High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: The Winning Streak Ends At Seven

Episode Date: April 24, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies getting blown out by the Reds on Tuesday night. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Tuesday night, 215-592-9494 to get in and react to what was the first Phillies loss in what seems like a decade. A long, long time coming. And to be completely frank and fair, the legs needed a break. There was a lot of running going on. I was just glad to do it. Tried to put a team on my back and get us a good little cushion above 500.

But it's over. Phil's lose tonight and throw up a pretty big stinker out in Cincinnati. The game wrap-up sponsored by Blazer Swiss Lube and Kravitz, the metalworking fluid specialists, providing professional CNC machine cleaning, coolant maintenance programs, and waste coolant disposal. Krevitz.online. And frankly, I'm surprised they got that game in.

I mean, it seemed like that was going to be a game that was going to get rained out. A lot of doom and gloom. You know, once again, our trusted meteorologist, Howard Eskin. You know, I didn't ask him anything, but I assume that I really am just waiting for him to go on a rant about Cincinnati weather people scaring the Phillies and really the Reds. Fans didn't even show up.

What was it, like 20 people in the ballpark tonight? Seemed like a dead crowd and the Phillies, they didn't show up to play tonight at all. Let's get to the biggest takeaways of the game. Brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury firm,

injury law firm. Biggest takeaway number one is that that was just an absolute stinker all around. We'll get to Christopher Sanchez and what he did tonight. Not great, but really it's what happened in the field and in some key spots at the dish. First run started because of an error. All unearned runs in that inning started with an error. Bottom of the third, wild pitch, single, walk, stolen base, error on boom. So, like, just sloppy baseball. And what makes that frustrating is, we talked a lot during this last seven game winning streak

about how this team had kind of settled into the season, and you hadn't seen the bad base running, and you hadn't seen the bad defense. Now, tonight, you have a couple guys playing out of position. Sosa, for as good as Edmundo is up the middle, shortstop, second

base, third base, he just hasn't been that great since coming over here. And I know it doesn't really make much sense because you would think that if you could play shortstop, he could play third. He just hasn't been great over there. And then Boehm playing first base, first time this year. Bryce, obviously, on the paternity list. I mean, that play is inexcusable. Turner makes a really good play up the middle and just has bad footwork and is not ready to go, is not ready to field the baseball. So a frustrating one from that standpoint because a lot of things that they had kind of ironed out of their game and they've been showing signs of playing,

winning baseball, I thought last night was one of their most complete wins of the season where it was like a couple sack flies good defense great pitching obviously from Ranger and tonight was just a big step back and JT's taking a step back defensively it seems like more wild pitches than I think we're accustomed to seeing you know that cost him a run it allowed the runner to get a second base and then our Encarnacion and Strand brought him home. Just sloppy, sloppy baseball. And in the field, too, which has been pretty good. Now, again, a couple guys playing out of position.

That won't likely be the case when Bryce is back, which is so funny. We're getting so used to Bryce as a first baseman to where we can utter the sentence that when Bryce gets back, the defense at first base will probably be fine. Bones has been really good over at third base. We don't really stress when the ball is hit his way. So just more of a fluky night in what was an ugly kind of atmosphere out there tonight. And I'm not going to go over the top about it. It was a stinker.

They happen. It happens. And the last thing that has to be pointed out and really could have been the turning point of the game or the time or, I guess, the point where you knew the game was over was when, first off, I don't think I would ever see this for the entire year. For as rare as a complete game shutout is, and God forbid a no-hitter, it might be even more rare to see Pache, Sosa, and Rojas walk to start an inning.

Those are three aggressive swingers, especially Sosa. To have those three go walk, walk, walk, Go walk, walk, walk. Proceeded by, followed up by, freaking Schwarber trying to hit a ball into the Cincinnati River. Like, just swinging out of his shoes for no reason. Not doing a job, which is frustrating because the night before, they just did their jobs and they won a baseball game. Schwarber is trying to send a ball into orbit. He strikes out on a fastball down the middle. Turner, overaggressive.

Cruz came into the game. He's a splitter guy. Wasn't ready for the splitter. And then JT flew out. I mean, that's ballgame. That is ballgame right there. 5-1, you have a chance. You have bases loaded, no outs.

I mean, there is no, and I mean no worse situation for this team to be in than bases loaded, one out or no outs. I mean, the last couple weeks, there's been multiple double plays turned in those situations, and tonight was just a master class of stink. I mean, just a master class on how to screw up a pretty cake situation. So that was beyond frustrating. And, you know, the offense position players, they kind of wear this one. But my second big takeaway is that Chris Sanchez just didn't have it.

