High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Bad Loss In Washington

Episode Date: September 16, 2026

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' dropping the series opener against the Nationals on Tuesday night. Presented by Miller Lite.To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com

Miller Light, the official beer partner of your Philadelphia Phillies, is proud to serve as presenting sponsor of WIP's High Hopes Pod. So whether you're listening to the game, catching off on the latest High Hopes pod or at the ballpark. Remember, it tastes like Miller time, Phillies fans. Celebrate responsibly. His payoff pitch. Swinging a line drive. Caught by a leaping.

Brady House at third base and that ends the game. What a play at third by House. And the Phillies fall to the nationals tonight. to the opener of this two games set, the Phillies end up with only five hits as the Nationals win at late. A pinch hit home run from Dalen Lyle is the difference in this one

as the Phillies fall, six three, and they are now one and three so far on this final road trip of the season. Well, it's a good time for me to be back on the final out. Holy cow. What an embarrassment. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on the final out here on WIP. As always, the final out is sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority offering valet park at the Philadelphia airport.

I go away for two and a half weeks and everything falls apart. Bet sides are falling off. I mean, what is this baseball team doing? Five and eight in September tonight. Lose game to the Nationals who effectively are tanking. They didn't play. I know Chris Sanchez is pitching. and, you know, baseball is all about platoons now.

But if you're a team that is already way out of it, maybe you would normally play CJ Abrams and James Wood in a game where, you know, they're your 30 home run guys. I'm not sure the guys coming in or starting over them give you a better chance to win than those guys. But nevertheless, it doesn't matter because Dailen Lyle comes in, it's a big home run off of John Boland. And they lose a game to a team who,

who I've blown the most saves in baseball, a record this year, 39. And at one point, before Louisa Rise at a double, had retired 11 straight against this Phillies team, who now look like they are truly running on empty. The game wrap-up is sponsored by Roto Router. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto Router.

Their team tackles clogs and leaks so you can stay in the game. Roto Router, MVP for plumbing solutions. 215-592-94 to just let it out. I mean, that's kind of where we're at. We are hanging on by the edge of our seats as we are kind of going through a September of 2022 all over again. I don't know if there's going be a Marlins kind of bailout. There's 11 games left. They should. They should be okay. But my goodness, like my biggest takeaway of the game, which is brought to you by Morgan and Morgan, America's large-sendry law firm is that they are a tough team to believe in.

I am someone who tries to find the silver lining in almost everything with this baseball team, but they are a tough team to believe in. They don't play inspired baseball. They don't play smart baseball. They run the bases poorly. The offense is back to being the offense that we all hate. like the walking, the Greek god of walks that they were in August of 26, which once again, this team seems to be August merchants.

August of 23, they were great. Last August was generational when Harrison Bader got here and Joanne Duran got here. And August of this year, they rip off a 21 and 7 streak and are walking all over the ballpark. Well, guess what? the offense that we never believe in seems like it is showing up at just the right time. You have the ace of your staff at this point, which is Jesus Lazardo, who now is done for the regular season unless for some reason they pitch him in the last game of the regular season. And if I had to bet, probably will not be available for the wildcard round.

If he is available, it's probably out of the bullpen and not in a game one start, where he'd be on the road, where he is putting together one of the best seasons by a starting pitcher ever on the road. So the offense is back, your ace is hurt, your supposed ace, and Chris Sanchez has looked pedestrian for two and a half months, you know, pedestrian for his standards for how he has pitched in the last couple of years. And tonight he allows five earned. Now, obviously part of that was dated by Jonathan Boland.

it was either he allowed a 65-mile-an-hour bleeder or a ball hit 110 miles an hour. Andres Chaparro owned him all night, ripped the double off of him, and then a home run after they do take the lead on a Kyle Schwerber home run. He can't command the ball. He has no idea where his fastball is going. He can't keep it down in the zone. So now every time he throws a fastball, it's up in the zone, and it's getting blasted. The three-pitch thing might be catching up to him as, you know,

It's majorly baseball, and starting pitchers need six pitches now, it seems like, to compete at a high level. The bullpen is giving away games almost every single night. They have been in coin flip games for the last week and a half, two weeks, and it feels like they have blown every single one of them. Tonight's culprit, John Bolin, who has been horrendous in September and his loud runs in his last five. outings. So besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? I mean, everything is going wrong for this team at the wrong time. They are hanging on to a playoff spot. Again, they should, they should be okay. We'll see how the games go tonight. Some things seem like they are breaking in the

