High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Beat Padres (Again)

Episode Date: June 3, 2026

The Philadelphia Phillies kicked-off their homestand with a 3-2 win over the Padres. Jack Fritz reacts to Aaron Nola's latest start and the offense doing just enough to squeak out yet another close victory. 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. When the stakes rise and the lights get bright, that's when you find out who can really swim. Deep Waters is a new UFC podcast from CBS Sports. Every Monday, myself, Dean Thomas, alongside with legends of the sport,

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Welcome on in. It is the final out. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. As always, the final out is sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, offering valet parking at the Philadelphia Airport. Good one tonight, a tight one tonight, not the easiest of wins, which seemingly is how all of their games are. So every single one of their games is the same when they win.

It's super tight, bolpenaspi lockdowns, starter has to be great and the offense has to do just enough. And usually it's aided by a home run. So we'll get into it all. With the game wrap up, which is sponsored by Roto Router, when plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Router. Their team tackles, clogs and leaks. So you can stay in the game, Roto Router, your MVP for plumbing solutions.

215, 5992 to get in and react to this one. a good crowd on a Tuesday night down the ballpark. Now it's beautiful. It's 75 degrees. You get the high 60s. Maybe you have to break out the sweatshirt or a light jacket. But still, that is a beautiful, beautiful night. Looks like to me a good couple of nights here to be down at the ballpark.

So if you were down there and you're stuck in traffic, we'd love to hear from you as you saw a solid, solid Phillies win. baby steps, but I think we're kind of, as we are now into June, I think we're kind of accepting who this team is and what they are and what they're probably going to need to do with the deadline if they're going to want to go on a run. And we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but I think that it's going to be a lot of games like this as we head into the trade deadline and wondering if they can get the right, right-handed bat in here to really put this team over the top. Now, the biggest takeaway of the game are brought to you by Morgan and Morgan, America's largest injury law firm.

And we talk about the starting staff, and for a majority of the season, it has been the three. It has been Wheeler, Sanchez, well, since Wheeler got back, Sanchez, and Lazzardo, up and down, but really, what, five out of the last six starts have been very Lazzardo-esque. The two question marks for Painter and Nola. Painter had a good stretch there. He got blasted out in Los Angeles. and Nola was kind of written off, and rightfully so. He was dreadful.

He was getting smoked all over the ballpark. His four-seemar has never been hit like this, and he had to make adjustments on the fly if he was going to salvage this season and possibly his career. And credit to Aaron Nola, the last couple of outings really feels like he's turned a corner. Even that red start where he allowed some runs, he didn't get hit around the ballpark a lot. Tonight, I know he allowed the home run,

and I'm sure everyone's like, ah, bleeping Nola and, you know, serving up meatballs and stuff like that. Sometimes a hitter makes good contact on a good pitch. I mean, that was a knuckle curve down that Gavin Sheets went down and got, and he hit it out of the ballpark. I didn't think it was some classic hanger from Aaronnola that got smoked. But last 11 in a minute.

He's pitched 175 average against no walks in his last three outings and 13 strikeouts. I think his curveball has been dancing. And the most important part of his curveball right now is he's getting on top of it and keeping it down. It is not leaking out over the middle of the plate for it to get smoked. And what's encouraging about that is that he's throwing a lot of curveballs right now. He's throwing about 39% or he threw 40% knuckle curves tonight, which is, a ton. Like, he's always throwing it a lot, but in years past, when he would throw that pitch a lot, he would lose feel for it and it would just stay up in the zone. Really, he's done

a much better job in the last couple of starts of staying on top of that pitch. He is effectively ditched the four seamer. He's down to 13% tonight. He still will rush it into a lefty and try to generate soft contact that way. But against righties, he's doing a much better job the last three starts of pitching east to west and really staying on the outside corner and staying on the outside part of the plate as he's attacking these guys and making them go out there and get it if they want to if they want to get a base hit or try to do damage like him staying away staying away and then rushing the sinker in can be a plan to to attack hitters but really just kind of having his knuckle curve and sinker work off each other on the outside part of the plate

and make hitters adjust to that and see if they can. Not the worst plan of attack. And it was only five innings tonight. He threw a good amount of pitches. But, I mean, compared to where we were a month ago with Aeronola, you take that every single day of the week. So it feels like he's turning a corner. He's working east to west a lot better.

you know, he's ditching that four seamer. He's throwing that knuckle curveball over and over again. At the same time, the disclaimer has to be put out there that the Padre's offense is putrid. I mean, when they face them out there, they were going through an 0 for 33 slump with runners-as-scoring position, and I believe they are in a new slump, team slump of 0-26 or 27. So they are a feeble offense with a lot of high-price names. Sounds kind of familiar. 215-5-92-94 to get in and react to this one.

