High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Walk-Off Catcher's Interference!!!

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

Jack Fritz reacts to the Phillies' unique walk-off win over the Red Sox on Monday night. Presented by Miller Lite To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com 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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The chill Choice. Celebrate Responsibly. Must be Legal Drinking Age. Hey, so what did you want to talk about? Well, I want to tell you about Wagovi. Wagovi? Yeah, Wagovi. What about it? On second thought, I might not be the right person to tell you.

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Ask your doctor for Wakovi by name. Visit wakovi.ca for savings. Exclusions may apply. Are you ready to dive into the story, stats, and personalities that make baseball the greatest game in the world. Rob Bradford from the Baseballs and Boring Podcast here, and we'll have you covered every day with podcasts that bring you closer to the action. From the bleachers to the clubhouse,

whether you're a diehard fan or just a casual observer, these conversations are aimed to educate, entertain, and most importantly, inform you. Follow the Baseballs and Boring podcast in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. One ball, two strikes. The pitch outside. So this is calling time out. I thought for a second he was saying that maybe he caught the glove of Narvaez. I think that he might be going to review a challenge.

They are going to go to review. After review the call in the field is overturned there is Ketchers interference. That is awarded first base. Game over on Ketchers interference. Marsh will score. Sosa trots down to first. Everybody touches the bag. The Phillies spill out of the dugout. They walk it off in the most unusual fashion that you're gonna see. Phillies win it three to two. How about that? How about that indeed. Welcome on in. It is the final out. Jack Fritz back with you on the final out. Feels like it's been a while. Couldn't be more excited to be here as, I'll tell you what, a beautiful night for baseball. Had the classic CBP sunset, 42,000 on a July night, middle of the summer, Red Sox in town.

There's some like, a little bit extra buzz when the Red Sox or Yankees are in town. And it certainly certainly lived up to it tonight as Ryan Spader said the first time since 1971 that a game has ended on catcher's interference so within the last month they've had a game end in an inside the park home run by a catcher. And catcher's interference, baseball, baseball, baseball, baseball.

The game wrap up is sponsored by Roto-Rooter. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto-Rooter. Their team tackles clogs and leaks so you can stay in the game. Roto-Root Router your MVP for plumbing Solutions a lot to react to from that game if you were there Would love to hear from you get the sights and sounds of the game what your takeaways were if you're stuck in traffic

Get on in now two one five five nine two Ninety four ninety four if you were like me and watched actually watched outside tonight not a bad night not a bad night you know watch at home we'd love to hear from you as well 215 592 94 94 the biggest takeaways of the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury law firm you give them credit for winning I've learned a lot around this town of a wins a win. Doesn't always matter how, how pretty it is. However, getting shut down by Walker Bueller for seven innings was excruciating. And we'll get to Zach Wheeler and get some positives from the bullpen.

And I am obviously thrilled they won and they stopped the mini little skid here. But I just continue, I think we're all in the same mindset of looking toward the trade deadline. And there's been so much talk from the Phillies, from what's been out there, from the big guys that cover the team about they're gonna get a big bullpen piece. and while I hear ya, I understand the bullpen.

Oh my goodness, this offense is excruciating. After you get past three, after you get past three, it's a hope and a prayer. JT's had a good month but still. Cassiano's had a good hit tonight, still. Kemp has showed me some things, still. Marsh had a good little run here but still. It's, it's, if those three at the top of the lineup are not doing their thing, the offense is excruciating. Walker Bueller stinks. He has been horrible this year. His ERA heading into tonight was over six. Over six. Maybe he's figuring something out. He's been a good pitcher for a good stretch here. But I think you give him credit for some resiliency

the hardest hit ball in the in the tenth was was was At Mundo Sosa hitting the catcher's mitt. It wasn't the prettiest win you take him when you can get them Mets already won. So, you know nothing changes there but I just I keep going back to this offense and, and watching them night in, night out. It's so not good enough. It is, it is so not good enough.

