Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - 34 | Three Game Fives Coming Our Way

Episode Date: October 9, 2019

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It is October 9th, and there are three game 5s coming our way to today. Let's talk all about it. What's going on, everybody? Thank you for talking baseball with us for a little bit. Click and play, hanging out. We appreciate it. We appreciate all our Patreon subscribers. The two sponsoring today's episode are Choi and Lawrence Carbone,

Larrence Carbone. Those are our most recent Patreon subscribers. $2 a month really helps us out. We appreciate it. Patreon.com slash John Boy Media. My name is Johnboy. I'm coming to you from New Jersey. I got my co-host Jake in Denver

on a nice stormy morning here in New Jersey. How's the weather there? It's nice. It's about to, we're having our first shot of, and this will get a laugh out of you because I know you're still, well, you got a full dose of fall yesterday. but we're getting a quick Denver's pretty weird we're going to quick hit of winter

tomorrow so things are starting to cool down tomorrow's going to hit like there's rumors of flurries tomorrow and then it's going to go back up to 70 like the next day so yeah I could yeah I could never live in Denver a little a little volatile you'd love it man 300 days of sunshine why would I like that I hate sunshine you like you like the sun as long as it's not hot. I mean, I'm, I woke up today. It's overcast and rainy. I'm excited.

I like, I like swift seasons and then no intermingling. Like give me fall for Seattle. You're a Seattle guy. No, no, no. That's just rain nonstop. I like the Northeast a lot. I live in a lot of places.

I like the Northeast a lot. Chicago has no spring. North East. It goes winter to summer. Bam. Give me four even seasons. and you don't fuck around in between them. Like snow and then 70 the next day.

Come on. Get out of here. There's a true Northeast argument out there that Jersey's not the Northeast. Well, I mean, it's not New England. It's the Northeast, mid-Atlantic. You start arguing with the people from Biddeford. Where's Bitterford?

I think it's in Maine. It's just a good northeast town. South Jersey probably isn't. I think Jersey would be cut in half. I love it. Yeah. You love the games yesterday. I mean, I know you have a burn of the race game. We got one game to recap, two games to preview. We've had, we're going to have five elimination games in like a two week span. So it's been a really fun playoff baseball. Yeah, it just sucks when a game goes exactly how everyone thinks it's going to go like yesterday. But everyone knew. Hey, there's some, there's some big things that happen. in this Ray's game yesterday.

And maybe they matter, maybe they don't. But it changed a lot of things in the way the Astrows move forward, which I think is really interesting. Do you have a burn? Do you want to burn it first? Always got a burn, baby. Here we go. Rays versus Houston.

Rays on the brink of elimination for the second time in two days. On your mark. Get set. Burn. Game four in Tampa as the raise go opener day with the chill bra, San Diego Castillo, against the varsity ace JV, Justin Verlander. Top one, it's going to be tough to beat my raise because we are family.

Tommy Fam goes all caddy shack with a gopher ball in the first, and that was just the start. What you darn know about me? What you don't know about me? RBI single for Travis. Joey Tribiani Wendell says we're friends and family with an RBI double. Three nothing raised after the first baseball Susan. Verlander would labor through the first few innings.

Then Willie Adamez says, I thought you were a damn ace. Deep to left center and call him right, said Fred, because he did a little turn on the catwalk. It's four nothing raised. Houston, shut. out until the eighth when we have the first participant in the Chorino's bowl. Yachti Chorino's got some work in the pin, but Robinson goes Apo Tacco, 4-1 raise.

That would be your final. Castillo to Yarborough to Anderson, to Poshay, to Pagan, to Snell. See you in Houston for game five on Thursday. Who doggie? Who? What you know about me? What do you know about me? My lip glass is popping.

My lip gloss is cool. What do you know about me? It's a great song. Top song. My lip gloss is popping. Notice it. Get back going on the Spotify or YouTube. Wherever you listen to your music.

Who sings that? No idea. I think it's a female like rapper that went by Lil something. Sure. My lip gloss is popping. Lil Mama. Little Mama. Little Mama.

I knew it. I was all over it. Didn't she have one more track that that bumped? I don't know. This is what stuff, I guess. This is what the people came for. Yeah. Little Mama.

She was born on October 4th, 1989. So she just recently turned 31. Congratulations. Or 30. 30. I don't know. This isn't worth it. This game was good.