And then last thing here before we go to the phones is, I mean, just a dominant bullpen outing. And the bullpen's been solid. You know, they'll have their moments. And every bullpen does. You know, I think that we get so worked about bullpens that when they allow runs, we think they suck. And it's just not really the case. Sometimes they happen at inopportune times. and that's incredibly annoying.

We almost had one tonight. I mean, Exander Bogart missed that ball, or missed the foul pole by inches. So we were almost cursing out the Ron tonight. And then at the end of the day, he struck out the side and everything's fine. And he is perfect on the season so far. And the way he's talked about sometimes,

you would think he's a scrub. But Joanneuron's a pretty damn good pitcher, and I'm glad that he is closing for this baseball team. But even besides him tonight, night. I mean, Alvarado was a quick, efficient, easy and then Kirkring got himself under some trouble there. And then I thought

showed some stones pitching his way out of it. And froze Merrill on, what, a 98 mile an hour to steamer, which was a beautiful thing to see. Keller, fine, a lot of base runner, but was fine. And then Duran struck out the side. We don't need to

bring up the Exander, almost home run. So, overall, the bullpen was, was dominant tonight. 215.5.592. 94-94 to get in. Let's check in with my guy, David Nara. What's happening? Dave.

This is how we have to do it, right? Three to two, every game that we win, nail biter. Watching these games, I feel like the Padres and the Phillies are just mirror images of each other. We just happen to get them. I mean, it's weak hitting, strong pitching,

stud closers. I mean, I feel like both teams are, you know, going to end up right around where each other, you know, but right around each other in standing. So hopefully it's in that four or five matchup and we get the home games out of them. But, you know, I thought that, I thought Nola was really good tonight, honestly. Like, he, like, the curveball was really good. He had velocity.

One thing I'd notice is that Stubbs, when he catches them, Stubbs target is really low. And Nola, because he's, he's so small. and Nola I think Nola pitching down in the zone is maybe the target's a little lower I don't know I just felt like he was more on point tonight

Yeah well I mean the last couple outings But yeah definitely tonight You know just He's done a much better job Of staying on top of the baseball And like the knuckle curve is when he's missing It's bouncing And I'd rather it be bouncing

I mean this is obvious But I'd rather be bouncing than it'd be up So yeah I think I agree with you and obviously the command's been better, you know, no walks in his last three outings. And, yeah, I mean, Dave, if they face the Padres in a playoff series, I'd be pretty dang confident,

given the run that this day has had against them. You've just got to keep Mason Miller in the bullpen. Yeah, seriously. I haven't seen them this year. So, yep, keep them in there. All right, Dave. All right, I'll see it. Appreciate the phone calls, always.

Garrett's on his way back from the game from Westchester. What's happening? Garrett. Hey, Jack, how's it going? What's up, man? Good. How about that play by boom at the end? I know. I was at the game with my girlfriend.

As soon as it happened, I said, oh, my God, that's Chase Elie in the World Series, and she just looked at me like I was some insane person for yelling that as soon as it happened. Usually that's something that only happens to the Phillies, not for the Phillies. I'm not sure what exactly Katz was doing there. Yeah, well, listen, I mean, same kind of circumstances, probably the same kind of intensity a June game versus game five of the World Series but

yeah it was super heads up and it kind of bailed Keller out that inning which was good and I mean Craig DeBome who cares that he grounded the two double plays tonight and the one right after it was infuriating yep they always are they always are but I agree with him he

he did his job tonight in the field and that was a super super heads up play and then I saw Francisco went to Ria hit a couple balls over 100 miles an hour down on the farm, down the DSL today, possible right-handed bat at the deadline. Listen, listen, I'm glad we're being and Garrett appreciate the phone call. I'm glad that we're breaking down the Dominican Summer League, two games into the Dominican

