High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Give One Away To Reds

Episode Date: April 2, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' 6-3 loss to the Reds in 10 innings. 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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Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Monday afternoon. If you're leaving the ballpark or you're watching at home, join on in, 215-592-9494. As always, a lot to react to in an annoying night down at Citizens Bank Park. The wrap-up is sponsored by Blauser, Swiss Lube and Crevits, the metal-working fluid specialists providing professional CNC machine cleaning, Yeah, annoying game tonight. One that, frankly, they should have won. I mean, they should have won that ballgame tonight,

but like what has happened in early seasons over the last couple years, they find a way to lose it. The Reds aren't terrible. They're also not good. They're certainly not like the Braves that we saw over the weekend, but my biggest takeaway of the game and really biggest takeaways from the game

is brought to you by Morgan & Morgan America's largest injury firm. My biggest takeaway from the game is that they didn't deserve to win that. We'll get to the decision in extra innings, but to me that's not the big story. The big story for me tonight is Stock getting picked off after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh.

Can't happen, especially in a game that's tight late. Rojas getting picked off second base after one out. in a game that's tight late. Rojas getting picked off second base after one out. And in that situation, I don't really get the blame of Rob Thompson in that situation. You know, it's Kyle Schwarber. He gets to second base. You have a chance to bring him home on a single to the outfield or whatever.

You pretty much always put out speed for a slower runner in that situation. Had they known the game's going to extra innings, of course you would rather not have Johan Rojas out there. But when you're trying to score a run late, you want speed out there. Johan Rojas getting picked off in that situation is egregious. Where are you going? Where are you going? What are you trying to do? And it's just these kind of things are so frustrating.

You had Castellanos getting thrown out the other day trying to leg a single into a double. Stott is a smart baseball player. For that to happen is just stupid. And Rojas late in the game, it's a tie ball game. You're in there to do one job. You cannot get picked off on second base. But they've just been a horrible, horrible base running team over the last couple years. And Bryce has a lot of blame in that. He's an over-aggressive runner. But it's little things like this that add up in the regular season for the most part it

hasn't killed them in the postseason but my gosh early in the year coming off of being in clear water and all we hear about is we're cleaning up the little things and we're gonna win at the margins and we're gonna you know really emphasize getting off to a hot start. Losing like this, it's obviously not the end of the world. They're 1-3. But it's just when you emphasize the hot start and then little things like this on a team that really didn't go out and add big pieces, they pretty much banked on the guys that are here

being able to come through and outperform last year. This little stuff, it can't happen. This is what you're supposed to be doing in spring training. You're supposed to be cleaning this stuff up. But really, it's been the last, I don't know, four years of this. So, you know, you have the base running mistakes. I thought it didn't end up coming back to bite them, but I thought it was dumb that they had infield in

in the inning with Jeff Hoffman where you have a runner on third and you take yourself out of a double play up the middle. Like, 2-2 is fine there, but the wrong scenario happened where the ball got through and then all of a sudden it's runners on first and second with no outs i believe and like hoffman was able to pitch his way through it because jeff hoffman's really good but even that situation it didn't come back to totally

bite them like it would have been 2-2 regardless but i didn't understand being infield in and like the overall takeaway here is the offense just shut down again after the first inning. And we've seen this a lot in the regular season over the last couple years, where they score some runs early, and they kind of just pack it in. And through the first four games of the season, they went three, four, five runs a game in the Brave series, and three tonight against, again, the Reds pitching staff. Andrew Abbott's

a decent pitcher. He shows some stuff tonight, but he's a four maybe. So the offense has been the more disappointing portion of the beginning of the season. And that's my big takeaway from the game tonight is just stupid baseball. And this kind of stuff just frustrates us beyond belief.