Phillies direction, which is good. But I don't really care about what else is happening around the league that has to go the Phillies way in order for them to win a baseball game. They lost to a Nationals team that is effectively tanking. They sat their 30 home run guys in Abrams and James Wood. They sat Baylon Lyle, who I think has 20 plus stolen bases and has always killed the Phillies in the last year and a half, it feels like it feels that he consistently gets big hits against them. and you're going to a Mets series, a four-game set, up in New York,

where it's a place that you have not played very well for a good stretch with this team and a Mets team that is, I think, trying to build some momentum heading into the next year and they're starting to get their stars back, Lador's back, and Soto, and they can't really pitch, but they certainly have enough thump in that lineup, and I'm starting to believe, and Carson Benj has been a good young play.

A.J. E.J. E. E.J. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. that has given them a little bit of a spark. And then we'll see what happens there. You're kind of begging for a split in that scenario. And then you end the season with the Brewers and the race. Who are the one seeds, as of right now, on both sides of the bracket. And Junior Calmanaro hit his 41st home run tonight. And the Brewers seem to do every little thing well. And just, I hate this. I hate this.

I hate what is currently happening with the Phillies. 2-15-592-94-94 as we are kind of letting it out after what is one of the worst losses of the season. For sure. One of the worst losses of the season against a dead team that you've dominated and got shut down in the middle portion of a game against the worst, maybe worse in the 2020 Phillies bullpen, which is tough. But, I mean, the number suggests that they are worse. 39 blown saves on the year.

That is a tough watch. Dave's in Westchester, what's happening, Dave? What's up there, Jackie Baseball? How are you doing? Ah, tough one, pal. Ah, tough one, pal. Yeah, yeah, dude, I'm telling you what. I'm at work right now, and I'm just, like, just sulking in a corner, so nobody bear bothered me. But, like, did you hear Dave Dobrowski today, you know, like touting his players and how good this guy is and how good that guy is? and, oh, you know, we're going to come around and visit.

You know, that guy needs to be held accountable. He needs to go. Press and manually leads to go. Don manually to go. You know, I mean, they just need to clean house. They need to blow this team up. Just get, you know, this is, what, five years of this core? And they can't do, you know.

I mean, at this point, I'm even okay with just, you know, get rid of Harper, too. Just get rid of all them. I don't want to see any of them in Philly's uniforms next week. Just bring me up the Iron Pigs and let them finish out the season. I mean, I mean, this is, this is total, it's disgusting watching this team. The fundamental suck. They can't run the bases. They can't hit.

The bullpen's terrible. The only thing they got is good pitching. And you sit there, you're going, you know, what is wrong to see? They were supposed to be good. And then they'll show these flashes of being good, but it's all fulls gold. And, you know, Jack, I really can't take it anymore. Well, it doesn't sound like to tell you can, Dave, as everyone has to go, burn it to the ground, to bring up the iron pigs who stink.

So, yeah, I mean, I would still be very surprised if they ended up fully blowing it and missing the playoffs, but it is on the table. And what would make it doubly more annoying for all of us out there is Dave Nebraska is getting a contract extension this offseason. I don't think, even if they collapse, I think that he will be going to be. getting a contract extension. So that would be a nice cherry on top on what would be an utter disaster, an utter disaster. 215, 592, 94-94 to get in.

On the other side, we'll get to the wow moment of the game and some other thoughts as well. We'll get to all that coming up next here on the final out on Sports Radio 94 WIPA. Drink up, baby. Fantasy football happy hour is here to get you wins. some laughs. Matthew Berry here and my podcast, Fantasy Football Happy Hour, has the sleepers bus and starts it advice you need to win your league. We're diving into the tape, we're crunching the numbers to bring you sleepers, bus weekly starts sit advice, whether you're defending a title or desperately avoiding last place. I've got you covered every single weekday. The bar is open. It's Fantasy Football

Happy Hour with Matthew Barry, wherever you get your podcast. And the first pitch on the way to Lyle, he swings and lifts him in the air deep. Center field. Going back his hill to the track, and he's out of room. It's a three-run, a pinch-hit home run. As the Nationals take the lead,

on the first pitch thrown by Jonathan Boland, his home-run troubles continue and tonight in a huge way as it's six to three, Washington, here in the seventh inning. Yes, that is homers, or runs allowed,

in five straight. That is home runs allowed in three of five. He has been bad down at Nats Park this year, allowed the home run earlier in the season. I think that was the Derek Hill game where he saved the Phillies bacon. But wasn't great. And Boland's getting jumped,

