“Sore loser” Maikel Garcia tried to hurt Anthony Volpe

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. found himself in the crosshairs of the ALDS by saying the Royals were “lucky” in their Game 2 win and insisting the Yankees would still win the series.

And when tempers flared in the sixth inning of the Yankees' decisive win over the Royals in Game 4, Chisholm didn't back down.

The benches were cleared after Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia slid hard into second base and took an accidental forearm from Anthony Volpe while he was making the tag to complete a double play.

As Garcia stood up and lingered at the bag, Volpe patted him on the shoulder, but Chisholm came over and exchanged a few words with Garcia, causing the dugouts and bullpens to fall onto the field.

“I just felt like (Garcia) was trying to hurt Volpe because he was a sore loser,” Chisholm said in the Yankees' champagne-soaked clubhouse after a 3-1 win at Kauffman Stadium. “He talked a lot on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same thing, but I'm not going to try to hurt someone if they win a game, and I didn't like that. So I told him we wouldn't do that on this site. I will always stand up for my boys.”

After the Royals' Game 2 win, Garcia had retweeted a video of Carlos Rodon in full spirit after hitting the team in the first inning and commented, “Don't celebrate too soon.” He also posted, “We're afraid no one.”

Volpe seemed to have no problem with Garcia's slide trying to beat a throw from Jon Berti, who had started the double play by fielding a grounder and stepping on the ball to first.

“There’s a lot at stake,” Volpe said. “Everyone plays hard, everyone tries to win. They are playing for their season. He went in hard, but we will always get up.

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“NO. I go hard into the base, he tries to make something happen because there wasn't much going on there. That's what happens when everyone plays hard.”

During the skirmish, Gerrit Cole walked toward Garcia before catcher Austin Wells intercepted and restrained him.

“I'm not sure what happened, but I don't like him coming after my shortstop,” Cole said. “I just wanted to stand in front of him.”

Manager Aaron Boone said he didn't know what everyone was angry about, but suggested it pales in comparison to the old rivalry between the Yankees and Royals.

“If there was any excitement about the slide or whatever, we'll just go back and show a little Hal McRae and Willie Randolph and we'll all laugh at ourselves,” Boone said.