High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Four Standing Ovations In A 7-5 Loss

Episode Date: August 5, 2023

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies losing to the lowly Royals and the fans giving Trea Turner multiple standing ovations. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball Isn't Boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is.

Another fact, so jump aboard the BIB Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. The Final Out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Friday night, a night that, frankly, should have been a magical evening down at Bank Park.

It should have been one of those nights that we look back on, and it's like, wow, what a cool moment. Trey gets a standing ovation. He gets multiple standing ovations. It's a good moment for the fans. They go up early. They go up 2-0. Then they go up 4-2.

And then they just kind of lay down. And starting with the starter, they lay down. But overall, the royals have won seven straight they are are playing okay baseball but the simple fact of the matter is is that they lost to a team whose win total is in the 30s right now is in the 30s right now and it's nights like this and it's my biggest takeaway of the game, which is brought to you by Morgan & Morgan. And my biggest takeaway of the game is like,

here's exactly where I'm at with this Phillies team. I am a Phillies diehard. I am a positive Phillies fan. And I stand by this team and see the right in what they do most of the time. But I also can't sit here and lie to the audience and not tell you how I feel. And how I feel about this team is that I think they are a good team. And I still think they have a chance to be a really good team that can get hot in the postseason. But I can't sit here on August 4th, even with the amount of home games that they have, But I can't sit here on August 4th, even with the amount of home games that they have,

even with the lack of a hard schedule that they have, even with seven of the last ten games against the Mets, and sell you on this big run that I think is coming because I think that they are consistently going to be a team that wins a couple and loses a couple. They'll win series against good teams. And then for some reason this year, they're losing inexcusable games against bad teams. And they're losing series against bad teams. The Pirates series is a perfect example of that.

And now they lose whatever wiggle room they had because they lost game one of this series against a team that, again, who's won totals in the 30s this year. And I just can't get behind they can make and do what they did last year for a couple reasons. One, I don't trust the offense. You know, I think the offense is obviously on paper very talented, but it's too much inconsistency every single night. Jordan Lyles stinks. The Royals are 2-18

heading into this game tonight, and it starts by Jordan Lyles. He's horrible. His ERA is in the 6-pluses right now. Like, that's a game tonight where you come off winning 3-4 in Miami, you're coming back home, and you go lay a freaking 15 spot on them

or something like that. That's a blowout night. And you get the home run early from Castellanos. You get a standing ovation. And you just can't pile on. And they let teams back in games. I mean, they have not, I think since July 1st, they have won three games by more than three runs. Every freaking game is close. So if you want to know why I can't be like,

here comes this run. They're going to go to the World Series. This is just like last year. I don't trust this offense. And the main reason, I started with the offense, but the main reason is their supposed number two starter is just not that guy this year. He's just not. And that's not breaking any news, but I can't buy a team who has an ace in Zach Wheeler, and then after that, I have no idea what I'm getting. I have no idea if I'm getting a seven-inning brilliant game by Aaron Nola or I'm getting that crap tonight. That Royals offense is putrid.

Bobby Wood Jr. is a superstar. Outside of that, it's an old Salve Perez, guys that chase out the zone. That's a night that you go out, you give seven shutty, and you leave it very, feeling very good about yourself. But he doesn't have it this year. It's over. We don't need to keep doing this. Well, if Nola can figure it out. He's not. And I like Aaron Nola as a guy, and he's been a valuable pitcher here. But for me personally, I understand if they want to raise him. I just don't like watching him pitch anymore.

I don't. It's too many nights like that where they have a lead of 2-0 and they have a lead of 4-2, and you never feel confident that he's going to get in there, buckle down, and do his job. Because there's no buckling down with Aaron Nola. It is only just attempting to stop the bleeding. And more often than not this year, not stopping the bleeding. And home runs. And hung pitches.