This game was good. this game was baseball you can chalk it up however you want the rays come out in the first and Jim I think the first thing that I want to kick off to you and I saw you tweet

and mini take a lump but not really take a lump because they still got to do it during the season at one time but how about the how about the drop drop was rocking it was good man um

yeah I've never had issue with the fans of Tampa. Well, actually, the ones on Twitter I do. But that's a select few. I mean, that's, that's literally 10 anonymous high schoolers on Twitter that troll me. And they don't even troll me. They're just dumb. They don't understand like humor and jokes. So they get aside. Well, we have major league baseball and anyone that's a fan of the sport has problems with the race fans not filling the stadium. Yeah, but they don't, but that's because they don't realize. I think once you realize how bad that stadium is to get to and you're really like, would you drive an hour and a half?

to go watch a game in that stadium, I wouldn't. Well, it's not an hour and a half to get there. That's what they say. They say with traffic, it's like an hour minimum. I mean, maybe one person doesn't live there. No, no, that's what everyone in Tampa says. I mean, I've been filled to the teeth with this conversation. Yeah, my girlfriend's family lives in Tampa.

So, but yeah. But there's the bridges. And then it's a dump. Like I, even if that's my home stadium, I don't think I'd go watch games there. Right, that's the big. Mark Cuban was recently asked like when he took over the Mavs. He was like, what, what did it, what were your like ideas? And he was like, well, first I had to convince the people with the money what we're selling.

Like we're not selling a winning team. We're not selling, you know, star players. We're selling a fun experience for families and tourists and people to come to and have a fun night. and I mean I've talked to so many people I go to Tampa games and they're like half their concessions are closed so like the right field outfield concessions looks like a ghost town

which is very eerie is like it's empty and it's like a high school game so like they're not selling an experience at all but last night was really wild like that was fun they were loud they stayed loud for a while so that was good

yeah so that a that was cool the drop was rocked and as always for my raise. And then, yeah, I mean, the place is going nuts. Castillo, we mentioned the opener effect. He gets through the first inning. I think they got one base runner on,

but his two seamer when it's right, it's pitch Ninja Gold, second day referencing that. But his one fastball that struck at Altuve went viral, started outside corner, ended up, would have hit Altuve if he didn't swing at it. He hits a lot of guys. So once they did, yeah, Castillo or El Tuva?

Castillo, because that two seamer is like a 99 mile per hour two seamer. I don't know if he hits a lot of guys, but I feel like there's always like a very dangerous pitch. I think batters are very nervous in the box with him. It kind of should be, and that's part of the goal, actually. Yeah, yeah, it's a good thing for him. And then so they get through that, they get the momentum, and then they come out in the first. and I want to give, I do want to give credit to Pursinsky and Gerardi, although I think you and I are going to talk about this in a different line in a little bit.

But they were all over it. I almost turned into Jinks Twitter because Verlander didn't look right, but they were all over it, and it was actually their best analysis of the game, and they were like, Verlander can't get a fastball down. And he's not even coming close to his spots. And they're like, AJ Prisinski was saying, any time I worked with a pitcher on short rest, the concern was never their velocity. It's finding their location.

And Verlander never had his location. I thought, because it's Justin Verlander, and this is how you're trained to think as baseball fans, that he was going to get through, find a spot, and get out and run. And never happened. There's two thoughts here. There's Gerardian Prisinski and Verlander. Verlander didn't look right. And it changes their plans for the ALCS because if they don't pitch him on short rest,

Now that means they have to use a fourth starter They don't really have a fourth starter Yeah So that changes that and the fact that they have to go game five now With Cole Means Cole's not available for 1 and 2 Which means it's probably Granky 1 Verlander 2

And that would line Granky up for 6 or 7 on normal rest I think 7 I think 5 Granky 5 Verlander 6 Cole 7 That's what it would be Cole 3

Yeah. Okay. But it changes their rotation. Yeah. I mean, the Yankees in theory could, if they were to somehow win in six games, if Houston advances, which by the way ain't a lock, yeah. I mean, Houston, this, there is a little bias leaking out. My Yankee Blue is coming out of my side a little bit.

But I think, however, this division series sorts out, I think that game four of the ALCS, ALDS, excuse me, is going to be impactful in the ALCS, whether it's Houston having to move things around or if it's Tampa doing the damn thing. Tampa winning is a wild thought. But the odds are still very much in Houston's favor, but who knows? Tampa has glass now. And I thought they were going to save Snell, go Glass Now, Snell, Penn. but they're probably just going to go glass now

it's a pen. Like all their best pitchers have to get in this game. Like Diego Castillo has to be in there. Yeah, it's glass note of pen. And we'll talk about that in the next talking baseball. That's a preview, guys. But I think Snell will be available out of the pen too. So, I mean, it's all how you want to look at it.

I think he will be, but like, are they going to go to him over some of those weapons they have that have been doing it? I mean, he essentially closed the game. So yeah. I know that was kind of wild. I closed. I ended the game after the eighth, so. And I was done. I mean, in theory, in theory, I think there's an argument to be made.

