Big Mac Is Excited For A Pennant Race

**Craig Carton** (0:00)
Tell you this, though, it does make, as bad as the Yankees are, for me at least, as hard as they are to watch, because they're boring, I will say this, the Red Sox, which you hate, and I respect that, getting back into it and now being tied in the lost column, at least makes for a fun end of summer.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:16)
I'm pumped, I'm looking forward to this.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:19)
Absolutely, I watch two teams every night.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:21)
Because here's the thing.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:22)
Exactly right, exactly right.

**Craig Carton** (0:23)
And I'll give Big Mac credit for this, Alex, because you're consistent in this. As much as it pains you that the Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball, and now they're effectively tied with the Yankees, you just said you love it.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:34)
I do love it.

**Craig Carton** (0:35)
You love the fact, which goes along with what you said that I vehemently disagreed with, that you're happy LeBron went to Philly because you want more competition for the Knicks, not less.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:47)
Yes.

**Craig Carton** (0:48)
So at least you're consistent on that.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:50)
It's not that I want more competition, I like the villain, and I like the adjuda. You talk about this a lot, and it may be in game you mean it, but not in the standings. Look, do I want the Red Sox to pass the Yankees? No.

**Craig Carton** (1:01)
Of course.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:01)
Would I have rather have had the Yankees, the Red Sox rather just go off into the abyss and have a hundred lost season and we could all point and laugh at them? I suppose. But now that it's here, I'm pumped.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:13)
Because you have a pen race.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:14)
This is a legit pen race.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:15)
It might be a wild card race, but it's a pen race.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:17)
It's holding off the Sox, it's chasing down the Rays, it's everybody's counting them out, the offense has been miserable for two and a half months.
They had a miserable trade deadline. All of that goes into the idea, all right, let's freaking go. Because if the Yankees, and here's what I'll say, I defend Aaron Boone, I know I do, he's got to get this team doing what I just said. You have to be amped for this. He said it and people laughed when he said it. I played the highlight for you and we both agreed, that's exactly what I want to hear. But he said, you got to love this. You got to love this crap, you have to be in, now it's on, it's Yankees vs Red Sox.

**Craig Carton** (1:55)
Games mean something.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:56)
To see who's going to either win the division or host the wild card game, this is what it's all about, I am pumped.

**Craig Carton** (2:02)
If the Yankees had a 30 game lead, yeah, it's great, but it's boring.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:06)
It can be boring.

**Craig Carton** (2:07)
This is now every game matters.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:08)
It's not what I would want, but now that it's here, I'm embracing it.

**Craig Carton** (2:11)
Was it 47 games ago?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:12)
I'm embracing it.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:13)
Every single game matters.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:15)
And no matter what we think of this team, they are capable of outplaying the Boston Red Sox.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:19)
Are they?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:20)
They did it for the first, like, does it matter how you get to a record? Does it matter if you're consistent? Does it matter if, because they were one of the worst teams in baseball for almost three months. For almost three months, the Boston Red Sox were one of the worst teams in baseball.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:36)
Right?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:37)
And now they've gone on a stretch where they're the hottest team in baseball, bar none. Does it matter if you went through that stretch and then this stretch, or just consistently a game above 500 for 13 weeks? It doesn't matter. They're both where they are. And from this moment on, it's a dogfight. And I'm pumped about it. And there's no doubt the Red Sox aren't going to keep this up.
If the Red Sox keep this up, it doesn't even matter what the Yankees do. Because the Yankees are going on a win streak.

**Craig Carton** (3:01)
If the Red Sox keep this up, they're winning the division.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:02)
By a lot.

**Craig Carton** (3:03)
Yeah.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:03)
By a lot.

**Craig Carton** (3:04)
I agree.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:05)
So I don't think they're going to do that. I think they're going to come back down to earth. I think the Yankees are going to get better. And it starts tonight. And the Yankees pitching is excellent. Carlos Rodan is now throwing three innings tonight in the minor leagues.