The scars of last October’s humiliation never healed for the New York Yankees. And as it turns out, they were waiting for a rematch against the Toronto Blue Jays for the ALDS exit last season. Monday night finally offered them the opportunity, and Jazz Chisholm Jr was at the center of that revenge party.

The Yankees were under pressure, losing their top spot in the AL East on May 10 after getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers. On top of that, they suffered a devastating 2-7 road record. And then, the extra-inning defeat to the New York Mets in the final game of the Subway Series was the ugliest blow. The pinstripes needed a bounce back, and the Yankees did just that.

Jazz Chisholm Jr led the charge, fully fueled by that playoff exit.

“Especially losing to them in the playoffs, every time we see them, we have that feeling,” Chisholm remarked. “I know a couple of other guys in the clubhouse have that feeling of ‘we owe you something.’”

They secured a 7-6 win against Toronto at home in the first of the four-game series. And Chisholm Jr. made it possible by taking a lead in the seventh. 

Chisholm had just one run and four hits from 19 at-bats in the first week of the regular season. He struck out seven times, and his struggles continued till early May. He went 0-for-3 in the last game against the Baltimore Orioles, and the Yankees suffered a 7-0 loss. 

But Chisholm Jr. managed to turn the tables in the last few games.

He got nine hits in 16 at-bats and scored in every game. Monday’s 7-6 win over Toronto was the highlight.

New York was trailing 5-3 at the top of the 7th. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the same inning to level the game for the hosts. Chisholm Jr. then hit a 339-ft HR with Trent Grisham on second base. 

That took them to 7-5, and the Yankees Nation looked relieved.

Toronto reduced the gap by one run at the top of the 9th. But David Bednar, who surrendered the lead in the Subway Series finale, did well to keep it to just that. 

This was a fitting response to the 3-1 defeat in last year’s ALDS final. 

New York is chasing the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. They really needed this win to build momentum before hosting the Rays this weekend.

But beneath this unflinching determination of Chisholm Jr, there is a far less serious story that might have fueled his recent success. 

Chisholm’s bizarre routine takes on a life of its own

While the intention for revenge took center stage in the emotional story, the Yankees’ clubhouse has a different subplot as the favorite. Jazz Chisholm Jr has an increasingly unusual routine. 

A few weeks ago, the 28-year-old carried a .203 batting average through 43 games. He was desperately looking for something to turn it around. But his ‘something different’ appeared to be the pair of baggy pants owned by Trent Grisham. The new pants appear to have worked.

He went 5-for-12 during the Houston Astros road series, and the Yankees won it 2-1. 

His bat finally woke up. 

He continued with Grisham’s pair. But he hit a roadblock during the Subway Series.

Chisholm couldn’t find those pants. He turned to Giancarlo Stanton. Well, not the actual person, just his pants.

Stanton was put on the IL with a right calf strain, and he had a pair hanging in his locker. 

According to Pinstripes Nation, Chisholm had his jersey no. 13 stitched onto Stanton’s #27 and got on the field. The result?

He went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and two RBIs in the first game against the Mets. And the Yankees won 5-2. But it didn’t stop there.

This Monday, he added Jose Caballero’s bat to his routine. And that’s the one he hit the homer with to help New York score the winning runs. And Chisholm Jr didn’t hesitate to address his superstitious actions.

“It will always be [Stanton’s pants] and Jose’s bat,” he said.

Manager Aaron Boone seems rather happy that Jazz’s bat (read Caballero’s) finally made contact. And when the reporters asked him about Chisholm’s routine, he didn’t make anything out of it. 

“Whatever he’s got to do,” Boone remarked.

That perfectly sums up the Yankees’ mindset right now. They have had a tough last couple of weeks. The pinstripes need to be back at their level before it is too late. And it started with revenge on the Blue Jays.