High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Crush AL Pitcher Of The Month

Episode Date: May 8, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies 10-1 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night behind a Bryce Harper grand slam. 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. Pace is full. Clemens at third. Stubbs at second. Schwarber at first.

Pitch 90 coming. Barrios at the belt. Looks back at the runners. Now kicks the 0-2 pitch. Swung on. Hit high in the air. Right field. Did he get it?

Back at the wall is Springer. And he jumps. And he can't get it. It is gone. Jeez. He loves this day. Bryce Harper with a grand slam as it just clears over the out-of-town scoreboard in right. It is now an 8-0 Phillies lead on Harper's ninth homer of the season

and his eighth career grand slam. What a time, what a run, what a baseball team. Welcome on. It is the final out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Tuesday night as we are, I mean, just

kind of all in shock of how unbelievable the start of the season has been. And it's so fun. I mean, you basically sit down and be like, alright, what do the boys got for us tonight? And it seems like every single night they are doing something. I mean, 11 losses on the year.

They started the year 1-2. They got off to a slow-ish start that first week. There was panic in the streets. They're just ridiculous. They're absolutely ridiculous. The game wrap-up is sponsored by Blazer Swiss Lube and Crevits the metal working fluid specialist providing professional CNC

machine cleaning coolant maintenance programs and waste coolant disposal crevits.online 215-592-9494 to get in if you're a part of that packed crowd would love to hear from you because you know my biggest takeaway of the game and of course the biggest takeaway of the game is brought to you by Morgan and america's largest injury firm is like just soak

this in i mean soak this in listen i'm a phillies protector i i try not to get my hopes up so i because like i have a childlike love of this baseball team and obviously i think that that comes across over the air i think that i think it's very obvious how I feel about this team. There's not much objectivity here. Critical at times. Emotional like everyone else. But I try to keep my emotions in check because I don't want to get too ahead of myself. But damn it, man.

Who cares? They're so good. I mean, they are good at every single aspect right now. And they've won every game since Trey Turner has gone down. They have had an outpouring of runs since Trey Turner has gone down. They are doing the thing where one of the best players goes down and everyone else feels like they have to pick up the slack. Bryce has a home run in three straight games. And there's just something different about Bryce when he gets going. And especially when he, like, it's hard to explain what it's like watching Bryce at Citizens Bank Park.

Other than it's like Gladiator. It's like Russell Crowe in Gladiator just consistently being like are you not entertained does Bryce have some unbelievable road moments sure but it feels like at home this guy just rises to another level and

feeds off the crowd and plays off the crowd and like that home run tonight I mean didn't we all feel that coming just like bases loaded. Of course he went yard. Three straight games of the home run.

You blink. I mean, I made the prediction yesterday, I believe, that by the end of May, he's going to have like 15 home runs and his batting average is going to be between like 280 and 285. I mean, you blink tonight and he's up to 263. He's just, for a quote-unquote or a perceived slow start to the season,

he's right where he usually is, where he typically is, while playing really good first base. So my big message tonight is just soak this in. This is a special, special start to the season. Their best start since 93. This is one of the three best starts we've ever seen from this franchise. They is a special, special start to the season. Their best start since 93. This is one of the three best starts we've ever seen from this franchise. They've got to finish the job. I mean, that's like my big thing now.

It's like, all right, you're off to a good start. No, even though Greg Murphy did say on the postgame show that if they go 500 the rest of the way, they'll win. Buzz, what was it, 110 games? Is that what he said? One away. Okay, so we're not going to – listen, we love Greg Murphy. Pretty obvious. Not a math guy.

But coming from a fellow math guy – a fellow not a math guy, we're not going to bury him too much. Like, now they've got to finish the job. It's all there. The team is flying high. The vibes are really high. The complementary pieces are working together. They're getting along.

Pitching is really good, which we'll get into. Lineup is clicking on all cylinders. The defense has been pretty shored up here. And there's just this winning element to this ball club. I know they don't have the championship trophy that the 08 team had, but this is what 10 and 11 felt like, where it was just like every night you sit down, the Phillies are probably going to win, and what can they do to kind of amaze us?

