Schlittler and Rice Lead Homegrown Yankees to Game 1 Victory

Craig Carton (0:00)

After an amazing game one 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 Aaron Judge ever was. Good afternoon, everybody, and good afternoon, Big Mac, how are you today?

Chris McMonigle (0:22)

I'm doing fantastic, Craig. That was some night. That was some night to watch Cam Schlittler do what he did and dominate this Red Sox team yet again.

Craig Carton (0:30)

And they brought him back out in the 7th.

Chris McMonigle (0:32)

Bringing him back out in the 7th to push him.

Craig Carton (0:34)

Well over 100 pitches when it's all said and done.

Chris McMonigle (0:37)

117 pitches 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 2 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 get and 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 core. 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 gonna happen when Judge retires? What's gonna happen? When Ben Rice is what's gonna happen, and Cam Schlittler is what's gonna 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. He can go out there, and whatever is 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 is working good today. I'll beat you with that.

Craig Carton (2:07)

He was in full command last night. Full command. Aaron Boone treated him like a grown up. Yeah. 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 at six innings through, and his pitch count over 90

Chris McMonigle (2:23)

Just look.

Craig Carton (2:24)

And Aaron Boone said, look, you are killing it. You told me your arm is 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 four nothing, and then you get the grand slam to make the gate, 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, Cam Schlittler has proven he is as good a post-season money pitcher as the Yankees have had in a couple decades.

Chris McMonigle (3:03)

Craig, this is the list, and Katie Sharp does a great job.

Craig Carton (3:06)

Who's Katie Sharp?

Chris McMonigle (3:08)

She puts out stats on Twitter. I'm telling you who she is. Katie Sharp on Twitter.

Craig Carton (3:12)

Where does she work?

Chris McMonigle (3:13)

I hear her from talking Yankees, but she does a lot of stuff on Twitter. Good for Katie Sharp. I'm just saying, can I just get through it? Why are you focused on Katie Sharp? Where did she come up with these stats? I don't know.

I trust that she's correct in them, and I wasn't necessarily going to bring it up, but you mentioned how good a post-season performer is. He's a dominant post-season pitcher now. Let me tell you how much so. Tell me. Here's the list of pitchers in Major League history. Sandy Kofax. No. Damn it. Wait a second.