Yankee fans: do not go there. Don’t do it. Do not start hating on Frankie Montas. OK, we know that Jordan Montgomery is 3-0 with the Cardinals and has given up 1 run in his 3 starts (you have to consider that one of those wins was over the Yankees so he was facing a team of .220 hitters). And Harrison Bader is still in his walking boot; we don’t know what we have there but you do know that you need a fix in center field and Hicks is lost).
The natural inclination is to say that Montas is a flop and can’t pitch in New York. SU does not think that is the case. He does not show the Sonny Gray deer in the headlights look or say the Sonny Gray things. He wants to win, he wants to be here. Is he fully healthy? Well, you do wonder about that as he had shoulder issues as recently as July.
SU will not hate on Frankie Montas. I am taking a more positive approach to the Yankees now. I have lowered my expectations and that makes losing a bit easier to process. For example, here is how you need to do it. Runners on first and third, no outs and Josh Donaldson is up. Hope for a home run, a hit or a sac fly? No, no no. Go for the strikeout or maybe a wild pitch in there with the strike out so that the rally can continue. Just avoid the double play. You know statistically that he won’t get a hit more than once a week. At .219, why expect more?
Let’s try it out together. Bases loaded and no outs with Aaron Hicks up. Do you hope for a hit? Of course not. He hits .136 lifetime with the bases loaded. Do you want him to put the ball in play? NO! Take the strikeout and hope the next guy – LeMahieu can get it done. Again, the wild pitch is also a good outcome in there. Gleyber Torres with RISP? It will be a ground ball to shortstop as he ignores the right side of the infield being vacated. Sure, if he gets a hit, all good, but if you limit expectations, it’s a less frustrating viewing experience.
You should only put your hope in Judge, LeMahieu, Rizzo, Benintendi and Trevino. Judge won’t get anything to hit anymore so there is that.
At this point, the only way to get through the last month and a half of the season is to lower expectations. Chapman? Please. Loaisiga? Nope. So, Frankie Montas, SU says here’s to you. Please try your hardest, do your best and I will expect the 4 innings and 5 runs appearance with 95 pitches. Enjoy your stay in NY.
Did you catch the “Fire Aaron Boone” chants the other night after he brought Chapman in? Hey, not Boonie’s fault. Look at the roster. But it comes with the turf.
OK, who’s with me? Trust me: you will sleep better at night.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Ugh, I think the remainder of the season should be shown in black and white and all the promise the Yankees (aka Jimmy McGill) showed in the first half just degenerates into hoping they just hang on and don’t completely implode and become Saul. I expect they will try to redeem themselves but will fall short and leave us with that melancholy wait until next year hope that just doesn’t seem to come anymore. And yes get rid of Boone, not because he is a bad manager, but because I just can’t listen to the excuses in his interviews–someone other than SI needs to tell the truth so bring in Carol Burnett. I watch way too much TV and should get out more.
Bob, love the Better Call Saul references. Agree about Boone – it wouldn’t hurt for him to go into the Clubhouse after the game and overturn the food buffet table a la Billy Martin and Lou Piniella. But not his style.
Team has gotten complacent with the fast start. Boone needs to emphasize to them what an embarrassing product they are putting on the field- maybe get Cashman involved as well. Hope you’re right about Montas- watched his post-game interview yesterday and it had overtones of Ian Kennedy- “well, other than one bad inning I thought I pitched pretty well”- no you didn’t- you sucked. Besides Montgomery, note that Sears has a 1.74 ERA in the starts he has made for Oakland since the trade.
Sears is the man. I thought he was great for the Yankees in the first half of the season and hope he does well for the A’s. No doubt he will also start against the Yankees next weekend in Oakland. If Montas is a bust, it will be a major stain on Cashman. He gets credit for Carpenter and Effross but Trevino looks shaky in the bullpen so far.
I think it’s funny listening to the spoiled yankee fans whining about their first place team with a nine game lead. The Mets are incredibly more likely to blow their division than the Yankees. They have a proven history of doing so. I’m almost 50 years old and the last time the Mets won the series I was 14. Just one more championship in my lifetime and I’d be happy. Yankee fans, enjoy your perennially in first place team. Things could be so much worse.
Ezra, great to hear from you! No one is casting any shade on the Mets. In fact, I think the Mets are the better team vs. the Yankees.. And if the Braves catch them, it would not be a choke or a blown lead by any means. Just the defending world champions coming on as the season unfolds. We Yankee fans have high standards (and a high payroll) and we demand the best. Btw, I think Steve Cohen will be demanding the same now as his payroll may go as high as $350 million next year according to Sandy Alderson. Mets are embarking on a new era and this is just the beginning.
Thrilled that the Little League World Series is back again — the perfect antidote to this doppelgänger Yankees team. Go Massapequa!