High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Home Runs Doom Phils In Opener vs Mets

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' 5-4 loss to the Mets on Monday night and discusses Aaron Nola's performance after giving up two (almost three) home runs early in the game. Presented by Miller Lite. To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy, go to RingTheBellBook.com 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

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Why even give us hope in the knife? Why even give us a glimmer? Just to have the door shut in our face. Welcome on in it is the final out Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Monday night as we react. Two of Phil's loss and one that I mean for the most part really wasn't that close and even though the score was relatively close at the end. The wrap-up is sponsored by Roto-Rooter. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto-Rooter.

Their team tackles clogs and leaks so you can stay in the game. Roto-Rooter, your MVP for plumbing solutions. 215-592-9494 is how you get in. If you were at Citi Field tonight, would love to hear from you. This is all good contingent of Phil's fans in the ballpark tonight. Or if you were like me and watch this one at home, would love to hear from you as well

as I think the reaction will be hot and heavy as it has been for the beginning of the season. And rightfully so because they're frustrating and let's get into the biggest takeaways the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury law firm and listen I I know that the ninth inning happened I know that they quote unquote fought back and you know you can also chalk it up that Edwin Diaz thought that game was over and you know maybe shut down mentally and then had to get woken up and was fine I'm happy that started the home run. Obviously I'm not taking back the start home run He has the three home runs and ten appearances off of Edwin Diaz. It's it's pretty hilarious and You know Max Kepler, it's involved fine fine

Knock yourself out and get in the closer to the game. It's always so important But I'm not I can't let the ninth take away from what I watched the rest of the game which was a team that didn't really look like they belongs in the same field as the Mets and It feels like the Mets are Taking this step forward as a team while, and I don't think it's quite as drastic

as two ships passing in the night, but that looks like a team on the rise, whereas the Phillies look like a team that's stuck in neutral. And the Mets look like they're always gonna come through and get the big hit. And they just are more aggressive. And they pounce on you.

And I watched the Phillies in these games at Citi Field, and I felt like I was transported right back into the postseason. It was eerily similar. The ball that Lindor hit off Jose Iruiz, it looked just like the Estevez one, where watching the games at Citi Field last year and being in the building I was just waiting for the damn to break I was just waiting for the damn to break and that's a really uncomfortable place to be at as a fan is just holding on to the edge of your seat waiting for the thing to go wrong to go wrong and like I thought they got I thought they got bullied tonight and I think they've been bullied by this Mets team even going back to

The end of the regular season last year I mean they played a couple of those regular season games and yeah, they're the Cal Stevenson game sure but I always felt like I always felt like the Mets were just a tad bit better and Just in watching these two teams. It looks like the Mets have advanced a tad bit better and it just in in watching these two teams It looks like the Mets have advanced and the Phils are are just stagnant and they do look a significant step Behind this Mets team and that's a Mets team that added Juan Soto on top of a Starting staff and a pitching staff as a whole That's best record in baseball. They're able to have our best numbers in baseball and they're able to find guys out of the bullpen

that are coming in and doing jobs. Like Tyler McGill tonight set a career high in strike outs. You know, you see the Phillies offense, a lot was made. Listen, I lean positive with the Phillies. We'll love them to death. But there was a little too much victory lapping this weekend by beating up on a bad Marlins pitching staff where you didn't have to face Max Meyer, who struck out 14 tonight with the Reds. You know, they didn't face a couple of their guys. They faced Alcantara, totally fair.

