The Yankees’ latest acquisition is off to an unbelievable start with his new club.
Jazz Chisholm Jr’s first three games with the New York Yankees have been something out of a dream.
After the electric Bahamian center fielder/second baseman was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Bronx Bombers on Saturday, Chisholm became the first Yankee ever to hit four home runs in his first three games with the team; the Yankees have been around for over 120 years, so this is no small feat.
Chisholm’s first game in pinstripes on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox was modest. Playing center field, he went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored.
But when the Yankees traveled to Philadelphia to play the NL-leading Phillies, the “smooth Jazz” began to play. Monday saw Chisholm hit a pair of home runs in a 14-4 rout; although the second homer came off a position player, the first came off of Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who had an impressive 2.55 ERA entering the game. For the second homer, Chisholm asked and was allowed to use teammate Aaron Judge’s bat.
That excellent performance, which also saw Chisholm play third base for the first time, would be a precursor to a game for the ages the next day.
The 26-year-old went 3-for-6 with another pair of homers to earn the aforementioned distinction of hitting four homers in his first three games as a Yankee. Even better, his performance helped lead the Bronx Bombers to a thrilling come-from-behind win.
With the Yankees trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, Chisholm hit a solo shot in the sixth inning off Aaron Nola to cut the deficit to two. He would get another at-bat the very next inning against southpaw Matt Strahm, this time with two runners on base, and lofted a go-ahead bomb down the right field line to give the Yankees a stunning 5-4 lead.
The Phillies eventually tied the game in the ninth, but Chisholm had one more trick up his sleeve in extra innings. His 12th inning single helped move “ghost runner” Austin Wells to third, and although he subsequently made an out on the basepaths on Gleyber Torres’s fly ball, this may have been intentional so Wells could score without a play at the plate. This ended up being the deciding run in New York’s 7-6, series-clinching win.
After the game, Chisholm expressed his sheer enthusiasm of playing for the Yankees.
“To be part of the history of the New York Yankees is one of the sickest things anybody in baseball can hear,” Chisholm said when reporters informed him of his history-making feat.
With such a fantastic first impression, expect the exciting 26-year-old to receive a rousing reception when he returns to the Bronx.
