Hour 5: C-Mac Defends Yankees Game 2 Lineup and Postseason Roster Decisions

Chris McMonigle (0:00)

We were only waiting for this moment to arise. Yes, sir, yes, sir. 6.05, McMonigle here with you. Last stop of The Carton Show, got you till 7 o'clock, Emmanuel Babari will come your way then. And remember, we got you locked down all night long for Yankee coverage. We got Emmanuel at 7, leading into the Yankee broadcast with Susan and Dave. Right after that, you'll have the postgame with Emmanuel and Susan, and I believe... Emmanuel will be with you, taking your calls on Pinstripe Plus. And after, right around the same time as the postgame, you'll have me doing the Go Get Em live from the McMonigle residence.

And...

Emmanuel will be with you taking your calls on Pinstripe Plus until 2 a.m. I wanted to make sure it was Emmanuel. Emmanuel is going to be busy. You can get plenty of Emmanuel, plenty of CMAC as we get you through game two, which, look, gotta win a game. I think with, again, I don't understand. I know many of you, I'm seeing on social media, I'm getting hit up from my friends. I know that doesn't mean every single Yankee fan, but I really don't know what you expected to do different with the lineup. Like, I just, I don't know what you thought. Peralta is a regular splits guy. He is much better against left-handed batters than he is right-handed batters. Like, do you really want to play Ramos over Grisham? Really? With the way Ramos hits against right-handed pitching? Anybody but Grisham, we're at that point. Anybody but Grisham? And defensively, like, you can't tell me they're that much better, and I know the Yankees don't think so, whether they're right or wrong. Boone said yesterday in the pregame, before the game, that the outfield that's out there today is the Yankees' best defensive outfield. I don't think Ramos out in right field makes me feel any better about this defense.

It really doesn't. And I still would rather see Grisham up there against the right-handed pitcher than I would Ramos. And yeah, you could have went Caballero third. I'm okay with that if they did it, but I can't sit here and scream and go, oh my God, this Yankee lineup, they got one hit yesterday. They're running it back when they easily could have put Caballero in there. Oh, Caballero, you say. Well, I mean, that would change everything.

The Rays got five hits and gave up one run. They're running back the same lineup. I don't think anybody's complaining.

Like, this is the lineup that scored nine runs against the Red Sox in game two as well. Like, it's one game yesterday against a pitcher they don't hit. I don't know why you would want to show like panic and suddenly switch up the entire lineup.

Like, there's better options. Like, there's some real big powerful guy or a really good hitter who could give you four at bats and play the field and you'd feel a hell of a lot better than the situation they have. Like, okay, play Caballero. Okay, great, Covey. Is he that much of a difference? Like, that's what I just, this is the lineup, this is the team and we're going to find out if it's good enough. And if it's not good enough, it's not about them and the order and who should have played and who shouldn't play. This is the lineup against Peralta. This is the lineup they should be playing against Peralta. If they don't hit, it's on them. And it's on Brian Cashman for not building a good enough lineup.

It's also the same lineup that got 26 hits, or should I say 14 hits. This lineup got 14 hits and scored nine runs.

Two games ago. Not like a million years ago. Not like earlier in July. Two games ago. And again, I know the Red Sox offense sucks. It's one of the best pitching staffs in the American League. Can't argue it. Cannot argue it. That's what they were all year long. That's what got them in the postseason. They pitch and this Yankee line up clobbered it for 14 hits and 9 runs. Now yesterday was no hits or one hit. Not good enough. But I just I don't understand what dramatic change you wanted in the lineup. This is the team. This is the team. And Kam Schlitler is going to have to lead them to victory. Like, their best pitcher dominated. The Yankees' best pitcher has to dominate. That's what a postseason series is.

That's what a postseason series is.

They're going to have to find a way to win this game, come home. Max Freed is on the mound with game three, and you have to probably try and take that game because game four against Rasmussen again feels uncomfortable, to say the least.