High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Drop Game 1 To Mets Despite Zack Wheeler's Dominance

Episode Date: October 6, 2024

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies losing Game 1 of the NLDS and look ahead to what could be a franchise-altering Game 2. 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

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in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. It is final out sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable, never looked so good. High hopes, radio, low hopes. The only thing that looks so good. Yeah, buddy. Didn't look so good. Fritz and Salter with you. That sucked. I don't know how to better describe it. Just a brutal night at the ballpark.

I mean, Zach Wheeler could not have been more magnificent. Seven shutout innings, nine strikeouts, a thousand swing and misses was just awesome. But we knew it. Watching the whole game, you, me, Tucker was with us. We just kept saying to each other, better squirreling runs you better squirreling runs better squirreling runs This meds team comes back and then you get one out combined from Hoffman and Strom and it fell apart Yeah, yeah, it's it it felt like opening day I mean, I know it's not like this the same kind of circumstances But on opening day like their best relievers also sucked and that's what tonight felt like I just I couldn't be more mad at the offense I just couldn't be more mad at them and

it feels so much like 2011. And the series isn't over, the Phillies are gonna win tomorrow. But to react right now, like this is a high powered offense that has been consistently disappointing for a good stretch now. Like it's just, it is what it is.

I mean, the Mets now, they are, since London, 27 games over 500, the Phillies are two. So I just, it was putrid. This offense continues to be putrid. And it was every one of our worst fears heading into the series realized in one game. I mean in one game. Wheel are dominant, offense sucks, Mets magic late. I mean it was everything that I think people that were worried about

the series and I thought justifiably so. That is, that was what we did not want to see to AT. And for this offense to do what they did especially all week talking about how you know we have the inner fire from last year's NLCS and this is gonna be different and is going to be different. And I just, to be right back in the same spot where we were watching this team lose at game seven, I'm not sure what has changed. Yeah, it felt like a continuation.

That's exactly how I felt, Jack. I felt like I was back here for game six and game seven, which is a really crappy feeling considering how special this building has been, for most part over the last couple years and You just you felt it tonight. You felt them chasing from the jump. I mean Nick Kassianos looked like Old-school Nick just swinging at balls in the dirt like the Kassianos has been great for a couple months Why is he batting for why is he batting for? He's batting four? Why is he batting four? He's batting three, oh, four or whatever.

I blast on my jacks. Batting five, like just put Baum at four. He had 97 RBIs for majority of the season playing the spot. Some big moments for him tonight, but the freaking offense, that's the thing. That's the thing. And if this doesn't turn around and this doesn't go the right way,

you have to shake that up, because they're not good enough. I don't care, they pay a lot of money for the offense, and I get it, but they just are not good enough. They're not. It's been months of this crap, and it's really, it started two weeks ago. When they went to Milwaukee,

that's when this crap started. They struck out 44 times in three games. They went to New York the following weekend. They struck out a billion times. Like it's the fricking strikeouts. And look at the two differences between the offenses tonight. Yeah, the Mets put the ball, Mets had eight hits, all singles.

Dude, they were down 0-2 in every count. Yeah, yeah, unbelievable. What are we doing? What are we doing? It's the same crap that sunk them last year. It's exactly the same and it's exactly what we were concerned to your point. We were like, just don't let the bats be cold and they were exactly what they've been. Get on the line now, 215-592-9494. Let's react with us. Well, the second that Nebraska said it like two days ago, that's clearly what they're

worried about. They're pressing. I mean they're 100% pressing. To lose that game when Wheeler goes 7 shutout of brilliant baseball, it can't happen. It's deflating. It can't happen. It's deflating. And look tomorrow obviously is an absolute must win game.

Sanchez on the hill, like, and it's also one of those situations where now if the Mets go up one nothing tomorrow, this ballpark's gonna get tense, it's gonna get tight, it's a real spot. Let's get to the game wrap up sponsored by Crevitz, providing CNC machine cleaning services, waste coolant removal and scrap metal systems

designed for efficiency and lights out manufacturing. Crevets.online or crevets.com. And look, I don't think there's much to say here. The game wrap up was they didn't hit. That's it. Like that day, the top line, middle line, bottom line, they didn't hit. They didn't hit and their best relievers let them down.

One out. You get one out from Stromino I'll think about that. Yeah, it won nothing game and look I saw some people ripping topper like well Like oh, I can't blame topper for that you go to Jeff Hoffman in that's why you go to Matt strum And that's about you have to trust those guys get out. It's unbelievable How we we can't just blame players we can't blame players Zach Wheeler in the first star of the postseason you're not pitching him a hundred and twenty five hundred It was a hundred eleven pitches already more than you expect and that's by and it was high stress Yeah, I I won't I won't take a call if it's if it's if it's Wheeler should should not there for the eighth

It's it's crazy. It's it's embarrassing. It's frankly. It's embarrassing He he'd a hundred and ten pitches. He went through some innings there where his stuff was not that sharp. He was walking batters. It is what it is. Being a baseball manager is coin flips, it's decisions. Rob Thompson did not make wrong decisions tonight. They didn't work out. Now, if you want to talk about Sanchez tomorrow versus Nola, we'll see.

