High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Phillies Split Double-Header, Win Series vs Braves

Episode Date: May 30, 2025

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies splitting Thursday's doubleheader against the Braves and we hear from Rob Thomson as he gives an update on Bryce Harper's elbow after he sat out both games. Presented by Miller Lite To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com 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

Are you ready to dive into the story stats and personalities that make baseball the greatest game in the world? Rob Bradford from the Baseballs & Boring Podcast here, and we'll have you covered every day with podcasts that bring you closer to the action. From the bleachers to the clubhouse, whether you're a diehard fan or just a casual observer, these conversations are aimed to educate, entertain, and most importantly, inform you. Follow the Baseballs and Boring podcast in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. Oh, welcome on in. It is the final out. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Thursday night as we react to what was a really good series for the Phillies. Tonight, absolutely sucked. There's really not like too much to fully break down of game two of this double header.

Zach Wheeler didn't have it. Offense didn't show up. Chris Sayles was great. Bang, that's it. Buzz, you got the rest of the final out. I'm just kidding. There's a lot to get to. As always, if you're leaving the ballpark,

we'd love to hear from you at 215-592-9494. A lot to react to on what was a, again, an overall good day for the Phillies and a good series win for the Phillies. The game wrap up is sponsored by Roto-Rooter. When playing problems hit, wrap them up quick sponsored by Roto-Rooter. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto-Rooter. Their team tackles clogs and leaks,

so you can stay in the game. Roto-Rooter, your MVP for plumbing solutions. Again, 215-592-94-94. If you're on your way home or you sat at home, and I actually watched one outside. I didn't sit on the couch. Usually I sit here, I'm like, yeah I watched one on the couch. We brought out the outdoor TV for this one now

I know what you're thinking. It's like, oh man, Jack has a TV set up in his out in his outside It's probably attached to the wall. He's probably a cable hooked up to it Absolutely not Absolutely not I had to go down in my basement get a TV and plug it in like real. I mean that's that's pretty old school It's not these these real redneck stuff It's exactly right bus a blue-collar fritz as they are many are calling me around around these parts. So Overall, you know a lot to get into These two games today and we'll get into it now

With the biggest takeaways the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury law firm and Tonight was not great. Zack Wheeler not great clearly didn't have his best stuff. It's funny. He set his career high scoreless streak and then almost immediately Career high scoreless streak and then almost immediately imploded after that Chris sale was was pretty damn dominant They were down a lot of guys in the bullpen after having to use them in game one Glad you went for it in game one. You need to at least ensure yourself a series win and it didn't happen Tonight in game two the lineup was a spring training esque type lineup I like I saw the lineup, you know

Right at the end of Ike spike and fritz and said kind of feels like a loss hopefully Wheeler can get put together some kind of master class and it's not but the Looking at the lineup heading into a game where you know, the Braves are desperate another ten and a half out Just didn't feel like a spot for the fills, but I'm not letting it Cloud what was a really good series by this team now bullpen in game one I think is definitely a a cause for concern and we'll get to more on that in a little bit, you know strong not great Romano like a walking the tightrope in the ninth Kirk ring was good he allowed inherited run, but overall was fine. And you know, I just, I think we still have this Braves fear and, and that maybe

it had just died or should have just died last year. I don't have this, this big fear of waking the Braves up. I think the Braves and and whatever run They'd win on obviously winning the World Series and and now 22 was really good 23 is really good They won a lot of games, but ultimately fell against our fight ins I watched that Braves team for the last three games and obviously The series earlier in the year and like whenever I can just check in on them. I think they're done. I don't see it. Starting staff wise

unfortunately looks like Smith Schaver is now going to be down. You know Strider is just coming back from injury. That's fine. Okunya obviously is still Ron Okunya. They're starting like Luke Williams at shortstop. Luke Williams? Eli White is in the outfield? Michael Harris is at a really down year. I know some people were picking him as a possible MVP candidate before the season. But that team, they don't have, I don't have this traditional Braves fear.

Like usually when I watch Phil's Braves, I exit that thinking, man, the Braves just have something over the Phillies, especially in the regular season. Now, in the postseason, I don't know what happens. All of a sudden the Phillies are like, yeah, we're your daddy. But during the regular season, these games are excruciating against the Braves because it feels like they always get the big hit. They're going to hit the big home run. And yeah, congratulations, Austin Riley. You get the big hit. They're gonna hit the big home run and yeah congratulations Austin Riley, yeah, you kill the Phillies knock yourself out

But I really feel like watching watching Phillies Braves this year and most of last year that these are two ships passing in the night and we might have seen the best of the Braves and I think we're about to head into a Phil's Mets kind of two-headed run here for for the division for the next For the next bit here, like I don't think the Braves are gonna fall flat on their face. I don't think they're gonna be terrible, but I see more 83 to 87 88 wins more than the 95 to 100 that we had seen over the last couple of years. I get the Phillies lost game too.

