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New York Post
Jazz Chisholm’s walk-off infield hit in 11th propels Yankees to thrilling win over Royals
By Mark W. Sanchez,
4 hours ago
The Yankees did not reach second base Tuesday and did not take an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the seventh inning Wednesday.
That at-bat, from Jose Trevino, ended in a crushing double play.
They tallied only six hits in 11 innings, consistently suffocated by strong Royals pitching.
A jubilant Jazz Chisholm Jr. (second from left) is mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning infield single in the 11th inning of the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Royals on Sept. 11, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But they made their few hits matter and played about as strong an all-around game as they have this season, ensuring some theatrics from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Juan Soto and some solid work from their bullpen would not be wasted.
Chisholm’s infield single in the 11th inning scored Jon Berti to deliver a 4-3, exhale of a walk-off win in front of 40,908 in The Bronx.
“That was a really good one,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees (84-62) moved 1 ½ games clear of the Orioles in the AL East and took a series from the Royals before welcoming the Red Sox for four games.
Soto’s ground ball moved ghost runner Berti to third, and after an Aaron Judge intentional walk, Chisholm smacked a ball to the left side.
Luke Weaver celebrates after striking out Maikel Garcia to end the top of the 11th inning in the Yankees’ win. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It was speared by a diving Bobby Witt Jr., but his throw home was off line and the Yankees poured onto the field.
Chisholm said he was just trying to pass the baton and keep the game going and wound up with the game-winning hit, celebrating with his teammates after rounding first base.
It was a cool moment for Chisholm, who described himself as “wide-eyed” after Tommy Kahnle’s strikeout of Paul DeJong to keep the game tied after seven and a half innings.
Juan Soto homered after fouling the ball hard off his foot on Wednesday night. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“The whole crowd erupted,” Chisholm said after the Yankees’ third walk-off of the year. “This is sick. It ain’t even October yet. I can’t wait.”
The Yankees could celebrate in large part because Luke Weaver held down the Kansas City offense in the top of the 11th.
The righty got Michael Massey to fly out before striking out DeJong and Maikel Garcia, holding the ghost runner at second and roaring his way off the mound.
Anthony Volpe is thrown out at the plate as the Royals complete an double play to end the seventh inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees’ bullpen is being reimagined — Clay Holmes pitched the seventh inning and allowed a game-tying run — with Weaver and Jake Cousins at the back.
“Bullpen was excellent,” Boone said after the group allowed two runs — one earned — in six innings.
The Yankees’ offense was restrained by lefty Cole Ragans until the sixth inning.
Juan Soto reacts after crushing his two-run homer in the Yankees’ win. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
After Gleyber Torres walked, Soto fouled a pitch off the top of his right, front foot.
The superstar hobbled about halfway to first base before taking a knee. A team trainer examined the foot for a few tense minutes.
“It was a lot of pain,” said Soto, who was still in pain as he stepped back into the batter’s box.
Aaron Judge reacts after striking out in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ victory. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Two pitches later, he demolished a 2-2 knuckle curve deep into the seats in right and watched it go for his 39th home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave the Yankees a lead that would not last.
The Yankees were down early, surged ahead on the Soto dramatics and watched the Royals hang around with excellent defense and competent offense.
Holmes coughed up the one-run lead in the seventh, when he allowed singles to Kyle Isbel and Tommy Pham before a pair of fly outs advanced Isbel all the way home.
Luke Weaver delivered a strong outing in relief for the Yankees in their 11-inning win. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Holmes, who has lost his closer role, was booed.
In the bottom of the inning, Anthony Volpe reached second and Oswaldo Cabrera (pinch-running for Anthony Rizzo) attempted a double-steal with one out.
Trevino hit a chopper toward first base that Salvador Perez first grabbed and then lunged, just managing a tag on a swerving Trevino, before spinning to throw home.
Royals starter Cole Ragans held the Yankees to two runs over six innings. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Perez needed to execute perfectly to throw Volpe out at home, and he did: a well-placed dart guided catcher Freddy Fermin’s glove right into a diving Volpe for a devastating double play.
The game remained tied until the 10th thanks to good work from Kahnle and Jake Cousins.
The teams traded runs in the 10th, when a wild pitch from Cousins gave the Royals a brief lead before a pinch-hitting Austin Wells lofted a fly ball down the left-field line that just traveled far enough to score Volpe from third.
Clay Holmes, who no longer is the Yankees’ sole closer, allowed a run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ win over the Royals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
A team better known for doing the big things did the small things.
“This is a big series win for us,” Boone said, “against a really good club over there that threw a lot of good pitching at us.”
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