It's those three. It is those three at the top of the lineup. They're not, if they're not cooking, it gets, it gets rough quick. Byron Buxton has led the game off with a, a home run for the Dodgers like off of off of Otani. Why does he have to be and want to be a twin for life Byron? Come on! The second biggest takeaway of the game is brought to you by or the

pitch count is brought to you by the Plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumber690.org. 105 pitches for Zach Wheeler tonight. Wasn't his most dominating effort. He did still strike out 10. It was an interesting game from the standpoint of, usually when Wheeler dominates, he is just blowing guys away with his fastball. That wasn't the tonight. The the velocity was down a little bit in the middle of the game The first couple of innings took a lot out of him. I think

But he didn't generate, you know the same kind of swing and miss that he usually does on that pitch But but what makes him so good and what makes him an ace is He's got like five pitches Usually on a given night you hope that three of them work and two are just throwaways. He's had a good feel for His like curveball and sweeper better than he usually does, you know, usually wheels for me is a Obviously power fastball get the sinker going and Usually the the curveball and sweeper are just show me pitches.

But he's doing a really good job of locating them recently. And it was a grinded out affair. It was not a dominating Zach Wheeler performance, but it was workman-like. It was workman-like. It's a good lineup. You know, we watch a lot of baseball and you see some of these lineups. You watch the Phillies on a night-in-night-out basis. But you see some of these lineups and after five it's pretty eh.

Red Sox lineups pretty good top to bottom. They have some good young kids. Obviously Dur obviously Duran got him early, but overall a pretty workman like performance by Zach Wheeler tonight wasn't great. Wasn't unbelievable, but sometimes when you don't have your best stuff, you gotta grind your way through it. And, and, and wheels certainly did that tonight. Two and five five nine two 94 94 to get in my lead off hitter, my Kyle Schorber, Trey Turner, whatever. It's Dave and Marilyn.

What's happening, Dave? Just offense is just very hard to watch. It's, you know, you're begging for Max Lazar to do what he did, who shoved in that 10th inning, which is awesome. But I think they need two vets, honestly. I don't even know if that gets it done. But with Baum out, would anybody be interested in him and then trading for E. Yohannis Suarez and then possibly Ramon Larianno and getting those two bats in there?, then getting a Sir Anthony or something like that

as another piece in the bullpen. I just feel like they need more than, they just need more than one, honestly. Yeah, well, it's almost like, I'm almost getting to the point where I wanted to do what the Braves did in 2021 and just throw a bunch of darts and see what hits. Yeah, Soler, Peterson.

Go get like, yeah, I mean, it's actually funny. I mean, we saw Soler this weekend. But like, go get a Soler, go get a Taylor Ward, go get a Joe Adele. Now, Joe Adele would cost more, I think, than those two. But even like, you know, everyone gets so mad whenever I bring up Louis Robert. But go take a shot on Robert.

Take Taylor Ward. Just throw a bunch of darts and see what sticks. Suarez feels like a reach. I would love it, Dave. I really would. But I guess I just have to see them move on from bone before I'm like, yeah, they're going to do it. Yeah, it's just so like the fact that you're sitting there

and I know that Turner and Swarbr were up after Sosa, but you're sitting there at the bases loaded nobody out and you're just wondering, are they gonna get this done right now? Or is Jordan Romano pitching the 11th? And that's just like the why when you look at this lineup, the fact that you're requesting whether getting bases loaded and nobody out, done. Well, I mean, if there's one kryptonite for this, well there's a lot of kryptonites, but

one of their kryptonites is bases loaded. They can't do it. They cannot just simply execute with the bases. It's like they all get so like wound up when the bases are loaded. So I don't know, man. It's not like Walker Bueller's like, he's not Walker Bueller of five years ago. It's Walker Bueller right now. And it's, I don't know, it's a tough watch,

but hopefully they can do something. Cause they obviously they need, I mean, if it doesn't scream out at you on nights Like tonight that the pitching, you know starting pitching is good enough Wheeler but I what I worry about with Wheeler is tonight grinded grinded grinded like it like that's gonna happen in the playoffs where teams get them in at 106 in the Sixth inning and you have to get you know, and you got you're gonna have to score So is what is good talking you glad you're back. Thanks Dave. Appreciate it. to get you know and you got you're gonna have to score so is what it is good talking you glad you're back thanks Dave appreciate it

yeah you know Wheeler for his Herculean as he's been in the postseason and they're not they're most likely not all gonna be perfect so you know listen you give him credit for battling it you know grinding his way through it but you keep watching and you keep just begging, begging at this point for more bats in the lineup. On the other side speaking of Max Lazar we will get to the player of the game, your phone calls and some other positives from tonight. All that's coming up next on the Final Out on sportsradio 94 WYB.

