Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0 for 2, walked and stole a base in the New York Yankees‘ 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Tampa leads the best-of-five American League Division Series 1-0.
Chisholm drew a nine-pitch walk in the second inning and stole second base. Trent Grisham struck out looking to leave him stranded at second. It was Chisholm’s third stolen base of the postseason.
Chisholm struck out swinging in the fifth inning. He led off the eighth with a one-pitch groundout to first base. He also handled six chances at second base without an error.
The Yankees are coming off a wild card series sweep against the Boston Red Sox. Chisholm recorded a 1.417 OPS in that game, the secret to which might be his lucky charm.
Jazz Chisholm Reveals Personal Lucky Charm
Chisholm was gifted a custom-made Timberland before the Red Sox game. The project took months, from the first pitch and design rounds to the final details.
The 6-inch boots have purple suede uppers and a black leather collar and outsole. The hardware and emblems are silver. Designer Mattias Gollin finished the boots with pearl and stone embellishments done by hand. Gollin is an Italian designer known for pearl-covered custom Timberland boots.
Timberland’s custom workshop, The Shed, crafted the boots. Chisholm will wear them for the postseason. It is the first custom Timberland boots made for a Major League Baseball player.
Mervat El-Sherbiny, Chisholm’s stylist, made a post calling the boots “the good luck shoe.” It ties them to the Yankees’ wild-card win over the Red Sox.
Chisholm sat out Game 1. He went 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs and two stolen bases in the Game 2 win.
Plane Problems Delay Trip to Tampa
The Yankees faced travel problems before the series began. They swept the Red Sox on Wednesday, Sept. 30, to earn an extra day off Thursday.
The team arrived at Westchester County Airport about 3 p.m. Thursday for a charter flight to Tampa. A hydraulic problem grounded the plane.
Players and staff waited on the plane for hours. The team then took buses about 30 miles to LaGuardia Airport in Queens. A replacement charter left LaGuardia late Thursday night. The Yankees did not reach their Tampa hotel until after 12:30 a.m. Friday.
The delay turned the extra off day into a long travel day. The Yankees held a workout Friday at Tropicana Field.
In Game 1 on Saturday, the Yankees managed one hit and struck out 12 times. It is unclear whether the travel problems affected the Yankees’ offense.
Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. Makes Personal Announcement During ALDS vs. Rays