I know he only technically allowed one earned, but was not able to stop the bleeding in a couple instances and stop some of these innings from avalanching and snowballing and turning into more than they really need to be. Command was a little bit off. Walked three guys, two in an inning. The Reds did a really good job of fouling off a ton of pitches. He was at 74 pitches, I believe, in the three innings he went tonight. So not a great night from Christopher Sanchez.

They fouled off a ton of pitches. He didn't have his strikeout stuff, didn't have his command, and it was not a good start. I know he technically only allowed one earned, but I thought there was opportunities, even with the error, for him to, first off, get out of that first inning, and in that last inning, sure, I won't kill him for that. But he definitely didn't have his good stuff tonight.

So not a great Christopher Sanchez start. Not a great night in the field. Not a great night at the plate. All adds up to a pretty, pretty brutal night out in Cincinnati. Last thing on Christopher Sanchez, because this is now becoming a thing, he's got to figure out how to hold runners much better. I mean, this is something that is going to be in scouting reports. Teams are going to take advantage of it.

The Reds are an aggressive base-running team. Christopher Sanchez, that's something that he really has to work on. Everything else, pretty good. Has to get better at holding runs. 2-1-5 holding runners. 2-1-5, 5-9-2. 94-94 is how you get in on the final out. On the other side, we'll get to your phone calls.

Plus, two thoughts on the lineup. Why is one person out there every single night? And a continued bright spot is continuing to show itself. It's the final out here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position

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It's the Final Out, Sports Radio 94 WIP. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Tuesday night. Final Out is always sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable. Never looked so good. Let's go to the phones. Dave is in Maryland. What's happening, Dave? Hey, Jack. What's up?

Just, you know, it's one of those kind of scheduled losses I felt like tonight. I don't mind putting guys in, but, like, they seem to – when Rob Thompson puts guys in, it feels like he puts four or five guys in at the same time, like Sosa, Pache, Mary Fee. Like, it just – I don't know.

I think it just totally stunts the – think it's yeah totally stunts the like the momentum you had with the lineup and i like when you look at the two lefties the one you face tonight and lodolo tomorrow i feel like lodolo is a tougher at bat against left for left-handers does that mean like stott and marsh are going to be out tomorrow, too? I get frustrated not seeing those guys in the lineup. When you look at the Braves lineup every day, it's Olsen, Ozuna, Acuna, Riley, Albies. They put out the same lineup every day. Maybe he's doing the right thing, getting guys rest. I mean, maybe he's doing the right thing getting guys rest,

but I just, with the guys that were in there tonight, it just felt like we didn't have a chance tonight. And I know we had our chances and stuff like that, but it just set a bad vibe and a bad tone when you look at the lineup. Yeah, no, I mostly agree with you, man. Lodolo is definitely going to be a tougher look for them. A part of me wonders, and I know you can't really plan on a game getting suspended because of rain, but I do wonder if they just didn't want to put guys out there.

It was probably going to get called anyway, and then all of a sudden the forecast kind of cleared up. I'm not sure. It is interesting, though. And they're so obsessed with getting the righties in there against the lefty, which I think does make sense. You paid Merrifield. You want to keep some of those guys fresh. You want to get those guys in there.

Lodolo is going to be a much tougher task tomorrow. Maybe just give them the night today and have them go out tomorrow more at full strength or have more of those guys in the lineup in a spot against Lodolo. I don't know. I get why it's frustrating. I guess at the same time, like, you have to get some of the bench guys at bats

so that they don't completely go incredibly low. Yeah, I mean, like tonight I would have, you know, played Marsh out and left and then tomorrow maybe put Pache out there, you know, and give Stott, like, split it up a little bit. Because, like, especially when you're going two nights in a row against two tough lefties, I just look at, like, you know, tomorrow, like, Lodolo, his splits against lefties are very tough. And, like, I mean, a lot of – he's only thrown 1.1 innings against lefties this year

because other teams don't put him in there. I guess they do the same thing, but I felt like Ashby was an easier at-bat for a guy like Marsh or Stott tonight. If you're going to give him a day or try to get those guys in, I would at least try to split it up a little bit

rather than put all four or five of them in at the same time. I appreciate the call, Dave. I think it's a fair criticism. You know what I would like to see? Maybe like one off day for Nick Castellanos. I don't ask for much. I mean, he's the only Philly that has played every game.

And I know that it feels like JT's played every game, because it does feel like he's played every game. And mind know that it feels like JT's played every game because it does feel like he's played every game. And mind you, it is April 23rd. I don't think we need to play JT all the time, but whatever. The Cassianos thing, I appreciate wanting to let him go work, battle his way through it. But why not tonight? You're facing Andrew Rabbit. I understand lefty, righty, yada, yada, yada.

