High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Phillies-Padres NLCS Game 4 Reaction Pod: The Phillies are One Win Away from the World Series

Episode Date: October 23, 2022

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to an epic Phillies win in Game 4 of the NLCS. 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. Oh, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. The Phillies are one win away from the freaking World Series edition. It was the freaking Padres who blew a four-run lead tonight, Jack Fritz. The Phillies dominated at home.

Again, I have no voice. Jack knows I actually couldn't talk this morning. I texted Jack at one point, panicked, saying we might not be able to do a pod tonight. We might not be able to do the post-game show tomorrow from the WIP booth at the stadium, which we're going to be doing. I couldn't talk. And yet my voice is here somehow.

Not the best. I apologize. But it is here, Jack Fritz. You know why? Because the freaking Philly showed up. And if they're going to show up like that, we're going to freaking show up. Because what a magical team, what a magical run. Freaking, like, again, it's this big park, Jack Fritz.

What is happening? What dream world are we living in? Is this real, buddy? I'm not sure. I cannot confirm or deny if this is in fact real. But I do know this, is that our baseball team is one bleeping win away from the World freaking Series, man. Like, just think about saying that sentence and not being mocked

and not being made fun of and not being thought of as a clown. The Phillies are one win away from the World Series. And to do it in that fashion, James, to do it the way that they did it, going down early for nothing, and then almost like automatically coming back. They come back. You and I are live at a wedding. Shout out to Matt Battaglia. Congratulations on getting married.

Very, very proud of you. You know, showed a lack of faith, I would say, in the Phillies. He did not think that they would make it this far. And that shows, you know, a little disappointment in battle. Because we totally thought they were going to make it here, obviously. Yes. Never a doubt but here we are and like dude there was at no point tonight that i thought they were going to

lose i even like you said it at the wedding you said at the wedding i will i can be jack fritz's like uh you know verifier here his his uh, Jack Fritz, when they went down for nothing at the wedding, turned to me and said, point blank, they are not losing this game. They're not losing to Mike Clevenger. I'm telling you, quote unquote. Well, Mike Clevenger, I don't think he lasted an out, actually. I don't think he made it one batter or or uh one out into the game before he was already out whatever do not care um but what you saw tonight is everything that we've seen

for the last couple of months and my a minor blip in september but what you saw tonight was what this team has done in the playoffs and what they continue to show us, which is special. This is a special freaking baseball team, James. We have a special baseball team on our hands that at the correct moment, at the moment where they need to be at their best, they are fulfilling every single achievement that we were looking for. They were looking for, like, they were a team that was built on offense.

And tonight, you had two homers from Reese. You had an absolute shore bomb. You have Bryce Harper, who is just taking over this series. I don't want what Bryce Harper is doing right now to be lost in all the hoopla surrounding this baseball team. Bryce Harper is un-freaking-believable, man. Harper is on freaking believable, man. That guy who we paid $330 million for,

who we brought to Philadelphia, John Middleton got him here. And we had to hear for years. Oh, well, the nationals won without him or the guy never want to play off series. I have never. And this is,

this is including Utley in no nine and this is including Utley in 09. This is including Utley in 09. I have never seen a great Philly dominate the playoffs the way that Bryce Harper is dominating the playoffs right now. This is insane. This doesn't happen all the time. And I am so proud that that is our guy and i'm so damn proud of this baseball team james i am so freaking proud yeah dude and and to the harper point i mean

the fact that from the moment he got here he embraced this city and has just talked about wanting to win in Philly and what it means for Philly. And even when he's getting asked by Rosenthal in these dugout interviews, he's just like, do you see this here? Like, this is amazing. I can't believe I'm doing this in Philadelphia. I guarantee you Bryce Harper goes tonight.

It goes to bed every night and says, thank freaking God I signed in Philadelphia because this is what I always wanted my career to be. And to your point, for him, the best player on the team, one of the best players in the sport, the most popular player in the sport or one of them, all that stuff. To step up now like he's doing, especially considering the end of the season, Jack. Like we were almost resigned to the fact that that we weren't going to see this guy right like we were like all right you know hopefully he can figure out how to hit some singles and doubles by the time the playoffs start and he's not just going to be a disaster like he was when he came back from the injury and and it all clicked at the

perfect time and to your point like tonight we saw the phillies team that we talked about the best lineup in baseball runs and runs and runs it doesn't matter what the pitching does it doesn't matter what the defense does because these guys are going to come through when it matters and the moments i mean the jt homer with the fanatic on the dugout like jack like this is all stuff where it's like it again you know we keep coming back to that word but it feels magical what we're watching the moments the images the storylines the narratives like it just feels special man like are you losing your voice again are you losing your voice again i'm powering through buddy i mean you're gonna

have to carry this one more than me my friend for all the dog in the in the chest that the phil showed today i think seltzer is showing as much dog in his chest by the way forgot shout out to the lights there it is there was a phil's wins never a doubt um um it is you know again one of those speechless moments um but for a series that has had so many like little moments am i insane to say the moment like the true moment that i felt like the phillies were one went away from the world series. And also like probably going to go to the world series, probably going to go to the world series. Like I'm not wanting to get ahead of myself,

but like probably going to go to the world series. I mean, probably going to clinch tomorrow if, or, you know, for being like, before I get to my point, like how the hell do the Padres come in tomorrow and win a baseball game?