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The kick, the pitch. Swing and a miss, she got him. Ball comes loose, JT picks it up, throws it down to first, finishes it off. Max Lazar puts out the fire and keeps the Ghost Runner right where they are. That was some serious, serious stones from Max Lazar. He is my player of the game brought to you by South Jersey Gas Conserve Helping customers and the community save energy and money visit South Jersey Gas.com Slash conserving Rob Thompson talked after the game about how he's a slow heartbeat guy essentially and I couldn't agree more like is he does he have the best stuff? No, is he you know some of these bullpen arms you see around the league feels like they all come in throw

98 to 100 with some six some six sweeper. He's not that but you know what he does is for the most part He pounds the strike zone. He's competitive. He so he struggled against lefties traditionally in the minors. But he threw, I think, a kick change up, which is now one of the new crazes in baseball. I think it was a kick change or something to Jaren Duran in that inning. It's like 950 RPMs, barely spun, but it was pretty disgusting.

For a bullpen that you see Joe Ross come in, you see Jordan Romano come in, you see some of these guys, you're like ugh. At least with Lazar, I still need to see more from Daniel Roberts before I'm like, well, it's an interesting piece. He's got stuff, but it's a big leap. I still am intrigued by Seth Johnson. I know he didn't have the best weekend against the Angels. But at least from Lazar's standpoint, I do trust him. I do trust him from the standpoint of a moment's not going to overwhelm him.

So it was good to see that. Maybe we see him in more high leverage spots. I think Thompson's been intrigued by it. He's never going to blow you away with stuff but he's going to be competitive. He's going to throw strikes and sometimes from a bullpen, that's all you can ask for. Let go back to the phones Joel in Doyle's down joins WIP What's happening Joel? Hey, Jack great to talk to you, man You too come back from come back from the game and it feels like such a microcosm of the season Aside from the bullpen is awesome tonight, but just thinking about this great race. We're in with the Mets

Great starting pitching tonight, and then I'm sitting there watching Walker Bueller just shoving through the seventh inning. It's just just really frustrating but I'm kind of curious your thoughts on this man. So like there's so many guys on our team who just made a name for themselves and their whole lives and playing ball that they've funded for first pitch fastballs and had gotten themselves to this point. And we're asking for more patience and no chase. And where is the balance in talking to our guys? Pass the torch, don't play hero ball, but taking them out of their element.

I don't know the answer, man. What do you think? Yeah, so it's interesting. It's almost like you wish you could have someone bat before or in between Bohm and Cassiano's. Because it is infuriating when Harper works a five, six pitch at bat, and then bang, Cassi swings first pitch. Now Cassi tonight, at least in the one at bat,

did get the base hit. When it's Bohm and Cassiano's, it feels like it can just take you out of an inning in like 30 seconds. So I think Cassianos at least since the benching or whatever has gotten back to just swinging first pitches seemingly all the time. I hear what you're saying from the standpoint of like are we changing who they are too much? I would just like another bat in there to almost break them up and sure, let them kind of do their thing. It was more, I think their main thing was more about Turner, like Turner not being a super big chase guy, getting a higher OVP, being a menace at the top of the line-up. I think that was more their thing. Because I bet it's pretty hard to change Nick Castellanos's

mind, Joel. Exactly. Exactly. And I'm with you, man. I mean, I'll tell right now, it's like, hey, Dave Zembrowski is taking four different teams to the World Series, and I can barely manage a fantasy baseball team. So like, who am I to say what we should do?

I got to trust the guy. But I've heard you talking about, has the league caught up to him? Has the information age caught up to him? And we just kind of sat on our hands the last couple years. And I wanted a Rooker last year, and for whatever reason. You know, I'm ready to put all the chips in now, man. We gotta do it now with this rotation.

We just can't let it go to waste. But great talking to you, man. Love the show, love what you do. Thank you, brother, appreciate it show. Love what you do. Thank you, brother. Appreciate it. Yeah, my fear with Dumbrauski, I think Dumbrauski has done a good job of turning the Phillies into a professional organization again.

