High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - How The Hell Did Nick Castellanos Work A 15-Pitch At Bat?

Episode Date: August 5, 2024

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies breaking their losing streak on Sunday afternoon and look ahead to this week's series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! On the Odyssey app and Sports Radio 94 WIP. The crowd was singing High Hopes. Smiling through a broken nose. Oh, High Hopes. High Hopes. I feel a little less alone.

Yo, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Fritzy, the season is back on, I think. By the way, presented by Miller Lite, official sponsor of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taste like Miller time, Philadelphia. Celebrate responsibly. They won a baseball game, Jackie. They did. They did. Because I tell you what, it was not a good place after Saturday night. So I actually texted you and checked on you at one o'clock in the morning on Saturday night because I was actually concerned about you. Yeah, no, it was bad. And I was sitting there, again, 1.15 in the morning,

just, like, furious. Like, absolutely furious. Probably not the most healthy. But, yeah, it was just awful. It was an awful, like, because, of course, it was like, okay, you know, he's really aggressive. He's going for this win. People complain that he's too complacent

and then he puts Hoffman in the six and of course Jeff Hoffman who's pitching to a one ERA can't hold a four run lead and like I guess you're looking at it negatively it's like well that's not his role like why is Thompson putting him in in that situation he's brought Hoffman in the third fourth like of playoff of playoff games of course so, you know, I blame the player more than I do the manager. I give him credit for realizing that, hey, this team could use a win, could use a little pick-me-up, and really, really going for it. And the fact that even that backfired, I was like, this really might be it. Like, this really just might be it.

They might just be cooked. Like, they might just be cooked. They might just be cooked. And thank God yesterday they come back. And I tell you what, James, I've already thought about the Brandon Marsh catch in the video yearbook as the turning point of the season. Because it really was. It was an extra angel in the outfield on uh on sunday in seattle yeah joseph gordon levitt was was making those angels fly all over the field for us uh in the 90s by the way just how about that right and that has a child in that one um look i it's funny

because uh you texted about this yesterday but you texted that uh or i think i say you tweet the one year anniversary of the of the ovations was yesterday could you imagine if in back-to-back years the season turned on august 4th i mean what what would the odds be if like you know the the worst and granted it was trey last year but just the the team in the the worst slump of the year, easily. Like, really, you know, I know they've been bad to begin the season, but just in terms of this tiny little stretch with the Yankees series, the Cleveland series, that will, I mean, about as bad as we've seen this team play the last few years, period. Like, just so desperately needed yesterday.

It felt like rock bottom on Saturday night. And obviously, if they kept losing, it wouldn't be. but it felt like in the moment I said to myself, after Estevez walked the run, and I was like, this is it. I was like, we have reached rock bottom right now. This is as bad as this moment can get. And like, thank God. I mean, and so sure. I mean, as soon as Schwarber let off at the Homer, I felt so much better on Sunday. And I feel like he like Schwarber had it on Saturday too. He came out, you know, ripped one to start the game scored early. I mean, they did get up early. I mean, that's the thing about Saturday. It was so frustrating. It's like, they really should have won this series. You know, now that we sit on the back end of this, uh, and it felt like Saturday, they had that cut,

even Harper's at bats. He only got the double, double but broke out of it had the good at bats you know was was battling uh that that at bat in and of itself that double was a real battle of an at bat uh so it felt like they they started to kind of turn the page and then for them to lose the game that way it felt like oh no or is this is this just gonna crush them back down so yeah I mean yesterday i think it was it was the most important game of the season for me so far yesterday well and we hear all the time from these guys and i do believe them but like obviously it's hard to tell when they're playing bad but i do largely believe that they believe that they are the most resilient club that they've been around and like yesterday was a good case for that and i thought i thought schwarber setting the tone

with the home run was absolutely massive i agree with you he tried on saturday but one man can't carry a baseball team even though he's doing is his damn good impression impression of that and and wheeler set the tone too like it was no big time there was no that that i think wheeler went into that start yesterday saying this is essentially a playoff game i think wheeler went in saying i'm throwing a complete game shutout. And I think he would have, if it was still one, nothing,

I think he would have, like, I think Wheeler went in with that mentality saying it's me today. You know, you don't think they would have gone to Jose Ruiz in the ninth with the one run thing. I really don't. I mean,

you never know with Topher. He's done the one run thing with Ruiz, but I'm just saying I've seen far too many Jose Ruiz innings this, this week. It's been a, it's been a big week for Jose Ruiz, but I'm just saying I've seen far too many Jose Ruiz innings this week. It's been a big week for Jose Ruiz, which means a bad week for the Philadelphia Yeah, they are in tandem with each other. Oh my goodness.