and it feels like he is, I mean, he is someone who was a starting pitcher. Last year, his first year, transitioning into a reliever, but he's more a fifth, sixth inning guy comes here with the Brad Keller injury and the way that he was pitching. I mean, there was a 42 game stretch there

or a 42-inning stretch there in the middle of the summer where he pitched to like a 1.580 and really looked apart as someone who could be the eighth inning guy. And I think what you're seeing now is a product of never doing this before. I mean, you have to be, you have to have the ability to pitch in three out of four days

or two out of three days. And I think that takes a little bit to adjust to. Not everyone can just jump in and be good to go from that standpoint. I think the Phillies have tried to manage that. But also, you know, madly has to turn to someone. And it's not like Sanchez was giving them the most inspiring outing. He tries to extend it a little bit because he looked okay, I guess, in the middle portion of this game.

But eventually you have to hand the ball to someone. And besides McFarland, Bolin has been your best guy. You can't go to really McFarland in that situation unless you want to, well, you could go to McFarland in that situation just because it's a higher leverage spot. It's runners on second and third, no out. McFarland probably gives you a better chance at a strikeout there. I could see quibbling with Maddenly's decision there. Maddenly is someone who I think that has struggled mightily, not only with managing the entire bullpen, but also with leverage. I mean, what was it, the game Sunday?

He had a Sunday game where it was still tight at this point before it got blown open. But he has McFarland face 7-8-9 of the Braves. And it's just he's your best reliever besides Tehran. What are you having for 7-8-9 in a 2-1 ball game? I don't know. So, I mean, Maddenly is someone who I certainly have a lot of questions about how they do manage the bullpen. It feels like a lot of guys warm up every single night.

and, you know, like Rob Thompson had similar pictures out there, and I think that he did a much better job managing those guys and getting them through a season than Donnie baseball has. But that was our wow-in-win-with-the-game. Brought to you by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism for Waterfalls, the Fairways, Mountain Resorts to Lighthouse Tours, find your way out, visit nj.com. Bolin was, I mean, 96 most of the time tonight for when he was at his best, when he was firing on all cylinders.

He was 98, 99. There's a couple times he touched 100. So I think that there's just fatigue sitting in. First pitch change up there. It was a little bit of an odd pitch selection, but Dailin Lyle certainly did not miss. See how Bill in Atlantic City is doing. What's happening, Bill?

Hey, I'm not going to scream. I'm not going to yell. I'm just going to offer a little eulogy for the 2026 Phillies. All right. We have a good team. We don't have a great team. We have a good team. We have some really, really, really good players on this team.

And if it wasn't for our starting pitching, we would be in last place in the end at least. I mean, it's our bullpen. Well, I'm not even going to go there. We already know about our bullpen. and we've been having this problem for the last 15 years with our bullpen. Our bullpen cannot get a one-run game through the seventh and eighth and then to get to our closer. It's unbelievable.

Also, I love Trey Turner, okay? I do. But what's he got now? Almost two dozen errors this year. I know a couple days ago he was at 20 or 21. By the end of the year, he'll be at 24 errors this year. it's unbelievable that with the amount of talent we have on this team, they seem dysfunctional. Am I making sense here on this?

Yeah, well, mostly, yes, I would agree. I think they look, and they look disinterested currently, which really irks me. It's interesting, yeah. It looks almost like they're giving up. It looks like they're almost like given up, resigned to the fact that they're not going to win a championship. and they'll be lucky to even make it to the playoffs because we got San Diego and Arizona breathing down our neck

for the last two playoffs because we're not getting past Chicago and we're definitely not beating Milwaukee, Los Angeles, or Atlanta if we do make it to the playoffs and get through the wildcars. I mean, it's just, it's a shame. I said, I wasn't going to yell.

Not going to scream and yell. It's just got to understand the fact that it's not this year. And I think we don't need to blow the whole thing up, but there has to be some coaching changes because whoever's coaching the infielders and stuff like that, I don't understand how we're making so many errors. And it's, it's, it's, and our bullpen.

I don't know. You go. I yield to you. I feel you, Bill. I mean, on the infield, I think it's really just one guy, you know, boom as much. Like Bobby Dickerson is a really good, a really good coach. Gotham obviously cannot go anywhere. and Kevin Long, they will just continue to die on the Kevin Longsword.

And I think that Mattingley will be out of here for Alex Cora, barring something unforeseen. Barring something unforeseen. But yes, I mean, we are approaching. Well, we might be in the midst of a 2020 September. I mean, the 22 September, they went 11 and 14. This team as it stands right now is 5 and 8th. So, you know, it hasn't felt as bad as when that team went out and got swept out in Chicago buzz. I mean, when they went out to Chicago, it was really, really dark.