It's a pretty sad fact, but it is a fact. We're in the midst of one of the three best runs in franchise history. We're talking about 76 to 83. You're talking about 07 to 11, and you're talking about 2022 to now. Three best runs in franchise history. I know they had one-offs. I know about the 1915 team, not the 2015 team. That team was dreadful. The 1915 team, you talk about the WizKids. I get it. 1950, 93, we love that team. But this is one of the best runs that this organization has put together.

And it's so fascinating because 76 through 83 built on homegrown talent and Pete Rose. The 07 to 11 team built on homegrown talent, essentially. And then the 4 A's just came regardless. This team's been kind of brought together outside, but they have just formed a bond and a really, really special connection with the city. And people go to that ballpark and they love that ballpark. There's going to be over 3 million fans this year. And it is just a freaking party every single night. Obviously, the player of the game tonight, which is always sponsored by South Jersey Gas,

committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable natural gas, make the switch at SouthJerseyGas.com. Slash love my home is Bryce Harper. A monster night yet again? And yes, in the blink of an eye, his average is up to 263. What a player. 2-1-5-5-9-2. 94-94 to get in. Some other takeaways from tonight is, so there's this, obviously the detractors to the baseball team

when they get off to a hot start. They're like, well, they've been beating up on some bad opponents. And while I don't totally disagree, obviously they played some cupcakes. You know, they played the White Sox. They played the Rockies. They played the Angels. That Giants team is pretty dreadful. They are hitting some pretty good pitching.

I mean, obviously early in the year they beat up on Garrett Crochet, who was pitching well at the time. But, for example, tonight, Burrios had a 1-4 heading into the game tonight, leading all of baseball in ERA, gotten off to a really, really good start. Scored eight off him. I know the Bryce Grand Slam was the cherry on top,

but they had done a good job before that. Logan Webb on Sunday night has been one of the three best pitchers in the NL for the last couple of years. They got to him as well. I mean, part of it was Bryce, of course. Keaton Wynn, who I know a lot of people are not aware of or really care about. The Phillies got to him on Saturday. He was having a pretty good year.

Mazier was in the low threes, but showed some promise. And Jordan Hicks on Friday was having a really, really good start to the season. And they didn't score a million runs off him, but they got him out of there in four innings. So that's doing a job from an offensive perspective so while they're not playing the most you know they're not playing murderer's row of of offenses they have taken care of some pretty good pitchers which i think has to be pointed out and then the final thing here before we get to the phones is that was a really big bounce back start for Christopher Sanchez. I thought it got a little rocky in the first three innings,

and then something clicked. And getting that changeup back is just so massive for him. It's the key. It's the straw that stirs the drink for him. I mean, if he can get that pitch consistently located, everything else kind of works. And I thought it was interesting tonight, he held his velocity really well. I mean, he's at 97, I believe, in the sixth. So he held his velocity a long way through the start tonight, had that slider working. I think that's something that he wants to throw to batters a second and third time through the lineup rather than the first time, even though I think it's a pretty good pitch. But again, the key is get that changeup over.

And hopefully tonight was one of those get-right starts. Last two, a bit shaky, a bit like, oh, no, I might have to get him out of there. Spencer Turnbull, Spencer Turnbull, Spencer Turnbull. And while I hear you, tonight was Christopher Sanchez getting back on track. And that's really big for this team because, listen, I have loved Spencer Turnbull. I think he's done a great job. The reality is he's in a one-year, $2 million deal. He might not be here next year.

Chris Sanchez is. So getting Christopher Sanchez as one of this team's five best starters just matters more at this point, especially in May, especially with their record so far to start the year. You can go through some growing pains with a young starter. It's not that big of a deal. I was glad that Christopher Sanchez got back on track tonight.

It was just a really, really important thing for this team. One thing I want to talk about, and I think it's interesting, is Rob Thompson seems like he put starters out there one inning too long when they already had a successful outing.

