HOUSTON — Two Yankees. Two very different receptions. On the same Friday night at Daikin Park, one was greeted like a conquering hero while the other heard nothing but boos. The World Baseball Classic opened its Pool B schedule in Houston, and the two most prominent members of the Yankees roster playing in the tournament delivered contrasting headlines.
Aaron Judge, wearing the captain’s “C” for Team USA, launched a 405-foot home run in his very first WBC at-bat. Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yankees second baseman representing Great Britain, was jeered during pregame introductions and every time he stepped into the batter’s box. One blasted his way into the highlight reel. The other went 0-for-5 as his team fell 8-2 to Mexico.
For Yankees fans following their players on the international stage, it was a night of extremes.
Judge sets the tone for Team USA
The United States rolled past Brazil 15-5 in the nightcap, and it was the Yankees captain who set the tone. With Bobby Witt Jr. on base after a leadoff single in the first inning, Judge worked the count to 3-0 against Brazil starter Bo Takahashi. The 80 mph sweeper left over the plate was a mistake. Judge crushed it 405 feet into the left-center stands at Daikin Park. The crowd of 30,825 erupted.
“It has been great,” Judge said of the atmosphere. “I can go back to the first inning. Bobby Witt is up there and they are chanting ‘USA.'”
It was the Yankees captain’s first career WBC plate appearance. He had skipped the 2023 tournament and was still a minor leaguer in 2017. This time, the three-time AL MVP answered the call after Yankees legend Andy Pettitte tipped off Team USA manager Mark DeRosa that Judge wanted in.
“I just said, ‘Hey Aaron, I’m not going to bug you throughout the year. I talked to Andy Pettitte, I’d love for you to be obviously the captain of Team USA and kind of start with you and filter everything around you as the pillar of this thing,'” DeRosa said.
“He called me back within 48 hours and was like, ‘I’m in, I want to do it.'”
The rest of the Yankees captain’s night was quieter. He was retired on a double play by 17-year-old Brazilian pitcher Joseph Contreras in the second inning. Contreras, the son of former Yankees pitcher Jose Contreras, loaded the bases but escaped the jam impressively. Judge also drew a walk later in the game and came around to score.
Team USA drew 17 walks on the night and scored seven runs in the ninth inning to blow the game open. Brice Turang had three hits and four RBIs. Logan Webb was dominant as the starter, retiring the final 12 batters he faced with six strikeouts after allowing a leadoff home run to Lucas Ramirez, the 20-year-old son of Manny Ramirez. The younger Ramirez homered twice on the night, becoming the youngest player in WBC history with a multi-homer game.
Chisholm hears boos in Great Britain’s loss
Earlier in the day, the reception for the Yankees second baseman was far less welcoming. Jazz Chisholm, playing for Great Britain through his Bahamian heritage, was the only player booed during pregame introductions for the Pool B opener against Mexico. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Chisholm was also jeered every time he came to the plate.
The reason for the boos was not entirely clear.
On the field Friday, Chisholm went hitless in five at-bats. Great Britain kept things competitive through six innings. Harry Ford tied the game 1-1 with a solo homer in the sixth. But Mexico pulled away with seven unanswered runs, highlighted by Jonathan Aranda’s three-run shot in the eighth. The final score was 8-2.
Before the tournament, Chisholm had declared: “We’re planning on shocking the world.” Great Britain will need to regroup quickly. They face Team USA on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, meaning Chisholm and Judge will be on opposite sides of the field.
Other Yankees on the world stage
Yankees reliever Camilo Doval delivered a clean eighth inning, retiring all three batters he faced to secure a hold in the Dominican Republic’s 12–3 victory over Nicaragua. Yankees catcher Austin Wells struggled at the plate, finishing 0-for-5 with one strikeout for the Dominican lineup. Later in the game, Amed Rosario entered as a pinch-runner and took over at third base for the closing innings.
Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz recorded a key out in the eighth inning to help Puerto Rico escape a scoring threat against Colombia. Puerto Rico maintained control the rest of the way and finished with a 5–0 win over Colombia.
In Panama’s 3–1 loss to Cuba, Jose Caballero went 0-for-2 at the plate but reached base once via a walk.
Saturday brings the main event in Pool B. Team USA against Great Britain. Yankees versus Yankees. Judge versus Chisholm. The crowd in Houston is going to be loud for both of them, just for very different reasons.
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