Summer League on the final out on June 2nd. I think that's high-quality, high-quality programming here on WIP. I mean, this is what you get when I'm on the final out. Yes, Francis Gertaria. had a triple the day and he's single up the middle and he said a couple balls over 105 miles an hour which is good and I have been watching the medic in summer league baseball that's where we're at because francisco renteria matters that much he does he's he's he's the future him and aiden as long as aiding can get on the field uh you know those are your future horses of this organization hopefully

uh if things work out so yes we are monitoring the francis Corenteria development. I will say, you know, he looks like he swings a very heavy bat. And I mean, I tell you what, it does look like he puts some thump into it. I just think that he's going to have to put on some grown man strength. Again, he's 17. So he will put on more strength. When that happens, that kid is going to be awesome. That kid's going to be awesome. All right. On the other side, I promise we won't have to break down Francisco Rensoria's Dominican Summer League. But I will get to the wow moment of the game and some other things that stuck out tonight,

particularly on offense that maybe some little signs of life from some key Phillies or maybe it's just one game. But regardless, we'll talk about it next here on the final out on Sports Radio 94 WIPA. Oh, not my Phillies. I've seen them execute a... That's crisp, solid base. ball. I'm not used to seeing them do that. Again, Garrett mentioned it last segment. That play happens to the Phillies. The Phillies are the ones caught off second base being dumb.

They're not the ones taking advantage of that, at least not since back in the heyday. But yes, Shades of Chase Out Lee in the World Series. We were all thinking it. It faked out the camera in the exact same way. And shout the tray for backing up. You kind of watch it. And you're like, oh, no, well, then we're going to be at third base. Pretty head. up by Trey. Once again, Donnie Baseball doing all the little things right. Welcome back. It is the final out. Sponsored by the Philadelphia

Parking Authority. That was the wow moment of the game, which is brought to you by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, from Waterfalls to Fairways, Mountain Resorts to Lighthouse Tours. Find your wow at visit nj.com. Yes, so the bone play is my wow moment of the game. I guess if you wanted to

you know, the exact opposite of it would be the you know, kicking the junk play of the game is twice tonight Alec Baum just rally killing double plays and yes I think

he's getting closer and closer to having changed his name from 28 to 6-4-3 but regardless the playing the field was nice I cannot take the it's like I know

he's not trying to and I know this is going to sound dumb and I promise not trying to sound dumb. But it looks like he's actively trying to hit the ball to the shortstop. That's his main goal when he gets up there is how am I going to find a way to rip a grounder at the shortstop here? I would love to know the percentage of outs that Alec Baum has had in his career that are ground balls to the shortstop. And my other question is this. if anyone out there is a stat nerd and wants to get on top of this.

Percentage of outs in his career that have been to the shortstop is one of them. Percentage of double plays that are 6-4-3. He's definitely had his fair share of double plays that are started at third baseman. A 5-4-3 would be the other option for his new jersey number. I would love to know the amount of double plays that are 4-6-3 because I don't know if I've seen one. It is always the shortstop. It is always just a, just a ripped ground ball at the shortstop.

And you just want to stab your eyeballs out with a spoon. But again, our wow moment of the game was a great defensive play by bone, which was great, which was great. but sandwich between that was to infuriating double plays. Now, I will say, good base running by Bryce to go first, third there. Listen, Donnie baseball is doing his thing. Double plays are infuriating. All right, some offensive stuff I get to in a second, but Casey and Lancaster is coming back from the game. What's happening, Casey?

Hey, what's up, Fritz? How are you doing? What's going on, man? Hey, I just wanted to, you know, talk about the gritty-gutty. win by the Phil's and I feel like that's something they've been missing in the past is you know these come from behind just like you know gutty wins that that that you know puts him up late in the ball game but I also want to mention marshy in the cleanup spot I think you know four for four I know he's facing righties but still I mean I like I like that that spot for him he just gets on base. He's hitting not for power, but he's just, you know, he's doing what he has to do to keep the

lineup going. Yeah, I mean, he's keeping the train moving, Gasey, and I appreciate the phone call, and he was one of the things I wanted to get into with the offense tonight is, you know, he had four hits, and, I mean, they were all kind of smoked, too. He's pretty aggressive tonight. He didn't really work counts, which is fine as long as he get base hits and do damage. But, yeah, I mean, he's keeping the train moving. He's obviously not your traditional four-hitter, but like, he needs to be towards top of the lineup. And I wouldn't even hate, I really wouldn't. I wouldn't hate if against the righty one of these days, I fully acknowledging that late in the game, it becomes tricky if you want to go lefty, lefty, and whatever. But if they went Mars Schwerber Turner and just, I'm sorry,

Mars Schwerber Harper, and just try to jump a righty starter. Now, given that he pulled. He was hold him in the sixth inning on Saturday for Edmundo. It doesn't seem like they're too, too confident still with him facing left-handed pitching, and probably rightfully so. But against, at least to try to jump on a starter and get a lead and have your best bats getting the most of bats in a lineup right now against a righty. And obviously, if you do that, you want Crawford hitting higher, so it's not four straight lefties at the bottom of the lineup.

