MINNEAPOLIS — Jazz Chisholm Jr. has made plenty of noise with his bat, legs and often his mouth this season.
But on Wednesday night, it was his defense that left some of his teammates speechless, making two key plays to help out Luis Gil in what became a 10-5 win over the Twins at Target Field.
The more acrobatic, highlight-reel play came in the fourth inning, when Brooks Lee roped a ground ball to Chisholm’s right.
He made a diving stop to backhand the ball, but then when he popped to his feet, he was still facing center field.
So he somehow contorted himself to throw across his body while jumping off his right leg, getting a one-hopper to Paul Goldschmidt for the out.
“I slid and tried to get up and turn the other way and realized I wasn’t the right way,” Chisholm said. “I just jumped and threw it the other way. It’s not really a describable play, it’s not something you practice, but I got it done.”
“I don’t know what I was looking at, but it was really a great play,” manager Aaron Boone said with a chuckle.
Gil certainly appreciated the help.
“I’m running out of words to describe what’s going on in my mind when I see him make a play like that,” he said through an interpreter.
Then in the fifth inning, after the leadoff man reached base, Byron Buxton hit a grounder up the middle to the left of second base.
Chisholm ranged well past the bag, backhanded the ball and got off a slick throw to José Caballero for the force out at second.
“I didn’t have any hits today, didn’t get on base but I feel like I helped a little bit on defense,” Chisholm said. “I feel like I did kind of my job today.”
Between starts on Saturday and Wednesday, Jasson Domínguez dealt with a tooth infection that required the start of a root canal process, according to Boone.
He did not show any ill effects of it Wednesday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double, two steals and two runs.
“Wasn’t doing great there for a couple days,” Boone said Wednesday before the series finale against the Twins. “[Tuesday] he kind of turned the corner, was available in an emergency situation. His work [Tuesday] was really good, so good to get him back in there today.”
Domínguez starting in left field allowed Boone to give Giancarlo Stanton a day off before a late night of travel entering a four-game series against the Orioles in which the Yankees will face two left-handers.
“Felt like [Stanton] probably needed this one today,” Boone said.
After Anthony Volpe started Tuesday for the first time in a week and went 2-for-4 with a walk, Caballero was back at shortstop on Wednesday and was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
“Cabby’s earned reps with the way he’s played,” Boone said. “We go to Baltimore, we’ll have two lefties there. So good chance they’re both in there together in different spots.”
The Yankees traded Low-A outfielder Marshall Toole to the Rays on Wednesday as the player to be named later in the Caballero deal which also sent outfield prospect Everson Pereira to Tampa Bay.
Toole, 22, was the Yankees’ 15th-round draft pick last year and hit .305 with a .885 OPS and 44 steals in 96 games with Low-A Tampa this season.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
