High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out; The Phillies Are Headed Back To The Postseason

Episode Date: September 27, 2023

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies clinching a playoff spot behind Johan Rojas's extra-inning walk-off single. 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

All-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball Isn't Boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is.

Another fact, so jump aboard the BIB Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Bednar ready to pitch. Swing and a ground ball. Up the middle. It's a base hit.

Zawinski coming on. He fields. Pace coming home. The throw. It's not in time. And the Phillies walk them off and walk into the postseason as Johan Rojas, the rookie, has won it. A celebration in center field as Johan Rojas with a game-winning hit.

And the Phillies are going to the postseason for the second straight year. Oh, it's good to be back. It is good to be back. It is good to be back. It's official. Phillies are back in the postseason, and they are the number one wild card, which means this time next Tuesday, we're probably reacting to a Phillies playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in what should be an electric atmosphere

and something that is going to make this week excruciatingly long to get through. Welcome on in. It's Jack Fritz reacting to it all here on The Final Out, which is always sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94 is how you get in if you're leaving the ballpark stuck in traffic. For 32,000 there tonight, it felt like 40. It was a loud crowd as the game went on. I mean, the first six innings were a little dead as they came out.

Pretty much like I assumed they were going to come out tomorrow with that kind of effort. But luckily, they pulled through, tied game up late. It was just really cool. You know, listen, if you've ever listened to me, if you've ever talked to me, baseball is an emotional sport for me, and I love it. I think it's the greatest sport on earth. And the moment like what Johan Roas had tonight, that's special. And I think that's what makes baseball what I think is the greatest sport on earth.

A kid who gets brought up from AA, wasn't even really on the radar. Like I've been following Johan Rojas since 2019. Like when he first started popping on the scene, it's like, wow, this kid's pretty interesting. He comes up. I'm like, well, it feels kind of like a trade showcase for Yohan Roas. All he turns into is the single best defensive player I've ever seen play for the Phillies. I'm not old enough to see Schmidt.

I'm not old enough to fully embrace and remember Roland. But that kid and how he plays center field is special. And to be able to hit a walk-off and have that kind of moment to send the Phillies back to the postseason, that's cool stuff. And that's why this team is special, and that's why they continue to be our guys. Our biggest takeaway of the game is brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, and it's really just that.

It's really this team, these guys guys what they mean to the city the resiliency and just the kind of bond that is forming between a city and a baseball team and it really I think started on August 4th with the ovations August was magical they they head into September there's an initial fear there because we've seen what September's have been like in years past. And all they've done since it got a little rocky is flip the switch. They flipped the switch. They have won 9 of 11 and they're not backing their way into the postseason. They're coming in storming.

They are running into the postseason, and they have that look. They have the look of we belong here, and that's all I wanted to see. I did not want to do the back-end of the playoffs thing and have to bank on a comeback against a team late in the game for that to spark a run. I want this team to just be good. And I thought the reaction and the celebration tonight, like they got it in. I mean, this team will party. There's no doubt about it. But what I saw tonight was a focused, determined, we belong here team. And that's what I wanted to see because they do belong here.

That's a damn good baseball team. That is a damn freaking good baseball team that has a shot that we should believe in to go deep. And if they get through the wild card round, like wild card round, three game series, I will be perpetually scared of whoever comes in here. Like no holds barred. I try to portray myself as a super confident Phillies fan. I am always, doom is around the corner. Like, I'm always in fear of that.

But don't let this team, if I could give one message to the rest of the National League and eventually the American League, don't let this team win the wildcard round. Because if you let that team win the wildcard round, there's another run coming. That's what I felt tonight. That is exactly what I felt tonight. Do not let that team win the wildcard because it's going to cause problems, and it's going to cause problems for the Braves in the second round.

And I cannot, I cannot freaking wait next Tuesday, Wednesday, hopefully not Thursday, Zach Wheeler goes and does a job. Like, I just fast forward it. I appreciate the Eagles versus Commanders on Sunday. Do not care. We got Phil's playoffs home next Tuesday. I can't wait. I can't wait.

It was great. It's almost like this. I can't wait. I can't wait. It was great. It's almost like this last year hasn't happened. I swear. I'm seeing them celebrate again. And I've had a pretty big year. You know, I had a kid, which has been the greatest thing in the world. But it's just like, it was like I'm just transported right back. I'm just right back into last October.