You want to talk about Castellanos back to the five hole, we'll see. But tonight's not not Rob Thompson game You're your best reliever who by the way, I obviously I throw out his last game against the Nationals four runs Didn't care do I all of a sudden to be worried about Jeff Hoffman? Okay, just that can't happen that can't they cannot compete if Jeff Hoffman's that so Jeff Hoffman didn't have it strong didn't have it. Kirk Ring didn't have it. Like that's ball game. That's ball game.

Yeah. And they didn't hit. They didn't hit. You know, it's just it's infuriating. They better come out and make a statement tomorrow. Yeah, they need. We'll get to tomorrow. But don't like, if you want this to turn ugly,

do what you did today, tomorrow offensively. Big time. And look, you know, all this to your point, all the you did today, tomorrow, offensively. Big time. And look, all this to your point, all the talk before the series, all the talk all season long. This is about winning World Series. We know what the goal is. We're ready. We want it to buy.

We got the rest like, tomorrow's it. This is it. You better show up or else it's going to be a short playoffs. 215592, 94. ninety four get on the line react with us now tonight to hear from the listeners as You know, I think a lot of people we were confident going into this game But this to Jack's point, you know, this was the worst-case scenario This is what we were praying wasn't gonna happen and it happened it happened. 215-592-9494.

Let's start on the phones with our guy Black Grady. What up, man? Guys, I love you. Let me just say that. I don't want to hear the manager's name at all. It's not the best game I've seen from a pitcher in my life, but Wheeler was out there working. When he got in a jam, he pulled himself up by his bootstraps

and he still gave you the confidence and everything you could ask for that man he was throwing 9,000 miles per hour he was juiced and ready to go. Schwabers starts you off with a Schwab bomb. The fans showed up. I didn't see Mets anywhere. I didn't hear any Mets where say everybody did their job except for the lineup and hitting and for me It was over when Bryce got tired of being walked because bro They're not pitching you and you sat there you swung garbage Yeah, and it's the whole momentum in my mind flipped because just for showing up one but at least they were you know in it You know, I mean they were focused they were like, you know, I mean, once that happened everybody just really starts swinging and reaching a pullin because our game is getting tight. I

At least Bryce waited though like a Turner and Cassiano's were like that from the jump I mean swinging at everything from the first inning on Turner hasn't given us anything and he was out on that on that dive back like dude you're not feeling basically like what are you doing to help this team right now like I said everybody showed up and did their job except for the back and you know for the whole raking like my god it's embarrassing to get eight hits no home runs and you lose the game like that at home I'm sick to death guys wheels went up and everybody else went down. Back

at it tomorrow. They better get it done. They better get it done in a way that makes us feel like something. Because right now, it's a problem guys. Have a good night. Thanks buddy. But like Bryce being pitched around, listen, that's what teams are going to do. You have to expect that coming in. We all expect it. It's why If this falls short The third straight year the freaking cleanup spot will will sink them again Like I said, that's it is what it is So it will be the third straight year cast the onus in 22 boom last year And whoever they stick with their that now, but they're just going to pitch around Bryce. They're not going to let Bryce kill them

He's the best nlgs player ever and and you know what and that's I I'm it's clearly what they're gonna do and that Other people have to step up. This can't all be about Bryce. I'm with you I get it But like I mean Trey Turner's gonna be 300 million dollars to play here and certainly not to be a great fielder That's for damn sure he's here to hit Nick Casianoanos is making $120 million or $100 million to hit. Like, it's absolutely unacceptable. I mean, BOMB, STOT, MARSH, no competitive at bats all night. We said coming into this, like the one thing, like you don't want the bats to go cold.

How do you prevent the bats going cold? I don't know. Go up there with a freaking approach. Make the pitchers throw pitches. Like, work a count. Do the things that you do to have some sort of a productive at bat, even if you're not going to put the ball in play. They didn't do any of that.

It's who they are. I mean, it's as simple as that. It's who they've been. It's who they are. This is an inconsistent offense that they, first off, when they start pressing, it's over. Might as well just chalk it up and go home. It's pointless. It's pointless. They don't fight. Offensively, they never fight. They are not a gritty offensive group

and they should be. I mean, they should be. Schwabber sometimes puts together good at bats, but we know he liked to jump first,. This is not about Schwabber, but Turner chases. Harper great at bats, Castellanos chases or swings first pitch. Boom. Tough-ish out, but it's just, I don't know. It's who they are. It's who they are. And if you ask anyone, anyone that watched the team all year,

what's the biggest thing that you're worried about heading into the postseason? And it's what we saw tonight. And that's the team all year, what's the biggest thing that you're worried about heading into the postseason? And it's what we saw tonight. And that's the most disappointing part is, like this is such a key time for this team. And all season, we're going for the one seed. Get us the buy. We'll be fine. Once we get in, flip the switch.

