High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: Phils Sweep The Cardinals

Episode Date: August 27, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies dominant sweep of the Cardinals and great outings by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. 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 B.I.B. 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. I love this team. Like, I just love these guys. And what's so nice about this weekend and how they've played recently, even the Giants series for the most part,

except for, you know, Game 3, is that, like, they're just showing up and beating teams finally it's like first off this should have been the entire year i mean the whole year should have been this where it's like that's that sounds harsh because it's like it's baseball i understand it's hard but i think this is what we and they didn't have rice in april like you can make excuses but i agree with. This is what I think we were anticipating. And a nice part about where we're at right now, and what just has me just downright giddy,

is not only the offense is 100%. I think they've mostly figured it out. They face bad pitching. I'm shocked, by the way. It's a quick side note. That Cardinals pitching staff is just atrocious. The Cardinals themselves. This was a quick side note. That Cardinals pitching staff is just atrocious. I mean. The Cardinals themselves.

This was a playoff game last year. They had a better record than the Phillies last year. I know. And they're so bad. I mean, they're a really bad team. Yeah. And the pitching is, like, even worse. I kept waiting.

I thought Bryce was going to take Nicholas, like, 600 feet on front. He was trying to, which I appreciate. But it's just like, you know, they're showing up and winning games. And what has me excited is, again, I'm trying not to get there because we know he can make us feel horrible in milliseconds. I mean, he was awesome today. He was awesome today like he was too straight should we not even say his name should we just be like not we're definitely

not gonna say the b word or anything about him yeah 27 how about that 27 he was i mean the last outing in the giant series was nice and we talked about it and obviously he had the couple home runs the solo shots and you know a couple moments but you know he settled in did a good job today he was nasty like today he was dominant you know totally um so what what what has been holding me back of talking about this team and like how far they can go i've always been a believer that the offense if they get in was was going to be good because i think there's enough talent here and they get in these big moments and you know i expect them to kind of flip the switch here. Well, they have in August.

I know. Do you see that stat? I mean, they've already set the record for home runs in a month. Which again. In any month in the history of the franchise, and it's August 27th. They set it on the 26th. I mean, they broke it on the 26th. I watched the 07 to 11 Phillies. Like, you know, this is not how it's supposed to be.

But what was always holding me back was, what am I getting out of the number one and number two in the rotation? And I think when Ranger gets back, hopefully he can just settle in and be the third guy. And we head in and a wild card round is those two. Or Walker. If Walker can figure

it out. Like, I still don't think that's crazy. Why are we not allowed to say christopher sanchez like that i'm still with you dude all he does is go out and give you like six innings two runs seven runs like that's all he does it's like why can't we talk about it and possibly being a part of that a part of the rotation he's been insane and you talk about you like like best pitches on the team i mean the chris sanchez change up is one of the best pitches on the team. I mean, the Chris Sanchez changeup is one of the best pitches on the team. So, again, we'll see how September goes.

We'll see how everything else kind of goes. But I don't think – I would rather have Chris Sanchez start a playoff game over Lorenzen or Walker. Over Lorenzen for sure. And, yeah, I mean right now today over Walker for sure. Right now today, even if Ranger was healthy, I might start. I mean, Ranger, the history of Ranger, and how cool and calm he is in those spots. You know, it's hard for me not to give him that shot.

But like, in terms of right now, today, Christopher Sanchez is pitching like one of the best three starters on this team. Without a doubt. What a world. I mean, the Phillies clearly, I mean, they won the Curtis Meade trade, right? Is that who it was? You could have given me, I don't want to be hyperbolic and just be like ridiculous. You could have given me 15 million guesses and I would not have gotten that it was the Curtis Meade trade.

Interesting. So I did not, I was not aware. me 15 million guesses and i would not have gotten that it was the curtis meade trade interesting so i i did not i was not aware i guess i learned that at 5 12 on sunday august 27th i was doing this podcast of the total fraud um i mean are you serious i mean i mean they gave they gave up a guy who ended up being a top 50 prospect for chris for chris sanchez So, yeah. I mean, are you serious? It's a pretty lopsided trade. But right now, Chris Sanchez is obviously... He's still great. He's still great. Anyway.

