The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Take The Series vs Red Sox’s! Astros Take Back The AL West Leading by 1 Game

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Astros Take The Series vs Red Sox’s! Astros Take Back The AL West Leading by 1 Game

is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 10-0-1 in H-Town. What's happening, brunch timers? Hello and welcome to a Thursday edition of the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Astros take two out of three from the Red Sox, winning tonight, four to one. Red Sox are shipping back up to Boston, taking these Ls.

All right, I assume they are. Actually, I don't even know where the hell they're going. I don't care. They came into Houston and they lost two out of three. On a day, Gordy, where you get the news, the Josh Hader seeking a second opinion. And when you hear Joe a spot as like, I'm giving him some space, that doesn't normally mean you're going to be back in a couple of days. We will discuss shortly. Chris Gordy is hanging out. My name is Ross via Rial. You're listening to the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. He is out today. he is out tomorrow as well. I don't even remember what he's doing.

Probably volleyball dadding harder than... I believe it is volleyball. Okay, it's always volleyball dad stuff. And that's okay. Like, post yesterday, my daughter's back at school. Senior year starts and it's like immediately out of town for two volleyball. Did she take one day of classes and now you check her out of school for volleyball? That is like real senioritis.

Like, man, well, she's got a scali. She don't care. Yeah, that's true. She's like, y'all can shut y'all bum asses up. I'm going to Rhode Island. We're all good. There's college kids these days. I'm shocked.

Do you know how prevalent online classes are now for colleges? I would say. You don't even have to go to campus. Do you remember Johnny? It was a big deal that Johnny Mansell was taking online classes because he, every, because the Aggies, like, for the first time since John David Crow had a football star on campus. And they, and they were, like, all swarming him. And it was distracting everybody and, like, Revely is barking or whatever.

And so. Trevely barks class ends right. That's true. So he was like, I've got to take online classes. I'm getting sworn by people too much on campus. Hey, back in my day, when Vince Young was on campus, I respectfully took a grainy picture on my Nokia phone and what about my day? Anyways. Can I give you a quick speaking of the Big 12? I just saw this just passed. Ross Dellinger. The Big 1280s voted 15 to 1, a solidified existing game management policy related to the throwing of items onto the playing surface. A team will receive warnings for the first two violations in a game before 15-yard penalties begin. So Texas Tech, tortillas.

Uh-oh. Could be a penalty. Tortillas count? Tortillas. Okay. Delhi says the move most impacts Texas Tech, whose fans hold a tradition of tossing tortillas onto the field, most notably during opening kickoff. The policy will allow for tortillas to be thrown at opening kickoff, but will result in a warning. And beginning with the third incident will result in penalties.

Okay. I thought there was a Texas Longhorns fan joke in here somewhere. Well, don't do horns down. They're throwing bottles onto the field. Oh, well, you know, I interviewed the head of SEC officiating, and he basically, I mean, he basically confirms. Yeah, they overturned the call because Texas fans threw stuff on the field. Well, if it works, it works.

All right, anyways. All right, so Chris Cordy is here. You could already tell he's interrupted with a big 12 college football item, like two seconds into the show. That's pretty big. Tortillas on the field is a penalty. It's pretty big. All right. Breaking news.

Tortillas on the field no longer ago, but you can still throw batteries at opposing fans and conduct yourselves like idiots, Raiders fans. So we appreciate you for doing that. I understand there's not a whole lot else to do in Lubbock. Okay, we got a lot of stuff to get to. Of course, we're going to talk about the Astros. You got the Texans in a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers right now.

We'll get some updates there. Anything you guys want to get to, of course, it is open line, as always. It's 713, 212. 5-790. 713-212-5-7-90. You can send tweets to at SportsRV and at Chris Gordy as well. And well, Jonathan Allen is here hanging out, so we appreciate him. Gordy's hanging out until noon. We will have Adam Clanton coming up at 1 o'clock. I will flow fly solo. At 12 o'clock, Jonathan Allen will bring us the news at noon. At 12 o'clock, Jonathan Allen will bring us the news at noon. This is me show prepping on air. and we're going to have a good show.

Tomorrow, by the way, Brian Bogus-Evick 10 to noon here on Sports Talk 790 and the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Looking forward to that. I don't want to be too hyperbolic here, Ross. But can we say that was one of the most important wins of the season for the asteros? Yes. Just in terms of feeling good about yourself. And if you're getting your ass beat 14 to 1 the night before, Hunter Brown on the mound.

Like, if you lose that game yesterday, I mean, we're going into our off day. feeling not doomsday but like oh my god this thing is gone off the rails they've lost another series josh haters done all this kind of stuff at least you come out last night going okay on a night you only had four hits to find a way to win four to one this thing's he'll be okay it was good and hunter brown um i had tweeted after the game that he in my post game 10th inning show tweet that he was dominant and that's really not accurate he he was good He was giving up some hits. He walked three guys.

He had a balk, but he got a couple of double plays. He wasn't getting the swing and miss like he normally does just four strikeouts. But overall, I mean, that's what a good pitcher and an ace can do, where you're having trouble locating, you're walking guys, and you're getting guys on base, but you find a way. And Hunter Brown was able to find a way six and two thirds innings, just one earned run, given up. And the new look, high leverage, eighth and ninth. For the Astros Gordy, Bennett-Suzza, four outs, taking over in the seventh, and then taking care of the eighth,

and then Brian Abraeu with his first save of the season taking care of business in the ninth. Well, back to Hunter Brown real quick. He got that allusive 10th win. Do you know that Hunter Brown won his ninth game on July 2nd up in Colorado? He has been chasing that 10th win ever since. And gosh, he's had a couple where he was in line for the win. and then it gets Tate, you know, pulling the rug out from under him. But finally gets the, I mean, shoot, the one up in Boston. Remember that Friday night in Boston where he goes seven innings and that stupid sack fly that ties the game. I mean, they were winning one-nothing.

Could have gotten it there, but he gets his 10th win. He's now 10 and 5 and good for him. His last couple, he had that stretch of three games or was a little shaky, not dominant Hunter Brown. The last couple games have been looking more like. like regular Hunter Brown. Yes, he's looking like he's rounding a little bit better into form, and we'd like to see the same thing from Farmer Valdez the next time he is out.

But the Astros get to win. Thankfully, the Baltimore Orioles, they were up three to one in the ninth. I'm literally in the middle of doing the 10th inning show, like breaking down the game and then looking at the box score. I paused dead silence when I saw that the game was tied up by the Orioles in the ninth inning. I had a buddy watch it. He was texting me. He goes, you're not going to believe this.

It's ridiculous. What was it? Three to one? Yeah, three to one in the ninth. And they blow it. But luckily, they get it done extra. Thank God. They came back.

And I think they walked it off in the bottom of the ninth. Oh, was it? Yeah, yeah. Whatever was. Yeah, but then the next bottom of the frame. That was great. So, Orioles do get the win over the Mariners. So you are having, you are one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners right now.

And this is where, I mean, it's, it's one of those things where, if the Astros, now of course we can blame injuries and they continue to pile up. And I will say that my belief in the Astros ability to win the American League pennant was certainly shaken with the Josh Hader news that he's seeking a second opinion and talking about giving him space and all this other stuff, like that it's going to be more than the couple of weeks. For Joe Spotted to mention that to me means it's going to be maybe even a couple of months. But that's just speculation on my part.

Anyways, not barring further injury, If the Astros don't get this done, it is on them. They have seven games left with the Orioles, seven games left with the Angels, three apiece with the Rockies and the A's. They have to get this done. They have the 27th most difficult schedule remaining in baseball with a 480 opponent win percentage.

Seattle's at 493. That is 21st. So they have a one-game lead. They have the softer schedule. You have three games head-to-head at the end of September. with the Seattle Mariners. If you're going to get this done, you're going to have to take care of it yourself. Yeah, I mean...

I mean, it's all in front of you is what I'm saying. Sure, sure. I mean, but that's the thing. It's like, you know, how many times this season have we seen? It's like the Astros play a good team and it's like they get up for them. And then, you know, the crappier team sometimes, it feels like they don't play with as much urgency. And to your point, the Josh Hader News, how does this change the trajectory down the stretch? I will say, though, Ross, is.

the Josh Hader injury happened, look at Benet-Susen the last two times out. It's like he upped his game. It's like he went... He is throwing frisbee sliders, dude. He's like, this is my time to shine. Brian and Brayor slides into the closer role, I'll step up. Right. So I'm feeling okay about

Brian Abraeu being the closer. The loss of Josh Hater isn't necessarily about the closer's role. It's about the actual depth that you lose. Right. Because your two most reliable guys all season long have been Brian Abrae, you and Josh Hater. You lose one of those. Bennett, Susan,

next man up for sure. But then, I mean, Caleb Ward has been good. We had him on yesterday on the Matt Thomas show with Ross and he, I think, last seven times out has been scoreless. So that's good, but you don't have people with the extended

major league track records that Brian Abrae, you and Josh Hayter have. And look at, I mean, you almost wish the Hater thing would have happened about three weeks ago prior to the trade. That's like? Yeah, how about not at all? But look at Mason Miller, goes to the Padres for peanuts. I mean, there were all these closers kind of available.

You're right. There would have been more urgency. But, yeah, Mason Miller went for like a haul, though. But the Astros wouldn't have gotten in that. But I understand what you're saying. And Dana Brown even mentioned it prior to the trade deadline. When they were talking about, what do you want to add? And he goes, you know, we wouldn't mind add another right-handed reliever.

Right-handed reliever. And, you know, they weren't able to do that. Well, there's a right-handed reliever on the market that a lot of people keep talking about. We'll talk about him. How are you feeling about the Astros? Good news. get the win. Bad news. Sounds like Josh Hader's going to miss extended time.