And he's the reason that you can't totally buy this team going on one of those deep postseason October runs. He's it. Because if he was pitching like he was last year, Aaron Nola was great last year. Aaron Nola was third or fourth in the Cy Young voting last year. great last year. Aaron Nola was third or fourth in the Cy Young voting last year. You could sell yourself on they have one of the best one-two punches in baseball as a reason why you can believe in this Phillies team. But right now, it's Zach Wheeler,

who's just getting back to being the eighth Zach Wheeler. It's Tywon Walker who's winning a ton of games, but he's doing a good job. He's keeping the team in games and they're coming through and they're winning games from late, but it's not like he's going out there and dominating. He's doing his job, but he's not like a number two now. Ranger Suarez has not

been a two since June. And Michael Lorenzen, maybe. I mean, Chris Sanchez, yeah. It might be unfair to keep him out of that mix at this point. But again, I'm not banking on Chris Sanchez. I think he's been great, but I can't just sit here and put all my confidence in him. So it comes back to the offense, and it comes back to Nola. You need two pillars in a rotation to make a run,

and I don't know who that number two is behind him. And it's been all season long with this guy, in a rotation to make a run. And I don't know who that number two is behind him. And it's been all season long with this guy where it's good start, step back, step back, good start, step back. It's up and down. I mean, in a way, Aaron Nola and the offense are very similar. It's like one day they're fine.

The next day it's like, no, they're not. Very inconsistent and hard to rely on any of that stuff. And that stinks. That stinks. But that's where I'm at with this team. I love them. I would love for them to turn it around and go on a run. They have turned it around. They have the second

best record in baseball. They're playing good baseball. I believe they are a good team. And I think they're going to make the playoffs. I think they're going to make the playoffs and they might even get that first wildcard series at home. But I can't get to the point where I envision a run because their number two is just not it this year. 2-1-5-5-9-2, 94-94 is how you get in. That is my biggest takeaway of the game, which is brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury firm. Other takeaways from the game before going to the phones here. I think not getting a bullpen piece at the trade deadline is going to be the main thing that hurts them from a bullpen standpoint on the stretch run here.

I think Halverado's on his way back, and that's a really good sign. I worry about Strom holding up. Kimbrell is showing a little bit of signs of leaking oil, but I think he's going to be okay. It's really the Marte, Hoffman, Covey kind of role there that worries me. And if they could have just gotten one more guy to pencil in between Strom and, like, Gregory Soto at the trade deadline, I think I'd feel a lot more confident in them. The bullpen's been a big positive this year, and they've been very, very good. And I just – the more and more you put Marte

into high leverage situations, I get worried about him. And same thing with Hoffman. Like Hoffman has been a revelation this year. He's gotten out of big moments and big spots. But to bank on that, I think is a mistake. And same thing with Marte. He's been pretty good. I think the ERA is a little bit not indicative

of how well he's pitched. And I just think the more and more you rely on those guys, it feels like a mistake. It bit him tonight. I would like more reliable guys in those roles. And the one thing I keep going back to, and I mentioned it in the pregame show, but Griff McGarry.

And they brought him up to AAA earlier tonight. They're going to keep starting him. I think there's a very good chance he's coming out of the bullpen here in a little bit, like a week and a half. And he gives them length. He gives them a guy that can come in and get a strikeout. Like, you can't convince me that Marte's a better pitcher than him. And I think if they're going to go six-man rotation

and they're down a guy in the bullpen because of that, they need someone that can give them some length. And I think that could be Griff McGarry. So that's my second biggest takeaway from the night. And my biggest, my third biggest takeaway from the night, and it was a night of negatives and it was a night of frustration. It was a night of blown leads and the freaking Royals come in here and win a ball game. When you just, you just, they can't just get on a run of blown leads and the freaking Royals come in here and win a ball game. They can't just get on a run and play consistent and just get everyone back in the good graces, right? But the one massive positive was what happened with Trey Turner.

