High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Phillies-Padres NLCS Game 3 Reaction Pod: The Jean Game

Episode Date: October 22, 2022

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies winning Game 3 of the NLCS. 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

This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies. On Odyssey and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo! Yo! Oh, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. It is a, we won game three of the NLCS edition, Jack Fritz.

Probably the most stressful baseball game we have watched in the playoffs. Really, I feel like since that first game against the Cardinals was the most stressed I've been tonight. The game was so freaking important. And Thompson obviously just goes for the kill. And all of us are losing our freaking minds. The Ranger decision, like just over and over. And man, the way he managed that game made it so much more imperative that they won it. And thank freaking God, man. The synchronicity the sir anthony six out

saved the first since tug mcgraw the same day 42 years ago oh i can breathe fritzy how you doing well never a doubt first of all i would just like to get that out of the way never doubted this team uh tonight at all but in all seriousness uh doubted them a lot there was a no point that i really think that they were gonna win that game like i gotta be completely honest there was not even when they were up even when they were up by by two runs i was like it feels like they're losing i don't know how to explain that to everyone but it kind of just feels like they're like they're losing um so i'm really really happy um and it's just like that's a gutsy win you know that's a really gutsy when i thought schwarber obviously got them off to a good start and schwarber being able to do that like having

another postseason moment you know for the first two series it was like is kyle schwarber gonna show up you know they paid him a lot of money to come in and be the heartbeat of the team, and he has been, which has been great. It's been amazing. But at the same time, like, you've got to come through the postseason. Like, Zach Flies is fine. Like, we'll take Zach Flies all day, but we need to start seeing Kyle Schwimmer that we saw all regular season long. So him kind of doing that, having that moment in the first,

Ranger was freaking great, man. Awesome, dude. We'll get to the decision to pull him. But on the surface, like Ranger was freaking awesome. And it was such a calming kind of start for me with him where it's like, okay, he was bad against the Braves. He was bad against the Astros. Bang, Ranger comes out, which we thought he would do, by the way.

You know, it's like, thank God. You know, he's this guy that we can kind of trust. But you have Bone coming through. You have Gene who makes an unbelievable error. Like, again, just catch the ball and we'll get to first base. We'll get to first base we get to first base but comes back with a big hit later makes an unbelievable defensive play like it's a game that i felt like they probably should have lost because they they had some losing baseball moments

a resplay um but they came through and won it and you mentioned this last last podcast i think it's really really interesting because yet again i feel like they are consistently out playing the padres and i think that we are seeing a better team than the padres and james the thing that i leave tonight feeling the most happy about is that we have two more games at citizens bank park yeah two more games at citizens bank park well again like shout out to everyone who's there it was freaking electric you could see it on tv i love seeing all the national beats there like the nightingales and the passings and just being like you know holy bleep this place is insane you know it is the same takeaway for everyone who's there and man for gene like you mentioned and obviously you hear my

voice this is just going to be like the thing with podcasts now as we yell during these games and we're podcasting every night so hey we're gonna lose our voices but for gene to have that like maybe the most all-time roller coaster of a game i ever remember from a player in a big spot to have the the error like the all-time just missed the ball error like dude like as you said just catch the freaking baseball and then to come back and get that hit and then get picked off right after and then make those defensive plays especially that last one i mean that was that was i know the castellanos catch you know we'll talk about just because the shock of it but that gene play was the best defensive play we have seen a philly make in the playoffs. That was just a massive, massive play.

And to your point, dude, or to my point from yesterday, I'm with you, man. Again, the Phillies flat out outplayed the Padres tonight. Even the runs the Padres scored were BS runs. Ranger was great. It was shift hits and errors and mistakes and bad defense defense which you know as we know has been a hallmark of this team even in the wins man seems like a trend seems like a trend and it's somehow they're getting by with it and again like i i said i was watching the game with with our good friend brandon league out and and my buddy tommy who you met as well and i said to them at one

point in the game like can every ball just be hit to center field like i want every single ball to be a fly ball to center field because at least i know that dude's gonna be all over it otherwise it's like i can't even relax when a ball's hit to the infield jack it's so stressful but ultimately man they got it done tonight they got big hits when it mattered. The pitching came through and it mattered. I mean, Sir Anthony Dominguez going, what, like 35, 36, whatever it was, pitches to get that done. Ranger, as you mentioned, was freaking brilliant. They got it done, man.

Like, this was a massive, to win game three at home. And Thompson managed that way. He managed to go for the kill to win this game. He knew how important it was and figure out tomorrow tomorrow and they thank god when if they lose that game jack like honestly i think they're gonna lose the series i think that game in that spot the way thompson managed it it became that important to win in the moment yeah and and john smoltz is very clear about that later in the game yeah and he was right he was right yeah he was like they're going for the kill tonight and and that's what rob thompson that's been his mo i think for the since he's took it over it's like i'm gonna go for the kill uh i thought it was funny like

the first couple days took over like he preferred relievers as kill shots which i think is like a funny way to to describe uh the major league baseball relievers uh let us know what he was thinking from the jump he's like hey guys this is a clue into how i think about things yeah and it's honestly how gabe used to manage and then uh gerardi got here and it was like ah just kidding we're gonna start managing for december you know we're gonna start managing to make sure that we're we're good to go and around christmas yeah i want my guys ready for next season. That's the key here, guys, okay? Yeah, we don't want to blow their arms out.