713-212-5-790 is the phone number here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 7-13-212-5-7-90. We got Brian McTaggart coming up at 11 o'clock. We'll be talking about the Astros and more and taking your calls on the show at 7-13-212-5-790. So this song is the origin of the... The dirty water, I don't know, what would you call it? Catchphrase. Now, do they play this during the games or only after victories?

They play this after wins. Because I wasn't familiar at being a Fenway. You heard all the Sandals from 1966? I've heard the song. Yeah. But I did not know the history. It was the mid-90s, the Bruins started playing it. When the Boston Bruins went a game, they would play this after a Bruins.

win. And I think around 96, 97, the Red Sox started doing the same thing. So then when the Red Sox started going on their runs of you know, playing for World Series and stuff, this was like, fully. Oh, Tommy, you're not going to believe the Sox won. They played

dirty water. Okay. I think they even said they... I mean, this is fine, I guess. They said Liverpool FC started playing it as well in 2019. Oh, okay. Because the club is owned by Fenway Sports Group.

So, we're Boston people taking their stuff over to the UK. Hmm. I can figure a Beatles song would make more sense. Weren't they all big Liverpool fans or were the Everton fans? I don't even know. What's that line they say of Boston, you're my home? That's why they play. Oh, in this song?

Yeah. Okay, I missed it. And it's literally about the dirty water in the river right there. Yeah, we got a dirty-ass river in Boston. Yeah, great song, guys. It's fine. It's catchy enough. guess. But there you go. A little dirty water as the Astros flush the dirty water. The Boston Red Sox especially, that's the beauty of

baseball. There's no scoring on aggregate. It doesn't matter. One day you can lose by 13 and the next day you lose by three, you win by three. They all count the same in the standings. Astros get the victory. They have won three of their last four. If you have not heard, it sounds like it's going to be bad news on Josh Hater. They're awaiting a second opinion, which usually means the first opinion's bad. I think this is what you do is an Astros fan now. You expect the worst, hope for the best.

So if we go in with the mentality, Josh Hader's done, maybe we're surprised by, you know what? There's a chance he's back for the playoffs. I hope so. I mean, that was my reason for optimism yesterday because there's two months left. And unless

it's something season ending, two months from now would be, October 14th and hopefully they would still be in the playoffs and then we would go from there. Can I give you a... I'm not feeling great. A hypothetical. Oh boy, here we go. What do you want?

I started seeing this in my mind. We got Luis Garcia coming back. We got J.P. Francis pitching well. If I'm Dana Brown, I go over to AAA, I go, hey Lance. Let's chat, Lance McCullors. Uh-huh. Lance, I'd like to put you in the mindset of an eighth, ninth inning guy where you're just going to come out and throw Flames, do what you do.

Uh-huh. Now, the colors we could slide to the back end of the bullpen? So you want a guy who throws 91 miles an hour and walks everybody when he goes out there? I said flames. Okay.

Well, he's not... Maybe just the curve ball. Maybe just focus on the curveball. He can up the velocity. Yeah. And this is the thing. Now, the Lance McCullors, Jr., you're not the first person to float this.

And I've been disagreeing with Matt for years about this for two reasons. Number one, he makes $18 million a year. So long term. If it's short term, that makes sense. Right. So long term... Just for this season.

Putting him long term in the bullpen doesn't make sense for a guy making $18 million just fiscally. Not that they always make decisions based on that, but they often do. Jose Abraeu says hello. But anyways, but also just as a practical matter, like he works himself. If you got two guys on base and you get Lance McCuller Jr. How are you feeling? I'm feeling like he's about the – he needs to like walk the first two guys to settle into an inning. Right.

So that – it just – it doesn't feel. fit that way for me, but also it's like you've got to figure something out for him if he's going to continue to be on this roster. I'm just thinking like you're starting to get a lot of your starting arms back. I mean, keep in mind, Brandon Walter was pitching really well. If he comes back, that's another arm you have.

And I'm just like, I start to look at McCullors and go, bro, there's not a lot of spots here left. But we're one hand short on the back end. What if you just, just for the rest of the season, Lance, put yourself in a one-ending mentality. And we want you to go out and dominate that one inning. Yeah, I just

think, I think he's going to get every opportunity to start. He's going to go to JP first, Louis Garcia, and ask them that. Yeah. Louis Garcia has come out of the bullpen and been good. Yeah. So, I mean, he is kind of used to that role. And I don't know if they're thinking of using him in that way. Well again last night, but Dana, two weeks in a row with Sean Salisbury says, yeah, we're just want to see more velocity from, like they're basically saying they don't think he's throwing big league velocity. But he's getting out. He's pitching innings. He's been so effective at the AAA level. I just like

all right. I mean, you can't come up and do that for an inning. And sometimes yeah, we'll see. I wonder where he's going to fit in with the puzzle pieces. Same thing for JP France. I've been saying he looks long for a to be a space cowboy. Have we gotten any update on

Brendan Walter, who I feel like is kind of a wild card in all this as well? Well, that's what I said. Walter was pitching well before and I just mean now with the elbow elbow inflammation he's out with. We got like a round of updates on Monday. I'll go and look those up, but let's get to a couple of phone calls.

We got. Appreciate you guys getting in. 713-212-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-7-90 on the Matt Thomas show with Ross with Matt Thomas out until Monday. John, your next up. What's up? Hey, guys. Good morning.

How y'all? Doing great. What's up? Well, I got an idea, man. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And sometimes you've got to think outside of the box a little bit. and because we've never seen anything like this before with the rash of injuries that we've had. So I absolutely, and you kind of stole my thunder just a little bit with the last comment that you were made about talking about making some of these starters and back into the bullpen guys.

But the guy that I saw come in the other day and really looked sharp and was throwing flames out the bullpen was blue. how about him in the back end in a leverage spot? We got 41 games or so left to kind of audition for that and I'm not saying necessarily he needs to be the closer but man how about a setup man? How about a seventh inning guy? I mean he looked fantastic

and I'll hang up and listen to your comments but what do you think? All right John, thank you. I thought you were going to say you didn't say something as crazy as Steve did yesterday who was advocating for Billy Wagner to come out of retirement and pitch for the Astros. I will say it's not crazy. I will say generally they,

and while he has come out of the bullpen for the Astros kind of in a, I'm going to keep pumping the headliner thing. I'm going down with the ship. They have an opener and then headliner. I'm going with the headliner role for A.J. Blueball. And he has come out of the bullpen some, excuse me, in AAA. I just don't know if they're going to feel like they want to go to that well. But anything's on the table, especially in playoffs.

So depending on what they look at and what they like, I'm going to guess they're not going to want an unproven rookie who has been rounding into form. I think he was pitcher of the week for either PCL or for the Space Cowboys. I'm not sure recently after being pitcher of the month in July. So he has been rounding into form. I'm going to say that's not crazy, but I'm going to say it's probably unlikely. By the way, the Brandon Walter update from, what was this, 8, 11, so this was a couple days ago.

Still coming back from that elbow inflammation through a 20-pitch side over the weekend at the complex in Florida. 20-pitch side is good. Yeah. That means, yeah, I thought that, look, you hear elbow information, you think the dude's about headed for Tommy John. So I would think he's nearing a rehab start. That sounds like it. And then look, and if you end up with too many starters, then you do have, you do end up with bullpen options. Well, this is the discussion is, and again, like, or I'm not even thinking of playoffs.

I'm just thinking, like, down the stretch of this season. If I start to get these guys back healthy, if Luis Garcia gets back or JP France gets back, and Brandon Walter gets back, we now have this log jam of too many, and McCullors. You have a log jam of too many starters, and I just, Dana Brown, I think it's worth sitting down and having a conversation going, AJ Blueball, would you like to contribute to our big league club in some way? I have a perfect opportunity. No, it's not as a starter, but as a bullpen guy. I have a wild, not a necessarily wild card point, but a point, and we'll get to it after the break.

A point to give you to why I think Lance McCuller Jr. will definitely stay in the rotation. I'll give that to you when we come back. Those you on hold who will get to you, Matthew, you are next. Anyone else want to get in 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. We'll get to that next. We've got Brian McTaggart coming up at 11 o'clock.

It is The Matt Thomas Show with Ross here on Sports Talk 790. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. He is out today and tomorrow. Gordy hanging out right now. We got Brian McTaggart coming up at 11 o'clock. I just don't get it at 11 o'clock. just don't get it at 1130. It's a jam-packed show, folks.

And Jonathan Allen, with his rendition or edition of News at noon, that will be at noon here on Sports Talk 790. Fond lines open at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790. So I was talking about my point of why I think Lance McCuller Jr. will stay in the rotation for as long as possible. A couple of reasons. As I mentioned, he's making a lot of money. He has a lot of history with this team. And I understand we could say that doesn't matter.

And maybe it doesn't matter to you or me if we want him on this team. However, do you believe the reports that Hector Nerris was kept on this team so he could get 10 years of service time? I mean, it looks that way. But here's my question. If he goes out the other night and pitch as well. does he, you know, does he immediately get DFA'd? What does Joe Espada

always do with his players? He is a player's manager. He goes down with the players, whether it be Jose Abraeu or whoever, when they're backs against the wall, they aren't pitching well, they aren't playing well.

