High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: The Perfect Season Is Over

Episode Date: June 10, 2026

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' 3-2 loss on Tuesday night and breaks down Jhoan Duran's first blown save of the 2026 season. Presented by Miller Lite.To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.comTo buy tickets for the High Hopes Night in Reading CLICK HERE.

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Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Tuesday night, reacting to the first blown save of the season by Jeanne Duran, which of course, everyone, you know, a lot of praise for Duran, and rightfully so. He's still great. Tonight did not throw anyone off the center of how good

Juan Duran is, but it's like, of course, there's like this big momentum of like, here he is. This is who he was with the twins, unhittable, unhitable, in hittable, and hittable, and then that nonsense happened. We'll get into it all, of course. But the final out is sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, offering Valé Park

at the Philadelphia. airport. So yes, Phil's Lose 3-2 up in Toronto and what would have been a really nice, gritty, not comfort behind because they're tied,

but a gritty win up in Toronto, but it was not meant to be. The game wrap-up is sponsored by Roto Router. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto Router. Their team tackles, clogs, and leaks.

So you can stay in the game, Roto Router, your MVP for plumbing. solutions. 215-5-592-94 to get in. If you want to react to this one, a lot to react to, of course, but if you want to react, 215-592, 94-94, packed house up in Toronto. The baseball is certainly in a healthy spot in Canada. It didn't seem like anyone left that game and shout to the Rogers Center that was certainly had a big game feel to it. The biggest takeaways, the game brought to by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury. Law firm, and obviously the biggest takeaway is just how much of a bummer that was.

That was always going to be a tough game tonight. Dylan Seas is a really, really good pitcher. I don't care that he's coming off of the IEL. I think before he got hurt, he was arguably the best pitcher in the AL or was top three. Now, you look at the AL-Say-Yung race. It's a little bit different than the NL-Sy-Yung race, where everyone has an ERA under two. Dylan Sears, I think, heading into the game was like 3.04.

or maybe it jumped up because of a bad start before he went on the IEL. But regardless, what you saw tonight is a pure octane power pitcher. And, you know, he kind of, there was a bunch of junk, and then he'll just blow that 98 by you. He's a tough and bad. And Fransky said tonight that he generated the most whiffs in baseball this year tonight in a game. So, yeah, he was on.

And it was good to see early Brandon Marge get that hit. He really picked up Harper in that situation. Obviously, with a runner on third base, less than two outs, you want to see Harper come through with a sack fly. Or base hit something to get the job done. He did not do that. And Brandon Marsh stepped up and picked up his teammate. So, you know, the offense kind of went, he kind of got shut down after that, was really surprised they pulled him. I mean, they've kind of been doing that with C's for his entire career as he goes five or six innings at the most.

And then they get him out of there. But he's only at 94 pitches. and it's not like it's not like he was struggling that much facing this Philly's offense, but regardless, Jeff Hoffman came in and he was fine. So, but being able to come back,

you allow the home run of Jay-Azer Sanchez, you get some good stuff from Kirkering, you battle, you scratch out a run against Louis Varland, who, if it wasn't for Mason Miller, the best reliever in baseball this year, I mean, heading into that game tonight is a 0.26 ERA, and you see it.

It's a high octane, 99 heavy, heavy fastball with a 93-mile-an-hour change-up off it. He's nasty, and you're able to grind out a run. Stott hits a big double. Harp gets his second walk of the game, and he feel good. You're like, all right, we got Duran. And then that nonsense happens. I mean, first, Sanchez leads off the inning with just a, a dinky little hit to no man's land.

They put him in motion, which I actually think is something that Madeline is taken from the Blue Jays to hear with what John Schneider's done. You know, they've done that more this year, where they put the runner in motion and trust the batter to put the bat on the ball and try to make something happen,

and they did. Again, a nonsense little hit. They go to second base, runners in second and third. The wild pitch ties it, and then just like that, it was over. It really does put into perspective what Brad Lidge did in 08. And on one hand, it's kind of poisoned the fan base into thinking that if you blow a save, then you're a scrub.