I'll say that so I don't corner myself. But there's an argument to be made that Blake Snell is their most talented pitcher. Yeah. So I'm trying to do, well, there's an easy argument. Yeah, they want to Sion. I'm trying to do. the rotation for the estrus. Cole Verlender off day Granky

so then it has to be fourth starter then Cole game 5, Verlander 6 Hey they got to advance buddy. I know but it does change what they would like to do. Yes. So then it would be Granky two times

in the first five games which is much better than Cole two times in the first five games. Yeah if you're If you're Houston, I mean, you're not, if you're Houston, you're having a bad time right now. All the pressure is now on you. We've got to get more into this game.

Yeah, what do you want to talk about this game? We're going to talk about Przinski and Gerardi. If I was an Astros fan, I would have hated this broadcast. Yeah. But as a third party, I liked it. And I tweeted that and people kind of didn't understand what I meant. Like, they were being brutally honest. Yeah.

And if you're an Astros fan, you'd just be like, dude, shut the fuck up right now. Shut the fuck up right now. I'm trying to watch this game. Like, yeah, he looks off, shut up about it. Yeah, the Verlander thing, they did end up beating the dead horse on it by, because, I mean, he was letting a lot of traffic on the bases, and I mean, he's in there in the fourth inning. So that was four innings of Justin Verlander doesn't look right.

And it's like, okay, guys. Yeah, even as a non-astro fan, that was a little intense. Yeah, and you caught that one clip where the Buccaneers tied end, O.J. Howard caught the ball and Prisinski's like, look at that. And Girardi's like, in the bullpen if I was Houston, it's like, whoa. They don't like each other. It's pretty clear. I'm still looking for the person besides his mother, who he mentioned enough on the broadcast, but who's out there at home clamoring for A.J. Persinski to be on the broadcast.

Maybe white socks fans. Some of the insights good. Maybe. Maybe. I did like how the play-by-play guy totally steps aside and let and let, let Gerardy and Prisinski have a conversation in between. And they're talking about nitty-gritty. Like it's not dumb stuff. There's one part where, what was the pitcher for the raise? Was it Castillo early in the game?

He threw a 3-1 slider. It was like the second inning. He threw a 3-0 slider that went for ball four. And Gerardy was like, oh, that's a gutsy pitch. And Prisinski was like, why the hell would you do that? if he hits a solo shot, you're still up too early in the game. It was like, I would never call that pitch. And I was like, usually people beat around the bush.

So I did appreciate that. This was the most I enjoyed Prisinski. But him and Jardy didn't get along. At one point, Prisinski said, I didn't have to split time with Pissada like you, which is like kind of a brutal deck. Yeah. And then later on, Prisinski, it hit the catwalk. And Prisnski, that hit the catwalk, guys.

And Joe's like, how did you know that? I watched the ball. And Joe goes, oh, I watch the fielders. And it was a little bit like of who's the better broadcaster off. Where are we supposed to be watching? It was awkward. Two catchers, too many chiefs in the room a little bit. But yeah, it had a couple highs that you were like, yeah, this is cool.

And then the rest of it was kind of like, this is tough. Yeah. Jim our rays go Castillo to Yarborough to Anderson to Poshay to Pagan. Bless you to snow. Bless you, child. Yeah, I mean, we've been on the other end of this. Bullpen days in the trap suck. And the best hitting teams will do poorly against it because they're impossible.

God damn it. Yeah. Sneeze attack. Sneeze attack. And yeah, I mean, Yarbrow, we've seen the Yarborough show. He slows things down. Just this tough kind of annoying lefty. Anderson, man, that guy is unbelievable.

I thought, if you told me, if you asked me, like, who's the guy in the raised bullpen that I think would mess up a bullpen day. I would go Anderson. I know he'd been incredible during the regular season, but he just feels like kind of the prototypical, yeah, he found something in the regular season. You're facing the raise in the 6th, 7 inning, and Nick Anderson mows you down.

I figured, like, come playoff time, that story changes. He looks incredible. He looks incredible. And then, yeah, I mean, that you and I have a little bit of a skewed view of Pagan because we saw the Yankees torch him a little bit, but when he's right, he's filthy. And yeah, the only run they get is Pochet in his second inning. Chorinos gets him there, like, clearly the worst hitter in the Astros lineup.

And it's, yeah, this game is the accumulation of, if you think you know baseball, then you just found out you don't know baseball. It's now only through eight pitches, so, I mean, he should be good again. tomorrow. Yeah, and I think they like him later in the game. I think they feel like they have their other bullpen arms can get them where to be. And if they need to get, you know, Yordon Alvarez later. That's where they brought him in for right.