Tonight could have done it, right? Christopher Sanchez goes six innings of shutout baseball, hand the ball to Turnbull, you're up 8-0, and get out of there scot-free. But what I like about Rob Thompson's strategy, and he's done it with Taiwan, and it has bit him twice. I mean, yesterday didn't come back to bite him too bad, obviously against the Padres in Taiwan's first start, it tied the game up. But what I do like about it, and I hope it doesn't come back to bite them, and I don't think in a postseason start it will, but what I like about it is

these guys have earned the seventh. Listen, I have been a Taiwan detractor. Everyone knows that. But he's earned the seventh in his last two starts. And Topper's given it to him. Has he folded in the seventh? Sure. But at least he's being rewarded for his actions. And I think that's important.

And that's what I felt tonight when he put Sanchez back out there. It was only one run. He got out of it, didn't kill them. But when you're talking about why these guys play so hard for Rob Thompson and having a feel for your clubhouse, I think little stuff like that does matter. Like earning, earning that seventh inning, earning the eighth. You know, like there's been a couple starts. Nola, where he allows that home run in the seventh out of San Diego, and Thompson leaves him out there. Suarez has allowed a run or two, and he keeps him out there. And I think over 162, it means more to those guys that Thompson trusts them. And even if he doesn't really trust them, I mean, Taiwan, I could definitely see them not really trusting him. But if the athlete believes

that the manager believes in them, I just think you get the most out of them. So it's one to monitor because I've felt it too. It's like, man, does he really have to go out there for one more inning? But I think that there's a method to the madness. And I'm just, we're starting to monitor that one. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94.

The fills are hot. Get in now. If you're at the ballpark, we'd love to hear from you. What a time to be alive. Jimmy's in Westchester leaving the game. What's happening, Jimmy? Hey, what's going on, Jack? How's it going?

What's going on, man? Not too much. I was just sitting, had a really good seat tonight, sitting right over the dugout stairs. And I'll tell you one thing that really stuck out was just seeing how these guys were having so much fun coming in and out of the dugout, in between innings, you know, messing with each other as they're coming in and out in between innings.

Even just, you know, having guys not in the normal lineup like Boehm and Real Muto, and you still have, you know, Merrifield and Sosa and Clemens coming up big, just clicking on all cylinders and looking like they're having fun while they're doing it. Yeah, and I know it's the same thing with Boehm. You know, Boehm was not in the game tonight. He didn't have his uniform on. Like, he was in a gray hoodie and was really into the game, was top step.

And I think that shows the camaraderie of him. You know, a guy like Pache, who's barely played, and you could argue is a better player than Johan Rojas right now. Like he is almost the first guy out of the dugout on a lot of occasions. Marshall, he doesn't play. He's out there. That kind of stuff just matters, especially over 162, like keeping things fresh, keeping things loose.

Even out like Merrifield and those guys interacted with Trey, kind of busting the stones a little bit about we don't know if seven makes that play. I just think that stuff matters, Jimmy, and I think it's part of why this team's so likable. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Merrifield was, like, messing with Marsh's hand as they were coming into the dugout just goofing off.

And you wouldn't guess that Merrifield wasn't an everyday player. It looks like they're, you know, out in left and center every single night. But just the way that they're having fun, you know, obviously helps when you're up 10-1. But, you know, having fun goes a long way over 162. For sure. Thanks for the call, Jimmy, and I'm glad you had a good time. They've got to get the job done.

I mean, this team has a chance to go down as one of the most beloved in this city's history. I mean, we know the teams that are beloved here. Obviously, the ones that have won titles are especially beloved. But this team just has a different level of connection with the city. And they've got to get it done. And they just have the look. They have the look. And the nice part, and I'm not getting ahead of myself.