Dude, they want nothing to do with tomorrow. They want nothing to do with stepping in that stadium i guarantee it is going to be like a a madhouse tomorrow in that place yes well and especially with you and i there i mean the phil's don't lose clinchers the phil's don't lose clinchers with you and i in the house i mean the way it happens Yeah. Some say we're undefeated, but the moment that I was sitting there saying this might be real. Is the Castellanos single up the middle that bounces off the bag. I mean,

that ball never bouncing off the bag and, and going into center field. It's like, they're starting to catch those breaks, James. Like they're starting to catch those breaks that teams of destiny catch. And I, I just can't believe it's this team.

I can't believe it's this team. You and I have talked so much on this podcast about seeing other teams with the team of destiny thing we could sense the moment when our arch rivals the nationals or the braves were going to win the world series oh no doubt or make the world series and there's been many moments you know where it's like i think they're going to make the world series slash win the world Series. But for me, the Castellanos ball that hit off the bag, it was like, wow, this is real. This is different. This doesn't happen to us.

This whole thing, James, doesn't happen to us. But we are here. And I know we did the whole gatekeeping thing a couple couple uh couple podcasts ago well you did everyone jump on board thank you welcome everyone come on and i saw people that don't care about baseball tweeting about the phils tonight get on our backs let's go win this damn thing why not us i mean why not us at this point i mean seriously at this point yeah why not us god what a time what a time dude and and the at this point line is such a perfect way to put it because like i can't believe all the moments we've had i can't believe all the moments we've had. I can't believe all the things that have happened. Like from the gene hit to the Castellanos catch to the Reese Homer to the,

you know, like just one after the JT inside the Parker, the clincher there to the, the Schwarber 488 foot monster to tonight, like tonight having like six different moments to go down for nothing and get those runs back. The stat, statty, the stat hit, the freaking Reese second Homer to tie it. And then for Harper to get that hit and to be freaking losing his mind on

second base and saying this is my house and doing the phillies thing and like representing like that for us man like again it's it's at this point it's like like put your hands up and just believe man like i don't know what else to say like this is like this is the craziest magical run i've i've ever seen like it's wild of all the of all the moments you just brought it up man like we've been waiting for that bryce moment that moment dude that was the moment we talked about when they signed him dude and i'm so glad it's i'm so glad it wasn't a homer if that makes any sense like him getting the second base turn around to the dugout and giving that reaction i i i legitimately almost started welling up on my

couch i really did like i was sitting there like dude that's our guy and and and during this entire run during this entire run i feel like we haven't been talking enough about price because it's just like he's so good that it's almost it's almost like well that he's gonna do this because that's what normally happens with your great players this doesn't normally happen like it's not every day that your superstar just turns into a superstar on the biggest stage but Bryce has just unlocked such a different level of, of batting and, and playing the game to where he is going out on the biggest stage and just taking over. I mean, he's taking over. He had the big hit in the first to make it four, three, which is great. But that, that double

in that moment, it's just just you want to talk about special. You want to talk about things you're going to remember. Do I remember it specifically because my TV was out and my Wi-Fi was out, so I found a Wi-Fi thing to connect to so that I could watch the game? Yeah, I did. You want to talk about stressful. So that I could watch the game. Yeah,

I did. It was, you want to talk about stressful, stressful is like paying for cable. And for some reason tonight, it's like, Hey, you know what? I know you left that wedding early.

Here's the karma. But leaving the wedding early, you don't get to watch the pills. The finding a wifi stream out of nowhere to be able to stream that moment and seeing Bryce come through. Like, that's what we paid him for, man. That's what we paid him for. And I'm just telling you, we have seen so many stars.

You know, they'll have a homer here. They'll have their little moment. But you rarely see them just dominate dominate just dominate a playoff series and that's what's our guy our guy is doing right now and that ball going to the wall and and him getting a second base and saying like that's my this is my bleeping city you want to you want to talk about yearbook moments you want to talk about just just sitting there welling up on your couch because we know how much this means to us that's it man and and and i'm just so happy i'm just so happy one more one more one more man they're they're again let's start it they're one went away from the world series jack fritz one win. The World Series, man.