It was wild. The celebrations felt similar. I'm glad they were able to clinch it at home. It was a total fast forward. I mean, Walker was six months yesterday. He was born the week of opening day. The last six months have been this baseball team. It's been up, down.

There's been moments of questioning. They did the same stupid bit where they get six games under.500 and then have to go on a run. There's been unsung heroes. Obviously, Johan Rojas, Jeff Hoffman. But that's what makes a baseball team. It's not just the stars. They've been great at accumulating stars.

What has made this team special the last couple years and what has made this team, well, not the last couple years, last year and a half, is being able to find these under-the-radar studs. Jose Alvarado last year, Jeff Hoffman this year, Johan Rojas this year, Chris Sanchez. Like, that's filling out

the fringes, getting the most out of your roster. That's what makes championship contenders. And I just, man, I cannot, cannot, cannot wait until next Tuesday. 215-592-9494 is how you get in. Let's just go straight to the phones. That was, by the way, the biggest takeaway of the game. Brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury firm.

Mark in Montgomeryville is going to lead us off tonight. What's happening, Mark? Hey, Jack. Never a doubt. Never a doubt. Not once. Not this baseball team. I was texting James all game, and I was saying,

first it's going to be Schwarber, then it's going to be Harper. But it had to be Brohas. There was no other way it could go. I know. There was no other way it could go. There was no other way it could go. Well, and it's just like we talk about moments of the baseball team. We talk about like it's not always this. Selfishly, I was like Harper setting this team to the postseason

with the walk-off there would have been insane. But like that's baseball. I mean, the kid playing center field, 22 years old, in Redding, and comes up and to be able to have that moment, send a group of superstars back to the postseason. Meanwhile, he just got here three months ago. I just love it. I love it.

And it's just awesome. And honestly, the ballpark just smelled like playoffs. It was chilly. It just felt right, man. It's going to be a party, and this team is not scared of anything. They know how to do this thing. It's going to be a fun month. It sure is.

It sure is. And it all starts next Tuesday. Apparently, weather in the 80s. Weather in the 80s on Tuesday. So I think they'll get either the 5 o'clock time slot or the 8 o'clock time slot. I'm sure, obviously, they want the Phillies in prime time. If it ends up being the Cubs, probably the 8 o'clock because they want as many eyeballs on that as possible.

Maybe if it's the D-backs, which I think it's going to be the D-backs, that maybe get the five o'clock, but maybe you put it at eight because the West coast, not sure either way. They're going to be one of the primetime slots. And if it's warm, I don't know. I kind of like that. So the other thing to get into tonight, and I think it's maybe the most important thing that we saw on the field is the pitching of Aaron Nola. And while I fully acknowledge the Pirates lineup is not great,

these last two starts, it just looks like we're getting a more locked in Aaron Nola. We're seeing a more, the postseason is a couple weeks away. Like I need to be locked in. I need to be ready to go. Is the confidence level fully back in Aaron Nola? No. But what I've seen in the last couple starts is a much more conviction late in Aaron Nola. He's throwing his pitches with more conviction. He looks like he has that confidence growing on the mound. You're seeing him keep curveballs down rather than keeping them up.

He hung the one to Brian Reynolds. That was really it. That was really it all night long. Kept the ball down, got more swing and miss. And I thought it was a really, really cool. And when you talk about the difference a manager makes, it's not what he does with the lineup, his bullpen decisions, they matter. I totally agree it's it's what he does with the players and it's what he instills in those players and rob thompson saying before the game that i i trust aaron nola with my life in a big spot that has to make aaron nola feel incredibly proud and has to make him feel like, I need to go out and shove for Rob Thompson. And by instilling that confidence in Aaron Nola,

if you saw his smile talking about it in the postgame, that's the difference a manager makes. And I think we get so caught up in some Rob Thompson decisions that, frankly, I don't think are wrong. I just think that most people have to manage every game like they got to win every single game. It's not really the case. You have to get through 162. You have to manage for 162.

And what we've seen from Rob Thompson in the last week is him tightening this thing up. He's tightening it up. He's getting Hoffman in big spots. He is not letting guys finish out an inning and then go back out there. He's pulling guys at the right time. When the games get bigger, you shorten the rotation. It's like a bench in basketball. And he's starting to do that now.