He shows confidence, and a lot of times the confidence is rewarded. Sometimes it is not. But I think, I'm not going to say there would be a full-on uproar or mutiny. If all of a sudden,

Lance McCullors, was squeezed out of the rotation for like Jason Alexander or Brandon Walter but I think the way that things operate and with Joe Espada being such a player's manager that McCullors is going to have to go out there and like continue to get sheled

it's going to take something desperate for him to not get the shot when he comes if and when he comes back. For McCullors you mean? Yes. I just look if he comes back and he like can only go like he gets pulled again in the second inning or third inning

I just, I got to look at it and go, Lance, let's, let's hit the reset button this offseason. But for now, he can get another blister. Now, let's have you throw just an inning at a time. Let's have you be the bullpen guy. I know you don't want to do it. I give you a guarantee we will go into spring training. You will be part of this rotation and all that. You'll be a starter again.

But for this season, where we are, mid-September, I think it's foolish to think you're going to work your way back into a five, six-inning start. going into the postseason. It's been a very, very weird season for him, getting hurt, coming back, and then that horrible start against the Reds. Then he had a couple of quality starts in a row. Then the weird... The incredible out against the Dodgers.

Very good against the... Vintage Lance McCullors. Yes. Like, we've seen those flashes. They're in there somewhere. But then too often, he's walking guys and getting tattooed. And so it is interesting to me.

there's a range of outcomes. One outcome is he comes back and he's great. I don't know how likely that is, but there's also an outcome where he comes back and he's terrible. And I don't know. Does that mean they completely let him go? I don't think that would happen. I think he would just go back to the I.

I think this blister is a good thing to where you can continue to say that's recurring because we've seen blisters from guys and I'm not saying it's not legitimate with Lance McCullors Jr., but you can go back, you can kind of lean back on that. If he comes out here and he throws two and a third and gives up seven runs, and he can just go back on with another blister issue.

And then that'll be that. So I don't know. It'll be one of the things I love about sports is we can try to sit in front of these microphones and predict how things are going to go go, but we don't know. So we'll see what happens with that. I don't feel like it's going to be a bullpen thing for him. It just for a number of reason doesn't make sense. but if it did happen, I would welcome it.

You do whatever you can. But talk about this realistically. Like we've got too many cooks in the kitchen. Yeah. If everybody keeps coming back and getting healthy here. Well, Jason Alexander would be a kind, even though he's been good the last couple times out, and that'd be difficult.

The reality is that he is a journeyman, and you literally picked him up off a waivers from the A's earlier this year. He asked him to be a one-in-in-guy? I don't think so. It would be, to me, candidates for the bullpen. I would start the list with Luis Garcia. if you have that many good starters. Even though I like Luis Garcia as a starter,

I think long term I would feel more confident about him than say Jason Alexander, but he's been good the last couple times. Everything is so touch and go. And this is the beauty in the curse of baseball is that sample sizes can be so small. The worst pitcher in the world, and while we've seen it happen against the Astros, can go out there and deal six innings of one-run ball. Well, you think about it, the postseason roster is so limited.

I mean, Verlinder didn't make the postseason roster to start. He didn't deserve to, but I don't know. It'll be, man, there's a lot of moving parts right now. But you're right. Luis Garcia, let me just update you. Four and two third innings last night. Six hits, one run, one walk, six strikeouts. How many pitches? Does it say?

Yeah, I got to look for it. Okay. I mean, that is effective. I mean, that is 77 pitches, 52 of them for strikes. I mean, he's doing his thing. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. But Dana keeps going, we've got to see more velocity. I'm like, he's getting out.

Well, what do you want? I don't know, man. But like you're going to go from him throwing forward to, like, getting the fifth inning in these AAA games to come up and go one inning at a time. I'm going to tell you what we're discussing right now has been discussed over and over and over again with all the coaches and management of figuring out how to where everybody's going to go. So I'm sure they have a clearer picture of it than we do. Jeff Bagwell in those meetings?

No, he's on the broadcast. Yalping. Matthew. I like his insight. Yes, so you guys, good insight. I will agree with that. Matthew, you're next up on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. What's going on, guys?

I just let to make a couple points and just kind of remind everyone. You know, obviously the Josh Hader news is, you know, is not good news, but, you know, the 2017 Astros with, you know, Ken Giles struggled as our closer in the 2017 World Series. and we had to have starters going the bullpen and get out. You know, Colin McHugh got some important outs. Obviously, Charlie Freaking Morton got some really important outs. And the 2023 Rangers with, I think it was Jordan Montgomery, they, like a starter in the bullpen,

that he got some important outs. And those are two teams that won World Series without a bona fide closer. And so with all of these abundance of starters that we have, like, you know, Brandon Walter, Luis Garcia, you know, those could be two guys that, could go throw two innings that kind of negates the need for, you know, it's like six or seven, eighth inning guy and to hand the ball to Abrae,

who Abreu kind of reminds me of like prime Lance McCullers where it's like that first guy kind of needs to get on base for him to hit that second gear and be like, okay, I need this, you know, and just to really start getting out and throwing 100 miles an hour. But I just wanted to make those couple points because, you know, Brandon Wall to Luis Garcia, J.P. France. But, I mean, you guys are talking about Lance McCullors. The way I was going right now, I don't know if he makes the postseason roster. But, you know, you never know.

And, of course, Alexander. But, yeah, I mean, I think Abraeu is also a pretty good closer. Like, he could be a great closer. It's just the matter of getting to him. And I'm just, my whole point is, is we have the arms to be able to hand the ball to him, kind of what a spot was saying about whenever he was talking to his bullfin of, like, hey, it's up to you guys. It was up to you guys to hand the ball to a hater.

It's going to be up to you guys again. And I just think we have the arms to do it that are coming back. I think they think so highly of Benetsusa. I think they're... Oh, yeah. They almost think they're interchangeable. Like, there may be... Because think of this, Ross.

Playoff game, the top of the order is coming up in the 8th. I'm going to Brian to Brayneux in the 8th, and I'm going Benetius and the 9th. Because don't you want... You want your more effective guy facing the better hitters. Yeah. So either way, I agree with you. They're interchangeable.

And I'm not necessarily, if the playoffs, if we waived the magic wand and the a shows were in the playoffs today, I would feel way more confident. It's not getting to the playoffs. It's about fine. Because you have to kind of trial these guys, right? Lance McCullors, Jr., he could come back and pitch lights out. He could. But I don't know that he's going to.

Same thing with, you know, you mentioned JP France, Louis Garcia, and Brandon Walter, who does, you know, guys. Brandon Walter doesn't have like a major major league track record. So you've got to kind of throw these guys out there and they're working through kind of rehabbing at the major league level, which they've talked about as well. So it's touch and go for me more in the regular season

of trying to figure all this out and how the pieces fit together than if we could just magically teleport to the playoffs, I would feel a lot more at ease. So it's kind of figuring out how all the pieces fit together before getting to that. and getting into the playoffs first, which, of course, the Astros haven't done. When we come back, we're going to run through a quick hypothetical.

All things being equal, everybody's healthy and back. Let's just say the Astros run a wild card series. We're going to set the Astros' Monkard pitching staff. Yordon's back, right? Well, we're just doing pitching. Okay, I got him as a lefty reliever. You got to get creative. Probably not.

Hey, man, he's throwing balls like 95 miles an hour from left field before. Yeah, we'll put Chas on them out first. Yes, well, all right, we'll trial Chaz out there. All right, 713, 212, 790 is the phone number if you want to get in. 713, 212, 5, 790. You can send tweets to at SportsRV and at Chris Gordy. And also, I would appreciate a follow on my Instagram at SportsRV. I'm trying to build that up.

I'm 11 away from 1100. All right, we're going to take quick break. We got Brian Taggart coming up at 11 o'clock. We'll talk about a lot of that with a lot of this with him then. And we also have some of you on the fold. we'll get to on the hold we'll get tuned to next here on sports 9 of the Matt Tobby show with Ross.

A lot of question marks remain with Houston Astros. A lot of fun stuff to talk about. We'll get to some of that with Brian McTagg coming up at 11 o'clock as well. Here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross, 713, 212-5-790. The phone number 713-212-5-790.

Astros beat the Boston Red Sox yesterday and stay one game. ahead, or not stay, they gain a game on the Mariners because they lost to the Baltimore Orioles and they will play the Orioles again today. Is that an afternoon getaway game? Yes, it is. Ooh, that's at noon. Let's go on MLB Network. All right, live updates as we go along here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. You ready for my exercise? Yes. Can we go, Ross? I forgot about it, but I'm ready. We are setting the table. We need like some, uh, who wants to be a

millionaire music or something. Game show music? Well, no, it's the Matt Thomas show. We've got to play something from 1976. So the Astros... Like match game or something. The Astros set their Wild Card Series roster last year.

Okay, get us the... Who Wants to be a Millionaire music, if you could, Jonathan? See you in there? I don't know. Our cameras are not working. Cameras are not working. Can't see if he's there. Go ahead. So you don't have to follow this model. But this was the model

the Astros set for the Wild Card series last year. It was five. starters, six bullpen guys. Okay. And as we know, that's interchangeable. One of your starters, because it's such a short series. This is actually turning up the intensity. One of your starters could theoretically be a bullpen guy in a wild card series. Okay. But we're just sitting the table here. So here's what we need, Ross. We got 11 arms.

Okay. I need five starters and six bullpen arms for a hypothetical wildcard slash ALDS series. Okay. We'll begin with the starters. Okay. I think the front end of this is pretty simple. We're just talking this out. Oh, okay, okay, good.

So give me your first starter. First starter, Hunter Brown. Okay. So, pencil and Hunter Brown. Give me your second starter. Frambar Valdez, the lefty. So those were basically your $1,000 and $2,000 questions. Like, no, you got the easy part.

You're right. I see you working. Okay. We go to our $10,000 question. Uh-huh. Who's your third starter? You know what? right now it's Christian Javier.

