PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - D-backs After Dark: Saved by Espresso?

Episode Date: March 13, 2026

Team USA almost suffered an embarrassing exit to the World Baseball Classic. But thanks to Vinnie Pasquantino and Team Italy’s espresso machine, Team USA lives to fight another day. Derek and Rok discuss if Team USA even cares, how good of a game Dominican Republic vs Venezuela was, and what they’re looking forward to in the quarterfinals. Limited-time offer! Become a Diehard for just $36: https://gophnx.com/intro-offer-youtube JOIN THE SUPPORTERS CLUB ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/yc6km2r4 An ALLCITY Network Production SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-locker ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/ Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 15% off your first order! Husband & Wife Law Team: If you’ve had a serious injury, Call The Husband & Wife Law Team first at 602-783-8841 or visit https://husbandandwifelawteam.com/?utm_source=allcity-padcasts&utm_medium=digital-phx&utm_campaign=allcityShowNotes bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets! Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/ Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 40% 2+ pairs of off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You are now listening to P HNXD backs after Dart. Bro, Team USA better send Vinnie Pasquantino the biggest fucking gift basket they've ever sent to anyone, maybe the entire Italian team. They need to have Nespresso make a Vinny Pasquantino shaped espresso machine. Yes, I buy it. For what he did for them. Three home runs. Son of them, bitch, man.

First time ever in a world baseball class of game. You're upset because you want. wanted Team USA to learn their lesson. We are not fans of Team USA on this show. I've been very clear about that. I'm not anti- Team USA, but I just, I would have loved the storyline that this super team that was assembled couldn't get out of pool play. And they barely squeaked by because the Italians are just fully Italianing right now.

and the Mexican nothing. Italia is a problem. They are a problem. They're like sneaky good. Really? They really are. But my bigger problem is

the colossal fuck-up that was what happened with Team USA. Absolutely. Absolutely. And don't get me wrong. Like, there are levels to this fuck-up. And then you have on top of that MLB trying to like delete the video of the interview of Mark DeRosa on the MLB network talking

and answering questions and saying in his own words in his own fucking words. Oh yeah, verbatim. That they had already moved on without understanding the situation. And we talked about this on the show today, Rock. we talked about this on the show where let's be honest Mark DeRosa was not the only person that thought

this team had moved on because he discussed in the pregame press conference the partying that went on by Team USA after beating Team Mexico. You do not party like that simply because you won a single world baseball classic pool play

game motherfucker. You party like that because you advance to the next round. So while Mark De Rosa might be at fault here and very incompetent as far as that stuff goes, I feel like he is not the only person on team that was convinced that they had moved on to the next round. It's why the guys were dragging ass. It's why we saw such poor play there against Italy. Like that game ended up being an eight to six victory.

some of the USA was just fucking giving runs away early they were down eight to nothing you know like this was just mismanagement from the time he was on the I guess mismanagement from the time they beat Mexico from the moment that game ended all the way up until basically where you and I sit right now where they should be thanking their lucky stars that they are advancing to the quarterfinals after Italy beat the breaks off of Mexico tonight. They should have the same mentality that Kobe had in that playoff and finals run where the guy asked him about the game that the one game that they won. And Kobe's response was, the job ain't done. That game against Mexico to TNOSA, yeah, you guys were happy you won that game, but you know what? The job wasn't done. And it blows my mind that nobody from the top to the bottom knew anything about the rules are how this works. And again, you and I have talked many, many times about how our group chat gives us so much clarity.

Everybody should have a group chat like you and I have. Multiple. Like me. We have in it. Yes. Where they're willing to destroy you as a human being in order to get their point across that you might be wrong in this situation, right? Mark DeRosa needed a group chat. Mark DeRosa needed the unsafe, safe space.

He needed friends that saw him on the MLB network and ripped his ass. He needed a dozen plus text messages from friends going, you fucking fraud, you think you moved on? Have you not been, do you not look at basic standings? Do you not look at the news? Do you not even listen to the broadcast? How does DeRosa not have a group chat with like him, Harold Reynolds, Matt Vesgurgeon? Right, right. How are you not?