But yeah, you know, and when you think about the bullpen game tomorrow, now he just, Rob Thompson's talking after the game, he said Bailey Falter's starting game four. Oh, he said it. Okay, wow, good. I'm really happy with that. Yeah, I'm fine with it. You know, when you think about the bats in their lineup and

I don't know about you James I think Machado is incredible I think Soto doesn't get incredible but I am more terrified of lefty Josh Bell by far it's not even close and Jake Cronenworth than I am almost anyone else in the entire

like Jake Cronenworth I'm pretty sure can make contact on a pitch like 10 feet out of the zone and like hit it it's unbelievable he is he is absolutely terrifying but um so starting starting falter tomorrow makes sense but at the same time like who knows how far he's really going i mean bailey falter hasn't started a game since i believe the national series correct um it's a long time it's been a long time and it was interesting in the in the um again the mid-game interview which i freaking hate um besides like i guess with the manager it makes sense like i thought it was really interesting when rosenthal like the six was like hey why'd you pull ranger uh i know it's so weird having those in the moment you know yeah

but um you know with the players i think it's stupid it's like well what were you thinking there on the home run i don't know hit it out of the ballpark that's what i was thinking um but the managers that's that's a crucial decision in that game totally dude totally and and but one of the things that thompson said was um you know rangers have pitched in nine days or whatever which i mean mean, that's not really true. I mean, he pitched what Tuesday. So it would have been, Oh, I guess. Yeah, no, he's right. Actually. Yeah. Nine days. He's not big math guys. As we know. All right. We all know.

Neither of us have been great at math. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. As I'm sure people are checking us out on, uh, on YouTube. I'm looking at you. What out on YouTube. We're live. I'm on it. I'm looking at you. What a beautiful thing. You look great. I know. I know.

It's kind of weird because I'm so used to the podcast where I'm not looking at you. We're both not really looking at the camera. But also when I think, I start looking up. I'm a look-upper when I start thinking deeply, which is never a good idea. You never want to think too deeply. But yeah, so I guess it's been nine days since Ranger pitched a game, so I think that factored into pulling him out for 68 pitches. Well, if Ranger hasn't pitched in nine days,

then Bailey hasn't pitched in, like, two and a half weeks. Yeah. So I guess it's just pretty much get him through one time through the lineup. But at the same time, like, you used Eflin today. You tried to get uh alvarado a second inning and had he gotten soto like maybe they they start stealing more outs but he didn't get soto so you have two innings of sir anthony which um is fine i get ultimately worked out but that pretty much takes him out for tomorrow i am very curious to see how tomorrow

goes and i wonder like obviously if they get the lead, I think he goes to the kill. You know, that's something that he's talked about a lot. But I wonder how much having Zach Wheeler in game five, let's just go all out today and we'll deal with game five tomorrow. I don't think there's any question. I think that's what it was. And look, he's right in this situation.

Again, you have to win it for it to be the right call. But when you look at this series, we came in, you know, it's like such a cliche thing to say, but game three is super freaking important. Like this game mattered a lot at home for momentum, for the series, especially coming off the way you blew that game last, you know, game two,

like it was a really important game tonight and thompson managed it that way and i'm not gonna criticize him for it like i might criticize specific things like i definitely would have given ranger another inning i absolutely would have he was freaking dealing and i get the idea that machado and drew are coming up but man like i just i trusted ranger in that spot he was locked in and and i look at the nine days as as oh he's fresh rather than oh i gotta take him out but ultimately i don't blame thompson for after that going for the kill going for sir anthony for two innings and look figure out tomorrow tomorrow look maybe you score 10 runs tomorrow and it doesn't matter who's pitching

right like it's a different day the padres are i'm guessing starting Clevenger I mean you can't start Minaya right it's Clevenger Minaya Mackenzie Gore is McGorry healthy like who do you start dude dude give me Clevenger in a night game at Citizens Bank Park and let's end this bleeping thing that's what I'm saying dude give me give me all the Mike Clevenger you want. There is no way in this great earth that Mike Clevenger is coming into Citizens Bank Park and winning a game tomorrow. Like, you can at all takes expose all you want. There is no freaking way that Mike Clevenger is winning a baseball game at Citizens Bank Park. Even if it's three innings. I don't care. There is no way.

There is no way. So please, start him. Start him, because I don't care. Yeah. No, and again, I think that's Thompson's thinking, right? Like, win the Musgrove game. Beat those guys when they got their best pitcher on the hill and figure it out tomorrow.

Like, that's the smart thing to do especially like you said with wheeler going in game five and nolan six like you've got a cushion now you have your two best guys pitching two more games like ideally tomorrow in in theory shouldn't matter you should win games five and six you have your best guys and we know it doesn't go that way but from a managing perspective and again like they can they can win tomorrow. It's not like Mike Clevenger, as you said, is good. And it's, you know, look, could you see Falter going two or three Syndergaard going two or three? And then you kind of piece it together,

whether it's Robertson and Brogdon and Pilate and like, you know, you use your best guys today, but that doesn't mean that you can't win a baseball game with the other guys tomorrow. And if you can pull that off, then you have a chance with Wheeler on the hill to clinch it at home jack at home and the home crowd mattered again it mattered again you could see it like it's the again i said this before on the pod and i i've never been a big home field guy in baseball i've seen too many game sevens one on the road a couple years ago the world series every single game of the world series the the road team one

i genuinely am. And it's not a Homer thing. Like, it's a baseball thing. Like, I think this stadium matters. I think it plays a role. I got to be honest. I wish that you were in the studio right now so you could hit the correct sounder. Like, this is such a moment where James would hit the correct sounder.

Ding! Such a ding moment. In a second. Yep. And everyone in their car started smiling. But I totally agree, you know? And it's funny because I actually think that home crowd actually hurts teams, most teams more because it starts getting a little bit clenched.