Yeah, I think that's kind of what they're saying. They're not going to give Yorda and Alvarez a chance late in a game to beat them. This game mirrored the Twins Yankees game on Monday night With the two screaming Shots from Brantley and Redick right at Choi And one goes for a double play It's like just hitting the ball hard Ray I think both of them going for a double play

No the Redick one was just the third out I believe I thought I don't know But yeah, it was the G-Man show, too, and we thank him for becoming a Patreon today. I saw that. But, yeah, G-Man has three walks, and they were, like, legit walks, too. He was kind of spitting on pitches. They were nice at bats. And then the lineouts were, yeah, I mean, if you're a Houston fan,

when you see that first line out, you grab the pillow and you just squeeze the hell out of it. that second line out to Choi, you're throwing the pill. Because that one was a double play. Yeah, the first one was just Redix wasn't. The next one was, and that's like, come on. And then the relay throw was incredible. Yeah, the relay. And I, I've been telling you all year, mostly on talking Yanks,

but it dripped into talking baseball drip drip drip. I love Keirmeyer. Third base center field are the positions that speak to me. and my soul, Kiermeyer, he does some corny, hot doggy things out there. I think it's truly because he is just immensely passionate about being a good defensive center fielder. And that relay throw, I mean, it's, and it's so funny, Jim, you do the things in Little League, and it's like, all right, you put the glove out here and you're ready for it.

So when it hits your glove, you get your body momentum going. The Ray's put on a clinic. It was no, there was no funny business. It looked like a Tom Amansky relay. Kiermeier turned and throw hit Adomis on the glove side. Adomis got his body weight into it, crow hopped. It was perfect. It was the definition of a perfect relay.

Yeah. And then the tag was perfect as well. And it was pissing me off because FS1 wouldn't show a replay, like of home plate. They kept showing the whole thing. And I was like, yo, this may be all for not. show me if he was safe or not. Like come the fuck on. And then they never did.

And then they never challenged. So I was like, I guess it was obvious. But. Did you end up seeing the actual play at the place? Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah. I mean, it's nuts. Altuva didn't even get played.

Like the glove just full on stopped him. It was all of it was perfect. It was nuts. Yeah. It was how you draw it up. Like Adamas with the turn was crazy. And then the next inning, Garcia hits a home run. Right?

Was it Garcia's home run? I think it was Adamas. Home run, yeah, yeah. I think it's been the Adamas show this series. Make a play in the field. He'd make a play at the bat. But that's a dagger. That's when, if you're the Astros, you're like,

this ain't our game. It ain't going our way today, boys. God, yeah. They, um, Trop was rocking. There was that last inning. You had the first, like, the rays were bending and you're like, oh, no, is this going to be the story that the

race kind of owned their two games at home, but the Houston put some together in the ninth and that was it? And then, no, they held there was that screecher up the middle, but I think Adamas was right there and run it back, game five. Yeah. Well, first we got two other game fives. Want to get into those? Sure.

Cool. Let's go to the ads, if we have any. Early, so a lot of times we don't. Should I play the music? We're getting a new transition song. One person's going to be so mad at you. Well, we're getting a new Mike Retano who does the music for us. Said, let me make you a real transition song.

Oh, wow. Two game fives today, Jake. I'm not even sure what time they start. I'm guessing five and eight. I can inform you of that information, James. That would be wonderful. The first game is five. Yep, 502 in Atlanta, St. Louis, Atlanta.

The second game is 837 Washington at LA. It's got to be for two-minute commercial breaks, right? Like whatever was on until five, they go to commercial for two minutes and the game starts. That commercial, those commercials cost more right before the start of the game. I don't know. there's two minutes before like you know the changing of the 7.07 I don't know no idea why games start when they do I think it's all commercial rights so 705 707 I don't know I wonder if it's like they don't want two games starting at the exact same time so like it's a seven and like the regular season they do that and I think it's nice like they'll have the the 655 7 o'clock 7 o'clock 7 o'5 7-10. But yeah, postseason, the ad stuff kind of makes sense. I don't know. We got Jack Flaherty versus Mike Fultenevitz in Atlanta.

This is going to be a good game. Once again, doesn't get primetime billing. But that's only because they're East Coast and Dodgers are West Coast. So it makes sense. And this should... Is this the latest they've started a game, though? 840. I think it might be. No, Yankees' twin started 840. I was talking about this series.

Oh, the Braves Cardinals? Yeah, yeah, yeah. They've been all like one o'clock. This is their prime time game. Yeah, that's funny. This was a pitcher's matchup from hell in game three, like Fulty out-duled Flaherty, who pitched pretty good. They both, what, had seven innings.

They both went into the seventh with one or less earned runs, right? It was one-nothing in the seventh inning last game, I believe. and then Duval Clips Flaredi pinch hitting for Fulti. Yeah, and the Fulti story's cool, man, and it came out a little more, but he got sent down this year. He was having a brutal year. His ERA was up to 637 in June. He got sent down, and Fulte was really good last year.