I don't think it's Connor Brogdon. We'll get to him in a second. But the offense has been disappointing coming out here. And just lack of situational awareness. They've got to be smarter. They've been in too many big games over the last two years for this stuff to keep happening. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94

to get in. Other big takeaways. Brogdon obviously can't be here. I know they're down Kirkering. I know they're down some pieces in the bullpen, but my gosh, Guy's just not a big league pitcher. He just exudes no confidence on the

mound I mean a couple years ago he was really intriguing from the standpoint of 97 on his fastball to that change up and it's like okay there's something here but now it's 92 it looks like he has no confidence on the mound and the he came in, you kind of had a feeling that game was over. And, like, there's a couple things that I think go into the Brogdon thing. Shouldn't be here, but, you know, they have some injuries right now that they're kind of dealing with. Like Rob Thompson said, postgame, Nick Nelson had a pitch in seven days. I know people are going to be clamoring for Sir Anthony

or maybe Soto or someone in that spot. And while I hear you, I'm not doing three straight days in the first four games of the season. It stinks they lost. No, Brogdon shouldn't be in there. The fact that Brogdon is pitching three of the four games is probably not the best start to the season. But I'm not putting guys out there three games in a row for a win over the Reds on April 1st. Like I'm just not doing it.

So if you're mad at Rob Thompson for that, so be it. I'm not, I just, it's too early in the season. I not, not doing that. So,

you know, I know people are now mocking the MLB.com tweet or about the Phillies having the number one bullpen in baseball. Well, Connor Brogdon in two in innings of pitch, has allowed two home runs. He's walked six. Every other reliever out there has only allowed one home run. So he's allowed seven runs of his own and three inherited runners in three games out of the four. So while I get it, I think outside of Strom

in game one and Alvarado in game one, Sir Anthony not great on Sunday. The bullpen's been mostly fine, but the righties in the bullpen are definitely a big concern right now because you

have Hoffman who you trust, can't run him into the ground Sir Anthony they have to use and they have to get right looked good in spring so far in the season has looked just okay Junior Marte flashed something tonight but I I'm not in the mindset of okay Marte is one of my guys but he kind of has to be and then it it's Brogdon. I mean, that's it right now of the righties out of the bullpen. Hoffman's a stud. I mean, showing it again, but he's pitching a ton

early in the season. They've got to get Sir Anthony right. Maybe Junior Marte has a breakout here. And then there's Brogdon and Nick Nelson, who Nick Nelson is really just here to replace Dylan Covey. So, like, Kirkering is on the I.L., so he can't come out for a little bit. Kirkering getting back

really changes the mix out there. Like, if Marth can replace Brogdon, and he can put Kirkering in the Sir Anthony kind of role, or going with Sir Anthony, not replacing him, but that being in the mix, the righties in the bullpen, they gotta fix some things. Maybe if they want to send Brogdon down,

you bring up Mercado. He's already in the 40-man roster. They pumped him up a good amount in spring. Jose Ruiz, I know they liked a lot out of spring training. They would have to remove someone from the 40-man to bring him up. But they got to get someone up here because he's just not good. He's just not good enough anymore. And the second he came into the ballgame tonight, I think we all kind of felt that.

2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94 to get in if you're leaving the ballpark. And my final big takeaway, I mean, Bryce is just missing. I got 0-4-11 to start the year, not great. He's hit some balls really hard. You know, Andrew Abbott made a good play tonight. Saturday, Matt Olsen stabbed the ball at first base. He is hitting the ball hard, but he's also just missing some of these. There's been a couple times, again, even in extra innings tonight,

94 down the middle, missing it. There's been a couple times tonight where he fouled a ball straight back, just missing it. Bryce is a timing guy. When his timing's off, he gets a little bit out of whack, and he goes into these stretches. The good news is he seems like he's close. Hopefully the back injury, hopefully the fall on Saturday doesn't, you know,

it doesn't have lingering effects here. But I'm not obviously pressing the panic button on Bryce. I think he's just missing, and I think we've got to trust that he's a timing guy. As soon as he gets into more of a rhythm here, again, he missed about a week and a half of spring training, came back, played in the last, what, two games down there, had a couple more days off, came back, played the first two games of the season, injured his back, whatever, had a scheduled day off for game three of the season,

and is now kind of getting into the swing of things. So frustrating, yes. Hitting the swing of things. So frustrating, yes. Hitting the ball hard, some bad luck, yeah. But he's just missing. And I think Bryce Harper is definitely close to being back. But definitely a frustrating one tonight down at Citizens Bank Park. Let's go to the phones. Mike's in Westchester.

