High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Blow Out Braves

Episode Date: September 19, 2023

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' 7-1 win over the Braves on Monday night. 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. Welcome on in, and it is the final out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looked so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this glorious, glorious Monday,

reacting to Phil's going down to the Truist Park and just sort of taking care of business against the Atlanta Braves. I mean, I don't know the amount of times I could just utter that sentence with a straight face over the last couple years. I mean, what just a refreshing night of baseball. That is what tonight was. It was refreshing. They showed some really good things, and I'm excited to get to it all

with you here on the final. That's 215-592-9494 is how you get in if you're just watching at home. Whatever. We'd love to hear from you. It was a really good win down there in Atlanta, and hopefully one that got to springboard them a little bit for the next bit here.

Let's get to the biggest takeaway of the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan. And my biggest takeaway of the game is this, is that if you wanted to find a reason to believe in this baseball team, if you've been looking and hoping and wanting to see if they can switch the flip here and do what they did last year, I thought tonight was a really positive development in that case. Because that looked like a team that was playing in a playoff game tonight.

Now, I know the circumstances are not the same for the Braves as they are for the Phillies. The Phillies are in a great spot. They're the number one wild card right now. As long as they don't just fumble over themselves for the next, I don't know, 12 games, they should be fine. But they're still, you know, battling for that number one spot in the wild card. The Braves, they've had us locked up for a little while. You know, all formalities came to a conclusion last week

when they were able to clinch at Citizens Bank Park and celebrate there or whatever. And they've been pretty bad since. I mean, they've lost four straight. They got swept by the Marlins over the weekend. The Phillies went down there and took care of business. But at the same time, you have Acuna who's going for an MVP. I mean, it's not like their starters can go out there and be bad.

They still have to formalize their playoff rotation. And, I mean, that lineup they put out there tonight was not their B lineup. I mean, that was an A type of Braves lineup out there tonight. And the Phillies just went down there, and they looked totally locked in, totally into the game. They had some tone-setting performances by some of their big stars. And when you start wondering, can they flip the switch and do what they did last year, a game like that in that spot with a big Monday night crowd,

with a team that's been the best team in baseball this year, I think that can go a long way towards having some belief in that. Like that's what tonight was for me. Tonight was, okay, there's still something in there. There's still something in there. This is a good team. And every single aspect of that team was on fire tonight. Starting with our player of the game, which is brought to you by South Jersey Gas. Committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable natural gas. Make the switch at southjerseygas.com slash lovemyhome.

And my player of the game is is Zach Wheeler and you want to talk about what an ace is what an ace is is not someone who's just a great pitcher not someone who can take uh you know the ball and go deep into a game every night. What an ace is to me is a guy who is a freaking tone setter. And that's what Zach Wheeler was tonight. That was a tone setting. I'm an ace. I'm going down there, and I'm going to shove. That's what an ace does.

And that's why he's one of the best pitchers in the sport. And that's why, if you can get that level of performance, they have a shot. Because that is what you need to see from Zach Wheeler. His last start, not great. Before that, he was unbelievable.

And, you know, I thought he really set the tone and really planted the seed last week when he said after the game, I love the home runs. I don't know. What's his name? Acuna. That's a pretty bold thing to say.

And a part of me obviously likes it. Part of me is like, I don't need to give the Braves any more balls and board material. But whatever. Him putting himself out there, it shows the kind of stones that guy has. And I thought he went down to Atlanta tonight on a mission. And his mission was to put that little bit of doubt in the back of the mind of the Braves

and say, we're here too. That's what an ace is. That's not what number 27 is. That's what an ace is. That's not what number 27 is. That's what an ace does. And I was just really, really impressed by what Zach Wheeler did tonight. Because that's like, it's what Halladay used to do. Like, that's what aces do. I thought he set the tone last week, and I thought he went down tonight,

and I thought he delivered. 2-1- I thought he went down tonight and I thought he delivered. 215-592-9494. Some other just kind of demeanors that I liked. You know, Bryce hits that home run and it's just like, it's that little extra bit of cockiness to it, which again, I thought Zach Wheeler, his demeanor on the mound was like we're here and I thought Bryce Harper's home run and the way he tried around the bases was was just a little bit of we're here too and I love that it's okay like it's okay to admit if you're an athlete that you hate the other team and that's what I hope is developing here. Because that's when sports are fun.