And that's why tonight my player of the game is is the the fans of citizens bank park because i thought what they did um for trey turner's first at bat even second bat they stuck with it through the end of the night whatever that's not going to cause that's not bothering me but really that first at bat was special and our player of the game is brought to you by south jersey gas committed to providing safe reliable affordable natural gas. Make this way to southjerseygas.com slash lovemyhome. If you're driving home from the ballpark and you want to know how special it was and what it was like in the ballpark, here is how it sounded here on WIP.

Here comes Trey Turner. Just about everybody here is standing. And Trey Turner nodding. Almost looks like he's nodding his head to the music, but I think acknowledging the reaction as he stands in. And the first pitch is a breaking ball that stays high. And it was just a really, really cool moment. And I know that there was this whole, like, for as much as people people supported it and it felt like 75 of people support it of course there has to be people who just hate something that's fun um and unfortunately

that guy's coming up next year on wip uh in tom kelly but it's not even him like there were so many miserable people that that were so annoyed by by wanting to throw your support behind a guy that was clearly in his own own head that was clearly putting a ton of pressure on himself that looked like he was on the verge of tears after losing a game Wednesday in Miami and and I felt like there was just such a lack of humaneness when looking at that situation. And, yeah, I think Trey Turner, sure, did he feel some pressure tonight? But listen to what he said after the game.

And if you missed it, go back and listen to it on the postgame show. He thought it was a special moment. He said that was really bleeping cool. And he said that, you know, his agent and his wife are showing him the stuff. And he thought the donations to the V Foundation was special. And his mom cried during the first at-bat. And, you know, I thought the coolest thing during the whole ordeal was Nick Cassianos being the first guy on the top of the step, waving the white towel, and getting really into it.

And if you think it's dorky, if you think it's making this fan base seem soft, whatever. Those guys in the dugout, they appreciate it. There's Phillies minor leaguers that are tweeting throughout the game like, wow, what a special fan base. Do you want to be part of this special fan base, or do you want to be some loser sitting on Twitter and sitting on whatever social media app being like,

duh, this is stupid. We've been paid $300 million. Why doesn't he live up to the contract? He's trying. He's trying to live up to the contract. And all tonight was was saying, we got your back. You don't have to worry about entering into your home ballpark

and being booed and not feeling like the fans are on your side. Just go out and play. He got a big hit late. He hit the ball hard. The second at bat where he popped to the center field, he was clearly trying to hit it 415 feet. And frankly, I think if you're on the side of this is stupid,

this is embarrassing for the city, you're on the wrong side of history. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94 is how you get in. If you're leaving the ballpark, we'd love to hear from you. If you were down there and you're part of the ovations, what was going through your mind, you think it was a cool moment, and obviously your overall thoughts on the loss. Aaron Nola, again, coming up small. Is he the main reason that is holding you back from being all in on this team?

I think it's an overreaction to say they're a bad team. I don't think they're a bad team at all. I think they're a good team that if, A, their ace or their second best pitcher starts pitching better, and if the stars in the lineup can just get a little bit more consistent, could be a really good team. But those are the guys that are holding this team back right now. And Aaron Nola again tonight, you just can't trust him. It's where we're at with Aaron Nola.

You can't trust him. It's Jack Fritz here on the final lap. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94 is how you get in. On the other side, we'll get to all your phone calls, but also something that I'm finally ready to give in on when it comes to this baseball team. What is it? We'll get to that coming up next.

Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers.

As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. It is the final out here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Jack Fritz hanging out with you. I swear, like, Tucker, that that return made me feel even worse. Like, I think, like, tonight was already a brutal loss.

I think that return just brought the mood down to another level, even though it was mostly a positive night. Welcome on back. It is the final out, which is sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable. Never look so good. 215-592-9494 is how you get in. I'll get to some thoughts on something that I'm finally ready to make an adjustment on

coming up here in a little bit. But first, let's talk to Matt in Wilmington who's leaving the game. What's happening, Matt? Hey, you got me? Yeah, what's going on, man? I'm on my way home from the ball game, and I had to call in after you were talking about the fan reaction to Turner because we had two guys in our section.