But maybe Mara's out there. You want to get Pache in there. You want to get some of these right-handed bats in there. You want to keep Rojas in there swinging a good bat. Just give him the night off. I know he got two hits last night. They weren't exactly the most inspiring hits. He's still down on the year.

I just don't know how long you just keep trotting him out there with the expectation that all of a sudden the switch is going to flip. I mean, he does seem like a guy that is streaking. I mean, last year, I just remember

distinctly, he was kind of down for a long time, and then he went down and flipped the David Robertson curveball out in Miami, and that kind of got him going again. And maybe they're just waiting for that spark, but I mean,

we're almost a month into the season, and he's just doing squat. He's got one extra base hit. I mean, amongst all qualified hitters, he's like the only one that has one extra base hit. It's brutal. And tonight he just goes right back, reverts right back to flailing at pitches and creating weak contact.

They've got to do something with right field at this point. And when Marsh is hitting the way he is, he should be considered an everyday player. If you want to get the righties in there against the lefty on the mound, just commit to Marsh, who I think has earned it, and maybe get one of those righties in right field. Put Pache in right field. Because, put Pache in right field. Because he's just killing you right now.

He's just absolutely killing you. It's weak contact, weak contact. When he gets hits, it's a single. He's not driving the baseball. The fact that Marsh, I mean, off the top of my head, he's sat at least six games, if not more. And Castellanos can't catch the bench for a day? What are we doing?

I don't want to give up on Nick Castellanos because I think he's a streaky player. And I know the hot streak could come, but it's April 23rd. Does he have to play every single day? Every day. He has to be trotting out to right field. Tonight's a perfect example. It's not like Andrew Abbott's going to blow away Brandon Marsh. You want to sit Marsh tomorrow against Lodolo?

Okay. I could excuse that one away. Why don't you sit Castellanos tonight? We're banking on two hits Monday night before, or Monday night. And one was a bloop shot over the first baseman. It just bothers me. 2-1-5-5-9-2, 94-94-2, get in.

The Castellanos thing is something that is definitely one to monitor. A positive, though, is Alec Boehm is just continuing to do his thing. And right now, I believe he's 300 average, 400 slugging, 500. No, 300 average, 400 OBP, 500 plus slugging, which is, I mean, I would be kind of surprised if he kept it up all year. But either way, really good improvement from Alec Baum. Finally starting to just lift the baseball a little bit more. We're seeing more doubles. We're seeing more balls in the gap.

We're seeing less of little singles, little dribblers at the middle. Looking like he's really doing some damage. And I wonder if when Bryce gets back from paternity, lineup gets resituated. If you don't see Bowman that four spot more often, leads the team in RBI right now. Had a big one early. I mean, big one's probably a stretch. They lost the game pretty annually. But regardless, he had an RBI in the first. Had a hit late.

Now, he's done this before where he goes on these streaks. And I start talking myself into it like bang there it is here comes the the real full alec boom offensive difference making weapon whatever and he goes back to to just driving the baseball onto the ground so i i am cautiously optimistic it's been a really good run from him. It's really good to see. He's always been a good run producer. I hope that when Bryce gets back, you see Boehm more in that four spot, protecting him

in the lineup, which coincidentally is where he was in Game 7 of last year and the whole playoffs. Regardless, looking good right now. The Injury Report is sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumbers690.org. A bit of a scary moment. Johan Rojas crashed into the wall.

Seemed like he kind of just got the wind knocked out of him. But I mean, Rob Thompson got out there, trainers out there. Some of the teammates were kind of circled around him. I thought it was really fascinating how quick Trey was out there. And there was a really good story. I believe Alex Coffey wrote it in the Enquirer about Trey kind of taking Johan Rojas under his wing and helping him not let the early season struggles, I guess, get to him. So it seems like there's a really cool little connection, friendship going there with Turner and Rojas. And you can kind of see the concerned look in,

in Turner's face when he went out there. I just thought it was a good, a good kind of moment and, and showed the, the tightness of this unit that the $300 million shortstop is, is bonding and trying to help out the 22, 23 year old center fielder. You know,

I think that's what makes special teams. And I think that, that that is what has made teams and i think that that that is what has made this clubhouse such a a really positive place the last couple years so good stuff out of turner good to see rojas not have to miss time he stayed in took a little bit but he stayed in and that was uh that was good to see because i'm it's been fun watching johan the last couple games as the bat does not seem so i mean just doesn't seem like it's been fun watching Johan the last couple games as the bat does not seem so, I mean, just doesn't seem like it's wearing down the lineup

or weighing down the lineup. It's been really, really, really good to see. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94 to get in on the final out. On the other side, we will obviously look ahead to tomorrow, get to the play of the game, the player of the game, and a whole lot more on the final out on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Swing and a bouncer up the middle. Turner to his left.