Christian Javier. Can he see on Javier? You know the guy with the World Series no hitter? Guy getting paid. One of your most expensive pitchers on the roster right now. Yeah. Getting paid very well. Okay.

So Christian Javier at number three. Wonderful. I need two more starters. Spencer Arrogatti. Easy-peasy. So we will go Spencer Arrogati four. Now, you don't normally, you don't use five starters in the playoffs. So this guy can also be a bullpen guy.

Okay. Luis Garcia. So we're going Luis Garcia. Swing starter slash long relief. Let's go. What's up? So now I need six bullpen arms. Okay, Abraeu, Susa. Brian Abraeu and Bennett Susa are two.

I need Stephen Oker? We will go Stephen Oker. That's three. I need three more. McNeese State's own, Brian King. Do we trust Brian King? He was on the wild card roster

last year. So I've already got two lefties. Sure, yeah, we'll put Brian King in there. Brian King takes a spot. We only have spots for two more pitchers. Now, let me remind you, Ross. We have Jason Alexander. Yes. Who's been a nice starter for you. We have Brandon Walter, who's been a nice starter for you. Okay, let me put Caleb Oort in there, because he's been pitching well, and he's a righty. We'll go Caleb Oort. So you only have one more spot. Again, let me set the table. Okay, set the table. We have Jason Alexander. Yes. We have Brandon Walter. We have

Colton Gordon and Sean Dubin. I'm just including them in the mix because they're on the active roster. Sean Dubin kind of got rocked. And then we have Lance McCuller's Jr. as well. All right, I got a name for you. Josh Hater. Okay, I'm in this situation,

Josh Hader's not of him. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Oh, I will go with... Now, take a minute here. You can phone Jonathan if you'd like to ask him. No, I'm certainly not phoning Jonathan. We can ask the... audience? Nick Hernandez. No, I'm just kidding. I'm going to go with

Brandon Walter. Is Brandon Walter available in this scenario? Brandon Walter rounds out your pitching stuff. So that means... I can go Brandon Walter. I could go Sean Dubin. Oh, and in this realm, J.P. France would also be available. Yeah.

I just don't know what he is yet. Right. I'm going to go with what did I say first? You said Brandon Walter. I'm going to go with Brandon Walter. So poor Jason Alexander who just went, back to back six innings of one run bowl

for you. Well, we'll bring you back for Seinfeld night next year. Appreciate it. All right, that's it. Kill the music, Jonathan. Wow, that was stressful. Honestly, that sounds good. Lance McCuller's Jr. not on your postseason pitching staff. No,

he could pitch his way onto it where we would put him, pencil him in as a, but right now, I mean, we'll see what Arrogatee does. I have confidence in Aargetty and maybe it's just because he's such a great interview and I like him and I'm just being personally biased. But I think he turned around. He's very smart.

Five innings two run ball. Yeah, good from that standpoint, but five walks is unacceptable. But he knows that. So he'll get better and then we'll go from there. So, I mean, you lay all that out. The good news is you have as good as a one two punch as anyone in baseball. So maybe the one that compete with you is probably not even going to make the playoffs. That being the Texas Rangers with Evaldian de Grom.

So you're going to have as good as a one-two punch as anybody in the playoffs. Right. But you also had that last year. And you lost. And you were out in two games. I get it. So yeah, anything can happen. Hey, playoff baseball, baby.

Anything can happen. You can lose as you can get swept four games by the A's who suck. That's why these next few weeks are so big for Javier and Aragetti. You just want to see them round into form. And see, that's the thing. It's one of those things like, hey, we don't have time for people to round in the form. You're one game up in the West. So you've got to get into form.

quickly, so it's going to be very interesting. But that's the catch 22 is like you can't not have them not. Of course. You've got to throw them out there. And if they're bad, you kind of have to just deal with it because they have to get their innings under them. Absolutely. It's almost like they're coming out of spring training and just getting their legs under them. So

there you have it. Yeah, that's some tough. So you're telling me that's an Astros postseason roster with no Sean Dubin, Colton Gordon, doesn't that sound good to you? JP France, Lance McCullors, Jr., or Jason Alexander. If Jason Alexander keeps pitching this way, he's going to earn a spot. I mean, we'll see. Literally, look, I like Jason Alexander, but we have to be realistic.

He was off the scrap heat from the A's. But also, I mean, look, a lot of those guys that I named in the bullpen were kind of off scrap heat. The Astros certainly work wonders with pitching. We've seen that before. But you start with established guys, Valdez and Brown. I think Javier Ergetti is going to be a good three, four. How whatever, Orrin's, you know, do you want to put them in depending on how they're looking in the next couple of months? And also, I have some bad news for you. Guys can still get hurt. We've got two months left.

Guys can still get hurt. So we'll see. We can't assume full health. And then that could honestly, not that it's a good thing, but a silver lining would be it makes the picture a little bit clearer for the Astros and what to do going forward. All right. We're going to take quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. That is Chris Gordy. I am Ross via Real. Brian McTaggart is joining us next.

You can get in as well on the phones if you'd like at some point at 713-212-5-790. But we'll pose some of these questions and more and more Astros talk coming up with Brian McTaggart of astros.com. Next here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross as we head into our number two. 11.01 in the a.m. here on a sports talk 790. Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Chris Gordy along. me, Rosvia Ria, with you as well. And right now, after a heavy first hour of Astros discussion, pleased to be joined by someone

who actually knows what they're talking about with the Astros. Brian McTaggart, Astros.com, MLB.com as well. Brian, a nice win by the Astros yesterday, but let's get down to what is the biggest topic going on with the Astros. Josh Hater, we got the news yesterday that he's seeking a second opinion. We generally understand that that means the first opinion. probably wasn't good. We got a preview of Brian Abraeu and Benet-Suzah taking over the leverage spots last night.

Just in your eyes, how big of a blow is this for the Astros and the body language or just what you can kind of read about how severe it could be for Josh Hater? Yeah, well, the fact that, you know, a couple of days ago, Joe Espada called it a punch in the gut. And then yesterday, you know, obviously they're waiting on a second opinion. And, you know, he says he wants to give Josh space to see the doctors. So, yeah, you're right. I mean, second opinion is never good. Rarely does it seem like do they come back and say, hey, second opinion, he'll be good to go here when the 15 days are up. Joey even said it's going to be longer than the 15 days, which will take him, you know, probably into September because, you know, you're going to have to start building up a little bit, you know, throw a couple bullpins and whatnot.

So it doesn't sound very good. I mean, we'll wait for the prognosis tomorrow. but I felt that they were probably already a reliever short. You know, after the trade deadline, I know they looked at trying to get a reliever. It just felt they could have used one more and now losing Hater. Yeah, I mean, a bray you can close, Sousa can close, but now you're a little bit more limited in how you get the ball to the ninth inning. The perfect formula would be what happened last night.

Your starter goes six and two-thirds seven, seven, and then you only have six, seven ounce to cover, but we all know that's not going to happen every night. So they're in a tough spot, and, you know, we'll see what the news is. We'll find out tomorrow about Hater. Where do you think they go to kind of shore this up? You do have a lot of arms coming back. Do you think guys like Luis Garcia who's been in the bullpen before would be an option? Do you think they would try to pick somebody off the scrap heap?

We keep getting inundated with Ryan Presley questions here. Yeah, I've asked around about Presley, and I get the idea they're not completely interested in that. I mean, I think it would have happened already, you know, if it was going to work out. he and Dana Brown didn't exactly leave on the best of terms, so I don't know if that hangs over their head as well. But I think if Prulsey was going to be an option, he'd be here already. But, you know, they did get De LaSanto sort of, you know, off the scrap heap, like you said, and his first adding was okay.

So I don't know. They're just going to have to piece this together the best you can. Yeah, they get some starters back. They can move some guys to the bullpen. I think Walter stuff will play well in the bullpen out of the left side, you know, deceptive three-quarter arm slot left side. they, you know, Joe Spotted pretty much admitted that when A.J. Blueball went back down that that he could be an option for, you know, a bullpen starter role, sort of a hybrid to come back up.

So I think we'll see two or three guys who can start, who can relieve. And they're just going to have to try to patch it together the best they can. They're just, you know, Brian King, you know, struggled a little bit, giving up the long ball. So if they can get him back in form, like he pitched the first, you know, half of the season, that that would help as well. but it's just every day it's just going to be a chess match for Joe Espada playing the matchups and maybe throwing a guy two innings and then try to get that ball to the eighth and ninth inning. It is interesting, Brian, as this team starts to get healthy, they bring, you know, Christian Javier and Spencer Arreddy are back on this team and they're trying to work into establishing themselves back into the rotation

and both last outing for both were better. And then you got Jason Alexander, who's had a couple of good starts again, for this team. Brandon Walter working his way back. We'll see if he gets closer to a rehab start. We know Luis Garcia had another good outing last night for AAA as he rehabs and we know McCullors is getting closer. I bring all this up

to say if the math maths here, Brian, and these guys all start to get healthy and they truly are with the void of Josh Hader. Does Dana Brown have a conversation with somebody to say, hey, there's not enough rotation spots here. Do one of you guys

take on a bullpenman mentality here is that maybe some of those conversations going on behind the scenes? Oh yeah. I mean, I think they'll have to. I mean, if they, and that's a great problem for them to have, if they can get all those guys back. If they get Garcia back, the McCullors in France and Walter, and you know, you have seven, eight starters now. Yeah, they're going to have put a couple of those guys in the pen. I think they would all be willing to do it pretty much. Like I said, they've already sort of had that discussion with Bluebaugh, and they might have had it with a couple others so far. And, you know, we've seen this team in the past put starters in the pen late in the season at playoffs. And, you know, a lot of teams have done that as well. When you get to the playoffs, you're going to use pretty much three starters, four at the most.

