The Yankees reached Game 3 of the American League Division Series needing a jolt, and Aaron Boone went looking for it on Wednesday night. With Rays pitching holding New York to two runs through the first two games, Boone left Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the starting lineup and reshaped several spots before the 8 p.m. ET matchup.
Quick facts
- Anthony Volpe started at second base and José Caballero at third.
- Trent Grisham moved into the leadoff role.
- Chisholm entered Game 3 hitless in six ALDS at-bats, though he had drawn a walk and stolen a base.
- Game 3 aired on TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max.
Boone said the decision had been forming since the flight home after Game 2. He spent Tuesday working through the lineup and settled on Volpe and Caballero, two players he viewed as important pieces throughout the season.
“I wanted to change a couple things,” Boone said. “Those are two guys who have mattered to what we have done all year, and I thought this was the right move tonight.”
Caballero took over at third base for Ryan McMahon. The infielder had previously said he wanted to make the Rays regret dealing him last summer, adding another edge to a lineup change made with New York searching for offense.
Grisham’s move to the top was intended to put more traffic on the bases ahead of the middle of the order. Boone said he hoped the revised look would provide a spark.
Chisholm had been in a similar spot during the Wild Card Series opener against Boston. Boone texted him before that game and told him he could be the most important person in the building, even without a starting assignment.
No text arrived before Game 3, but Boone delivered the same general message. He said the postseason demands contributions from the whole clubhouse, and a bench player can still find himself in the defining moment.
“He is ready,” Boone said. “Not starting does not mean you cannot wind up being the biggest player that night.”
Chisholm’s difficult Division Series followed a season that fell short of the ambitious 50-homer, 50-steal target he had set while approaching potential free agency. In 137 games, the 28-year-old batted .231/.312/.399 with 19 home runs, 55 RBIs and 41 stolen bases.
He also made one of New York’s four errors in Game 2 at Tropicana Field, sending a throw wide of first base. Chisholm said he would still attempt the play if given another chance, though he would aim to make a better throw.
Boone said that answer had been read too narrowly. The manager said he did not believe Chisholm should have made the throw, while adding that once a player commits to it, the throw itself needs to be clean and controlled.
Volpe brought recent production into the lineup. He had one hit in three postseason at-bats, and since returning to the club in early September had hit .265, going 13-for-49 with three doubles, one homer, nine RBIs and five steals.
Boone also liked the additional right-handed balance Volpe provided. The manager specifically said he wanted Volpe to inject energy into the order.
At first base, Boone stayed with Luis García Jr. García had collected three hits in the second Wild Card game against the Red Sox but opened the ALDS 0-for-7 with two strikeouts. Boone said he never seriously considered replacing him with Paul Goldschmidt.
“I always feel like he is a ticking time bomb,” Boone said of García.