But with the way those two are going right now, and, I mean, dude, I mean, Zach Wheeler yesterday, it was just... He's nasty. And apparently he made a mechanical change right before the national start. I love a mechanical change.

Give it to me. Nothing gets me to hook, line, and sinker right back in on a guy like a mechanical change. He moved his arm degree 3%, and it's changed everything. So I haven't been totally – Changed everything. So I haven't been totally – the way it looks to me is he's doing a way better job of, like, staying back and then finding a way to have that little extra zip on his fastball the last couple starts, which is really important. Because that's what – That's Zach Wheeler.

That's the funniest part about Zach Wheeler. He's been so good, right, as a Philly. And I feel like he's never been able to locate an off-speed pitch. That shows how dominant his fastball can be. It's a great point. I'm trying to think of an image of him just snapping one off. It's just not in the game plan. I can't think of any.

They're all soft. His breaking pitches are all show-me pitches. They're just all show me bitches um so yeah it's just it's it's such an exciting time right now and i think what has me most excited james is that it feels like the city feels it like like the the the giant series we talked about big dude it's been packed down there pat and not even like 35 000 we're talking over 40 sellout like i looked at them like that's a sellout. Dude,

the crowd feels like a sellout. The crowd last night was, was one of the best regular season crowds I've seen since maybe the, the, uh, holiday or, uh, the,

the Wheeler started on holiday day. Like, that's what it reminded me of just crowd wise, like for a regular season game. But other than that, like we're talking heyday, heyday for that crowd on Saturday night. And the Phillies were just like, you know what we're going to do?

We're just going to go out and score 12. Welcome. It was – they are just – Don't wait. You know what? They're going to go down 1-0 and then score 12. Yes. I was nervous when they –

It was shocking. I guess you can't shut out a team without getting the lead before them. So I'm happy they just did it right away because it was very jarring. It was. I was like, calm down. You know, like, especially, so not only did they score first, but they also won a game the night after

scoring like a million runs. Oh, dude. I almost said that. That was part of what I was saying at the front. It's not just the sweep. It was like, I felt so sure they were going to lose today. I felt like that. And if they won, I felt like it was going i felt so sure they were gonna lose today i felt like that and if they won i felt

like it was gonna be one nothing on like a uh cardinals error that allowed a run to score like it felt like there was no way they were coming out and and doing anything schwerber though you know like to you know that's what the guy does on the days when you need him he kind of like when you're clinching in houston he comes out and he's like bang let's go you know yeah yeah and it's just everything with the team right now um and you know it does it does feel like the the city is now like i i've been joking texting with my uh i guess my cousin-in-laws or whatever who like always give me crap for being a phillies guy like oh like oh you watch every game whatever like what a loser and i heard through sources that they now have Phillies flags

like outside their house. Watch every game, what a loser, what a burn. Oh, got me. Well, and now it's like, now everyone's just all in on like watching, because they're finally bringing an exciting brand of baseball. And when you see the crowd the way they've been for a home series in August,

especially the last couple, I mean, not last couple of years last couple years but like 18 19 when they were in it no one was showing up because no one believed this year it's like we're gonna have your back and like let's go on a run together like let's go let's go on a run it's a love affair it's it is it is an absolute love affair this fan base and and this team it's it's again we talked about this last podcast i didn't think i would feel the the the way i do about a baseball team post 08 and like obviously the subsequent years after like i do about this team like it's it's it's childlike it's it's bringing everything back and i just i'm so happy that for years of us preaching baseball is not dead here, the way that this fan base has just sold it.

