High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: This Is A Nightmare

Episode Date: June 28, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies loss to the Marlins that saw both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper leave the game with injuries. 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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or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome on in. It is the final out out sponsored by Regency Furniture Affordable. Never looked so good and what was a brutal night down at Citizens Bank Park.

I mean, just an absolutely soul crushing. I mean, that's what it was. Like tonight was fine. It was going great. It was. Like, tonight, it was fine. It was going great. It was going perfect. Offense looked pretty good.

You know, Harper extends his hitting streak. And then, figure out four... 3-0, and then disaster. The game wrap-up sponsored by Blaser Swiss Lube and Kravitz, the metalworking fluid specialist providing professional CNC machine cleaning, coolant maintenance programs, and waste coolant disposable. Kravitz.online, 215-592-9494 to get in. Obviously, you're probably stuck in traffic.

Well, you're probably watching the fireworks show. But listen, if I was in the building and the rest of that game happened and you tell me, oh, I've got to stick around and be jolly for fireworks i'm out of there there's no way i'm sitting around for fireworks there's not a smile on my face tonight there's not no joy is to be had so if you're like me you're probably steaming in traffic right now meanwhile i'm steaming on my couch this it's it was it was dreadful. The biggest takeaways of the game brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury firm.

Obviously the big one, Harper & Schwarber might be hurt. I mean, Harper & Schwarber might be hurt, and we're not going to know until tomorrow, which I hate, and it feels like we're just waiting to get the Friday news dump as to what is going on with these guys injury-wise. Maybe because the Harper thing happened so late that there wasn't enough time. There should be enough time for Schwarber. I don't know.

Maybe the injury room is piling up. Who knows? Who knows? Our pet's heads are falling off. I have no idea, okay? All I know is that it looked like Harper pulled his hamstring. They said he grabbed his hamstring. I have never begged more for a cramp in my entire

life. Like, give me LeBron in San Antonio level cramps. I don't care. Do not, do not let that be a major hamstring injury. Do not let that happen. Don't let that happen. Cannot deal with it. And Schwarber, like, this is why he's not in left field! He's played with three games in left field this entire year, and he pulls his groin? Well, I just, if your plan was to not play him in left field,

I don't know why all of a sudden it's like, we gotta get him out there. Unless their idea was, we wanna see if we can do it, and maybe we'll go get a big DH at the deadline and get another big bat in here. Maybe that was a thought process, but to go from zero to bang your play and left field a couple times a week,

it feels like a pretty big jump, even though he's looking pretty spry this year. Brutal. This is the Injury Report, sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumbers690.org. Rob Thompson said after the game they're going to have an update in the morning.

And I just, that, like, the fact that they couldn't just come out with something tonight worries me a lot. I feel like we've seen this before where when you have to wait the next day for an update, that it traditionally means the worst. I'm trying not to envision what the worst is because the worst could be these, listen, these guys might miss six weeks. I don't think either are season ending. We get it. But, like, the injuries are starting to pile up here.

And it's the one freaking thing that could derail this season. This season has felt special. This should be the year. They are positioned to go deep and win a World Series. And with the amount of little nagging injuries that have been piling up, it's just beyond worrisome of like, is this going to be the thing that holds back the 2024 Phillies? Are we going to look back on the 2024 Phillies, the team that should have freaking set the wins record, and said, yeah, but we were robbed of it because of injuries.

That's my fear right now. I hope none of it comes to fruition. I hope everything's fine. I hope they come in tomorrow and there's no massive injury and Bryce just had cramping. He's going to take the day and he'll be back on Saturday. Schwarber, I don't know. A groin seems a little bit worse than cramping.

Again, we're all just kind of waiting. We're just waiting. We're just waiting and hoping and praying that these guys are not really hurt because of all the injuries they're already dealing with in this lineup. Brutal. And then the game on top of it, which is my second biggest takeaway of the game, is I came in a little aggressive there when it came down the the the disaster that was tonight like this was the

most that's baseball kind of like if the injuries never happened if bryce never gets injured shortboard isn't injured and like they're all out there whatever and we're just reacting to the game that was the most hey that's one of 162 kind of baseball game I think we've seen this year. I can count on one hand, I believe, the amount of times that this team has had a full-on bullpen meltdown, and those two guys who have been phenomenal. Do I have a cause for concern with those guys? No.