Oh my goodness. But yeah, and it was a good it was a good it was an important start for me with Wheeler to from the standpoint of got shelled, right? He got yeah destroyed against Yankees and what would have really risen my red flags by this team or had me even more concerned about

the current state of them is if like all right Wheeler now is you can't bank on him getting back to being like ace ace like he's gonna be good but like I need him to be ace ace and with the Colby Allard situation with with Tyler Phillips getting lit up you know that obviously it was a it was gonna happen yeah we were expecting it yep i mean that was about as

so friday night i had to speak at an event at pan oaks which was great and we're having fun and and i'm like man they're gonna be fine they're gonna turn it around like the just everyone stay calm just stay calm get in get on Justin Turner hits a ball off someone's face in left field and it's eight nothing in a second I'm like are you freaking kidding me but that's the one thing they gotta fix James like of all the things with the team we'll get into all the the little the little details with them but like they gotta start these series better when they when they got off to the run they got off to winning all those series sweeping series they set the tone by setting the tone in game one of every single series it felt like they were they won every game one of every single series and they lost like they they look

so unprepared for the first games of series in the last little stretch here you saw saturday or friday night they got bludgeoned by the mariners they got killed in game one against the yankees they got they they came out that defense yeah the horrible defensive game against the guardians in game one like they just that's the thing i think they've lost all these series they lost now you say it they lost game one of the pirates they lost game one to the a's like i think jack it's such a good point i think they've lost every single game one of these series that they've been losing but it's not even losing it's like just not even showing up to play yeah that's what makes it that much that much more annoying so the minnesota game that minnesota they lost the first game of

that yeah that was the other one yep they lost at seven two harper hit the home run and that was like it was like oh they're they're back they But, yeah, yesterday felt a little bit like a deep breath. Now, I don't want to go too far. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself because, again, they did kill the Guardians on that Saturday night. I know. 8-0. It was a similar type of thing.

You're right. With Tyler Phillips. So I'm trying not to get too far out there, but I think the Marsh catch just kind of being like, man, we finally caught a break. Like the whole, the whole Saturday night was like, they just can't catch a break. Like they just can't.

Austin Hayes hitting two balls to the wall. They can't catch a break. I mean, the, the, I mean, a lot of people talked about it. The Estevez, the last of bad, I mean, throwing strike three, the ump really all game. Either five strikes. Either five strikes. The ump, that was it.

That was tough i mean that's that that's the definition of you're just not getting the calls you're not getting the breaks yeah and i and i think they almost like okay finally something went our way like they they keep waiting for that little thing where it's like all right that that went our way we're fine and then obviously harper hitting home run and i think was the the the big weight off their shoulders of, okay, if Bryce is back, we're all going to be fine. Yeah. It's so funny. I'm happy you said that because that's what I'm thinking when you're talking about this is it is wild how much this

team takes their cues from Bryce. It does seem like, and look, they've lifted him up when he struggled coming out of injuries before. And they obviously won a couple of years ago when he was out of the Snell thing and played well without him and stuff. But when Bryce is really in it, and we haven't seen many of these prolonged stretches where Bryce is just completely and totally out of it with swinging at every first pitch,

not driving the ball, not having good at bats, not having a good approach, all that stuff. It's rare. It feels like when Bryce gets in those holes, like that, the team feeds off it in, in a, in a negative way. So I'm with you. I mean, just seeing Bryce and I think the combination, obviously Sunday was great. Um, you know, three hit day, the home run, but Saturday too, you know, it did look like Saturday was the night he kind of broke out of it and had

a good approach, went to the plate, looking like he was seeing the ball better and hitting the ball harder. And then to carry into Sunday, you know, and we know with Bryce, I mean, we've seen this in the times where, and it, it's so, I think I said this last part, but it seems like it's almost always other than his first couple of months as a Philly, it seems like the struggles have always come when he's coming off an injury and trying to find that, that swing again. But when he finds it, we know like in the playoffs two years ago, he can be one of the worst hitters on the team and like that become the best hitter in the sport. So I, you know, I think the Wheeler thing is huge yesterday, but I was, I was, it was, I was less unsure of that. Like I knew Bryce would get back,

I was less unsure of that. I knew Bryce would get back, but he was so deep in this slump. I think just Bryce's day alone yesterday is the single biggest reason for positivity for me today. Well, think about the two games that they've won in the last, sadly, in the last week. Week and a half, two weeks, whatever, yeah. It's 7-0 against the Guardians. 8-0, yeah.

Hold on. Wasn't it 8-0? It was 8-0. the Guardians. 8-0, yeah. Hold on. Wasn't it 8-0? It was 8-0. Okay. I thought so. 8-0 against the Guardians where Bryce had the first home run, and it was like, okay, we're good. And then yesterday, you know,

I know Schwarber had the leadoff home run, but it didn't really start opening up until Bryce did. It was 1-0 until like the 7th or 8th or whatever it was. Stotty? Stotty? Stotty! He should have had a couple. He could have had at least one on Saturday.

If Saturday was the MVP, that's a totally different Stodd night rather than his opening Two of them. I think he had two of them. Like both times. One of them, I literally, because it was late night, Emily's like, you know, listening to a pod or whatever while I'm watching. I threw my arms in the air and Emily was like, what's going on? And I'm like, never, never mind.