So you're going to have some extra arms in the bullpen. So, man, they just got to do what they can to try to get to the playoffs. And I think they'll be in a lot better shape when they get there. But certainly, I think they have to win the games at Hunter Brown or Frumber start. They just feels like they need to win every one of those games. and then hope that Javier and Erigeti continued to get better. I mean, Javier was better than I thought he was going to be.

His Velo was there. And I think he'll be fine. Erigetti's last start was better than his first. So those are all positive things if you're the Astros. Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk 790. A name we haven't mentioned much, Lance McCuller's Jr. I just feel like we talk about him,

and I feel like I can see it playing out in so many different ways with him. What is your kind of gut feeling on him coming back and how he fits into the puzzle? Boy, that is a really good question, Ross. I don't know. I mean, this whole thing is really weird. Being out a couple of weeks with a blister now. And, you know, back on the mound, Friday night and Sugarland making a rehab start. Yeah.

I mean, if he goes out there and you can get people out, do you give him another shot in the rotation? Have they had that discussion with Lance of, you know, maybe putting him in the bullpen? That being said, I mean, you know, he's, he's, he's, he's. maxing out at 92, 92.5 miles an hour at this point. So they're going to have to make a tough decision. I'm not sure where he fits right now. I know he wants the ball and he wants to compete, but especially to get some of these other guys back.

But he's got a shot. If he goes out there and pitch as well and stays healthy, I think he'll get another shot in the big leagues, but he's going to have to come up here and get people out because they've got a quarter of the season left, and they're in a dog fight here with a really good Mariners team. So they're just going to have to put their best foot forward and put their best arms out there.

Brian, let's talk a little bit about the offense. Man, it feels like every time I see something disparaging about either Janer Diaz or Christian Walker, they make me look stupid that night and go off. And last night it was Yonar Diaz with two hits and the big home run. But on a night where you had just four hits, I mean, the two home runs were as big as you can get. But I just, I'm looking for more consistency.

And I hate to harp on this guy. But Hazie Sanchez, you know, they had some hits. a bunch of doubles when he first got up here with the Astros, but we're working on going on almost a week without a hit for him. Do you continue to bat him to hold top of that lineup if he continues to not hit here? Oh, no, I don't think Joe will either. I think he's in an O for 12, yeah, in the last six, seven games or so. But, yeah, I mean, I think the lineup is long enough now.

You have enough options to where if a guy struck, you can move him down. I mean, we've seen Cam Smith had everywhere in this lineup from first to, you know, ninth. And so, you know, now with Urius, you know, Chaz is swinging a little bit better against left-handers. So you have some more options from the left side and with Correa as well that, you know, you can move things around. I mean, he gives Correa the day off yesterday. And, you know, you feel comfortable if, you know, you got solid options to put out there at third base. So Joe, it's not going to be the same lineup every day. And if a guy's struggling, he's already shown he's not a.

afraid to move him down, sit them out of the lineup. And that's going to be easier to do over the last quarter of the season. But, yeah, you traded Hesu Sanchez for a reason. You wanted an impact left-handed bat. He was that the first week. He hasn't been so much in the last week. But, you know, we've seen Yonder be really streaky this year. Walker got going, but still he's a little bit streaky.

Even Jose Al-Tube has been streaky. So it's going to happen. And, you know, they're going to keep running Sanchez out there and see if he can make an impact. Continuing with Brian McTaggart. on the injury front. Yordaun Alvarez, I feel like we've asked you about him basically since May at this point. He's going to take live BP this weekend, they said. That sounds good.

I'm going to ask you, how crazy would you call me 1 to 10 if I said I think that he's maybe managing pain on something that he needs an offseason procedure for? Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, we've been told on numerous times he's pain free. I mean, the bone, I mean, I think Dana Brown said that the other day. He's pain free. The fracture has been healed for a couple of months now. So, you know, I'm not sure what the issue is. It's hard to say if he's going to need surgery or not because I really don't know what's wrong with him other than hand inflammation.

What's causing the hand inflammation? We don't know. But, you know, he's dealt with hand problems for so long now that you would think that if, there is a solution where they can do surgery, then they probably should explore it and do it just because this seems to have been lingering in his career now. Ever since he came up, really, he's had these hand inflammation problems. But who knows?

I mean, the fact he's taking live BP is a really good sign. That's a big increase in velocity, you know, against pitchers down in West Palm Beach. And the next step would be a rehab. So maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Who knows? Yeah. So before we get you out, Brian,

just ask you in general, this hater thing going down, obviously they can kind of manage it, but in your eyes, how much does this affect your feeling of the Astros to, not just win the American League West, but to win American League pennant? I think it's a big blow to both.

You lose one of the best closers in the league. Yeah, I mean, that's really going to hamper your bullpen. Like you said, Abraeu can close. That's fine. But, you know, now how are you going to get the ball to Abraeu and Assusa and K. and all that. You're just taking a huge piece of your arsenal out. And we've seen him pitching an inning in a third. We've seen him pitch two innings like he did Friday night.

You don't have that guy now. And so, yeah, I mean, I think it's going to make it that much more difficult to fight off the Mariners who are playing really, really good baseball since the trade deadline. And when we get to the playoffs, you know, the bullpen use is magnified. And being able to have a guy to shut down and shorten games and get those last three outs is huge. And so if he is out, That's just, that's a big weapon that Joe Spotted won't have, but they'll have to find ways to overcome it. All right, I'll add. One more question. What you got over at astros.com that we can check out. Yeah, well, we have a story posted last night from Luis Garcia's rehab start in Sugar Land. And sort of a story on the pitching last night. I mean, Hunter Brown went away from his fastball, his best pitch, went curveball heavy against, you know, Red Sox lineup he was seen for the second time in two weeks.

and then also in that article a little bit about the bullpen usage post Josh Hader. But also this weekend, check out a cool story. Spencer Arrigetti is Players Weekend. So players are going to be front and center. And Spencer Arrogetti loves to put together Legos. And we'll have a story more on that in the newsletter, which will hit your inbox, Ross, on Saturday. So look out for that. Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about, Brian.

All right. I appreciate the time, man. We'll talk to you down the road. All right. See you. All right. Thank you. There you go.

Brian McTaggart, Astros. MLB.com covering the Astros like nobody's business. I'm going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. You want to react to anything he said. How you feeling? I'm going to say, before the game yesterday,

hearing the Josh Hater, not news, but hearing that he's getting a second opinion and just not encouraging words, it's shaking my confidence in the Astros to a level that's maybe as low as it's been all year, but I still think they can win the American League Pennant. How are you feeling about it? 713

212.790 is the phone number 713-212-5-790. We'll talk about that and more as we continue in our number two of the Matt Thomas show with Ross here on Sports Talk 790. Thanks to Brian McTaggart. Joining the show every week. Thursdays

at 11 o'clock. We have I just don't get it coming up at 1130 on the show. and my phone is transcribing what I'm saying right now. Sorry. All right. Anyway, 713, 212. 5790 is the phone number if you'd like to get in.

713, 2125.790. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas with Chris Gordy. We'll have the news at noon coming up with Jonathan Allen at noon. And, well, Chris Gordy will rejoin us at some point very soon here. a lot about the Asheros and they're just so many I always describe 162 game seasons as each their own

story. There's the ebbs, there's the flows, there's always seems to be certainly one of the go-to tropes of this Astros run is some horrible series in the middle of the year where they get swept by the A's or the Orioles or whatever some bad team and things don't

go their way and everybody's like ripping their hair out and getting all upset. And I think I would chalk that hopefully, hopefully the only time that happens the rest of this year would be the four game sweep suffered at the hands of the Oakland A's where Nick Kurtz is having one of the greatest games in the history of baseball literally against you. And really from the beginning of this season, it was, it's going to be pitching, pitching, pitching, pitching, and the guys can't hit enough. now post trade deadline.

It's like, we've got to figure out what the heck is going on with these pitchers. And I'm feeling more confident, especially if you're able to get Yordon Alvarez back. And I understand you have to take it with a grain of salt. But the fact that he's taking live BP this weekend is encouraging. It's August 14th. So I don't know exactly what that means as far as a timeline. Dana Brown, as Brian McTagher was telling us last segment, is saying that Yordon is pain free.

And that's the whole thing about this. It's like, is he have any pain? No. Is the, so it's still fractured? Oh, no, no, fractures heel. So what is it? It's inflammation. But like, this is the freaking circle you run into with inflammation.

It's like, I think Sean has Dana about it yesterday. It was like, yeah, it's just about it's not about how he feel. Because he can go out there and swing the bat and he feels great. Everything's fine. It's about how he feels tomorrow. And the next day, oh, the information. Well, how are you ever going to get this wrangled if every day he does something and the next day it's inflamed? I mean, it's like, okay, we're just going to play him every other day?

That's why I just kind of have the, it's just a gut feeling, wild hair, that it's some sort of thing that he may need a procedure for. And they're trying to figure out how many weeks can he credibly give them at the end of the regular season and then hopefully into the playoffs, which they're big favorites to make. the playoffs, but it is no guarantee at this point. I think last I looked at it had like 90% playoff odds or something like that. So it's looking good and hopefully the Orioles continue to do their thing

against the Mariners, but not against the Astros this weekend. But it's just crazy because we're running at time. I mean two months I mean are like six weeks left basically of the season. Can we send him to like a witch doctor or something? Like, hey, every time

he swings the bat, his hand it gets It's inflamed. Which doctor? Hmm. Okay. Do whatever you can. Put a voodoo hex on. Some kind of experimental, you know.

