There is some bad blood from this series.
Jazz Chisholm Jr, who has been the subject of boos from Royals fans for his comments calling the team “just lucky”, accused Maikel Garcia of trying to intentionally hurt infielder Anthony Volpe on a slide into second in Game 4 of the ALDS, calling him a “sore loser.”
In the sixth inning of Thursday’s content, with Garcia on first, Michael Massey hit a grounder to first. Jon Berti fielded it, stepped on the bag for the out, then threw to second to get Garcia running to second. Volpe applied a hard tag, then patted Garcia on the back after the play was over. Garcia stared him down and had some words for the Yankees and benches cleared over the confrontation.
Benches cleared in KC and words were exchanged after Anthony Volpe and Maikel Garcia got into it on this play pic.twitter.com/xtsK2Irg9K
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 11, 2024
You can see Garcia swipe at the tag. Volpe reacts to it in real time by throwing a forearm. Garcia didn’t like the tag/forearm & Volpe didn’t appreciate the swipe at the tag from Garcia. pic.twitter.com/HTZ5HB5eRU
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) October 11, 2024
Eventually all the players returned without any physical altercation. After the game, Chisholm told reporters he felt that Garcia was trying to take a shot at his teammate.
“I just felt like he tried to go in and injure Volpe because he was being a sore loser. You know what I mean?” Chisholm said. “He was talking a ton on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same thing, but I’m not going to injure somebody if they’re winning a game. I didn’t like that. I told him we don’t do that on this side and I’m going to stick up for my guys.”
Garcia had called out Yankees starter Carlos Rodón for his on-field antics in Game 2, posting on social media to not “celebrate too early.”
As for the booing, Chisholm said that just made it “way better” when the Yankees won.
“I love the noise,” he said. “I don’t want to block out the noise. I want to hear it. It was all good for me.”
The Yankees would win the game on Thursday 3-1, clinching the series and moving on to the ALCS, where they will await the winner of the Guardians/Tigers series.
The Yankees return to Kauffman Stadium on June 10 next year, and you can bet Royals fans will be ready to bring the noise again for Jazz Chisholm.