Who cares if we played 500 baseball for two and a half months. I just Tonight was so embarrassing So embarrassing yeah, it was and look we're gonna tomorrow. We're gonna find out what this team's made of yeah You know we've talked a lot about this team, and they've had big moments obviously in one the World Series But they've had big moments They've come through in big spots over these last two years at times obviously obviously have failed at others, but we're going to see what they're made of tomorrow. We're going to see how this team comes out, how they approach the game, how they approach their bats.

Let's get to the biggest takeaway of the game brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. I think the biggest takeaway from the game is better freaking win tomorrow, man. Better freaking win tomorrow. Well, I'll say on top of that, I mean, the Mets magic is obviously real. I mean it just is. They're confident, they're resilient.

And we knew it, that's why we kept saying you have to score more runs. It's because this Mets team doesn't believe they have lost until the game's over. And that is a powerful thing. Well and now, they have to do extra. They have to do extra to try to keep them down. Because that team is going to keep pushing. That team is going to keep fighting.

And it's sickening in this ballpark watching one team have more grit than the other team. Well, especially after the last two playoff games we saw here. I know. That's exactly what we saw. The Arizona Diamondbacks have more grit and fight harder and play better and make Make plays when it mattered. Yeah, and we haven't seen that from the fills in a while We're absolutely since 10 nothing in game two of the NLCS last ever go back to the phones talk to Gary in the Northeast What up, Gary? Oh, man, you guys I'll tell you something man. Was this game eight of last year? It's the same exact garbage Okay, we got to stop with this with the celebration With this game eight of last year. It's the same exact garbage. Okay

We gotta stop with this with the celebrations With the ice cubes all that crap. Okay, that's again. He said he learned from last year Tward was hitting first. Okay Three or four should be hitting first So when he hits the home run to somebody on base, maybe they'll get Turner going This is absolutely disgusting guys Yeah, Gary. I'm with you and appreciate the call. I'm with you that it's discussing. I don't necessarily agree with the The reasons that you had always sure we're in the lead off It's just we're going back reverting backs out like of everyone sure was the the least of the problem offensively their own hits

We're reverting back to that like of everyone short was the the least of the problem offensively their own hits Yeah, they're only hits until the Harper double until the garbage time. Yes. It's ugly until the garbage time. That's again there Before it was garbage time. They were like 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position It's just in that moment with that pitcher with the hot team. You've got to kill them You got to kill them Well, and especially when you're going up against some Mets, like you said it before the game, but this is essentially a bullpen game for the Mets. The Mets were conceding today. Now if you even want to play glass half full, they used some guys.

They had Diaz up in the nut. He had to throw some pitches in the bullpen. How does that make you feel? Do you feel so much better? I was thrilled. That Diaz had to wake up? I'm not ready to do the jumping to large conclusions about the team. I know it's an easy thing to do when they lose a game like that, but I think we'll be ready if this doesn't go the right way because

there's going to be changes. Yeah, again, well look, that's why tomorrow is is such a massive game obviously just from a winning the series perspective they got a win tomorrow but also for I think this fan base is belief in this group of guys like how do you let that happen I mean how do you let that happen with what what with what wheels don't amount to that okay you see the guy out there Bostonusting his hump. And to not just grind out a run, but to grind one out. The fact that they waited until this week to start doing the whole bunting, you should have been doing this all year.

Because it's what can separate teams in October. I just found this whole couple weeks here and well I mean you can go back even further than that when they really put this thing on cruise control. It's all been so, the mentality of all of that is just so annoying. Like you guys haven't arrived. You went on a magical run in 22. You choked last year. Like you're not the 90s Yankees. No. I just, there's been a little too much, we're not worried with the first round thing for me. And they didn't show up tonight. One guy

showed up tonight. Two guys. You want to a swarper in there. It's embarrassing. How can you not grind out of another run? All you needed to stomp the Mets tonight would have been three. Three would have been fine. Three would have been a completely different ballgame and you're probably walking out of here with a win. But you kept them around just long enough to believe that they can come back and the second that

Wheeler was out they said there's our shot. And no matter how good Hoffman is, Hoffman's great. Hopefully, my hope with the relievers tonight is that that's a week off from what we saw. Hoffman barely pitched, Kirkland barely pitched, Strom barely pitched. I hope tonight was just Rust and that's not indicative of the rest of the series. But offensively I don't know how you, I mean I know how we do it, they've done this before, but have some inter-gumption. Have some fortitude down there.

