Jazz Chisholm Jr. hasn’t done much to gain supporters this year — add the Red Sox to the growing list of detractors.
In the midst of a 16-1 blowout on Sunday where the frustrated Red Sox were irate at the umpires for calling an apparent Ceddanne Rafaela catch a hit, Chisholm added to the frustration with the score at 7-1.
Chisholm stole second and third base when Boston wasn’t holding him on as the Red Sox were mostly waving the white flag, leading the Red Sox radio broadcast to say that Chisholm “plays the game the wrong way.”
The broadcasters were furious with Chisholm, calling for the Red Sox to fight him among other insults hurled towards him.
“Chisholm is doing it again, and this is what he does,” play-by-player Will Flemming said as Chisholm stole third base with two outs and Austin Wells at bat.
“Wouldn’t you like to see [Jovani] Moran drill Wells here?”
Flemming’s broadcast partner, former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks, also disagreed with Chisholm’s base stealing attempt.
“Look, you’re up six; it’s the eighth. The team is electing not to hold you on. That’s the white flag, right?” Middlebrooks said. “Normally in that situation you don’t run. That’s just a selfish play. That’s just padding your stats.”
“Well, he’s a bush league player,” Flemming continued. “That’s not even a steal. I think that’s indifference.”
Wells and Paul Goldschmidt would go on to hit back-to-back home runs in a big eighth inning that turned the game into a blowout.
As Chisholm walked to home plate following the Wells home run, Flemming boldly called for Moran to fight the Yankee second baseman.
“And Moran should fight Chisholm, he’s walking to the third-base line staring at him there,” Flemming added.
Rafaela made what appeared to be an excellent catch on Chisholm liner in the fifth inning in a scoreless game that would have resulted in a double play, but upon further review was still called a hit. That opened the door for a five-run Yankees inning capped off by a Heliot Ramos three-run homer.
“It started with one play, and it got much, much worse,” Flemming concluded. “As if we needed a little extra vinegar for what feels like an inevitable postseason series, there it is.”