I think Matt Strom's fine. He was bad opening day. He was bad today. Everything in between has been pretty damn locked down. The Santander home run in Baltimore, notwithstanding, whatever happens, you allow a home run. He's been a freak. Jeff Offen, now, he got shockingly hit around pretty hard in the last Detroit game.

And then tonight happened, and it's like, oh, is this some worry with Jeff Offen? I'm not there yet. But, like, it was just a disaster kind of seventh and eighth inning for this team. You looked at the game tonight with Zach Wheeler. Zach Wheeler was good. Again, he looked like he was fighting himself. I think he had really good fastball command. Fastball is popping. He's up to 98 early in the game. Did not think he had great feel for secondary pitches. When when teams are seeing

Zach Wheeler's fastball well, they're traditionally kind of fouling him off. It's a really hard fastball to square up, but there is enough there to where you can foul off a ton of pitches and get his pitch count up. Me personally, I would not have sent him out for the seventh inning.

I think the reason that Rob Thompson sent him out is he did say postgame, 95 pitches, and while he may seem like this is the 2000s or early 2000s where guys throw 120 pitches in their sleep, I mean, 95 pitches is manageable, but it's still

on the high end. I think he sent him out there for the seventh for a couple of reasons. One, it was 7-8-9 in the lineup. It was bottom of the lineup. You trust Zach Wheeler to be able to get through that even when he doesn't have his best stuff. And he does have the extra day to where you feel comfortable pushing him because they have, again, an extra day to where he can rest if he needs to and you don't feel like you're burning the guy out.

So I understand sending him back out there. Again, 7-8-9. I just didn't think he had his best stuff. He went back out there. He also got a strikeout. I mean, it was a strikeout. It was a sinker that ran back in to the lefty. Umpire calls it a ball, and he's out of the game for Matt Strom on Jazz Chisholm,

which is a matchup you take every single day of the week. Of course, armchair managers are going to sit here, and they're going to tell me, fire Rob Thompson because Matt Strom didn't have it tonight. You're bringing Matt Strom to get out Jazz Chisholm, he hit him. It happens. It happens.

But we're not all gambling, people. We don't all gamble. But if you're placing odds, I feel pretty damn good that that decision is going to work out nine times out of ten. It didn't work out tonight. Hoffman didn't have it in the eighth, and the offense just didn't have enough. The big story tonight is the injuries because it gets pretty bleak looking at this lineup with those two out of it. And just on a whole, it sucks. and just on a whole, it sucks.

If Bryce Harper is injured, probably takes him out of the All-Star game, which stinks, because once again, we still have not seen him play in the All-Star game as a Philly. I've watched Craig Kimbrell and Nick Castellanos close out, in Kimbrell's case, close out an All-Star game before I've seen Bryce Harper play it. He was voted in tonight. He's going to be the starting first baseman, And that happens. That's beyond infuriating. And the MVP. Like,

listen, MVPs don't mean everything. They just don't. Like, winning a World Series matters more. But I wanted to see Bryce Harper take home his second MVP as a Philly. And I wanted Shohei versus Bryce to close this thing out. And a loss tonight of Bryce for six weeks pretty much takes him out of that. And then I start thinking about it. And then 500 home runs, whatever. We don't have to get all into that tonight. I guess we'll wait for tomorrow for the ultimate freakout. But my God.

I mean, just a brutal night down at CBP. 2-1-5-5-9-2, 94-94. It's Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on the Final Out. On the other side, we'll get to your phone calls, plus the player of the game and a preview, like I said, as to what this might look like for a little bit here offensively. All that's coming up next on the Final Out on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Hey, fantasy football owners.

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Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Berger swings and hits one high in the air deep down the left field line. If this one's fair, it's gone, and it is gone. And just like that first pitch, Marlins back in front. Hoffman gives up the solo home run to Jake Berger, and it's 5-4 Miami. Garland's back in front. Hoffman gives up the solo home run to Jake Berger, and it's 5-4 Miami.