I get the hit around Zach Wheeler. I get the Chris Sayles great. But top to bottom, I just don't, I don't think the Braves are in the Phillies class. I really don't. That's a surprising feeling to have because of the amount of respect to have for the Braves and the Braves organization. That hurts to say, but I really, I think they're, they've been a well-run team, but I just don't see it. I don't see it anymore. I don't have

that, that big Braves fear of, oh, here they come. I think that that run might be over to him five five nine two 9494 the other big takeaway obviously is Wheeler now the pitching report is Brought to you by the plumbers Union local 690 Protecting the health of the nation visit plumbers 690 org 107 pitches they had to I mean they kind of had to keep throwing them out there because the bullpen wasn't exactly Well rested in the game is kind of within reach but You know Wheeler surpasses his scoreless streak of 24 some innings scoreless and

It immediately went downhill after that. I didn't think his stuff looked horrible I guess he didn't have the same command of his fastball that he Traditionally has he left that one splitter up to Albies and and he didn't miss it. I don't know I'm not I'm not gonna freak out about Zach Wheeler. He's had some blow-up starts this year He had some blow-up starts last year he's off to I think the best start of his Phillies career so far this year and Games like tonight happen it stinks, but Zach Willard's me fine So and then final takeaway here before we go to

the phones is we can finally put an end to Retaliation watch there's no retaliation Trey got hit so you know and again, they're taking shots at our players. They took down Edmundo in game one. But all the angst and the conversation and the blood thirst the last couple of days here on WIP seems like it was all for naught. And I got to be honest, I'm disappointed.

Now, when it got to six nothing, even four nothing, it was probably over. If you wanna talk about the unwritten rules of baseball, if you throw it at someone when you're down four, four plus runs late enough in a ball game, and when it got to six, it got to eight, believe me, I was getting texts, I was getting tweets. Yeah, it's time to plunk someone.

No, it's not. You don't do it when you're getting your ass kicked. It makes you look weak. So, no retaliation. I guess we'll have to wait until August. Maybe when Jose Alvarado is back, since he's not pitching in the postseason, throw him out there and see how it goes but no

retaliation by the Phil's no one plunked no one threw inside No benches clearing brawl. So What has happened to our great game? What has happened to this to this once once proud sport? All right on the other side the Phillies have made a trade What could it mean? Plus we'll get to the player of the game and your phone calls here on sports radio 94 wdwip Welcome back. It is the final out sports radio 94 wdwip Jack Fritz hanging out with you reacting to a bummer of a nightcap but overall a

Jack Fritz hanging out of the reacting to a bummer of a nightcap but overall a Fine fine series is that as the 13th series win. I believe by the Phillies so far this year. I Think percentage-wise they still have the best record in baseball second year in a row on May 29th They have the best record in baseball not gonna lie sends a cold shiver down my spine But I guess it's better than then being bad at this point of the year So either way Phil's take two or three from the Braves they beat up now I just want to make sure we're I just want to keep track of this The brace they that does that count as a good series win Are they a good team or the Philly still beating up on tomato cans?

I just want to make sure we're on tomato can watch here with the Philly series wins. Now, I don't know if this is breaking news worthy, but the Phillies have made a trade for a lefty reliever named Josh Walker. Now, he is on the 40 man roster, so he has a little bit of major league experience. He was pitching in Toronto's AAA and I guess he's been up and down between the Blue Jays

and AAA. Now, his ERA with the Blue Jays, a crisp 7.2. His ERA in the International League, just above six. So they have like no, for as good as the Iron Pigs are, and as we've documented many times here in the final, and on the Hi-Os podcast, deepest Iron Pigs team of our lives, they are a wagon. But they had like no lefties coming out of the bullpen. So maybe, I'm sure he has decent stuff if he's played in the big leagues.

Can't say I have much on Josh Walker. The one thing I find interesting on it is I felt like watching Strom the last couple times out is whether or not he's dealing with dead arm, is whether or not he's dealing with dead arm, whether or not he's a little bit hurt, I don't know, but the stuff looks flat, especially his fastball. And if his fastball is 92, but has some of the backspin that he can usually generate and make his 92 look like 96 because of how efficient he is with his mechanics

and he's able to spin the ball in a certain way. Okay. But 92 without having that stuff, maybe with dealing with some dead arm, that's a hittable pitcher. And what I saw earlier today and for really the last, I don't know, five or six times he's been out there, he's just looked way, way, way more hittable and the most hittable that we've seen during his time with the Phillies. So when I saw them trade for a lefty reliever, my first immediate thought is whether or not Strom's okay. Now it could easily be, hey,

we just want some kind of depth piece that has some interesting metrics and maybe we can want some kind of depth piece that has some interesting metrics and maybe we can get some some more out of them. 100% could be the case but like watching Strom tonight and and this last little stretch has reminded me of when they put Nola on the IL with the ankle injury. So again we'll kind of see from that standpoint he certainly does not have interesting numbers at all he's gotten kind of shelled but You know that they need some lefties

