The New York Yankees face elimination in their ALDS matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays. Smith envisions a significant shakeup if they can't complete a comeback. After dropping the first two games, the Yankees must win three straight games to advance.
They'll attempt to stay alive when Max Fried takes the mound at home Wednesday night. Smith sent Aaron Boone an ominous warning ahead of Game 3. The ESPN pundit predicted on "First Take" that the Yankees will dismiss the longtime manager if they lose the series.
I think Aaron Boone will be fired. I really do," Smith said Wednesday. "You cannot lose the way the Yankees lost in Game 2.
You cannot have three errors in the first inning. You can't look like the modern version of the Bad News Bears. That cannot happen." The Yankees committed four errors behind American League Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler in Monday's sloppy 5-2 loss.
Smith sees that as a long-term problem under Boone, recalling their disastrous defense in Game 5 of a 2024 World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "This has been an ongoing issue with the New York Yankees for years now," Smith declared. "Their fielding, their defense, their comedy of errors, their absence of athleticism ...
Everywhere you turn it's like, oh my God, this is embarrassing. Are they practicing on off days? Were you practicing throughout the season?" Smith can accept the Yankees getting defeated by an opposing ace, which happened when Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a 1-0 Rays win to start the series.
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