Yankees’ Chisholm stands tall as Pirates torment Gil, Judge to season’s worst

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The New York Yankees were outhomered by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 9-4 loss on Saturday. While both Aaron Judge and Luis Gil hit their career-worst records, Jazz Chisholm Jr. became the only Yankee to put up a challenge.

Chisholm was the standout performer for the Yankees on Saturday, providing a much-needed spark with his bat. He ended the team’s hitless stretch in the fifth inning by launching a towering solo home run into the second deck in right field. Chisholm followed that up with an RBI double in the eighth, cementing his place among an elite group of players this season. His numbers—at least 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases—put him alongside Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez, and Elly De La Cruz in that exclusive club.

Chisholm looked like on a mission to defend his ring statement. Before the game Chisholm, who reached 40 stolen bases in the 2024 MLB season, noted that his baserunning prowess has inspired other players, including power hitters like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, to become more aggressive on the basepaths.

“I feel like it’s going to help a lot,” Chisholm said. “I feel like everybody else is starting to run a little bit more too. Even Soto and Judge—I think I’m three stolen bases behind Judge and one behind Soto today. So everybody’s getting comfortable with stealing.”

Chisholm pointed out that he was trailing Judge by only three stolen bases and Soto by one, indicating a team-wide embrace of aggressive baserunning. This strategy, he believes, will significantly benefit the Yankees in the postseason.

“I mean, I’m super excited, especially going to war with these guys, knowing that we’ve got the best talent in the league to do it. And I feel like we have the best teamwork, the best togetherness in the league too. I feel like we’re going to go out there, play as a team, and be unstoppable.”

Expressing enthusiasm about his first playoff appearance, Chisholm, who joined the Yankees in 2024 after his stint with the Marlins, conveyed his eagerness for the postseason experience. He praised the team’s talent and cohesion, expressing confidence in their ability to perform as a unified force. Chisholm emphasized the Yankees’ exceptional teamwork and camaraderie, predicting that these factors would make them a formidable opponent in the playoffs.

Yankees offense flops

Aaron Judge, who had homered in five consecutive games before taking Friday off, struggled at the plate. The Yankees captain went 0-for-5, striking out in all five of his at-bats, an unusually tough day for the typically reliable slugger.

Juan Soto also contributed offensively with an RBI single in the seventh inning. However, his bid to stretch the hit into a double backfired as he was thrown out, abruptly ending the inning.

The Yankees’ lineup saw some adjustments, with Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe resting after playing the previous day. Jasson Dominguez led off, Jon Berti filled in at second base, and Oswaldo Cabrera manned shortstop.

Yankees pitching stumbles from the start

Luis Gil‘s final regular-season start for the Yankees was a pivotal moment for the young pitcher. It provided a chance to solidify his case for the AL Rookie of the Year and help his team secure the top seed in the American League. However, Gil struggled on both fronts during a chilly, rain-soaked Saturday in New York.

The right-hander endured a rough outing, allowing a career-high four home runs. His struggles were magnified by the sharp contrast in performance from Paul Skenes, a leading contender for NL Rookie of the Year, who impressed with two innings of dominant pitching in a pre-scheduled short start.

Gil surrendered six runs over 5 2/3 innings, putting a damper on his final appearance before the postseason. Despite the poor result, Gil remains likely to be in the rotation for the upcoming American League Division Series. Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained that a few missed pitches proved costly for Gil, but the team still has confidence in his abilities.

Until this game, Gil had allowed just 14 home runs across 146 innings for the season. It was only the second time this year that he had given up multiple home runs in a single game, the first being in April against Milwaukee when he allowed two.

Despite the rough finish, Gil concluded the regular season with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 151 2/3 innings—remarkable considering he spent much of the previous two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Gil had stepped up as a late addition to the Yankees’ rotation after Gerrit Cole went down with an injury during spring training.

As for his Rookie of the Year chances, Gil expressed that winning the award would be a tremendous honor, not only for himself but also for his hometown of Azua in the Dominican Republic and for the Yankees organization. However, he emphasized that with the regular season behind him, his full attention is now on the playoffs.

Will Warren, who had been called up from Triple-A earlier in the day to replace Cody Poteet, had a tough time on the mound. He gave up three runs in the ninth inning and was subsequently optioned back to the minors after the game.

The game drew a sizeable crowd, with an announced attendance of 46,069, marking the Yankees’ 17th sellout of the season. This figure ranks as the third-highest number of sellouts in a single season at the new Yankee Stadium, trailing only the 23 sellouts in 2018 and 20 in 2011.

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