NEW YORK — Hours before first pitch on Tuesday night, Yankees manager Aaron Boone sprinkled some foreshadowing into his pregame presser.
Asked about Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was set to make his return from a month-long stint on the injured list, Boone called the infielder a dynamic player on both sides of the ball.
“He lengthens our lineup,” Boone said. “He can beat you a lot of different ways.”
Sure enough, Chisholm played a pivotal role in the Yankees’ 3-2 series-opening win over the Guardians on Tuesday night, shining at the plate while playing quality defense in his first start of the year at third base.
Chisholm’s solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh was a go-ahead short porch shot, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Guardians starter Tanner Bibee had been dominant up until that point, but Chisholm — who also scored the Yankees’ other run a few innings prior — delivered an important blow.
Moments later, shortstop Anthony Volpe went back-to-back with Chisholm, powering a solo homer of his own to left. Bibee came out of the game one batter later and took the loss for Cleveland.
Chisholm scampered home on an RBI single from DJ LeMahieu in the fifth. He reached earlier in that frame on a single, the Yankees’ first hit of the night. Bibee didn’t allow a base runner until Aaron Judge’s two-out walk in the bottom of the fourth.
Starter Carlos Rodón’s latest gem on the mound would’ve been different without Chisholm’s defense at the hot corner as well.
In the third, Chisholm ranged to his right down the line, picking a sharp grounder from center fielder Angel Martínez before making the long throw (from the back corner of the infield dirt) across to first for the out. Paul Goldschmidt helped, digging it out on his backhand side, but it was a tough play, especially for a player making his first appearance of the year at that position.
Cleveland’s first run on offense came around to score because Chisholm was at third, not second.
After a single from star José Ramírez to lead off the seventh, a grounder to the right side from designated hitter David Fry bounced by a sliding LeMahieu into shallow right. Ramírez scored from second, tying the game at one run apiece.
It was a challenging play for LeMahieu. Fry smacked the grounder at 102 mph and scooping up the short hop while sliding isn’t easy, but Chisholm definitely makes that play. He might’ve even gotten there without needing to get dirty with his quick feet and hands.
Regardless, the Chisholm and Volpe blasts in the bottom half of that inning made sure the Yankees came out on top. The only loser on the LeMahieu play was Rodón, who was charged with that one earned run. Then again, his line was still brilliant. Rodón tossed seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts, five hits and one walk, lowering his ERA on the year to 2.49. He’s been pitching like an All-Star for much of this season now, a true No. 2 in the rotation.
With closer Luke Weaver on the injured list as of Tuesday afternoon — he strained his hamstring on Sunday night in Los Angeles — the Yankees had to turn to Devin Williams in a save situation in the ninth.
It wasn’t pretty — Williams gave up an earned run on an RBI single from pinch hitter Daniel Schneemann with two outs — but the right-hander got the job done, recording his sixth save of the season. He then stranded the tying run on second, getting Bo Naylor to fly out to deep left and end the game.
LOOKING AHEADWednesday: Yankees vs. Guardians, 7:05 p.m., Amazon Prime. RHP Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 3.95) vs. RHP Luis Ortiz (2-6, 4.40)
Thursday: Yankees vs. Guardians, 7:05 p.m., YES/MLB Network. LHP Max Fried (7-1, 1.92) vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (1-1, 5.28)