Wow, that's a lie. I'm definitely getting ahead of myself. But they're going to be in position at the deadline to make a real push for a difference maker. I mean, last couple deadlines, they've done an okay job. Lorenzen was okay. Obviously, the no-hitter and then kind of cratered. Rodolfo Kauschler was not much. The marsh for Ohapi Trey was great. Robertson, he did a job, whatever, but they haven't done

the big splash move, the big Dave Dombrowski classic, like, we're going to trade some prospects here and get a stud in here. It's setting up for that. I don't know what position it is right now. I guess if I had my pick, it's a power righty out of the bullpen to pair with Jeff Hoffman, and he hopes for anything that gets back going and Kirkering and yada, yada, yada. I guess that's it. We'll see how the starting rotation's been ridiculous,

but it's all setting up for this being that kind of summer here, and it's just so exciting. 215-592- 9494. If you are leaving the ballpark or just watching the game at home, we'd love to hear from you here on the Final Out. We'll get to more of your phone calls on the other side,

but also the injury report with some thoughts on tomorrow and some other thoughts from tonight. It's the Final Out here on Sports Radio 94 WIPA. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster.

Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Two-one pitch. Swing and a pop-up in the air.

Shadow center. Marsh coming in and over to his left. He'll make the catch. Sides retired. Seven strong tonight from Christopher Sanchez as the left-hander allows one run in the inning. Two hits, a man left. It is stretch time, and the Phillies lead it 8-1.

Welcome back. It is the final out. Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable, never looks so good. A dynamite job by Christopher Sanchez tonight. Good to see him have a nice bounce-back start. We don't need to stress about this team. Not at all. I didn't need to have to worry about should we take him out of the rotation

for Spencer Turnbull. Yada, yada, yada. I mean, pretty bang up plan by Rob Thompson tonight. Yeah, just have Chris Sanchez go six, seven innings and then hand the ball over to Turnbull and we give the bullpen a night off and get to go home happy. So it was so funny because the lineup gets posted, and every time, I swear, every time the lineup looks like this

where I'm like, well, tonight's a loss. I mean, they're punting a game against Burrios. It's not the end of the world. They have 11 losses on the season. They'll be okay. Every time I'm like, yeah, they're probably going to lose tonight. This lineup is obviously not going to work. It works.

You put Castellanos in the fourth spot and you need a double in the first. By the way, he's not from the double department. That's two straight games with a double after not having one through his first month of the season. So, it's just, every time that kind of lineup gets posted, I feel like they rake. So, that was good to see. And Chris Sanchez, listen, if not a – now, obviously, everything has to work to plan,

and it has to, you know, obviously all fall together. But if once a week they can go Sanchez, Turnbull, and even if it's not nine innings, you know, even if it's Sanchez for five minimum you get three innings at a turnbull and then you hand it over to alvarado or hoffman whoever to close it out or maybe it's like tonight it's a laugher whatever it's not horrible especially because it gives you you know it should give you rest for everyone else at least one day we can that bullpen maybe there's an off day, maybe there's not.

It's not that bad, the whole piggybacking thing. And it could save the bullpen once a week, which should make them that much better in other games. So it's an interesting strategy. I'm glad they're not just shoehorning in Spencer Turnbull as a high-leverage reliever guy. I'm glad they're not just making him a one-inning guy, and I'm glad they're keeping him stretched out in case Taiwan keeps pitching like Taiwan

if Sanchez takes a step back, if there's, God forbid, an injury. Going from being Turnbull, who's stretched out to 100-some pitches, to being relegated to a one-inning role, I don't think is the best course of action. who's stretched out to 100-some pitches to being relegated to a one-inning role. I don't think it's the best course of action. If they can execute the piggybacking thing, I think it actually makes a lot of sense.

215-592-9494. Some thoughts on tonight and an injury coming up here in one second. But Mike's in Phoenixville. What's happening, Mike? Hey, I was at the game tonight, and I just wanted to share one thought. When Harper was up there with the bases loaded, it just seems like he's so clutch, and we expect

it from him, that everybody in my section had their camera out videotaping, anticipating his home run. And obviously we know what happened, but it's just, that Harper factor I don't think can be, like, it's invaluable. Like, people like Whit Merrifield came here because they want to play in this city.