And luckily, they faced the Nationals after that. And they did lose one of those games against the Nationals. But still, they were a right team, right spot. The Marlins went out to the Brewers and stole a game from them. and that helped the Phillies, but it's ugly right now. Again, some people wrote songs about how bad that Cubs series was. I mean, that's how memorable it was. I know, I know.

Some people did. Some people did do that that still live on in group chats everywhere. But, yes, it's a really, really tough team to believe it. And the effort to want to the kind of going through the motions, and I know the old adage, like when you're slumping, you don't look like you have the energy. And they were coming back and they won nine straight. Certainly seems like they have the energy.

Totally agree. But the way that they're playing is like they're just waiting around to lose rather than taking it from a team. And that's the frustrating part. And what we keep coming back to with them over the last couple years whenever they struggle is like, who's going to grab this thing? by the stones and right the ship.

I don't know if they have that guy in the clubhouse, and I don't think it's done thatingly either. And, you know, the guys that we would like to put it on is the starting pitching. And I would love to say, like, Sanchez, go out there and give a seven shutout. And it was one of those nights where you just need Chris Sanchez to go. I know that sounds almost ridiculous to say about a starting pitcher, go give me seven shut up. but you are going to finish top five in Saoyang.

You have not been right for two and a half months. You've had fits and spurts of some good starts. But I think anyone with eyes would say that he hasn't looked the same. It's incredibly frustrating. You face the Nationals B team tonight. And yes, there was soft contact to Chris Sanchez, but he's not missing bats. He is missing spots by a lot.

And there's traffic on the base path. That's every single inning. Every single inning. It's like there's a double, there's two walks, and all of a sudden he has to grind his way through an outing. Like, if the season ended right now and they get in the postseason and you put a gun to my head and you say, who do you want to give the baseball to an elimination game right now today?

I would give the ball to Aaron Nola before Chris Sanchez. That's where we're at with this. That is where we're at with Chris Sanchez. It is infuriating. Command the freaking baseball. Command it. And I think he's trying. He seemed really pissed all night long.

And I appreciate wanting to be good. But my goodness, dude, it's been two and a half months of this. He's too good for this. He's too good for how he's currently pitching. As good to see Louisarize of a good night after I have publicly been just crushing him for a couple days for being a little slap hitter.

He mixed in some doubles tonight. That was good. And Alec Bome continues to be a runners in scoring position machine. I think he's hitting 3.30 now, and he did have a two-out, two-out RBI tonight. Are Bowman's thought allowed to be good at the same time?

No. Well, they had a little stretch there, bus, for about a month. That was about it. August. That was about it. Otherwise, it feels like they just like pass the... All right, now you're going to hit.

Well, and they all zats Marsh's Bowers. Marsh is done. Marsh has been... The second he got named to that All-Star team, he's cooked. He is, by the numbers, the worst hitter in baseball in the second half, of all the qualified hitters. These... His WRC Plus don't drive off the road, but his WRC Plus is 24, I believe.

The second worst hitter in baseball is Moniac, which obviously hurts my soul. But as I've always said, the most important stats are batting average and runs better than. On the other side, we will get to the player of the game. A look at it tomorrow and a look around the league is some important games going on around baseball right now. All that's come up next year on the Final Out on Sports Radio 94, WIP. Welcome back. It is the Final Out. Jack Fitzhang out with you here on WIP. Last segment before handing things off to the legend, Jody Mack. As always, the Final Out sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

offering valet park at the Philadelphia airport. The player of the game is brought to you by South Jersey Gas, make the smart play save energy and money with South Jersey Gas at SJG Save Energy.com. And I'm giving it to Andres Chaparro, who did have the game tying home run. I know I already played the Dale Clip. I don't want to play it again. I don't want to give them too much credit, so I'll give it the Chaparro.

He had the home run off Sanchez, tied the game up, had to rip the double off him as well. I mean, that Nationals lineup, as someone who watched a lot of baseball, and listen, the Nats have had a frisky little year. But like I said in the open, they sat James Wood tonight, the sat C.J. Abrams and Sad Dale and Dale, who are three of their best players. And the Phillies going to do squat against the worst bullpen in the history of baseball.

So, and their ace gave up five earned. Not all of this fault because of the bowling home run. But still, he also gave bowling runners on second and third with no outs. Part of that also was soft contact. Part of it also was a 2-2 pitch to Harry Ford that he missed a spot by a foot that Harry Ford didn't miss. His sinker is getting crushed currently. It's 94-95 instead of 97 like it was when he was going his best. So, again, our pet sets are falling off.

