MIAMI – Too often in recent memory, the Yankees have showcased baserunning miscues that manager Aaron Boone insists “can’t happen.” There was Jorbit Vivas not sliding into third base on July 18 in Atlanta, then Austin Wells wandering off second Wednesday in New York.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. getting doubled off on an infield pop-up seemed to fit the bill. Except, at least in this instance, the Yankees insisted there were more layers to it.
Chisholm suspected the ball was about to be dropped by Xavier Edwards, the Marlins’ second baseman, an explanation he soon offered down the dugout steps. That seemed to satisfy Boone, who instead offered an earful to first-base coach Travis Chapman during the club’s 2-0 loss to the Marlins on Saturday at loanDepot park.
“We’ve been making mistakes for the last week and a half. We know that’s not us,” Chisholm said. “We know we’re a better baseball team. … I feel like we’re pressing a little bit — even low-key me, too — because I’m trying to go out there and make extra plays that don’t really need to be made.”
This one occurred in the second inning, when Paul Goldschmidt popped up a Eury Pérez fastball. Trotting from the outfield turf back onto the infield, Edwards settled under it, sneaking glances at Chisholm and Goldschmidt.
Chisholm, familiar with this diamond from his years in Miami, said he “knows how the field plays” and was preparing to dash for second if Edwards let the ball drop. He insisted he would have “easily” made it.
“Just trying to be aggressive,” Chisholm said. “I saw something that I thought they were going to do. [Edwards] deked like he was going to do it. He didn’t do it.”
That’s because Edwards was a step ahead — catching the ball and whipping it to first to double off Chisholm and end the inning. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough called it “a high baseball IQ play.”
“It’s pretty self-explanatory,” Edwards said. “The really fast guys, you want to get them off the bases. … I think Jazz could tell I was thinking about dropping it, because he’s probably thinking the same way I am. He’s a lot faster than Goldschmidt is.”
Chisholm said he wouldn’t do anything differently next time. He remained in the game and later huddled with Boone, out of view of cameras.
“I told him exactly what I just told you: I played here before, he deked it pretty well, like he was going to drop it,” Chisholm said. “I saw him watching Goldy the whole time. I was like, ‘Maybe he might.’ I would want to get me off first base, too.”
Boone, meanwhile, appeared heated in an exchange with Chapman near the bat rack, gesturing repeatedly toward first.
“The only thing I was saying was, ‘Could we have yelled louder when he gets into the danger zone?’” Boone said.
Boone has rarely benched players during his tenure. Since 2018, Gleyber Torres is perhaps the most notable exception, once cited for a perceived lack of hustle. Boone said he didn’t believe Chisholm’s actions rose to that level.
“No. It’s a guy trying to make a play,” Boone said. “I get it looks bad, and it’s a bad play, but it’s not a case of a guy that’s dogging it. He’s just trying to make a play. Just because it’s going bad right now and the world’s on fire, I’m not going to just take guys out for giving a crap.”
Boone also bristled at the suggestion his team has made an inordinate number of outs on the basepaths. Entering play, the Yanks were tied with the Angels for the fewest outs on the bases (23).
“When you’re the New York Yankees and you’re losing and you make a mistake, [people say], ‘Look what just happened,’” Boone said. “I can show you around the league — it happens all the time. Doesn’t make it OK. We want to be as clean and perfect as we can be, without question.
“Don’t get it twisted; don’t think, ‘Oh yeah, it’s fine.’ It’s not fine. But [stuff] happens sometimes, too.”
Otherwise, the Yankees went quietly, with their final 14 batters retired.
Agustín Ramírez provided the damage with two home runs off rookie Cam Schlittler, connecting in the first and fourth innings. Schlittler scattered four hits over five innings, walking two and striking out six.
One of the hits Pérez allowed was loud — Giancarlo Stanton’s 110.7 mph single in the first, which Kyle Stowers fielded and fired home, beating Trent Grisham by plenty. Boone said third-base coach Luis Rojas’ send was “a little too aggressive,” though he understood trying to force a throw with two outs.
A greater issue looms: With a 60-51 record, the Yankees are running out of time to look like a repeat pennant-winner.
“We have really good players. We think we have a really good team,” Boone said. “We haven’t realized our potential yet. We’ve got to get there. We’ve got a couple of months to do it. And we’d better hurry.”
