For Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Cleveland Guardians, the New York Yankees announced a forced roster change. Relief pitcher Ian Hamilton was moved to injury list with calf strain injury with right hander Mark Leiter Jr replacing him to bolster the bullpen depth.
On the other hand, in the wake of Game 3 loss, skipper Aaron Boone also made a couple of changes to the starting lineup. Anthony Rizzo and Austin Wells made a comeback but not in their natural spot in the hitting order. The sudden changes raised questions which were answered by Boone in pre-game presser.
Aaron Boone Pencils Jazz Chisholm As Yankees Cleanup Hitter
The New York Yankees made a bold and unexpected change to their lineup ahead of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Cleveland Guardians. With breakout rookie Luis Gil making his first start in nearly three weeks, the Yanks aimed to maintain their edge, but it was manager Aaron Boone’s decision to move Jazz Chisholm into the cleanup spot that generated the most buzz. Despite Giancarlo Stanton’s success in Game 3 hitting behind Aaron Judge, Boone opted to shift the struggling Chisholm into the crucial four-hole. Chisholm, who has slumped throughout the postseason with a .167 batting average and a .487 OPS, was a surprising choice for such a key position. Nonetheless, Boone believed the move was strategically sound and designed to bring more balance.
“I wanted to move Austin [Wells] down, and as you guys know, I obsess sometimes with the balance of it,” Boone explained when asked about the decision. While Jazz Chisholm’s postseason numbers haven’t been promising, Boone sees potential upside in putting the left-handed hitter in the cleanup spot. Over 59 regular-season plate appearances from the fourth spot, Chisholm posted an impressive .842 OPS with three home runs, 12 RBIs, and 10 walks, suggesting that he could rediscover his form in a familiar role. Notably, Boone’s decision also comes with another shakeup. Rookie catcher Austin Wells, who has been a crucial player both behind the plate and with the bat, was moved to the bottom of the batting order. Wells has been solid in his first postseason campaign, but Boone’s concern about lineup balance drove the change. With that, the rest of the Yankees’ lineup stayed unchanged.
Austin Wells Strongly Responds To Lineup Demotion
Austin Wells found a crucial moment to break out of his slump in Game 4 of the ALCS, helping the New York Yankees inch closer to their first World Series appearance since 2009. For the first time since August 28, Wells wasn’t in the cleanup spot, as manager Aaron Boone moved him down to eighth in the batting order.
The decision, intended to take some pressure off the slumping rookie, paid off when Austin Wells crushed his first home run of the postseason, a 407-foot shot that extended the New York Yankees’ early lead in their 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. With that, the Yanks earn a 3-1 lead in the seven-game ALCS series.
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