The World Series, Jack. I know. We're going to be doing I Hope's pods about the World Series. Really? The Phillies. Really? I honestly never believed it was going to happen. I always hoped, and that was the whole thing,

high hopes and all that stuff. In my heart of hearts, I never truly believed that this was actually going to happen and now we're like we're on the precipice of it we could have it happen tomorrow at citizens bank park and and for bryce to do it like for him to have this series for him to have this moment like as my voice is i'm so sorry my voice is dying. I'm going as hard as I can. But again, like for him, especially Bryce, who, you know, is the best player in baseball or arguably like one of the best players in baseball was the MVP last year has won two MVPs is a surefire Hall of Famer. those moments you know he never got out of the first round before and for him to get this opportunity especially after struggling to end the season and coming off the injury and for him to like seize the moment like this jack to your point like you want to talk about greatness you want to

talk about the best of the best doing it at the highest level in the most important spots that's what's happening you're seeing an all-time great a hall of famer a guy who if he you know stays healthy into his later ages has a chance to be like an inner circle hall of famer and if this stuff right now is what's putting him in that pantheon like these are the things like we always talk about like you like and and look i think mike trout's an amazing baseball player he's the the best of a generation statistically but but you can't be an all-time all-time great one of the the pantheon inner circle hall of famers without this stuff without the moments in the when it matters the most when the games when it's the biggest of stages and Bryce right now is not just having a moment he's having

an all-time great postseason man he's batting like 450 or whatever it's it's OPS it's like 1500 or something like it's it's asinine like it's it again to your point like I don't remember many players having postseasons like this, much less the greatest of players. Again, we've talked about this a lot, but what we're seeing right now is not normal from star players. And it's these kind of things. And they're probably to, they're probably going to make the world series. They are probably going to make one win away. You're one win away from making the world series.

And that is Zach Wheeler on the hill at home tomorrow. Yes. With Seltzer and Fritz. With Seltzer and Fritz. I'm like, fuck, I can't like, dude.

Oh my God. Oh my God, dude. I don't cry. I'm like, really? This can't like, dude. Oh my God. Oh my God, dude. I'm like, this is the closest I've ever come to crying. This is the closest I've ever come to crying on the high hope spot. Not there. One more, one more. But Bryce Harper has exceeded our expectations. And that's insane when you're talking about a guy

that signed for $330 million for 13 years. Because I thought we were getting a really good player in Bryce. I thought we were getting like, this guy is going to be in the top 10, and this is in the top 10 MVP voting and whatever. First off, never thought he'd win an MVP because I felt like oh like tatis and okunia and soto are here like it's really hard for price to win an mvp

does that and then it's like now he's gotta get it done in the playoffs and it's like oh i have to get it on the playoffs here's a 1500 ots like like i always i always felt as if the Beltran's 0-4 was the most dominant, or 0-5 was the most dominant. I've seen an opposing batter in a postseason. But what he's doing right now is second level. It's not... Again, I can't think of an all-timer. Bonds did it, I guess, in 0-2. That was, so I was going to wait for you to be done,

but, like, they didn't win, but Bonds in 0-2 is this. Like, that's the only one that pops right into my mind. I mean, it seems like pretty good company. I don't know. I would say so. It seems like pretty good company to have our guy in. But in a night full of moments, I feel like Bryce having what he did tonight it

just seals it unbelievable high level stuff from bryce harper yeah and then and then you add in all the other guys i mean for reese again you know the postseason he's had and obviously had the moment last time at cbp but you you know, really is, has had so many struggles, especially defensively the game last night that, you know, missing that ball and, and all that stuff. And then for him to have the, the two homers tonight, the tying one, the bat flip, the crowd, Schwab, I'm just kind of putting the icing on the cake, JT, even more icing on the cake. I mean, for Castellanos, you know, look, look we have we have justifiably ripped this guy he was

really good tonight man and i know he had the the weird hit but he had some big hits tonight too like this is what we envisioned you know we had talked so much about early in the postseason being like wow like we trust the six through nine hitters more and all that. Like the only way this team is going to be its greatest version is if one through five is carrying them. And like one through five tonight was the best they've ever been. This is the best we've ever seen it in the biggest game they've ever played together. Yeah.

I mean, one through five is just, is borderline hilarious tonight. We have Schwarber going big fly him, him leading off the game with the homer him drawing a walk to to set up reese uh who by the way had two homers tonight like he had there's not many times that our guys have two homers in a game no to where it's like it's like chase and worth i I think, are like dealing with the other ones. And I think Howard had one in 08.

I'm pretty sure. So, you know, like two home run games in the playoffs don't happen very often. But Reese goes big fly twice. You have JT, like, finally has that power stroke that, you know, we've been waiting for. Like, JT, this team isn't in the playoffs if JT doesn't do what he does post-Canada. He was the best

player. He was the best player. We've talked about Schwarber as the MVP, but JT was their best player. Post-Canada JT is just an animal. He goes big fly tonight. You have Bryce with the big double. That's a big double. They got the team going

and put this one out of reach. You have... night you have bryce with the big double after a big double um they got the team going and and and put this one out of reach you have uh and after that like castellanos played well like castellanos did his job tonight and he finally hit some balls of conviction very proud of him good job buddy um but i mean one through five like for the first two series of this postseason and the first three games, it feels like, you know, one of the one through five would have a big game and that'd be great. But really, like how they've gotten so far is their pitching has been really good. Like the pitching has been the part that has really helped them. Wheeler, Nola, obviously besides Nolan game two. But it's pretty much been you know the the the pitching