Holistic healing. Something like that. You get his chakras all aligned and whatnot. Hang some drink catchers over his bed. I don't know what we need to do. But I will say especially- Maybe can he learn to swing it back with an inflamed hand? Maybe that's what we need to work on.

I'm going to make a statement. You tell me how, I don't think it's that bold. They're not winning. They're not getting to the world. series without Yorda and Alvarez in the lineup. I mean, it's easy to say that, but I don't know, man. What if Christian Walker

wakes up in the postseason? Suddenly starts playing like Christian Walker of years past. Like, other guys can elevate. Yes, they can. That's like Sean asked me this morning, you know, is this a World Series team? I said, well, you can't say, like, the Dodgers are a World Series team, but will they win it? I mean, you know,

it's about who gets hot in the playoffs. Like, that's, the best team doesn't always win. That's true. The best team doesn't always win, but you get the best the two 2019. The two World Series they lost the Braves and to the Nationals were two teams that just got on a heater. Well, I don't think the

Astros in 21 were better than those Braves. That was a miracle they made the World Series. Remember every time the starter went out, except for like Framer with that one game of eight run, what was it, eight, I'm sorry, eight innings, one run ball in Boston. Like every start almost was a disaster

for the Astros in that playoff. run. It was a miracle they even made the World Series. But in 2019, of course, they were the best team in baseball. But the Braves were like left for dead before the trade deadline and then they got hot. They got hot too, but I don't think like, I don't think that was like some injustice

that they lost that series like it was in 2019. That's the way I'm saying it. But if we look at, yeah, American League rosters, I think they can compete with anyone. Honestly, honestly, do the Mariners have the best, do they have the best

roster in the American League, top to bottom? Line up plus pitching plus bullpen? I think it's arguable. I think it's certainly arguable. But the hater thing is really, like I said, it's shaking me more. Not that as an isolated incident, not that it would have

shaken me that much, but when you pile it up with the uncertainty of Yordon Alvarez, who I still think is going to come back, I'm just saying, I'm not feeling. The, the The vibes are not good right now, but the vibes can turn. You know how they would turn?

Keep winning games. Get Yort on back. Get some of these starting pitchers rounded in a form. There is absolutely a world where I'm feeling like the Astros are American League favorites. I'm looking at the Marinus roster. That is a pretty damn strong roster. Okay. I mean on paper.

Yes. The games are not played on paper. I don't know. They don't have. I mean, Polanco, Julio, Roseraine, and Cal Raleigh. Who are the other hitters put a fear in you? I mean, Josh Naylor's really good. And Iuhino-Sawares is going to, he's going to heat up at some point.

He's not doing anything for them right now. He's been terrible, but I think he will. Has he even hit a home run for them? I don't think so. Oh, he's got one. Okay, he's got one. There you go. That's crazy.

What did he have at the deadline? Oh, yeah, he was hitting a million of them. 36 or something stupid? Yeah, so he goes back home, whilst it's, yeah, it is more difficult, I guess. in Peco and then it hit it out in the desert. He had 36 home runs in Arizona and then he comes to

comes back to Seattle and he's got one. Yeah, their lineup, let's see. A Rosa Rana, Raleigh, Rodriguez, Suarez, Naler, Polanco. Mitch Garver's not having a great season, but he has some history of being a decent hitter. Swares has

five hits in 12 games as a Mariner. Not exactly what you, the massive trade deadline acquisition. He's got 37 homers on the year. Yeah, at 36 in Arizona. He's got one in Seattle. Yeah. See, we don't need that turning around.

We need that to continue. That's all I'm saying. I'm just concerned. Good news is you have the weaker schedule in front of you. You have a one game cushion. Not much of a cushion, but hey, it's at least something. And you need to go and win this American League West. please.

All right, we're going to take quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. We have other things to get to as well. The Texans are in a joint practice or were in a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers. We can talk about that. We've been talking some shows. We have some college football notes that I know Mr. Chris Cordy is really wanting to get to. But, oh, wait, I forgot. Coming up next.

What don't you get? Something you don't understand, something that's happening. And maybe it's popular. maybe it's not, but you just don't get it. 713-212-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-7-90. I just don't get it. Coming up next here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Bangers only on AI songs on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. What? Don't you understand that you see is going around, and you just don't get it. 7-13-212-5-790. 713-212-5-790. I'm going to start. I understand the Astros are short on relief help,

but I just don't get why everybody continues to bring up Ryan Presley. He was DFAed on July 31st. That was at this point two weeks ago. there are anywhere from 15 to 17 teams in playoff races. None of them have thought to tender his services. He's 36 years old. This fan base hated Ryan Presley. They hated Ryan Presley when he was here.

And you can't sell me as much on, oh, get him back here in Houston, and they're going to wave their magic pitching wand, and they fixed pitchers. Well, he was a pitcher that was here. And when he was here, there were people that were unhappy. with his results. Every metric that you can look at has been horrible for him all year.

And I appreciate Ryan Preslin. He was nails in the playoffs. But I just don't get why so many people continue to bring up over and over and over again, bringing back Ryan Presley. It's familiarity. We know what we know, right? So, like, we think of good times. It's why we still have people. Nostalgia?

Yeah, people were still chanting. I mean, I'll want to get Springer back. We get Springer back? I mean, it's like they just, now the Kraya thing may actually end up working. Right now it's working and it looks very good. At least he's like 31. But the people that just become obsessed with the ex-astros,

it's like, look, when they leave, they leave for a reason. Or when they move on, they move on for a reason. And so I would just use as evidence, a look at out of the Hector-Naris reunion workout. We need a 36-year-old right-handed reliever who used to be good with the Astros. Yeah, we had one. His name is Hector Nerris. You got DFA'd.

I mean, there were people angry when the, I think, were the Rangers at the deadline traded, deadline traded for Phil Maeton. We should have gotten Maiton. Like, stop. You only like him because he was an Astro before. That's the only reason you like him. We do love nostalgia here in America. Chris Gordy, what don't you get?

Well, I got one. It's on the college football front. I saw this last night. Even Lane Kiffin got involved with a little bit. I'm going to take you over to Auburn, Alabama. as Hugh Freeze is in a He's in a tough spot over there trying to get things right in.

He's got any more sanctions breathing down his neck or is he doing okay? Hasn't texted any prostitutes lately either. That's good. That you know of. But there was all this stuff last year about who's calling the plays. Is Hugh Freeze calling the plays? Is he delegating and all this? Well, this offseason, they brought in Derek Nix from Ole Miss to help out.

He also brought in Kent Austin, another former play caller to help out. Well, Justin Hawkinson, who covers Auburn, tweet this out last night. Since we spoke with Derek Nix and Ken Austin yesterday, for Auburn this year, Derek Nix will handle first down strategy slash play calling. What? Ken Austin will handle third down strategy slash play calling. What? And as Hugh Fries said, as the guy said a few frees,

the head coach has the authority to overrule anything we say or do. Oh, my God. So am I to understand that Derek Nix will be making play calls on first down? Hugh Freeze will call place on second down and Ken Austin will call plays on third down. I mean, I guess when you break it down, I mean, that's how guys break down their play sheets down and distance. So it kind of makes sense.

But that's where there's... And then Freeze could overrule anybody at any time. This is a bad idea. Have they not heard the phrase too many cooks in the kitchen? Yes. So for that, I just don't get it. I don't get that either. that wow that that makes no sense 713212-570 if you want to give us something you just don't get

713 212570 Jonathan I'm got to be honest Jonathan the camera's not working so I can't see you so it's kind of out of side out of mine I keep forgetting you're here how's it going it's no problem I just don't get um because Michael Porter Jr. had came out addressing the gambling issues with sports and now that I'm getting older it wasn't. this bad and obviously they've been pushing it especially these media like ESPN you know draft kings you know I'm not understanding why Vegas and all these other people that want to go into this game in business don't put a cap on what you can put down for these bets because I feel like I know it's it's a lot more it's a lot more complex than what I'm saying it but I feel like

that would solve a lot of issues than you like how Michael Porter Jr. was quoting saying you can put 10k down with your friends and you know vote for my under and they'll go they'll get money that way if you put a cap on like $500 for each bet you can't go past that I feel that will have some a lot of issues and won't be such a big convincing pursuit like a persuading impact on the athletes to do it themselves I think a lot of prop bets do have limits yeah a lot of a lot of props they do have caps especially like Super Bowl ones that they make up because you know you can get inside information on how long the anthem is going to be Gatorade color.

Gatorade color. You can't just go and bet 100 Gs on it. So, yeah, they do cap a lot of those bets. And this is the problem with what Michael Porter Jr. said. Yeah, he says, think about it. If you get all your homies rich by telling them, you bet 10,000 on my under this one game, guess what's going to happen if these websites,

gambling websites, they have guardrails in place. If they automatically get 10 underbets on Jonte Porter, it's going to send up red, flags all across the company, and they're going to tell other sports books as well. Well, it's like the, was it the Alabama baseball coach. Yeah. I remember was betting on, like, Steve or not because he knew his starter wasn't going to go or something. They're like, hey, what's his bet over in, over in Illinois?

Somebody just put a ton on Alabama baseball? What's going on there? If you, if you even put two, let's say you put $2 parlays all Saturday and Sunday on football, and then all of a sudden you're betting $10,000, that's also a red flag. So I understand what Michael Porter is saying, but unless you're walking into a casino with a lot of cash and even then, depending on certain types, you try to bet more than $10,000, you bet like $1,000 or $2,000. It's not necessarily going to send up red flags. But it's, you guys are going to keep getting caught like they are. So yeah, it doesn't make any sense.

