FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: The Yankees are advancing to the ALDS after a 4-0 victory over the Red Sox Thursday, thanks in no small part to the herculean efforts of Cam Schlittler. The rookie, who edged out
last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for the Game 3 start before the series even began, dominated the Yankees’ rivals over eight innings, punching out 12—more than any Yankees rookie starter in playoff history—while walking none in an instant classic. A four-run fourth, punctuated by a two-run error by Boston first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, was all the offense the Yankees would need as Schlittler handed the ball to closer David Bednar to seal the victory. They are the first team to survive a Wild Card Series after losing the first game since the format was officially adopted in 2022; other ballclubs were 0-15 in those series.* *The A’s and Padres did turn the trick in the one-year 16-team playoff format during the COVID-affected 2020.
It was personal for Schlittler, who grew up outside Boston in Walpole, but while he’s proud of his roots, he did acknowledge that that was a line that some Boston fans crossed in their chirping. Whatever edge he wanted, he found in-game, and for the cherry on top, he fired off this appropriate tweet in the postgame:
Up next is a best-of-five Division Series matchup with the top-seeded Blue Jays beginning tomorrow afternoon at 4:08pm ET. It’s the first time that they’ve ever met in the postseason. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the Yankees are still deciding between Luis Gil and Will Warren for that Game 1 start, with Max Fried expected to follow on normal rest in Game 2. Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber will start the first couple games for the Jays.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: After leaving him on the bench in Game 1 as the Yankees faced lefties Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman, manager Aaron Boone penciled Ben Rice’s name into the lineup for the decisive Game 3 last night despite facing another southpaw starter, Connelly Early. “The way Benny is going right now, the impact he’s having, the ability to change the game, the presence in the box right now and really over the last few weeks,” the skipper said by way of explanation for starting the rookie over Paul Goldschmidt, who has been a mainstay against left-handers all season and who Boone had previously said would always start against lefties in the playoffs.
Per Boone, the former MVP took the benching like a pro. “He’s unbelievable,” the manager said in praise of his erstwhile first baseman. “He’s like, ‘I get it. I’ll be ready to go for whatever.’” The other option would have been to start Rice behind the plate, leaving Austin Wells the odd man out after recording the game-winning RBI Wednesday. “I wanted Wells behind the plate because he’s been so good back there and also swinging the bat well,” Boone said of his decision to stick with his second-year backstop. “I didn’t necessarily want (Rice’s) first playoff catching game to be a win-or-go-home.”
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: One of the major narratives heading into Wednesday’s elimination game against the Red Sox was Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s controversial benching the day prior. After a passive aggressive postgame presser in which he talked less with the assembled media than his own laundry, the second baseman came up huge in Game 2, delivering multiple key defensive plays before racing around to score the winning run in the eighth.
The two-time All-Star attributed his ability to turn the page, at least in part, to an unconventional mode of decompression. “I played MLB The Show and I mercy-ruled someone.” Chisholm said Wednesday. “That’s how I get my stress off.” Jazz’s teammates were impressed with his performance on both sides of the ball. “I want to make sure it’s mentioned: Jazz saved us the game, completely,” said Fernando Cruz, who was on the mound when Chisholm made a diving stop to prevent a run in the seventh. “What do you expect?” said Aaron Judge. ”The guy is a game-changer.”
The Athletic | Ian O’Connor: ($) After the first two games of the Wild Card Series featured a bevy of second-guessable decisions from both managers, an examination of Aaron Boone’s leadership style. O’Connor asked the Yankees skipper about his decision last year not to reveal that Gerrit Cole asked out of Game 1 of the World Series despite receiving flack for removing his ace. “That’s my job,” he responded. “My job is not to save face or make myself look good.”
O’Connor also attributes Boone’s closeness with his players, a much-derided attribute, in part for Chisholm‘s ability to move on quickly from his Game 1 benching and Carlos Rodón’s ability to talk his way into finishing the sixth inning after a mound visit from his manager. “There was never a problem between me and Aaron Boone,” Chisholm said after the victory Wednesday. “At the end of the day, I always stand with Boonie because he understands where I come from.”
CBS Sports | R.J. Anderson: Our condolences to the family of the late Dick Groch, who died Wednesday, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The longtime Yankees scout is perhaps best known for his emphatic urging for the team to draft Derek Jeter with its sixth pick in the 1992 amateur draft. “He’s not going to the University of Michigan,” he famously told Yankees brass to allay their concerns that the shortstop was going to honor his outstanding commitment to the college instead of signing out of high school. “The only place Derek Jeter is going is Cooperstown.”
The former captain paid tribute to Groch on Twitter with a short butt sweet note.
Groch also worked as special assistant to the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in his long career as a talent evaluator. You can see his full original scouting report on Jeter below.