It's giddy. It's so cool, especially how it came back like that. And, yes, they had to have a playoff run. They did, yeah. But one playoff run. It was one playoff run. And, obviously, they get credit for being likable and letting us into their celebrations off run and it did yeah but but one playoff run it was one playoff run and obviously you know they get credit for being likable and letting us into their celebrations and kind of letting us feel

that they liked each other and all that stuff and obviously that's grown and grown as we've gotten to know them better and gotten to know their camaraderie and obviously as it's gotten more and more and they've talked about how much we mean to them and the playoff experience itself of the fans where it's you know why tree turn Turner signed here and I can feel through the TV and all that stuff. Like it's all, it all compounds and it all adds up together. But I think like just the fact that this, that we had the run last year and it's like, Oh yeah, we love the Phillies. Like, that's cool. We do love the Phillies.

And then for them to start slow this year, but the fan base to stick with them and the fan base to still show up and to be there. We talked about that. I keep coming to games and then to do that for turner and now they're turning it on and it's like yes that's why we keep coming for this right now like give me this this is awesome and and it's it's great man it's awesome to see and i just can't wait for the playoffs like i'm i'm so ready for i know playoff baseball here again i was thinking that today i was like i'm very happy this is great but like if i could just fast forward to october like i'm just emotionally physically like get me to october well especially get me

back in that ballpark you know september like i feel i really do think that this team will will give us a stress-free september like for the first time i do i believe early stress-ish free i'm sure there'll be a couple moments but i think it won't be like last year where you know it's coming down to the final days and we're like oh they're they're you know we're counting on the brewers to lose because we lost and all that stuff like i don't think it'll be like that, but it's September. And until they don't make it feel like that, we don't have any other experience with this group. But it's freaking thrilling, man.

It is thrilling. And to your point, I think the most important thing that came out of this weekend, even though they had a 12-run barrage and they showed up and all that, it was like seeing Wheeler and Nola do that on back to back days. Again, the Cardinals are a bad team, but they're not like a horrible offense. I mean, they still have some dudes who can hit there and stuff. I mean, to see them both just go out and shove like that. That's what you've been talking about all season.

That's been like your number one, like rallying cry for this team is, you know, I think the bats will figure out and they're all like figure out the same time which is nice um but you know you've always besides the catcher besides the catcher trust me i was gonna get to that that was literally gonna be my next thing that's next but like you know for them to uh you know for for you've been saying the whole time like none of it matters unless they have their aces at the top like you said it over and over and over again yeah and and you know the carl's offense definitely isn't terrible although like oh it's not good don't get it what is taylor moder doing on a big league it's not good it's not good there's a reason they're like you know 20 games out of 500

yeah but like listen it doesn't matter because you could see it. They would have done that against anybody today. I agree. I agree. And Nola especially because Wheeler's been really good. I mean, Wheeler, I know I kind of, I just don't like. Wheeler's been better than his numbers, Shep. Yeah, I'm just not a war guy when it comes to pitching. But, like. Well, yeah, I feel like this Kyle Schwerber season might make me officially reject war moving forward.

Well, it should have Ryan Howard seasons back. I know. It's like you're telling me that he's a less like stop. Like that's that's stupid. Like, I'm sorry. This that needs to adjust for players like this because that's incredibly stupid to tell me that he's like a negative player. Like you're dumb. I'm sorry hey fantasy football owners the road to winning your fantasy football championship starts

now i'm matt harman from reception perception join me and james co 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 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. But pitching war, I think it's hard to quantify.

Whatever. Just like defense. The defensive stats are still not great. They're good, good they're good but they're not like perfect you know no no listen listen as always i test this game i test this game but um what nola has has specifically done the last two starts i think is really exciting today it was definitely better than his last start even though i thought it was really good in his last start but today was obviously a different level um i thought what he did

I thought he was really good in his last start, but today was obviously a different level. I thought what he did better today than I've seen in, I mean, ages, is he made such an emphasis to get on top of the ball and drive it down. And he was low in the zone. The moment where it really stuck out to me is he he very deliberately like spiked a curveball and it was like maybe 60 feet or not 60 feet maybe 59 feet but he threw it so directly like into the ground that you could tell that what they told him was get on top of the fastball get on top of everything when when you're not doing that that's when balls are leaving the yard so get on top of it he was down and then what what made him so effective today first off dotting both sides of the plate with with ease which is again been a

while it feels like but it was down down down down down and then up and that's like that's the plan man like down down down have their eye level looking down and then when you raise it it's jarring to them but he can't be a guy that starts at the hip or i guess the hip he can't be a guy that starts at the hip and you know goes up but if he's a guy living at the knees and then going up that works um so he was very made a very very concerted effort to get on top of the baseball keep it down and it just it it mean they reap the benefits of it um so again i don't want to get too ahead of myself and i don't think we should. You never do.