That was not the case under Klintak and McPhail. I think that Klintak has some wins, obviously. A lot of the 22 team, Zach Wheeler, I don't really give him credit for Harper. The JT trade was a good trade. But I don't think he knew how to build a team. I think Nebraska knows how to build a team. And I think there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff,

getting the player development and the analytics team, getting them on the same page, getting the coaching on the same page. There's a lot of infighting in the Clintzack era when they would try new things. So I think he's got them in a unified front. But there hasn't been many creative trades. We keep waiting for the vintage all-in move. It seems like every single year,

there's someone that we have the DFA around this time. And Max Kepler will eventually be DFA. He, first off, looks disinterested in being here. But he's probably going to be... He just signs one cooked guy every year. You know, Kimbrough had to get first half, but he was, you know, on his last leg. Once a year, with Maryfield. It feels like we have the just DFA guy

that we gave eight and a half plus million dollars to. So, you know, I'm skeptical, I guess. There's been a lot of good positive momentum heading into the trade deadline of this is gonna be the year, this is gonna be the year. I personally get scared when it's like the all in move is going to be for a closer. I understand the value of a closer. I feel like it's a lot for a guy that can influence three games a week at most.

I would push the chips in for a bat, 100%. If you want to do a Kwan-Klase combo, 100%. If Buxton would ever just stop pretending he wants to be a twin for life, Buxton and Duran, 100%. But just going and getting a Felix Bautista and Ramon Larianno, nah, that doesn't really sit well with me. So my fear with Dabrowski is all these new age GMs, they're not going to just give talent away.

There's some story in the off season where Dabrowski, when they offered Cassianus and Bone and something else for Kyle Tucker, he they'd say he would just offer ridiculous stuff and see if people would take it. And sometimes it would work, I guess. Sometimes it wouldn't. I just think that front offices have gotten too smart to where the old tactics that Nebraska would use didn't really add up.

And these teams have all the data on your minor league players. So back in the day, you might have a better feel for your minor leaguers than other teams. I don't even know that's the case anymore. I think these teams have all the information about everyone else's minor league players. So I think it's much harder to just sell some player off

on another team, like Crawford, for example, who I hope is good. But you look at the overall numbers, and it's like, wow, he's batting 330-plus in AAA, must be special. And I think in the mid-2000s, even like mid-2010s, Crawford's probably a top 20 prospect. But teams have just wisen up about things that matter more. mid 2010s, Crawford's probably a top 20 prospect.

But teams have just wisen up about things that matter more and they realize that a ground ball rate with what he does is not gonna fly at the major league level. So I do worry about the game passing him by from that standpoint and we'll see what he can do at this trade deadline. Now some other positives from the night, Bryce continues to look great, smoked a couple of balls, even the one that he got out on

was smoked. Chapman got him, I mean 100 from the left side, it's not the easiest look in the world, but overall just continues to look fantastic. Matt Strom, I think you're starting to see him going back to last year's all-star form. I thought he was dealing with dead arm for a little bit there in the in the middle portion of the season. Looks like the life is back on the fast ball. The deception is back on the fast ball. And final thing, JT hitting 430 something in in July. So he has been I think the highest batting average in baseball. So he has been good.

And I know there's a lot of fear of him being done, being washed, some signs of life. And for as much we talk about extending Schwaber, I think they're going to have to end up extending JT, too, because he is playing some good baseball. And obviously, what he does behind the plate is super, super valuable.

And speaking of some trade deadline targets, AUA and U of Suarez just hit another home run. So I tell you what, again, I'd be surprised if they ever moved on from Boehm or did something for Suarez. But adding a 30 plus home run bat from the right side certainly would be appealing giving what we watch on a night and night out basis. All right we'll get to your phone calls on the other side last segment but also some interesting pre-game comments from Dave Dabrowski on a certain Philly's prospect and some Red Sox who also stuck out to me tonight. We'll get to all that coming up next on the Final Out on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Resorts now arriving in Tokyo so going for your favorite food takes on a whole new meaning

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Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by Regency app for details. Welcome back. It is the final out. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on SportsRadio 94 WIP. 215592 94 94 to get in or react to a Phil's comeback win, or not comeback win, but a walk off win. Walk off catcher's interference, first time since 1971.

Bill is in East Hampton. What's happening, Bill? Hey, how you doing, my friend? Good. What's going on? I just wanted to tell you, I can't believe you just gave that date. I was going to ask when the last time there was a catchers

interference walk-off in the history of Major League Baseball. 1971, Bill, 1971. I was going to joke that it was 1897 and it possibly could have been that. It could have been that. It's part of why baseball is the best man. It can end in any way and in the same month we've had, now this might go back to the 1800s, how many times have we had a walk off inside the park home run by a catcher

and catcher's interference walk off in the same month? That has to be a history we've watched this month though. That's a tough one, absolutely. Yeah. How did you feel about tonight? I loved it. I loved to see Wheeler. And I know people think Wheeler, it wasn't his greatest start.