But what Rob Thompson does and what Rob Thompson has is he has the feeling in that locker room. He has the ears of that locker room. He brings a cohesiveness to that locker room that Girardi didn't have, that Kapler didn't have. And that's what a manager does. And that's why Rob Thompson is a great manager. It's as simple as that. That's what they do. They don't work on bunting.

They don't work on situational deep. Like, it's not football. This is a baseball manager. He sets the tone of that team. And look at how they play for him. Again, they got off to a slow start. But look at the toughness. Look at the resiliency from June 3rd, which, again, June is, I mean,

just starting season in June. They are now 62-38. The manager's got something to do with that. 215-592-9494 is how you get in. Leave in the ballpark. We'd love to talk to you. Speaking of the manager, what did he say to the team after the game? We'll get to that.

And I have a lot of thoughts on the bullpen that I want to get through tonight in addition to all your phone calls. It's Jack Fritz here on the final out oh it's good to be back it's good to be back and bad news bad news for the rest of baseball welcome back it is the final out sponsored by Regency Furniture affordable never look so good Jack Fritz hanging out with you reacting to Phil's going back to the postseason. It's official. I know it wasn't official when the game ended. They are the number one wild card. They will have home field throughout the wild card round, three games max.

Hopefully it's over in two. If the Diamondbacks come into town, I'm going to be nervous. I mean, I'm going to be nervous at everything because it's playoff baseball, and it can be so finicky but that team with Zach Gallin and Merrill Kelly and Corbin Carroll like they're talented. They're good. So

it's going to be a battle. They're young which annoys me because they can kind of come in a bit naive but either way that ballpark with this team and I just I love the way Rob Thompson talks to him. And that's such an easy thing to respond to. Like, how many more? 13 more.

And, you know, being able to be in the moment and be like, come in late tomorrow, party hard tonight, like you deserve this. That's team. And I just could not love it anymore. The Player of the Game brought to you by South Jersey Gas, committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable natural gas. Make the switch at southjerseygas.com slash lovemyhome.

Aaron Nola, 6-2, got the win, second straight year in a clinching spot, comes out and does his job. The way he's thrown the last two nights, it makes you feel better heading into the postseason. He's probably going to start game two. And if he starts game two, whatever happens, the ranger who I trust in big spots in game three, I don't know. I don't know how they shake it out.

I'm sure he's going to start game two, though. But still, it's not like we're heading into it with Aaron Nola not pitching his best. This is the best Aaron Nola's looked all year. And, again, I've mentioned it a couple times. He has a chance to rewrite his season. It's been a mostly brutal year for Aaron Nola. ERA over 4.5. This is a guy that's usually in the 2 to 3.5-ish range.

And he's obviously had years in the 2s. 4.5 is out of the norm. But he has a chance to wipe that all away if he can get hot and go on a run for a month here and pitch this team back to the World Series. My guy Jim in Arizona. What's happening, Jimbo? Jack, congratulations, buddy.

How you doing? We popping bottles down there in Arizona or what? Are we having a good time? Oh, you got it. I am celebrating. I love this baseball team so much. They play so hard for each other. It's just the next guy up, they're so deep.

People don't talk about their depth, but they are so deep in talent. And now they're bringing these young kids up, and the veterans are getting a hold of them and bringing them into the team. I love the camaraderie. I am so jacked for the playoffs, Jack. I just cannot wait until next Tuesday. I am bouncing off the walls.

I know. It's going to be a long week, Jim. It really is going to be a long week, and it's going to be interesting to see how they manage this. I would assume that – I think they need to get Stottson days off here. Marsh, hopefully, both of those guys have been striking out a ton. I know he hit the home run tonight. You know, it's going to be a lot of Rodolfo Castro down the stretch run here.

But you also, you can't sit all these guys. They have to get and stay in a rhythm heading into Tuesday. Like, they can't be cold heading into those games either. No, I agree with you. And Stocks started to go down a little bit at the time that he started to get beamed. He got hit, and I think he got hurt in the ribs and everything, and it just kind of slowed his swing down,

and he didn't have that same aggressiveness that he does. He still has the two-strike fight, but he didn't have the same aggressiveness because, I mean, you just keep getting hit in the ribs. I mean, what do you get hit almost three days in a row? And so it's like, that takes your toll on you, Jack. You know that. You've played baseball. You know to get bean.