I just, I can't believe we're doing this again. Well especially again, and we talked about this in the pre-game show, but you're going up against the Mets. It's not like the Brewers, like the Sleepy Brewers are coming in here and it's like, alright, you know, whatever. Like, how do you not get fired up to play up against the Mets. It's all like the brewers, like the sleepy brewers are coming in here and it's like alright you know whatever like how do you not get fired up to play against the freaking Mets like it an embarrassing embarrassing night. I want a gut check for this thing tomorrow. Yeah well it is a gut check I mean it's everything. 215-592-9494 get on the line now we'll continue to take your calls as we react to a just a

like disappoint I was gonna say disappoint that doesn't even go close to describing it an embarrassing performance from the Phillies tonight in a spot where we we certainly expected a whole lot more 215 592 94 94 it's a high hopes edition of final out we're coming right back 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 Co as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or

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of the game sponsored by South Jersey Gas Conserve helping customers and the community save energy and money. Visit Southjerseygas.com slash conserve. Zach Wheeler, player of the game. I think that was pretty easy. No one else who's even worthy of being discussed. Warburg wasn't bad, but just a disastrous outing from the Phillies. I mean, just like... Yeah.

So they're all talking right now. So some of their post-game quotes are coming out. Bryce said that we have to stop chasing so much. Well, good thing it's only October. No big deal. Figured you would have gotten that under control. Tried to try to work on that a little bit earlier. And then both Trey and Cassiano's saying that the shadows

were really bad the first. Could not want to hear anything else from them. Hey, just say you sucked. Just say I sucked. Hey, I sucked today, guys. I'll be better tomorrow. You know what no one wants to hear anything less from them. Hey, just say you sucked. Just say I sucked. Hey, I sucked today, guys. I'll be better tomorrow. You know what no one wants to hear? The shadows are bad.

Listen, you can make the shadow excuse all you want. I'm sure the shadows were bad. I don't care. I don't want to hear that. You know what it wasn't bad for? The Mets. They got hits. I know they got hits after the shadows were gone, but still.

Not until the end. The big overarching takeaway is that this, we've seen this. We saw this in games six and seven. And it's pretty remarkable that- Oh, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it felt like we were right back here. 12 months later.

I couldn't believe it. 12 months later that they're doing the same nonsense. And they tried to knock it out early in the season. They were doing a better job at it when they were obviously off to the best record in baseball. But it started creeping back in. It did. I mean, it started creeping back in the last two, two and a half weeks of the season of

chasing, swinging, missing, not competitive at bats. We love the 11 Phillies, but that's kind of what they were. I mean, that offense was also high powered that I don't think people really trusted. And they were carried by an unbelievable pitching staff and an unbelievable ace in Zach Wheeler and the Phillies in Roy Halliday back then and Wheeler on this team. I just, it's just so disappointing. And tomorrow we'll tell, and you said this earlier and and you're totally right, tomorrow will tell us a lot about the mental makeup of the scene.

We've heard so much about the resiliency. We've heard so much about this year's difference, there's only one goal, one message. Well, we better see it tomorrow. Let's put up our shut up time. We better see it tomorrow. 215-592-9494, let's go to Tabernacle and talk to Patrick. Hey, Pat. Hey, guys. Listen, Seltzer, man, you know, we've been talking all year about this team,

and they better not fall on their face here. And it's those damn bats. You know, and I was thinking about it. What did Dumbrovsky do? The roster hasn't changed. You know, like, we still have the same identity of you know, look the books out on us You know what I mean? And like like Cassie chasing. That's why I didn't want him in another four hole. He's not the guy Yeah, he was hot for a stretch here, but I don't know man these bats Numbers when bone went down and he was in the four spot he batted 170 It's a good there's no real rhyme or reason for it. If they're going to use home road splits for Chris Sanchez

and say, well, that's pretty obvious, then I just know that. Yeah, why wouldn't you look at the Castellanos batting under 200 in the four spot, but batting 310 in the five spot? And it's not even like I trust Bohm that much, but I do think that Bohm at least will do a better job of putting the bat in the baseball. There are some times tonight where Castellanos comes up and when he goes through these stretches where he's chasing and swinging at 59 footers, it sucks the energy out of the building. When Trey

and Castellanos specifically do the chasing stuff, I think the whole crowd tent is up. Totally. You can see it coming. And what kind of adjustments? I don't know. Look, man, this is major league players, I know. But can't they just put the bat on the ball? I mean, that's the essence of baseball. Well, what drives me nuts, Pat, is like, dude, Trey Turner

has been a 300-plus hitter for a long time. And he gets here, and it feels like it's just home runs. You're trying to hit home runs all the time. You have to be in that spot in the lineup batting second. You have to be better. You have to be. Big time. Patrick, thanks for the call.

Put the bat on the baseball. And stop trying. Especially if you're Trey Turner. That's why you're here. You're here because you're that guy. You are supposed to be a 20 ish home run guy that hits 330 ish like stop same thing What are you trying to it's pop-ups it's always pop-ups like be a Slap hitter do the things I would do to have a slap hitter. I might trade the farm

for Luis Arias. Luis Arias, I want him more than anyone in baseball. If you could say you could have any player in baseball, is it Juan Soto, is Aaron J. Nope, just give me Luis Arias. Just give me Luis Arias. Give me 22, Gene Zagora. I just, I can't take, I cannot take the swing and miss. I can't do it. I can't do the chase, I can't do the swing and miss. And especially for guys that are supposed to be pure hitters. Stott, pure hitter. Trait, pure hitter. Cassianos.