I think he had a 285 ERA. He finished eighth in the Cy Young voting. and then he comes back from a little minor league stint to get fixed. In his last 10 starts of the regular season, he had a 265 ERA, and then we saw him in the postseason at home. So this is like straight up pitchers duel. It's who's going to get on the board first and put the pressure on him. You think this will be a pitcher's duel?

Like you think both go sevenings again? Because I don't know if they're going to be given the chance to mess up. I do. I do because I don't think they are the better options than going to their bullpins in the sixth or fifth inning. That's true. Although both bullpens did pretty well besides Tehran last game. Yeah, St. Louis has more of a reason than Atlanta to believe in their bullpen. But, I mean, Fulte's going to be approaching triple digits on the gun. He already gave you the incredible start. I think if you're the Braves, I mean, I think you want to go, you'd rather go down with faulty then as some of the guys that could be coming out of that bullpen.

Who got to him last time? Donaldson. Donaldson and someone else combined. Donaldson and Duvall. That was in the seventh inning. Right. In the first inning, I believe it was it was Albies and Donaldson that combined. So Donaldson is a guy he's got to watch out for.

That's fun. Yeah. I'm trying to think if there's someone that got owned by Fulte or whatever and see if there's any changes that get made. Who do you think has to make the changes here? The batters or the hitters or both? The batters or the hitters or both? Like is Fulte going to come out with the same exact repertoire, same exact...

Oh, yeah. I mean, Fulte, if you're Mike Fultonayowitz, you're saying, I went to the minor leagues, I got fully fixed, I figured it out. I've been a stud since August. And I threw one of the best games of the playoffs so far. You're not changing anything. If you're flarity, you're saying I made two mistakes, the RBI single to Donaldson and then the home run to DeValle.

Other than that, I was perfect. And, okay, I made those two mistakes. Now I will make zero mistakes. Harrison Bader went 0 for three with three Ks versus Fulte. You think he's got big changes to make, start bunting more? Harry Bader. Dude, if you're one of the guys without an impact bat in this lineup, you're almost hoping that there's like a runner on second one out

so you can either create some havoc somehow. Yeah, there's going to be small ball. I mean, there has to be. There's going to be small ball. You'd like to think that there's going to be a question of, you know, if it is the fifth or sixth inning and at, Atlanta has two guys on base, one out, two outs, and Fulte's up. I mean, are they going to go to Adam Duvall? Are they going to go to someone? I mean, that's where this game is going to get,

or excuse me, that's where I think this game would get really interesting because both of these teams want Flaherty and Fulte out there basically as long as they can. But if there's a chance to drive and runs and that pitcher spot comes up, like it would be interesting to see, I wonder if one of the managers would play a game of chicken of like, I don't know, walk in Dansby Swanson. So there's a runner on base for that pitcher spot in the fifth inning. Are you going to? You're just going to let Fulte get out?

What are you going to do? Pinch hit Duval early would be fun. It would be crazy. And I guess the guy that we've briefly mentioned a couple times in this series because we were kind of surprised by his role. How about Max Fried? Max Fried had those first three games, one-inning appearances. He's a guy that's been solid for them.

He's a guy that they could probably trust in some of those middle innings. He came out behind Fulte last time and threw some nasty curveballs to get some strikeouts. Yeah, I mean, that yakker is no joke. All right, who do you got? Who do you have a rooting interest? Do you have a betting interest? Who do you want? Who do you think?

I've liked the baby Braves for a while. That's my only lean. You know, Jack Flaherty, I think that dude's special. So if he can do something awesome today and like finish off the first chapter of his book, like I kind of support that too. I'm rooting for the stars, to be honest. What game was it? The old man game, I was rooting for the old man.

I'm out on them. I don't need McCann, you know, I don't need anyone right in their last chapter. I need one of these guys right in their first chapter. I need an Akuna walkoff. I need Flaherty being special. I want one of the young guys to, like, welcome themselves to the rest of Major League Baseball. I need the main action to take place in the bottom of the 8th, and then they close it out,

or the bottom of the 9th. I just want to hear Atlanta and the chop going crazy late in the game. with a close game. Home team would be fun. But whenever I watch these games, I just find myself rooting for whatever I think moment would be more of like, wow, holy shit. Yeah.

It's whoever's been down for like an inning. I end up rooting for that team. You think there's any excess bat flipping, throat slashing, jersey wiping, nonsense in this game? I mean, it's game five of elimination on both sides. I don't think you can really be preoccupied with that. I would hope no player is.

