High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: The Celebration Gets Pushed Back A Day

Episode Date: September 20, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to Taijuan Walker's terrible outing and finds some positives in the Phillies' offense showing live in a loss to the Mets. 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

I'm going back to university for zero dollar delivery fee, up to five percent off orders and five percent uber cash back on rides. Not whatever you think university is for. Get uber one for students. With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student. Join for just $4.99 a month. Savings may vary. Eligibility and member terms apply. Looking for a collaborator for your career? A strong ally to support your next level success? You will find it at York University School of Continuing Studies Studies where we offer career programs purpose-built for you. Visit continue.yorku.ca Three, two, one, zero. The final seconds of the game separate true fans from the rest. The fans that are there for every victory, defeat, agony,

and ecstasy. And when the buzzer sounds, you deserve a Coke Zero Sugar. The one with irresistible taste and zero sugar. Win or lose, Coke Zero Sugar is the most refreshing way to end the game. Coke Zero Sugar, best Coke ever. Learn more at Cocaca-cola.ca Welcome on in it is the final out sports radio 94 Wip jack fritz hanging out with you here on this Thursday night As we react to once again keeping the the champagne on Well, yeah, I guess it's champagne They're not gonna go hard for making the postseason, but you get the point We will keep it on ice as the Phil's lose tonight in a true. I mean a true

Scheduled loss the final lap is always sponsored by a Regency furniture affordable never looked so good the game wrap-up sponsored by Crevice providing CNC machine cleaning services waste coolant removal and scrap metal systems designed for efficiency and lights out manufacturing crevice dot online or crevice.com one player in particular who was not designed for efficiency is Taiwan Walker and I mean Let's just get right into it the biggest is the game brought to you by Morgan & Morgan America's largest injury law firm Taiwan stinks like I mean, I don't it's not breaking news anymore to continue to

Yell about Taiwan is a bit of a fruitless exercise. He's a long man. He's not in the rotation I mean, he's he make mean he might make one more start, but ultimately it just doesn't matter. Honestly, just let Taiwan pitch after they, they're still going for the one or two seed, but just let them pitch the last week of the season. Save everyone, save everyone, make them earn that contract and just have them pitch every game.

I mean that sounds like a logical solution here, but he just thinks. The problem is they have no one else to put out there. And it's like, you see some of the criticisms, and it's like, Rob Thompson, Rob Thompson. It's like, what are we doing here? I don't know when critical thinking became so hard when it comes to situations like this.

They have no one else. They tried Colby Allard. He was horrible too. And they decided, listen, we're paying this guy money. He looked all right in the bullpen. Might as well just go see if he can at least give us four innings. They're not asking for the moon.

I mean, they're paying you $18 million. They're not asking for a dominant effort. We know who Tywhon Walker is at this point. They're just asking him a dominant effort. We know who Tywan Walker is at this point. They're just asking him to basically go through the lineup once, twice, and he couldn't even do that. And I know the big decision that people are gonna be talking about is the decision to put him back out there in the fourth.

And where I fall on this, again, you can believe whatever you want, it's fine. But my position is, I'm okay putting him out there, trying to sneak him through the bottom of the lineup, which I would hope that an $18 million a year pitcher would do, I know he's not bad anymore. I would try to sneak him through the bottom of the lineup, if he allows a run, it's not the end of the world.

But what he can't do is blow up in your face. And he completely blew up in their face. Francisco Alvarez hit a monster home run and it's pretty much over. I mean, the Phils obviously fought back, and I think we'll get into that here in a second. But the reality is, they're at a four game series. They're not, they don't have an off day until next Thursday. You can't just burn a bullpen in the first game of a four game set where you just need to, to, to clinch the division.

Wins matter at this point. I get it. They're still in a good spot. Brewer's lost tonight for one of the buys. But I understand what Rob Thompson is thinking there. And I know the results weren't great. And had he known the results were going to happen, he probably wouldn't have done it. This actually reminds me a ton of the Sirianni situation

on Monday, where he's getting ripped for, again, a coin flip decision. That's what these decisions are and tonight didn't work out but I like I can't really fault him for it. You can't burn through the bullpen like that's something that you have to get through your head is you cannot burn through the bullpen in a game like that that early into the game now there's some times where he's done it he tried his name through the night and It didn't work, but I'm still fine with it

It cannot burn the bullpen. They do not have it off day until Thursday. This is an important series Hopefully they take to a floor, but ultimately even if don't, they're still in a really good spot. The juggling act that Rob Thompson has to play right now is trying to get a bye, but keeping guys fresh enough for October. Your death is challenged at this point of the season, but overall, that decision doesn't really irk me. Tywan irks me.

He's brutal. I hope he doesn't pitch for the Phillies ever again, but they're gonna bring him to spring training next year and he's gonna be given a chance to at least compete for a starting job. He's just cooked. There's no other way to slice it. The guy's just done.

