A night after Aaron Boone had to answer questions about a grown man playing defense with a lollipop in his mouth, Jazz Chisholm Jr. reminded everyone why the Yankees traded for him in the first place.
The 28-year-old infielder crushed a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday night, lifting New York to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The 403-foot bomb off Casey Mize snapped a three-game losing streak and kept the Yankees three games clear of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
The Lollipop Thing Was Actually a Thing
Monday’s game produced a strange moment. Chisholm was seen chewing on a lollipop while playing defense, and Boone wasn’t a fan. He addressed it Tuesday morning, saying that kind of thing couldn’t continue. It was the kind of viral nonsense that usually haunts a slumping team.
But Chisholm took care of it the right way. With the Yankees trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Austin Wells doubled to tie the game. Then Chisholm stepped in and put New York ahead for good. He trotted around the bases, stopped at the dugout, and made a point to grab a bucket of lollipops. This time he earned the smile.
‘I Feel Like I’m Getting Close to Me Again’
After the game, Chisholm spoke with YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits. His answer said more than just about the homer.
“I feel like I’m really getting close to me again,” he said.
That line matters. Chisholm has dealt with offensive inconsistency this season, and the Yankees have needed his personality and production. Tuesday’s homer was his 12th of the season, and it came at a moment when the lineup looked flat for the second straight night. New York had managed just two runs through five innings before the sixth-inning rally.
The win moved the Yankees to 47-31 overall and 25-16 on the road. They’ve won six of their last 10, which isn’t dominant but it’s steady enough to hold off the division for now.
One Swing Changed the Vibe
Boone spent most of his Tuesday morning talking about discipline and focus and optics. By the end of the night, he was talking about a clutch at-bat and a win. That’s the kind of switch a manager loves.
Chisholm still showed his personality after crossing the plate. He didn’t hide from the previous night’s nonsense. He just used it as setup for a punchline. The bucket of lollipops in the dugout got a reaction from teammates and fans. But the difference this time was the production came first.
For a team trying to stabilize after a rough stretch, that was the real win.
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