Yankees confirm fans' fears with Wild Card Game 1 lineup (but Red Sox bail them out)

We said it on Monday: we did not want the New York Yankees getting cute with their Game 1 lineup against the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series. We're still of that mindset, but they didn't listen to the fans' wishes.

New York dropped its lineup for Tuesday's opener against the Sox and ... multiple changes were made. Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon are out. Paul Goldschmidt (1B), Amed Rosario (2B) and Jose Caballero (3B) are in.

Can't say most will be happy about that. Aaron Boone (and presumably Brian Cashman) are playing the "matchup" against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, but we're not sure removing two of the team's best hitters all year and their current best defender is the way to go.

Whether it burns the Yankees remains to be seen ... but Alex Cora countered with a similar vibe for the Sox. Both Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida are on the bench for Boston as Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard are in.

What bizarro world is this? It's a best-of-three series and both teams need their most productive players on the field.

Yankees confirm fans' fears with Wild Card Game 1 lineup (but Red Sox bail them out)

Eaton has four at-bats since Sept. 23. Sogard's got seven since Sept. 20. Could we be eating our words in a few hours? Absolutely. But the everyday viewers are objectively puzzled.

As for the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt's usage vs a lefty probably won't have the offensive effects the team is hoping for. The veteran slugger has a .676 OPS vs lefty pitchers since June 1 while Rice is sporting a .723 mark. At the very least. Goldschmidt should provide sure-handed defense and a steady postseason presence to kick off the game. That feels somewhat good.

The other concerns? Rosario has logged just one game at second base for the Yankees since coming over at the trade deadline. Caballero has seen 10 games at third, but McMahon's defense is a difference-maker, as he's been one of the best at his position all year. New York better hope the offensive trade-off is worth it here, or else they'll be getting an earful if things don't go their way.

Good vibes though. Important to have those good vibes. Let's go Yanks. And let's make those necessary lineup changes at the first sign of trouble. Please.