Yankees manager Aaron Boone claims Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s ‘not a dumb guy’ after epic brain fart

The New York Yankees have lost five straight games, including being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. In game two of the series, Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a blunder in extra innings, which led to the Rays’ victory. Chisholm compounded the error with a confusing explanation after the game.

Now, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is coming to the defense of Chisholm and his poor explanation, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

“He’s not confused,” Aaron Boone said. “I think that’s his kind of default answer when he’s got (reporters) in front of him.”

In the bottom of the tenth inning, the game was tied at four, with bases loaded and one out. Jonathan Aranda grounded the ball to Chisholm, who could have gotten the force out at any base. Chisholm could have gone to second in an attempt to turn the double play and end the inning, or he could have gone home to prevent the run from scoring. With the slow grounder, getting Chandler Simpson out at home was likely not possible. Instead, he attempted to tag the base runner and then go to first, which resulted in a run scoring on the fielder’s choice.

“It turns out to be a tough play,” Boone said Sunday. “Watching it back, there might have been a chance if he gets it cleanly, he gets the tag off. It’s hard to know how exactly Díaz reacts in that moment. Once it chops like that, you know it’s obviously going to be a tough one to turn the normal 4-6-3.”

Still, Chisholm could have explained the situation better after the game, something Boone admitted.

“He’s not a dumb guy,” Boone said. “It’s just sometimes how you present yourself in certain situations, and coupled with he’s off to a little bit of a slow start.”

Chisholm has struggled at the plate so far this year. He is hitting just .179 with a .233 on-base percentage. He also does not have a home run and just three RBIs.

The Yankees are now 8-7 on the year, tied for first in the AL East with the Rays and Baltimore Orioles. They return to the field on Monday, hosting the Los Angeles Angels.

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