You know, people start getting very nervous. The second ending goes wrong. And to be to be fair like there was a lot of points in that where it's like oh yeah well but but but the crowd i i was so impressed at that ranger inning that when they tied it 1-1 with the errors and stuff like the crowd stayed in it like my brother actually texted me he was at a bar in new york and he texted me is i i don't have volume here is it like a graveyard in there i was, no, it's not like they are loud. They're still in it. And I thought that was impressive because you're right.

Like it really had a potential to go the other way. Well, I will say, I think it was starting to slow down a little bit. And then Jason Kelsey chugged a beer on the field and it just turned this whole thing right around. It turned this whole thing right around it turned the whole thing right around i love that we're doing video real quick because like just to show you yes look right here jason kelsey beer chug is in my notes hold on can you see that right there kelsey beer chug on my notes with you it made a difference and'm 99% sure that they were, it was before the Gene. It was right before it.

It was right before it. So once again, Jason Kelsey saving the team, saving the city. Yeah, I thought the crowd was great tonight. And man, the way they reacted to the Boehm hit and Soto died,

it was like, if you heard the raw audio of it which is on twitter it's just it's like it's like second level and there's so many and the oh oh like doing that like just like smart smart smart stuff man well and we talked a lot you know how we just wanted to gain assistance back park so that we could, like, feel the CBP roar again. Again, the CBP roar. It's insane, man. Again, it's just a different level. It's just like a different, like, you can just feel it coming.

It's so much louder. But at the same time, some elite chants tonight from the fans. The Musgrove. By the way, Musgrove is a great chant name. You know, like, Musgrove. It's just, it's perfect. It's perfect. And if I was, I was trying to think, now, again,

I only pitched Division II level, which may be, like, 10 people watching at most. Like, you know, nothing that intense. But, like, if I had a crowd of 46,000 chanting, like, Fritzy, Fritzy. I would i would just i think you would fall apart you would melt down on the mound i'd melt on the mound so i can only imagine what you would make pavetta on the mound yeah well that's why i loved it so much that we the same mentality on the mound um but big game pitchers who people forget what he did in Boston last year But between the Musgrove chants

And then the Aaron's better It's just perfect Especially since Aaron Allowed a Game-breaking single to his brother Like a mere I don't know like 48 hours earlier

And funny You know Sarah's stat that three of the hardest hit, I guess, balls against Aaron Nola and his career have been hit by Austin Nola. I mean, it's not surprising, right? Three of the hardest hit fastballs in Aaron Nola's career. I mean, if anyone knows what to look for, right. I mean, like I would think just, just generically, I would think a brother brother,

I feel like the hitter has the advantage in general. Yeah, I would say so. I would say so. Although just throw that guy curve balls and see what he's going to do. That would be my, Hey, you know what? Sir Anthony had no problem with him tonight i'll tell you that much no no um he did it at all and shout out sir anthony you know that's not that was it is it's so funny how sir anthony talk about first of all there's been so many players like this you know in the in the last two weeks that have like totally changed

the perception around them but um you know two weeks ago two and a half weeks ago it's like well i can't trust sir anthony in any role in the playoffs he makes one appearance in st louis where it's like that looked different um and you know he just has been unbelievable ever since and it was interesting like small stocks on the broadcast tonight about they pretty much just trust two relievers above anyone else. And one of them is obviously Jose Alvarado and the other is Sir Anthony. And if you said that to me two weeks ago, I would have said you're lying because you look terrible at the end of the year. Now, I think we always believed that he would turn around and we believe in the stuff. I think we always believed that he would turn around and we,

we believe in this stuff. And for years in this pod, we said like, just give us guys throw a hundred and we'll figure everything else, figure out everything else later. And that's what he does, man. But at the same time, he's coming in and he's throwing strikes and that's a tough situation,

man. He's coming in. Soto gets the, the, the single and then he, you know, he shuts it down and then he has to get feedback out there for the ninth which i don't love but at the same time like who else is doing it you know you going to

robertson that situation no i'm not i'm not going to david robertson so um it might have taken serenity out for tomorrow but you hope that if we look and give you seven um on sunday then you go alvarado dominguez and close this whole thing out yeah and again like i will give up sir anthony tomorrow for a win today right like you have to look at it you have to say hey just because sir anthony can't pitch tomorrow doesn't mean we can't win a baseball game right like the last two games at home before this they won nine one and eight three like that could happen they could jump out in front and just dominate either way you have to go with your best tonight in that situation and make sure you win the game and to your point man like what an unbelievable job from sir anthony obviously just the stuff

we've talked about it already it's it's the best version we've seen of him ever that the best version we've ever seen of this guy we're seeing in the most important spots in his career that's they what they say on the broadcast was like 18 consecutive outs he's gotten like he's like pretty damn close to throwing a perfect game as a reliever you know like a few outs away you know six innings into a perfect game as a reliever he's been amazing man and to do like 36 whatever pitches it was to your point to go into the dugout after that inning and come back out. You've talked about that for so long on this pod, how hard it is to do that and to do it against the meat of the order,

the first thing, and then come back out and just dominate like that. And really at no point did it feel like there was any concern that he was going to get the job done. It's just, it's so impressive. It's so impressive. And again, to do it, and this is not a guy who's ever closed games. He's never closed big games.

