High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final out: Jack reacts to the Phils winning the home opener (season starts now)

Episode Date: April 8, 2023

Jack Fritz reacts immediately after the Phils beat the Reds 5-2 in the home opener. What was the vibe like down in the ballpark? Who stuck out? What are the big questions after the game? Jack has it all for you here. 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

This is the High Hopes podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Odyssey and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Man, is it good to be back at Citizens Bank Park. Welcome in, Jack Fritz, hanging out with you here on the Final Out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable, never looked so good. Phil's win, a much-needed win. It got a little tight there, but ultimately they power through

and come out on the home opener with a win. And just the overall takeaway real quick on the game is that, one, it is so nice to be back at Citizens Bank Park. I was down there earlier today. I was there for all the pregame festivities. I was talking to people outside the stadium. John Ike and I and Jillio and Hugh were in our little booth down outside Section 125. And it felt like we were back to postseason baseball.

And it felt like we were right back to last October, last November, where just the feeling was infectious. And it didn't feel like I was walking into a stadium that was dealing with a 1-5 baseball team and where it felt like the sky was falling. It felt like we're home now. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay because we know how that team plays at Citizens Bank Park.

And we know it's a different level of atmosphere when this Phillies team is in front of that crowd and is revved up and fired up and ready to go. You know, before the game, obviously, they introduce all the players. But I really thought it was special when they panned out the center field and Bryce and Reese is there. And you could tell on Reese's face, like, he was hurt. And it made me feel really bad for Reese. We all know the story of Reese. And through six, seven games right now, it's obvious that they miss him. But, you know, just for Reese the human,

that could have been his last home opener as a Phil. They're coming off a World Series appearance. It's our first chance to welcome that team back. And I felt bad for him. You know, he had the brace all over his knee. But, you know, Bryce coming off of hitting tanks, apparently, in pregame. Looks great. And it was just a joyous exhale.

It looks great. And it was just a joyous exhale. Welcome back to Phillies baseball at Citizens Bank Park. And that's a special feeling. And if you were there today, I would love to hear from you. 215-592-9494. It's Jack Fritz here on the final out. Coming home from the game, stuck in traffic.

I feel you. I ducked out a little bit early to make sure I could get home to do my final out duties. But a great, great win. And one that, listen, it was Hunter Green. It was Zach Wheeler. I know a lot of people aren't totally familiar with the name Hunter Green, but he's a guy who was a top draft pick a couple years ago, went through Tommy John, and last year had shown a lot of flashes, and so far this year has continued to show flashes.

I mean, he was a legitimate 100, and I was sitting in the Diamond Club section, and you could just feel it. It was a different level of fastball velocity, but pretty good job by the Phils throughout the day, getting pressure on him and making him make good pitches. Let's recap this one real quick. It was Hunter Green versus Zach Wheeler. Both came out shoving early. Zach Wheeler was good to see fastball ticking back up 96, 97.

And I'm just, the one big takeaway from Wheeler early in the season is, you know, I'm not sure we're going to see 100 again from him. You know, I think he is going to kind of be this 96, 97 mile an hour pitcher. And the days of Zach Wheeler throwing 100 might be over. But I mean, 96, 97 is obviously good enough to work with. He's working on the sweeper, all that good stuff. Bottom second, a guy who I-97 is obviously good enough to work with. He's working on the sweeper, all that good stuff. Bottom second, a guy who I thought had a really good day and his best day of the year, in my opinion, and I thought made some key swing adjustments, was Nick Castellanos. He had his first of two doubles on the day.

Also had a walk mixed in there. He doubles, and it was really interesting, a good cat and mouse game with him on third base where he is like halfway down the line. And I looked up, and I was like, oh, my gosh, so far off the bag. But, you know, he's trying to get in Hunter Green's head. He's trying to take Hunter Green's mind off of the batter, and it worked. Three straight walks after Hunter Green got the two outs. three straight walks uh after um after Hunter Green

got the two outs three straight walks and then Turner flies out it was a good win I will say this um one of the early takeaways of the season so far is that a lot of runners left on base a lot of runners in scoring position not being brought home again today today, the Phillies had 10 hits. In the first couple games, they went like 12, 9, 9, 11, 10, and then Garrett Cole kind of screwed it all up. But they got back to 10 hits today. So they are putting together base runners. They are walking. They're getting hits, but they're just not bringing them home.