Jake Berger, who I don't believe had hit a home run since, like, May? It had been, again, for a guy who looks like he should be launching baseballs, this has not been, I guess it has not been there in the power department, but either way, he showed up tonight, the player of the game sponsored by South Jersey gas committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable,

natural gas, make the switch at South Jersey gas.com slash love my home. Jake Berger taking Jeff off in deep. And it was just like, I tweeted this. And of course people were like, well, it's going to happen.

It's baseball. I understand. It's, it was shocking to happen. It's baseball. I understand. It was shocking to see Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strom getting lit up back to back. Those guys have been so, so locked down that for the Marlins, whose lineup is just dreadful, that Marlins lineup stinks. For that to be the team that lights up Matt Strom and Jeff Hoffman was beyond shocking. And then Junior Marte, in his triumphant return from the IL, in the ninth inning, allows another single there to Jake Berger to bring in a run. So overall,

Jake Berger, our player of the game with a couple RBIs. Now, we talked about this really with dealing with the Schwarber and Harper injuries. And I think the part that is the most saddening, I would say, is what this lineup could look like if those guys aren't in it. And just piecing this thing together, again, we'll see how it shakes out. But pretty much, this is what it's going to look like. And if there's one person that's going to love, just love the top of this lineup, is the king.

Oh, Howard Eskin. Oh, you're going to get your little speed at the top if those guys miss time. So this is what it might look like. Turner at shortstop. Stott at second base. I really wish Stott was hitting better than 239. I wish I would feel more comfortable. I wish he was batting 280. And I'm like, all right, you can stick you in the two hole and you'll be fine. But whatever. Stott in the two hole. Bone batting third. Playing first base. Nick Castellanos. Yes, Nick Castellanos.

Yes, Casti. Casti, who's been just so up and down. Oh, God. He's in right field. Sosa at third base, who's been good. I was glad to see him get to it tonight. He did have the error that they cost him a run. Whatever.

He's been a great shortstop. It happens. Sosa probably a third base. Marsh heating up, which is good to see. A little disappointing seeing him on the bench tonight. I get that you have to play Merrifield and Pache. But, like, the guy goes 4-4. He's feeling pretty good about his swing.

He has gotten two hits in his last two games against the lefties. Trevor Rodgers is not Tarek Scubal. You know, it's not like he's overpowering. You didn't have to sit Marsh tonight. And unfortunately, Schwarber is playing left field, and we know how that ended. And then it goes one of Pache, Merrifield, Dahl. Obviously, you could mismatch the

bottom of the lineup here, but Dahl's been hitting the ball pretty well. Merrifield, I don't know. Maybe if we get him, maybe he starts every day during the week. That'll heat him up. And then Pache just looks overpowered. I mean, Christian Pache's not a major league hitter. And I think once they feel like Johan Rojas is ready to go, he will be DFA'd.

But, man, like, and then the Stubbs-Marshawn. And Marshawn had a hit tonight, which was good. And he made a nice play on a ball and dirt read. So that was good to see from Marchand, but we know that Stubbs-Marchand is not exactly the most inspiring bottom of the lineup, but again, we're about a month away from the trade

deadline. The trade deadline is July 30th. It might speed up their urgency to go get a guy, but again, if you're a team like the White Sox and you have Luis Robert, why aren't you just waiting until the deadline and trying to get as much as you can? I mean, we know that deadlines spur action.

But man, even with Schwarber and Harper in the lineup, they still look a bat short. Because if you can just add one more bat, and make him a real bat, by the way, and make him the four-hole hitter, drop everyone down a spot, the lineup looks just much, much, much stronger. And the one thing that was disappointing about Schwarber getting hurt tonight, obviously, you know, he's been great and he's a good player

and he's a leadoff hitter and one of your leaders, but it really did confirm that you can't play him in left field five times a week and go get a masher to play DH. Because Schwarber just can't hold up out there. Like he is the DH. He's 100% the DH. They're not moving Harper. He's going to be the first baseman.

So you're back to the, okay, should we just push our chips in and go get Luis Robert? You know, I've been watching a lot of Luis Robert the last couple weeks just trying to get a feel on him, and the upside's real. Like, he had a home run today. The White Sox beat the Braves, won nothing. But it's still a lot of strikeouts. Now, he is coming back from injury. I think you're starting to see him piecing together better at bats.