That doesn't feel good. So I have confidence in these guys. I have confidence in the youngsters. I think last year is going to prove to be big for us because the youngsters got to taste the playoffs. I don't think there'll be any nervousness. And we've got a good veteran leadership. And I just can't wait for the boys to take the field on Tuesday and all the way into the World Series. I predicted all along I thought they'd play Tampa in the World Series.

I'm going to stick with that. And I think they're going to play Cincinnati in the first round because of the schedule. Because the Diamondbacks finish here at home against Houston, and Houston's a juggernaut, and they're not in the playoffs yet. So it's not going to be easy for Arizona. Cincinnati holds all the tiebreakers, and I think in the end they're going to get there because I don't think they're going to lose again this year.

So we'll see, but I can't wait, buddy. Jim, if that's the case, feed me the Reds. I would love the Reds. Appreciate the call. And that's interesting. The one thing that causes me concern, because, again, I just – I'm always waiting for, obviously, the shooter to drop. They're playing a lot of big games then down the stretch, the Diamondbacks.

So if they're playing in big postseason kind of games against against the astros they're they're kind of locked in for for the next series so again it's going to be a tough uh you know kind of road to navigate through here where you want to give these times off these guys time off you want to give them rest but you also can't have them totally sitting and and not having reps heading into Tuesday because once Tuesday hits, bang, it's time to go.

JT is in Westchester. What's happening, JT? Jack, we are back. We are so back. I know. It's good to be here. It's good to be back. And what's nice about this, JT, is that it just feels like this is just the beginning. The run last year, they're back now.

I think this is something that we can begin to expect this time every year. Yeah, I'm driving home from the game, and at the end of that game, it just brought back all the memories of last year. It just felt like it was last year's October, like you said. Like, you just felt like we had literally just, you know, just got right back, fast-forwarded right back. Yeah, and it probably added to it when they played Dancing on My Own. Oh, like, dude, that was – I think they were cutting onions then.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But what was the atmosphere down there like tonight? I mean, obviously, late it was great. You know what I loved? Like, I love that for the last, it seems like, two innings there in the ninth and in the tenth, the whole crowd was on their feet, you know? Like, no one was sitting down.

They were all just waiting to party, and they knew the Phillies were going to come through. And that's just having faith in your baseball team. Yeah, I'd say at first it was more dead. I mean, it was definitely still very playoff-like the whole time. But at first, you know, no offense was happening. And then towards that end, it wasn't a completely full stadium. But, I mean, that Hoffman strikeout, I thought we were in the World Series.

I mean, it sounded the same. It was crazy. It was awesome. Yeah, I appreciate the call, JT. Next Tuesday, again, cannot come soon enough. But speaking of Jeff Hoffman, a lot of thoughts on the bullpen from tonight. Strom looks really good, like, in a very small role. Whenever they feel like they try to extend him,

that's when it seems like things go haywire uh alvarado is very very clearly back to being the operato that we saw at the beginning of this year and uh towards the end of last year the nice part about where i believe they're at with alvarado is he's way more fresh heading into the postseason than he was last year so if they want to kind of ride him here i mean mean, they rode Jose Alvarado, like, I mean, he pitched seemingly every game of the postseason last year. He got tired. I mean, the Jordan Alvaro's home run, we know that happened. He got tired last year.

He is in a much, much, much more fresh spot heading into the postseason this year. Jeff Hoffman, again, comes out of nowhere. He instantly, like, now, he's the right-handed option I trust the most. Even like tonight, you know, that's a pretty big spot for a guy who has been up and down a majority of his career. He walks a guy, all of a sudden, it's runners first and second, and he just gets out of it. I know it's the Pirates. I get that. But for a guy who has had the ascend that he's had this year to just be able to navigate that, that's big stuff.

So shout out to Jeff Hoffman. Just continues to look nasty. That split changeup when he throws the first strike, I think is one of the best pitches in baseball. I love it. He always forgets he throws 98, too. It's always a nice reminder when he throws. It's like, oh yeah, I forgot. You have 99 in your back pocket.