Like, sports are fun when there's a good old-fashioned sports hate. And it just, you feel it. Like, you just feel it when these two teams match up. And yeah, have the Braves had the Phillies number? Sure. But it hasn't been as overwhelming as I think we like to make it seem. And I just, I like the way they went down there tonight. And they went out, they took care of business,

and I thought their stars set the tone. And as these games get bigger, as we get into the playoffs, that's what you need. The young players doing their thing, great. But what matters and what's going to help them win big and win deep into October is the Stars having that little bit extra bit of locked in-ness. And that's what I thought they had tonight. Great at-bats all throughout the game. Got up big.

Never made you sweat. Went down and took care of the Atlanta Braves. That's the biggest takeaway of the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury firm. A win tonight, obviously ensures no matter what a three and three road trip, which I think we would have all signed up for before the, uh, before, you know, going on the road, just because like, obviously it's, it's a bit of a coward's way out. But at the same time, I'm at the point where just stack wins and get in and ensure the number one spot. You can't fumble over yourself trying to get there.

So I said before they set out, I would take 3-3. They've ensured 3-3. We take it. My second other big takeaway from tonight tonight and it was a big lead so i can't get too excited about it but like performances like that make you just that much more frustrated when gregory soto looks bad because when he's on i mean he's ridiculous i mean gregory soto when he's ridiculous. I mean, Gregory Soto, when he's on, it's just easy. It's bang, 1, 2, 3, 100, 100, 100, slider. And Matt Strom.

You know, Matt Strom, when they don't try to push him for a second inning, Matt Strom's really good. So, you know, the bullpen has been under a lot of fire here. It seems like the biggest question mark getting out of the season, even though I think Nola or the number two starter is probably the more important one. Just because I've seen this bullpen be good. I haven't really seen outside of June Ranger the number two spot in rotation being good. Or even the number three.

I mean, let's take it one step further. But Soto and Strom, if they can just get right. There's a lot of guys if they can just get right we could have a good little run here but overall they just looked locked in tonight and they looked like they wanted to go send a message to the Braves

five home runs will do that and an ace-like performance by your ace will do that as well 215-592-9494 is how you get in. We got Matt leaving the game down in Atlanta. What's happening, Matty? Hey, Jack.

How's it going? I'm doing great, man. How was that atmosphere? Was it a little fun? Was it a little fun seeing that? Awesome. Awesome. I mean, I go to a lot of games here.

I live in Atlanta now. I wear, you know, in my Phillies outfit and everything like that, my Darren Dalton jersey. But tonight, but yeah, it was amazing. Wheeler was just unbelievable. They loaded the bases up, and he struck out the Ozuna. The stadium was just quiet. Aside from the Phillies fans, it was awesome.

So that was just unbelievable. And the shore bomb was insane. I think it was that stadium. Absolutely. And now, where were you? What was your vantage point for that? Were you in right field right about what was about the press box so i'm like right behind home plate but up up high

so just watching that ball i mean it was i'd never seen one ever go that far there well so i think they changed it to 495 like they said 483 on the broadcast but they changed it to 495 and i mean people said it left it was i I mean, it left the bill. I mean, it went beyond the restaurant. I mean, I've never seen that happen. I've been to maybe, you know, 50 games. But yeah, it was amazing. So it was just...

And it was so nice to just sit there and relax and not have to, like, be sweating it, you know, not worrying about, I mean, watching a game and just knowing they're going to win it. It was just... It was really... It was awesome. Yeah, I mean, what a crazy concept, especially in Atlanta.

It feels like this. Oh, yeah, never, I mean, I'm always just sitting there freaking out while I watch. So it was just so nice. And there were a lot of Phillies fans there. It was awesome. All right, man. Well, I'm happy you had a great night, and I appreciate the call, and very jealous.

But, yeah, if you're a Phillies fan at that game tonight, you're having a good time. You're having a good time because the Phillies hit five homers, Wheeler shoved, and it was a pretty stress-free win. You know, it was a pretty stress-free win. 2-1-5, 5-9-2. 94-94 is how you get in. On the other side, we've got a positive update from the broadcast tonight,

and it doesn't have anything to do with a player. I want to talk about that. And a move to the bullpen that is starting tomorrow. We'll get to all that and your phone calls coming up next here on the Final Out. Yes, that is our Mike's Amazing play of the game presented by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo, mustard, and vegetable oil of the Phillies. Just a, I mean, good old-fashioned Schwarm bomb. Just a good old-fashioned Schwarm. Just a good old-fashioned Schwarm.

