only been with the Yankees since July 27, when he was traded from the Marlins, but it’s clear he’s become a clubhouse favorite in that time.
“He handled it well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the boos he faced. “It’s good for the playoffs to have a little bit of that.” I don’t think he meant any disrespect at all. You know, it improved the atmosphere a little bit.
The Yankees and Chisholm had some well-deserved celebrations in the locker room after the victory, as champagne was sprayed throughout the room and many of the players donned goggles to protect their eyes.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who struggled in the series, was seen taking a swig of champagne in a photo while the team also posed for a group photo on the field.
The latest to join the infield was star pitcher Gerrit Cole, who allowed just one earned run in seven innings on Thursday, while Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton each contributed key hits in the victory.
Aaron Judge took a big gulp of champagne after the Yankees wrapped up the ALDS
The Yankees celebrate after beating the Royals on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.
After failing to make the postseason a year ago, the Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series for the second time in three seasons and the fourth time since 2017.
Judge, who struggled into the postseason after becoming the favorite to win the American League Most Valuable Player in the regular season, hit a strong double in two at-bats, scored a run, walked two and stole a base.
After taking a no-decision in the series opener, Cole (1-0) allowed one run and six hits with four strikeouts. He kept the Royals off the scoreboard for five innings and got out of a jam in the sixth.
The New York bullpen continued to dominate with Clay Holmes taking the eighth and Luke Weaver finishing in the ninth for his third save of the series. Yankees relievers combined to allow zero runs in 15 2/3 innings of the series.
The Yankees posed for a team photo on the field after beating the Royals 4-1 on Thursday.
The Yankees will now face the winner of the Tigers-Guardianes series, which will conclude on Saturday.
The Yankees scored quickly against right-hander Michael Wacha who, like Cole, also started Game 1. Three pitches into the first inning, Soto hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Torres after he had doubled, to give him to New York 1-0. lead.
Wacha (0-1) kept the Yankees from adding more until two outs in the fifth, when Torres hit an RBI single to right field, knocking out Alex Verdugo from third. Lucas Erceg replaced Wacha to shut down the rally.
Stanton, who hit the go-ahead home run late in the third game, rallied again with an RBI single in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead.
The Royals got a run in the sixth when Vinnie Pasquantino hit an RBI double to score Witt with two outs, but the Yankees’ strong defense thwarted KC’s best chance at a bigger inning.
New York won’t know who its American League Championship Series opponent will be until Saturday, when the Cleveland Guardians will host the Detroit Tigers for Game 5 of that American League Championship Series. The Guardians extended their series with a 5-4 victory against the Tigers on Thursday.