But the big story and the one that is just going to make or break this team is Kimbrell. And what Kimbrell are they getting heading into the postseason? The Dodgers kept him off their playoff roster last year. He has pitched his most innings since 2017.

And he just looks year. He has pitched his most innings since 2017, and he just looks tired. He's pitched a ton of innings, and his ERA is in the 4.8 since they introduced his new walk-in intro music. Shout out to Dustin Legardo for putting that together. So he's definitely a concern right now. And between him and Sir Anthony, you need to have righties that are

able to get big outs in the postseason like lefties are great whatever um like the lefties i feel pretty good about alvarado strom even soto's been on a good good little heater here i don't trust lorenzo i mean the one x factor here is what does a ryan kirkering look look down the stretch here can he pitch into those roles i don those roles? I don't think they would do that because Kimbrell is an all-star this year. He's had a lot of big outs for them. He's a veteran. I don't think his job's in jeopardy. But if he pitches the way he has, he's going to cost them games.

And that's the frustrating part. But if Orion can pitch in these last five games, that's really the only reason to watch these next, for the next, what, five games of the season is every time Orion Kerkering pitches. Because if he can develop into that role, then it makes like, okay, if Sir Anthony struggles, we don't have to keep putting him out there

because we do have another option. It seems like Alvarado's a closer now. I know that Hoffman, or they've been doing Kimbrell in big pockets in the eighth and then leaving the Alvarado inning for the ninth, but it seems like we're back to kind of that, which I like, because I think Alvarado, obviously the stuff is still there, but his mentality for the ninth at this point that's back as well um him getting hot is is really really massive but the the kimbrough thing like the the biggest question

marks for the team heading into the postseason is stott just when it comes to can he can he get right this last month nola is this last two starts are they more real than not kimbrough and sir anthony i mean it's it's those four what versions am i getting heading into the postseason because like if i can get two out of those four i feel pretty good um like stott i just i always kind of trust is going to figure it out but it's something we have to acknowledge, his numbers, since September 1st. But even like that, he gets the big hit against the Braves. So he's never too concerned about him. Saranthin and Kimbrell are two big question marks.

The nice part is that Orion's right there if they needed to go to him. 215-592-9494. Lisa in Allentown leaving the game. What's happening, Lisa? Hey, Jack. How are you? Do you have an apartment at Citizens Bank Park now? I mean, what are you there all the time?

Yeah, need a place down there. Wasn't even going to go today, but my husband was like, we need to go. He's like, I have a good feeling. I was like, all right, let's do it. So he got tickets, and we drove down, and it was awesome. It's clinch night. I awesome. It's clinch night. I mean, it's clinch night. Had to be there.

What's nice is that I think last year if I said it was clinch night and I'm sure if you said it was clinch night, you're feeling like, well, this feels jinxable. They're just good. They're just a good baseball team. And I'm so happy they're back. And it seems like this is going to be something that we're going to be doing for multiple years here.

Yeah. And just thinking about all the years we suffered through these terrible teams, and these guys are just unreal. Just to see, you know, they got a taste of it last year. This year they know what it takes. They're ready to go. And the young guys tonight, you know, Marsh Rojas coming through huge tonight. It was awesome to see.

Just thinking about Rojas, he was in Redding a couple months ago. Yep. You know, Orion Kirkering was in Florida a couple months ago. And they're, like, making meaningful contributions to the end of this season. It's unreal. Totally. Totally. And I'm sure he'll be there next Tuesday.

We got another run to go on, Lisa. Yep. I'm ready. All right. Appreciate the call. Yeah, it's been wild. And I mentioned in the open, this is what makes great teams. It's not going and getting the star players. It's not drafting guys in the first round and having them all come up.

It's the Johan Rojas's. It's finding the Jeff Hoffmans of the world. It's developing Johan Rojas's. It's finding the Jeff Hoffmans of the world. It's developing a Chris Sanchez and having these fringe pieces all come together and make a great baseball team. Anyone can go sign stars. Matt Klintak could sign stars. But you know what he couldn't do?

He couldn't form a roster. He couldn't build a winner. Dave Dombrowski can do that. And I'm just, I was wrong. I was not a huge Dombrowski can do that. I was wrong. I was not a huge Dombrowski guy. I was worried he was going to gut the farm system and try to win immediately. He's done the exact opposite. He's a total winner.