So that's frustrating. But Andre Chaparro is our player of the game. Congratulations. Steve is in D.C. What's happening, Steve? Pritch, first off, congratulations on number three. It's awesome. I've got three boys of myself.

You got your natural foursome. So congratulations. That is an exciting. Someone said that to me, and I never thought of it. And then I got super geeked up about it, but appreciate it. As you should, as you should. So I was at the game. So the lack of enthusiasm, I mean, hey, I was also at the game in June when we came back and scored eight in the ninth.

So, you know, I'm going tomorrow too. So, but bottom line is they looked unenthusiastic. They just played without passion. Sanchez was just playing around with guys that are bat. 200, 215, 211, and that was very frustrating.

The one thing, though, I definitely thought J.T. was going to get a hit, and then D. Hill was going to get a hit, and then Shorber was going to tie it up. But a question to you, quite good, I knew I wasn't allowed.

Question to you, though, I agree with Manningley not doing a good job at the bullpen. much input does Cotham have in regard to who comes in, when they come in, who's been pitching well. Does he have any input

on when when Mattingley makes his decisions? Yes, Steve, and I appreciate the phone call. I've been thinking about the same thing. I think Cotham is great. We don't know the answer. You know, I think Don's the one that makes decision on when to get a guy out. I think that Cotham is very integral

in game planning. I I think he alerts Dave of who's up, who's down. I'm sure that he has input on who he thinks is a good option for this pocket of a lineup. So I certainly believe that Cotham deserves some blame here as well. But at the same time, in saying all of that, you know, Rob Thompson, I thought, was really good at managing the bullpen the last couple of years. I mean, you didn't see, it didn't, it is felt like at times this year they've gone into games where they have like three relievers available. And I just don't remember that under Thompson. Maddenly's had a lot of guys and a lot more guys warming up and then that's like close to, like when Thompson warm guys up, he usually brought them in.

And Madeline sometimes will warm guys up and then sit them down, but that is close to almost being an outing. and they have a little bit of fatigue there. So it's the one thing I do want to get clarification on or try to figure out at the end of the season before I put it all on the shoulders Don Mattingly. But at the same time, Coffin's been here for a, like a coffin, I think, when it comes to developing pitchers,

getting the most out of them and things like that, I think he's one of the best in the sport. This could be a flaw of his, but also might not. be all him. And again, Totham was here with Rob Thompson. And I know they didn't always go well in the postseason. They certainly had their fair share of blunders. But they got a lot out of that bullpen under Rob Thompson. It's not like things have changed all that much. You know, Hoffman was a part of those bullpens. Strom was a part of those bullpens when he was really good. So I wouldn't say that

they had considerably more talent than than this current Philly's bullpen. So it's definitely something that I have thought about, and I don't have a definitive answer for you, but I do think he is involved in some aspect. So as it stands right now, the Braves have done the Phillies of favor tonight. They have come back, and they currently have two outs in the bottom of the ninth. They are leading by 3th, Racio Iglesis is on the board or on the mount, so hopefully he can close that game out, and the Phil's and Cubs can stay in. where they are in the standings.

And other good news, in the bottom of the six, the Rockies did take the lead, as it is now a 4-3 ball game over the Padres. I am sure the Rockies will blow that game, and the Padres will win. But hey, the Phil's lost to a Nats team those tanking tonight. So crazier things, I guess, can happen. And then Arizona early, a 1-0 lead over the Marlins

who blew a game last night. Corbyn Carroll hits a walk-off. Pete Fairbanks at one point had to leave the game. They're closer. I forget who they brought in, but he blew it. So that really sucked. But Arizona leading right now early. Rockies for three over the Padres and the Braves up 6'3 with two outs. And I want to count to PCA who will win NLMVP, which, would be a good break for the Phillies. Hopefully those scores hold. Well, hopefully the Marlins can come back and win a ballgame.

But hopefully other scores hold. And tonight is not too much of a disaster as they look to continue to whittle down the magic number. Well, that's going to do it for me. Anyone on hold hang out for Jody Mack as he'll take you through the rest of the night. Buzz produced the program. And I'll be back tomorrow night, hopefully in a more joyous affair as it is Zach Wheeler. versus a nationals bullpen game. If they lose tomorrow,

cancel the rest of the season. So we will see how that goes. But thanks to everyone who hung out, and I'll talk to you tomorrow here on the Final Out on Sports Radio 94.