And the team is just so gritty. And before the season started when Harper brought up his contract, I was kind of against the masses when they were hating on him for it. I think he deserves any dollar amount he wants because he's so much more than what he provides on field. But when we do need him, he never comes up small. I can't remember a time where he came up small. Yeah, and if I wanted to be nitpicky,

I would obviously bring up 6-7 of the LCS last year. But yeah, he has that superstar feel to him where you just trust him to come through when he needs it. And tonight, bases loaded, of course he had a home run. That's what superstar players do, Mike. And he is a bona fide superstar. And I'm just glad, again, I mean,

three days ago, his batting average was in the 230s, he did a handful of home runs, and you look up now, and it's 265, eight homers, and off we go. Here comes the Bryce Harper run. Yeah, and the other point I wanted to make is, I cannot remember a time, I'm 30 years old, same age

as you, but I just can't remember a time where the pitching 30 years old, same age as you, but I just can't remember a time where the pitching was so fun to watch that no matter what, like you said, no matter what the lineup looks like, I'm anticipating a good game of baseball. And it's a great, they're putting out a great product right now. And I think that when we do inevitably go through a bad stretch, everyone just needs to remember how much fun this first month and a half has been because it really just has. Yeah, I appreciate the call, Mike. And the nice part about when they swoon

because they will swoon, I think. They are on base for 114 wins. But if and when they swoon, again, I don't know what a swoon looks like for their team. I'd be surprised for this team. I'm surprised that they lost like 8 of 10. I expect like a 4 out of 6 stretch where they struggle a little bit

and the bats go a little bit quiet and maybe the pitching reverts back a little bit. The nice part is they've just built up such a cushion right now. Even if they don't win the division, I hope they do, sure. But they've built up such a nice little cushion here to where it doesn't really matter. I mean, if they've built up such a nice little cushion here to where it shouldn't really matter. I mean, if they lose 4-6, it just won't

sink them. So, people will freak out, people will melt down, Thompson is going to cost his team a World Series, yada, yada, yada, but it's just the way they're playing right now, I can't even worry about the Swoons because they're just so hot. Now, the injury report is sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690,

protecting the health of the nation. Visit Plumbers690.org. And it's Alec Boehm who did not play tonight. And I wonder, and I don't think it's a war strategy. You know, tomorrow they face Chris Bassett, a tough righty. They've struggled against him in the past. I think he's dealing with a little bit of a hip injury. I know they said they wanted to get him the day.

They wanted to get him the off day after the streak, after all the emotions with that. I mean, it was 18 games. It wasn't like he was at 30-something, but regardless. Regardless. They wanted to, after the emotional letdown of not getting a hit, they wanted to get him out of the lineup of not getting a hit, they want to get him out of the lineup. I just don't really believe that. You know, I thought he looked a little

ginger in the ninth last night, and I wasn't surprised that he was out of the lineup today. And I wonder tomorrow, against a tough righty, you have the off day on Thursday built in. If maybe they just get Bomer one more day, get that hip as good as possible before they head to Miami. They don't really need to win tomorrow. I know we're saying that in Philadelphia where it's like, you got to win every game. It's not make or break tomorrow. I think getting Alec Bomer 100% healthy just matters more.

So I don't hate the idea of sitting him tomorrow with the off day on Thursday and just getting him some days here while you already have the cushion that you have and and hopefully that that hip is fine but knowing him and knowing the fills he'll probably in there tomorrow and everything will be all good some other thoughts from the night on a couple other guys you know Merrifield only had one hit but I thought he was squaring up the baseball all night long like he ripped the ball late that Kiermaier got to rip the ball earlier that again was caught but at least he's squaring up the baseball all night long. Like, he ripped the ball late that Kiermaier got to, ripped the ball earlier that, again, was caught. But at least he's squaring the baseball up. You know, early in the season, he just looked so feeble,

and there was definitely concerns. This guy's 35. Coming off last year, we had the groin injury. Is he cooked? And he just continues to not look cooked. And I think while Turner's out, and Sosa was good tonight. I love watching him play shortstop, had the triple, that's good.

But I think the lion's share of the reps up the middle should be Stott and Merrifield. And this is why he paid Whit Merrifield $8.5 million. This is what you paid him for, is to be your super utility guy and then step up when a guy gets injured. And unfortunately, Trey had to get injured for Whit Merryfield to kind of get some regular playing time here.