Juandron is a great, great closer. Tonight was a couple of bleeders that got through, and to me, I'm more unlucky than anything. But, man, Lidge obviously had luck going his way also in 08. but just going 48 for 48, knowing and understanding the sport of baseball where nonsense like tonight happens, it really puts into perspective just how special, how special that season was.

So a real bummer would have been a nice one to steal, especially with how Zach Wheeler looked. Again, Wheeler, my second biggest takeaway with the game. He did battle early. He had some traffic on the base pass, hit a batter, didn't walk a batter, but there was traffic that first three innings. And then really locked in, I think retired eight straight before the Hazer-Sanchez home run, which was a bummer, couldn't get the fastball up enough, and Sanchez didn't miss it.

But, you know, Wheeler was good. Wheeler was really good. He battled and then found his groove, settled in, and unfortunately made a bad pitch to Sanchez, and he didn't miss it. So, again, it's just remarkable where we're at. With Zach Wheeler, we didn't know what we were going to get, and he has come back and looked exactly like Zach Wheeler. So again, would have been a good one to steal.

Total bummer. Like, nothing really caused for concern with Duran, obviously nothing with Wheeler. And the offense, while it wasn't the most impressive showing, I did think that they competed, they stayed in it, and being able to come back and score a runoff of Louis Varlane is a real big accomplishment. I mean, again, a 0.26 the IRA heading into that game tonight. Point 26. So definitely a bummer, but not the end of the world. 215-5-92, 94-94 to get in.

My guy, David Maryland, leads us off tonight. What's happening? Dave. Just a tough one. I said just bad luck in the ninth inning. Ground ball, the shortstop. And then if you get that out, I think it's a ground ball, the second base. Yeah.

And just, you know, that's how it goes sometimes. I thought, you know, stop. I mean, I just wish they would give more at bats like that. It was just a tough, gritty at bat, you know, just putting the ball in play. J.T. is just awful at the plate right now. I don't know what he's even really, that's my takeaway of a guy that's really struggling. And he's lucky he didn't break his wrist in half on that ball in the ninth. Well, I mean, I haven't seen a pitcher, I haven't seen a pitcher and a catcher crossed up in forever, it feels like,

ever since pitchcom. It doesn't happen. Yeah, well, it was weird because the pitch before, I think they changed the pitchcom. So you wonder if it was something with the buttons that was screwed up. But I don't know. Hopefully Lozardo can give them some meanings tomorrow and, you know, get back on track

because they're going to need them because then you have the Nola Painter combo going in Milwaukee, and you just hope to get one of those. Yeah, yeah. Well, and I appreciate the phone. call always Dave. Yeah, the Painter Nolan, Milwaukee could get interesting. The

Brewers have already Homer tonight. They're out in that launching pad that is the Las Vegas Stadium, which is going to be really, really interesting. These balls are just it's a launching pad out there. But yeah, Dave

brought up the idea, and you kind of felt that one coming. Of course, after the first hit, you're like, oh, no, is this going to be one of those games? that would have been one where they stole. Last night kind of felt like a loss two. The Blue Jays could never make them pay. So this is just maybe one of those nights where things just evened out in a way.

Just evened out. We stole one. They stole one. And we'll see how things transpired tomorrow. But yeah, Lazzardo on the mound versus Scherzer, who hopefully they can hit around a little bit. But Lazzardo, a little nervous with him going up there as, you know, We had the tipping fiasco with him there last year. And they've been on the Philly starters,

and they've done a good job of limiting the damage. But Lazars had a weird year. I think that's a way to quantify it, but we'll talk about that going up a little bit later. Bill's in East Hampton, what's happening, Bill? Hey, how you do, my friend? What's up, pal? I don't want anybody to...

The only thing I'm worried about in this game is, like, everybody's going to poo-poo to Ron. And I mean, it's June 9th. We're a month away from the All-Star break, and the dude's got one blown save, and that was tonight. He's a great pitcher. He's good in clutch situations, but he failed tonight. But that's going to happen to anybody, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, totally. I don't think, I hope that people are being right. rational about Jawanda Ron after tonight. I really hope so. So do. Why? That kid,

that kid Dylan that fish tonight, I don't, I don't even, I don't even know. He's got like a thousand innings fished, 1,300 strikeouts in his group. He's an incredible strikeout guy. But boy,

he struck a lot of us out tonight, and that was very unfortunate. Oh, well, yeah. He was mowing them down in the middle of that game. He was, he was crazy. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was amazing.