Once upon a time. A mix of both. It sucks the energy out of the place when they start doing that crap. Let's go to Man area and talk to Chuck. Chuck. Hey, yo. Hey, listen.

What's going on, man? How y'all feeling? Listen. It's all right. It's all right, Jack. Don't jump off a bridge. You'll be all right, OK? They're going to win tomorrow, Chuck. Hey yo, hey listen, what's going on man? How y'all feeling? Listen, it's all right, it's all right Jack. Don't jump off the bridge, you'll be all right, okay? They're gonna win tomorrow, Chuck. Let me tell you. I will say from the moment it ended,

Jack has been very confident they're gonna win tomorrow. Yeah, they'll win tomorrow, but they in trouble though. You know, cause they don't not hit when they need to. They hit the breaking. I know, yeah. What, they are? Yeah, they're in trouble, yeah. But I disagree with you, Rob Thompson's a jackass

How though what what did he do tonight that bothered you? Take you don't take that The playoffs man, yeah, listen he was throwing 97 98 on a gun still They couldn't wait till we took him out the game Why can't you mad at Jeff Hoffman for not doing his job? Yeah, look, Chuck, you got Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strom. Jeff Hoffman had a 217 here, and Strom has a 187. You gotta trust those guys, Chuck.

No, that's crazy, man. So you guys always want to disagree with me. I'm just starting to think you guys are just, you just want to go against me just to go against what I'm saying. Let me finish what I'm saying to you, man. You guys are wrong. Nope It wrong when it when it what when the last time you see the picture go from the beginning of the game to the end Of the game, but then pitches you to do that before now

Let's let you guys act like is against the law to do that You got first part of the post season. I'm not doing pitching perfectly. No, he wasn't taking about the game 111 pitches Chuck he went through some tough innings in the No he wasn't. He was taking off the game. It's 111 pitches Chuck. He got like. Chuck, he went through some tough innings in the middle there. He wasn't cruising. He was at 110 pitches. Like why aren't you mad at Jeff Hoffman? I'm mad at Trey Turner.

That's why I'm mad at him. Cause he stinks, okay? Every big game he never shows up. You wanna go down there and stand up for him again and give him another ovation and clap for him? He sucks, man. I'll tell you, he never comes through in a big moment. Never, man. 0-4 again. What is 0-4 for Friday one of the best players on this team in the NLDS. He batted like It's close to 400 in the NLDS against the Braves last year

Like he was awesome and then you know, Arizona we get this guy and it is a shame I mean it we have seen more of that guy than then the trade turner we thought we were getting yeah I just I don't know why I mean, maybe this is who he was with Los Angeles and with Washington, obviously we didn't watch him every day, just it's surprising the amount of swing and miss and the chase and all that stuff. The two spot in a lineup, Harper's their best hitter, we know that, but the two spot is where in other lineups that's where the best hitter, we know that. But the two spot is where in other lineups that's where the best hitter hits. And for this team to reach the apex of the sport and

bring him a world title, we know the stars have to be the stars. And I just, like Trey has to be special. It can't just be Harper exactly right Castellanos is is a good player He's a good three times the amount of money is Nick Castellanos like Trey has to be special Schwerber is great. We love short well especially cuz Trey can't like is a bad defensive shortstop on top of it Like he has to be that great offensively to make up for that on top of it, right? So that's the most concerning part about where we're at. Trae's a good player, really good player, but like he is paid to be a difference maker. And that's the issue right now.

It's been the issue for me. The vast majority other than half a season last year. It's been the entire time he's been here. He's really hot. After the first two weeks, and he was hot to start the year, he, you know, gets hurt, comes back, was still fine. But like the point is, and he was hot to start the year He you know gets hurt comes back was still fine But like the point is is he'll have stretches But I mean this is a guy who's supposed to your point to your point before you just want a batting title

Yeah, he's supposed to be an MVP guy. Yeah ish. He's not gonna win it But he needs to be top-down exactly right and he hasn't been anywhere in the hemisphere Let's get to the play of the game sponsored by Mike's amazing the official mayo and mustard of the Phillies I don't know the Schwerber Homer, what's the play? Well, I mean, you can do a Mets play. Do I have to? You can. The Vientos hit, I guess, I don't know. I'm not super concerned about them. I do think that that was, I'm not giving an excuse to the offense about Rust because, you know. The way they talked and all that stuff too.

Do your job. Yeah. Pitching's a little bit different. Tonight, I felt like it was more Rust with those guys. Although, I mean, often they get shuffled in his last appearance down in Washington. But it's just, that can't happen. I mean, I know I'm not breaking any news, but like're not going anywhere if those two oh no, they mean they're there again like that. We're relying on them They're there to that's why he went to them in that spot

Like those are the guys he went to to in a one-nothing game to win the game and they let him down again I mean everyone people are gonna be mad at Rob Thompson tonight's not a Thompson game No, he has earned their anger at times in the past Like we we have been angry anger at times in the past. We have been angry at Rob Thompson in the playoffs and justifiably so. Tonight, I don't know what else Rob could have done. 215-592-9494. Let's go back to the phones. Talk to Ryan and Ben Salem. Hey, Ryan.

