NEW YORK — Champagne was spraying in all directions as the Yankees celebrated a Wild Card Series sweep of the Red Sox in their clubhouse. You could see, feel and smell this late-night party.
Jazz Chisholm had his fun following Wednesday night’s 9-2 Game 2 rout and then took a break to do a TV interview. Standing against a wall a few feet from the nearest commotion, Chisholm blurted, “I love the city, I love the team, can’t wait for the next series.”
The Rays are up next in a best-of-five Division Series that starts Saturday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
This one won’t be easy. The Rays beat out the Yankees for the AL East championship. They won the season series. They had the best record in the league. They earned a first-round bye.
“I think it’s going to be a great series,” Chisholm acknowledged with a network TV mic in his face. “I think we’re going to play just as hard as we did in this series. We’re going to have a lot of fun … and we’re going to come here and celebrate again!”
Chisholm was just getting warmed up.
His next interview was a quick one-on-one with NJ.com that probably will be bulletin-board material for the Rays, not that Chisholm cares in the least. He embraces being a villain in Kansas City after he claimed the Royals “got lucky” winning a playoff game at Yankee Stadium in 2024.
He topped that comment after the Red Sox sweep. Chisholm isn’t just predicting the Yankees will beat the Rays, but he’s pulled a Joe Namath, guaranteeing it.
Here’s the back and forth:
NJ.com: You’re an outspoken guy. Give me a prediction?
Jazz: “You know what my prediction is, man. I don’t know why you ask.”
NJ.com: Yankees in three? Is that your prediction?
Jazz: “I love it. I love that! I’m not a sports bettor, so I don’t know predictions. I just like to say that my team is going to win.”
You guarantee it?
Jazz: “I guarantee it! That’s my thought. I never think I’m going to lose. That’s just me.”
Yankees ace Cam Schlittler smiled and nodded at Chisholm’s guarantee. When asked if he’d double down and make the same prediction, Schlittler didn’t hesitate.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he said.
The Yankees outscored the Red Sox 18-2 in two games with Aaron Judge off the roster, rehabbing his Grade 2 right calf strain.
Can they beat the Rays without their three-time MVP in the lineup?
Do they need him back for the ALDS?
“We wantJudge back,” Chisholm said. “When I say we need him, we need him there with us. He’s going to be there with us anyway. So I feel like his presence is enough in the dugout. But we would love to have him back to put the icing on the cake to lock it down.”
Chisholm acknowledged the Rays will be a much bigger challenge than the Red Sox were.
“Of course, they will be,” he said. “But they play small ball, and I feel like once we have our guys out there protecting (against) that … We hold that down and don’t make any mistakes, we got it.”
Chisholm then asked a question:
“Are they pitching all righties?”
That’s how it appears. The Rays will start Drew Rasmussen in Game 1, Nick Martinez and Freddy Peralta in some order for the next two games, then probably Griffin Jax in Game 4. They’re all right-handed.
Chisholm loved hearing that.
If Yankees manager Aaron Boone sticks with the same platoon that he used in the Wild Card Series throughout the postseason, Chisholm, a left-handed hitter, will get all the starts against right-handers, and Anthony Volpe, who bats right-handed, will be on the bench.
Against the Red Sox, Volpe started Game 1 against rookie left-hander Payton Tolle. For Game 2, Chisholm was back in the lineup for Red Sox righty Sonny Gray and went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two stolen bases.
The Rays have home-field advantage, and they’re tough to beat at the Trop. Their 55-26 home record tied the Brewers’ record at American Family Field in Milwaukee for the best home record in the majors.
Chisholm isn’t concerned. When home-field advantage came up during his talk with NJ.com, he responded with a smirk that he milked for a good five seconds.
“What do you think it’s going to be when we’re there?” Chisholm asked.
Well, if it’s similar to regular-season games, there will be more Yankees fans.
“We travel well,” Chisholm said with another smile. “I feel like it’s going to be fun.”
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