staff has carried them and then one or two guys would have moments and it's like this is special besides bryce just being unbelievable all the way through tonight it was like this is the team that we paid for this is the team that john milton went over the tax floor this is the team that he said i'm gonna get my bleep trophy back or die trying um and he paid for it and and those guys went out and had a night um and when you start talking about how you talk the ceiling of this team and what they can be and if this is real or not like there's no team in baseball that is stopping them when one through five is doing what they did tonight. And it's almost like they took,

they took being down for nothing early, almost personally. And they were like, you know, the Padres came back from in a game too. We're going to do it tonight. I think they thought about that. Jack JT mentioned it after his Homer,

when Rosenthal. Yeah. He mentioned he's like, you know, last time they got the 4-0 lead this time. It was either JT or Harper after that. I think it was actually Harper when they were in the field. But either way, he's like, yeah, you know, they got the 4-0 lead. Same thing happened in San Diego. You know, we wanted to get on them right away and, like,

compared it to that. And it was. It was that. It was, like, the same formula. Yeah. get on them right away and like compared it to that it was it was that it was like the same formula yeah and and they you can't tell me that a team is prideful and as close as this team is didn't take for nothing as as a you know uh as a challenge um and you know they looked around citizens bank park and they were like we got 46 000 people here just waiting to go nuts let's give them something to go nuts about um but it wasn't even that james you know they went down for nothing early they made it for three it stayed there for a little bit um they tied it up because stoddy just continues to do what stoddy does what a stud dude what a stud

i i legitimately as a what was the the last Phillies rookie who looked more comfortable in big moments? So I wasn't alive in 93, but Stocker? Yeah, probably. But even then, I mean, and Stocker was great in 93, but the at-bats that Stott has had in the playoffs, man, it's unbelievable. It is unbelievable to watch this kid work at-bats, get big hits,

come through in the big moment like i'm like blown away by him blown away yeah i mean this i don't know if i mean this actually facetiously at all he's our cheater man like he he is he is our cheater that that is big moments stoddy's coming through. I love the kid, man. I really do. He is a high-level, big-game player. His average this whole year has just been not indicative of the player that we have seen. But they make it 4-4, and then they almost immediately go down they don't they they make it four four and then they almost

immediately go down six four and then to bounce back from six four and then just pretty much take it out of reach it's it's it's ridiculous i mean for for a team that we have seen just kind of crumble and just say ah you, we're good tonight. They have taken on, for all the things that Bryce has done amazing this postseason from at the plate, him in the

clubhouse and in the dugout saying, we ain't losing, that's probably the most important thing that has happened this offseason because you felt it watching that team tonight. They were like, we're not losing this game and when a team starts believing like that james man you have the mixture of of something special yeah and it all comes back to you know they love each other and they play for each other and there's like a real bond there and you know i you know we've talked about that so many times but i think it's the

biggest revelation for us going into the playoffs because we just didn't know it we never saw that side of them we didn't see them celebrate we didn't see how close they were and i do think you said it before i think that road trip to end the season in the playoffs kind of galvanized it and really brought them together and us against the world kind of thing and you see it i mean like when schwerber at some run and he does the run through the dug and you see it i mean like when schwerber it's the home run and he does the run through the dugout and they'll do the tap in the helmet they like it's just it's what we always wanted jack it's a team that's freaking having a blast playing with each other and like looks fun and has fun and is like just got it man they freaking have it

and you mentioned in passing but but, but not enough credit. Like CBP mattered again. There's a reason they're four and oh at home. There's a reason they're four at home. If this exact game plays out in San Diego, like I trust his team, like maybe they win it, but I'm not sure they win it. This game at CBP, like to your point, the crowd gave them life. It gave them energy. They wanted to succeed in front of them. And they're 4-0 at home for a reason. They put up a 10 spot, a 9 spot, and an 8 spot in three other four games at home, Jack. Like, the offense has been the best version of it we've ever seen

when they're playing at Citizens Bank Park in the playoffs. And what's so funny is that I genuinely felt that at the end of the year, they needed to get away from Citizens Bank Park. Like, I felt like they needed to get away. Set it on the pod. I felt like they needed to get away from Citizens Bank park because it felt like a place where they were like they are tense and and any little thing that goes wrong in a regular season game the crowd even though there was like maybe 18 000 people there um would be like what's going on

we're gonna collapse again you guys are gonna do it again you're gonna let us down again um and them getting away from citizens bank park going on the road trip spending 18 days on the road together um and and and really being able to come together as a group and galvanize and and say i you go on the road for that long, you're in hotels, you're going out to dinner together. If you can't come together during that, then you're just not, you have the wrong mix of guys. But what we've seen since that road trip is a team that has come together and that has figured out how to win together. And that is starting to take over baseball games. And when they returned home, you know, this city had waited 11 years for that.