I believe that's 97 home runs in his first two years as a Philly. Seems like a pretty good player. By the way, it was with runners on base, so it was not a solo shot. He's approaching 100 RBIs. He's, I believe,

over 100 runs already and 120 ish walks so yes i mean we can keep yelling about batting average we can keep doing all that nonsense and feels like kyle schober's gonna go out there and do kyle schober things so um again it was, it was, uh, it was an absolute moonshot, absolute tank and, uh, made a, it was still semi close at that point and started turning this one into a laugher. So absolute bomb. But I mean, five home runs tonight. Good to see JT the best, uh, uh, when he's on the road, the best player in the sport is good to see Nick Castellanos take one yard. Um, you know, he's, he's kind of rebounded a little bit recently outside of the

uh failed double play attempt by the Cardinals yesterday feels like he's he's maybe climbing out of this a little bit they could use obviously you want all your players firing on all cylinders but that's not really realistic but it's nice to see if they can just get him to where he's not a black hole in that lineup because he when he goes in him to where he's not a black hole in that lineup because when he goes in that mode where he's just swinging at everything, it's a lineup killer. It hasn't felt like that, at least in the last little bit here. Obviously, we know about JT on the road.

He has to figure it out at home. Bryce, when he's going opposite field, is just a totally different player. And how about Johan Roas? Didn't have that one on my bingo card tonight. It was Johan Rojas hitting a two-run home run off of Kyle Wright. His first real home run, by the way. His first real home run, yes, because the other one was off a pitcher. So I think if I'm Johan Rojas, that's my first major league home run.

That's it. The one off the pitcher doesn't totally count. But, yeah, it was a great night down in Atlanta. major league home run that's it they the one off the pitcher doesn't totally count but um yeah it was a great night down in atlanta and to make matters even better they mentioned on the broadcast but if you missed it uh positive update on charlie manual he is uh responding to text messages he's watching the game so seems like everything is trending in the right direction and thank god that makes me like that was it was really i was really sad when i saw that tweet on saturday um and you know all the news and all the thoughts and everything seems like it's it's moving in the right direction so uh it it fingers

crossed but it seems like skip's gonna be okay and that's that's a win for everyone because we need him around he's he's just a treasure and a wonderful ambassador for baseball in Philadelphia and hopefully someone that can stay around for a long time. 215-592-9494 is how you get in. Pat's in Wilmington. What's happening, Pat? Hey, how's it going, Jack? How's it going?

Oh, it's going great, Pat. How about you? Oh, fantastic. That Schwarber home run. Oh, my God. I didn't think that ball was ever going to land before it hit Mars, but hey. I mean, it was just like the Darvish home run. I mean, the one off Darvish last year against the Padres.

I know that was 488, but I've never seen a, like even stairs. It feels like these, that Schwarber home run, Howard off Musina to the third deck at Sissons Bank Park. I mean, just tank shots. I don't care what anybody says about Schwarber. You got to love the guy. Sure, he may not be the best leadoff hitter, but he gets the job done.

When you need him up there, he gets it done. Well, he's the right leadoff hitter for this team. I mean, they win all the time with him up there. He provides immediate threat immediately. The pitcher has to worry about him. He's on base all the time.

I think people make too big a deal out of like clogging up the bases. I can't remember many times this year where it's like, oh my gosh, he's so slow. If the guys scored over a hundred runs. Um, so I think a lot of it's, uh, it's way too overblown. He's a valuable offensive player. And if you want to see all about batting average and strikeouts, you can. But everything else he does is very, very valuable. He's been as advertised as the Phillies picked him up.

You got to love the guy. And prayers up to Charlie, man. We're all rooting for you. Get better, bud. Yeah, for sure, Pat. I appreciate the call. And we are. And thankfully, it seems like things are trending in the right direction there.

One thing that's going to happen starting tomorrow, according to the beats, is Michael Lorenzen is going to make the transition to the bullpen. Again, ever since he threw that no-hitter, he's been one of the worst pitchers in the sport. I mean, I believe he's kind of close to 10. So that's happening tomorrow. He's, I guess, providing some relief to the guys down there, which is much needed. Again, if they can just – if Lorenzen can provide some type of relief where they can just manage some of the guys and some of the innings held

by the Kimbrills of the world, the Stroms of the world, even the Hoffmans. I know he's been used a ton in September. He even had a warming up tonight, which was unfortunate. But I know Thompson's thinking there is like, we've got to make sure we win this game. We can't let this one slip away. Thankfully, Zach Wheeler was able to strike out Marcel Azuna, and we didn't have to worry about that.