Hey, how are you? Bad. Yeah, yeah. No, I feel that. Yeah, this was an absolutely pathetic performance. This team was... I don't know what other word to describe it other than horrible. Gotless, heartless. I mean, those are good ones. This offense is horrible. I mean, when you have guys that can't even put up a decent at that in the entire game. Like, KSY, Trey. Trey is like

a key to this series and I knew this coming into it that he was going to need to be good because last year what happened in, you know, Arizona with the Diamondbacks, they just started pitching around Harper and Schwaber because they knew Trey couldn't hit and they're going to start doing the same thing. The bullpen was horrible. I mean, you know, like you have guys like Hoffman and Schrom who, who have been great all year. They come in and they're just absolutely horrible. I mean, this entire second half of the season has just been, it's really just been the same thing.

I mean, these guys that you're paying millions of dollars, they're just not, they're not performing. And it's, I don't even know what other words to describe it other than pitiful. Right, good call. Yeah, I mean, it was pitiful. Never start hot. Is that the key takeaway?

Yeah, right? Who knew? Now, I will say, if you want to take that logic like you just used, I mean, they haven't won the World Series the last couple years and they have started every series with a win, so maybe this is the... For sure. Ann Schorber has sucked in the NLBS a lot. I know, right?

They're changing everything around. Yeah, yeah. Wheeler's whip was kind of high tonight, even though they didn't allow a run. Are we gonna use that as a thing as well? Yeah. Yeah, the... I thought they were gonna win tonight. I think I had more skepticism.

I just, when people are a little too confident, I shut down. I shut down. You hate it. I don't like when people get too confident. And it felt like, wow, we're at the bank, and it's Wheeler, and this is what we do, and they don't lose game one, and we're gonna get a lead off Schwerbaum. And I just, I hope tonight, my biggest hope for tonight,

cause I'm not doing the season's over show. I mean, we're frustrated, we're mad, but they got on tomorrow. Again, they were up 2-0 after beating the Diamondbacks, 10-0 in a romp in this building last year, and they lost that series. Yeah, so I don't want to do that, but I just, I really, I really am curious

how they come out tomorrow. I want to see, I want to see some stones. I just, I- Well, it's how they come out tomorrow. I want to see I want to see some stones I just I well it's gonna tell us everything I just Like I don't even care if they win like one nothing tomorrow and do the same stuff You know then I'm out like I will not believe in this team moving forward if they can't come out tomorrow and bring it Let's be hyper hyper hyper bollock. Yes Tomorrow changes the course of the franchise. I don't disagree with that because look if they lose this series, the Met series here, like there will be changes.

There have to be. Like you can't re-rack it and do it again after the way the last two post seasons will have ended. Like you just can't do it. You'd be like in the definition of insanity thing. And you gave this core shot totally with what happened moves at the deadline we talked about like oh we're back final out sponsored by Regency furniture affordable never looked so good we tried to pull the plug yeah they made us come back on we were like the Phillies offense tonight we were like yeah we don't feel like showing up but we're

here now let's get to the pitch count slash injury report sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumbers690.org. No injuries of note tonight. Pitch count, Wheeler threw 111 pitches, which it seems some people did not think was enough. Right.

You know, I don't know about that. But you know. And then you can't. It's insane to blame Robert Thompson tonight. It's absolutely insane. If you want to listen, you do have to think about game five. And you do not start the playoffs by throwing Wheeler 125. And again, if you can't trust Jeff Hoffman in a one nothing

game, what are we doing here? And they have two hits. They have two hits. Until the, you know, once it's a different. I don't care about those don't count the garbage time it's I do not care all right two one five five nine two ninety four nine four it's continue to get some reaction it's a high hopes edition of final out let's talk to Paul Musgrove Paulie James how are you good to talk to

you good to talk to you too my man can I just go off a little bit for a sec? Please, the floor is yours. Let me tell you something. Freaking... Thompson sucks! And he should have pitched Wheeler for freaking 200 pitches! Right. Alright, let's get away from that. Let's go to Fire to Face at shortstop.

He was horrible tonight. Turner was horrible. And that's my biggest fear right there. Harper was swinging at those crazy slurs or whatever you want to call them. You got to stop that stuff. I mean, at the same thing, Cassianna is doing the same thing on the other side. This is not going well for the Phillies. It's not going to fare well for the Phillies. I can see a sweep coming in here and it scares me to death. With this bankroll with

600, 700 million dollars players, this is not what we expected and it's pretty scary. Agreed or no? Yeah, it's terrifying. terrifying and again tomorrow is a potential franchise altering game at that now they could still go down to open comeback was there is i would say they would but if they if they'd roll over and they roll over and i think they didn't get off the bus that's the play

if they roll over tomorrow and look very similar you have like they're gonna have to shake the core of theirs there's absolutely no doubt about it. And I think me like Bryce walked twice and hit a double I think yeah, it was that one at bat. He really chased it didn't really feel like he was the issue It's it's Trey. It's Castellanos. It's boom. It's stopped. It's it's those guys Yeah, but but let me say this to you T the way trade swings with that upper and the hand releases That's my biggest fear right there because that's a whistle ball swing in my opinion When he's hitting the ball when he's hitting the ball to all fields and everything like that He is swinging the bat and it's level. Yeah, you're good whip. Paul, you're right. Good call.