What's happening, Mike? Hey, what's going on, Fritz? Good to be back, first off. Second off, just a classic April Phillies game there. Vintage, Mike. Absolutely vintage. You get off to a 2-0 start. The boys are showing some signs of life.

And then you just toss it into cruise control for eight and a half innings. And then Connor Brogdon comes in the game with, you know, one of the more expected grand slams in Philadelphia Phillies history. Let me just say this quickly about Connor Brogdon. Get ready to learn about Iron Pigs baseball, buddy, because you should be banished to the Lehigh Valley and never come back because I can't deal with a 2-0, 90-mile-per-hour fastball down the middle again in extra innings.

How about walking the ballpark after that? Oh, yeah. I love the courtesy two strikeouts after the grand slam. That made me feel so much better, too. Oh, yeah. I mean, he's throwing like Devin Williams screwballs after that, looking unbelievable. But I'll just say this, and I think we'll be fine.

Sanchez looked great. Harper, of course, we'll get it together. And I'm not going to kill Dombrowski because I knew we weren't going to sign a big free agent or anything like that. But why not a Phil Maton or a Hector Neris or even a David Robertson that could have taken that inning? And I know Kirkering's hurt. But why not throw them $3.5 million just to have a little more depth in Luis Ortiz and Conor Brogdon on opening day? It's a little frustrating. We'll get it together, as we always do.

But what a loved, a little bit of a hotter start that they said themselves they'd get going to. But good stuff, Rich. I'll talk to you again soon. Appreciate the call, Mike. Yeah, I'm with him. You know, I wanted one more option out in the bullpen. I do think they have some guys coming.

I think Mercado, he showed stuff in spring. Jose Ruiz, they've talked up a little bit here. Obviously, you have the Griff McGarys, who they've just started transitioning into more of a bullpen beast. Kirkering, when he comes back. Hoffman, Sir Anthony, Kirkering, Marte should be pretty good for right-handed options out of the pen. It's just Brogdon's not a big leaguer.

It's as simple as that. I was surprised he made the roster, frankly. for right-handed options out of the pen. It's just Brogdon's not a big leaguer. It's as simple as that. I was surprised he made the roster, frankly. And it really does stink because he looked nasty a couple years ago in the World Series when he struck out Alvarez. He struck out Kyle Tucker. But he just lost it. He was 92 tonight. After the home run, he parked it up to 94.

Sweet. But he just doesn't have it. Some guys have it. Some guys don't. And he doesn't have it. But, man, a frustrating just doesn't have it. Some guys have it, some guys don't, and he doesn't have it. But, man, a frustrating night down at CBP. Take your takeaways coming up next, plus a bright spot tonight. Yes, it's not all doom and gloom.

We do have a bright spot to get into tonight, and a lot of your phone calls, a lot of your reaction. Get in now. It's the final out here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. 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

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or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. It is the Final Out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looked so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Monday night. I'll be back pretty much throughout the week on game days during the weeknights and actually I guess

during the week too with Ike and whenever Spike gets down here. But listen, I'm excited to be back on the final out. Hopefully it leads to more wins. Hopefully we don't get what we had tonight and hopefully they can just get freaking rolling here so people don't get what we had tonight and hopefully they can just get freaking rolling here so people don't get too much

pitchforks outside Citizens Bank Park. But yeah, it's just when they talk all offseason about getting off to a hot start and they talk about we want to chase down the Braves and the two-team race and it comes out like this, it's disheartening.

Losing to the Reds in that fashion, it's going to happen with some of these guys and some of the bullpen usage. But man, it's just, when the offense shuts down like they did, that's inexcusable. They had their quote-unquote A-line about there. They had Martian Stodham there against lefties.

Didn't really matter. And just to continue to have these little base running mistakes is beyond frustrating. Johan Rojas, if he can't even run the base as well, I know they believe in him. But what's he doing here? I think we've seen through the first weekend, I mean, it's a lot of balls into the ground. I appreciate beating out the double play the other day and helping lead the Phillies to a win there. But in that spot, bottom of the eighth, you're there to do one job. You take one of your best hitters out of the lineup. And by the way, Schwarber had a couple hits tonight. He had two singles.