Those guys. MLB network. Where is the MLB network buddies? Right. 100%. And I'll tell you this much. I mean, and this might be a foregone conclusion because I don't think they would,

they would have brought him back for next go round of the word WBC, the next go round. Sure. If team USA loses somehow, DeRosa's got to go. Well, yeah. I mean, there's no question about that. There's no question at all, right?

But I mean, again, I think it's easy to blame DeRosa. He later said he missed. Boke, which, no, you didn't. You said that so confidently and so assured. I mean, Rock, it goes beyond that. He fucking benched Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman, Cal Rally, Bryce Terrang. None of these fucking guys were in the lineup. Don't tell me that you misspoke. Yeah. You had Clayton fucking Kerrshaw warming up in the bullpen when Mason Miller hadn't fucking pitched yet and you were going to put him in there with bases loaded. Ah! Yeah. Clayton Kirshaw.

Yeah, man. It's not just pregame, right? It was management of the game in the game that told you that Mark DeRosa thought this team had already advanced and that this win or loss against Italy was meaningless. And that is just crazy because, again, and I guess this was the point I was trying to get around to, even though I'm screaming and yelling about lineups. How did somebody? How did nobody tell him?

How did nobody tell him? nobody discover that this was incorrect between the time that he said those words on the MLB network all the way up until the start of the baseball game against Italy. Like, how were there not changes made? Why did they not pivot? I mean, Italy already is proving to be a very good baseball team on the way that they handled Team Mexico. And again, the only reason why USA is now advancing is because Team Italy is.

And this is honestly, this is one of the great things about the world baseball classic. is you get a team that's not completely stacked top to bottom with superstars like Dominican, USA, these guys. Venezuela. Yeah, Italy's got some MLB guys, but their entire roster is not MLB guys. Come on. Vinnie Pasquentino is like the most notable guy. Aaron Nola. And they had Jack Cagliano.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But, I mean, aside from that, like, you got other guys that are like, they're going to, after this is over, they're going to go home to their real job, to their career and do what they do. And that's the beauty of this shit. It's just, and it's the beauty of baseball. It's the fucking beauty of baseball, man. But it's, it's,

it's the beauty of this tournament. The fact that we have guys that are factory workers playing against Aaron Judge. We have 17 year old kids pitching to Aaron Judge and getting him grabbed out, right? Like, that shit is so cool. And that's what makes this tournament great. But, uh,

I mean, now what people are accusing the USA of is not taking this shit seriously. Right? I mean, they don't. And, and I mean, it goes beyond just the mistake that's being made here,

right you also have terrick scubel returning to the tigers and not participating anymore you have the fact that they do have some dominant pitchers as part of their starting rotation but should they make it to the semifinals or the championship probably none of those guys are going to be pitching oh yeah you're not going to get a paul skeins is is skein's going to give them one more start i think skeins is going to give them one more but like i think the way that it shapes up is that nolan mclean who started here against italy would be their starter should they make to make it to the championship game which no longer seems like a foregone conclusion, right? Do you have a problem with scuba electing to not stick around for one more start?

Yes, I do. You do, okay. Yes, I do. Because I think that if you're committed to this, you're committed to this to see it through. It's the reason why the Japanese team is such a good team. They are not here just as a goodwill tour. And they've never been. I feel like Japan has always sent literally their best players in the world, no matter where they played, as a part of their team, to dominate this tournament.

And it's the reason why they're the only multi-time winner. And it's the reason why they're still the big bad for the WBC, because their lineup is still better than everyone else's. Their pitching staff is still better than everyone else's. And more importantly, you don't have Shohei Otani leaving in the middle of the tournament because he's already taken his 20, at bats, which by the way, I still find it fascinating that Otani couldn't get insured to pitch, but he still was able to get insured to go there and hit, right? So there's that aspect. I mean, there's definitely, I mean, the risk from hitting is, I mean, significantly less. Well, no, it's just the, uh, the insurance rules are so very particular that based on his injury

that he had due to pitching, he can't be. Isn't it twice? He's done this to his elbow. I want to think. Yep. It's a, what do they call? You have different injuries. You can have an injury. You could have missed things or, no, I mean, they call it a, what do they call it,

a reoccurring injury or persistent injury or whatever the case may be, right? But it's, it's, again, it's insurance trying to find ways to, you know, turn guys down and not, especially not have to, you imagine if they had to pay Otani's salary, not just for one year, but for four years. Yeah. And that's where, I mean, I mean, I understand the business side of what Tara Scruble is doing. This man is either going to get a long-term contract during the season

or he's going to get traded and get a long-term deal. So he's got a lot to risk. And I get it. It's WBC. So I don't totally fault him for what he's doing. But you can get injured in spring train. It's such for Team USA. Yeah.