But if Lorenzen can just provide a little bit of length down there, can just get those guys off their feet to where you don't have to use them all the time, they can hopefully keep extending this lead to where they, you know, they can just be smart about using these guys down the stretch. It'd be a big, it'd be a big it'd be a big big help down there um and my one like i just i feel like because he's been a bullpen guy for a majority of his career people just assume that he's good at it i'm not sure he is um you know i think his fastball probably up to like 97 98 come out of the bullpen but i still don't have like a an out pitch you

know even when he threw his no hitter like there's a bunch of hard contact just happen to be at people he doesn't really have a strikeout pitch so you know ideally if you're moving a guy to the bullpen you want him to have a strikeout pitch you want him to have a pitch that he can go to and get an out doesn't really have that he's's more of a pitch-to-contact guy. So while I hope it provides relief, I'm not in this mode of like, oh, now they have another weapon out there. I think he's a guy that can just come in and give you multiple innings if needed. But I don't think it's going to be like a wipeout multiple innings.

I think it's going to be like a serviceable multiple innings. Now the one guy, and I mentioned this pregame, that could be a weapon is Orion Kerkering, who they brought to AAA, and they wanted to see how the big league baseballs they use in AAA, how he adjusted them. I mean, there are pitchers that go up and struggle with them, especially because if there's a hard slider, apparently the seams are different. So maybe

it doesn't move as much. I mean, Griff McGarry went up and just had a historically bad outing. So we'll see. We'll see. But he's someone that if he goes up there and continues to dominate, I do think could be on the roster down the stretch run here and possibly into the playoffs, because I think he's that good. And if I was banking on a guy to give me three outs a Ryan Kirkering, Junior Marte, or Andrew Belotti I just I just believe that Kirkering gives you that best chance so some interesting little bullpen nuggets there and some interesting things starting tomorrow in that bullpen for the Phils and and we'll see what Michael Lorenzen can do, and if he can kind of right the ship here

with a season that has, frankly, just turned for the worst after probably the highlight of his career. So we'll see what Lorenzen can get them out of the bullpen. But as we do head down the stretch run of the baseball season, as the Phillies get ready for another Red

October run, Sports Radio 94 W baseball season, as the Phillies get ready for another Red October run, Sports Radio 94 WIP is your home for Phillies baseball with all the latest Phillies news, exclusive weekly interviews, and up-to-date playoff projections as we get ready for another Red October. The run to Red October is brought to you by your local Ford stores. Visit buyfordnow.com and your local Ford store today. It's going to be a fun little stretch run here. I am definitely

in the mindset of just get me to the playoffs. It's going to be a long two weeks because I know what the intensity is going to be like. I'm just ready to feel that. Tonight was a good little preview. The Stars were locked in. They went out and did their thing. It was a good little preview. The Stars were locked in. They went out and did their thing, and it was a beautiful, beautiful night

down at Shrews Park. 2-1-5-5-9-2, 94-94 is how you get in. We'll run through your phone calls on the other side, but also look ahead to tomorrow before handing things off to Jody Mack. It's Jack Fritz here on the Final Out. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception.

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Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you reacting to a 7-1 Phil's win. I mean, a kick your feet up Phil's win. Not used to that at all. So that was a... It was nice and refreshing. You know, they sit three and a half

up on the Diamondbacks in second place in the wild card. Cubs are now behind them. Although, I mean, it seems like this thing's kind of fluctuating. The Reds won tonight. So they

remain a little percentage points behind the Cubs for the third spot. And the Miami Marlins lost to the Mets. Mets have won two straight. They're 6-4 in their last 10. Don't count the Mets yet. They're not done yet.

So, you know, we can't just kick our feet up when we play them at the end of the year. But either way, some breaks for the Phils as they continue to, you know, build on their 3-1-1 game lead in the wild card. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. We'll look ahead to tomorrow here in one second. But let's go back to the phones and talk to Will in Mount Laurel. What's happening, Will? What's up, Fritzie?