I'm going to say yes. I think you've kind of got hot heads on both sides. You've got emotional guys on both sides. And kind of like what I was saying before, like, yeah, there's a couple vets out there, but this series has been intense. The Yachty stuff got looked into. Even, dude, Paul Goldschmidt, I think it was the eighth inning of the game they came back on. or maybe it was the seventh, but he gets a high strike called him,

and he just turns to the up and gives him like a fuck no or something like that. And it was like, Goldie, let's go, baby. I hope it's a throat slash off. Like I hope a Cooner Homer's in the first. Now as he's round in second, he's just cutting off heads. And then Yadi Homer's in the third. And as he's rounding second, he's just cutting off more heads. And they're just looking at each other just throat slash in all game.

Yeah, that one scene from 300. Yeah, no, if I could bet $5 to win $20 that Akuna goes yard and gives the throat slash, I would place that back. I'll take it. I'll take it. Well, I don't want, no, I don't, okay, well. I've taken the bet. The bet's been taken. You give me $5, if he hits a home run, and throat slashes, I'll give you 20 back.

Okay. Wow. It was great. Bad bet. Bad bet by who? Yes. I was going to say about the umps I don't think the umpires have transformed any game yet

there's been a handful of if you're with me what's that knock on wood if you're with me man there's been a handful of bad calls but that's I mean with 300 pitches a game you're not going to get every close pitch correctly yeah and that's that's the only call that does jump out I think it was that

inside cutter to Ozuna in the ninth inning when they were rallying. That got called strike three. I think it was a three-two count. I think what has been consistent was in these games, if an empire has a bigger zone, and maybe this is where playoff baseball is better, is that the teams haven't been complaining.

They just say, okay, that's the zone. Like those are the rules for today. Let's play baseball. We're in the regular season. You'd hear the, oh, well, what's going on? Hey, oh, it's going on out there, bad. What's going on out there? That's in the deaf league.

Yeah. Yeah, there's not been a game where, like, I feel like everyone's like, he's been fucking up that call all game. Yeah. There was another one. There was like an 0-1 pitch to someone on the Cardinals in game two, I believe. That was just not a strike. So there's been a handful, but I don't think there's been like game-changing bad home plate umpiring.

No. And yeah, actually, I had a little chuckle to myself yesterday that we still have left field and right field umpires whose only job are to call fair foul balls. And like we have replay now. So. Yeah, but do you remember the Astros Red Sox last year? Joe West was the right field line and he called it not home run. Are you talking about the home runs? Yeah, the fan interference home run.

Like that was... Yeah, I mean, that's fan interference. Still, people could argue about that all day still. I know. There's still no solution. But the only reason it got called what it called is because Joe West called it that live. So, like, they still have some power to fuck things up. Yeah.

Joe West always has power. But it is funny that they're like riding the lines. Just play it through and we'll replay it after. Yeah. Just don't trust you. I think it's funny how close those umpires, play to the they're like 10 yards deeper than the first and third base umpires but they get a better view i guess yeah that's what i'd like to see a right fielder go for a foul ball and

whack into the ump i'm i'm here for that 1996 world series or 98 world series that happened with the yankees remember the right fielder the braves the ump got in the way all three of them tried and the ump was in the middle and it dropped. That's one of the Yankees World Series VHS's. That's what I'm rooting for. Yeah, that's just wild. We've got a fantastic pitcher's tool. If you think Fulte versus Flaherty's good,

well, what do you think about Strasbourg versus Bueller in a game five going to the Dodgers home stadium? This one's fun. I mean, you've got the best postseason pitcher ever, Steven Strasberg. Four game sample. and asteris four games. Estrecks in whatever sample size fits the narrative that we wanted to say that,

we found it. Yeah. Do a three game. Oh, he's not the best ever. Do a five game. Oh, he's not the best ever. Okay, in a four game stand. Doesn't have five.

Doesn't have five yet. He will tonight. See how it goes because he shut him down earlier. No one on the Dodgers has a home run off Strasbourg. No one on the Nationals has a home run off Bueller. So one thing with the game fives we haven't talked yet, with and maybe this is a false narrative thing or I kind of want your thoughts on it because it's going to be bigger these series the the two NL series we knew we're going to come down I there's

great baseball two really good teams in the AL there's going to be a lot of pressure technically on Houston yes they have Garrett Cole but if Garrett Cole gives up a one of a solo shot in the first the pressure on Houston is going to be insane they're supposed to to be the favorite for the World Series. They're facing Tampa at their home building. The pressure will be on Houston. In either of these games, do you feel like the home team has more pressure because it's at their house?

Or do you think it's just toss up both ways or what? All the pressures on the Dodgers. Okay. Top-teeted team. Best record. Everyone's shoe in for the National League World Series spot. The Braves kind of climbed up. Maybe the Braves can contend with the Dodgers.

If they lose to the Nats in the DS, I mean, like we said, they've been to the World Series, what, two times in a row, three times? What is it? Two times? And this run. This would be their third. This would be their third. Yeah. And they haven't won.