It's not your style at all. I am trying my hardest, but that is good stuff if you can just keep it going. Yeah, it's all about keeping it going. He also dominates the Cardinals. He threw a complete game against them last year. I was thinking, and the playoffs start. And the playoffs start. Yeah, I know.

I was thinking about that. So, you know, I agree. We need to see more of it, but it's encouraging, especially to your point, which it is, King. Like, the eyeoff start. I was thinking about that. I agree. We need to see more of it, but it's encouraging, especially to your point, which it is, King. The eye test today, he just looked nasty. He looked pretty much nastier than he has all season. Maybe only one or two other times this season I feel like I've watched him and just been so impressed with his stuff.

All right, I want to talk. We're going to talk JT, obviously, and then I want to get to one good thing and then take back some sure gets to the rest there. But quickly on JT obviously. And I want to get to one good thing and then take back some, sure. You get to the rest there, but, but quickly on JT, you know, I know he had the two hits today, whatever. I mean, they put up 12 runs. He's literally the only person in the starting lineup who wasn't on the stat sheet. Like there were other people who had no hits. They scored runs. Like he was literally the only starter who did nothing. He has been, we've kept waiting for it and look, everyone's turning around and the good,

we're going to get to his price. Cause I want to talk price in a sec because by the way he's batting 306 like no big deal like if price harper had played more like we'd be talking about are we sure freddie freeman and akunya and bets are fighting for the mvp can bryce sneak into this thing dude real real quick i muki muki i believe is hitting 458 this month. Yeah, Mookie's been insane, dude. He's just been like, oh, you think Acuna's winning it? Guess what? And, like, Mookie's numbers are better all of a sudden. I thought Acuna had it, like, locked up. I mean, Freddie Freeman has 50 doubles.

It's August 27th. Like, what is happening? All right. We'll get to Harvard in a sec. But JT, it's like all these guys have turned a corner. Every single one of them. Trey Turner, obviously, we know when that happened and all that. Like, all these guys have shown up. You know, Nick's been what he's been all season. That one of them. Trey Turner. Obviously we know when that happened and all that, like all these guys have shown up,

you know, we're being, you know, Nick's been what he's been all season, you know, that type of stuff. And, and JT,

it was like, Oh, the Toronto series, we're going to get, you know, or last year. And now we're going to wait for that this year. And it's going to happen.

Like he has just looked lost consistently. I mean, we talked about last time that strikeout in the night, the ninth of that giants game, they should, it should be on a six game winning streak right now. I don't know if they won before. Yeah. Yeah. Six, right.ants game, they should be on a six-game winning streak right now. I don't know if they won before. Yeah, six straight.

I mean, they should have won six straight. They should have swept back-to-back series. But, you know, where are you at with JT? Are we at the point where it's just like this is what we're getting this year and you hope for the best? Hope he gets a hold of one luckily or someone hangs one to him or something? Standing O? Does he need to stand

no we can't do it we can't do it um so here's my thoughts on jt is i i mean stub started friday which i thought was interesting i thought i thought stuff's gonna start today like especially with the well that's what they usually do yeah so i was a little surprised by that um but maybe with a righty on the mound with giolito tomorrow that they could they put stubs out there again i don't know um but but i guess i guess how i feel about jt is that he's batting seventh and he's just not killing him i mean i know the strikeout happened yeah i agree with you like when when turner was batting two and Cassianos was batting four, like, those are, like, really important spots in the lineup

that you just can't have no production out of. Seventh, like, sure, I know you're paying, contract aside, you're paying $25 million and he's just not living up to it. I'm at the point where he's batting low. I don't think he's really killing them. I'm not anticipating what he did after the Toronto series last year at all. But I'm just, it's not something that I'm like melting down about every day. Because I also know that the offense is not going to be all hot at the same time.