I will say that generally, those kind of hits eventually lead to more runs being scored. So I think this is only a temporary problem, and hopefully not something that plagues them all year. Wheeler and Green settle into a little bit of a rhythm. But top five, all with two outs. The Reds go double, walk single, all of a sudden, game tied 1-1. Brogdon begins to warm up in the Phillies' bullpen. Bottom five, Phil's come right back. Trey Turner with a single up the middle. Trey Turner is the first Philly since Grady Sizemore to have hit his first seven games.

I'm not sure any of you remember Grady Sizemore playing for the Phillies, but I remember 2015 me was excited that Grady Sizemore was going to be a fill for a little bit. Schwarber doubles down the line in right field. And Trey Turner, I mean, he is such a joy to watch. He hasn't had a home run yet. You know, yet we haven't seen the Team USA power that we've become accustomed to with him in the World Baseball Classic. But just every little thing. You know, two more hits today.

Scores from first base. Plays a solid shortstop. Everything he does just looks cool. Like, everything he does on the baseball field just looks cool. And I just have this continued belief and continued feeling that as we go along with Trey Turner, like, he is just going to continue to be such a fan favorite but uh scores all the way from first base and does the the patented Trey Turner slide home to make it a a 2-1 ball game uh top six Rob Thompson decides to stick with Zach Wheeler I know that is a decision that that people are worried

about um and people are going to criticize Rob Thompson for I don't have a problem with it Zach Wheeler's your ace he's a guy that you have to trust. And I think that we get too caught up sometimes in the robotic nature of baseball where it's like, oh, second he looks bad, get him out of there. If Zach Wheeler's going to get back to Cy Young Foreman, Zach Wheeler's going to be back pitching 7, 8, 9,

hopefully, amount of innings in games. He's got to figure out how to overcome things. This is the second start of the year. He's facing the Reds. Like, he's got to be able to overcome this kind of stuff. And I know that people are criticizing him for it because the game ended up becoming tied. But I'm okay with Zach Wheeler being put out there in the sixth inning.

And Rob Thompson said after the game that, you know, they just, they said, leave it on the line. And that's okay. That's okay. You don't need to rush and get your aces out of the game. It's only the sixth inning. These guys have to develop and overcome that kind of stuff. Two doubles make it a tie game.

Andrew Bilotti comes in and shuts the door. Moving on to the top seven. Gregory Soto, part of this. One of their bigger acquisitions this offseason. He was obviously an all-star last year, had 30 saves with the Tigers, but he had 11 losses. So we had seen already so far this season where, you know, the stuff is good. The stuff pops.

We see that, but gets himself into trouble if he's not throwing strikes. Good to see him go 1-2-3 in top seven. Bottom seven, Trey Turner singles again, bringing him to going two for four on the day. Kyle Schwarber got out, which eventually leads us to our play of the game, sponsored by the Mike's Amazing play of the game, presented by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo, mustard, and vegetable oil of the Phillies.

JT Real Amido, game of the line, 2-2 game in the seventh, does this. The pitch is blasted. Left center and deep. And Fairchild watches it go. JT has put the Phillies on top. Real Amito with his first home run of the season. It's a two-run shot here in the bottom of the seventh. And the Phillies lead 4-2.

The second longest home run of JT Real Muto's career. I mean, that ball was an absolute tank. And it was a cold day down there in Sinsbank Park. It wasn't like yesterday, which again, you know, they could have played in. And it was 80-plus degrees, all of that. Whatever, it's fine. They played the day they won. We get it.

But second longest home run of JT's career. That's a big spot. You know, it's a big spot. 2-2 game, late in the game, and JT blows it wide open, makes it 4-2. And if you look at the Reds' offense and you look at the Reds' lineup, it's tough for them to come back. Like, if the Reds are going to win any game this year or win games this year, it's going to have to be, like, 3-2.

Or, you know, if they allow more than four runs in a game, I think that the Reds will most likely lose. So, Phil's making 4-2. Jose Alvarado comes in top eight. I mean, I know Brad Lidge existed. I know Ryan Madsen existed. But I think Jose Alvarado is the nastiest reliever I've ever seen the Phillies have. Just on pure stuff, the nastiest reliever I've ever seen them have. I mean, struck out the side, dominant stuff. You know, the 96-mile-an-hour cutter paired with the 100-mile-an-hour turbo sinker. I mean, Jose Alvarado is morphing into an all-timer here for the Phillies. So, dominant stuff from him.