But, I mean, stock came through in the end. We got the hit we needed. And I thought we were going to get it done. But unfortunately, that was the first blown save for Duran in the entire season. And that was unfortunate. Yeah, it was, Bill.

It was. And obviously the Manzardo one comes to mind, too, where that's a tie game, not a blown save. But Duran's been nails. He's a great pitcher, and I trust him every single time he takes them out. For those keeping track, we've been on the air for seven minutes, ten minutes maybe. And Jack's Titorio is already homered in the Vegas game, and now Nick Kurtz has also hit a home run in this game.

Last night was, what, 15 to 14? I think there's 11 home runs. It's just, it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Yeah, 15 to 14 out in Vegas. It's not even baseball. I don't know what it is. It's like the longest drive competition they used to do for golf.

It's crazy. All right. On the other side, in addition to your phone calls, 215, 5992-94-94. We'll get to the player of the game and some other things that stuck out to me tonight. We'll get to that. Coming up next here on the final app on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yeah, that was a bummer. Zach Wheeler's really only.

Blamish-Ganny pitched his way in and out of trouble early. So it made a big pitch there. the third to escape a jam and then really settled in. He retired eight straight before that at bat, and Hazer Sanchez caught to a fastball. He's got a really good year. He's hit in like 294, I believe. Either way, he is my player of the game,

brought you by South Jersey Gas. Make the Smart Play Save Energy and Money with South Jersey Gas at SJG SaveEnergy.com. Hazus Sanchez, three hits, the homer there, and had the first of the two nonsense hits. in the ninth inning that helped spark that comeback. But again, I do think Zach Wheeler was really good,

as he continues to be really good. And you have those two leading a rotation, hard not to feel confident, you know, every fifth day that those guys are going to go out there and do their job. So we are certainly in the midst of having one of those special runs with those two starters at the top of the rotation. Now, some other things that did stick out, to me tonight is, first off, the job

Kirkcring did. And you want to talk about mental toughness and mental fortitude and good resolve and resiliency and bounce back? Well, that's been a Ryan Kirkring this year. Coming off of what happened last year, we all know it, coming off of the first play of his entire season after missing some time on

the IELs, a little grounder back to him that he avoided like the plague, clearly still in his own head about that. But he is pitching on a really, really high level right now he struck out the first two batters that he faced tonight he got uh he went back out there for another inning or another just started another inning after a clean eighth and he got glad he

he did his job and you just you just couldn't be happier for the kid coming off what happened last year is down at two point two point one now he's had years where his eras been in the low twos but hasn't really passed the eye test hasn't passed your smell test because the inherited runners problem that he's had, but this year just looks different. He's got some moxies, he's got some cockiness to him, which you need to develop as a pitcher. It's actually something that Painter needs to develop. I mean, Painter needs to develop some moxie on the mound if he's going to take his game to the next level. You have to trick yourself into believing that your bleep doesn't stink. And Kirk Grant does look like he is developing that. He's got that nice little two seam that's

running. The splitter's been a really good evolution for him and the sweeper's always been a really, really good pitch. But I just think the biggest thing that's taken his game to another level this year has been the mental makeup with him. It looks like he's dictating how the at-bat's going versus laying the at-bat dictate to him. So that's been really impressive. And obviously, if you add what he's done, and Keller is going to give his heart attack, but overall, his numbers do look, his numbers are fine.

Boland's on a good run. Duran's fine, but the righties in this pen are really starting to find. Chase Schuquer, do you want to throw him in there? They're starting to find their footing. And Kirkering is a huge, huge part of that. And then, I thought it was noticeable. Really, really aggressive move in the 8th,

when Maddily Pinch hit, Sosa for Crawford. I know we've given them a lot of praise for letting Marsh face lefties. Now, part of that is kind of circumstantial because both Kemp and Felix Ray's are bad. So, you know, Marsh is hitting.

