Jazz Chisholm Jr. said he'd make the same throw again.
The New York Yankees aren't giving him the chance.
Chisholm is out of the lineup for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, two days after his wild throw opened the door in a 5-2 loss. Anthony Volpe starts at second base and bats seventh, his first start of the series.
The Yankees trail 2-0 in the best-of-five series and are on the brink of elimination.
Aaron Boone has benched Chisholm before this postseason. He started Volpe at second in Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox, but that was a platoon split. Boston started left-hander Payton Tolle, and Volpe hits right-handed. Boone called it a tough decision
that time.
Wednesday night, after Chisholm's error it wasn't as hard a decision. Tampa Bay is is starting right-hander Nick Martinez, a pitcher Chisholm normally plays against.
In the bottom of the first inning of Game 2, Chisholm took the throw at second for the force out and then spun and fired off balance to first to try and get a double play. The ball sailed wide and Yandy Diaz scored. It was the first of three errors in the first four batters. All three of the Rays first-inning runs were unearned.
Chisholm is 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts in the series. He is in a contract year and the Yankees do not seem likely to resign him. They can move Volpe, who lost his starting shortstop job to George Lombard Jr, to second next season.
As if Chisholm's bad decision in Game 2 wasn't bad enough, he wouldn't own up to it after the game.
"I'd probably still throw it honestly," Chisholm said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees go with Anthony Volpe over Jazz Chisholm in do-or-die game