Sorry. There's a lot of that. There's a lot of that. Even on catch i was like that's gone yeah it's a big ballpark out there it really is it's a big outfield it really is not be the most fun if i was a hitter and apparently they apparently the the batter's eye for right-handed hitters is curved so like they can't see it oh that's great that seems like a really good thing. I'm trying to imagine that here. It's like all the right-handed hitters stink and it's because the batter's eyes are crooked or something. Can you imagine? Jesus.

This is like Parker being torn down before they can come back. The Harper thing is just so big. Saturday was nice from the standpoint of when he's going left-center, that's how you know he's starting to get locked in. Still a little bit like when he gets going in these bad slumps, it's like

he's flailing out to the first base side. So, I mean, the home run was a good hit, but I was still like, a little flailing. So I hope he's back. I hope he's back because, again, going through a 1 for 34 stretch is not the most fun thing to go through. And it was funny after the game. I know he's talking and he's back because again going through a one for 34 stretch is not the the most fun thing

to go through and it was funny after the game and he's talking and he's like yes you're reminded for a little johnny out there maybe no parents don't yell at him too much yeah yeah like are we the parents price is that what's going on here we all go through slumps we all go through yeah so and i i appreciate hearing that too because honestly i, I felt like when I was, when I saw it and her, it just felt like you could almost like hear and see the relief coming off him almost. Yes.

You know? Yes. And hopefully it takes that. It's almost like he got to the point. Like he was very mad clearly in the early portions of the slump. Yeah. We had the prolonged F bomb in the middle of a ballpark. Yes.

I almost felt like at one point he realized like i'm a little too tight and i gotta just i think he was yeah i gotta go play because i because i think he does realize and it's part of being a star player and really having a superstar on your team it's sort of like it and not comparing him to this guy but like it's kind of like lebron where like leBron has a lot... When he walks into the room, it's kind of tight, I feel like sometimes. And Bryce, when he's struggling and not being Bryce, and you can feel it, wearing the emotions on his sleeve, I feel like guys are a little bit tight. So maybe he also realized, I can't do that

because it could also affect the whole rest of my team. And I guess it's one to kind of file away for the next time he struggles, which hopefully is never, ever again. I know, right? No, but it's a really good point. And you've said that before in the past about how, you know, Bryce kind of can permeate through a locker room in that way or a clubhouse in that way when he's, you know, a certain type of way. So I think it's a great point. And, you know, big one tonight, you know, a certain type of way. So I think it's

a great point. And, and, you know, big one tonight, you know, glass now it's a tough matchup. So, you know, if we see some good swings, some good at bats against glass now tonight, I'm going to feel really, really encouraged. Let's get to some of this stuff. Cause look, but Wheeler Harper Schwarber, you know, Scott seems to be turning it around. It's been good to see. Boehm has been really hot this past week, but some others less so. And I think JT for me, you know, Cassiano's cold again, but JT for me, I mean, he is, and Trey is, is cooled off a lot too, but where are you at with, I mean, JT in particular, I, I, I joked to you, I was like, we should be talking not about Stubbs or Marshan, but Marshan or JT, um, where are you at with JT right now?

And I, he has just looked lost since he came back. Yeah. But we've also seen him go through this too. And I I'll, I'll chalk this one up for now. I guess I'll get, I'll give him a week. I'll give him a week before it's like, all right, we got to figure it out. I still think he's coming back from the knee injury he didn't have any rehab assignment anything and he just jumped right back in and started playing it's a shame because i thought he had three hits on on

monday against the yankees and i was like there it is like a single up the middle that was good you did get the hit yesterday which was nice to see was and get a little get a little insurance on there but i do think it's more coming back from the knee the thing that was frustrating on on saturday was again like that's such a i just i i wish i wish mlb players knew how to bunt i just i wish they did like there's situations with marsh it's like dude you're fast you're going through a little bit of a slump right now the third baseman's basically playing shortstop like just lay one down the third baseline and see what happens. With the JT situation, hey man, you're struggling. I appreciate wanting to go through it. I want to come up big for the

team. That situation where it's first and second no outs, just get the punt down. Move those guys along and see if we can... Especially when you're 0 for 4 at that point in the evening or whatever it is with two strikeouts and have been lost. Just put the ball on the ground, man.

Come on. Let's play a little bit, a little bit of headset baseball. The Trey thing is definitely one that I'm, I'm monitoring because this is a lot of what we saw before the, the ovations last year, where it's like, we're just chasing, we're just swinging at everything,

every single slider that is thrown his way. Like, come on, man. You know, like, like I, he has to be able to lay off

that pitch so he can get back to getting fastballs because all teams are doing right now he's just throwing him sliders expecting to chase it he's chasing he's expanding the zone and then they're not even they're not even throwing competitive fastballs like he he gets down so fast one two or oh two that he can't get a fastball to look to do damage on and the one fastball he does get in a bat right now seemingly is like high and he just can't like that's he can't do damage on that because he's sitting he's kind of sitting slider so he can't be aggressive on fastballs so i just like that's the thing with with trey when he gets in these these slumps, it's chasing, it's expanding. And hopefully going back to LA kind of gets him going here a little bit.