I'm a partial season ticket holder. We had two guys in our section that were chirping Turner every at bat. And I showed a tape of my brother, and we were looking at each other like, how long are we going to put up with this? And it's third at bat, so one guy turned around and started getting rid of the middle finger in our section. Oh, very nice. Always love when that happens.

Yeah, so, of course, we're having a lot with these guys, and then Turner gets an RBI, and they're trying to make nice. It's just crazy. I don't know. Like, just crazy. I don't know. Like, Matt, I just don't know why it made people so mad. It was just a harmless thing that, you know, we talk about what can fans do. It was just trying something. And it got turned into this whole, like, I don't know,

like you're mocking the guy. It was literally just to try to help the guy. It was one of the most, being anti that, like the 25% of the city that was anti it, one of the more odd things I've seen in my life. Generational thing. These were older guys. They probably had to be late 50s.

Oh, makes sense, yeah. And I think that might have fed into it, but it just seems crazy. Like he's the guy at break, you know, so we're, we're having an out with the guy when he starts hitting off the crowd, cause we give it back to him.

And he's saying, I work hard for my money. This guy's working hard for his money too. He's got no half days off, but he just moved. You got a guy like Kat Giannis that had a rough season last year and now he's producing. Give him a little bit of transition

time. Trey Turner's a proven player. He was a player that I didn't like when he played for the Nationals and when he played for the Dodgers because he's a good player on other teams in the NL. It just was crazy because everybody else, it was like playoff energy. You know, I was at the NLDS and Bedlam at the bank last year,

and any game this year wasn't as loud as the Turner at-bats. Nothing's going on. And it's these two guys. There's always, like, some naysayers. It's a shame. Yeah, well, you know,ayers. It's a shame. Yeah, well, you know, it can't please everyone, Matt. And, you know, it didn't please everyone.

But I think that if you just boil it down, like, sure, I understand that Trey Turner makes $300 million, and most of us will never, ever, like, you know, we'll never be able to ever have that and that's we i understand that but it's also okay to remove yourself from that take the salary out of it and see a struggling guy who is putting in the work who for the first time in his career is really struggling and just humanize it it's okay to be a human i don't know why that's like a an outland it. It's okay to be a human. I don't know why that's like an outlandish take. It's okay to be a human and say, hey, you know, we got you. It's been struggling. You know, you've been getting a lot of crap, but you're still our guy. And I thought it was a,

I thought it was a really cool moment that I couldn't understand people trying to dump all over. And that was disappointing, but I'm trying not to let it ruin what I thought was a really cool moment. But I do want to talk about the top of the lineup. Because moving Bone to the two spot has worked. He looks good there. It just makes more sense with him there. I have fought moving Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot. I know they're winning games there, and I know they'll keep putting him there because they are winning games

there, but I just think that there's a chance for an even better version of this team if you put Bryson Stott there. They tried this earlier in the season, and I get that. It didn't hurt Bryson Stott. He was perfectly fine, but I think the way that the roster is laying out right now with the way that the stars on this team are the ones that are not really doing their part. I want as many of the young guys towards the top of the lineup as I can get to maybe try to spark the old guys. I don't know.

But even though they're winning games with Kyle Shorbert, and I think he has value in the home runs there and the walks, whatever, I would like for Rob Thompson starting tomorrow to go Stott, Boehm, Harper, Castellanos, Schwarber, JT, Marsh, Turner, Rojas, Lashcave. Get Stott to the leadoff spot. Let him do his thing. Let him work pitch thing. Let him work pitchers early in games.

And just see what happens. Just see what happens. That was my argument with the Boehm thing. It's like, I know he's young. He's 27. He's not young. But put him there. He looks like he can do it. I know it's more traditional than not.