They smoked Alcantara, but he hasn't been out Contra and They beat up on a couple kids that were making their their MLB debuts I there was a little too much victory lapping with the offense over the weekend You know that they hadn't passed my smell test at the beginning of this year and tonight was reverting back into what? Last October was and that's what makes it equally as as frustrating the chase is back the strikeouts were back and You know just some situations there's not They're not to snuff. I mean it's as simple as that and you know, I think you give credit for to Nola for for dancing around tonight and

You know they they extended them one inning too far and it didn't go well. There's the biggest lock of the century They're gonna allow a minimum of two runs that inning they allowed three, you know He got lucky early with the the Soto ball that didn't go out. Okay, but still he battled after that But they just always look like they're they're playing catch-up against his Mets team and it sucks it just sucks that that's kind of the feeling that that you have watching them it's a little bit like the Braves thing you know the Braves maybe they're riding the ship now they're starting to figure it out riding the ship, but

Like I don't know it's pretty disheartening Watching this team go up against the Mets because the Mets look like they're poised for it and the Phillies always look like they're on The the defensive it's just such a lack of aggression It seems like with this team and then the second thing before we go the phones here and it's nothing Breaking news, but it's just frustrating to be sitting here again, is that, you know, Dave Dabrowski really set this team up to fail this bullpen, just totally and completely set this team up to fail. And all off season, they felt an arm short,

and that was even with Jordan Romano saying, okay, well, maybe he's a good bounce back candidate. Well, he hasn't been, you know, and Saturday was a really good indication of that. But like this bullpen, they go to Jose Ruiz tonight because everyone else is down because they've had to use him a ton. And Jose Ruiz has not progressed forward.

He's not a high leverage arm. He's a guy that you use when you're up by five, down by five Whatever and then I guess once in a blue moon if you have to use them in a in a high lever spot Okay, you can go to hose air ways, but The fact that this was the plan and it's not like there's a bunch of arms stacked in the minor leagues a cavalry of arms Right to come up It's it's malpractice. I mean it's malpractice

I understand that you're you Are wearing a situation this offseason with the luxury tax threshold and the repeater tax and Anyone that you signed over the the 300 plus million dollar Payroll it was charged at 110% and Let's for example an 8 million dollar contract was really a 16 million dollar contract it doesn't mean that you head into a season with quote unquote world series

aspirations with a bullpund that's an arm short even RQ2 arm short he rolled out Joe Ross as someone they need to get right on MLB Network radio over the weekend. Joe Ross, he's a swing reliever.

He keeps mentioning Tanner. Anytime he mentions Tanner Banks, I lose more faith. I do not care that Tanner Banks is an ERA under three right now. It's all fake. It's all nonsense. It's all mop-up duty He's not a he's not a majorly quality arm. Ho's here. We's not a majorly quality arm. They have three guys They have Kirk Ringstrom and Alvarado and if any of those guys aren't right it blows up in their face Romano has been been brutal so far. I think there's still a chance for him to

turn it around. Fine. The game on Saturday was terrible. Low leverage spot was up to 98. We'll see. We'll see. Even if he's fine, they're still an arm short. And I just would love to have been inside the walls of Citizens Bank Park this offseason when they're hatching out the plan for the bullpen. Would would die would die to figure out what it was let's go to Steve what's happening Steve what's up buddy I think not we should go become a reliever long reliever brilliant when we're up we're up four or five runs You throw him in there or down five like you just said about the weeds. Yeah, this is dumb All right moving on two one five five nine two

9494 you're not putting Aaron Nolan the bullpen on the other side We'll get to the player the game the pitch count and two other things I noticed from the night is Jack for it's hanging out Here in the final out I'm Jordan Robinson host of the new podcast, the Women's Hoop Show. Each episode, I'll be joined by a rotating group of women's basketball experts to talk WNBA, college hoops, the new unrivaled league,

and the shifting landscape of the sport. The game is growing and so are we. Listen to and follow the Women's Hoop Show and Odyssey podcast, available now for free on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. It really did. It really did. It looked just like the home run in the playoff game. And you can just feel it coming. Like it just, you watch the Fills and Mets right now go head to head and you see one team that is poised to make the play and one team that just doesn't look up for the moment. Like they just, I don't know. It's, they just don't look like they belong in the same playing field.