But that's definitely one to... I'm more worried about a Trey because he's batting second than a JT or a Cassianos. I mean, Cassianos did work 15 pitch at bat yesterday. Yeah, he did. No, he did, which was important.

They had to get Gilbert out of the game. They were not doing anything against him. I don't think i had that on my year-long bingo card so apparently i didn't know this ria said this today the longest at bat in the majors this season yeah i think they show that on the broadcast i don't believe i missed that i mean that's unbelievable if you could have i would have picked a thousand players to get before Nick. It's unbelievable. Well, when you think of discipline at the plate. Yeah, I was just putting your bat on the ball. I mean, he never swings and misses.

He's the king of that. Just fouling pitches off. It's like Luis Arias, you know? Yeah, when you're just working pitchers, that's just what Cassidy does, man. Maybe get him to the leadoff spot. Maybe put him in the leadoff spot at this point. Because all he does is just work pitchers work counts foul got foul pitches off doesn't strike out easily is a grinder up there so yeah i was

good to see him rewarded because i remember i was sitting there because we had people over and i was like watching the game but not like as intensely and you're like wait why is nick still at bat what happened like did this glitch why is? Why is he still hitting? That's like 15 pitch at bat by Castellanos. That's, of all the things that could have happened this year, you know, like Spencer Turnbull throws a no-hitter or whatever. Like, Castellanos having a 15 pitch at bat is more shocking than anything that's happened this entire season. I don't even think it's close.

Like, I don't know what number two is comparatively. It is, it's just absolutely stunning um well i'm totally into marsh's glove is definitely you could tell you had no idea where it was and he just stuck his glove out and it wasn't his glove it was unbelievable it's just so so we never get that break we never get that break no we don't and that was a big spot too. I'm with you. Let's get to the pitching before we get to the take back and all that. Look, the wheels was

wheels and that was awesome. Brilliant. Right when they needed it. Look, I think the part of this slump, the bats have gone cold. We know that. But also the pitching, other than Tyler Phillips until Seattle, we banked on the pitching.

This team will win or lose based on these horses and how far they can carry them. A bit of a lull. Hey, fantasy football owners, the road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app

or wherever you get your podcasts. Where are you at with, obviously, Ranger on the IL Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Where are you at with obviously Ranger on the IL hopefully back soon, but with Sanchez, Nola, and Tyler Phillips, I suppose, at the moment? Yeah, of everything going on with the team, I think I'm more

worried about the pitching staff than I am the lineup. The lineup, I think I know what this lineup is. They're going to do the cold streak thing. They're going to do the thing where they're swinging and missing. They're going to all go cold at the same time for some reason because, God forbid, you could have some guy still hot. What a thought.

It is dreadful. But I think I know what to expect from them offensively, and I just have to hope that that doesn't come back to bite them. I have to just sit down every night and say okay tonight's the night that they're gonna be okay they're not gonna they're not gonna go through that super super super cold spell the thing with the pitching staff is that like that is the biggest reason they got out to the 25 games over 500 what made them special exactly so like and that's that's my bigger concern is heading into yesterday now yesterday obviously they threw a shutout but heading into yesterday their era in the second

half is is 5 10 like 5 10 for this for this wow dude for this entire staff is is brutal and you that is brutal you look at the bullpen and the coffin not worried at all like that was a blip but strong's taking a bit of a step back here you know i think i think actually tanner banks has looked really good like i can see why they wanted him for a couple years he's a little bit funky he kind of has a uh a little jose alvarez a little jose alvarez i could see that i could see that yeah um but at least certainly better than soto's uh introduction to the orioles you see that yeah was it was not good for i think it was three runs at no innings pitch or a third of an inning not

great no it's not it's not and he throws strikes he's competitive i like that kind of stuff and then carlos estevez i actually thought it stunk what happened but i felt so bad for him i that was not as going in a second inning too i i thought he was was i didn't blame him at all i really thought he showed good toughness like i think the the big thing on estevez when when they traded for him was that everyone's like yeah he can pitch in philly like he's got he's got stones and i think you saw him like mostly that on on saturday obviously they lost obviously you know that he walked the last run but he really walked in quotes walked in quotes yeah you're

right so i thought he showed some stuff some some toughness but everyone else in the bullpen now is i have more concern with than i trust like even kirkering like i he's he worries me late in games like i think he's had a good year but i i fear he's hit a little bit of a wall here um so like that's my my bigger concern is these guys all kind of hitting the wall at the same time because they were so dominant for so long. So, and then rotation wise, like Tyler Phillips,

I hope he's good, but I never really, you're not counting on him. Yeah. With how good he is. Colby Allard. No, I don't care that he,

I don't care. I cannot believe he's pitching for the 66-win baseball team right now. Whatever. They got to deal with it until Rangers back. Sanchez, I'm cool with. Wheeler, I'm cool with. Nolan, I'm pretty cool with. Those three I feel fine about.