And a successful postseason after they beat the Cardinals was just like, really before the Cardinals series, a successful postseason before the Cardinals series was just get us a home playoff game. That's all we care about. We want to have that feeling again. But what they were greeted with was 46,000 people just melting down about baseball and melting down with every pitch in a positive way. And that's something that this team just hasn't felt before.

This team hasn't felt this city being like, no, you're our guys and we trust you and we love you because for the last five years it's been you're gonna let us down you always let us down you guys don't have it and i don't think they were ready for the reaction that they got and what they got was a city ready to party like it's 2008 again i mean i thought it was funny you know they would win a game at home and be like ah oh wait oh wait oh wait it's like well relax like oh wait had a lot of stuff a lot of special you know a lot of uh special moments and a lot of um you know just like that our guys all that yeah a lot of our guys and since then it's been like wow they are our guys they have arrived they've had special moments we've had big homers at cbp it has been a difference making

ballpark that just doesn't always happen it doesn't always happen like this james you know we've seen so many teams just play poorly in front of their home crowd because it gets tight but what this fan base and this team has let this team go do is be themselves let loose and have fun at citizens bank park and let us party it's it's the best home field advantage i've ever seen in baseball i know i keep saying it but it's true i can't believe it like you see these videos you see people tweeting like it's shaking and it is it's like the building is shaking it is again it's unlike anything i've ever seen watching baseball in my life and i really feel that way and for those guys to take advantage of it because because, you know,

we deserve credit. Like we've talked about the fans have just fricking brought it. And the 11 years has mattered and it's been special and we felt it, but you know, those guys had to do their part too. Right. Like they had to make it a party. They had to respond to us and come through and get big hits and, and feed off the emotion,

all that. And they have man man and it's like again like it's this whole thing is a dream jack it's i i i i it's it's all happened so fast and it's like we again we talked about but like three weeks ago in a day nick may tom was pitching in a 13 to 4 game and we hated them and now there's like, again, one of my favorite teams of my life, literally in all sports, all the sports I've ever loved in my lifetime. This is like top-tier favorite. And it is funny because we talk about our guys, and I think 08 was special because of 07

and Jimmy being here and Chase being here and those guys coming up. But I think what we didn't realize with this group and why it feels so special now is that we lost with them and we were frustrated with them and we wanted more out of them. It's almost like a parent being like, you know, you're better than this. Like, don't be a bad kid. You know, I want more out of you as my child to be a better child, a better person. Like it feels like we've been waiting so long for these guys to, to give us more and give us what we wanted. And now seeing them do it, it's almost like I'm that much more proud of them, Jack. Like I feel,

I feel such pride with this team that I never expected to feel. I'm so proud of what these guys have done after what they've been through and what we've been through the last, you know, 11 years, but really this group, like the last five years, four years, three years, like all these guys together, like it really has made it more special. I feel like seeing them lose and seeing and going through it with them has made them succeeding feel that much more special yeah i think i think it's just human right it's it's human i don't know why i answered that like

uh reese and bryce do like i said you know, where it's like... Because they're our guys, man. Like, it's human, right? But, you know, they have been so disappointing. And granted, like, those teams weren't that good. You know, like, I think we overrated what those teams were. You know, them not making the postseason in 2020 was a little much um but not winning two of your last eight yeah you can say that yep um

yeah you know like 2018 i think wasn't very good 19 same thing 20 they probably should have made it and last year's team was fine but like you know i think we we put a lot of pressure on them for a team that wasn't built the right way. And now they're here. And they have had to hear, especially like Reese has heard a lot of criticism. Nolan's heard a lot of criticism. Bryce, not really here, but nationally, you hear, oh, well, the Nationals won when he left and, um, you know, they're better without them. Um, you know, Schwalber's heard criticism.

Oh, you can't, you know, you're two 12 hitter that strikes out all the time. Yeah. Well, that guy's the most productive two 12 hitter I've seen in my life. Um, Brandon Marsh, like Brandon Marsh, you're a, you're a bus prospect that I can't believe we're trading Logan Ohapi for. It's like, well, guess what? That guy's stabilized center field. Alec Boehm can't play third base. And, you know, he bleepin' hates this place.

He's not, you know, tough enough to last in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, he's turned into like a folk hero here. A big hit last night. Tonight, you know, had a nice defensive play late in the game that was big bryson stott comes up with six for 66 i believe to start his uh major league career and is not looked at as a um maybe can't play shortstop long term doesn't have much power but comes through the big that big at jean segura um you know the the longest streak in major league baseball without um making the postseason and not viewed as a winning player.

There's a reason why he's been on five teams in five years or whatever. Well, now he's ours, and he's our guy. And that's our guy, Gene Segura, whom I love. Reese Hoskins just never comes through, is a loser, yada, yada, yada. Two homers tonight. Two homers from Reese.

Reese Hoskins just. Two homers tonight. Two homers from Reese. Two homers. Reese Hoskins just hit two homers. Like, for as much as unbelievable as what Bryce is doing right now, Reese bleeping Hoskins just hit two homers in an LCS game. What are we doing? And real quick, that second one, because it's one thing to get down 4-0 in the first inning, especially after, you know, they just did.