He's right. Turner, when he's locked in, I've said this to you before. I feel like he has the most level swing I've ever seen, practically, when he's locked in. It goes so level through the zone. And he's right. It does get to that kind of uppercut type of thing when he's letting go and swinging high.

Well, for a team that's as quote unquote, cut type of thing when he's letting go and kind of swinging high. For a team that's as quote unquote as experienced as they are, it sure seems like when things aren't going great that they can't dig themselves out of it. Unless it's Schwab are hitting a home run. There's too much talent in that lineup for as disappointing as they've been for a good stretch here. I mean, Trey's a huge part of it, but Stott's a first round pick, Boehm's a first round pick.

I mean, all these, this Mets team puts a ball in play, hits like crazy, these guys you've never heard of, like Tyrone Tracy and like Mark Vientos. Tyrone Taylor. Taylor. That's what I mean! That's what I mean! Like, it's a team full of guys who should not, and Vientos had a good year, something OBS, but it's like, these are just dudes who come up and are raking for them and putting the ball in

play and and like don't swing in every pitch outside the zone it's like the Mets lineup should not outproduce it shouldn't even be close like this shouldn't be a discussion but we've seen them underachieve oh I know yeah I'm not saying it's the silver lining in all this is hey maybe gets Kevin Long out of here yeah well at this point I mean it's been the same crap for three Years row. What do you want to do? Like I don't know what a hitting coach if a kid and coach matters that much But it's certainly not working. That's for sure. Let's go back to the phones. I talked to Dominic and Westchester Hello

Hey guys, I saw my voice a little jacked up. I just came from the game Hey guys, I saw my voice a little jacked up. I just came from the game I'm not surprised at at the flatness of this team. I mean that was the biggest Like fear coming out of the the regular season was oh, we have a bye week. They're gonna get flat whatever There I I'm a season ticket holder. I go to as many playoff games as I can. I have never been more um Disappointed in this fan base. I mean it's the seventh inning on a saturday night at six o'clock There's you don't have work the next morning. There's lines leaving the stadium It's like uh, you know, we expected that maybe they would be flat and and this and that but we owe

We owe it more as fans to come in here, to let that happen. And honestly, I just feel like we're selling out. I feel like that we're placing out the real fans coming in here because, I mean, who is coming in here on a divisional game and leaving in the seventh inning? I don't care what's going on It's like man like like we're losing our identity at home, too That's huge in the playoffs man, and that's the biggest thing that we're talking about don't sell the tickets don't sell tickets Don't let the Mets take over, but I mean come on guys like Dominic it didn't feel like there were that many Mets fans now, but at the same time. I mean, come on guys, like... How did we even get to the Dominic? It didn't feel like there were that many Mets fans here.

No, but at the same time, I mean, they gotta give you a reason to believe. I know, I know. I mean, they weren't coming back tonight. No, they definitely weren't. You're kidding me? I mean, listen, I... There were some people mad about it, and, you know... And I, like, holistically agree. Like, still at the end of a playoff game, you know, it's a playoff game. You never know what can happen. I mean, we just saw the Mets come back from 2-0 in the ninth and win that game. But I do agree

with you in the sense that sitting there watching a playout, I had no hope. I did not in any way shape or form believe that they were going to come back. And that's tough, man. I was actually mad that they scored a run. I know. I was like, can we just end this? I was mad at them. Nick Castellanos on the Phillies offensive struggles I feel like from the first inning to the seventh inning it was really hard to see the baseball I think on both sides. What do we have? Three hits in the first seven innings? What are we doing? I know. Like what are you doing man? It'd be one thing if you never look like that ever

What are we doing here? This is the same thing in the playoffs again Let's go to California and talk to Brie. Hey Brie How's it going guys? First of all, I gotta say the people that are blaming Rob Thompson and saying that Zach Wheeler should have went Past a hundred eleven pitches is crazy to me, right? Like you don't push your starting pitcher on your first post-season game, especially when you know your bullpen is fresh, right? We had the buy and you expect those guys to show up.

And so I just, unbelievable. It's just being mad to be mad at something rather than just blaming players. And we do this far too often. It's not to make this into the Eagles, but it's happening with the Eagles too. I mean, I don't know why we can't, it's okay. The players let them down tonight.

It is what it is. Exactly. And I hate to say this because I love this team so much in this core, but I just generally don't think they have what it takes, right? We've seen it in the past couple of years. The players don't show up when we need them the most. And I hate the fact that we didn't make any moves or any significant changes, right, at the post, at the trade deadline.

