Sunday was a night New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will never forget.
It is mostly for tragic reasons that Chisholm will always recall this time period. As he took the field at Yankee Stadium, Chisholm did so with a heavy heart, grieving the death of a close friend the day prior.
Somehow, Chisholm compartmentalized his sadness and funnelled his feelings into his bat, which produced two home runs on the night for the Yankees in a 7-2 victory over Boston.
Chisholm’s first homer of the evening came in the second inning off Red Sox starter Dustin May. It was home run No. 100 for Chisholm in his six-year MLB career, but there was no celebration in order for Chisholm as he entered New York’s dugout. Instead, Chisholm fought back tears as he embraced Yankees leader Aaron Judge.
As if to honor his friend once more, Chisholm homered again in the eighth inning, giving the All-Star 24 jacks on the year, tying his single-season career high.
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The emotionally charged performance from Chisholm was made even more meaningful due to the fact that it happened against the Red Sox. Following the game, Chisholm described his love for the rivalry.
“I always want to play Boston,” Chisholm said, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “I feel like the energy in the game, the way our fans come out, the way their fans come out, I feel like it’s a real intense game. Every game against Boston here has felt like a playoff game. So, for me, I know that’s exactly what we’re going to have, and we’re going to need to get ready for the playoffs and I know a lot of guys in here feel that, too.”
Chisholm is now slashing .239/ .333/ .484/ .818 in 2025 with 62 RBIs.
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The Yankees star tends to either excite or annoy opposing fan bases with his flashy personality and obvious talent. Say what you want about Jazz. He’s an entertaining element of the modern iteration of this storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, and it makes perfect sense that he relishes the matchup.