It just went the other way and it was a good challenge another thing to catch up and tie the game and then have one soda to run homer like talk about demoralizing talk about like like just ripping your guts out and for reese to to the next inning get up there and do that like that was big that was a big time moment yeah and and i'm pretty sure i did this last night and i feel like i'm redoing the same thing but i kind of i feel like jason kelsey on the uh i know what was it was the whole team that's what it was but it is dude like for as much as kelsey speech this kelsey speech that. This whole team has just had these moments where it's like, not it. He's not it.

He's not the guy. They can't win with him. And individual players aside, this whole Phillies thing was lumped into one thing of they can't get a job done. They're not good enough. They're this, enough. They're this, they're that. What they've done is they've turned into a

juggernaut. What did we watch tonight, James? What did we watch tonight? They're 8-2 in the playoffs. They're 8-2. They're 4-0 at home. Not just four and oh at home they they've won nine one eight three four two and ten six like they have like dominated at home again they're eight and two man they're eight and two

in the playoffs like that's road jack we don't even get like eight and two stretches like how many eight and two stretches like how many eight and two stretches have we had the last five years right like we had more this year the most but like the four years prior what do we have like three eight and two like that that alone never happened we went through a whole season where they didn't win more than five games in a row they know four we went through a season where they went more than four in a row they know four we went there's even more than four in a row no that can't be yeah for real that can't be possible that can't be possible yep um man i what are we doing buddy i don't know i keep like i'm this is like by the way i I'm emotional. I know. It's hard not to be. It's so funny that

you and I are at a wedding tonight. Shout out to Battle. Shout out to Battle. I was like, oh, this sucks. We're not going to watch the game. I was like, oh, let me just bring up my phone.

It's like you, me, and six random people who i've never met for a month just walk up they're like oh philly's game like huddling around like this little thing i mean this isn't like a big phone or anything um and we're just like around and and you know watching the phils play a postseason game. And, you know, I kind of feel bad about the gatekeeping thing that I did. You? A podcast ago. But it was just so fun that, like, these people were just like,

wow, what a team. Like, they're going to come back, like, living and dying with every pitch. And, like, are they going to do it? Are they going to come through? Are they they gonna be our guys and and they did you know i mean we left when it was four three um and i mean shout out to us and i got home when it was four three by the way too like and my and my wi-fi and and and tv didn't work from the third through sixth inning so that was also phenomenal and there was a point where I was like, oh, great. The Phillies are going to have a massive comeback win,

and my Wi-Fi isn't going to work well enough to do a live podcast. Every last night was such a hit. But here we are. So everything works out great because the Phillies are hot. And when the Phillies are hot, everything's great, and life is great. And again, I apologize like the 40th time sorry about my voice but in all honesty there was no voice this morning again i texted jack panicked i was like we're not going to be able to do a pod tonight like sorry it's not happening

jack filled in for me on the radio show today like i i can't talk but we're here buddy and there are words coming out of my mouth they might not sound great but they're freaking coming out of my mouth because the phillies are one win away from the world series yeah and i believe i uh saw your text and was like ah he'll be fine you know because i never doubted you i never doubted you one bit i was like you'll be all right because like i just i can't envision you not having a voice you know what i mean like when i I hear you talk, I'm like, this guy's addicted to talking. It's the first time it's ever happened to me. I've never lost my voice before in my life.

Well, talk about dynamic timing. I mean, listen to my voice right now. Sounds great. No, you sound great. You sound like a passionate. People hate my voice already. I already get enough hate from people about my voice. I'm sure now it's going to be next level but this is raspier so maybe it's like it's a good point yeah

either way no one can no one can't say that i freaking went for it and that i showed up all right i showed up especially with the yo killed it i told emily too i was doing like whisper yo's friendly i was like i'm gonna do it like yeah and then i got here and i was like yeah i was like i can't do that like the woman went away from the world series like it is what it is like i gotta go and speaking of the wedding real quick um just would like to address this and get this out of the way because I feel like if I don't, my whole reputation will be tarnished on this podcast and as an upstanding member of society. But I believe there was a video posted from James Deltzer's Twitter account that showed me possibly using an F-bomb. It's not true. We don't curse on this podcast yes i've never used an f-bomb before yes grow up all right here's my here's my response to everyone grow up

we curse everyone curses you're welcome that jack is so freaking diligent about caring about kids listening to this podcast with their parents that we don't curse if it were up to me i would just drop f-bombs on this pod so we were at a wedding we didn't know that that our boss's wife was videotaping us and the video was too good not to put up so suck it once again i don't echo coach and I am not a cursor, not a cursor. Um, and sorry, mom. But, but when Bryce Harper hits a ball into the gap of the first inning to make four, what? Four, one, four, one.

