During Game 2 of the ALCS, John Sterling’s signature broadcasting flair gave a humorous yet stinging spin to a Yankees baserunning blunder. In the sixth inning, Jazz Chisholm was picked off at second base after leading off with a hit, and shortly after, Anthony Rizzo found himself in a similar hole at third.
Rizzo, who had just driven in Anthony Volpe with a double, attempted to advance to third on a wild pitch by Guardians pitcher Pedro Avila. However, Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges swiftly recovered the ball, catching Rizzo in a rundown between second and third.
Sterling’s play-by-play on WFAN captured the moment with his usual dramatic style. He vividly narrated Rizzo’s back-and-forth attempts to evade the tag, before quipping that the Yankees’ baserunning resembled a group of drunk men, a remark that left Sterling chuckling as he transitioned to a commercial break.
“Rizzo is going to be picked off. He’s in the middle of second and third,” the Yankees voice commented. “Hedges now throws to second. On the way to third, back to second, back to third. Tagged out, end of inning. Boy if that wasn’t the Yankees, that’s what they do. Run the bases like a bunch of drunks.”
At the time, the Yankees were holding a 4-2 lead, which they would extend the next inning when Aaron Judge launched a home run. The Yankees went on to secure a 6-3 win, giving them a 2-0 lead in the series.
Sterling, now 86, came out of retirement late in the season to cover the Yankees’ playoff push and has been behind the microphone for their postseason games. His colorful commentary remains a staple of the Yankees’ playoff broadcasts, bringing a unique charm to each moment.
But Boone stood for the Yankees
Boone defended the team’s performance, emphasizing that postseason success is about securing wins, and such incidents are bound to occur. “It’s about getting wins,” he said. “We’re in the postseason. Those things are going to happen.”
The Yankees’ sixth inning began promisingly with a 4-2 lead, as Chisholm doubled and Volpe walked. Boone attempted a double steal, but Sabrowski, alerted by catcher Hedges about Chisholm’s significant lead, executed a successful pickoff at second base. The Yankees challenged the close call but lost due to inconclusive replays.
Chisholm acknowledged the rarity of Sabrowski’s move, noting it was an astute play prompted by the catcher. Despite the baserunning error, Boone supported Chisholm, explaining their aggressive strategy and suggesting that a throw-out at third would have been viewed differently.
“We’re going for a double steal,” he explained. “If (Chisholm) gets thrown out at third, (fans and media) don’t say anything. But he got picked off doing it. It’s going to happen.
The Yankees managed to score another run after Chisholm’s pickoff when Rizzo’s single, coupled with Brennan’s fielding error, allowed Volpe to score from first. However, another baserunning mishap occurred when Rizzo misread a blocked pitch and found himself caught between bases, resulting in a complex rundown and out.
Boone attributed Rizzo’s error to a misinterpretation of the ball’s trajectory. While Boone’s explanations for both outs were reasonable, these baserunning mistakes potentially cost the Yankees a more significant inning.
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