Bottom eight, Edmundo Sosa leads off the inning with a home run, makes it 5-2. Good to see. You know, Edmundo was a guy in spring training that was hitting the ball at the ballpark and hitting the ball at authority. He only had eight career home runs heading into the season. Him developing and showing the pop that he showed in spring training is going to make the loss of Derek Hall palatable in a way. And Craig Kimbrell ends up coming in for the save.

A little dicey. A little dicey. But Kimbrell comes in, shuts the the save little dicey little dicey but Kimbrell comes in shuts the door fills win at the home opener Citizens Bank Park was was great today um and it was it was good to kind of be back and and I do believe that the fans gave that team a jolt and gave that team a spark and again it didn't feel like I was walking into a stadium of a one in five baseball team where the the city had quit on them and and i was really really happy to feel that way because i was worried you know i know that we can be a little bit fickle when it comes to our baseball

team on one day it's like oh we're obviously going back to the world series and then the next day it's like they stink they're they're losers they don't know how to win so i was i was really really happy with the fan base today. Let's get to the player of the game brought to you by South Jersey Gas Conserve. Helping customers and communities save energy and money. Visit southjerseygas.com. Could give it to JT, but I'm going to give it to the bullpen today. 2-2 game, and they kept it there.

Bilotti looked good. We just talked about Alvarado. Gregory Soto, I thought, took a nice step forward today, and Craig Kimbrell got the save. So, you know, it was a disaster down in Texas. I know Soto allowed the home run the other day to Trevino, but I think the bullpen has settled in well after being blitzed at the beginning of the season.

2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. It's Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on the Final Out. If you're stuck in traffic or coming home from the game, I want to hear what you felt down at Citizens Bank Park today. But also, on the other side, two big questions from today's game for me. What are they? We'll get to that and more coming up next. Welcome back. It's the Final Out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you, reacting to the Philz win 5-2 today down at Citizens Bank Park at the home opener.

Electric atmosphere, good to be back. If you're stuck in traffic, you're at the game, would love to hear what you thought, what you felt being back at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since Game 5. Game 5 was not fun. Of all the little things that happened that game, I mean, Schwarber leading off of the home run the night after being no hit,

it was like, okay, sweet, we're back. I mean, Schwarber just does that, where it's like when things are in peril and everyone's freaking out, bang, Kyle Schwarber's there for you. Reese Hoskins strikes out in the next inning with Justin Verlander on the ropes. They settle in nicely. We get it. Jerry Pena hits an absolute tank shot to put the Phils down. You know, it's just like all those emotions start flooding in again. Brandon Marsh coming in and not being able to drive the runner in from third base

with less than two outs. Like the Gene Segura's last hit as a Philly, like brings the crowd to its feet. And we're like, oh, we're back. We're going to win. We're going to be, you know, tied heading down to Houston. And then, you know, it's just like the Trey Mancini play, the Chaz McCormick play. It was like, you know, obviously in the moment,

it's like, damn, that sucks. But looking back on it, it's going to age as one of those painful Philly sports losses. And being back at the bank, and I was worried, you know, one in five, how is the crowd going to embrace this team? And there were such high expectations. And I thought how they were embraced was the proper way to do it. And I'll get some thoughts on my two big questions from today's game in one second.

Let's get some reaction. Todd is in Lancaster. What's happening, Todd? Hey, I'm good. We were at the game. We were also invited out on the field for the Sea of Red. They gave us sweatshirts and hats and brought us out to welcome all the players.

That was the coolest part of the day as well as the 5-2 victory. It was just a fabulous day. It was just a great game. Yeah, it was a good, solid ball game. And I know the Reds are on a great team, but with Hunter Green pitching, it was always going to be a tough test for the Phillies. I thought of the way that

JT at the home were late, bullpen shuts it down, Edmundo gives us some insurance runs. You saw some things that you needed to see when talking about digging yourselves out of a one and five start. Yeah, well, Hunter Green is one heck of a pitcher. And when he came out of the game, I said to my friend Bill, I'm glad he's out of the game because he really is a pretty good pitcher.

He's got some heat. Yeah, for sure. I mean, he wasn't a top three draft pick for nothing there, Todd. I mean, his stuff popped. It was a legitimate 100, Todd, especially being in the building. You could feel it for sure. Yeah, well, thanks a lot. Have a good afternoon.

All right, Todd, have a safe drive home. Yeah, it was a legitimate 100. And it's so funny now, and I was saying to this to our program director, Rod Lakin, it's just so funny how everyone throws 100 now, it feels like. I remember back in the day when Billy Wagner would be throwing 100 and be like, wow, we're never going to see that. And now it's just so commonplace in baseball for all these guys to throw 100. But man, 100 green stuff definitely popped.