I could not be happier that I was wrong about Dave Dombrowski and just continues to put this team in position to succeed. So does John Middleton. Goes out, makes the financial commitment to Trey Turner keeps pushing his chips in and

and is being rewarded because this fan base and this team there is a strong strong connection and I can't wait I cannot wait for next Tuesday 215-592-9494 we're on your calls coming up next but also a look ahead to tomorrow

you know it's gonna be it's gonna be an, but also a look ahead to tomorrow. You know, it's going to be, it's going to be an interesting lineup. We'll look ahead, continue to react and hand things off to Jody Mac 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 deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter,

giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Of course, that is our Mike's Amazing Play of the Game presented by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo, mustard, and vegetable oil of the Phillies. Johan Rojas, the kid in Reading most of the year, brought up kind of out of nowhere, kind of felt like a trade showcase at the time comes up and just locks down the centerfield

spot i mean that's what he did that is what johan rojas did is that in game one and throughout the postseason he is going to be this team's center fielder and uh i i i didn't grow up seeing schmidt i didn't see roland i've seen a lot of bad defensive players here in Philadelphia. That kid is the best individual defensive player I've ever seen play for the Phillies. It is legitimate, difference-making, special defensive talent is what Johan Rojas has. And what's funny is this is how I felt about Christian Pache. And I think Christian Pache is an unbelievable defender as well. Johan Rojas is better.

Like that's a difference. And it just seems like every time he's on the field, winning plays happen. I feel like we're starting to get the patented. He can just drill the ball on the ground and bounce it over the third baseman's head. That happened tonight. Winning plays happen when Johan Rojas is in the field, except when you ask him to bunt. Although he's even heating up in the bunting department.

Either way, either way, he hits the walk-off to send the Phillies back to the postseason. Cubs lose. I guess Saya Suzuki dropped a routine pop-up. And this Cubs collapse has been something to observe from afar. So Brewers win the NL Central. Phillies lock up the number one wild card and will host all throughout the wild card round. Welcome on back.

It is the final. I'll sponsor by Regency Furniture. Affordable. Never look so good. We'll run through some phone calls here to close out the show before handing things off to Jody Mack. But tomorrow can be very interesting, the kind of effort put forth by the Phils. Reinder Suarez started last year in a similar spot

and just didn't look like he had it. Didn't look totally locked in. You know, the Pirates, if you're a betting person, the Pirates are probably the pick tomorrow. Garrett Stubbs, he might be seeing two baseballs tomorrow coming in. The funniest part about Stubbs, they might want to call someone up, like in all seriousness. Like maybe have Marshan bring him up from AAA and let him catch tomorrow.

Like I don't think we need Stubbs out there tomorrow. But it's going to be like a lot of Rodolfo Castro. Jake Cave is going to play, and Pache is going to play, and a lot of the extras. But it's going to be an interesting balance here, in all seriousness, down the stretch. Because you can't just sit these guys for a week. Bryson Stott, who is great.

Bryson Stott has had an unbelievable year, and for a majority of the year has been the team's MVP. But the bats slowed down, and Jim and Phoenix brought up a great point about him getting popped in the ribs, and it hasn't really totally been the same since. Maybe there's something there with that, but he needs to get right heading into the postseason. Brandon Marsh, I know he had the home run tonight,

but I believe he's up to 31 strikeouts in September, which is not great. There's a couple guys that have to get going here. Tomorrow's not a big deal, whatever. It doesn't matter. It's going to be weird for me personally, and I'm sure a lot of you that live and die with this team, to feel nothing in a baseball game, unless a Ryan Kirk green is coming in. Then we'll feel everything.

But they're going to have to be smart here. You know, they're going to have to manage these guys' innings, but keeping them fresh at the same time. That's what happens when you have five games left, and, you know, it's not like you're playing down to the wire. The good part is, like, teams like the Braves have been clinched for, I don't know, a week and a half. So, yeah, it's just something to kind of monitor here

and see how they manage it and hopefully they get it right. And Tuesday these guys are fully locked and ready to go. Rangers are going to be in the mound versus Oviedo from the Pirates. So, again, not sure what to expect in the game tomorrow. Mr. Shorehands from West Oakland. I'm curious how this goes. What's happening, Mr. Shorehands? What's up, baby?