Dives. He's got it. Hops up. The throw to first. Boehm can't dig it out. And it goes all the way into the Reds' dugout. Both runs are going to score. Martini will end up at second.

It's 4-1 Cincinnati. That is our play of the game, sponsored by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo and mustard of the Phillies. Welcome on back. It is the final out, sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz, I'm going to end with you on this Tuesday night. Yes, to me, that's the play of the game.

You know, if they just make that play, game remains close. Who knows how the rest of the game kind of goes from there. Either way, I mean, Boehm's got to come up with that. He's been great at the plate. That's a play that a more typical first baseman kind of makes. And it's so funny how, you know, Boehm was viewed as such a liability at third base the last couple years. And it was like, well, first base, he's pretty fine.

He's not a great first baseman. And that play tonight was very evident of that, and it's a shame, too, because Turner's defense has really, really stepped up. I think ever since I said, hey, maybe let's try him in center field if the defense continues to be brutal, he's kind of right of the ship there, and that was a really good play from him,

and it was disappointing that bomer could not come up with that let's get to the player of the game which is sponsored by south jersey gas committed to providing safe reliable affordable natural gas make the switch at southjerseygas.com slash love my home christian incarnos incarnacion strong was three four three or four today Encarnacion was 3-4 today. Did his job. Drove in some runs. It's funny because I think he's got like 17 hits on the year, but a good amount of RBI. So he's got a

really low batting average, but he's coming through. And he definitely came through tonight against the Phillies. Tomorrow, Spencer Turnbull on the mound in what is likely likely his last start although Rob Thompson I guess kind of left the door open

that he wasn't out of the rotation I know that Taiwan starting Sunday I guess we're just kind of holding out hope at this point I don't think they're going to take my idea of just letting Taiwan walk to San Diego and see if he makes it in time for his start I guess they said hey probably not a good idea.

But either way, it's Spencer Turnbull on the mound. We know what he's done. It's a shame, too, because his stuff just looks so sharp. And that start against the White Sox, I know the White Sox think. I know they're dreadful, yada, yada, yada. Let's get the disclaimers out. There's been a lot of articles written about how they're going to lose 120 games and they're going to surpass the

0-3 Tigers for the loss record. I get it. But it looked like his stuff had a nice little uptick to it. So it is disappointing. I understand the innings thing. I know they want to manage it. Might as well see what Taiwan can do for three starts. If he rides

the ship and figures it out, great. That means an $18 million a year sunk cost in Tywon Walker. Do I see it happening? No, I don't. And I appreciate Rob Thompson saying before the game that Tywon looked good in his last bullpen session. I also watched his start in Lehigh Valley over the weekend where, again, four and three walks, one whiff, barely touching 90 miles an hour.

I guess I'll just trust my eyes from that standpoint. So we'll see. We'll see what happens. We'll see how long their leash is. Tomorrow might be Turnbull's last kind of run in the rotation. And the Phils are going up against Lodolo, who is a really tough lefty. And like Dave brought up earlier in Maryland,

I'll be curious to see what he does with the line-up tomorrow. Maybe tonight gives them the night off so that they're more fresh against Lodolo, but they got their hands tied here. He's really good. He's only faced the Angels and White Sox this year, so not exactly murderer's row, but he's only allowed one earned run this year. And last year,

he dominated it, carved the Phillies up in back-to-back starts, struck out 18 fills in two starts last year. So tomorrow, they have their work cut out against Nick Lodolo. If you want to come hang out with Seltzer and I,

been meaning to bring this up, James Seltzer and I hanging out at the Green Parrot in Newtown on Saturday for a little Phillies watch party. We're playing some trivia. You can enjoy some Miller Lights. And we'll all before Phillies Padres on Saturday night. So Seltzer and I hanging out at the Green Parrot in Newtown, a really cool spot.

Come out on Saturday, and we'll watch some Phills, talk some Phills. Playing good baseball. Tonight was a big step back from the clean, solid, sound baseball that they've played recently. But, hey, another game tomorrow. Tough one against Lodolo. And we will pour one out for the Spencer Turnbull miracle run to start the 2024 season.

And we'll watch true greatness on the mound tomorrow night for the last time. Soak these kind of moments in. They don't come around very often. Either way, I'll be back tomorrow to react to it all. Obviously, the new afternoon show, we will lead you into the game, a 640 start, and

it'll be a great time. So, Phil's Reds tomorrow, Lodolo versus Spencer Turnbull. I'll be back postgame. Buzz Wilson produced the final out tonight. Jody Mack will take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.