Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - White Sox set to visit Guardians for a crucial series

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Dustin Rhoades previewed the crucial White Sox-Guardians series, which gets started in Cleveland on Thursday evening.

Rahimi Harrison Grody. That sounds so crazy. 104.3 the score. Wow, I like that. Middays 10 to 2 on 104 3, the score. And now four in their part. Chopper over the middle. This could do it.

Henderson on the move. Britt Montgomery is retired. It's a final on this Wednesday afternoon. The White Sox fall in the finale, six to one against the Orioles. That is courtesy of CHSN. That is John Schreffin. Steve Stone on the call. This is Rahimi Harris and Grody.

And Dustin Rhodes filling in for this hour. Happy to talk baseball with Dustin. You know him from producing Mully and Ha every morning. So thanks, Dustin. Thanks for asking Layla. Nice to be here for a little bit longer before Chuck Swerski comes in. Yeah. puts me on my way.

It's a Rahimian company type of show. Layla and friends. Layla and friends. Dustin is, knows the joke I'm making. I'm pushing it. So yes, okay, unfortunately for the Sox, they couldn't get the sweep in Baltimore. They lose to the Orioles by final of six to one. And I think you made the appropriate observation as well that they faced a noted, I don't know if you call him a socks killer, but he's definitely a socks nuisance in Dean Kramer. That guy can deal against this White Sox team.

He can deal indeed. They've got to be happy. I'm not like, clicking their heels, but they won a road series. And that had not happened in, what, eight consecutive tries? Yeah, it was May 1st through the third against San Diego, who we just saw. Padres, who are now the punching bag of Chicago baseball teams. So they got to feel good about that. But this upcoming four-game series is more important than sweeping the Orioles. Yes, the Orioles are obviously an American League team, but it's more important to win these games in that division.

So this is absolutely monumental. And I believe the White Sox gave a couple guys a day off yesterday, right? They did not necessarily have their best starting lineup going yesterday. They had a little bit of a day game after a night game situation. So your lineup was Antonacci, Vargas, Benetendi, Montgomery Gonzalez. So that kind of shows you how high he was in the lineup there. And then it's Midroth, Peter, Akunia, so he was at shore. And then Romo, Dromo was catching.

So that gives you an indication. So listen, because you want all hands on deck starting tonight. I mean, it's a four-game series on the road. You have your ace going. You've got your best lefty going Friday night. And you've got to do whatever you can. I think the bare minimum, you've got to split. Four-game series are no fun.

Yeah. It's because here's the thing. In a four-game series, you know you're, what, 99% likely to not get a sweep? That's not even on the table. Correct. But I agree with you. Unless you're playing the Mets. Yeah, there it is.

And that is true. But when you see this, I thought the same thing, Dustin. I thought when I looked at this ahead of after what they just did against Baltimore, I'm like, well, you got to ask for a split. That was my first thought when I saw the four games set, even on the road, where progressive field can be so much fun for the home crowd. Cleveland is starting to heat up as we know. But this is an excellent chance when you got your stopper on the mound tonight in Davis Martin.

He's all-star caliber starting pitcher. But this is almost like a playoff game, it feels. to me. So you now have the socks have a one-game lead over them. You're at their place. You've been playing above your skis. They're ahead of schedule, for sure. How about outperforming? You know how we always

talk about Jed who you're saying outperforming expectations? Well, that's what the socks are doing. Nobody had these. Nobody had these. Even the diast, hardest white socks fan would not have expected this to have happened. And they're actually, they're a likable bunch. They're more

They're more likable than the last team that was put together that was supposed to do something. You know, the old, you know, remind me after the parade, that line that will live in infamy that never happened. It did not. Did not happen. That group was not as likable as this group is, in my opinion. No, I agree with you because there were a lot of expectations placed on those individual players. Yo-Oamankato was one of the top five prospects in baseball, you know, as part of that Chris Sale trade, for example. Tim Anderson was a polarizing figure to some, loved him here, of course.

I can't believe how the bottom. He was the change the game guy. We've got a bobblehead of him if you're watching. Right in the middle of the council here. And I can't, I just can't believe that he's not in baseball right now. That's the part that makes it so hard. Eloy Jimenez had a cup of coffee with the Reds. Blue Jays earlier this season. Yeah, he was with the Rays as well. But these are guys that we thought were going to hit, potentially five more players. You know, maybe not for a career, but at least a year or two.