He blew away 10 batters. He did his job. It wasn't his greatest outing of the year. I know that. But he did well. He did well and he did good enough for us to win. Oh yeah. He did good enough for us to win, that's all I care about. And he usually does, Bill, he usually does. That's why he's an ace. That's why he's an ace. So, Nebraska talked before the game and he talked about promoting Crawford and he said, we just haven't had the right time to do it yet, but he's a person that is always on our

mind. And, you know, Matt Gelb wrote in the Athletic, and it does make a lot of sense. They're playing with Crawford and why he hasn't been up here. And they have 10 days until the trade deadline. You don't really want to bring them up. First off, they could trade them. They could 100% trade them.

But you also don't want to bring them up, and then he's up here for a second second and then sent back down if they do go out and and and make a trade I think how it could play out if they don't go make I would again I would be surprised if they don't go and get some kind of bat and Whether it's in center field or left field, ideally I would love to get a center fielder

and let Marsh play in left. But let's say they can't. And I don't even want to wheel it into existence. But maybe that's when you get a Kepler DFA, and then you have a Crawford, Rojas, Centerfield platoon. The idea of a Crawford being a deadline acquisition, I could almost feel it in my bones. I don't even want to wheel it into existence.

I know there's been a lot of talk about where's Crawford, where's Crawford, where's Crawford. I think we'll get a better answer of that after the trade deadline. Keep them down there for just a little bit longer. And if you're still here after the trade deadline, that's when you DFA, probably DFA Kepler, and see what Justin Crawford can give you. Now, a guy that certainly looked pretty good

and would look good in this outfield was Jaren Duran. He obviously lived the game off with the home run against Wheeler. Now, late you saw some of the issues with him. But regardless, he would be an upgrade. And I think he'd be a spark plug. And at the top of that lineup, if they go Duran, Trey, Harper, Schwaber, or whatever, Harper Schwaber, or whatever.

Getting Schwaber back behind Bryce is so imperative. So that's where I love to add a Duran type, someone at the top of the lineup, a Kwan, that can push Schwaber back down to being behind Bryce and gives you even more speed at the top, back control at the top. But Duran, from the standpoint of of it's he's almost Rollins like where he can just bang start the game off he can when he's at his best he wreaks havoc at the

at the top of the lineup can take a yard and he hasn't played centerfield much this year because you know Raffaello's kind of taking that job and run with it. But still plays, I think he can still play center field. It's not like he's not, he played it all last year at a 8.7, you know, war and was all-star game MVP, was great. Has not been that this year, but there's still a valuable player there in Jaren Durant

and under contract until 29. The Red Sox have Roman Anthony. They have a Brea Ewen Wright, feels really good. And obviously, Rafaela. So they have an abundance of outfielders, need some pitching. So I think that's where you could see a possible trade for Duran.

And then Chapman looks good. I mean, he's having an unbelievable year at 37. But he's had some bad postseason moments. The Chapman phase, that big home runs in the postseason are painful. But when you don't have Jose Alvarado coming back to save you in the postseason, getting a guy like Chapman would not be the worst thing in the world.

The Red Sox guys are playing worse, got to fall out of it. But Chapman, who was only paid through this year, is on an expiring deal, is certainly an interesting option. So Duran and Chapman both looked pretty good tonight. Apparently, guys that might be trading the Phillies just raked against the Phillies. You had Taylor Ward and Joe Adele and maybe even Soler over the weekend.

And then Jerry Duran leading tonight off with a home run home run tomorrow Chris Sanchez on the mound versus Richard Fitz. Fitz you know had some buzz heading into the year as a breakout guy fantasy-wise hasn't totally come together we sent down a triple-a they've been hesitant to bring him back up so not the they're not facing a world-beater tomorrow but this lineup can make anyone look like a world beater currently. And Chris Sanchez, hopefully, just keeps it rolling. He has been phenomenal.

He's already down to a 2.5 ERA. He is super underrated all throughout the sport and just continues to hum along and do his thing. He is probably the most underrated athlete in Philadelphia right now, Chris Sanchez. All right, that's going to do it for me. I'll be back tomorrow night. Jody Mack, Jody will take you through the rest of the night

here on Sports Radio 94 WIP.