He's never even closed big games, much less playoff games. And to have that kind of composure and ability in that spot is remarkable. I feel like we've been 19, 20 minutes in this podcast and I feel like we haven't mentioned that the Phillies are two wins away from the World Series It should have been the first thing we said

I just want to make sure we keep bringing that one back I want to make sure that about every 15 to 20 minutes we mention the Phillies are two wins away from going to the World Series. Wow, man. And there's a game three at home where, man,

a lot of stars came out tonight. You had a lot of Sixers. You had Charlie there. Miles Teller hanging out, going nuts no less. By the way, at this point, we've got to get Miles Teller on the podcast. With you, dude. He seems like a high hopes guy like seems like a real fan like an actual fan legitimately diehard fan miles teller like

i'll watch shotgun for the first time if that means that we get uh miles teller on oh yeah buddy shotgun's great by the way um but yeah it's just like a lot of stars out a lot of sex errors which is cool and it's so funny because the night before the like the sixers had uh michael rubin as the bell ringer and then tonight we have like jason kelsey chugging a beer on the third baseline with the fanatic by the way um now i'm not a dad yet um you know but i do have jokes that you are at that yes sir um yes did you notice jason kelsey's shoes oh buddy the new balances oh yeah do you think now you think that jason kelsey put those on and he's like i'm gonna make the white new balance is cool and it's gonna be funny and it's gonna be a fashion statement

or do you think he was or do you think he's like totally oblivious to the whole stereotype around the the the shoes i don't think he's totally oblivious i honestly don't think he cares like i just think of all people he's like these shoes are super comfortable i'm gonna wear them like i think i think he put him on knowing this would be a funny reaction if people saw it it's certainly possible i mean he, he gets, especially what the, the what supports your point is after that picture of him was going around where the, you know, this guy, the Cowboys lost to this guy where he's wearing the flip flops and he's got like the fat belly and stuff. And he quote tweeted that and saw that.

So it's certainly possible that he was leaning into the vibe for sure. Also, I do love that he made his profile picture, him and the finale. I retweeted it, and I was just like, that's cool. Once again, he starts to feel this is a baseball city and that the Eagles are taking a backseat to what has become just a dominant run here by the Phillies. Love to see it.

It's just a cute little bummer's outfit, but you know, come on. It's the Phillies. Cute little Super Bowl. We have a world series to possibly go to again every three minutes gonna mention that the phillies are two two they are two wins away jack did you know that yes does it does it feel real no it is dude this whole this whole the last three weeks have been the least real time in my career. The most surreal thing I've ever felt. I still I still can't believe it. I honestly like again, like Jack, we've done this podcast for like five years ish, something like that. And it's like muscle memory. We've done so many pods where it's just depressing and frustrating and annoying and like this doesn't feel like real life to me. No, it really

doesn't. It really does. I feel like I'm in a coma or something. It's like a coma fever dream type thing. Like I can't again, like they weren't even, we hated them three weeks ago. We were like literally three weeks ago today, October 1st was the 13 to four game. Jack. Three weeks ago today, Nick Maton was pitching to the Nationals. And we were like, you're all losers. And now they're like our heart. They're our favorite team we've ever seen. It's, again, it's the craziest three-week turnaround I've ever seen in my life. It's insane.

Yeah. And they are two wins away from going to World Series, which is something that, again, I never thought I'd really be able to say. I thought, at least in my 20s, I was like, well, they're not going to go to the World Series. That dream's over, being able to enjoy them. In my 20s, that's over. But maybe when I have a kid, we can celebrate them going to the World Series eventually together.

Because like, well, this is getting too far ahead. Again, this is getting too far ahead. They're not in the World Series yet. Yeah, correct. But even the thought of them being in this situation, being in the NLCS, being two wins away, it's just insane. It's just absolutely, positively insane. And the fact, again, I had to live bet on the Padres twice tonight, by the way.

I saw your tweets. I bet on them early, and then I bet on them later. Because I was sitting there, and I was like, there's just no way. They didn't play well enough, in my opinion, to really win that game. You know, I mean, how many errors, like how many mistakes, like the things that kill them always. It's not that I didn't play well enough. It's like they made those plays where it's like, this is a play that's going to cost

them. Yes. That's my point is like they had those moments where it's like, oh, this is going to come back to bite it's like oh this is going to come back to bite them oh this is going to come back to bite them oh this is going to come back to bite them whether it was decisions or errors or whatever and like somehow it didn't man but they've had that like they had that in game one of the series with it with the alec bowman there and then it's like oh here we go you know and and they had it tonight where it's like it's like oh you you bryce grounds into a double play in the first tonight where it's like, oh, Bryce grounds him to a double play in the first inning, and it's like, here we go.

The Gene Segura misplay at second base is like, oh, here we go. Pulling Ranger Suarez after 68 pitches of just like really, really high-level pitching. The Hoskins miss. The Hoskins miss. That's four. That's four plays off the top of our head oh Gene getting picked off too yeah well at that point I was like yeah it didn't

matter at that point so many of those things I was like I don't care just get picked up all you want honestly like you just got you said a big hit by the way the uh the the bat spike is catching on everywhere you know um but yeah there's just been so much. There's like five plays, you know, top four head tonight where it's like, oh, that'll come back to bite them. Like, you know, pulling Schwarber in the seventh for now. Like, I know they want to get defensive. Totally, dude.

Totally. I hated it in the moment. I hated it. Like, what happens later if that game gets tied up? You know, not again. Why are you pulling Schwarber? And then you won't pull Castellanos that's what I was dude what the hell are we doing here why is Castellanos batting fifth by the way

like I'm sorry all right we've spent so much time and like mental stress talking about Schwarber and Hoskins at the top of the lineup and not a word is said about Castellanos batting he should be batting freaking night. Start veerling. We said at the start of the playoffs, I'm back there. Like take a freaking pitch, Nick. Like I know we got the hit late and that run did matter and all that. But like, dude,

do you have less faith in someone at the plate than Nick Castellanos? Bryson Stott is 10 times the hitter than Nick Castellanos is right now. And he's a freaking rookie playing in the playoffs. It's ridiculous, Jack. Well, I mean, Stotty had some good at-bats tonight. Stoddy, dude.

