During their summer swoon, the Yankees defense failed them too often.
On the first night of October, with their season on the line, it rose to the occasion and helped force a Game 3 in their AL wild-card series.
In another tight game where every 90 feet was crucial, the Yankees infield turned in another sharp effort behind Carlos Rodón and three relievers on the way to a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in The Bronx.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., who scored the winning run on Austin Wells’ single in the eighth inning, had an especially strong night.
He made a diving stop to knock down Masataka Yoshida’s infield single with two men on in the seventh inning, and while he did not get the out at first, he stopped at least one run from scoring in what was then a 3-3 game.
Rodón was responsible for the only Yankees error of the night, bouncing a throw to first on a bunt attempt in the third inning before the Red Sox tied the game at two.
But it could have been worse if not for more fine defense from Chisholm, who went to his left to field a grounder from Alex Bregman and spun about to throw to second, where Anthony Volpe made a quick turn for the inning-ending double play.
“The double play they turned on Bregman to his left with Volpe was special,” manager Aaron Boone said.
It was one of three double plays the Yankees turned on the night — another strong one started by third baseman Ryan McMahon to end the sixth inning before Devin Williams started one of his own in the eighth, with help from Volpe.
“Defensively we had some great turns,” Rodón said.
Through two games this postseason, Aaron Judge is 4-for-8, including an RBI single in the fifth inning Wednesday that left fielder Jarren Duran was unable to come up with on a diving attempt.
Judge did not record his fourth hit last postseason until Game 3 of the ALCS.
Boone said the one decision he second-guessed from Game 1 was removing Amed Rosario in the top of the eighth inning for Chisholm, who came on to play second base for defensive purposes.
Rosario had started the game because of his ability to hit left-handed pitching, but after he came out, his spot came up in the bottom of the ninth against lefty Aroldis Chapman, who got Chisholm to fly out while escaping a bases-loaded threat.
“That’s a very fair question,” Boone said. “That is the challenge. The inning before, the ball’s starting to go over there [second base], and just the range, and knowing some more lefties are going to be in the lineup at that point with our righties in the game. Just kind of wanted [Chisholm] in there. But fair point.”
After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Game 1, Trent Grisham went 1-for-4 with a double, walk, steal and a run scored in Game 2.
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