Too many singles for me early for number 12. I need the ball flying out of the ballpark or strikeouts. Too many of these measly little singles. But you're in that spot. You're taking him out of a tie game because you're giving yourself a better chance to score there.

And Johan Rojas getting picked off, that's egregious. Stott, leadoff walk, picked off. Like, what are we doing? I appreciate being aggressive on the base pass. They've been aggressive on the base pass with just about everyone, even Schwarber. But got to be smarter. This is not winning baseball.

And if you listen to me on the final out, a lot of winning baseball talk. And there was a lot of points last year where that wasn't happening for some reason in the postseason they largely flip a switch and the winning baseball starts happening but in these kind of games where you give them away it's it's really frustrating now the one bright spot which is the pitch count which is sponsored by the plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation, visit plumbers690.org, is Christopher Sanchez. I thought Sanchez was brilliant. He is just morphing into a guy who I think that we trust

more often than we don't. He's kind of like Ranger, where he has this demeanor where he's never going to get too high, he's never going to get too low. He went five innings tonight, struck out eight. Things kind of fell apart in the fifth, and I do wonder, you know, he threw 85 pitches. Felt like they kind of stretched him a little bit because they knew they were down some arms in the bullpen.

And around the 75 to 80 pitch mark, Changeup just started really flattening out, and he just didn't have the feel for it anymore, but, you know, before that, he got on a roll there where it was pretty much good morning, good afternoon, good night. Changeup, you know, he throws it with such good arm motion that it's hard to square up off of 95. His velocity is definitely up a little bit. Looks like his fastball has a little bit more zip. And it didn't really cost him much command. I know early he had some command issues, but I thought he really rounded it in a form.

And I thought Christopher Sanchez was great. Two earned, eight strikeouts. A lot of that happened in that one inning where it kind of snowballed on them. Last year, they were very fast. I feel like they had a pretty quick hook with Christopher Sanchez, so maybe that 75 to 80 pitch mark is something to monitor. But again, I think with tonight's game and with some of the arms that were down in the bullpen, they kind of had to stretch them. But overall, I thought it was a positive first start for Christopher Sanchez, and good,

because I know one of his spring starts, he kind of got lit up by the Astros, but it was good to see a lot of what translated from last year to this year, I thought was really good. So a positive start for Chris Sanchez. We'll get to tomorrow, but with Tyrone Walker down, with some of the bullpen pieces down a step back from Chris Sanchez

just can't happen 215-592-9494 to get in to react to the game Dave's in Maryland what's happening Dave just a disappointing silly April loss a couple things that you think you mentioned

before when Hoffman came in the first batter he faced A couple things that I think you mentioned before. When Hoffman came in, the first batter he faced, he threw two sliders down and away. And then the next pitch, the guy had no chance. And the next pitch, they call an inside fastball and he hits a single. I just don't understand sometimes the pitch selection there. That guy was going to be in swing mode and possibly strike out, and you get yourself a one out in that situation. And then I think, like you said, the infield in that next batter

didn't come back to haunt him, but they're just making dumb decisions. Yeah, it didn't make much sense to me. Like, I don't know why you're playing for – did you not trust your offense enough in a 2-1 ball game to be able to score some runs against the Reds? It didn't come back to bite them, but it didn't make sense in the moment. I thought the pitching was fine, other than

Brogdon, obviously. The pinch running for Rojas, I don't like that, one, because in a 2-2 game, there's a possibility that Schwarber comes up again like he did. My next thing is I know you want to show faith in the kid, but there are three guys on the bench that have a better chance of getting a hit

than he does at that point of the game. And, you know, I feel like Rob Thompson has really had a rough four games and just some decisions. He had no – the Brogdon choice, that is what it is, and he just doesn't belong there. But, like, just, like, simple stuff like the infield in, like using Rojas as a pinch runner there and then not pinch hitting for him when you have a chance.