And it's two different styles of play, it's aggressiveness, it's...they're really good. The Mets are really, really good. And when they got David Stearns, it was infuriating. Now watch, after all this, they're going to come out and win the next two or three. And I hope so. Like again, uh, nothing would make me happier in the world than this team figuring it out, going on a run offense starts clicking and they, and they look like the team that you know, you hope they're capable of. I just,

I just don't feel it. I just don't feel it with this team. And that's, it's a tough spot to be in. And I'm certainly in a you got to prove it to me you know, I i've given them the benefit of the doubt in 23 and 24 and and You know with how they went down in such a feeble manner last year the postseason for a majority of the second half, I just I don't need to give them Give them the the long leash.

It has to be better. When you bring these guys back and it looks similar for the most part this season, I know their record is what it is, but I think if you watch the games, it doesn't equate to that. The Marlin series was a nice reprieve, I guess, from where they actually scored some runs and put together good at bats, but at the same time, it's the Marlins.

And they didn't face their best. And even in that, they blew the game yesterday. So it wasn't even a sweep. Now they, for the most part, dominated. But again, how excited am I supposed to get about beating the Marlins? Like the Phillies are good enough to beat up on teams that they're better than.

They're good enough to do that. They're good enough to beat up on bad teams. The problem for them is that, you know, the National League's really good this year. It's really good. There's only going to be a couple of teams that are really, really bad. The Nationals and the Marlins will be there eventually, I'm sure. The Pirates, I guess, will eventually be there. Rockies. you know, like there's only a couple teams that are truly cratering.

Other than that, there's gonna be some dogfights. And even like the Nationals, I mean, they battle with a dot, you know, nothing makes, I think you get the point. I just, man, I wanted this series and I wanted them to come out tonight and look, look pissed. I mean I wanted them to look annoyed

at what happened at the end of last year. And I just, when you strike out 10 times, I know McGill's had a good start to the year, but you strike out 10 times and it looks so, so similar. It's just, it's hard to shake the feeling of of it's just not good enough good But not good enough the pitch count is brought to you by the Plumbers Union local 690 Protecting the health of the nation visit plumber 690 org 101 pitches for Nola Rob Thompson said after the game that he had to go to him in this well

Basically had to go on go to him in the seventh now to his credit He wasn't a pretty good rhythm at that point, you know I think that he had a bit of a letdown maybe after the sixth inning and and thought he was coming out of the game and Maybe he lost focus but went out there because again, they're they're some arms short and they've been again They they played 20 some they're gonna end this streak with no off days for like 20 some straight days And these guys have pitched a lot. They haven't been able to mix in a laffer really, you know, even on Saturday They had to make that a one-run game. So, you know on one hand I thought Nola battled back of course home runs

He takes solo home runs the Soto one was almost a death blow, but he bounced back after that I thought he actually pitched a little annoyed which I appreciated so I Don't know, you know, I think we've I think a lot of us have kind of made our peace with the Aaron Nola thing He's good. I think people overrate how I think people go too far both ways saying how bad he is And I think some people say how good he is Both ways saying how bad he is and I think some people say how good he is He's a he's a high-end innings eater that can put together a good stretch but ultimately you trust him in a big spot not really and You know, he's a valuable pitcher but at the same time he

hangs cold bitches a game and they get absolutely smoked and You know, you don't always trust them but you know tonight I think for the most part he did his job and those airways came in and did not do his job. Let's go to Dave what's happening Dave. What's up Jack. Just feel defeated. The felt like game five of the NLDS is what it felt like tonight. Just going into just a continuation of that game. It really did, man. It really did. It just feels like, like you said,

whatever they do is gonna work and whatever we do is not. Is there any like, like with the bullpen and I know That their guys are in triple-a for a reason but Just like they can't be worse than that tonight. I know I know and especially with like cozy Ruiz You know, I mean he has no idea where the balls going It's like Chuck and like I feel like his mechanics changed or something

a little bit too. Like the way he's like finishing his pitches, it's just like, it's like, all right, I'm gonna throw this as hard as I can and I don't care where it goes. And you know, that's what happened. It went right over the middle and you know, he's not missing, he's not missing pitches right now.