That was, that was that four, three. Cause Hoskins at the home run. Yeah. Four, one to make it four, three or no four, two to make it four, two, four, three. Yeah. I mean, it's cause for celebration buddy what a win man like what a freaking win like the the most magical win of i mean i guess not well the st louis one but still it's like right there with in terms of like those are only two real like come from my wins the st louis game one and this one you know what that game reminded me of is uh by the end you know obviously the first little bit

of it was stressful um but it reminded me of the bland home run game where it was like you know they just kind of dominated and there was never really a moment where i thought they were gonna lose the game but there's there's many times in the World Series where I was like, well, they're going to lose this. They're going to lose this. They're going to lose that. But the Blanton home run game, it was like, no, they got it. They got it. And it's just wild that we're sitting here.

Again, one went away from going to the World Series with this feeling of, no, they got it. You know, like they're going to get the job done. Jack, it's the strangest thing of this whole thing. It's the weirdest part of it all. I't tweeted feels like a lost once and that's the biggest shock to this whole thing i know it's unbelievable like all right uh take bag it up you're out of you're out of voice you have no yeah i mean i'm still going i'm here but you know if we're being honest, I think people probably enjoy listening to your voice

more than my voice right now, if we're going to be real. No, I think you got the city. This is my house! Yes. By the way, before I do take back, you and I tomorrow will be at CBP for what could be a clincher buddy what could be a freaking clincher with our guy zach wheeler on the mound um i would be remiss

i'm not a guy that lies to you or lies to our listeners or our newfound youtube and twitter community that are watching this podcast which i mean we're starting to add to the people that we can't lie to. You know what I mean? Like, it seems like it's like, wow, we really, really,

really can't lie to people. Well, if you're a high hopes listener, new or old, we don't lie to you. That's just our rule. So it doesn't matter how long you've been here. So,

so I'm just saying that it would be classic Phillies to lose tomorrow. Like, I am dying for them to win. I think they'll win. I would love it. I'm just saying, this is what they do. Now, at the same time, there's a lot of us. This is not them. This is not them anymore.

Exactly. Exactly. So this is not them. This is not them anymore. Exactly. Exactly. So this is not the same team. This is a different experience that we're watching right now. But I'm just saying the Phillies lose this game tomorrow. Now, I don't think that'll happen. I'm ecstatic. I'll be dying.

I can't wait. And Zach Wheeler, I just have visions of Doc Day. I don't think I'll go nine, but just have visions of Doc Day. I don't think I'd go nine, but I have visions of Doc Day. And even if he doesn't, first thing I'm going to take back here, buddy, is didn't have to use Sir Anthony tonight and didn't have to use Alvarado tonight, which is just massive. So Wheeler goes seven tomorrow and then you hand it off to alvarado and sir anthony and it's just blouses game over done um that's the dream

that's the dream if wheeler doesn't want to go complete game shoddy like i i envision him that's fine but if he goes seven and you hand it off to Alvarado and hand it off to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to

to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to And you talk about Rob Thompson. I mean, Rob Thompson, obviously his players have to show up. But the fact that he navigated this game,

they won this game 10-6 without having to use those guys, it's just next level. I mean, next level. So shout out to Topper. I mean, he navigated a game in which his starter didn't get out the first inning. And they won. That's –

And I don't even – And, like, there were spots where, like, I definitely disagreed. Like, I would have started that inning with Syndergaard instead of Brad Hand, like, for sure. I know Soto was coming up, but, like, let Syndergaard go a couple. He's been good. I would have started... We talked about this on the pod last night.

Like, we both would have started Syndergaard in the game today. And guess what? We were right. Like, I don't know that Syndergaard doesn't give up four in the first, but I feel pretty confident he doesn't give up four in the first. So, hey, by the way, shout out to our guy, Connor Brogdon, threw his back. He looked, that was a big two and a third.

Like, I know he gave up the inherited runner, but like for him to come in in that spot and give you those innings, to your point, to be able to navigate that game through, the innings Brogdon game were so freaking important. Oh, there it is. Another middle of life for a Phil's win. Yeah, the Brogdon innings were massive tonight. And good for him, man.

Brogdon's one of those guys that I look at and I'm like, dude, you could be so good i like i legitimately think brogdon could be a top forearm in this bullpen when he's on he's freaking unhittable dude when he's on he's unhittable i mean he just he just like mowed through the top of the lineup today that's like dude just do that all the time i know it sounds like very simplistic but man like your stuff is is legitimate so um obviously pulling from um yeah brad hand it you know i don't love that the the brad hand era regression is happening in the bow season um because dude him pitching to like a 2-5 era this year was like maybe the most fluky thing i've seen in my entire life as a baseball fan, because he's just not that good.

Do not appreciate. And he gave up like a zillion inherited runners. Like, I don't know what the number is, but I think it's probably somewhere between a trillion and a zillion. I don't know. Just terrible. Just terrible.

I, again, no idea how he throws strikes when I'm looking at like mechanics and mechanically breaking down stuff. It's like, dude, what do how he throws shrinks. When I'm looking at like mechanics and mechanically breaking down stuff, it's like, dude, what do you even do, man? It feels like it's all arm. It feels like it's all arm. It's like, what are you doing?