How you feeling? I'm always feeling great, man, and you better be doing the same thing. Hey, Jack Fritzy, sometimes you be a little fair weather. Don't do what anybody else in Philly be doing, man. With who, the Phillies? I know how excited you be about the Phillies. Yes. You got to be that way about anybody else, too, man. With who? The Phillies? I know how excited you'd be about the Phillies. Yes. You gotta be that way about

anybody else, too, man. The Flyers, the Phillies, the Sixers. It's all the same, man. Go birds, man. We're doing the same thing here. Yeah, we'll get to the Eagles, Mr. Shurhands. We'll get there. And listen, listen, they got a lot of football

left. I got a postseason run to worry about right now. Well, the first team you said was the Flyers, Jack. Come listen, listen, you got a lot of football left. I got a postseason run to worry about right now. Well, the first team you said was the Flyers, Jack. Come on, dude. Oh, man. Love what Jonesy's building over there. I mean, listen, if we need puck talk, no one's more equipped to talk some puck. Again, dump and chase,

puck's on net. Sounds like a winning formula. TJ. TJ's in Northeast. What's happening, Teej? What's up, Jack? Oh, man. This is a great night. This is a great night.

It's good to be back. That's right. I feel great. The stadium was rocking. We were standing up the last two innings. It felt great. You were down there tonight? I mean, for only 32,000, it seemed pretty loud down there.

It was loud the last two innings, I mean, for only 32,000, it seemed pretty loud down there. It was loud the last inning, especially when Hoffman had that strikeout in the extras. Yeah, I mean, he's just developed into such a weapon, and it's something that obviously none of us saw coming. I mean, he's going to finish the regular season with, I believe, like a 2-8, and I like that he's able to pitch his way through some trouble tonight. He didn't have it.

He walked the first batter, you know, and just was able to lock in after that and do his job. Yeah, we need that at this time. I think last year's run was a warm-up to what this year is going to be. Well, listen, if that's the case, TJ, I'd appreciate the call. I mean, it's going to be a special time around here. The one interesting part is just, you know, because the difference between this year's team and last year's team is obviously this year much more expected.

And even tonight, like, they're going to celebrate. They're going to party. But it's like we were going to do this. Like last year, it was like oh my like it was it was like a kid walking into a candy store and being like oh no way look how cool this is like oh this is because it had literally been a decade since we've seen it now like the now that they're in i think the expectation has totally changed because the expectation if they lose the wild cry round i think people are going to be really mad.

The Braves, I think if they lose that series, depending on how it goes, we'll see. But it does feel like people are just expecting this whole thing to happen again. And I love that. I love that the confidence is back. But that's the difference between this year and last year's team.

But like I said, to open the show, don't let this team win the wildcard round because the way that they act, the way they talk, the resiliency that Rob Thompson talked about, there's something there. And selfishly, I am doing my best not to look past the wildcard round because I don't want to do that because obviously that's a recipe for disaster.

But I know they played in the playoffs last year, Phillies-Braves. I get it. This year I think would be different. The Braves have all year to think about what the Phillies did last October. They've been stewing on that. They obviously had the World Series from a couple years ago. And this Phillies team, they have something on that Braves team. I think the Braves would like to play the Phillies the absolute least.

And it would be a good old-fashioned sports hate, like, bring it back. I need it. Second round, the Phillies-Braves. We're not looking ahead one game at a time. That's what Nick Sirianni says to do. Either way, that's going to do it for me. Thanks so much for hanging out. It was fun reacting to it all.

Jody Mack will obviously keep taking your phone calls throughout the night. Phils are back in the postseason. It's good to be back. And it's nice that we expected to be here, and they ended up here. Magical night. Looking forward to reacting all day tomorrow. I guess I'm still leading off end final out. So I don't know what the effort level is going to be tomorrow.

Maybe take the Pirates. Either way, we'll be here to react to it all. And next Tuesday, this whole thing gets started. But thanks for hanging out. Jody Max got you next. He'll take you through the rest of the night. Francisco Rojas produced the program tonight. Have a good rest of your night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.