We might as well figure out if he can do it or not. But they certainly are taking the bout out of Crawford's hands against lefties. And the numbers do suggest that you should do that. But again, you want to see the kid get some reps against lefties and see what he's got. I never really think he looks overwhelmed against lefties. And everything in the minor leagues would suggest that he could hit left-in and pitching. But Maddenly was super aggressive there.

And when you have a guy like Stuart Burrow on the bench, who can come in and play a really good outfield defense, you don't have to leave SOS out there if he does happen to come through. But he did not come through. but I did still think it was a noticeable and an aggressive move by Don Maddenly, and one that I don't think that Rob Thompson would have made. Again, it's not like it worked out of some genius move, but it was certainly something that I did think was noticeable.

215-592-94 to get in. We will run through your phone calls in the final segment coming up next, but we will also get to the wow moment of the game and a look ahead to tomorrow before handing things off to TK here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Ah, that was Vintage Stodder. Vintage Stodder.

There's been a couple of times in the last, like, two games, where three games, the one on Sunday, where he just, like, uses the bat to ball. Like, I, maybe early in counts so he can look to pull the ball in the air and do damage, because I do like that.

But he is, he just should be a better batto-ball guy and should be a better overall hitter. And it's like he can do that. He can drive the ball the other way with authority. He flipped one into center field on Sunday and just drove in a run and just was a normal hitter. It just the stat thing is so baffling because you see it. Like he's such a good baseball player. In the field, he's great.

He's a great base runner. It's just the plate. It hasn't gotten there. He keep looking. You think he's hitting pretty well. and he's still in like 226. But at least, I do think even without taking the overall numbers, I do think he is stabilized after what was a bad start of the year.

But that was our wow moment of the game, which is brought to you by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, from waterfalls to fairways, mountain resorts to Lighthouse Tours. Find your wow at visit nj.com. Yes, it really felt like they're going to win the ballgame. Harper leads up that inning against Varland with the walk, gets the second base. and you're like, ah, can they just, can they just eke one out? And Stott gave in the lead.

It felt like a moment. It felt like a, wow, one of these, hey, this team's a little different kind of moments, but it was not meant to be, but still, that was our wow moment of the game off of Louis Varlane, who I'm still, a guy like Louis Varlane has just eaten the Phillies lunch for my entire life. they've never working competitive at bat just going down on three measly strikeouts. I mean, that's what I'm used

to against a nasty reliever. But even with that, they still could not find a way to win tonight. So tomorrow, Hazis Lazzardo versus Max Scherzer, as Lazzardo returns to a place that really just crush him last year, there was a lot of tipping allegations.

The Blue Jays had something on Lazzardo, and he got wrecked. up there last year. But they are facing Max Scherzer, who it is of a 9.64 ERA on the year. He is coming back from an ankle injury and right forearm tendonitis. So the 41-year-old is dealing with a lot of injuries. So hopefully the Phillies don't let him have a throwback type of performance. But Lazardo on the mound looking for a bounce back after a White Sox start

that did not go very well against another good offense. in the Toronto Blue Jays. So very curious to see what he has in store for them tomorrow. And then like Dave mentioned earlier, you got Painter and Nola this weekend against the Brewers, getting one tomorrow. Let's see, head into a Brewer series where you're only got to take one to have a 3-3 road trip

would be really big, especially after what happened tonight because tonight was a total bummer. But tomorrow, if you're in the Warrington area, Ivyland area, The highest podcast, me and James Seltzer, will be at Tony's Place in Ivyland. So if you're looking for a place to watch the ball game, we are doing Phillies trivia for Phillies tickets. We're enjoying Miller Lights. It'll be a great time.

So if you are in the area, come on out, hang out, watch a ball game. So I will not be on for leading off or the final out tomorrow. We'll be at Tony's Place in Ivyland. So that's going to do it for me. Francisco Rojas produced the program tonight. Tom Kelly is next. still taking through the rest of the night here on sports radio 94 wipa