Stoddy! I mean, let's talk about a guy in his rookie year playing shortstop in the National League Championship Series, working professional at-bats against Joe Musgrove. And playing great defense. None of it was his fault. He made the plays. Gene didn't catch it. The other guys didn't make the plays with him.

100%. And working a good... By the way, I don't appreciate Tim Hill. I wish I could get that out of the way. He's so annoying. I had to watch Pedro Feliciano ruin my early teenage years. And then I had to watch Pedro Feliciano ruin my early teenage years.

And then I had to watch Javi Lopez ruin my 2010 season. I don't need to see Tim Hill. Like, you know, let's grow up. Let's grow up with the whole like dropping down and throwing like 91 from left side just to get out, you know, Marshy and Schwarber. I don't appreciate that. Give the Phillies a chance, but yeah, if you're going to ban the shift band underhanded pitching too, well, especially left-handed pitching. Cause that's just a,

you want to talk about a competitive advantage. That's one of them. Left-handed pitching and bam, Pat Neshek. And we're good. Well, yeah. There's nothing funnier than Neshek, you know, tearing his hamstring quote unquote, and then never showing up again to play Major League Baseball. But, you know, it started a really, really high level game. But that's Castellanos. It's like, dude. I mean, again, I feel like I'm just I don't understand how someone who has been so good for so long and legitimately

batted 304 last year and legitimately was silver slugger and had 34 homers it's just this this this terrible um when it comes to having like an approach if you listen if you were a pitcher and you have Nick Castellanos coming up and you throw him a first pitch fastball, if I was the manager, you are pulled out of the game. There is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You're out. I mean, because it's ridiculous.

Don't throw him a first pitch strike. Like in any pitch. Throw him a slider. Throw him a curveball like whatever he's gonna probably jack you could probably roll it to the mat roll it to the plate and he would swing it's infuriating it's infuriating and you know the the the double play again tonight like just oh just so uninspiring i will say a nice hit late to to have a rally so good job by nikki we'll take it but just like i think i would be able to handle him if he just didn't swing at pitches that

started out of the strike zone you know that's the thing that just drives me up a wall it's not a strike you don't have to swing at it. What's your plan? But a big hit late that led to Alec Baum breaking the game open and making us feel that much better. Yeah. I mean, that extra run really was so important and the game was just so stressful. And you know, if it's a one run lead, someone's hitting a solo shot in the ninth. You just know it like that run really was important, but I'm going to credit bum for it because I don't want to give Nick any credit. Cause he's so freaking frustrating to watch to your point.

Like just don't swing, man. Just don't swing. Take a freaking pitch. Like to your point, the approach thing, like it's one thing for him to just, you know, fall off a cliff as a hitter. It's another thing to like, forget how to hit, you know, I get, you know, people slump, people hitter it's another thing to like forget how to hit you know i get you know people slump people aren't seeing the ball whatever but like to just go up there with no approach no plan like that's what makes it frustrating you're you've been in this game way too long to do that yeah he has been and he's been too good at it for too long and i'm just wondering like which is more true that like pitchers just had no idea how to

pitch him for 10 years or like you know this seems unlikely jack it seems unlikely 10 years pitchers would not figure it out yeah like you you think i think you'd figure out the trends on nick castellanos like let's throw a slider first pitch is probably swinging it like it gives me hope that you know this has been a bad year but next year you can hopefully bounce back and be, you know, a good player for this team. But yeah, just weird. Again, he had the big hit late, but he was the last out in an inning. You know, it seems like a very obvious situation

where you can go in and get Dalton Guthrie into the game. Yeah, big time. By the way, I can't believe we've gone 33 got three into the game yeah big time uh by the way i can't believe you've gone 33 minutes without thanking the third base ump thank you thank you don't think he went there but i will absolutely take it it was close look in the moment i was like he definitely didn't go replay it was really close like it was really close like but thank you i will take it that was that was that was a big moment that was a big moment and another moment where it feels like that we never get that call i was

i was so shocked we got that call that moment jack yeah we never get that call um we never get that call now i do think i do think it's bad you know broke the plane so me and me and uh scott scott barry 2.0 we are all locked in on on on that situation but at the same time like if if if that is called a ball i just don't know how that ending turns out like beyond ecstatic like very very happy that that pitch was called a strike and um his reaction was hilarious i i don't think i besides like mary kate and haverstown last year at the eagles game i don't think i've seen a more clear f-bomb in my entire life oh it's so clear i also don't remember the last time a player got thrown out of a playoff game like that i mean i'm sure it's happened in recent years and i'm just forgetting, but like, it's pretty rare.

You see guys get tossed from playoff games. Like really rare. Yeah. And I mean, you know, take your helmet off and throwing it and say, Oh, he deserved to get tossed.

Don't get me wrong. Right. But still, you know, you don't see it. Yeah, you don't. But at the same time,

like, thank God, first of all, we'll take it. But how that ending plays out after that i'm just not sure because uh strengthening that becomes a walk there which i feel like would kind of get in his head but you know him him him getting pro far it just kind of let him take a deep breath and like settle into it and say okay i got this let me go take care of business. And since that moment, he really just kind of took over

and was like back to being Sir Anthony. But much like the Bryce Harper double play in the first inning, you know, it lets the pitcher off the hook a little bit. You know, had Bryce, you know, deposited that ball into the seats and maybe some money on Vandal tonight. Oh, see, Schwerber Homer money on, on Vandal tonight. Oh, see Schwerber Homer over here, buddy.

This guy. Yeah. I feel like you've been doing that every game. You've got a Hattie done that, but you know, having the double play there, I really kind of let Musgrove off the hook and he settled into a nice rhythm,

you know, until about the fifth, sixth and it's our again. So now that they worked pretty good at bats all night, you know, I mean, all night, dude, the first three hitters went full.