Especially if they don't want to put one of their starters in the rotation or starters in the bullpen If Strahm's not a hundred percent banks goes down, they are, I mean, there's just not much out there and they certainly don't have much in the, with the iron pigs, mostly righties with them. All right, let's go to the phones. Jason in Swedesboro, a call that I promise cannot be about Jaylen Hertz. What a pleasure on this, this Thursday night, brother. What's up Jack? It's been a while. How you been? Good, man. What's going on?

You know, I've been watching the Phil, listening to the Phil's because you've actually been playing a lot when I'm working, so it's been pretty nice. And I just gotta say, I agree with you with the Braves thing. I haven't felt fear in the Braves since like, I don't know, since they won the World Series. I don't know, like even even the next year like it felt like something was just not the same because we beat them the following year in the playoffs right yeah well they beat them in 22 in the playoffs and 23 in the playoffs now that they did win a hundred games I believe in both of those seasons so I mean they're definitely still good but something about the last two years man they they don't feel like

the same the I don't feel like the same, the, the, I don't have the same fear that I certainly used to have. I, you know, I think the past two years is, is lacking Freddie Freeman. I think, you know, Matt Olsen's great. I don't think Matt Olsen, you know, like a average guy or anything. I think it's just them missing Freddie Freeman. I don't know. It just, it doesn't feel like the Braves that I was like a bit worried about, but I mean, like I said, even after they won the World Series, they came into CBP and stuff like that, I was never really that worried about the Braves beating us in the playoffs.

I called the afternoon show those years and I, I, I ranted about how the Braves weren't going to beat us because I, I, I just, I'm always more scared of the New York teams because I know for some reason Philly gods hate us and want us to lose the New York teams because I know for some reason Philly gods hate us and want us to lose to New York teams a lot more than any other rival team we have So I guess the Braves have always been that like backburner rival race for like the Phillies anyway Yeah, well, and I appreciate the phone call man. They they It's funny because you go down there. I feel like they never win at Churus Park in the regular season.

I think that usually creates the fear of the Braves. But yeah, I mean, heading into the playoffs, there was this almost calm feeling when facing them. It was really strange. Now Jason brought Freddie Freeman, and I would love to believe that the sports gods are looking down upon the Braves for what they did there. Because they don't frankly deserve to win

after what they did to Freddie Freeman, who should have been a brave for life. He should still be killing the Phillies. Freddie Freeman should have retired a brave for life. He should still be killing the Phillies. Freddie Freeman should have retired a brave. But you know what they did is the Braves got cute. And they thought, well, let's trade for a guy that's a couple years younger. Freddie Freeman getting up there in age.

We got the World Series. It's the right time to move on. And they let that guy walk. And so far, he's won a World Series out in Los Angeles. I mean, he's close to erasing his entire memory as a brave. The home run last year off of Nestor, he's hitting like 350 something right now for the Dodgers. He's still a machine.

Meanwhile, the guy they traded for, listen, he had 54 home runs a couple years ago great great Sitting 230 something now. It doesn't look it looks like a shell of his former self so For what the Braves did to Freddie Freeman. This is what they deserve It's just what they deserve two one five five night to 94 94 to check in before handing things off to Ashlyn Sullivan We'll get to a look ahead to tomorrow on the weekend plus All of Rob Thompson's answers postgame on the Bryce Harper situation. What did a Rob Thompson say?

Don't miss that coming up next here on the final out on sports radio 94 WIP Welcome back. It is the final out sports radio 94 WIP Jack Fritz hanging out with you for the next couple of minutes before handing things off to Ashlyn Sullivan just take it through the rest of the night here on the station Lot to react to no more retaliation talk. It's a fun. It was a fun 24 talk. It was a fun 24, what was it, like 30 some hours there here. Just all the the fired upness of wondering if the Phillies are gonna hit a brave. I mean come on, that's what this station was built on. So this weekend, interesting

stuff. Brewers coming into town now, lot of buzz about a reunion with Reese Hoskins. Some haters are out there saying it's a casual fan take. Some people are out there saying WIP hosts don't wanna learn any new players, which I think is just blasphemous. The Reese Hoskins to the Phillies thing, if it ever came to it, if the Brewers fell out of contention, it makes a lot of sense from a lot of certain aspects. Now Bryce Harper

said multiple times that he will go back to the outfield if there was a short-term solution to someone to, or short-term fix, and that short-term fixes is someone playing first base like a big right-handed bat now Reese's power numbers aren't what they've been Obviously, you know like the 30 home run stuff He's he's a guy like eight on the year, but he is hitting like 290 with a four close to a 400 OBP I mean adding that as a patient right-handed bat certainly wouldn't hate it so Defensively, I know people like well, he's a butcher. He's a butcher. He's a butcher. I talked to some people and he's

