ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jazz Chisholm Jr. opened the Yankees floodgates and shamefully doubled down on it after the ALDS Game 2 loss.
The Yankees knew Tampa Bay’s offense was built to turn routine baseball into uncomfortable baseball.
The Rays entered the American League Division Series with a reputation for contact, speed and relentless pressure. They did not need to hit three-run homers Monday. They needed the Yankees to make decisions quickly and execute them cleanly.
New York failed that test almost immediately.
The Yankees committed three errors in the first inning and four overall in a 5-2 loss at Tropicana Field. The Rays took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series and moved within one victory of ending New York’s season.
Ryan McMahon opened the defensive trouble by booting Yandy Diaz’s grounder on Cam Schlittler’s second pitch. Austin Wells was later charged with catcher’s interference. Another infield exchange forced rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. to save an out with a recovery at second base.
Schlittler somehow limited Tampa Bay to one run in the inning while throwing 19 pitches, 17 for strikes. Ben Rice tied the game with a solo homer in the fourth, but the Rays scored four runs in the fifth. Rice added another solo homer in the eighth.
Cam Booser earned the win, Schlittler took the loss after 4 1/3 innings and Bryan Baker earned the save.
The Yankees’ four errors tied the second-highest total in franchise postseason history. Their three errors in the first tied an MLB postseason record for that inning.
In the middle of that chaos was one choice by Chisholm Jr. that turned an out into Tampa Bay’s first run and became one of the defining plays of the loss.
The Yankees had stressed clean baseball before the series because Tampa Bay’s style punishes hesitation and unnecessary risk. The first inning showed how quickly one extra decision could change the inning’s shape, especially with the Rays already forcing New York’s infield to move at full speed.
Chisholm tries for two and gives Tampa Bay first run
With Diaz at second and Jonathan Aranda at first, Junior Caminero hit a ground ball up the middle.
Lombard made a strong play at shortstop and flipped to Chisholm at second for the force on Aranda. At that point, the Yankees had secured one out.
Chisholm tried for more.
He barehanded Lombard’s feed, turned with his body moving away from first base and made an off-balance throw toward Luis Garcia Jr. The ball sailed wide and toward the Rays’ dugout railing.
Diaz scored from second on the throwing error.
The official scoring charged Chisholm with an error on the attempt to complete the double play. MLB described the decision as an unwise attempt against Caminero, who had grounded into 26 double plays during the regular season.
The Yankees had an out. Chisholm’s extra throw converted the play into a run.
Yankees nearly pay for another aggressive Chisholm exchange
The first error was not Chisholm’s only dangerous infield moment.
Later in the inning, Chandler Simpson grounded to second. Chisholm’s throw to Lombard pulled the rookie off the bag. Lombard recovered, reached back and touched second in time for the force.
The play prevented another error from appearing in the box score, but it reinforced the central problem. Tampa Bay kept forcing New York’s infield to operate at speed, and the Yankees kept making those exchanges difficult.
Chisholm did not retreat from the aggressive decision after the game.
“Honestly, I’d probably still throw it in the play that was trying to be made,” Chisholm said. “I just feel like I could have probably tried to make an even better throw. Where I’d throw it, I’d try and throw it a little more close to the base. My back was turned.”
“I’m just trying to make a play, trying to get my pitcher out of the play. My shortstop made a great play. I tried to make a great play too.”
That answer makes the play more revealing. Chisholm was not saying the idea was wrong. He was saying the execution was.
Chisholm’s mistake lands harder after his Game 1 confidence answer
Chisholm had been one of the loudest voices projecting confidence after the Yankees were one-hit in Game 1.
Asked where his confidence stood after the 1-0 loss, he responded with a question.
“Have you ever seen my confidence falter?” Chisholm said. “Alright, that’s your answer.”
Game 2 did not change that personality. It did show the risk built into it.
Chisholm plays fast and aggressively. Those traits can create pressure for opponents. Against Tampa Bay, the same instinct produced a throw the Yankees did not need and a run they could not afford.
Afterward, Chisholm did not blame one defender.
“It’s a tough loss. We beat ourselves today, in a lot of ways,” Chisholm said. “These are some of the best defenders I’ve ever played with. For me, it hurts us a little bit more than you think.”
The Yankees return to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 with Max Fried facing Nick Martinez. They need cleaner defense, more offense and three consecutive wins.
For Chisholm, the first requirement is the simplest and hardest one under postseason pressure: know when one out is enough.
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