It's as simple as that. He's got no juice left two one five five nine two ninety four ninety four What I think is actually more important tonight Is the fact that they did fight back like they didn't just roll over and tie ones in the mound and blah blah blah blah blah And it's over. I give the Phillies credit for fighting back tonight I really do and the fact that Diaz had a pitch in this game

I think means something maybe that takes him out of one of the next three games that they have in the series I think that's pretty big getting Edwin Diaz in the in the game. So they fought back offense looked better. I was I was furious beyond belief with the strikeouts early in the game Infuriating and they're striking out a little too much for my liking right now. When you get into the postseason, you start facing better pitching, you start facing teams like in a five, seven game series that are game planning for you. If they're showing these kind of weaknesses right now, my big fear is that it gets exposed

in the postseason even worse. I mean, look what the Diamondbacks did. Diamondbacks figured out the Phillies' kryptonite, and the Phillies could not adjust back. Well, when they're striking out at the rate that they're striking out, it makes it that much more worrisome of, okay, is this gonna happen again?

Now, again, they scored six rounds tonight, they fought back, you give them credit But still a lot of strikeouts and a lot of strikeouts early in this one. I mean if you tally them up you got again 11 strikeouts 12 strikeouts by the offense tonight. That's 32 in the last in the two games for that and 8 on on Monday night. I just, strikeouts are killer in October.

They're just killer. They're rally killers, they're momentum killers, and they're going through a big, big, big run of strikeouts against some pretty good pitching. Severino is the Mets ace. I mean, the Mets have a, it's not the biggest household names with the Mets starting rotation. Again, the Mets have a, it's not the biggest household names with the Mets starting rotation.

Again, like David Peterson's pitching tomorrow, he shoved last time. Shum and I, who they have not faced since London, he's been really good. It's not like the most household names, like their household names in 2018, but in this day and age, like not so much, but they've had really good years.

But they're facing guys that throw a little bit harder, that have pretty good spin. And offensively, I don've had really good years. But they're facing guys that throw a little bit harder, that have pretty good spin. And offensively, I don't love the strikeouts. So hopefully, they can round into form here and put together some more competitive bats, because I think that's something that can 100% sink them. But I do give them credit for fighting back tonight and getting Diaz in the game.

And hopefully, that means he can't go one of the next three. And then the final thing here is they're still in a good spot. Not a disaster night. The Braves and Mets are fighting for their playoff lives. The Phillies are still six games up on the division. They still have the tiebreaker over the Dodgers. They're tied right now. But they obviously have a one game lead if you want to do that that is erased

obviously the Dodgers finish with a better record than the Phillies breaking news and the Brewers lose so they're still they're still up on the Brewers three games up on the Brewers so that is important I think the most, the key thing the next 10 days, or if they lose tomorrow or kind of feel like this thing is tightening up a little bit, the most important thing they can't do is press. And I think that that's one thing where you have a veteran laden team,

where they won't totally press and start panicking and freaking out of like, oh my god, we're gonna blow this? That's something that can really hurt you. So I hope that they don't start pressing, just go out, play baseball. I know you want to just make sure you get the one done so you are guaranteeing yourself a playoff spot. But as long as they can just stay calm here, go play their game,

I think they'll be alright, but a frustrating one. I mean anytime you see Taiwan on the mound It's gonna be a frustrating night because it probably means you're gonna lose the ballgame some stuff late I mean nothing I'll turn that double play when you have momentum was was infuriating like you a chance to Having Mets have an unbelievable collapse and he can't turn and double play and it comes around and they score an extra run and it kind of ends the momentum there. It was a frustrating night, but I think when you look at it from a big picture standpoint,

we're looking back on this game a month from now, like, nah, who cares? Who cares? 215-592-9494 is how you get in if you wanna react to this one but on the other side, a step back for one Philly tonight, and we will get to the player of the game. It's the final out of Sports Radio 94WIP. Get ready to uncover your potential with the all new LG

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I mean, can we tone it down a little bit? Now, Buzz, I know, I believe, I know it's not your fault, Buzz. It's just, wow, that was loud. Anyway, the good part, Buzz, is that, like we talked pregame, we don't have to waste a possible division clincher on Apple TV. So I think that's the true win of tonight. It's out of the picture. Everyone will get to see it, whatever it happens.

Yeah. Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Now, it could be a Sunday night division clincher, Buzz. They're really tempting fate. I would like a win tomorrow night, I guess you're in, and then a win on Saturday. You clinch on Saturday and then you, you make people sit through a hungover Phil's lineup on Sunday night baseball. People need national TV Garrett Stubbs. Dude, I've been saying it for months. I had a vision last night, Buzz, and I'm telling

you why I told the high hopes crowd because of course, you know We don't lie to the high hopes crowd and if you're looking for a Phillies podcast heading into the postseason There's only one full his podcast you need to listen to and that is high hopes, but I did have a vision yesterday of At some point in the postseason and it would it's a very specific situation Because you don't want to burn through an emergency catcher. But at some point in the postseason, Garrett Stubbs is going to lay down a master class of a bunt and it's going to be a memorable bunt.

