The New York Yankees dismantled the Houston Astros 12-4 in Houston, TX, on Friday night. Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. shone for the Bronx Bombers, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, and 4 RBI.
However, it wasn’t a flawless night in the batter’s box for Chisholm.
The only time Chisholm was retired on the evening came in the top of the ninth inning, when he was struck out looking after taking a fastball down the middle from Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu. Chisholm challenged the call, only for the ABS to confirm that the pitch had all of the plate, which was also evident to the 37,852 people in Daikin Park who rained boos on the infielder.
Even the Yankees’ broadcast booth was in disbelief that Chisholm challenged the pitch in a game that was 12-4 in the final frame.
“That’s the beauty of the challenge system,” YES Network color commentator David Cone said. “Everybody gets humbled. That’s right down the middle.”
“Maybe he was hoping for a computer malfunction,” Michael Kay, the Yankees’ play-by-play voice, joked.
Much like the umpires, the reigning AL Silver Slugger winner is still getting used to the newly implemented ABS challenge system. Earlier this month, Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman said plainly, “Jazz is not that good at this,” after he lost a challenge against the Athletics.
Friday night’s gaffe has dropped Chisholm to 1-5 on challenges. It’s a slight annoyance in a 12-4 ball game in April, but manager Aaron Boone is going to need his star to get a grasp on the ABS’s strike zone before the fall arrives, and one of his ill-timed challenges proves costly when the stakes are highest.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.