Yep. So that was good. And, but yeah, like I think they let him off the hook early, but, but profile with that reaction, with that call kind of lesser Anthony off the hook. And he was able to really, really sell that after that. And thank God, because again, hook. And, um, he was able to really, really sell down after that. And, um, thank God, because again, had he let him on, then I feel like David Robertson's probably coming into that game,

which is not something that I would have felt super, really supremely confident. I don't think any Philly Sam would have. Um, all right. I want to spin it forward to tomorrow in a sec, but you got anything in the take bag before we look ahead to tomorrow? Oh, before we get to tomorrow um yeah i mean i have some stuff written well that's why i asked i mean at some point i got to take back how much uh how much we already went about um

so so i have two you know i've been doing this thing all postseason where it's like moments i'm going to tell my grandkids about. Oh, yeah. Because like maybe this is maybe this is a too negadelphia way to look at things. But I'm like, oh, there's my 1964 moment. Like I keep I keep looking for my own 1964 moment or my own. It's been the last five years, Jack. You know, Larry Boa, Davey loeb's moment you know i

feel like i did have it in 2011 you know i got obviously never forget all that and maybe maybe aaron noah belonging for nothing leading the game too of the year yeah of the lcs will be that but i was already preparing my speech to my future grandkids about gene segura dropping the baseball easy double play ball in a game three at home of the nlcs where you have them on the ropes now at the same time conversely if i was a ponderous fan i will be telling my grandkids about jerks and pro far oh yeah buddy not going around in that situation um gold glove finalist juan soto diving and missing for a baseball among other if you ever want to know why the gold gloves most overrated dumbest dumbest award in sports honestly i think it's probably the dumbest award in sports like i'll never what

was it rafael pomero won it at first base when he played like 15 games at first base was like a dh all year and they just gave it to him. It's such a BS award. Well, it's the equivalent of pitcher wins of baseball awards. It doesn't make any sense. And also, for some reason, Ranger wasn't qualified for it. I know, by like a couple innings or an inning or whatever it was. Ridiculous.

Yeah. wasn't qualified for it and like i know by like a couple innings or an inning or whatever it was ridiculous yeah um speaking of ranger i thought i thought him going on doing that in the first inning tonight was like massive i know it's like ultimately so much stuff happened in this game tonight to where it's like we'll forget about it but i thought ranger going out and just looking utterly dominant and just going one two three letting the crowd settle into it and it just it just paired so perfectly with a schwarper home run to where it's like okay we got this now ultimately the game didn't turn out that way so that was written in the idea that they were going to win like one nothing um but either way um yeah also again, especially like in contrast to his start in Atlanta where, you know, the five walks,

the lack of control tonight, he came out and he was just totally in control. The command was perfect. He was dotting throwing strikes. Like it was really good to see him look like the guy we, we expected coming into the playoffs. Yeah. And we,

I don't, we didn't really mention it or talk about it yet. And before we get to tomorrow, I still think it was dumb to pull them like i i do too dude i do too like i know it ended up working out and that's fine and what so his reasoning does make sense like when i started thinking about it machado jury a third time through machado jury like having a lefty face those guys isn't the best ID in the world. And it's so interesting because I couldn't tell

I couldn't tell if he's thinking about game seven. Well, that was my thought. When buddies were texting me and they're like, why is he doing this? I was like, the only thing I can think of is game seven. He tried to do the whole has a pitch in nine days thing. I don't totally buy that.

I think he was worried about Machado and Drury against the lefty the third time through the lineup, possibly taking advantage of Ranger. My thought process is, is that you have now to his credit. Five straight days of baseball. Yeah. That and you know, you're probably going bullpen game today or when people are listening to this today. So do you really want to pull Ranger after 68 pitches and then have to use a lot of your bullpen?

Now, in Tom Persaud, he is thinking about going for the kill, and that's fine. But I just think that with a probable bullpen game tomorrow, to pull your starter who is rolling at that point, like what was the hardest ball that was hit all night? I mean, the Marsh catch, that was our Ranger, right? I think so. Yeah, that was the hardest hit ball night but that was it ranger ranger was was was fine you know and and you know when when a pitcher's in a role like that just let him go um so it felt weird i understand i want to face machado and drury it ended up working out

so we'll take it and if his thought process is let me bring in my best relievers let's go for the kill now and hopefully ranger feels really confident heading into a game seven then i get it and let's hope it doesn't go to game seven um when josh bell grounded into the double play was there like any doubt in your mind he was hitting a ball 450 there no uh dude i've never been more surprised by the outcome of an at-bat than that double play like i i almost tweeted and you know me i don't tweet in the moment as much i was actually live tonight so you know i thought about it but i almost tweeted there's no one else on the planet i'd rather have up right now than josh bell like he's the last guy

i wanted to bring me juan soto bring me manny machado like i would rather face those guys in that spot than josh bell it's terrifying like he's not even good man like he's not even good and he i i just have he's just gonna crush us i i just have a feeling he's always gonna hit a big homer against us did it in uh in game two and i feel like he's always gonna do it so um him grinding double play there was just borderline shocking. Like Gene Segura's game, I just can't fully comprehend what we watched tonight from Gene Segura. Like two ridiculous diving catches, an inexcusable error at second base, getting picked off first base and giving them

the lead with a with an rbi two rbi single with two outs by the way and by the way what are you pitching to him there for i know it made no sense god i swear like i could manage i could manage a baseball game to 100 points like it's not it's not rocket science what are you pitching gene segura in that situation for so a really funny gene game um where it's like oh he's our guy and that's like oh he's got to get off the team back to being our guy within like four innings yeah honestly i don't know if there's another phillies player i can think of in my lifetime who would have that game like it's the most gene segura game of all time and it like right like the all-time roller coaster of a game and ultimately thank god it came out in the end and that second diving play

at the end like that was special like that was a special play in that moment like such a big play like it is it was wild man man. What a freaking... Run the full gamut of emotions twice over the course of the night for Gene Zeker. It's crazy. And by the way, if you haven't heard it yet, the frantic call on that play is just insane. Great frantic call.