Been a while, man. Great show. Good to have you back on the final out. I feel like my winning percentage is pretty high, Will, if I'm going to be honest. I feel like we're reacting to a lot of wins. I was going to say, every time I call, it's after a big win. So usually I'm talking to you a lot of wins. I was going to say, every time I call, it's after a big win. So usually I'm talking to you a lot after that. But I wanted to touch a little on, you know, you always do a good job of talking about the camaraderie and it's so obvious just watching the games. But, you know,

another part of that, I think, is the guys like Schwarber and Cassianos and especially Bryce, and Cassianos, and especially Bryce, they kind of carry more of a confidence this year, too, where they look like, you know, they know they're going to win, and they know they got a shot in any game. And it's more than last year. Last year, I think they all kind of were questioning if this, you know, experiment was going to work, and if it was actually, you know,

or if it was going to turn out like what the Padres are doing right now. And, you know, I think that last year was kind of a validation for them that they can beat, you know, teams like this. And they're not afraid to go into Atlanta and, you know, beat the Braves off the Braves. You know, they think that they expect themselves, you know, to do that. And I think that's a big difference this year. It lets the young guys kind of lean on their confidence and just kind of feel like they're role players. And, you know, Alec Boehm, Stott, and Marsh being role players for us is a pretty great, you know, thing for the team.

I just, you know, I think things are clicking for them, and they match up really well with the Braves. So, you know, this collision course from with them to the NLDS, I feel cautiously optimistic about it. Great show, Fritzy. Yeah, I think we're all definitely cautiously optimistic, especially after what happened last year. But if they can just take care of business in that wild card round

and then a nice, juicy, Phil's Braves, round two, NLDS. Especially because, I mean, the Braves clinched, what? Last Wednesday? Thursday? Whatever. They've lost every game since, I believe. It's a long time. They have to go. Now, they still want to get the one seed, so they make sure that they have home field all throughout the NL playoffs, which is two rounds.

But like, and obviously the top overall seed, but it's going to be hard. I mean, we see this a lot in baseball where a team clinches early and they play meaningless baseball for a good stretch then they have the time off and then they gotta ramp it right back up and be ready to go in an intense playoff series so while yes the braves have been a juggernaut i think that's something to 100 watch and if you want to start believing in the Phils and getting behind a possible deep playoff run,

I mean, the fact that the Braves have to go essentially a month without playing an important game, I mean, that's a win for the Phillies. I know that we can do this whole thing where, oh my God, the Braves are the 1927 Yankees offensively. But if they have to sit for that long and maybe turn their bodies off and wind this whole thing down and take their foot off the gas, it is hard to rev that back up.

I mean, we saw what happened in 2011. We saw it happen last year with the Dodgers, who won more games than this Braves team. The Dodgers have done it a number of times. The Dodgers do it every year. Since, like, last decade, like 2011. Yeah. So, you know, I know that the Braves,

and if you head into a playoff series against them, they're going to be the favorites. But that's a massive positive for the Phils. And as long as they take care of business in that first round, I think they got a shot against this Braves team. It's hard to ramp it back up. We've seen it so many times throughout the sport.

Tomorrow, we got Spencer Strider on the mound versus Chris Sanchez. Strider obviously just shoved last week against the Phillies. A ton of strikeouts. They had a chance against them early and then just kind of gave that game away,

started chasing, had a lot of bad at-bats. So, you know, I think tomorrow is one of those games against Strider where you just start game planning for game one of the NLDS or game two of the NLDS. I mean, he did start game three, but that was off a groin. Regardless, it's one of those game planning games for me. So they got to, you know, see what his tendencies are, all that stuff. So that if they face him in the DS, that they're more ready to go.

You know, again, they won tonight. That ensures a three and three road trip. We take that at this point. So, and Christopher Sanchez, I'm of the mindset where he's in my playoff rotation. They mentioned last week that it's probably still Tom Walker. I think that's insane. So I guess Christopher Sanchez is still pitching for a possible playoff rotation spot. It obviously will not be in the wildcard round.

I don't care what Aaron Nola's numbers have been in the last little bit. They're not taking him out of the rotation for Chris Sanchez in the wildcard round. I don't care what Aaron Nola's numbers have been in the last little bit. They're not taking him out of the rotation for Chris Sanchez in a wildcard round. It comes down to the NLDS and if he is starting a game versus Tylan Walker. I hope he is. But if he goes out and shoves against the Braves tomorrow, I think they go a long way towards ensuring that he gets that spot. So tomorrow, Phillies, Braves, I'll have you for

leading off, taking you up to the game, and we're reacting to it all here on the final lap. Thanks for hanging out as always. Always a great time. Francisco Rojas did a great job producing the program tonight. Jody Mack, he's got you next. He'll take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.