He's still not like great, but there's been improvements from that aspect Would there be a decrease in in defense putting putting a reason first base over Bryce? Yes I I believe so, but I think on the whole it would make the Phillies better You put Bryce in the outfield instead of Max Kepler if you keep Max Kepler as a bench bat Maybe he gets in there at one of the other spots, you know Could could give pop late off the bench could turn to like Jeff Jenkins from the 08 team. I that could give pop late off the bench, could turn into like Jeff Jenkins from the 08 team. I think he's gonna end up being a serviceable player,

but if I have a chance to get Reese, put Bryce in the outfield, and all of a sudden that's the configuration of the lineup, could they give away some runs with Reese playing first base? Sure, but I just think the upside of adding him to the lineup would make the Phillies as a whole that much better so again

Will it happen? No idea. He he's on the final year of a deal. There's a mutual option after the year They could buy him out for four million dollars or they could you know, run with it for another year if they wanted Let's say it works out. They win the World Series fantastic, but The Brewers have won four straight and they're now back over 500. They've been a good team for the last couple years There it's hard to envision them completely falling out of it. But again, they're a team that that doesn't love spending money They're playing paying Reese a semi decent penny So again, I think it'd be I think it's an interesting idea to possibly make the offense better

You know the offense is gonna be the sticking point I think for a lot of people throughout this season. Adding a guy that that can hit one out of the stadium, hit a home run, get on first base, via walk, work a good at bat, putting that in the middle of lineup and bumping everyone down a spot. It's pretty enticing. Now some other names, I don't think they would move Trevor McGill, but he has two years left after this year. One of the better relievers in baseball, he's a legit legit legit closer if they wanted to go that route. It probably cost a pretty penny, but at the same time he's 31 years old, so he's getting a little bit up there in age. Jared Koenig is a lefty who has opened games for them, but if they're looking for a pure Alvarado replacement, again,

he's got a couple of years of control left, but really interesting stuff. And then DL Hall, I don't think they would move, but he's been like a floundering ish type prospect of the last couple of years might've found something recently coming back from an injury He's another lefty Option out of the bullpen who I think might actually start starting for them I don't totally know but I've always loved his stuff for years So the Brewers again the Phillies have done a good job against them the last couple of years

Even when the Brewers have had better teams but just some interesting names as we inch closer to the trade deadline. Now on the mound for the Fills this weekend Walker, Lizardo and Ranger Rob Thompson said Nola you know it was a kind of a nondescript update on him. I think Walker is probably gonna make two more two more starts and then they'll get Aaron Nola back in there. is probably gonna make two more, two more starts and then they'll get Aaron Nola back in there. So yeah, that's kind of the latest on Aaron Nola was able to throw a bullpen and it's still not perfect but it seems like it's trending in the right direction but still I don't think they're in a rush to get him back out there and they want to make sure he's 100% before he takes them out. All right before we get out of here, here is what Rob Thompson said earlier Just probably about a half hour ago about Bryce Harper what his current situation is like

Don't know a lot check him out in the morning I think so, but there's still some swelling in there and he's still got some pain. So we want to knock that out before we Before we run him out there because he's gonna change the swing and you know, it's could lead to a lot of problems No How concerned are you about Bryce? I Mean he's gonna miss a few games I would think

moving forward I don't know we'll check it out tomorrow but I don't I don't think it's gonna be it's not an IHAL or anything like that not at this point. Yeah it doesn't make me feel exactly great you know there's been a couple times in the recent past year with the Phillies where they say yeah it's not gonna be an IL stint and then all of a sudden he's they say, yeah, it's not going to be an IL stint. And then all of a sudden he's on the IL. Hope that's not the case. Hopefully he's just kind of, maybe

he's just saying things and saying things. At the beginning it seemed like, OK, maybe, earlier today he was saying that he's probably not going to be available for game one, maybe game two. And then there he says he's probably going to miss a couple of games so again hopefully he's in the lineup tomorrow but after hearing that answer I don't think so I don't think he's gonna be in the lineup tomorrow so

and I just hope that they they avoided an IELTS stint here but either way I guess we'll have to see I guess we'll have to see if he is in the lineup tomorrow. But that's going to do it for me. Thanks to Buzz Wilson for producing this one. Again, Ashlyn Sullivan is coming up next. She'll take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.