I mean, I just, I don't know. I mean, these are the reasons why Team USA is receiving criticism versus how important this tournament seems to the other teams of the of the country, right? Or of the world, I should say. And the USA, this situation was just embarrassing. Like they lucked out. They walk away without, you know, being eliminated from this tournament. But this was an extremely embarrassing situation, not just a mistake made by DeRosa,

but the fact this team was out there partying after beating Team Mexico because they didn't know the next day's game was so important. and then they come out flat and unfocused and looking awful against Italy. And Italy is already a good enough team that you can't do that with. Yeah, you can't dick around. And you just have all sorts of things that are a bad look. The confidence. Sadly, uh, sadly Mexico also found out that, you know, Italy doesn't play around the night.

So that's very true. And I'm not, I'm not thrilled about, I thought, honestly, and all right, I think Mexico looked pretty flat today too. Yeah. I don't know what. I don't know what it was. I was expecting a much better showing from Team Mexico.

But I mean, Aranola was dealing. Hey, Nola was dealing early. He was dealing. So, I mean, they didn't get off to a good start. And then,

I mean, and then to pivot to the other game, our boy, best second baseman in baseball, baby. You see, could tell Marte's nuke that he hit. Oh, my God.

The downside of that is he hit that nuke off of, Eduardo. You know, talk about that part. We don't need to focus on that. We'll just focus on Cattel's new. And to be honest, the Dominican, you know, the Republic of Dominican was smashing baseballs today. Vladdy smacked one, toddy hit one.

It's been a show. It was a good game. They beat Venezuela by score of seven to five. Yes. Both teams advanced. I, there was a point in time where I was like, shit, watch Venezuela fucking walk these boys off because the DR's pitching is not their strong suit. Sure.

I think that's probably safe to be said about a lot of the teams. Oh, yeah. Yeah. For sure. I say this much. I think the back end of the USA bullpen is probably the best. Well, maybe Japan. Japan, US probably have the best bullpins in the game right now.

But I'm more concerned about Team USA's starting pitching. Oh, of course. Outside of guys named Scoobo and St. Right. Yeah. Plus again, starting Paul Goldschmidt, who is the fifth worst-qualified batter against right-handed pitching against the right-handed pitcher in that game versus Italy, still baffling to me. But yeah, Catele, by the way, 107.4 mile per hour off the bat, went 403 feet. Smoke that ball.

It's great to see Catell. I mean, he hasn't been having a great WBC, neither is Jerry. but from a Diamondbacks perspective, what I will say is, hey, at least if you're going to have bad games, get them out now. Yeah. Get it figured out, get warmed up, and then come out red hot for the regular season. Hey, so before we pivot to the matchups for Friday, Saturday, did you realize that if Mexico actually would have won in advance today, that the round one matchup would not have been the DR versus Korea? it would have been the DR versus Japan. Yes.

Brother. Changes things significantly. The way that whole bracket thing works out with the qualifying or the quarterback. It's so crazy. It's like, I mean, I don't hate the way that they did the run thing with this tournament either. Like, tonight was exciting because if Italy wins or if Mexico won but scored, four runs or fewer. Yeah.

You got Italy advancing. If they scored five runs or more, you have USA advancing. If the game goes in extra innings, that changes. So like there's just a lot of things. That lowers the overall math of it. Right. But team USA luckily advances. And hopefully they, you know, this mistake they made was the wake up call that they

needed that, you know, you can't, one, take any of these teams lightly. And two, fucking pay attention. to the goddamn schedule. What the fuck? I mean, and speaking of, you know, taking teams lightly, the night game on Friday, it's game two. It's USA versus Team Canada. And Canada ain't no slouch either. No, no. They're not. I mean, all of these teams that are left have significant MLB players on them. Yes. And on any given night, their lineup could match up with any of the favorites. Who is? Who plays for Team Korea?

that I'm missing. Is it the dude from the Giants? June, yeah. Okay. Yeah. June. The grandson of the wind. Is that his nickname?