And if they don't even make it to the CS, that's like an epic failure. Whereas the Nationals had their wild card comeback. They've had some great games. They didn't fully expect to be here. You know, many times they probably said this isn't the season. Dodgers have never said this isn't the season. You know, so I think all the pressure is on the Dodgers here. What about in the first game?

The Braves. I think that's equal. I think it's... Okay. I mean, you could say home team just because they're home, but I think that one's pretty spread equally. Two division winners, two best pitchers on the mound. I'd say I think it's Braves by a Nudge because of home field

and because, like, Flaherty has been so dominant. We're like Fulte's been good of late, but Flaherty had a historic second half. Like the cards have everything out there. But yeah, no, I'm with you. And I think that's why I've kind of been on the Nats. I think this is exactly. where they wanted to be.

Strasbourg, game seven, the pressure will be on L.A., and if L.A. has to audible, it's what, Riu or Kershaw coming out of their bullpen early? Yeah, I think Bueller's going to be pretty good. Kids got Moxie. I'm a Strasbourg over Bueller guy. I think you're a Bueller over Strasbourg guy. Well, I think they're both good. Strasbourg went six innings pitched,

three hits, one earned run, ten strikeouts in game two. Yep. In game one, Walker Bueller went, six innings pitched, one hit, zero earned runs, eight Ks. One hit, no runs. Yeah, I mean, for me, that was tough

because they just flew across the country, they just survived the wild card, and that was L.A.'s first game of the playoffs. I mean, both guys are going to shove. Both guys are going to absolutely shove. I've been saying it. There's no reason to turn back now. I think this is the end of the Dodgers. I think they've been to the playoffs for seven straight years. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven straight years. They were in the World Series the past two years, the NLCS, the year before that.

I just think Dave Roberts, I don't think the Dodgers fans really believe in him. I think this is the fall the Dodgers pseudo fake dynasty. Wow. Tough words. Yeah. I like counting one, two, three innings. I don't know why, but I do. Bueller, five of his six were one, two, three.

Yeah, they had to be. One hit. And Strasbourg, four of his six. Bueller looked nasty. And you're right, there was like a, we're coming off the wildcard win. We flew cross country and welcome to Walker Bueller. That sucks. There's a little more preparation, a little more preparedness now.

I think both teams will scratch and claw some runs against these guys. Where I think cards, Braves, might go six innings, zero and runs, both sides. I think the Braves and the Nationals may be able to scratch and claw, and I think the better pitchers are in the area with Dodgers. I just think this game is more, the Dodgers have so much more pressure on them. Are we bearing the lead? What's the lead? We believe in all four starting pitchers, right?

Yeah. Who don't we believe in? Every team's bullpen. The nationals can piece something together if they go Scher-Doolittle Hudson. Like, that's not-Straussberg. What's that? No, Scherzer out of the pen. Oh.

Oh, really? I don't know if they do that. I mean, it might be a throw day. If he's... I think he said his arm was tired, and after seeing Verlander yesterday, it's not a throw day. I think tomorrow will be a throw day.

Oh, because there was another off day for the wild card today. Okay. Well, then the nationals, their pitching path to victory has to be just Doolittle and Hudson up the back. They can't throw anyone else. I think they, I could see them using Corbyn as a lefty special. like just trying to get Bellinger out for one at bat, but you can't push him any further than that.

Yeah. I mean, with the Dodgers, we kind of trust Colorek versus, uh. Yeah, excited for the Colorex Soto at bat tonight. And then, uh, I mean, I don't know. Who else? Who else coming out for the Dodgers? I mean, we, we haven't seen like Kenley Jansen with a one-run lead yet. That's scary.

They don't want to see that. Right? And think about that. That's their closer. Like if it's the ninth inning, that's what a team should want to see. And I don't think Dodger fans do. Julio, your eyes has 3.2 innings pitched and Kenta Mayda has 3.2 innings pitched. Those are the most used relievers in the series.

And then Dustin May. Yeah, and May had two innings. I think one hit, two cases in the last game. I mean, it's going to be all hands on deck. I think maybe the difference. here is when the Dodgers go to the bullpen, they can still have a quick hook. Because right now the difference between

Arias, Maeda, Joe Kelly, Dustin May, I mean, there's only so much difference, right? For Washington, they got a couple dudes and then that's it. Yeah, I mean, Washington, you cannot throw Hunter Strickland. You cannot throw Tanner Rainey. You cannot throw Fernando Rodney. You have Scherzer, Dooling,

Little Hudson. I mean, they'd go Anibal out of the pen before they go Strickland or Rodney. I think Annibal could be used. Yeah. Annabal could be used today. Okay. So that's an option for them at least. Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know. I'm, I'm drinking the Natitude. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid. You're in on the Nats. You're in on the Braves. East Coast Bias, baby. I think the Dodgers come through. Because I just, it's just right and chalk and it's just, if they don't, that's terrible.