But, yeah, so Marsh four hits tonight. that was good. Trey had two hits. Harper, that was a, when he is thinking opposite way, and he's getting his legs underneath him, and he's driving a ball like that, you know, that's when Harper is locked in. He didn't have a great road trip overall numbers-wise.

I think he was two-for-21 on the road trip. Obviously, at the big home run in San Diego and then have the big hit Saturday. but he was still hitting balls hard. There hasn't been a huge cause for concern. The cause for concern with Bryce is when he's jumping all over the place in the box and his feet aren't steady. And he hasn't really gotten away from that so far this year.

So it was good to see him at the home run. I thought he worked good counts all night, had a walk mixed in there. The base's loaded one was a little frustrating. He got a 2-0 breaking ball that I thought he could have done damage on, but it was 2-0. and, you know, the guy wasn't exactly in the strike zone, and then he just missed the two-one basketball. So that definitely sucked and then grounded out on a change-up of a way, I believe.

But Harper Home Run, Marsh, four hits. I thought Stop worked good at Bats. I know that he didn't get a hit tonight, but he worked at 12-pitch of bat, and I thought overall he worked quality at Bats, which was good to see. Adoli's got a hit in the steel, never a doubt, never a doubt, keeping him in the lineup after he hit B.P. yesterday and Kevin Long thought he looked like he was in a good spot.

He did smoke a ball too in his first bat that happened to be right at the center fielder and then he mixed in an ugly, ugly, ugly, Adoli's a bad late in the game on like three pitches. I'm pretty sure he struck out. Also, Justin Crawford laid down a bunt and it was a beaut. It was a butte Clark of the first base line and beat it out, used to speed. More of that. I mean, he's never going to be some super super.

super, super impactful hitter, just find a way to be a gnat at the bottom of the lineup and provide value that way. And it was encouraging seeing him use the speed and lay down a bunt tonight. Let's check him with Jeff and Kimbertsen. What's happening, Jeff? Hey, Jack, thanks for taking my call. What's up, man? Are you there, Jack? I'm here. Yeah, what's going on? Jack? Yes. Thanks for taking my call. What's going on, man? Not much. I was coming back from the game.

asked for some calls and my fiance, Kim and I went down to the game today and we found out Nola was going to pitch and we thought we're going to watch the Bat Finder. But it turned out to be a different game. He, just as you said, he's not only pitching well, but he's finding his spots. He always seems like he's redefining himself as a pitcher along the way. And it was a pleasure to watch. I mean, amongst the plays that you discussed earlier, I mean, I was watching the scoreboard more than anything to see the speed of his pitches. And the command he had was tremendous.

And it was a pleasure to watch, actually. Well, yeah, and he struck out eight guys in five innings, which is very encouraging. I mean, his stuff was working, too, at the same time. And, yeah, I mean, I saw a couple times this flash of there, 94 on some of his basketball. So that's huge for Knowles. Yep. And I appreciate your work on the afternoon show. And the bone play also, as I was indicating, that that was amazing.

I don't know how he did that. Yeah. I mean, it was, and Jeff, I appreciate the phone call. It was super, super heads up by bomber. So shout to him. On the other side, we will get a little look ahead tomorrow, as we are still witnessing history. and a possible strategy that teams might start employing against the Phillies that we may have seen tonight.

That's coming up next here on the final out on Sports Radio 94 WIP Bay. Yeah, a ball was smoked. 419 feet. Kevin Stocker on the call there. This is the final out. Sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority offering Valley Park at the Philadelphia Airport. Yes, Harper going opposite way there. You haven't seen him have many of them this year.

Sometimes he'll hit one that he'll hit out the left, but it's not smoked. That is one of the deepest parts of the ballpark. Obviously, the wind kind of blowing in and still got it out. So he really smoked that baseball. So good to see that, and he did work and walk late. Some good base running on the marsh hit. setting up a situation for Alec Bohm to rip into a double play and still score run. He is my player of the game, which is brought to you by South Jersey Gas.