It's really just the bullpen has gone from like, they're going to find a way to get out of this into how are they going to blow this, which I don't appreciate. Hoffman blowing a 5-1 lead is rock bottom for me when it comes to trust level in the bullpen. Yeah, well, it felt like if there was one thing we could hang our hat on, you know, at the end of the day that Jeff Hoffman would have our back. No, I think the key is going to be what I think they're doing with Ranger right now and finding ways to get these guys little breaks, whether it's I.L. Stintz or whether it's not using Kirkering for a three- or four-game stretch

or Alvarado or whatever it is. And they've done that in the past. We've talked about that, Wheeler, a couple years ago. We've talked about it. I think they just need to get these guys a rest. And we talked about early on we loved how deep guys were going in games and you know how how many you know pitches rob was letting him throw and all that and and i do i think it's important to know that you can do that and have the the reps of doing that but you know it's a long season and and we are you know people say dog days of the summer like way

too early we are now in the dog days you know, people say dog days of the summer, like way too early. We are now in the dog days. Like it is officially the dog days of summer. So, you know, it, it, it is, it's not surprising that there's a lull. The, the question is, can they get back to where they were and where they have to be? If this team's going to, going to do what we want them to do. Well, yeah. And it's why, like, obviously them losing how they play right now, it, like, sucks to watch.

But ultimately, like, if you can take a step back, which I can't really. I try to. It's something I say. I try to tell myself in my head, but I'm not good at executing it. If you can take a step back and say, it's August 4th yesterday, August 3rd. Like, how they're playing right now just doesn't matter like you you want them to play better but it just ultimately doesn't matter because all that matters is them figuring it out in october and and and started to peak then because in the beginning

of the season like we heard a talk like they were off to the historic start it's like yeah they're peaking too early they're peaking too early and it's like all right well then don't freak out when they go through a stretch like this where you don't want them to peak. You want them to calm down. The issue is, obviously, I think they put themselves in a cruise control. Can they flip the switch?

And I think flipping the switch is just kind of hard in baseball. But I do think yesterday was a good... Hopefully, yesterday is the game where they can look back and be like, all right, we went through our lull, but bang, we can kind of take off here. And it's a tough time to take off because obviously the Dodgers, can they just go take two or three from the Dodgers? Can they split in Arizona and then get back here for a Marlins-Nationals

back-to-back series and right this whole ship and put the Braves out to pasture? Put that team in the rear view put the mets like get enough separations to where you don't have to worry about a a all-time division kind of collapse because i texted you yesterday it's like you texted me like hey have you watched this stupid glenn powell movie from from 2016 everybody wants um and yes yeah and i And I'm like, no, I'm dealing with, I'm dealing with current day, 1964. I can't,

I can't watch your stupid Glenn Powell movie, even though he's unbelievable. So, so. And that was a fair response. I was, I was okay with that. Yeah.

Yeah. So I just, that's my, my big, I don't, we don't need to rip off 10 straight wins would take it. Obviously just go win a GD series. Yeah, I mean, six straight series losses.

I mean, if I had told you that two months ago, you'd have been like, that will never happen. Like, it will not happen. Yeah, not to this team, man. Not to this team. Not to this team. You can't win 116 games that way. I mean, come on.

No, I'm with you. No, we've lost now Sanchez, Kershaw. Come on. Do we need to tear back the kershaw come on do we not tear back the kershaw killer it's go time buddy it's go time as long as cory knable's not pitching in the ninth i'm hoping we should be okay hector narris you know la's and house r's out there gavin stone on wednesday by the way they can't mix in a GD day game. Dude, who are you talking to? All right. Yeah.

This is like, I'm so annoyed that they're all 10. If anyone would care that I would complain, I would write a letter. I would do whatever. I'm so annoyed about it. I'm with you. It's quite annoying. Biggest series this season. No big deal.

So they're a game and a half up on the Dodgers heading into the series. Luckily, with this lull, the Mets the mets and braves the mets play great baseball but neither has played good enough to make it that close it's six for the braves and eight for the mets but to your point you know it used to be nine and a half it used to be 10 so they they really need to to button it up and look we've seen them you know we've mentioned it but we've seen them play bad baseball and then turn on a dime 2022 a recent example so we know they they can flip a switch we just need to you know it's needs needs to happen in the not too distant future all right i think i think if they can just go out finish this road trip not under 500 like there are there are seven games left in the road trip.