The upside is the upside. At this point, like, I am okay taking a shot on his upside because when healthy, you can make the argument he's top, bats the upside is the upside at this point like i i'm okay taking a shot on his upside because when healthy you can make the argument he's top three center fielder and in in baseball i mean he's he's got that kind of upside and i want to see what that upside would look playing at citizens bank park in that lineup and hopefully jacked up by being part of a playoff run. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. That lineup is tough to get through.

Hopefully tomorrow we will get a better update from Rob Thompson and the Phillies and everything will be A-OK, as Bryce and I would say. Now, the one thing before we go to the break here, Cody Clemens could be back and a year ago I would be like, oh, sick, awesome, Cody Clemens. Cody Clemens has had moments with the Phillies, obviously the big home run earlier in the year, and I trust him when he's out there.

So it's not like you're adding Bryce Harper back to the lineup with Cody Clemens possibly being okay, but at least he gives you another competent hitter that can play first base and keep going with third base. I don't know. But I would definitely at this point welcome back the Cody Clemons because they need all hands on deck if they have to survive an extended period of time without Schwarber and Harper. But again, fingers crossed. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. If you're stuck in traffic, would love to hear from you. But on the other

side, a look ahead to tomorrow. Another thing that has been noticeable with the Phillies injury-wise and what Bryce Harper said postgame about his injury. Do not miss that. Bryce Harper talking about his hamstring. We'll get to all that coming up next on the final out on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Swung on, line towards left center field. This is trouble.

It's going to split the outfitters, go to the wall. It's going to tie the game. As Chisholm around third, he's going to score without a throw. That is our play of the game, sponsored by Mike's amazingly official mayo and mustard of the Phillies, Brian De La Cruz again. Now, they were obviously playing the opposite way on Brian De La Cruz again. Now they were obviously playing the opposite way on Brian De La Cruz because I thought Pache had a chance to get there because I feel

like Pache can pretty much run down everything. And they were obviously playing the opposite way on him because Brian De La Cruz is more of a right center field gap guy. But either way, brutal. I mean, on top of everything, Matt Schramm getting lit up was was definitely surprising

welcome on back it is the final out sponsored by regency furniture affordable never looked so good some injury updates before we get on out of here and look ahead to tomorrow kyle schwerber said after the game according to tim kelly that he didn't seem to think the injury was super serious now i feel like when the adrenaline's going and you don't want to, I don't know, I just, I take that a bit with a grain of salt. It's good to hear. I'm glad that he feels like it's not super serious. But again, I just keep waiting for the notification tomorrow

with whatever is happening. But good quote from Schwartz. I hope he's okay, but we'll see. This from Bryce Harper, and again, I haven't heard this yet, but this from Bryce Harper, at least on the surface, doesn't sound great. Here's Bryce Harper talking after the game about his injury.

Bryce, what do you have so far? Anything? Was there a hamstring that you felt? Yeah, I felt my lower hammy just a little bit. We're going to get an image tomorrow just to see what that looks like, see how I kind of feel tomorrow and go from there. Have you felt anything like that before? No, I haven't.

I've never had really any soft tissue injury besides my elbow. So I'm going to see, like I said, what imaging looks like tomorrow and go from there. And Thompson said you just hit the bag awkwardly when you were in the first, is that what happened? No, I felt it before the bag. Okay. Yeah. Do you feel it running up the line or reaching for it?

Yeah, just like halfway. How concerned are you? I mean, I don't know. Like I said, I haven't really felt anything like this before. So if I had something to go back on, I would let you know, but I've never felt anything like this before. So, um, it hurts, but you know, we'll see, uh, like I said, see what it feels like tomorrow. Awesome. Awesome. That, that, that actually, that actually made me feel worse. It really did. Like, I feel like if it was cramps, then he would have just said it was cramps.

The fact that he's like, I've never had a soft tissue injury before, that's just, that's dreadful. I don't know. I just, God, I cannot believe it. Again, the last at bat of the game, and he's running hard to first base because accountability matters. And he pulls his hand. I think he pulled his hamstring. And there's a lot of little hamstrings with this team so far. And that's something to monitor.