Make the smart play save energy and money with South Jersey Gas at SJG SaveEnergy.com. Let's check in with Ryan in Malvern. What's happening, Ryan? Hey, how's it going, boss? How you doing tonight? What's happening, man? nothing much just thinking about Duran

so obviously as you mentioned before the dude's so good and he's 11 for 11 this year 13 for 13 you can't discount it he's 13 for 13 all right never mind that then but I think some people strategically leave out that Kyle Mandzardo home run he gave up against the Guardians

at the same time I'm a little bit too hard on Duran and I must already admit that off at that my issue with him sometimes and you know he kind of shut me up a little bit tonight except that one Bogart's shot down the left field line. He just gives up a little too much hard contact. I mean, if you look at his baseball Savon page, his heart hit percentage and his average exit velocity is just bottoms in the league.

And I don't know. It stresses me out. And I'm wondering if this is something that you think might even be a concern in the long run throughout this season and beyond. Yeah. Well, and I appreciate the phone call. And like, I don't turn a blind eye to that stuff. and

like it's it does matter I'm looking it up real quick I mean his hard hit percentage is pretty low but I mean like even even

baseball savants great but like our eye test would suggest that when people do hit the ball against her honor put the ball in play it is generally hard contact now at the same time

what is one of the oldest outages in baseball the harder that it comes in the harder that it goes out. Now, he's had, the one of the things that I've been worried about with Duran in the past is, you know, he's, you look at the stuff, he should have more strikeouts. He should be more of a strikeout pitcher. And, you know, heading into this year, that was a concern of mine. Like his strikeout per nine rate had really fallen last year.

Well, he had a stretch this year where he had six straight outings of two plus strikeouts, which was good to see. I've been heading into, I think that I think his last outing against the Padres, his K-per-9 was over 14, which is great. So I think there's a little bit too much of a microscope on Joanne Duran. And when you take a step back and look at this thing holistically, first off, he has the third highest save percentage in the history of baseball

with a minimum of 100 saves. So, yes, he allows hard contact. But I also think, like, it's not very often that your closer comes in or a reliever comes in, and they don't have, they don't like start walking the ballpark. Like he throws strikes, he's around the strike zone. When people do hit it, it can be squared up. But like tonight, he struck out of the side.

Now, again, he also allowed a ball to Xander Bogart's that he was lucky that did not tie the ball game up. And hopefully when he goes 48 for 48 and he drops to his knees and where world bleeping champs again, you know, we don't have, we can bring up, hey, remember when his His perfect streak was almost broken by Alexander Bogart's. But, yeah, I just, because I get caught up with Iran sometimes too, but at the same time, he's really freaking good. He's one of the five best closures in baseball, one of the three best closures in baseball.

He's not Mason Miller, and no one is. Mason Miller is awesome. But he, that doesn't mean that Joanne de Ron is some scrub, and I'm glad that he is at the back of the bullpen helping lockdown games for this ballgame. Now, what did happen tonight is that Schwerber was intentionally walked for Trey with two outs and a runner on second base. And, you know, that is something that could happen with Harper not hitting behind Schwerber is you pitch around Schwerber and make Trey beat you. And if I was an opposing team, I certainly would do whatever I could to have Trey Turner up there in a big spot, which it feels like the big spot finds Trey once a game and make him beat you.

Trey so far this year has not been able to make teams beat him or beat them. So maybe we see more of that, the longer and longer they keep Schwab in the leadoff spot and Harper won't bat too. Okay, you can put Schwerber there. Well, we're going to pitch around him and make Trey beat us. And he better beat us or else it's, you know, it's going to be a long night for your offense. So that is a situation to monitor. The other situation to monitor is Chris Sanchez on the mound tomorrow.

He's like an inning behind, like an inning a couple, ending a third, whatever. behind the all-time record for a left-handed starter for the scoreless streak. I really hope that he gets closer to Hershizer. We haven't had a great, you know, long-time streak in baseball, and especially one of the, quote-unquote, unbreakable streaks. And, man, Sanchez is knocking on the doorstep. And having him be the all-time leader for longest consecutive strike or scoreless innings by a left-hand starter would be cool,

but we're on to Hershizer. So I cannot wait for tomorrow to be fun versus Walker Bueller here at CBP as Chris Sanchez continues his chase for history, which is wild. But he already has the Phillies record. Now he's got to go for the Major League Baseball record. So looking forward to that and looking forward to certainly reacting to it here on the final out as to what is hopefully six or seven shutout tomorrow from Chris Sanchez. But that's going to do it for me. Thanks to everyone who hung out tonight and called the final out. Francis Gil Rojas produced a program.

Tom Kelly is next. He will take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.