If you can exit this road trip four and three, five and... Live for five and two. You can imagine. We'd parade down Broad Street for a five and two road trip. But if you can do that and just calm the city down. These last two weeks have been

literally this last week. This last week has been like all high tension like high tension level like a lot of collapse talk a lot of 10-3 eagles and i i hope yesterday was not that garbage giants game that the eagles won they didn't deserve to win that game with like tie rod or whatever so i just yeah like just just call me the the whole here comes 64 here comes the collapse they're fraudulent i think a nice little four and three five and two kind of an easier before you get home and you got a marlins national series would just go a long way would just go a long way so don't ruin the week phil yeah dude i'm i'm with i can't i can't do the week. Yeah, dude, I'm, I'm with, I can't, I can't do the 10 and one Eagles comps.

Like I, every time people mention it, like my skin, like, like crawls, I get like, I can't, I hate it so much.

So I'm right there with you. Like the worst possible time to, to even have a lull after this 10 and one thing. Like I can't do it. I could not be dreading the diamond back series more. Oh, I know dude. They're white hot too. Of course they are.ing the Diamondbacks series more. Oh, I know, dude. They're white hot, too, of course.

They are. They are. They are. And, like, Josh Bell's there now. Oh, I know. I could tell him our days. It could be the MVP of the National League if, like, Otani didn't exist. Yeah.

Like, they are an amazing – they got my boy, Floro. You know, like, how are you supposed to compete with that? How are you supposed to compete with Dylan Floro? It's true. It's true so i just that's why the mats were so good prior to trading i agree i agree this time back series is gonna take years off my life just i don't care about the series i do very much so but like i am more looking ahead to the dimeback series it's like i don't want to be here yeah i, I know. I know. The last time you were there in Arizona, it wasn't awesome.

I'm there with you. I did have game five. I did have game five. We always have game five. You can't go straight to the airport after game five. Yeah. We did the post game show on the radio. We sure did. We sure did. The night before, people were wondering if we were ever going to talk to each other again.

I know. That was an ugly one. Craig so when they lost that game when we lost game four i was going up to the studio or going up to the the booth and i ran into franzen and i guess how he describes it now is that my eyes were like they go on the verge of just random of just rage. And I think the last thing he told me was, don't get fired tonight. And I was like, I'm going to try not to get fired tonight. But the Kimbrel thing,

like, he's the worst. He's the worst. Why are the Orioles assembling our bullpen? It's unbelievable. For a clearly smart franchise and a clearly smart franchise and a clearly smart general manager in Elias or Elias,

whatever you pronounce it, like Elias, like the eye. There you go. Yeah. It makes no sense. It's such, it's so weird.

It's just a really strange angle to go. Yeah. Yeah. I was down so bad. I was down so bad on Saturday after Friday night that I had the Reading Phillies on my laptop

and the Jersey Shore Blue Claws on my big screen. Oh, man. It was bad, but I had to watch Moises Chassé. Look at you. I had to

feel something, James. Trust me. I know, buddy. buddy i know i'm happy you got there let's hope let's hope the phillies can win some games and not force you to to go there again anytime soon all right let's take bag it up take bag it up i mean there's not there's not really much that i have but uh the one thing that i did i wrote this down on saturday when they lost again we had to work our way backwards so yesterday was a great win but remember But the one thing that I did, I wrote this down on Saturday when they lost. Again, we have to work our way backwards. Yesterday was a great win, but remember how we all fell.

Dude, I was so sure. Like, I wasn't sure, but I definitely thought we could be doing, like, a pure panic podcast. Like, oh, my God, this is the worst thing that's ever happened podcast. Yeah, and someone's been clipping our old podcasts, like when they melted down in the past. Oh, really? Someone clipped the Cub series. Remember they blew the Cub series?

Yeah, right after that. Yeah. Was it the first series after the All-Star break? No, no, no. This was later. This is when they went too wriggly. Remember they went too wriggly and got swept? Yes, yes, yes. Yes, they did.

Yeah. And you're on there and you're like, why did we root for this bunch of losers losers and it's just so funny how like they went from absolute the biggest losers in the history of baseball to they don't let them get in because they're winners it's unbelievable it is unbelievable so saturday i i wrote down when i lost because i always i love older phillies fans like i think older like older season that kind of phillies fans like i relate to them i think in a way because in a way i feel like i'm 30 going on 60 it's for damn sure and and i was like this is what they talk about this is what they talk about when they say never believe in the phillies don't believe in the phillies they're gonna let you down like again

the fact that they won in 08 is is is shocking again the franchise has been around since 1883 and they have two championships like this is a franchise that went from 1915 to 1950, going over 500, I think being 500 once. Once. One time. Like, when Saturday, that's what was hitting me of like, this is what they talk about. This is what they talk about. Never get too high,

because they'll find a way to humble you. And it's so funny how baseball, you know, isn't really happening in football besides last year's Eagle season, where it humbles you in a way like even just like even watching the sport it humbles you like playing the sport it's the most i think i think golf and baseball are the most humbling sports in the world totally agree with you where it's like just when you think you figured it out the game gets you back and

that's the beauty of the sport and that's what Bryce went through like there's like people talk about this last week it's like well if Embiid struggled like this we'd be killing him it's like dude it's basketball like it's the same kind of motions like he can just go dunk on a guy well and he's also gonna play the Wizards and he's gonna put up 45

and 10 every time like it doesn't matter like it doesn't matter how much you're struggling. You can go out against a crap team and dominate. Oh, look at that game. Even the crap teams in baseball, everyone still throws 95 with a sweeper. Exactly, yeah.