You just stand there and throw the ball. Yeah, I don't have. Oh, all right. So D Rob, first off, that curve ball is something that I hope he uses more going forward. I thought that's a pitch that I like a lot that I felt like he didn't really use a lot. So him getting back and factoring into the back end of this bullpen, which already has Sir Anthony, which already has Alvarado, which has Eflin, and then having Robertson being that extra guy,

it just adds to the upside of the back end of the bullpen. So hopefully he's back. We're monitoring that situation. Don't want to say he's fully back, but definitely one to watch for. To your point, Jack, real quick, if he is back, that really is massive, especially if they can finish this out and go to the World Series. You're facing a damn good Astros team.

You need guys. Sir Anthony Alvarado can't pitch every freaking game. You need another guy that you can trust late in games. And Eflin has looked better. But Robertson's pitching way more big games than any of those guys. If he can be back, it really is the kind of thing that could could help them win it you know has it said in yet that we could we could get a world series game no this is bank park no no i i dude jack like we we could have a parade here in two weeks like again and look the astros

are a freaking serious test like we'll get there when we get there they still have to win tomorrow or win one of these next three like we'll get there when we get there but like we are by no means looking past the astros but you know they're pretty close to being one of the last two teams left in the 2022 season like we could have a parade in two weeks man like it feels like we're living in an alternate reality well no one has mastered the art of losing podcasts quite like us you know i would say there's there's our ethos yeah it's what we do just soul crushing losses just absolute soul crushers for this to be happening now i just i can't believe it i can't believe it i can't believe that we are one win away

um from the world series and let's say they clinch tomorrow if they clinch tomorrow insane um jans and i will be on wip after after the game, just relishing in it. You know, I do. I wish I was downtown, you know, with our people. Um, cause I know they're going to rust the streets tomorrow.

If they, if they make the world series, I would be very happy, but, um, we'll be on WIP tomorrow and we'll be, uh, hopefully relishing in what a beautiful Sunday is.

Listen to us while you're relishing, like while you're climbing poles and stuff have us in your earbuds and all that yes yes and maybe i'll climb a pole who knows uh just you know i doubt that i don't think i'll get up very high nope um and and final thing in the take bag is i just want everyone to know that wasn't the sch Schwarber Homer. I'm just telling you. Just telling you. It was big. It was a monster shot.

It's not it. We got one more. It's going to happen. We got one more Schwarber. That is going to be. Wow. What a bomb. That's not it.

So, you know, Keep waiting for it. Hopefully, we get one in the World Series. But, buddy, we sit here tonight, slash this morning, and later this afternoon, we have Zach Wheeler on the mound with a chance to pitch this team into

the freaking World Series. The World Series. The World Series. This is not making the wild card. This is not making the wild card. This is not winning the division. We have a chance to go to the bleeping World Series tomorrow slash today.

I can't believe it, man. I cannot,'t believe it man i i cannot cannot believe it it would only be the fourth time i've seen it like i'm 41 as you like to say 50 whatever i sound like i'm 101 today like this doesn't happen jack like as a 41 year old with a lot of life experience, my life experience tells me the Phillies don't go to the world series. Like it's just a part of my life. And, and for it to just happen so unexpectedly like this and for them to just go on this magical run,

it's just been, I'm speechless, man. Like this is the coolest thing that's ever happened is It's the coolest things ever happened in my career. I've been in this, I've been, I started in radio in 2012. This is the single coolest thing that's ever happened to me. Like this is, I'm so grateful that I get to sit here and talk to you about a real great

Phillies team. That's on the verge of the world series. Like I never thought we'd do it, buddy. I never thought we'd do it, buddy. I never thought we'd do it. Nope. But we're not done yet because tomorrow we get a nice, hopefully meltdown celebration at Citizens Bank Park with dancing on my own, playing all through the ballpark

and those guys celebrating. And, man, we're so close. We're so close. Jack, here's what I want to hear tomorrow night. At the end of the night when I'm home and I'm sitting and I'm watching stuff on my phones and that's what's going to be happening, I want to hear these words. How many more, JT?

Four more, Topper. That's what I want to freaking hear tomorrow night. That's what I want to hear tomorrow night. Do it here. Do it here. Don't send us back to San Diego. And like we said at the beginning of the podcast, I have a very tough time seeing the San Diego Padres excited to come in and

sit in Spank Park tomorrow. I think they are sick and tired of this place. I think they don't want to be here anymore. I think they're ready to go home. Apparently, Bob Melvin or whatever his name is, he got a little annoyed with Jim Salisbury postgame

asking about how this place is different. Make them feel it. End it tomorrow. It's Wheeler Day. Don't get on wheeler day don't get on the plane do not get on the plane end it tomorrow and let's have a freaking party end it tomorrow and we'll talk to you from that party he's fred some seltzer We'll see you next time.