I would like to fire... No, listen, I'm not one that wants to see people lose their jobs. I'm very pro-jobs on this podcast. It's true. Very true. Whoever had the bright idea of flashing the Padres are 0 for 20. Oh, my goodness. I'm sorry you brought this up, dude.

Can we grow up? I mean, I already have to deal with- We were losing our minds. I was like, this is the worst thing that's happened all night tonight, right now in this moment. We already have to deal with Smaltzy and Joe Davis openly rooting for the Padres to come back in the game.

I mean, was there one story about a Philly tonight? It felt like all night long, it's like, well, here's Musgrove and here's this and here's that. It's like, my God. I'm not, I'm generally not like a rant against a broadcaster's guy because I think they try to call it down the middle. But it's like, my God, I'm generally not like a rant against a broadcaster's guy because I think they try to call it down the middle.

But it's like, holy cow, man, can I get a one story about the Phillies? Like, I feel like I'm watching a Padres home broadcast. Over 28 heading into the ninth was just – I was sitting there, and I'm like, do I need a live bet on the Padres again? I mean, seriously, it felt like one of those moments where it's like they're going to 100% blow this game. And had Jerickson Profar been called, you know, not for strike three in that situation,

who knows how that inning plays out and who knows that Fox guy still has a job. Jack, I couldn't agree more. Like, honestly, I was ready to, he was enemy number one in Philadelphia. I literally said that exact words to Tommy and BLG. When that graphic came up, I was like, this is the single worst thing that has happened tonight.

That's how it felt. That's how it felt. Yeah, it was egregious. It was egregious. You know, when you think about the fans for one time, why is it always going to be, let's slam it in the Padres' way to make sure that they get what they want? You know, don't you want the Phillies to advance further?

You look at the ratings, buddy. Have you seen the ratings? Highest ratings in the division series since 2017. What do you think changed? You know, like, what do you think changed? Maybe getting the Phillies in it. So enough with the Padres slam. And let's get some things going back in our favor.

Okay. It's a good take by you. That's all I got to take back, buddy. See, look at that. All right, let's spin it things going back in our favor. Okay. It's a good take by you. That's all I got to take back, buddy. See, look at that. All right, let's spin it to tomorrow or today.

It is officially today. Now I don't care. It doesn't feel like it, pal. It really doesn't. It's 1203 again. Sorry. I think I missed our quota here.

And, um, I don't know if we're going to be able to do one of these live again. The filter two wins away from the world series. You're right, buddy. We got to do it more. We got to keep it in there uh all right tomorrow the decision to go with fault or falter obviously you mentioned before like he i've been shocked that like he it felt like he hasn't even

been there this entire playoffs like i think he's warmed up once maybe like it's just it's so strange we expected him in game four against the Braves. Obviously he went Cinder guard, but he's going tomorrow. And we wanted him to start game four against the Braves, or at least, you know, we, we trusted him more than we trusted those other guys, but hasn't pitched in a while. Big spot. How do you feel about falter? And what are you expecting from a, I mean,

I'm assuming it'll be falter and Cinder guard is a piggyback in some order. I guess Gibson is a terrifying option as well what do you expect tomorrow from falter and then from the sequencing of the pitchers if you had to guess so first off um i would hope that he is throwing bullpens in between yeah yeah i meant like on the tv we have not. I'm sure he's picked up a baseball and thrown it. Yes. But at the same time, like they pulled Ranger today because apparently they believe he hasn't pitched in nine days. So, you know, they didn't believe he could pitch more than 70 pitches in the game. I have felt for a while that that Bailey was a guy that I could trust in a moment.

Like I didn't think that things are going to get too big for him him I thought he'd just be able to come in and do a job the only thing that that gave me cause for pause for that is his last start against the Braves it was a big start at home and he just kind of didn't have it and the funny part about when i watch bailey falter is that i feel like he's one of those guys where first inning he's gonna struggle like he's gonna walk two guys and he gotta just kind of hope he gets out of it because then i think he gets on a roll but it's the post season you know so like you can't totally just be like, oh, Bailey will figure it out and he'll give us six innings because you don't know. Like you have to trust your guys, you know, that the job's done. But at the same time, like that's not the moment that I want you coming out and walking guys.

There's a lot of starts this year where it felt like first and second, no outs with Bailey Falter in the first inning. And it's like, oh, my gosh, it's gonna be a disaster. And then he ends up getting out of it or as a ball and allowing a run. So I have felt for a while that he's going to be a, a, a good big game pitcher. I got to come in and do a job. And that doesn't really wait for heading into tomorrow.

You know, I thought center guard was really good against the Braves. I probably would have started him again. Me too. Me too. Me too. Just from the standpoint of like has done it before. He was good last time out. He has a ton of rest.