But he's doing a pretty good job. He's doing a pretty good job. So he is square with the baseball a lot. I know he's only one for five tonight, but I'm not letting the box court tell me the whole story on him. And then Turnbull and Relief, like, it was a nice little uptick on his fastball. I thought it just came in. At least he threw strikes.

He's pretty efficient. Didn't make it long innings, which is what you want with a lead like that. I still don't really see it from the standpoint of could he be a righty option with Sir Anthony kind of struggling with some of these other guys, not exactly taking the second right-handed option out of the bullpen and running with it. He still looks more long Rel levy slash starter to me. And I do like the idea, again, of keeping him stretched out in case Sanchez or Tom

Walker falter or there's an injury elsewhere. So pretty good Turnbull effort tonight. I anticipate going forward maybe more five or six innings from Sanchez and then Turnbull can kind of run it out. And in a perfect world, in an absolutely perfect world, we can have those two and give the bullpen a day off once a week. It would just be absolutely beautiful. Eagle, Shirley's leaving CBP.

What's happening, Cheryl? Hey, what's up, Jackie family? What's going on, everybody? It's going great. How are you? I'm blessed. I'm blessed. I was at that game.

Today's my birthday, and I'm telling you. Happy birthday. Thank you. I appreciate that. It was electrifying. And the guy that called in early, I think his name was, your first caller, Jim, whatever. Besides the night, watching the Phillies game and watching the guys,

you can see when they're having fun. You can tell when they lose. You can tell, you know, when they're having fun. You can tell when they lose. You can tell when they're going up the bat or when they're on defense that they started to put it together. And you're starting to see, and we're starting to reap the rewards from it. So to be at the game,

to see how they're just having fun and just letting loose and just playing baseball. Playing baseball. You know what I mean? I don't care that the teams ask for, Cheryl. Right. I don't care that the teams are bad, Jack. I don't care. I could care less.

If this is who you need to beat in order to understand and feel like, okay, let me swing a certain way or let me play defense a certain way. I'm going to use my new skills or whatever against this team. If they got to do that against a bad team and that's going to help them down the line, then so be it. Totally agree, Cheryl. It's not like they're beating up on bad pitching, too.

Mason Black made his debut yesterday. I get it. But Jose Barrios was leading the entire baseball in ERA today. They went out and took it to them. You know, they're not playing the best competition, and I get it. They haven't faced a team over 500 since the Braves, the first series of the weekend.

But they are beating up on some bad pitching, and that stuff does matter. So I hope people are soaking it in. Right. But you know what? It's so many games to go and a long stretch it's going to be a long stretch stretch so at the end during that long stretch we do need to remember when they are playing you know good pitches when they are playing you know guys that just they they

everything is clicking for them that we need to remember that this is the same team that we are cheering for and rooting for and want to do good during that time as well. So at the end of the day, today was a great win. I'm excited. On your birthday. On your birthday. But wait a minute.

That Bryce Harper, when he comes to the plate, let me just say this before I go. When he comes to the plate, the simple fact that they are still pitching to him and not walking him, to me, is mind-blowing. I'm like, okay, I get it. I get what y'all are trying to do. But, yo, this is Bryce Harper. He's going for it every time. And y'all just setting him up for success.

And I want to thank you so much. I love you all. Thank you so much. I love you, Jack. You sound wonderful. And God bless you. All right. Thank you so much, Cheryl love you all. Thank you so much. I love you, Jack. You sound wonderful and God bless you. All right. Thank you so much, Cheryl. Happy birthday. Enjoy the rest of your birthday. Yeah, I mean, Bryce is beyond clutch and it was nice to get him.

Well, the good part is he's been in the bases loaded spot tonight and with runners on first and second, the two games before that. So didn't really have anywhere to put him and thankfully for us, they didn't have anywhere to put him because yeah, he's on a heater right now. And there is

not much more fun that we've had around this city in a while than when Bryce Harper gets on a heater. And we are currently going through that now. On the other side, we will look ahead to the week, or look ahead to tomorrow as we close out a quick two-game set against the Blue Jays. Get to the play of the game and run your phone calls.