But he looks like he can do it. Let me see like he can do it. I know it's more traditional than not, but he looks like he can do it. Let me see if he can do it. And you put the connection of Stadbom where they were, you know, 6-7 for a majority of this year and put them 1-2 and see what they can do for the top of the lineup and maybe spark things there and get runners on base for Harper and Cassianos and some runners on base for Schwarber. I think it's a win-win all around.

Schwarber has been walking a lot, but the lack of average and hits, it's just starting to creep up right now. His OBP in his last 12 games is over 400, but he's also batting at low one, like at low, like 100 in those games. So he's struggling. And when, when, when Turner was struggling, he got bumped down. And I think it's time for the same, same thing here. I fought it for a while. I'm willing to admit, you know, I, it's time to make an adjustment. They're not going to die on hills. Um, I think

Schwarber is a good player that player that sometimes gets a little bit too much crap, but he's having a bad year. It seems like all these USA guys from the world baseball class are having bad years. Tomorrow, we'd like to see Stott, Boehm, Harper, Cassiano, Schwerber, JT, Marsh, Turner, Rojas

slash Cave. You know what, Rojas, another double tonight. Seems to be making winning plays every time he's out there. Frankly, I'm surprised the hitting has continued, but whatever. He's been really good. But it's time for Rob Thompson to make the switch. And especially

if you can get the top of the lineup going against these weaker opponents. And then just ride it out and see what happens. Ben is in Wilmington. What's happening, Ben? Hey, how's it going? What do you got?

First, I'd like to say happy birthday to my cousin Jeb tonight. The Phillies ruined it, but still, happy birthday, buddy. Yeah, sorry, Jeb. The Phillies ruined it, but I hope you had a good night. Yeah, and I'd like to say Matt can toughen up. Middle fingers, he's just part of Philadelphia, but I do like how the whole city got behind Trey tonight.

I was one of the people standing up, clapping every time. I think it helped positive vibes. It was really rocking and rolling. If you don't like that, too bad. Yeah, I mean, I thought it was harmless and it got turned into

something that I don't think it was meant to be and people thought it was disingenuous and mocking. For me, it was harmless, and it got turned into something that I don't think it was meant to be, and people thought it was disingenuous and mocking. For me, it wasn't. I thought it was great. I thought it was great. I want to see him do well, and if I'm going to complain about him sucking on a $300 million contract, I'm going to call WIP and complain. Listen, we'll complain.

And listen, if he goes back and keeps struggling, then whatever. It didn't work. But at this point, we've tried booing him. He's moved down the lineups. Whatever. He's been kind of drug through the ringer here. Showing a little support, I think, doesn't hurt at all. And I'll just finish it up.

I'm going to say check on your loved ones because Nick Castellanos hit a home run tonight. Well, that's because the Pac-12 died. But I appreciate the call, Ben. Yeah, another, yeah, whatever. I will say, it's nice to see that he's not, like, he went through that, I mean, the stretch post-All-Star break was brutal. I think before the walk-off, or not the walk-off,

the go-ahead home run the other night in Miami, he was, like, 11 for his last 94. So he's hit a couple home runs. He's got a couple singles. Hopefully, I don't need 315 to cast the odds for the rest of the year, but I can't deal with low 260s. And hopefully, he can continue to get going here. 2-1-5-5-9-2.

94-94 is how you get in. On the other side, we'll get to the play of the game and look ahead to tomorrow. 94-94 is how you get in. On the other side, we'll get to the play of the game and look ahead to tomorrow. Before handing things off to Tom Kelly here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Garcia with 15 steals. He's on at first.

The pitch swung on, blasted. High and deep left field, and that is going to tie the game. And Bobby Witt, Jr., with his 20th home run of the season, the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to hit 20 homers and steal 30 bases in his first two big league seasons. Mercy. It's a 2-2 ballgame. Welcome all back.