It's the end. If they don't, I'm not trying, this is a genuine question, not a hot take. Right. Does the front, does the top brass think about moving on from Roberts or whoever makes the strategic decision? Roberts is fired within 48 hours if they don't win this game. You think so? Something just has to change about the way they do post-season.

Think of all the pitching and talent they've had. whether this year or the past three, five years. I mean, we're talking about like revolutionary game-changing guys, Kershaw. Now we're on to Walker Bueller. Riu could have won the Cy Young this year. I don't know, man. Bellinger might still win the MVP. And yeah, Roberts is the thing that stays the same.

And when have we ever been like, Dave Roberts? Never. No, it's true. It's true. All right, well, we did the bullpens for those. Let's go back to Braves Cardinals and do the bullpens there. Because the Braves, it's sad. You go, Max Fried.

Freed. A lot of eggs in the Max Fried basket. Yeah, I mean, Shane Green. You don't? And I've liked Shane Green. I mean, at least Shane Green's closed games and he's looked solid this series. Melanson, he had a good outing in game two. I can believe in Mark Melanson,

with a two run lead? I can't with a one. What's he done so far? In the first game, he sucked. In the next two, he's going to clean inning. Not really. Yeah, cleans loose. No, no, I'm wrong.

In the second, he's got the save in games two and three, but he gave up two hits in game two and one hit in game three. That's kind of scary. Shane Green, Luke Jackson, I don't think they want to use him. O'Day. maybe for like a batter that's all and then the Cardinals

they're not as bad man they they I mean Martinez in a close game you don't fucking I mean I don't even know if that's an option you might have to go to another starter

or something do you think they can throw him out there in the ninth inning and Jimmy I feel like this is what we're missing right now like what other of the starting pitchers are going to be available

can Wainwright come out for the Cardinals and close just throw a couple curve balls and figure it out I mean, why not? Michaelis came out of the pen yesterday. Michaelis, yep. You do not want to give, I mean, he's there closer,

but I wouldn't want to give him the ball with the game on the line. No. Soroka, you wonder if he's available for the Braves? Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if we see Soroka and Wainwright. And like we said for the second game, the Soto-Cola racket back, get excited for the Freddie Freeman, Andrew Miller at bat. Andrew Miller won last time.

Easily. It was boring. Dude. Carlos Martinez, 1.1 inning pitch, two hits, three earned runs in game one. One inning pitch, three hits, three earned runs in game two. And then yesterday he had a clean inning, or he had one hit.

But he's been bad and a little preoccupied. I actually kind of, I don't like him that much. Right. Which I think is, fine. I think even Cardinals fans would have to admit deep down in their heart,

like we understand why opposing players wouldn't like him. Oh, absolutely. I think they've been trying to get rid of him forever. Anyway, I'd like to see him blow it. That would be awesome. He would be a...

I'm now rooting for bottom end of the game, Braves in a tide game or down one, Martinez trying to close it out, runners on base, and the chop going forward. fucking crazy. Give me that situation. Okay.

Give me the same situation with Wainwright, because I just think that's a toss-up. Okay. Cool. Like, I think if Martinez comes out, we know how that situation ends. If Wainwright comes out, I mean,

that's fucking badass. Yeah. Cool. All right. We got anything? Are you on the chat's been talking? Let's see. Jared agrees with you.

fall of the foe dynasty. Just saying the fact they have nothing to show right now. Andrew says Soroka could maybe go out of the pen for the Braves. Both Braves losses were when Kiko was the starter. Guys think that means anything? Not really. I don't think like they're on Kikai. Not really. This series has been crazy.

Yeah. Yeah. And then we have someone in here talking out his butt saying, and if the Yankees want to win, Judge better start producing, as if he wasn't the best player on the field in the DS. Sure. What are his stats?

They always know how to provoke you. I think he's being honest. I think he's being honest. I think he's trying to provoke. Two, four, six, seven. Judge got on base seven times in three games. He had a 538 on base percentage. Time to step up, Judge. Do more.

Three diving catches. Any talk about Hicks? That's pretty Yankees-centric. We'll save that for talking Yanks. That's championship series stuff. Yeah, wow, yeah. Yankees have moved on. All right, two game fives today should be exciting.

I hope they're both great games. At least for the first four innings, they're going to be really intense. One might get carried away. But if they're within three down to the end, that's going to be really, really fun baseball. Good for MLB to get three. game fives.

I got to be happy. All right, Jake. Any final closing thoughts? Be decided because of good players, not bad players. Oh, wow. You don't want Bader to hit three home runs. He's a good player.

Hello. Bye.