The benches and bullpens emptied during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the American League Division Series after a play at second base involving Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia and New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. With Garcia at first base, Royals second baseman Michael Massey grounded into a double play. Garcia appeared to slide hard into second base towards Volpe, whose forearm also appeared to make contact with the Royals infielder's upper body during the slide.
Garcia took exception to the play and immediately got right into Volpe's face, prompting both Yankees and Royals to emerge from their respective dugouts and bullpens.
After the game, which the Yankees won 3-1 to advance to the American League Championship Series , third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. told reporters that he felt Garcia "tried to go injure" Volpe during the play, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
"I just felt like he tried to go and injure Volpe because he was being a sore loser," Chisholm said. "He was talking a lot on Instagram and Twitter and stuff."
"I do the same thing, but I'm not gonna go and try and injure somebody if they're winning a game, and I didn't like that so I told him we don't do that on this side and I'm always gonna stick up for my guys."
Chisholm indeed was one of the first Yankees players to approach Garcia after the play, and the two exchanged some words on the field.
Both Garcia and Chisholm Jr. had been vocal off the field during the series as well. Following the Royals' Game 2 victory, Garcia took to X (formerly Twitter) and seemingly took a shot at Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon, then said that Kansas City doesn't fear anyone.
Don't celebrate too early💀 https://t.co/T4GyFapOFO
— Maikel Garcia (@maikeljose06) October 8, 2024
We don’t fear nobody
— Maikel Garcia (@maikeljose06) October 8, 2024
Then, Chisholm drew the ire of Royals fans when he said that Kansas City had gotten "lucky" in the Game 2 victory.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, perhaps believing the play between Volpe and Garcia was blown out of proportions, referenced the days of the heated Yankees-Royals rivalry of the 1970s and 1980s.
"If there was some kind of upset over the slide or whatever, we just go back and show a little Hal McRae and Willie Randolph and we’ll all laugh at ourselves," Boone said.
The Yankees will await the winner of Saturday's Game 5 of the Cleveland Guardians-Detroit Tigers ALDS.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Claims Maikel Garcia 'Tried To Go Injure' Anthony Volpe .