I mean, I know Stubbs is your only catcher available, but you're down three and you've got a righty lefty. It's got a better chance than Rojas getting a hit there. Yeah, I appreciate the call, Dave, and that's the life of a manager is the decisions you make come back to bite you. But the Rojas, they are showing a lot of faith in Rojas. And what annoyed me about the first weekend is like you know Brandon Marsh apparently we can't see him against lefties like can't hit him trust us

I know he started tonight but it kind of felt that way like had he not pinch hit on on Sunday then he would have sat two to three weekend weekend games after he had the home run on opening day. Meanwhile, Rojas plays all of them. And I know that they're trying to show faith in the kid. And I don't think you need to like totally bury him right now because he gets off to a slow start his first five games of the season. Same time, you know, it's not like he was lighting the world on fire in spring. Guy just might not be able to hit. And when he's doing things like getting picked off of second base, yeah. Again, you have to make winning plays if you're going to be out there.

And with him, that play, you're out there for one job, and he can't get picked off there. You're scoring on a single probably anyway. So, listen, it's a tough decision. It's one where I think if you don't pull Schwarber there, and he's still out there, and there's a ball up the middle, and he can't score on it, then we're killing Thompson for saying, why is Schwarber even out there?

He should have had a pinch runner out there. So it's a tough situation. You gamble, you take a chance, and I think you live with the decision to put him out there. I don't think it was a bad decision. You go for speed in that instance. If there's two outs, probably not,

but they were in a pretty good advantage situation, had some of the big boppers in the lineup coming up. You take a chance there in the eighth. And Rojas got picked off. It can't happen. 2-1-5-5-9-2. 94-94. Paul's in D.C.

What's happening, Paul? What's going on, Jack? You know, I'm just living another day of Philly's baseball. It's quite the start to the season. It's like game one. I'm so happy they're back. It's the the start of the season It's like game one I'm so happy they're back It's the greatest thing ever Philly's baseball

Here we are in game four And it's like god damn it Here we go again Yeah I thought moving to D.C. would Put me further away from the pain I experience When it comes to this But complete opposite But anyway

I have a two-parter for you. Me and my friends were talking. You know, obviously Brogdon blew up tonight, but, you know, we have a lot of questions about Seraphimi. Yeah. And that if we don't get a lot of what we saw from him in 22, you know, that really leads to your point, only Hoffman and Kirkering being your only trustworthy righties out of the pen.

I feel like this is going to come to a crossroads where Dave is basically going to have to end up training for another high leverage reliever at some point before the deadline. I just wanted to get your take on that. Maybe someone like Klasse. Yeah, and I appreciate the call, Paul. I mean, Klasse was someone who was linked to them in obviously spring training early in spring training by howard so you know he it's not like he just makes up stuff and we know the the guardians and how they operate in that front office now he is under contract already has an extension so it's not like they're buying out our beers or he has our beers

left because they bought that out with theiers or he has Arbiers left because they bought that out with the contract extension. I'll just be curious to see how he pitches at the beginning of the season. He slowly is starting to see some decline. But, yeah, I mean, again, the righties in the bullpen right now, because Kirk earnings down, it's Hoffman, Sir Anthony. Again, it hasn't been a good start to this season. I thought he looked really good in spring,

so I'm not totally giving up hope. He was at least hitting 99 over the weekend. I just think right now, he doesn't really have a feel for that changeup yet, and the slider's not biting. So hopefully he can get in a bit of a rhythm. But again, this is what he did all last year too. It was up, down, up, down.

And in the playoffs, he rounded in a form, and he had some clutch moments, but still, you didn't really know what you were getting. Marte is a wild card. You know, he's always had the arm. He's just never been able to command well enough. But tonight was a good step forward from that standpoint. So he's one, I guess, to monitor.

Like, listen, if they can turn Jeff Hoffman into what they've turned Jeff Hoffman into, I'll take a chance on another big-armed guy like Marte that maybe they can get right. And I do think that Kirk Green is on the IL, so we'll see when they can bring him up. It's not like they can't just bring him up tomorrow. Michael Mercado is a name to watch here. They talked him up a lot in spring,

had a pretty good weekend with Lehigh Valley. I think he's got big league stuff, and I think he at least gives you a shot. I just feel like Brogdon right now is essentially waving the white flag. 2-1-5, 5-9-0, 94-94. Continue to take your phone calls on the other side. But also, the player of the game, the play of the game, plus a look ahead to tomorrow.