So maybe if they go down a little bit here, then JT can kind of take off. I like that. I like that. It's just like, it hasn't felt that terrible. the same time so maybe if they go down a little bit here then then jt can kind of take off i like that i like that he's just like it hasn't felt that terrible we know that he can do it he has it in him and he has it in him to kind of turn on a dime we've seen that before um i'm not super optimistic or super hopeful but i do think to your point that i don't think he's killing them and look you know maybe uh maybe in the playoffs we just get you know let Stubbs play at Sissons Bank Park and play JT in the road games and just follow that home road thing

I just it's it's it's shocking the stunning the numbers I just I mean it's it's it's obviously has to be a thing now yeah I mean it's I mean clearly almost September yeah I mean that those are you know it's not a huge sample size but it's a sample size all right last thing before the take bag or actually excuse me before our guest September. It's not a huge sample size, but it's a sample size.

All right. Last thing before the take back, or actually, excuse me, before our guest, then the take back. Bryce. I mean, dude, they showed the... I think he has nine homers since he all-star break. He had five before it, or maybe it's like 11, actually, or something.

I don't know what it is, but he's been like... He's just a completely different player than he was you know a month ago it's well it's awesome he's not a completely different player he's bryce harper again like he's locked in i would argue i would argue the guy that was not hitting home runs and i like that i like that yeah he's back to being bryce harper well done good work play by you. Well, I mean, think about it. It feels like all the stars in baseball have kind of just figured it out the last month and a half. We just talked about Mookie. We talked about

Freddie Freeman. We talked about... The Julio Rodriguez run is also insane. He raised his average 20 points in August in a week. It was insane. It's impossible. Trey Turner looks closer to being back to being trey turner than than we had thought so um it's just

there's just not enough that you can say about the guy to where it's you know he gets big hits and big moments he extends the lead today you know it's a two nothing game kind of tight bang harper hits a single late, makes it 3-0. And then that just kind of calms down a lot of people. You know, I mean, this bullpen has been good, but there's still that little bit of fear of their leaking oil at the wrong time. And it's just everything righty, lefty. I mean, he just does it all.

The one thing about Bryce that I'm just interested in him like what are we doing with the first base thing because I'm with it's what six straight games that Bryce isn't it's been since the little league game on Sunday I mean he didn't inside the park on Ronnie he had a game where he had four balls 110 miles an hour he's crushing the ball. I'd be shocked, frankly, if the back injury was still there. They're winning. I can't tell if they're trying to do this thing where they're winning with Bryce at DH and Schwarber in left at the moment.

But, like, are you telling me that in the second half of September, and as we get into the post season, that the short was going to be out there or can we, can we iron out the problems now with Bryce at first base so that by the time the playoffs roll around, we're, we're firing on all cylinders. That's yeah, no,

it's, it's important. It's, it's, it's just, it, it has to be a thing at this point. So I don't know what it is.

Maybe they're trying to do the whole thing. We're winning with Schwarber in left field and Bryce at the DH. Maybe they're saying what Bryce is doing at DH outweighs what Schwarber does defensively. And maybe they felt like Bryce at first base wasn't having the same level of offensive production. I guess you can make that case. wasn't having the same level of offensive production, I guess you can make that case. But I would just like, it's so much better when you can have Rojas and Marsh out there,

Schwarber the DH, and Bryce at first base. I think he's been fine. He's not a gold glover. It was never about being perfect this year. It was about figuring it out. But either way, what he's doing at the plate, the way he's carrying this team, and really just

his energy feeding into the rest of the ball club is is a big reason why I think they've gone on this on this insane run totally agree with you like uh it's uh it's like we saw in the playoffs last year that that was the feeling you know his energy kind of his talent kind of led you know kind of was the the catalyst for everything and and it's awesome