It's the final out here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Swung on, hit high and deep, right field, and how about that? Cody Clemens. Way out to right, his second home run of the season. Two-run home run off Jose Barrios, and the Phillies have a three nothing lead how about Cody Clemens welcome on back it is the final out track for it's hanging out with you on this Tuesday night and listen I know the price at a grand slam I know that was a big one but listen the game that made this again defills a good lead early was one Cody Clemens. And that's the play of the

game presented by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo and mustard of the Phillies. It's funny because this is exactly what Cody Clemens did last year when they brought him up at the beginning of the year with Bryce out on the I.L. recovering from Tommy John. And then he kind of got cold there. But he's a quad A guy that at least has a shot. And I do wonder if they kept him on the team last year with Jake Cave, how much differently things could have gone. I guess they probably would have rather he had had more triple A at-bats. And I guess Jake Cave probably being more of a veteran is more suitable for a bench role, but he's

I'm not going to go overboard, but he's at least a quality bench piece on a good team. Played third base tonight, which I think is pretty notable. It's not like he can just play first base. He played some second base in AAA.

Played some third base. I assume he can play play first base. He played some second base in AAA, played some third base. I assume he can play the outfield. So there is some versatility there. I don't think he'll kill you at those positions. I don't think he's great at any of them. But he seems like kind of a quad A slash super utility last bench bat that does have some pop. I mean, he does have a little bit of home run pop.

We've seen that in the two years he's been up here. Had a triple tonight, too. Cody Clemens' cycle would have been pretty ridiculous. So, I feel like everything he comes up, traditionally does some good things, and just kind of does his job. So, Cody Clemens, our play of the game. Tomorrow, in the finale of the quick two-game series,

Chris Bassett on the mound versus Knowles. Knowles wasn't great on Friday night. Only went four innings. That second inning was one of the most excruciating innings of my life. I mean, it was like 45 pitches. It was insane. And it's so funny because I almost forget what baseball is like pre-pitch clock. You know, these three-hour games. I mean, that

second inning with no pitch clock a couple years ago with how slow Nola used to be whenever there was runners on base would have just, I mean, awful. Just awful. So, hopefully we can bounce back now. It was like 65 and raining, so it's not exactly the most beautiful weather.

Tomorrow, obviously the weather the last couple of days has been really nice, so hopefully with the better weather, Aaron Nova is good to go and can have a get-right start against this Blue Jays lineup, which by the way, they've got some big names, Springer and

Flatty and Bobachette. I am shocked at how bad Bobachette looks this year. I think he's hitting 105 on pitches that aren't fastballs. I think he's still batting under 200. We're talking about a guy that has led the AL in hits two times in his young career. A really good hitter. And he's just having a terrible start to the year.

And things seem to be kind of crumbling up there. The manager tonight having that freak out on the field. Now, they hosed i mean 100 they got hosed on the schwarber check swing but that seems things seem to be teetering up in in toronto so hopefully the phillies can take advantage of that one they're facing Chris Bassett, who I had to look up the numbers because in my head I was like, man, I feel like they never hit Chris Bassett. And it's not like he's faced this team a ton. You know, he's with Oakland for a while, but he's with the Mets two years ago and obviously the Blue Jays last year.

And I looked it up, career 1.59 ERA against the Phils. So Chris Bassett so far has had his numbers. And I looked it up, career 1.59 ERA against the Phils. So Chris Bassett, so far, has had his numbers. But he's not, has had the Phillies numbers. But he hasn't faced the hot Phils. It's as simple as that. He has not faced the Phils who are streaking right now. I did not run my six miles this morning because I had to get to the studio early to record I Hopes with Seltzer.

By the way, if you're looking for a Phillies podcast and you want more Phillies coverage, go check out the I Hop to record High Hopes with Seltzer. By the way, if you're looking for an Affiliates podcast and you want more Affiliates coverage, go check out the High Hopes podcast with me and James Seltzer. Some say it's the best Affiliates podcast in the world. But regardless, did not do the six miles today. I promise I'm going to do my seven tomorrow. Do the right thing and continue to try to put this city on my back one day at a time. Either way, that's going to do it for me. Buzz Wilson

produced the program tonight. Jody Mack, the Mack man, he'll take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.