So my two big questions off of the game today. Obviously, one is first base. And I don't know about you, but I don't think Cody Clemens can play there every day. I thought Amuno Sosa hitting that home run late. Maybe they're like, okay, maybe he can play every day. I still don't. I love Amuno Sosa, but I like him more as the super utility guy, like a better version of Eric Bruntland in 08. And if he gets 400, 500 bats, like, does he become overexposed?

So the question now becomes, like, yeah, you could go probably trade for a Jesus Aguilar. Or you could sign a Darren Ruff. Like, I don't think signing Darren Ruff honestly harms anything. He's played the position before. He had a good year for the Giants a couple years ago. The Mets hate him. Mets fans hate him.

So, like, we have a chance at a bounce back for him. We can call him Babe Ruff again. But the big internal debate they're going to have is, do we go trade what we need to do right now to get it done? Like, would we meet exactly what the Rockies would want for C.J. Crone? Will we meet exactly what the Diamondbacks would want for Christian Walker? Or do we try to, you know, last until the deadline and maybe get him for a lesser price? Or like you trade for

Jesus Aguilar, but that might take you out of trading for a CJ Krohn or trading for a Christian Walker and like this is kind of your guy. It's a tough balance. And this is why Dave Dombrowski is paid the big bucks. And this is going to be a big, big decision for him. How long can they stay afloat? Like, if Derek Hall is missing two to three months, like, how long can you stay afloat truthfully with Boehm and Sosa playing every day or mixing in a Cody Clowns?

I would be worried about that kind of stuff. So would you just pay what it takes right now and say, Rockies, we're not going to let you get to the trade deadline. We'll trade for CJ Krohn right now. I would do that. This is a World Series or bust year. This is a year where they've been all in. And CJ Krohn is probably the best you could do.

I think Christian Walker probably costs you Abel or McGarry, which I'm not doing for a round of first baseman. But what they do with first base is going to be a massive, massive question mark now that Derek Hall is done for a little bit. So I would do what it takes to get C.J. Crone right now and not waste any time. But I don't think that's what they're going to do. And the other thing from today is obviously the closer position.

I know Craig Kimbrell got the job done, but I did not feel comfortable watching Craig Kimbrell. I mean, it's 93 now. He can't locate his slider anymore. And eventually, when the book is out that he can't locate his slider, the team's just going to sit fastball. But when he can throw 97 up in the zone and get above swing pass,

like, that wasn't a problem. Now it's 93. Like, these guys are going to end up teeing up on him. So I am worried about the Craig Kimbrell thing. Alvarado and Sir Anthony are their best relievers. This is what they do, though. They don't lock in on a closer, and they never really have a shutdown guy.

So I know Sir Anthony wasn't available today, and that's why Kimbrell's out there, but I hope that Kimbrell is not their long-term option there because he is just going to be a heart attack having to watch on a night-in, night-out basis. 215-592-9494. We'll get to all of your calls on either side. We'll look ahead to tomorrow and the rest of the weekend

versus the Reds here in the final out with me, Jack Fritz. Grand slams, no hitters, and double plays are back, and there's no better place to get in on the MLB action than FanDuel in partnership with Value Forward Jusino, America's number one sportsbook. That's because right now, new customers can step up to the plate with a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. Just go to FanDuel.com slash Fritz, sign up, place your bet, and get up to $1,000 back in bonus bets.

Tomorrow is the day. I am locking it in right now. Tomorrow is the day, and I promise you I'm going to bet it. Trey Turner's going yard as a Philly. I'll bet that. I might even parlay it. Check it all out on the FanDuel app. FanDuel Sportsbook is the official partner of 94WIP. I obviously love the FanDuel app, so don't miss

your chance to get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000 when you join FanDuel today. Just go to FanDuel.com slash Fritz to sign up. FanDuel, official partner of Major League Baseball. Welcome back. Final out. Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here for a couple more minutes before handing things off to TK. Tom Kelly will take you through the next couple hours here on WIP. Obviously

if you're driving home from the game, I mean TK is going to want you to react. I mean TK is a hardcore reaction guy and he's going to want to hear the Stone Cold passion exuding out of Citizens Bank Park today if you are stuck in traffic or driving home. And you probably are stuck in traffic. I mean, 45-plus thousand there again.

