By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Third baseman Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr and his New York Yankees held off the Kansas City Royals to earn their berth into the  Major League Baseball’s 2024 American League Championship.

Chisholm Jr and the Yankees held off the Royals 3-1 in game four of their best-of-five series last night before 30,012 fans in the Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. 

New York won the series 3-1 and will await the winner of the other half of the draw between the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers, which will be decided in game five on Saturday. 

Chisholm Jr, batting sixth in the lineup in his first MLB postseason after coming over in July from the Miami Marlins, went 0-for-3 with a walk and. strike out, ending his night with a two-out grounder that left two runners in scoring position. 

Two innings earlier, Chisholm Jr was also involved in a near brawl in the sixth when the Yankees completed a double play on the Royals. 

Players from both teams rushed to the field, but nothing serious erupted, although Chisholm Jr and Royals’ opposing third baseman Maikel Garcia had to be restrained by their team in their verbal confrontation. That came after Chisholm Jr got on base for the first time on the night in the top of the inning as he drew a one-out walk after Aaron Judge doubled to start the rally and scored New York’s third run on Giancarlo Stanton’s single. But as Anthony Volpe hit a line drive that was caught by first baseman  Yuli Gurriel, Chisholm Jr was caught in an inning ending double play as he couldn’t get back to first in time. 

In the fifth in his second at-bat, Chisholm Jr led off with a chopper to second baseman Michael Massey for the first out to Gurriel. 

On the defensive end in the third, Chisholm Jr made a dandy of a play at third base on a grounder from Garcia for the second out to help the Yankees avoid a scoring threat from the Royals;.

In his first at-bat in the second with the Yankees holding onto a 1-0 lead, Chisholm Jr. struck out swinging for the first out with Giancarlo Stanton on second with his lead off double.

Stanton, however, was left stranded as the Royals retired the side in contrast to the Yankees’ first inning when Juan Soto single’s sent Gleyber Torres from second on his lead off double.

The Yankees moved on and joined Roichardson and the Mets after they clinched their berth into the National Championship series on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on a grand slam homer from Francisco Lindor.

After winning their divisional series 3-1, Richardson and the Mets will now go on to play either the San Diego Padres or the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series that is tied at 2-2 going into the deciding game five today.