Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees had the last laugh Thursday night after he was repeatedly booed. Kansas City as the Bronx Bombers destroyed the Royals in four games to advance to the ALCS.
Chisholm claimed the Royals “got lucky” after the Yankees lost Game 2 at home, and Kansas City fans didn't forget that, mocking him during Games 3 and 4.
But after Thursday's 3-1 series-ending victory, the cheers died down, and Chisholm's teammates later hilariously mocked opposing fans.
When they poured beer over his head in the locker room, his Chisholm Yankees teammates sarcastically booed him and the Bahamian said “we love it” with a big smile on his face.
On Wednesday, he could be seen enjoying the boos from Royals fans during Game 3, then saying, “I've never seen anyone get their ass booed.”
Jazz Chisholm was sarcastically booed by his teammates as they poured champagne on him
He angered Royals fans early in the series by claiming they “got lucky” in game two
The Yankees drunkenly celebrated in the locker room, beating the Royals in four games
It's true that Chisholm was just 1-for-11 over the last three games, but we were still in high spirits as the Yankees moved on to the ALCS, where they would face either the Tigers or the Rangers.
“I would go to war with these guys any day,” he told reporters Thursday. “They present me like I'm the fucking little brother they always wanted. And I feel like I'm the little brother they always wanted. So being here now, I know I didn't produce much on the show, but these guys made me feel like I did the world.
Chisholm hasn't been with the Yankees since being traded from the Marlins on July 27, but it's clear that he's become a club favorite in that time.
“He handled it well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the boos he received. “It's good to have a little bit of that in the playoffs. I don't think he meant any disrespect at all. You know, it made the environment a little better.
After the victory, the Yankees and Chisholm threw a well-deserved celebration in the locker room, pouring champagne throughout the room and many players wearing goggles to protect their eyes.
In one photo, Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who struggled in the series, can be seen sipping champagne while the team also posed for a group photo on the field.
The final member of the team was star pitcher Gerrit Cole, who allowed just one run over seven innings on Thursday, with Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton providing key hits in the victory.
Aaron Judge took a long sip of champagne after the Yankees finished the ALDS
The Yankees celebrate after Thursday's game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium
After failing to advance to the postseason a year ago, the Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series for the second time in three seasons and fourth time since 2017.
Judge, who struggled in the postseason after becoming the favorite to win AL MVP during the regular season, hit a strong two-hit double, scored, walked twice and stole a base.
After an indecisive result in the first series, Cole (1-0) allowed a run and six hits, in addition to four strikeouts. He kept the Royals off the scoreboard for five innings and got out of the jam in the sixth.
The New York bullpen continued to dominate. Clay Holmes finished eighth and Luke Weaver finished ninth after making his third save in the series. The Yankees' combined relievers are allowing zero runs in 15 2/3 innings in the series.
The Yankees posed for a team photo on the field after beating the Royals 4-1 on Thursday
The Yankees will now face the winner of the Tigers-Guardians series, which ends Saturday
The Yankees scored quickly against right-hander Michael Wacha, who, like Cole, also started Game 1. After three pitches in the first inning, Soto drove an RBI single to right field, scoring Torres on a double, giving New York a 1-0 lead.
Wacha (0-1) kept the Yankees from adding another run until two outs in the fifth when Torres drilled an RBI single to right field off Alex Verdugo from third. Lucas Erceg then replaced Wacha and completed the exchange.
Stanton, who had scored the game-tying run late in the third, had another RBI single in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.
The Royals pushed the series in the sixth period when Vinnie Pasquantino scored an RBI double and scored Witt with two outs, but the Yankees' strong defense thwarted KC's best chance at a bigger run.
New York won't find out its ALCS opponent until Saturday, when the Cleveland Guardians host the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS. On Thursday, the Guardians extended their streak with a 5-4 victory over the Tigers.