But yeah, the reason why they don't put, they don't put certain amount of caps on that is because they want to win money. and they want to, and generally they do. And if you win, oh, they're going to come get you if you try to win at the casino, or they're going to cut you off, honestly. It's the biggest bet you ever made. That's a great question. I want to say, I definitely bet on Texas to win the championship against USC.

I did $200, Texas plus seven and a half, and then I think I did another $100 on the money line. and that was like 20 years ago at this point that was like 300 bucks on one game I don't know that I've ever put more than that on one game I've done $100, $200 bets and stuff like that but I don't normally do more than that on one game now I'll tell you this

I'll do a slate of Sunday games and I'll put 150 here like if I'm in Vegas I've had you know 500 or more on the line at one point but not on a single wager oh you mentioned Texas and championship yes I've got another I just don't get it.

Oh, God. Here we go. What don't you get? Ralph Russo. Who did? Longtime AP writer writes for the athletic now. Wrote a piece this week, Ross. Is Texas the new Alabama?

We're basically, you know, they're the new model, right? No. They're the preseason number one in all the polls. One thing we're missing here, fellas. Championships. Alabama won championships. So, no, Texas is not the, new Alabama until they win a championship.

I got to tell you, I don't think there is going to be any new Alabama with a 12th team playoff. So many different. And the portal. The portal and NIL money getting spent by everyone and keeping up with those Joneses. And the fact that quite frankly, you have to get lucky at some points to win championships. I mean, how many times you know rooting all those years against Alabama, how many times they were down and all this crazy stuff would happen?

They would get in when they didn't even play for the SEC. They go, oh, they're still in. Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, it can happen. But now when you got to win, you know, you got to win your conference championship game to get a buy. And then you have to, even from there, win like three more games. There's too much luck involved for somebody to go on a dynastic run like that, I believe. Yeah, so Ralph Russo, I just don't get it.

Yeah. All right. We're going to take a quick break. JP, we see you on hold. Anybody else you want to get in, 713, 212, 5, 799. 713, 212, 579. What don't you get? We'll get to that next here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

All right. Something you just don't get, you got time to get in still if you like. 713, 212-2-790, 7-1-3-212-5-790. JP and Humble, what don't you get? Well, I'm going to preface my what don't I get statement by something you actually said before the last break, not this break. with the last break. Okay. You said, good news is, good news is

Astros are, have a favorable schedule coming up. My point is, I'm not so sure that's good news for me based on the way the Astros have played the lower caliber teams, teams with losing

records. I think, to be honest with your Ross, I think I would rather than play teams who have winning records going into these last few weeks because they tend to rise to the occasion to play the better teams and play better that have losing records. And so that's my point. I don't get it.

Why can't these guys who get paid millions of dollars rise to the occasion, keep themselves in the butt and say, guys, we can't let off the gas here. We've got to go out and beat the A's. We've got to go out and beat the Orioles. It's almost like they have this mental lapse of, okay, we can chill now. It's all right. We got these teams coming up. take it easy, just do our thing,

get a couple of easy wins, and we're good to go. I would much rather see them play teams with winning records that are doing well right now than to have them play these teams that they're favored against, and that's what I just don't get. Okay, yeah, JP, thank you. Now, it's actually changed recently because they won the series against Boston.

They were, and there must be some team that they've played recently that is flipping between 500 ball. Well, Miami's still a terrible team, but they were streaking a little bit when you took two out of three against them. The Nationals were a bad team. You took two out of three against them.

Yes. Now, they got swept by the A's. Yeah, that was bad. That was bad. But the A's again, were playing good baseball at that time. So, over the course of a season, you're going to run into a bad team that happens to be playing great ball at that time. They're 35 and 27 against teams above 500.

and they are 33 and 26 against teams that are below 500. It's basically about the same. Yeah. And like I said, somebody must have just recent, one of their opponents must have flipped because the numbers were much more stark recently as in they were taking care of business

against below 500 teams. So I understand that's kind of how we feel. I also will say a lot of that is because a loss against the Rockies or the A's feels like double the loss against a really good teams. So I understand that's kind of a narrative and it's fun to talk about, but as a practical matter, as an actual on-the-field practical matter, would you rather than play four games against CAs or four games against the Tigers? Be 100% honest with yourself and practical.

I would rather than play four games against CAs. Right. I mean, come on. So I get, I will say I get it because it feels. feels bad when they, it feels much worse when they lose to bad teams. But overall, you would rather face the, would you rather than play the Rockies four times, or I don't know, the Blue Jays? I would rather than play the Rockies.

And it's not even close. So, anywho, I get that you don't get it, but I don't get that you don't get it. You know what I'm saying? No. Yeah, I do. I don't get colors or fans that make general, there's two many. games in baseball to make general assertions. Like, we always lose to the bad teams.

No, you don't actually. Look at the statistical analysis. Yeah, if you actually bring up the numbers. It was like the caller on the post game on Sunday who told me, Cam Smith had the biggest game of the biggest hit of the day and goes, you take that one hit away, he's been clueless. Yes, but we just ignored the biggest hit. People take away things.

Like, for example, yeah, the, Josh Hader gets 10 saves in a row. He's great. He gets one blown save. What the hell? He always blows these games. People make those assertions, and I just, I don't get it. Like, that's not, that's being dumb.

Right. We don't like people like, oh, Josh Spada cost it in this game. Wait a minute. They've had 18 people at one point on the IL and they're in first place. He gets zero credit for any of the wins and all the blame for the losses, correct? That was what I don't get yesterday. They had a Sean Salisbury show, had a caller who, was just hating on a spotter.

They rail on him when they win. What do you want him to do? When they win the baseball game. They won the game. Oh, that idiot Joe Spada. They won the game. And especially on Monday,

they were down Brian King, Brian Abraeu, and Josh Hader. And they won the game. Don't get me started on that. I've actually been, I mean, we'll peel the curtain back. I've been actually been like, I need to stop railing on the,

these idiots. Number one, I don't want to give them the attention. But number two, it's like, it's just exhausting. It's exhausting for me. I don't know if it's exhausting for the listeners, but I just, these people, I don't get them. Oh, wait, let me go to our Facebook page yesterday. Oh, please don't.

Actually, I'm going to get angry. You know what, if you want to get me upset. Joe Horton. Oh, God. Joe Horton. Now, when I was watching baseball and that Enos Cabell would never stand for this. Well, if you'd like to know what Joe Horton said. What did Joe Horton say?

On our first post yesterday, he posted Dana Brown needs to go. Oh my God. What? These are the same people that a few weeks ago were celebrating, I got to give Dana his prompts. What a great job he did to trade deadline. Joe on a separate post posted yesterday. Dana Brown needs to be dismissed. Why?

He has single-handedly destroyed a championship team. Oh, my God. I was at the game last night, and the Astros looked like a AAA ball club, all the while Bregman was having his way with us. Joe, did you watch last night's game? That flipped. The Astros didn't look like a AAA team, and Bregman did not have his way with you.

So it's just so reactionary. Yeah, I know. And I don't, we have thousands of listeners, thousands of followers, and I don't want to harp on the one or two Joe Horton's of the world. I'm really trying to be better about that. But I'm going to tell you, folks. Just be smarter as a fan.

It's hard. Just be smarter as a fan. You can be angry and say last night's game didn't go well. Here's why. But you can't celebrate the man two weeks ago and go, what a great job he did at the trade deadline. And then two weeks later go, he's a dumbass. You don't know what he's doing.

I would implore people to think before they speak. But I know that that's asking too much. Last year, Astros against teams below 500, 47 and 3, and 30. Teams above 500, 41 and 43. So 17 games above 500 to two games under. This year it is closer, but still at the end of the day, like I said, I'll go ahead and do some more digging and figure out who heck is flipping from 500 ball.

I think it's the, yeah, it's the Rangers maybe that are kind of throwing these things off. But anyways, you'd rather play bad teams. Come on. Let's be serious. All right, well, anything, you know what, Gordy? I was going to use the second half of this segment to let you get out any sort of college football notes you wanted to get to, besides Texas being the new Alabama. Yeah, that was really the one. What was the Texas Tech note?

Oh, the Big 12 banning, throwing things onto the field. This does include tortillas under this umbrella. Yes, Big 1280s voted this week to solidify an existing game management policy regarding to throwing items on the playing surface. A team will receive a warning, For the first two violations in a game. That's a lot of warning. Before 15-yard penalties could begin.

The move impacts Texas Tech, whose fans hold a tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field, most notably at opening kickoff or during opening kickoff. The policy will allow for tortillas to be thrown, but will result in a warning. A third-in incident could result in a penalty. So the one team that voted against us, I'm imagining. The one program was probably Texas Tech. Right. Well, so basically the thing is they throw the tortilla. So every home game, they're going to get a warning right out of the gates. I don't know. When did they throw them when they get touchdowns or what? No, it's an opening kickoff.

Oh, they do it at kickoff and then what else? I mean, I don't know. I don't see it's ridiculous red rate. Me either. I never been to a game there and I don't plan on going because I heard when I was at school at Texas, I heard horror stories from everyone who ever went over there about how they treat opposing fans. Oh, you didn't hear though? They're getting all the hot recruits now. Like, that's the place to be. That's the place to be. That's the place to be. My favorite is Matt Thomas's son being a hypocrite. He's been talking trash to me about Manchester City just paying for players, and now he's defending Texas Tech. I would just hope some of these kids, these 17-year-olds that are all committing to Texas Tech,

these big five-star O-Line men and stuff, make a trip there first before you say yes to the money. I imagine they are, right? You're going to, because what's going to happen? You're going to get there. You're going to go, ooh. It's going, hey, their Walmart got upgraded to a Super Walmart recently. So things are going good in Lubbock. All right, quick break here. Gordy, thanks for hanging out.