So he's very, very, very rested. But at the same time, like, you know, give Bailey a shot, you know, and see what we got here and see if he can give you four or five innings and turn things over the bullpen and give us a commanding, commanding 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Yeah, well, you might not know this, Jack. Phillies are two wins away from the World Series. That's not possible. Not at all. It's a fact, Jack. Overall take, I trust Bailey heading into tomorrow because I've trusted these

guys all year long. I trusted Ranger heading into today. I trusted Bailey throughout a lot of this season. And I trust him tomorrow. Yeah. Well, he's been one of those guys. We trusted him from a makeup perspective coming in. He seems like one of those guys. We trusted him from a makeup perspective coming in. He seems like one of those guys, not quite to the level of Ranger,

but someone who is in similar. Yeah, kind of just seems chill and nothing kind of gets to him. There could be chaos around him and he's just like the same dude. So I'm excited to see him in this spot tomorrow. And I'm sure Senegal will be ready if he runs into any trouble and all that. But, man, you know, if they win tomorrow, Jack, or today, whatever, like, we're going for a clincher at home with Wheeler on the hill, man. Like, buddy. Deep breath, pal.

Deep breath. And I don't want to do this, but I feel like I have to do this. But wouldn't it be so Phillies to win tomorrow and then lose the Wheeler start? Of course it would. Yes. That's actually the most Phillies outcome possible. You're absolutely correct. Well, let me go full prediction mode here

i think i don't think they clinch at home you know i didn't come in in either and if they do it's gonna be a freaking party on sunday down at the ballpark um i think this ends game six in san diego and i think aaron goes out and just goes shove city man i think i think aaron like for as much as people like to talk about oh he's so laid back he's so this he's so that that guy has a fire in him and i think that first off he's out of here by the stupid austin nola like the last couple days and how we got to hit off on. Like, I just have this feeling that this thing's going back to San Diego and we got Knowles going shove city and, and pitching this team into hopefully the next round.

I'm not going to say the words. I don't want to say it. I'm not getting ahead of myself, but I have a feeling this goes to game six and Knowles does a thing. Now, will I obviously take this ending in five on Sunday? A hundred percent. But if you're asking for how I feel, that's it. Yeah, that's what I expected coming in.

Six was the number in my mind. And look, it's been, we've talked like how many, the last three weeks, it's so funny. Cause we spent five years talking about, years talking about how they always blew it. They never came through and nothing ever worked out. Now we're just talking about everything's poetic. It's not just working out, but it's working out in the most beautiful way possible. Honestly, after that start and allowing the four-run lead like Nola shoving in San Diego to win

is probably the most perfect way possible from a narrative poetry standpoint. So I certainly could see it. But Hey, I do think, I do think if they can win tomorrow, I wouldn't want to be the Padres down three, one with wheel on the Hill at CBP.

That's all I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's the one thing that they could change. This whole thing is like citizens bank park just turns into a to a to a freaking party and three and oh jack three and oh buddy and there's ended you know and they the the players by the way like they so clearly play off the momentum um from the crowd it's just it's a beautiful thing clear and

like i think if they sense blood in the water of the chance to end it at home you probably get a different level of an inspiration coming out there and don't you just have the feel that wheeler puts on like a like a doc day from last year it just doesn't. You're starting to make me a believer, buddy. You really are. You're really starting to make me a believer in possibly flinching this in five. But again, do not want to get ahead of myself.

Do not want to get ahead of myself. All right. We'll be back tomorrow. I will not talk for the next 24 hours so that my voice is not as bad tomorrow. It's not, but I'm going to try my best because I'm on fumes here with the voice, but I'm bringing it. Fritzy, final thoughts, my friend, is we are already in the day where the next game is going to happen i know i can't wait and you and i you and i will be at a wedding tomorrow trying to find the exact time when

we can get out where oh yeah i will be getting out let me tell you let me tell you which i will be at yeah you know very happy very happy for our friend battle um But at the same time, like buddy, we got a chance to go three, one. Yeah, it is what it is. Look, I don't blame you for planning something in October.

That's been a pretty reliable thing to do for the last 10 years, but sorry, pal. That's how it's played out. Well, and credit to our good friend battle. He did it on the Eagles by week, you know? Yeah,

he was. Exactly. He was trying. Who knew? For a Bills fan. Exactly. He was trying. Who knew? For a Bills fan. For a Bills fan, very, very considerate. It's also the Bills bye week, so let's not get too carried away. It's an even better point.

It's an even better point. I guess that's why you do the guess. Yes, exactly. My final thought, James, and I don't know if you've thought about this. Now, the only way this works is if the Yankees figure their stuff out. By the way, I want the Yankees.

Desperately, desperately. Badly. But the Eagles beat the Patriots 13 years after the Patriots beat them in 2004. If the Phillies played the Yankees, it would be 13 years since 2009. You want to talk about all the poetic things that have happened this offseason or this postseason? It being the Yankees and possibly playing them in the World Series

and possibly reversing in the world series and possibly, you know, reversing what happened in oh nine. It's pretty poetic, my friend. Pretty. Yeah. Well, especially when you consider that the last manager for both of those teams prior to their current managers, Joe Frick and Gerard. Yeah. Yeah. When we talk about the moment that changed this season, you know, pretty freaking poetic, Jack.

Other final thought. Matt Stairs going right down the middle on his fastball. And then Kyle Schwarber leading off the game with the home run was beautiful. By the way, so I feel like I need to clear this up. You know, before they signed Kyle Schwarber, when they signed Kyle Schwarber, I was like, I had visions of him hitting a home run. You did.

Into the rally towels. A sea of red, as you said. Right. That's not the home run. Let me just tell you that. I love this take. I love this. Let me tell you that.

That's not the home run. It was beautiful. It was great. I was freaking out in my house. But, but, be aware. Because that's not the home run. That's my final thought. That is one of the best final thoughts in the history of this podcast.

My final thought, I think we this podcast. My final thought. I think we all know what's coming here. The Phillies are two wins away from the world series. He's for some seltzer. We'll see you next time.