The Yankees mostly had three days off for the All-Star break, and kicked off the second half with a doubleheader in Houston Thursday – which, of course, meant that the Yankees’ lineup wasn’t necessarily going to be an A-plus one for both games.
But, on Friday, after seeing the Yankees swept in that twin bill, BT wants to know why the Yankees didn’t at least try to strike first by putting out their best group in Game 1 – mostly, playing Joey Gallo over All-Star Game MVP Giancarlo Stanton.
“Baseball is generally a series of overreactions, and whatever happened, I was going to take this in stride – until I saw what happened. You can’t control a lot of things in sports, but you can control what names you write down in the lineup card, and I’d like to know why in the world the Yankees are putting out their C+ lineup against the Astros, who own you?” BT asked. “I’m driving home and listening to pregame, and hearing about how Astros fans are all jacked up and everyone is ready – everyone except, apparently, for Aaron Boone? Why is Stanton not starting Game 1, and why is Gallo in the lineup?”
Boone’s choices overall could be easily defensed if he, specifically, were more willing to admit players’ limitations – for instance, left field in Houston being an easier ask of both Stanton and Matt Carpenter, pushing Gallo into duty because Aaron Judge needed to DH both games to “stay safe.”
BT, though, isn’t buying it.
“If you’re going to start Domingo German in Game 2, which is inherently debatable in itself, don’t you think you want to go full bore in Game 1, just in case German is a little rusty?” BT asked, before noting “a level of agitation” in Boone’s postgame comments because he “thinks he knows he messed up.”
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“If we come back here in October, we’re going to show up, and we’re going to expect to win. We think we’re really good, and they’re really good. Don’t overstate this,” Boone said of the sweep.
Not happening, because Brandon is absolutely overstating it.
“Usually, skip, I’m with you in that we do overreact to a lot of nonsense, but putting out your best against a team that owns you isn’t asking too much,” BT said. “Aaron Judge can’t play the outfield? What has Joey Gallo done to earn a start? Nothing!”
BT believes Gallo won’t be “anywhere near a lineup, or this franchise, come October,” which makes him wonder even more why Gallo played Game 1 – but then he dropped a stat that was even scarier.
“In 64 innings over seven games, TWO INNINGS out of 64 the Yankees held a lead,” BT exhorted. “Listen, I believe there are checkpoints during a season, but that is just a defeatist attitude. I have news for you skip: they’re better than you, and they know it, and I think we know it! So doesn’t it make sense to try to send a message? What lineup was that?"
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Those two innings were the last innings of the two Yankees wins, both of which were walk-offs at Yankee Stadium, which just solidifies how important Thursday should have been.
“They view this as serious stuff, the Astros fans and players were ready and their lineup was normal, so why not us?” BT said. “You saving them for the Orioles and the Mets? You have to roll out your best, and you know what? If you sacrifice a little on the back end in Game 2, so be it. I know it’s a long season, but again, there are checkpoints, and that was a disappointing effort, performance, and, most importantly, management. It’s not acceptable.”
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