And- No, and to bet on him was annoying too. He's always been just a guy. He's always been just a guy. He had a good year last year. That's great. But I think they really banked on him having a breakout year.

It's just a bad bet. It's just a bad bet. Yeah, I mean if you look at his, his 2020 three ERA was 5.61. Yeah. He's just not a, like you said, he's a guy. And I feel like, what's the deal with this guy, the Japanese guy, he's got a low ERA. I feel like he's, I mean, I watch him in spring training,

he's stunk, but like. I know. It's like, it's something different. No, yeah, so listen, he's, I just don't, I don't think he has big league stuff, you know, just him watching his spring training. The first guy I would call up is Max Lazar. I mean, he's up to 96 with the Iron Pigs.

He does have deception with his cutter. There's a guy named Brett De Geisse who hasn't allowed a run yet. He's at two saves for the Iron Pig, struck out seven in six innings. Maybe, maybe, but at the same time I watched him the other day fastball locations Not exactly what you want for a big leaguer the deal Chris Matt someone they've had that's that started some games

You know, I know I know I Yogi has had he's got a 1.2. ERA So listen, they want to feel like I feel like I'm the guy for major leagues when they when they get the guy that plays left field, not those giants, you know, the, the, uh, yeah. You know, when you just like, it just feels like they're grasping at straws because this is going to be a real problem. And when Ranger comes back, obviously he goes in and I mean, you put Taiwan in the pen, which does that, that doesn't help anything. Yeah. You know, Yeah, you know help anything at the deadline, you know is a possibility and Trading Ranger for a high-end arm and

Having painter come in and fill the fifth spot. Yeah. Well, yeah, and I appreciate the phone call Dave always man. I really do the thing with that is, and I hear you, I wonder how much they would get for a half season ranger. Like maybe it's a team with a bunch of bullpen guys that needs a starter, you know, I don't know. But it's certainly an option and everything has to be on the table. Now the one guy that I think is a real wild card in all this and and it's a total shot in the dark but the one guy is is Griff McGarry who they moved back to being a starter he started the year by throwing a no-hitter by and by that I mean he didn't allow a hit in his first 27 batters faced now he can still walk him with the best of them, but if you want to talk about a guy that has big league stuff and has some pop and

now when he when he's gone to triple-a the last couple years, he's totally blown up and I know it's a super post-high he's 25 pitching in double-a like that's pretty old but I mean you watch it and the stuff does pop so it's a total shot in the dark It's I'm not even saying it would work. But at least I think he has these got big league stuff, you know and We're all grasping at straws because the reality is is that we're gonna have to be holding on to our butts until until July You can you can scream into your blue in the face. Dabrowski do something. What? I mean, signed David Robertson?

Okay, in. He's a 40 year old reliever. I'm sure he's gonna need some time to build up. I mean, I'm mad at Dabrowski for the off season. And I think that's totally fair. It's just, you know, they can't fix it right now They can keep rotating triple-a arms. Okay, you know there I think there are some guys down there with stuff Maybe one of them pops. Maybe one of them turns into your Jeff Hoffman. I don't know but

to keep trotting out Jose Ruiz and and these guys it's It's dire times and Tanner Banks will always drive me up a wall but whatever Lindor's our player the game brought to you by South Jersey Gas conserve helping customers and the community save energy and money visit South Jersey gas com slash conserve Two things I notice tonight and it's actually just about Harper and Schwab er They are both kind of getting breaking ball to death right now, you know it seems like teams don't want to give them a fastball and

Because I maybe that they're starting to do damage on I know Harper earlier in the year was getting bullied on fastballs But he made an adjustment there and now the I mean he you saw the DS a bad just a lot of spin He's he is seeing a lot of spin I'm excited in in the morning to check the numbers on on What he's doing against breaking balls this year because it doesn't feel like he's maybe seeing it as well then Schwab er I mean it makes sense. Why would you throw him the fastball right now? You know, why would you why would you set yourself up to get shore bombed? But you know Schwab er protecting Bryce has gone pretty well for Bryce