Obviously, I want Bryce to do well, but we got to get on him. Okay. Do better, Bryce. What do you want from me? What do you want me to do so you know like saturday was like this is what all our phillies fans talk about this is this is what they mean by never get too high never get too low yeah it'll even itself out but thank god they came back sunday so it wasn't it wasn't oh my god dude i mean again like i saw one playoff

appearance in my first 26 years of life. I mean, this is that. Yeah, dude. Like there's a lot of, there's a lot of muscle memory when it comes to, to losing with this team. It's like, if it definitely feels like the, your homeostasis as a Phillies fan. Well, it's just like, because again, they've packed the whole season's worth of brutal

losses into two weeks. 5-1 against the Mariners with Jeff Hoffman on the mound is one you look back on like, are you freaking kidding me? Having a three-run lead with Strom on the mound in Minnesota. Having a three-run lead with Strom against the Yankees. They've packed a season worth

into the last little stretch here and i just i i just yesterday i i could not be hoping for more of like all right we're we're back we're fine the the biggest thing that's kind of frustrated me with with how they're playing right now is they look so much more of hope we're hope we're gonna win versus no we're gonna win and even when they lost earlier in the season it was like yeah but like they were right there like they were they were fighting they were good like that's what made saturday that's what made friday it's like it's so much more of like please don't hit it versus like because they have this whole mentality out there of bleep all hitters basically and like we've seen less of that and i don know what it's going to take to get that back. But that's, I think, one of the biggest things mentality wise that this team has to fix to get back to where they were at the beginning of the season of like, we're like, we're not going to lose.

Rather than like, man, I hope today's the day that we turn this whole thing around. Yeah, I think you feel it when you're. I think I said this to you a couple of pods ago or whatever, but it's the same type of feeling how early in the season when they would go down in a game i'd be like they got it like we're good oh two nothing no problem three now then we'll come back we're fine like the last couple weeks last month whatever when i watch them and they go down like four nothing on set like obviously got to eight nothing pretty quickly but four nothing on saturday i was like all right on friday i was like we're done game over like we we're just, it is what it is. Like this team doesn't come back anymore. And I think that's part of the same type of thing with, with them. Like, I think even they felt that type of stuff when

they would go down or whatever, it would feel like this daunting thing where before to your point. And what I keep saying, I've said a few times where it's like, it felt like they took losing personally. Like they went into every game and said said we ain't losing until they lost you know what i mean whereas now they were going to be like hope we win today you know i'm so with you yeah and and like we ain't lose like that that's the toughest thing we need to see back and starts with the at-bats it can't be this flailing it can't be this uncompetitive it can't be feeble it can't be a ton of strikeouts. The Castie at bat, 15 pitches, might have changed the season. Might have changed the season.

I think it's important to point out Marsh's last three hits against lefties. What are we doing? What are we doing? You get a triple on Friday. You get a hit on Saturday. You get a hit on Sunday against a lefty that was

a funky lefty yesterday that he got a little oh yeah yeah yeah the dude they brought in that he's funky yeah he got yeah ripped but he's he's certainly funky so again like he actually so when he has played center field in the past you know really ever since 2022 like last year and this year it's always looked kind of clunky i think he looks a little smoother out there i think he looks a little bit more like he can do this full time we know he can do it but like he he's not going to be like in left field he is arguably the best left fielder in the sport like him yeah yeah without a doubt yeah i mean even the numbers back it up like if you look up defensive run

saved all type of stuff he's he's up at the top of all that stuff. Big DRS guy here. I feel like you and Chuck and Jerry Hill. Chuck and Jerry Hill is the DRS guy, without a doubt. It's so funny. He always prefaces it by saying, I know no one cares. I know, and then he'll rail him off to you. It's great.

Love it. I love Chuck. Marshall, at least in center field, looks like he's getting better hops. His arm is really, really strong. And if Hayes can just play left and Rojas, whether you want to do defensive replacement or... Rojas can play once a week. That's fine. Whatever. I mean, outside of a blowout late and he comes in defensively.

I know this was their plan, but let Marsh and Hayes kind of cook here for a little bit and see what you got. And you don't have to yank him out against any lefties. I think he talked about it last week, I think. I forget who sat down and talked to him. And he was like, I just want the opportunity. I just want the opportunity to hit lefties.