And to think that this team, you're gonna roll it out as it is year after year and think you're gonna get a different result is literally the definition of insanity. They won't. They won't. I don't think they will after this year. But to your point, good call. Like, I do think that, you know, this is something Elliott has said to us a lot, where he's like,

this team might just be front runners. And it does feel- Front runners, but also have to be underdogs. But that's what I mean. It's like, yeah, going into it, but when they're up, when they're winning, the big homer games, all that stuff, but it does feel like they don't have any dog in them. This team feels like they have no fight, no dog. If you can knock them down, guess what? They ain't getting back up. And that's a bad spot to be as a baseball team.

Yeah, and that's a mentality thing. Totally. It's resiliency. It's toughness. And I think we feel that. I think we all feel that. We definitely feel that. Especially we've said this a million times on the pod over the years and just talking baseball it's

like that's a hallmark of good teams. When I think about the great teams I've seen over my lifetime watching baseball like every single one of them wasn't out of a baseball game. It was like well they've still got out so you know what they have a chance. Like with this team it feels like I don't care how many outs they have left if they go down it's like well that was fun. Yeah and that's not who they were the first two and a half months of the season you always feel like they're gonna come back. Toronto game is the only game in the second half of the season where they surprised us with that it feels like. Yeah I mean the Shorbert Grand Slam game

yeah there was there's a couple but but for the most part yeah they just kind of there's there's a lot of nights where they just roll over and And don't put together the right kind of at bats and it's it's just infuriating For the kind of talent they have in that lineup to to consistently do that kind of and have those kind of performances like Kevin long, whatever. Maybe he's maybe he's not very good anymore. Maybe his peak was the 2019 Nats. It's just shocking. Now, does it make you feel any better or worse that the Royals are beating the Yankees and the Padres are up 3-0 in the first already? It makes me feel worse because then it's like, oh God, this buy thing maybe is like a thing

and they're not going to get any better. Except for Cleveland. Except for Cleveland. You just handle business. Yeah. Well, I just, yeah. Yeah. I just, they don't, the biggest thing that we always keep coming back to is really just the grind out

type of it that's. And they don't do it enough. And they didn't, they did a good job of it in 2022. But even 2022, it was a lot of power driven for sure. But you had a guy like of it in 2022 but even 2022 it was it was a lot of power driven for sure but you had a guy like Segura in there. Yep. You had a guy like Segura who put the bat on the baseball and and obviously he's not the key to everything but that should be Bryson Stott that should be Trey Turner that should be Alec Baum that they that should be Brandon Marsh. It should be Brandon Marsh but

Johan Rojas I just It's a really disappointing unit. It's an incredibly disappointing unit. And if this doesn't turn around and they don't show up tomorrow, they're gonna get smoked. I mean, they're gonna get the brunt of letting down and blowing a World Series opportunity. I mean, it's as simple as that.

As simple as that. Yeah, and especially with, you know, after the last two years to regress, a World Series opportunity. I mean, it's as simple as that. As simple as that. Yeah. Yeah. And especially with, you know, after the last two years to regress, if they regress year by year, where this would be, you know, from the World Series, the NLCS, the NLDS, and with the expectations where they were. And to your point, like, with the way these guys freaking talked, like with the way they've talked this week before this game, it's just like just like like if you guys can't find it in you to Fight and to grind in this situation

Then I will never listen to a word you say like that ever again like anytime you say well We're gonna do this or that I'm like no you're not like you're not like until you prove it to me I can't believe what you say Fun times great times. All right Thank you. They're gonna win tomorrow. I do think they're gonna win tomorrow, but it's like, man, now they have to, and that's what it is.

I would love to see, I wanna see a desperate ball club tomorrow, and one of my biggest fears is they went on career control, they had it for the first two and a half months, they were like, we should calm down a little bit and they can't regain it again yeah that's my fear because they have not gotten back to it like they obviously stabilized and weren't you know after the midseason lull they were a better team and they had some winning streaks and you know they but

like they never got back to that they were all just preparing for this moment there were all it preparing for this moment. They were all, it was every decision they made was about October. And then you go and lay a stinker like that. I mean show up tomorrow. Show up tomorrow and prove you are a great baseball team and have some testicular fortitude. That's all I want. Well said. I think that's all I want. Well said.

I think that's a good spot to leave it. Geez. Thank you to everyone who called in. Thank you to Luke, producing the show back in the studio. And thank you to Tucker, hanging out with us all game. And TK, who saved the show. And TK, who saved the show. And we'll be up next.

If you're on the line now, Tom Kelly is coming up next. Stay there. He'll be talking Phillies, taking your calls. As it's a night to vent, and tomorrow we're back at it. Tomorrow we'll be here two o'clock. Yeah. Pre-game show, calls tomorrow. They will win tomorrow.

They have to. They better. Well, they don't have a choice. They better. All right. We'll talk to you guys later. Here's for it's themselves.