Schwab er starting to fall off a little bit by the same time, you know, Schwab protecting Bryce has gone pretty well for Bryce Schwab. We're starting to fall off a little bit by the same time. You know, I don't, I don't think that's a huge deal. You know, I think that's something that will write itself as the, as the season goes on to one five five nine two 94 94 to get in on the other side. We will close it out on the phone lines. We will get a look ahead to tomorrow and you know, some other things that are frustrating everyone all that's coming up next here on the final out on sports radio 94 WIP

Damn you Bryson Stott for giving us an ounce of hope. Don't you know it's the hope that kills you Welcome on back. It is the final out sports radio 94 WIP That was a good moment And what was a frustrating night is starter at 2 at tonight one was a you know Bleeder that fell in but whatever you take it It's a line drive in the book and that was a shot and it's pretty funny He's got really good numbers off of off of Edwin Diaz three home runs and ten plate appearances It's pretty crazy for a guy.'s not exactly the biggest power threat. But again, that's fine. I don't think that really changes what tonight was.

I appreciate getting the closer in the game. Hopefully that translates over tomorrow. Tomorrow you got Griffin Canning versus Chris Sanchez. That's a game you should win. Now Griffin Canning has been really good for the Mets beginning this year, but I promise you're gonna watch him and you're gonna think he's got nothing.

But the Mets have really revamped their pitching development and they're starting to get some really good arms. I mean, even like Kranick, the pitch, and I don't, I mean, the ninth, the fact that he's still out there is a little surprising. He's been more of a tuning guy so far this year But you know one of the things that was frustrating tonight and it's been frustrating for this season is you know But for as much we talk about homegrown starters and and homegrown paths, I mean

For for a for a organization and with Caleb Coughlin and some of the guys they have But for an organization with Caleb Cotham and some of the guys they have, they just feel like they're so lacking in these homegrown bullpen guys that you can bring up that throw super hard and then can spin it like the way that you see a lot of these guys around baseball today. I mean, again, Griff has big league stuff, but he's in double A and hasn't really progressed. Mick Abel's had a good start of the year in AAA, but again, they're developing him as a starter. I mean, if you look at the Iron Pig's bullpen, it's a lot of major league cast-offs.

I mean, they drafted a lot of bullpen pieces the last couple years. I mean, Kirkering, obviously. Kirkering is their big prize, and that's a good one, but there should be more of Kirkering types. I'm surprised that at this point there's not more bullpen arms working their way through the system. I'll talk about Titan Haze until I'm blue in the face. He's a Clearwater Thrasher. That's one thing that's really hurting this team as well, is they just don't have a guy they can bring up that can maybe stabilize the bullpen.

And they haven't really been aggressive in that instance. Like they haven't just thrown someone up there and kind of see how it's gone. So I just, man, that's something that they have to get right. You know, Painter, big hit, you know, we'll see. Crawford, Rincones and Aideniden miller and autocamp like they're close But it seems like they're just really lacking in the homegrown homegrown bullpen department

Let's go to Joe. What's happening Joe? Hey Jack, how you doing? The callers and you and yourself on I've been watching on Bally TV For minor leaguers you put in they tell us all minor league games and I've been I've been watching the Iron Pigs and you're right they don't have in the bullpen they don't have much but Nick Abel is looking a lot better and I'll tell you the pitching staff down there this quiz Matt the starter

Since snubs has been there and stubs has done a great job with that with that pitching staff. He sure yeah We would out with a doubleheader And then there are only seven inning games and that quiz Matt does not throw hard But he went six innings one hit nine. And then he's came back since then, had a six inning start giving up only two runs. And the whole thing, and I said, there's not a lot of count. I would take Abel, keep letting him, he went five in the third, his last start.

