Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees had the last laugh Thursday night after being repeatedly booed in Kansas City as the Bronx Bombers defeated the Royals in four games to advance to the ALCS.
Chisholm had claimed that the Royals “got lucky” after the Yankees lost Game 2 at home, and Kansas City fans didn’t forget that as they jeered him during Games 3 and 4.
But with a 3-1 win on Thursday to end the series, those boos were silenced, and Chisholm’s teammates then had a hilarious way of taunting the opponents.
Throwing beer 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 from Royals fans during Game 3, then saying, “I’ve never seen anyone handcuff a bum.”
Jazz Chisholm was sarcastically booed by his teammates as they sprayed him with champagne
He angered Royals fans earlier in the series by claiming they “got lucky” in Game 2
The Yankees enjoyed a drunken locker room party after beating the Royals in four games
It’s true that Chisholm is just 1-for-11 in the last three games, but we were nevertheless in good spirits after the Yankees moved to the ALCS, where they will face the Tigers or Guardians.
“I could go to war with these guys any day,” he said told reporters on Thursday. “They introduce me like I’m 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 was doing 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 booing he faced. “That’s good for the playoffs, to have a little bit of that. I don’t think he meant any disrespect by it. You know, it made for a little better environment.”
The Yankees and Chisholm had a well-deserved celebration in the locker room after the win, spraying champagne around the room while many players wore goggles to protect their eyes.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who struggled in the series, was seen in one photo taking a sip of champagne while the team also posed for a group photo on the field.
The latest to join the picture 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 provided key hits in the win.
Aaron Judge took a long sip 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 reach the postseason a year ago, the Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series for the second time in three seasons and for the fourth time since 2017.
Judge, who struggled into the postseason after making himself a favorite to win AL MVP in the regular season, hit a hard double in two at-bats, scored a run, walked twice and stole a base.
After a no-decision in the series opener, Cole (1-0) allowed a run and six hits with four strikeouts. He kept the Royals off the scoreboard for five innings and pitched out of a jam in the sixth.
New York’s bullpen continued to dominate, with Clay Holmes picking up the eighth and Luke Weaver finishing in the ninth for his third save of the series. Yankees relievers combined for zero runs in 15 2/3 innings in the series.
The Yankees posed for a team photo on the field after beating the Royals 4-1 on Thursday
The Yankees now face the winner of the Tigers-Guardians series, which concludes 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 and scored Torres after hitting a double, giving New York a 1-0 lead. pipe.
Wacha (0-1) kept the Yankees from adding more until two outs in the fifth, when Torres hit an RBI single to right to drive in Alex Verdugo from third. Lucas Erceg then replaced Wacha to extinguish the rally.
Stanton, who hit the go-ahead home run late in Game 3, came through again with an RBI single in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.
The Royals scored a run in the sixth when Vinnie Pasquantino hit an RBI double and Witt scored with two outs, but the Yankees’ strong defense thwarted KC’s best chance at a bigger inning.
New York won’t know its opponent in the ALCS until Saturday, when the Cleveland Guardians will host the Detroit Tigers for Game 5 of that ALDS. The Guardians extended their streak with a 5-4 win against the Tigers on Thursday.