How's he going to get in though? He hasn't logged the postseason at bat in his two years here, right? Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. He's going to get to the plate. Yeah, no. Here's my thought process. At some point, and again, you are burning

through your backup catcher, so it's a little risky, but ROAS is gonna be up, first and second no outs, and they're gonna need stuff to get it bumped down. I don't know when it's gonna be, but that's my prediction. And I'm sticking to it. It just doesn't feel like a top remove to burn that backup catcher. Listen, I know.

I'm just telling you what the vision was, Buzz, and that's all I can do. All right well I hope we get it I hope your vision comes true. The pitch count tonight sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690 proofs protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumbers690.org it was excruciating 100% excruciating 71 pitches from Taiwan Walker tonight. ERA at 6.9. I mean, that doesn't get much worse than that. And this is courtesy of Matt Gelb. Taiwan Walker allowed four homers

in three and a third innings tonight against the Mets. He has a 6.8 ERA this season. Second worst by a Phillies pitcher with 15 games started since 1931. So at least when this is all over, you can say you witnessed history by watching 2024 Taiwan Walker. And what's so funny is for years, it was always Adam Eaton's the worst. Taiwan, I believe his ERA is a full point higher than 08 Adam Eaton's the worst. Taiwan, I believe his ERA is a full point higher than 08 Adam Eaton. Now 07 Adam Eaton, his ERA was also in the sixes.

Either way, we are watching the 2023, 2024 version of 07-08 Adam Eaton. The good part about that is, is that when they win the World Series, we can boo Tywin Walker at his ring ceremony, just like we did with Adam Eaton back in 2009, when they got their rings, which is still probably the most proud boo of my life. Now, other things that kind of stuck out tonight, I thought it was a step back performance from

Jose Alvarado, who's not great on Monday in Milwaukee was not great tonight now. They were two low leverage spots sorta tonight was was kind of leverage You know, it would have been a nice thing to have you keep that at nine six at least the boys you get back in the dugout and you start believing but When they don't when they don't get the double play I mean Alvarado is walking people regardless but not getting double play was really the the more infuriating part of that but Alvarado still didn't look very great and then you know Bryce had a clutch moment tonight that I thought was important it wasn't a home run but it was a really nice double so again

ultimately a fruitless effort a frustrating night But at least you know Bryce is continuing to do his thing at the plate the player of the game tonight sponsored by South Jersey gas conserve helping customers and the community save energy and money visit South Jersey dot-com slash conserve and the player the end tonight is Brandon Nemo who is Infuriating and he's corny and he's the worst But he had the home running a double and he had he was begging Mets fans to show up last night and come out And support the ball club. So congratulations Brandon Nemo for one night on September 19th 2024 you win

Before we hit a timeout here and get to your phones Like we witnessed just an unbelievable feat today. And Buzz, behind the glass, me, Hollis thing, we're two baseball nerds. So what Shohei Otani was able to accomplish today is just, it's hard to compute. We just got done watching a 50-50 season, a 50-50 season. So the weekend I have to spare. It's hard to compute a 50-50 season. 50 home runs,

50 home bases, 17 total bases today. I have a buddy who's in a fantasy baseball championship and he's hoping to bring home his first title in our big like money league and he had to go against Shohei today. That's a tough scene. It's a tough beat. Three home runs today. Now, one was off the pitcher, which they should not count, but three home runs today, he stole two bags. 10 RBIs.

Had 10 RBIs. He still in RBI had 10 RBI's all to put a cherry on top of a season that I say to say we'll never see again like This has to be what it was like watching both Chamberlain play basketball where it's where It's so hard to compute and people are gonna think it's fake and this guy's gonna pitch next year I know well and small T was talking about that tonight It's like the shame of him coming going to pitch next year. I know. Well, and Smolte was talking about that tonight. It's like the shame of him coming back to pitch is that he's not going to run anymore. Like, he'll probably still swipe 20,

but you're not going to get this kind of season again. I mean, he is a true, true unicorn, and the most talented baseball player ever. It's absolutely ridiculous what this guy's doing in and I thought like growing up you hear like these guys having ridiculous store ridiculous seasons that felt like they were like hard to hard to compute in your brain and I feel like this is me one of those years that as I get older It's gonna be like what yeah, well show he had a 50 50 year now

Acuna did have a 40-70 year last year, which is really impressive, but man, 50 and 50 is, again, it's just hard for the human brain to compute. Ben is in Lancaster. What's happening, Ben? Hey, how are you guys doing? Doing all right, man. How are you? All right. Yeah, what Atat is doing out there is crazy. I have a cousin out in California who is an Angels fan.