It is the final out. Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. That's my Mike's Amazing Play of the Game. Presenting my Mike's Amazing, Welcome on back. It is the final out. Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. That's my Mike's Amazing Play of the Game. Presenting my Mike's Amazing, the official mayo, mustard, and vegetable oil of the Phillies. Pretty good. Pretty good, that Bobby Witt Jr.

And, you know, it's... So he was drafted number two. Abby Rochman drafted number one. You don't go wrong with either. First player in Major League history to have 20 homers and 30 steals in our first two seasons. I mean, special stuff. Problem is he's in Kansas City, so we don't get to see him very often. But just a heck of a player.

I mean, there's some plays tonight where I thought the Phils might have a chance to beat him out and get on first base with an infield single. And just a hose. Just a hose across the field. But either way, you know, the Phillies just drafted a kid in the first round, Aiden Miller, and how those two finish kind of remind me of each other. So, yeah, maybe we have our own Bobby Wood Jr. coming to the system and Aiden Miller.

Don't think so, kid special. And, you know, it's very rare you get to see him come into town and just kind of been going off. Again, seven-game win streak. He's been on a run and kind of asserting himself as one of the best young players in baseball. So, got to limit

the damage to Bobby Witt Jr. for the rest of the series. Matt is in Cherry Hill. What's happening, Matt? Hey, Jack. First off, I just want to say how much I love listening to you. It's great to see someone as passionate about the Phillies as I am. You tell it like it is

every night time you do the final out, and I just want to say thanks for that. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. To be honest with you, I love doing the final out. Being able to react to Phil's games has been a lot of fun. And tonight I had a chance to be a special one, but they let us down. Yeah, it seems like a fun job.

For a couple points I wanted to talk about, first off, I'm just done with Aaron Nola. He used to be great. He was great last year. But this year, he just can't seem to do anything right. He's arguably our worst starting pitcher. He was the second best last year, and now he's gone from number two to number six. It's ridiculous. Yeah, well, and it's just too much of the pretty good, pretty good,

and then avalanche inning, and then rebounds. But by that point, either blows a lead, or he gives up a lead, or they're down by a couple runs. It's never just work your way through the inning, get out of it, battle, and keep your team. It's too many blown leads. I keep waiting for the Aaron Nola month stretch where he, you know, he gets in a run, has five starts

with two run runs or fewer. Like, he has that in him. It's what he did most of last year. It's just this entire season it feels like once he has a step forward and then, bang, it's two steps back. And it's legitimately holding me back from believing that they can go on a deep run here. Absolutely.

It's just he seems to lose all confidence in himself as soon as he gets a few runners on base. I don't know if that's a problem or not, but as soon as the first guy gets on base, it feels like he starts panicking. I don't know if it has something to do with the new pitch clock or what, but he just falls apart. We saw it on the first game of the season.

We've seen it so many other times. It's puzzling. Yeah, it's puzzling, and we kind of just have to hope that he can figure out something this season to where he's not costing them games because it's been too much of that. I mean, the Pirates game last Saturday was atrocious. I know there's some bad defense in there, but still, it's like a lot of contact, a lot of base hits to teams that just aren't

very good. I mean, his final line tonight, I believe, was six earned or five earned. His final line tonight, I believe, was six earned or five earned. Listen, I know that Junior Marte has to also come in there and do a job. But at the same time, it's the freaking Royals, man. Five earned tonight. So he five earned tonight. Last Saturday, he had five earned against the Pirates. Like, the Pirates and the Royals, like, if you do that against the Braves and the Dodgers,

you kind of live with it. That's the freaking Royals and Pirates, man. And I'm supposed to trust this guy in a playoff series? I mean, eventually we're going to start to have to have the conversation if they make the playoffs, do you give the ball to Aaron Nola? I don't want to have that conversation. But that's going to start to have to have the conversation if they make the playoffs. Do you give the ball to Aaron Nola? I don't want to have that conversation. But that's going to be a talking point. Because I don't know how you can trust him at this point.