I mean, that's what, four? Four hamstrings with this team so far. And that's something to monitor. I mean, that's what, four? Four hamstrings with this team? I mean, you had Turner, Marsh, Harper, and now Schwarberg groin. So, like, a lot of lower body injuries with this team, which is definitely concerning. And speaking of Trey, I do think it's noticeable. I mean, he's definitely not running 100%. I wonder when he's going to kind of cut it loose

Franski in LA talked during the broadcast tonight that they're telling Trey that you're fine, you're fine, you're fine but listen ultimately the athlete's the athlete the doctors can tell him he's fine as much as they want but he's the one that has to do it

and he has to get over the oh my god I'm going to pull it again thing because it's 100% noticeable. There was a ground ball deep in the hole that Tim Anderson got to and threw out Trey that if he's 100%, he's easily beating out. And then he almost got thrown out on a sack fly to right field. That was deep. Like it wasn't a short fly ball to right field.

It was pretty deep. And he made it close at home. So I hope he can cut it loose here soon. Or is he still banged up? I don't know. The Phillies have said he's fine. So that's 100% one to monitor. But, man, that Bryce quote is just might keep me up all night.

It might keep me up all night. Simple as that. It's just not good. It doesn't feel good, but again, we'll see what happens tomorrow. Tomorrow, it is another fireworks night. It's a 6-20 start. Obviously, we'll have you with the game. I'll actually be down there looking forward to it.

Certainly wish that Price and Schwarber were going to be in the lineup, but that's probably not going to be the case. Chris Sanchez on the mound versus Kyle Tyler. Kyle Tyler is more of an opener type. Chris Sanchez looking to build off of what was a phenomenal start against Diamondbacks' last time out in his first start after getting his contract. So either way, just brutal. Let's sneak John on Hazleton here.

What's happening, John? Hey, how you doing? You know, let me get you off the speaker. Okay, here's the thing, right? I'm not a big Rob Thompson fan, but I've been seeing on social media a lot of morons yelling at him about having Harper, or not Harper, about Schwarber out in the outfield. And here's my thing today.

And like I said, I don't really like the manager. I think he makes a lot of bad decisions, just my opinion. But I blame Dombrowski. Look at Jack. We're trying to win a World Series. Look at this outfield. I'm done with Passe. I'm done.

The only addition they made to this team was Merrifield. He stinks. He stinks. He's cooked. I don't care what anybody says. Oh, we don't get enough at bats. He's cooked. He's the king of weak contact.

He's cooked. I'm mad at the GM. I don't think he did enough last year at the deadline, and I certainly hope he does it this year. They need an outfielder, Jack, and I know. I'm with you with these Phillies. I feel it. And they need an outfielder, and he needs to go out and make that happen.

We can't go into postseason with this outfielder because we ain't getting to winning a World Series with this outfielder right now, man, and especially with these injuries. Yeah, john i appreciate the phone call i i i hear the frustration the outfit i'm totally with you they're gonna get a guy like then again the last couple deadlines like they're clearly just trying to tread water right now and get to the deadline and and because you can't just make a move right now it's it's early you don't want to overpay all that good stuff they're gonna go make a move at the deadline. Because you can't just make a move right now. It's early. You don't want to overpay. All that good stuff.

They're going to go make a move at the deadline. That I'm not concerned about. How big of a move? That's the real question. Is it Luis Robert or is it more piecemeal? So, yeah, I understand the frustration. But I would just, again, the last two deadlines have been hovering around 500. This is not that.

This is a team with a World Series opportunity. Dave Dombrowski, when he has a chance to go for it, he's going to go for it. And John Middleton is going to push him to go for it. That I feel 100% confident in. Deep breaths. Hopefully everything's okay, but we'll obviously get through it together here on WIP. Again, I guess we'll look for the updates tomorrow as we just wait and see what the fate is for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

But certainly does not feel great right now. Thanks for hanging out with me. Justin Morgenstein produced the final out tonight. TK, Tom Kelly, he'll take you through the rest of the night here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.