And hopefully this last three hits kind of gets a little bit of trust going. I don't know if it's going to be enough to where they can trust him in a postseason game. Like that's the big test. But at least going forward here, if he can get some hits against lefties, string the others some good at bats, they don't have to rush them off the field and we can get more every day Brandon Marsh. Well, I mean, that's the best team they can feel. The best case scenario is that by the time the playoffs come around, they feel comfortable with Marsh in center every day and Hayes and left every day. Cause that's the best team they can put out there. And, and also that's the best, I think the

best, uh, Johan Rojas, like the best reason I'm on the roster in the playoffs is as a late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner. Like he is a perfect type of guy to have to put in a late game when you're, when you're winning, like he's a great asset to have in the playoffs. You just need someone who can go out there and hit better to play every day. And if Marsh can field the position well and, and hit against lefties to, to even a, like, if he can go from being like a one 30 hitter to like a two 10 to 20 hitter, like that would make a massive difference. Just, just not being a, an almost automatic out against lefties would be so massive. And I think you made a great point. I think you were talking about Austin Hayes when you made it, but I think it clearly applies

to Marsh too. The idea that when, you know, you're not getting at bats against righties in Hayes' case or lefties in Marsh's case, then the times you do get those opportunities, you're pressing so hard because you're like, this is my chance against a lefty. I got to take i gotta take advantage of it as opposed to saying all right i'm gonna get to face a lefty again i'm gonna get another chance of this and you're not going in with this like i have to like all or nothing imperative in these few opportunities you get like it's hard to get better that way totally totally so again hopefully this is something that can kind of get him going here a little bit and i i continue to believe that we're starting to see stop pull himself out of this

thing i do too it's been a batch just look different it's been and the bat looked quick yesterday it did all the hit out like that's that's the start that i hope we can get going forward so you know if you can get stock going and get marsh going like then you look at the lineup it's like man it's a pretty deep lineup But it can't be the whole striking out a lot, chasing, expanding the strike zone, one pitch outs. Get back to a little bit of toughness and grind out some of that. And again, Cassie, 15-pitch at bat. Unbelievable.

That's who we need more. More of the Cassianos 15-pitch at bat. The 15-pitch at bat, the marsh catch, August 4th of it all. Wheeler. Wheeler. Pretty good. Trump City. Pretty good.

Beautiful. Everything's fine. I love it. Everything's fine. Bryce going hard. So we take it two and three? Are we asking for two? We're no longer asking.

We're asking to not get swept, we're hoping, for two? We're no longer asking. We're asking to not get swept. We're hoping for two or three. How about when you show up to a series, you realize, okay, we have to play the first game. Hey, how about no Stubbs-y this series? How about no Stubbs-y pitching? For real. Yeah, for real.

That was wild when that was like three times in 11 games or whatever. It's just like, wow. It's a sign that things aren't going that well. Yeah. I think that's a pretty, pretty clear sign when you see that stat that that'll do it. All right, Fritz,

you got anything else before we get out of here? Man, this line, the fricking Dodgers lineup just sucks. Like go out and yeah. Well, with no, and no bets and Freeman still,

I think Mookie's coming back later this week. I believe they were saying, and Freeman could be back anytime soon. Yeah. And thank God his son's fine. Oh my God, dude. It was so terrifying when you heard about it. So,

and his son's okay, but you know, I was a scary thought. Uh, and you know, he seems like, you know, obviously,

you know, we hate him as a player, but, but Freddie Freeman's always seemed like a pretty standup guy. Pretty good, dude. I mean, dude.

All right. This is their line of yesterday otani obviously otani it's pretty good pretty good gavin lux batting third jason hayward gavin lux was batting ninth for them the vast majority of the season jason hayward batting fourth i meant to say this to you recently when i saw the j i can't believe jason hayward is still in the major leagues i can't believe it he's i've always been anti-jason like it's never been good he had the home run on his first game and then like he had the fiery speech in game seven of the 2016 world series hit again i've never seen him catch up to a pitch besides against adam morgan in 2018 yeah of, of course. Turn around on a baseball since his first hit.

So whatever. Jason Award, Kike batted fifth, Kevin BG, who they got off. Well, waivers waivers. Yeah.

Uh, Med Rosario is playing shortstop. Kevin Kiermaier, who stinks and Austin Barnes, et cetera, feel like, come on. That is a,

that is a bad, bad lineup. They stink! Please, just go ahead and do your jobs. Do your jobs. Now, Tyler Glass now stinks less, I would say. He's still good.

The Rays and Dodgers should not be able to trade with each other. It should be outlawed It's not allowed, I'm with you I'm with you Only we can steal players from the That's right, that's our thing now Okay, it's our thing

Alright Psych Alright We'll be back after the Dodgers series Just don't suck in LA Please, please For Jack All right. We'll be back after the Dodgers series. Just don't suck in LA. Please. Please.

For Jack. For all of us, but mostly for Jack. And Bryce, hopefully we're talking in a few days and it's Bryce going off and we back. It's Los Angeles. Bryce shows up in Los Angeles. There you go. Yeah. There you go. He's a showman.

He's a showman. He's a showman. Okay. I love it. All right. Either way, whatever happens, we'll be back. Track to it later this week. Until then, you spread some seltzer. We'll see you next time.