That's his nickname. That's the fucking greatest nickname in the history of nicknames. Yeah. I didn't know that. That's phenomenal. Yeah, his grandfather was like, or his father was like the son of the wind, so he's now the grandson of the dog. Your nickname is the grandfather of the wind?

Yeah. Brother, that's so hard. Lee. Oh, that's hard. And he's pretty electric, man. And I mean, again, there's a, there's players. I think high song Kim from the Dodgers is on there. Yeah. As well. So, yeah, I mean, they have some dogs. And, you know, I think the one thing is, is that Korea and Japan both have players who we've never heard of in some cases, who might just be as good or better than any MLB player. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. I mean, they got the, they got the DR. That's the early game for Friday afternoon 3.30, our time, Korea, DR, followed by USA. I mean, Friday night's

incredible. But then you got Saturday, your boys, team Puerto Rico, baby, versus Italy. Italy. That's a tough matchup. I will say this, that Italy's offense has been incredible. And I believe the Puerto Rico team has the best ERA in the world baseball classic. So, best pitching staff essentially going up against the best offense. And then the night game Saturday, Team Venezuela versus Samurai Japan. Yeah, that's, that's wild. Venezuela's lineup is crissed. Nasty.

Underrated. Yeah. No, I didn't realize how dope that lineup was until I actually, I was like, oh, shit. I didn't know you were Venezuela. I didn't know you. I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah, we got Jackson Trurio. You got, you know, Romo LeCunia Jr.

You got the Contreras brothers. Like, there's a lot going on there. That's exciting for that team. No, that team is, that team is good, man. They hung tonight, right? like they hung tonight with the Dominican Republic so I mean I anything can happen and that's the that's the crazy part about this is being a single elimination tournament in baseball like any given day any team can be better than another team like there's no sport I think that is like that

more you could say that about football you could say that about basketball but like baseball truly it's the reason why they play series instead of just playing one game sets right it's because typically you want to prove who's the best two out of three rather than leaving it up to just oh hey we played one game because anybody in baseball can be good on bro we uh we got six more days at his greatness i know and then it's back to and then it's back to regular old spring training which is great too but i mean no it's not you're fucking lying it's been boring as shit but i mean it's too expensive yeah well i can't wait for the regular season that's what i can't wait for they can't get here fast enough coming soon we can see this diamond backs team that we've kind of seemed scattered all over the

place back together as one uh and i hope when all of a sudden done that this uh this whole wbc experience was just you know ultimately good for for our our guys to get there to get get get their games ready for the season i mean that's really what this is about i mean this is the first time we've had this many players on the you know 26 man roster participating in the wbc so that I mean, what, four? Is it four of our, four of our everyday starting field and outfield players are starting? Well, our entire infield. Yeah. Essentially. That's right. First base, second. Are you, are you right? Yeah. Santana. Because Carlos Santana. Arnato. Nolan, Jerry. Yeah. Alec and Alec out and, um, Jesus. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. And I'll be back. And then we also have Erod and Michael Soroka out there who both will be continuing on in the court, in the quarter, in the quarter, finals so both of those guys will still be with their teams as well but man imagine how

fucking great i love it i can't wait for this weekend bro no hey you already know what i'm doing so yeah plopping your ass down in front of a tv i mean 48 straight hours of i mean you give me you're giving me an early a noon game and then a six o'clock game so i got time for a little nap in between and then it's primetime baseball japan venezuela that's going to be a game well cannot wait to talk with you about it after all is said and done and a winner has been determined so we'll be back here next week of course you guys know where to find us i am at cap underscore caveman with a k he is at rock knowledge that's r o knowledge i will i will put it out there for you like that yes hard enough to figure that out then don't follow him but our show of course is at p h nx underscore debacks

all road follow me at all oh see i do that already i do that bit with no already i can't do that bit with you. Don't follow him. In fact, if you follow him, unfollow him right now. But of course, all roads do lead to at PHNX underscore sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We'll see you guys back here next week. And of course, thank you so much for listening. And remember kids, baseball is fun, but it's so much more fun during the WBC. Yeah.