All that's coming up next on the Final Out. Sports Radio 94 WIP. That's the play of the game sponsored by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo and mustard of the Phillies. And yes, not a positive highlight, but it's a play of the game. I mean, that's a crucial spot in the ballgame where the manager's taking

out one of his best offensive players and entrusting you in that spot to make a winning play. And what Johan Roas did was not that at all buzz tell me if that play didn't remind you a ton of when travis jankowski got picked off i mean it it looks like the exact same play i'm just gonna be proud of him if he makes it to the majors three more years i know i know he's and become a world series champion travis jankowski jankanko from Lanko. Yes, who could forget?

What a run. What a run. Welcome back. This is the Final Out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Monday night. The Mac Man. Jody Mac coming up next.

So excited to hear his take on the game tonight. A frustrating one down at CBP. Let's sneak in a phone call. Let's go to J-Bomb in Philly. What's happening, J-Bomb? Yo, what's going on? First time on the radio. Welcome in, pal.

How you doing? Oh, man, I'm not going to lie. I am super frustrated. But I do want to say there is some good, there's definitely some good things that came out of that game. Marsh's throw to home plate, that was pretty killer. starting to see a little bit more discipline from some of the guys cassie doesn't seem to be one of those guys never will be yeah and it's i know it's just brute form so much but he just can't do it no no yeah it's frustrating the thing that i the thing

that gets me the thing that amps me up and and I'm starting to notice a pattern, and people tell me I'm crazy. Maybe you will too, but I just notice this bad pattern with Topper when it comes to pitching. I mean, Game 6, World Series, pulls Wheeler out after letting up one run at a time. It kind of made sense. But you go back last year to playoffs, you got the Diamondbacks you put crimble in back to back and then you put kirkering in it doesn't work the first night so what do you do again you do the same thing thinking you're going to get a different result and opening day he pulls wheeler out and i get it it's early in the season but when a guy's cooking like that i don't know i might be old school but when a guy's cooking like that, you don't mess with it. What's your issue with

tonight? My issue with tonight is just putting Brogdon in in a game that's that close. I mean, I understand we're limited, we're hurting on, got guys on the injured list, but I mean, at this point, I would take a fan instead

of putting him out there. I mean, the other guy called in a little bit. He said he wants to see him back at Lehigh. I mean, like, that's nice to me. I want to see him back at, like, the Redding Phillies. I think that's honest to God. To be quite honest, I mean, they might cut him from the 40-man to add someone to it.

We'll see, but he can't be here tomorrow. No, that's what I said. He can't be an option. No, and I what I said. He can't be an option. No, and I made the joke, you know, my buddies, Twain are out there, but, like, if Topper keeps him on the roster like you just said, then I really got to start questioning his – Well, that's a Dombrowski decision, though, J-Bone. That's not Thompson.

That's true. That's fair. I mean, I guess when I say that, unfortunately, Topper just gets the brunt. It's just management has just made some, I mean, keeping the same team, not making any moves. It's like, all right. But, I mean, just starting to feel like there's some flags there coming from the front office.

All right, J-Bell. I got you, man. I appreciate the phone call. I think when Kirkering gets back, I think it'll calm a lot of things down. I know Kirkering by the end of last year, people were worried about him, but at the same time, I mean, the guy went five levels in a year. He's got the stuff. Hopefully the forearm strain, it was really just the flu that he was down with. They've seen the downplay, anything going on with the arm, but obviously when you see forearm strain, you start to get a little bit worried. I just think that when Kirkland gets back, and it can be him and Sir Anthony as some good right-handed options,

hopefully you can get Sir Anthony kind of going here. Hoffman is, I guess, I mean, Hoffman is probably an extension candidate at this point. Should be. He's in a walk year. So we'll see what happens there. But it's just so, it's just dire when it's those guys in the bullpen right now. The righties after Jeff Hoffman are just such question marks. I guess tonight you could have made the case, okay, you go to Nick Nelson. I know he struck out the last batter.

