Chisholm’s revenge bold, passionate but not flawless in Yankees win over Reds

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CINCINNATI — The night after his emotional ejection, Jazz Chisholm Jr. took matters into his own hands. With a thunderous swing, a measured stare, and a message delivered across home plate, the New York Yankees’ third baseman reminded everyone that his bat can speak as loudly as his temper.

He turned Tuesday night’s frustration into Wednesday’s satisfaction with one mighty swing.

Chisholm launched a two-run home run in the third inning Wednesday night, helping the Yankees snap a three-game skid with a 7-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The blast, measured at 433 feet, was not just a stat-padding moment. It was personal.

“I told him that was for last night,” Chisholm said of Reds catcher Jose Trevino, the former Yankee at the center of Tuesday’s controversy. “I wasn’t going to let it go.”

Fallout from ejection

The drama began the night before, when Chisholm was tossed from the game by home plate umpire Mark Wegner in the ninth inning of a tense 5-4 Yankees loss. Chisholm, visibly frustrated with a called strike in a previous at-bat, was talking to himself in the dugout when Wegner abruptly ejected him from across the field.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone later suggested Trevino played a part in the situation escalating. YES Network footage showed Trevino pointing in Chisholm’s direction while speaking to Wegner moments before the ejection.The Yankees believe Trevino intentionally drew the umpire’s attention, leading to a misunderstanding of Chisholm’s intent.

After watching the video before Wednesday’s game, Chisholm said he now understood how the incident spiraled.

“I thought it was pretty funny,” Chisholm said. “I didn’t get tossed for saying anything crazy. I said, ‘Why are you looking at me?’ That was it.”

Trevino downplayed the moment. “I thought he wanted to talk to [Wegner],” he said. “I was just helping him out.”

The ejection — and the chain of events around it — lit a fuse under Chisholm. He made sure Wednesday night would end on his terms.

Chisholm pays back with bat for his ejection

Wednesday brought the reckoning. Trevino opened the verbal sparring in Chisholm’s first at-bat: “Don’t forget, they need you on the field.” Chisholm flashed a smile in response. The tension mounted until his 433-foot bomb off Brady Singer silenced all chatter.

In the third inning, Chisholm faced Reds starter Brady Singer with one on and none out. He didn’t waste the opportunity, turning on a fastball and sending it deep into the right-field seats. As he rounded the bases, he gestured toward home, where Trevino awaited.

Chisholm’s stare down wasn’t malicious, but it was deliberate.

“I was his teammate. I’m not going to fight the guy,” Trevino said afterward. “It’s baseball. I don’t have anything against him. I think he’s a good player.”

Chisholm’s homer gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead and energized a lineup that had struggled mightily in recent days. His passion was on full display, but it also drew praise for channeling frustration into performance — something the Yankees coaching staff has encouraged all season.

The homer was Chisholm’s 11th of the season. After his signature Eurostep celebration at home plate, he delivered his message to Trevino. The catcher simply smiled beneath his mask.

Balancing fire with focus as flaw pushes through

The revenge was at risk of unraveling in the fourth. Chisholm allowed an error at third and the Reds scored their only run in the game.

Chisholm, now in his first full season with the Yankees, has been both electric and unpredictable. Acquired in a blockbuster deal in July 2024, he was hailed for his athleticism, swagger, and pop from the left side. He’s delivered flashes of all three — and some growing pains.

Through June 25, he has 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He’s also been involved in multiple emotional outbursts, one of which led to a benches-clearing moment earlier this season.

Still, the Yankees see his energy as a net positive — if properly harnessed.

“We’re counting on him in that room to stay in games,” Boone said. “He’s too important. But I love how he bounced back.”

Yankees’ statement win

The Yankees’ win snapped a rough 7-9 stretch over 16 games and kept them one game ahead of the Rays in the AL East standings. While Max Fried earned the headlines with seven innings of one-run ball, Chisholm’s performance was arguably more impactful for the team’s emotional reset.

“I think everybody’s going to sleep 14 hours, especially me,” Chisholm said with a grin postgame.

For Chisholm, the home run may have served as payback. But more importantly, it was proof he can answer the spotlight not just with fire — but with finesse.

Max Fried‘s stellar performance nearly got lost in the drama. The left-hander dominated over seven innings, allowing just one unearned run. His effort dropped his ERA to 0.93 in 10 starts following Yankees losses. Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham stole the spotlight alongside Chisholm. Both players went 4-for-5 with two doubles each. Their offensive explosion helped overcome the Yankees’ struggles with runners in scoring position.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton added sixth-inning RBIs to extend the lead to 5-1. The offensive breakthrough provided much-needed relief. Domínguez was particularly impressed. The young switch-hitter collected hits from both sides of the plate scored twice and stole two bases.

Yankees’ grueling stretch concludes successfully

Wednesday’s win capped a brutal 16-game stretch in 16 days. The Yankees (46-34) avoided a sweep at Great American Ball Park despite losing the series two games to one.

The team sits 11-12 in June but maintains a one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the American League East standings.

“I think everybody’s going to sleep 14 hours [Thursday],” Chisholm joked postgame.

Even his fourth-inning throwing error that gifted Cincinnati its only run couldn’t dampen the satisfaction of his third-inning heroics.

For Chisholm, the moment represented more than baseball banter. It was about pride and refusing to let Tuesday’s ejection define him.

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