And poor guy. If he was dead he'd be rolling in his grave, but he's alive and just having a fit right now. How are you still an Angels fan in the year 20? I know you probably live like I don't know it's my cousin however I've been a Phillies fan for 40 years that's a better question but yeah touching on the Phillies alright so tonight you got Walker on the mound

right? uh huh you're seeing him back in a game you don't have a day off until Thursday right? nobody does none of the guys on the field so how do you not fit Turner for a game that he doesn't need a day off you know I understand like giving Wheeler a little more space or or know a little more space I'm like that but doesn't doesn't Harper need a little rest so you're saying like when

when Taiwan pitches you want to just basically pull everyone well like why not and it's in New York, nobody would notice. You know? Like what if you saw Harper pull a hammy trying to leg out of a bunk down six runs or something tonight? Yeah. Give him a break. So, I don't know.

If it's going to be a schedule of loss to everyone? I mean, listen, Ben, I don't hate the idea. I mean, hard thing to execute, but it really does feel when Taiwan takes the mound. It's it's pretty much just waving the white flag He's he's he's absolutely done two one five five nine two 94 94 to get in on the other side before hand things off to Broads and Ashland a Look ahead to tomorrow plus the play of the game all coming up on the final out on sports radio 94 W IP What's better than watching your team win winning money while you do it I'm Jim Costa and I cashed the ticket Mike Valetti and I give you the edge to make every game playable

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Splastic. Forget about it. Way back to left. Three run home run for Francisco Alvarez. His tenth of the year. They were out now the fourth homer of the game for the Mets just teeing off on Tywon Walker. Seven to three ballgame. of the game for the best just Taiwan walk that is our play the game sponsored by Mike's amazing the official mail mustard of the Phillies yes francisco alvarez an absolute bomb i tell you what there's

gotta be nothing more exciting if you're a opposing big leaguer and you you see tywan's is gotta be a little bit extra pep in your step like we face it in a spongebob You see Taiwan's in the mound. There's gotta be a little bit of extra pep in your stat. But like, when you face an ace, I'm sure you're like, ah man, I don't wanna see this guy. Which is how people feel when they face wheels. But when Taiwan's in the mound, I think they get a little bit more excited.

And yeah, the fourth inning didn't work out. I think the process was fine. I, again, did not work out, Taiwan's done. But they have to be able to save some of the bullpen here. You can't run those guys in the ground when you don't have an off day. And you live to fight another day. Hopefully they come out tomorrow by saving those guys. It benefits them and they can go out and take game two.

Tomorrow is on Apple TV, which will be thrilling, I'm sure. I mean, three nationally televised games this weekend. I mean, that's what happens when the Mets are good. And the Mets are good. It's not even to take away anything from the Mets. They looked dead in the water. Jorge Lopez is throwing his glove into the crowd and saying this is an awful place.

In London, I felt like there was no Mets fans there. They felt dead, and they've climbed their way out of this thing. There were 15 of their last 20 and they're really hot. And the Phil's Mets postseason series would be a lot of fun and give you heartburn at the same time. It'd be excruciating. Losing a postseason series to the Mets would be infuriating but they're good.

And this is kind of the first year of their quote-unquote rebuild after they kind of went for it last year and Yeah, I don't think they're going anywhere. They still have the ability to be the Mets You know the Mets are gonna match we we know that but man they are They're a tough ball club tomorrow a repeat of last Sunday where these guys went pitch for pitch Chris Sanchez in the mound versus David Peterson They gotta have a better plan against David Peterson. I mean David Peterson was just mowing them down Last weekend and he pitched a career-high innings in that game

the longest he's ever ever gone in the start and just non-competitive at bats and it's just Like I'm glad they fought back tonight of the things to take away from the night that's negative besides obviously Taiwan. Alvarado I thought has taken a step back his last two outings. The strikeouts are a real concern, a real concern. You can't be striking out this much. You have to be able to put the bat on the baseball. You have to be able to get base hits.

You have to grind out at bats. You have to make pitchers work. Not asking for home runs all the time I'm asking for some some some grind it out kind of at bats But the amount of strikeouts that they've had I mean double digit strikeouts in in three straight games Can't happen like cannot happen and you look at this lineup on paper again. They are a deep deep lineup on paper They have to start playing to their capability scored six tonight Not all in important parts.

Trey went yard, Marshy did a big hit, Harper had a big hit late to bring that game close, but mixed in between, a lot of strikeouts. And that does give me some trepidation heading into October. But either way, that's gonna do it for me. Dan Wilson produced the program tonight. Ashlyn and Broads, they will take you

through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WDYP.