HOUR 1: Schlittler & Yankees Dominate Game One | Game 2 Will Be More Of A Chess Match

Craig Carton (0:05)

It's The Carton Show with Big Mac, live from Yankee Stadium for Game 2 of the Wild Card Round of the American League Playoffs. After an amazing Game 1 victory last night, runs after runs after runs, brilliant managing by Boone, fantastic pitching by Schlittler, and Ben Rice, now officially a better postseason player for the Yankees. Than our judge ever was.

Good afternoon, everybody, and good afternoon, Big Mac, how are you today?

Chris McMonigle (0:35)

I'm doing fantastic, Craig. That was some night.

Craig Carton (0:38)

Yes.

Chris McMonigle (0:38)

That was some night to watch Cam Schlittler do what he did, and dominate this Red Sox team yet again.

Craig Carton (0:44)

And they brought him back out in the seventh.

Chris McMonigle (0:46)

Bringing him back out in the seventh to push him.

Craig Carton (0:47)

Well over 100 pitches last all said and done.

Chris McMonigle (0:49)

117 pitches.

Craig Carton (0:51)

Yes.

Chris McMonigle (0:52)

They asked him to get last night, and we talked how much they were going to rely on the starters. I didn't know they would do it to that extent. Now I don't expect this to happen every time Cam pitches. I think it was a unique situation where last night, he's either not pitching again because they lose, or he's pitching in the Division Series in game two with an extra day's rest. So I think it's a unique situation where they felt they were able to push him 117 pitches. But for him to come back out for the seventh, while in the fifth inning there, it felt maybe a little bit dicey. It's the only inning he doesn't have a strikeout. And it felt like maybe he was losing gas to have a clean sixth and then come out for the seventh, throw 117 pitches, set this team up for victory. And then both him and Ben Rice, and for multiple reasons, one, they're both Boston kids who grew up in their backyard, who their scouts missed, but the Yankees picked them in the sixth and seventh round. And they've now developed, and this is the new Young Corp. I think that's a big story line about last night. All of the success came from the young homegrown Yankees. And these two pillars of the organization, what's going to happen when Judge retires? What's going to happen?

Ben Rice is what's going to happen. And Kam Schlittler is what's going to happen. And watching those two guys dominate this team, the grand slam that breaks it open, the dominant pitching, and his ability to change who he is. He threw the curveball. I know you don't like to get into the weeds too much about baseball, but his curveball numbers jumped up. Like, he can go out there, and whatever's working, he's not just the guy who throws 100 miles an hour. He can go out there and say, you know what, my curveball's working good today. I'll beat you with that.

Craig Carton (2:21)

He was in full command last night.

And Aaron Boone treated him like a grown-up. And for all the knocks on Aaron Boone, not a lot of managers in game one, I know it's a short series, would have done that after the brilliance, six innings through, and his pitch count over 90

Chris McMonigle (2:37)

Just look.

Craig Carton (2:37)

And Aaron Boone said, look, you are killing it. You told me your arm's feeling good. I'm going to have a short leash in the seventh, of course. But I'm going to give you an opportunity to continue to pitch. That's called great managing, a great feel for your starting pitcher.

Obviously, up 4-0, and then you get the Grand Samp to make 8, and then the game's a wrap, obviously, at that point. But that was a dominating performance from a guy now in a very short amount of time, has proven to be, I know he hasn't won a World Series yet or any of that stuff, but in two years now, Kam Schlittler has proven he is as good a postseason money pitcher as the Yankees have had in a couple of decades.

Chris McMonigle (3:17)

Craig, this is the list, and Katie Sharp does a great job. Who's Katie Sharp? She puts out stats on Twitter. I'm telling you who she is.

SPEAKER_1 (3:24)

Katie Sharp on Twitter. Where does she work?

Chris McMonigle (3:27)

I hear her from talking Yankees, but she does a lot of stuff on Twitter.

SPEAKER_1 (3:29)

Okay, well good for Katie Sharp.

Chris McMonigle (3:30)

But I'm just saying, can I just get through it?

SPEAKER_1 (3:32)

Why are you focused on Katie Sharp? Where did she come up with these stats?