It was sold out. I didn't see many people leave besides me, but that's not a fraudulent move. I'm just letting you know. That's not a fraudulent move. Had to get home. Wanted to do the final out from here. It's not fraudulent. I know there's people out there thinking,

oh, you're supposed to be this Phillies guy. How are you leaving the game early? Well, some of us say we got a job to do. John is in Princeton coming home from the game. What's happening, John? Hey, how are you, Jake? Great. I'm doing great, man.

How are you? Good. Traffic wasn't that bad, but what a difference a win makes to start it off on the right path. And I got to tell you, the Phillies really have downed the pageantry of how to do things. You got to give them credit for that. A couple observations.

I don't know if anybody highlighted it. They had the NL championship trophy on the first base side, and they let fans until the sixth inning go over, see it, take a picture with it. The cool thing, they had a staff guy there taking your phone, taking the picture for you. Never saw anybody do something like that.

Yeah, it's been really cool how they wanted to make sure that NL championship was experienced with everyone. I think it's a little thing, but John Middleton going out and shaking hands with fans and talking to them, you just don't see that happen. Part of what has made the Phillies great for so long is that they always felt like a family. Just doing stuff like that, John, I think is really good for fan morale.

Yeah. Two other quick observations. You know, the flag that they put up, it was great what you said about Reese and Bryce. That thing was huge. They really wanted to make it as a statement. Right in the dead center field, you know, the championship flags are off to the side.

This was really about a community celebration of something that was unexpected and really needed to be relished. And the last thing, and then I know you've got other callers, the paratroopers that had come in, one of the guys from the Navy paratroopers had the NL championship flag attached to his parachute, which was really pretty cool. He was the last guy down, and it brought down the house. Yeah, it was cool, John.

All in all, a great day. Yeah, and the Phillies do that first class. I mean, that is what they – they've always been really, really cool with that stuff. It makes the fan experience really great. All the memories for me started flooding back in. And I'm surprised I completely forgot to even mention it. But the new scoreboard. I mean, the new scoreboard is massive.

Like, it is a massive, massive scoreboard. And, like, you know, it doesn't have, like, edges, so it kind of just takes over the whole thing. It was a special day. And, you know, again, I said it before, I'll say it again, but it didn't feel like I was walking into a ballpark where I was about to experience a 1-5 team. You know, it felt like, let's get back home,

let's get in front of our crowd, and let's get going here. And official petition here on Final Out, the Phillies aren't allowed to open seasons on the road anymore. I'm over it. I'm over starting seasons on the road. You have to start a season in the bank park. I feel like the energy is just always off when you start on the road. Let's look ahead to tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.

Tomorrow is going to be Nick Lodolo versus Bailey Falter. Falter's really good in his first start. He's one of those guys that I generally feel like is going to give you five, six quality innings. It's never going to be eight to 10 Ks. It's never going to be shut down. He's going to allow a home run here or there. But I generally feel good that he's going to give us a quality enough start

to keep you in a game and win it. You know, I think, you know, less than four runs is pretty much a win for Bailey Falter at this point. And you have to hope your offense has to overcome it. They do have to four runs is pretty much a win for Bailey Falter at this point, and you have to hope your offense has to overcome it. They do have to face Nick Lodolo. He threw a complete game against the Phillies last year, just absolutely shoved. Maybe it wasn't a complete game, but it went like eight

innings, and it was nasty. He got hit around a little bit. I mean, he allowed two earned in his first start of the season in five innings, but he did strike out nine. So with the amount of lefties they had in the lineup today, obviously Rob Thompson won't do that tomorrow. He will have more righties in there, but still, they do have their work cut out tomorrow with Nick Lodolo.

But have no fear. Trey Turner is going to hit home run. That is my lock for tomorrow. And then on Sunday, NL Championship ring day, Tyrone Walker versus Graham Ashcraft. And yeah, Marks can rip me on the pregame show for talking about Graham Ashcraft, but in his first start of the year with seven innings

and struck out six, and just in watching him, his fastball just cuts all over the place. So again, this is a bad Reds team. Their lineup today was atrocious. Outside of Jonathan India. But their starting staff is good. It is tough to work with. So you have those

two for the rest of the weekend. Then you have the Marlins staff coming in here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So these next five games are not going to be very easy when it comes to the Phillies hitters and taking down some of the starters they have to face. That's going to do it for me here on the Final Out. Thanks for hanging out. Again, Tom Kelly will take all of your reaction

if you are stuck in traffic coming on from the game. All that stuff. Shout out to Dan Wilson for producing this little segment here at Final Out. Have a great rest of your weekend. Go Pills.