He had two runs, he gave up a home run to Garrett Cooper. He's a former major leaguer Yeah, and he walked he walked to he struck out eight and he's not afraid to come inside on you and he's 95 Plus that's I totally agree Joe, but you talk about for the bullpen or you Room him groom him for this year. Listen the card the Cardinals they had The guy's gonna retire this year. Listen, the cardinals, they had the guys going to retire this year, Lance Lynn, Carlos Martinez, Wainwright, they all were in the bullpen and then the next year they started. This kid's not going to break in as a number five starter this year. You

know, let them keep starting and then start bringing them in, you know, down there in the sixth or seventh inning, they give a couple innings. And with Ranger, you know, relievers make between 10 and 20 million dollars a year from, you know, from 17 guys to the closures and a range of starts comes out back as a starter if he doesn't do real well you know his value out there might not be as much so sign them sign them to a very fair contract and keep them let them be in the bullpen so So you, and they should get rid of, I said the guys that they need to get rid of are the three Rs. For Romano, Ross, and who's the other guy I'm missing?

Romano, Ross, and Ruiz. Ruiz. Along with Hernandez. They only have four of those guys shouldn't be on the pitching staff. And that's what I'm saying. If you've got Ranger you and then you put Walker in there and then you break and get able work able in and

chrisman you could you could bring him up and And have him as a fifth starter To get you through to what they decide to do with painter get you through to what they decide to do with Painter. But I mean, you know, and I blame Thompson again tonight. You know, I'm a Stevenson fan, right? Okay. What did they bring? A couple things about the game tonight.

What did they bring him up for? You know, I know he was only hitting a buck 92, but they brought him up to replace Marsh, right? Okay. Let's just say Marsh was an injury and And he was available and hitting under a hundred with Marsh or Rojas started against McGill tonight Marsh probably would have yeah, okay, and you know Stevenson was You want to start Stevenson over? Yeah, he was a he was a teammate of this got mcgill

it came eight and a roommate with him in arizona he'd go if he knows a little bit about him and this guy mcgill he has done this to the phillies but for the last several start he puts a great game tonight you know his pitches that whether they were swinging or or call strikes for strike three, they were right on the black. And the only time he gave you more of the plate was when his breaking ball wasn't working and he had to come in and challenge you and he was doing that, you know. And this is what I'm saying about Thompson where he makes a couple

strategic moves. Why he bring up, In the seventh inning, he brings up Cody Clements with one out to bat for Rojas. Now he's going to have to put in Stevenson for defense in that inning, right? You can't hit a two run homer with nobody on base. I'm saying you, you, you put Stevenson, you let Stevenson bat there and the seventh and then his, his spot comes around again in the ninth, you have Clemens available instead of Stevenson batting against Diaz, would you want Clemens to bat against them? So I think he did that wrong.

And then with, with Noah, uh, in that, in that inning, you either let you bring Ruiz out at the beginning to start that seventh inning or you let Noah pitch to Taylor because he had, he locked himself in by taking Noah out. You had to keep Ruiz in there and he would face Lindor batting left-handed. Okay? If you would have let Noah face Taylor and whatever, he didn't get out at any, you know, because they didn't get the double play, you could have your left-hander. And I'm not saying this because Banks struck out three. If you're telling me that Alvarado and Strong weren't available, then you could have banks come in

Turn Lindor around and if Soto got if he got the Soto, he would have been in there for Soto You know, but when he when he brought to reason at that time He locked him in for three hitters and I think that was a big mistake you let you either start him at the beginning of the inning or You have no a face Taylor. I let you either start him at the beginning of the inning or you had no face Taylor. I got you Joe. Appreciate the phone call. High level, high level iron pigs talk right there.

That's what we do with our guy Joe in the Northeast. All right, well that's gonna do it for me. Aaron Noah's biggest fan, Tom Kelly. He's coming up next. He'll take you through the rest of the night. Thanks for hanging out. I'll have you for leading off tomorrow and also I will have you for the final out. Hopefully, it goes better than tonight. That's gonna do it for me. Thanks for hanging out.

TK's coming up next here on sports radio 94 WIBA.