And just nonsense. It's nonsense. Ever start with this. Tom is on WIP. What's happening, Tom? Jack, you're the guy, man. You're the guy that when I, again, when I, you become the guy for baseball. I appreciate that. You tell it the way it is, and I know you love the Phillies.

Well, that's for sure. That's for sure. I love this baseball team. It is for sure. So, A, they were on a, what, seventh game winning streak. They're not total slobs. No. All right.

Well, yeah. I mean, bad teams get hot every year, but you still should be able to beat up on them. We should. Well, I'm not going to say beat up, but just beat. Mm-hmm. If that makes sense. Beat them. Yeah.

Yeah. So, I didn't see the so I was at a place I couldn't I watched but I couldn't hear did they gave them an ovation or did they boo

they gave them four ovations they gave them one for every at bat yeah so I'm not telling I know you're tight with Howard and the guys. I wasn't looking for them to kiss his ass. But I didn't want him to boo, like, as our, when I say our, like Philly thoughts would be. He's not Ben Simmons.

I saw on Twitter all week, like, he's one of the – he's him. He's not. I mean, Trey Turner is one of the 15 best players in baseball in the last five years. Like, Ben Simmons was never that. Right, right. And you know what? And he's grinding.

He's trying, man. So, like, sometimes you can't get it done. And he's going to get it done. Is that similar to your thought? That's totally my thought, Tom. And I appreciate the call. And I'm just telling you, like, baseball is not like your job. There's so much comments of like, oh, am I going to come to your job and boo you and cheer you if you're doing a bad job? Like, can we just stop?

I mean, the guy, first off, baseball is a very mental sport. If anyone's played the game, I think golf and baseball are the two most mental sports out there when it comes to, like, when things are going wrong, you start tinkering and you start having self-doubt. And that's what makes it a really hard game. And it's why a player as good as Trey Turner all of a sudden is batting.234. Like, that's how mental the game of baseball is.

And he's in his own head. And that's why I thought tonight the reaction from the fans is special. And credit to them for getting on board and getting behind the guy because I thought it was a really cool moment. And, listen, people can mock it all they want, but you can't tell me the guys in that locker room didn't appreciate it. And who knows how, you know, the repercussions of that. So, overall, annoying loss.

They should still take two or three. But they lost a little bit of wiggle room there when it comes to winning this series. And that's frustrating. So tomorrow, Christopher Sanchez, the new ace, the new number two, is on the mound. And it's funny. I mentioned this the last time, I think. But it feels like Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez have just switched bodies. Because when I watch

Christopher Sanchez, that's how I used to feel about Ranger Suarez. And then when I watch Ranger Suarez, that's how I used to feel about Christopher Sanchez. So hopefully we get more good Christopher Sanchez tomorrow. Hopefully his stomach's okay after his five innings of no-hit baseball his last time out. He's going against Alec Marsh, who Hopefully his stomach's okay after his five innings of no-hit baseball.

His last time out, he's going against Alec Marsh, who, it's interesting, he was a starter earlier in the year. His last two outings have been more bullpenny. He went an inning and then two and two-thirds the outing before that. So maybe it's a little bullpen game for the Royals. And if the Phillies lose a bullpen game to the Royals, meltdown city. Either way, enjoy the game tomorrow. Hopefully they come out on top and then head into Sunday and can take two or three.

And even though tonight was bad, if you still take two or three, you know, we live with it. It's annoying, but we live with it. We know with this baseball team, it's never going to be easy. That's not the way it's ever been for being Phillies fans. Either way, that's going to do it for me. Tucker Bagley produced Final Out tonight. Tom Kelly's taking you through the rest of the night

reacting to the big night for Trey Turner and more here on Sports Radio 94 WYB.