And that core fell apart so quickly. And then this group of players, it really is a whole performance. You know, it's an up and down the lineup effort right now without Mune. And without Mune. Yes. And without, and he's already gotten to the point where they were hoping he might be back. At this point, the way they're playing, I wonder if now you just take your time. You just wait until after the All-Star game and make sure he is, I don't believe in 110%.

There's only 100%. Make sure he's 100%. Right. I think the way you're playing right now, unless the bottom drops out, something terrible happens, like you get swept by the Guardians, you could wait on him coming back until after the All-Star game. And at that point, he should be 100%. You know what I was thinking about. I know this is a sock segment, but you're here and you kind of know how my brain works.

I wonder if the All-Star break is coming at a bad time for both the White Sox and the Cubs. It's a great point, Laila. It's a great point because I think the day's off, a day off is okay. but it's a long break. You want to stay hot and what both of these teams are doing right now? Think about the fact

that we had a 22-run performance by the White Sox last week to be followed up with a 23-run performance here by the Cubs. Right. I mean, you would have never thought that. These are the blessings.

These are the good times. It's great to be a Chicago baseball fan. Yeah. How many other teams have two teams in the top 10 of the power rankings? If you go to the big cities, you know, the Yankees... The Yankees are in there.

You can't say the Angels. Yeah, the Yankees are in there, but the Mets are. Right. The Dodgers are obviously in there, but the Angels are not. We'll go down to Florida. Okay, they've got multiple teams. The rays are in there, but the Marlins are not. Yeah, and that's different.

You know, that's kind of a similar scenario to like Cardinals and Royals, you know, when it's interstate like that. So that's a little bit different situation. No, these are good times. And I know that we hold everybody to high standards, but there's a reason. Yeah, Chicago, right? Chicago. They should be held to high standards. Amen. Anthony K. may be the wild card in this. Like if Anthony K. Pitches on Friday. He's got to bounce back. Not the greatest of his outings the last

time out. Sean Burke did a nice job. His last outing, he's set to go Saturday and then it's Eric Fetty on Sunday. And Fetty was okay the other night? He was. It was the same opener combination that worked again. You might see that same. If it works. Why not run it back out? But Anthony K may be your X factor this weekend to me. Because if he has a good outing, If he goes, I'm not going to say a quality start. Let's give him five. Are you feeling better about the series split that you and I talked about? Absolutely.

I am too. He may be, out of all the players that we know, he may be the expect. But it really all starts tonight. Like I think it. Absolutely. I'm talking this up as a stopper. I like to say the must win statement games kind of thing. It's definitely not a must win, but I think it's a statement game.

When you have your stopper or your ace on the hill, on the road with a one game leading the division, a week out of the All-Star break. Like, all right, let's go. The time is now. Let's see what everybody's got. You're right, because if you drop the game with your stopper, I'm like already chalking it up as the W,

but you're right, if you, if you, it is being the coach here. If you, if you don't have this game, then your split is like a real tricky. It can put a little, you know, bad mindset in the rest of the team, the rest of the way. So, like, they should be pumped.

They should be pumped. I expect, like, a playoff at, Mr. if you are one of those people, which I am not, that claim to be a Chicago sports fan, I am a Cubs fan, and I pay attention to the Sox because this is what I do for work. But if I did not do this for work, I would not be a Sox fan. I think you are either a Cubs or a Sox. But if you are one of those, I'm a Chicago sports fan, tonight's your night. Because the Cubs have the day off and first place is on the line in the A.L. Central with the A.

So pay attention. Get behind him, Chicago. You heard the man. That is the command of Dustin William Rhodes. too, was kind enough to sit in for this hour on Rahini, Harrison Grotie. I mean, you're welcome to hang if you want. We've bribed you with iced tea. Well, this show has had three co-hosts at the same time. We do three-man weave all the time. Yeah, that is, it's the more the merrier.

You know that. Everybody's welcome to hang out with us on the midday show. Chuck Swirsky is set to come in next. And we will talk to Mike Florio, the creator and editor-in-chief of pro football talk because the NFL news never sleeps. Destino, thanks again for. coming in. Thanks for inviting me.

And yeah, you got a lot of compliments on the text line. So there. Shocking. Chuck Swirsky and Mike Floreo next.