Is he someone that we all have a sudden trust now? There really wasn't someone there. I know people, more of the old school, these guys can't go three days in a row. It's April 1st. It's the fourth game of the season. It's annoying they lost. Not putting a guy out there for the third

day in a row just to beat the Reds on April 1st. Matt's in Haddon Township. What's happening, Matt? Hey, what's up, man? Thanks for taking the call. What do you got? I'm frustrated, man, like everybody else. I went to the game Saturday and it was miserable. I just want to say Connor Brogdon, he's garbage, man. They just need to cut him from the team. Why would you put a guy out there with the man automatically on second? they should have pulled him after he walked the first batter.

You can't do that. They have a three-batter minimum. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. But still, though, I mean, the guy's got a 20-earned run average. He's had a brutal start to the year, Matt. I appreciate the call. I mean, it's just been as simple as that. I mean, he's attributed to a...

I think he's allowed seven earned to start the season out of the bullpen or something like that. Maybe the stat's wrong, but it feels about right. He's allowed two home runs. He's allowed seven of his own and three inherited runners. It's freaking the fourth game of the season.

That's unbelievable. The Player of the Game, sponsored by South Jersey Gas Conserve, helping customers and the community save energy and money. Visit southjerseygas.com slash conserve. Player of the Game tonight is Spencer Steer. Obviously the big home run

off of Brogdon. He had the double earlier, 2 for 5, but the big blow was obviously the Grand Slam. Tomorrow, we'll see if it happens. We'll see if we get a ball game in tomorrow. I guess the good part is both teams are off Thursday, so they could theoretically push a game back if it does look not great.

It's Spencer Turnbull on the mound versus Graham Ashcraft. Ashcraft has some pretty good stuff. He hasn't totally put it together yet, but it's definitely intriguing. But Spencer Turnbull, again, I thought in the end of spring training, showed some stuff. You know, Tom Walker goes down. Frankly, I felt like Spencer Turnbull

was a better option than Tom Walker in the bullpen, or in the starting rotation. Tom Walker just doesn't do it for me anymore. I mean, 90 miles an hour, runs early. Hopefully, you wake up in the sixth inning and he a time of Walker just doesn't do it for me anymore. I mean, 90 miles an hour runs early. Hopefully, you know, you wake up in the sixth inning and he kept it to where it was.

You know, we'll see what Spencer, we'll see what time Walker looks like when he comes back from his injury. Rob Thompson said before the game that they're going to, you know, ramp them up here, take it nice and slow. Now they get a spring training ramp up and see what's going on there.

But I'm not exactly super optimistic when Tylan Walker gets back. Turnbull's relatively interesting. You know, a couple years ago, before his Tommy John, he was more 97 miles per hour on his fastball, more down to 93. He did flash a 95 mile an hour sinker against the Yankees. So they are kind of intrigued by that. But still, you know, they need someone to take down some innings with some of the bullpen issues they're having right now. And, you know, I would just sign up for basically what

Chris Sanchez did. Give me five and less than three runs from Spencer Turnbull. And if he can't do it, the name to continue to watch, I think, is Mick Abel. You know, I thought he showed some stuff in spring. They talked him up a good amount. So after a year where his prospect, Shine, kind of got taken down a little bit, showed some things in spring, pitched in the spring showcase, and could be an option here if Turnbull can't do it. But Slider looked pretty good in spring. Fastball looked pretty good in spring. And he's working on a curveball.

So he's coming back from Tommy John. Couldn't put it together last year with the Tigers. But there is some upside to Spencer Turnbull. And I'm kind of excited. There's kind of something exciting about seeing something new. But regardless, a frustrating night down at CBP. One

that they kind of gave away, but they also didn't really deserve to win it. And we'll see if Connor Brogdon is here tomorrow. I would be surprised, but you never know. Early in the season, all that good stuff. Either way, Jody Mack, he will take you through the rest of the night. Dan Wilson produced the final out. I'll be back tomorrow, if there is a final out, here on Sports Radio 94 WIB.