Yeah, man. Appreciate you. Gordy, hanging out for the two hours, he is done. I am flying solo for an hour until one of the Adams, I think it's Clanton today, comes in at 1 o'clock. So you guys want to come in, co-host for a couple of minutes. You can do that. 713-213-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-790. Coming up next, we have the news at noon to begin.

Our number three of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. It's the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. 3-1 and that's hammered deep to left field and you can kiss that one goodbye the fifth leadoff homer of the season for Jeremy Payne and the Astros are up one to nothing number 13 on the year pitch by Bueller and that's waxed in the left field that's a base hit racing around third Altuve he will score in the second base goes Karatini Geiner Diaz and RBI single and it's 2-0-0-0 Astro is so aggressive another breaking ball

that's bang deep to left center field and you can kiss that one goodbye signs for yiner and the astros lead is four to one on the two run glass

at first three two swing and a man struck it out on the slider down and away and Brian Abray who picks up his first save of the year Astros take two out of three

from the Red Sox winning tonight four to one let's keep coming and the Ash Astros keep winning. Winners of three of their last four. Ross Vierreel with you on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. No Matt Thomas. He is out.

I am solo right now. You can get in at 713-212-5-790 if you'd like to. We'll be joined by Adam Clanton coming up at 1 o'clock. But right now it is time for Jonathan Allen to give us all the top news of the day. We call it the news at noon. All right, JK, how you feeling? I haven't talked to you much. Like I said, our camera's not working, so I don't see you.

But how's your Thursday going, Jonathan? Are you having a good week? It's a good, you know, busy Thursday trying to do the, you know, IT back here trying to make sure everything's winning good. Matt hasn't been barking anything at you today, so that's good. You get a couple of days off of that. You're welcome. You're welcome.

You also get days off of, believe it or not. You're welcome for that. That's right. Sorry, guys. It's a lot over here. But let's get to this. Do we have a lot of prizes left? Maybe we can come up with something to do tomorrow.

You know, we do have prizes. So we do have, especially because we didn't have a lot of winners this last two days. So we can definitely do something. Okay. So I'll have to train you on a game we play. Maybe I'll do it with Brian Bogosovic. Will Bogi? No, he's very smart.

Tulane. Brian Bogusevic with us 10 to noon tomorrow here on Sports Talk 790. Anyways, Jonathan, what's all the top sports news items of the day? Well, as y'all just heard, Astros do take down reg socks in the three-game series, staying strong and fighting for that number one spot. Just one game ahead of Marinus as they play the Orioles right now. right and 12 o'clock oh yeah it's starting right now you talk i'm going to put it on the tv all right right so make sure you guys go hate watch that game right now so we got make sure they lose oh my god

this lineup they have is pretty good it's it's hard as well as that win we do have bad news as well if you haven't heard josh hitter does need a second opinion the iL curse of these astros and spotters challenges do not stop and i don't i don't know what to say this is every other week we come on the show and something is whole It feels like the baseball gods don't want the Astros to win the 2025 World Series. You're Matt, now, as far as major pieces, Josh Hader being one of them, Jordon Alvarez as well, I mean, Isok Parades, but they still have enough pieces you feel like,

but it just feels like it continues to get chipped away with this latest Josh Hater injury. Are the baseball gods cursing the Astros? And I want to say they're cursing him, but then they keep blessing with these good rehabs. Because Luis Garcia, I'm reading this on Astros Future, last two rehab starts. Dude's got 13Ks, 8.2 IP. I don't know. Oh, look at this guy.

We're, we're, we're, I want to, I want to be, I want to be scared, but I'm very, very hopeful. I feel like we can do this. Eight and two thirds innings pitch, just one run giving up. 13 strikeouts for Luis Garcia. We'll see what happens if he comes back into the fold. Yeah, things can round in the form. And we'll see what happens on the second opinion. on Josh Hater. Hopefully it's just like a couple

of months. And good things out of elbow, right? It's just shoulder, so I mean. Yeah, but shoulder can be bad too. And honestly, shoulder can be, I don't want to call it a death nail, but like torn labrum surgery and stuff. Labral tear surgery or rotator cuff surgery depending. I

guess I'd have to brush up on my recent history of shoulder injuries. But at least back in my day, they could be, I don't want to say career enders, but certainly limiting the effectiveness of pitchers long term. So we'll see what happens on there.

We have to await news. Maybe we'll get some more clarity in the next couple of days. Bottom line, Joe Espott is saying he's giving Josh Hader space on the diagnosis and saying it's going to be more than a couple of weeks. Not encouraging news for your Houston Astros. What else you got in the news at noon, Jonathan? Well, let's have some good news right now with going to the Texans

and they had the joint practice with the Panthers today. and usually when we get audio from Damiko Irons, it's kind of bad, it's kind of, you know, negative. But he had a lot of good things to say about this practice. And, you know, just sit back and listen to what he had to say. We have this practice all right, we got productive work in is what we said I was to do on both sides. Everybody's cooperative working together,

and we were able to get out of it what we expected, right? The chance to go against different schemes, different players, and it was really good work for us. Offensive we had defense. Special teams We're able to get some work as well So all three phases We got better today

We improved And that's what we set out To be in joint practice They improve and get better And that's what we did today So thank for the day And his teams are coming down Working out

Here in Houston today All right Yeah it was kind of hard to hear some of that But Demico Ryan's coach speak Working hard, getting better Going against different schemes Improving

That's basically Damico Ryan stuff that you would expect him to say. A little vague head coach, but he's the coach speak king. I feel like if it was going to be real negative and we had something, he would be saying we need more work, we got to do this, this and this. But instead had that more vague of that positivity in there that he, the glass half pool

you would say more so than you know saying that CJ Strauss doing this, we got to fix this and that. And maybe as time goes to this early in the preseason it might be a little more detailed but I feel like this is good You know, we have people over there, Adam Wexler, Cole Thompson, that's the practice. And giving details about the practice, how CJ Stratt was doing. It looks pretty good to me. I don't want to go to the nitty gritties right here.

Okay, good. Unless you want to talk, I can get the stats. No, it's okay. But I'm hopeful. I know we have these injuries with CJ Gardner and all this other stuff, but he was walking apparently out there. Okay, so what was the exact injury report that happened to him? Because I've seen everything. They didn't really say because they said it.

They don't have to give injury reports during camp. Okay. So they're not saying, and the reports have been that they're hopeful that he's going to be ready for week number one. Do you want me to bring you some news at noon? Jonathan? Yeah. Are you aware of Brian Flores' lawsuit against the NFL? That's the Dolphins head coach?

He's the former Dolphins head coach. His civil suit claims that Brian Flores and other black coaches face discriminatory. Oh, wait. This, he is, okay, okay. And a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. They found insurmountable flaws with a league arbitration process that would permit Commissioner Roger Goodell to serve as arbitrator. So they're going to be able to go ahead with the lawsuit against teams, the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants, and the Houston, Texas.

So we will see what happens. I have some thoughts on this, but we got to get to a break here. On a sports talk 790, the Matt Thomas show with Ross. So that'll be interesting to see how that plays out. Brian Flores' lawsuit going forward against the NFL. But we're talking about the Texans in training camp,

or not training camp, but the joint practice that they had today. Of course, the assholes, Josh Hater going down, How will things shake out with the pitching? What the heck is going on with Yorda? Alvarez, anything you guys want to get to in the world of sports or beyond. 713-212-5-790 is your phone number, 7-1-3-21-5-790. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Without Matt Thomas.

You've got Adam Clanton joining at 1 o'clock, and we'll continue talking about whatever you guys want to get to. Until then, here on Sports Talk 790, your home for your Houston Astros. Astros 1-9.000. game ahead of the Seattle Mariners. How are we feeling? Mariners and Orioles on MLB Network right now. Bottom of the first

Orioles just got a runner on. So that's good. Say it with me. Let's go O's. Ross via Ria with you back here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Phone lines open and available. At 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. You can also send tweets to at SportsRV.

And you know what? Follow me on Instagram if you don't mind. I would appreciate it. At SportsRV. There. So we've been talking some about the Texans and the joint practice that they had with the Carolina Panthers. A couple of college football items that we've gotten to as well. I didn't know Chris Gordy bring it to the table that there was an athletic article written by what was that guy's name?

Ralph Russo is Texas. college football's new Alabama. No. We have to win at least one championship, probably two or three before we get to that. But I don't think there's going to be a Sabin-like dynasty ever again. First of all,

Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time. You need that. You need that. They also, I will say, I don't know to say you got lucky, but you need things to go your way. Look is preparation, meeting opportunities.

as some would say. And they were a very well-prepared team, very good team, a lot of talented players. But they didn't win the college football championship every single year, but they won a lot of them. And in some of those games and some of those situations and some of those seasons to even get into the playoffs, a lot of things went their way. And also, you only needed to win two playoff games to advance and win the national championship. It used to be when it was a BCS error, you only had to win one game. Of course, you had to get into that game, so you were one of the better teams in football. But on any given Saturday, we should say, anything can happen.

Like Notre Dame was in the college football championship game. And earlier that year, they lost to Northern Illinois. So you have to kind of swerve some bad luck, and you get more opportunities in a 12-game playoff for bad luck or things to not go your way or for even a better team to not win. So I just don't think it's going to be, it's going to be really hard to pile up a bunch of championships. I would say to put it into, for example, football terms or NFL terms, 12 teams make the playoffs or now it's 14 and you don't normally have back-to-back Super Bowl champions because

it's very hard. And the nature of the football is that in the any given Sunday, any guineas even Saturday nature of it. But it'd be nice to get one. one for me as a Longhorn fan because, well, I know that it gives many of you Joy, who are whatever

it may be, Aggie, sooner, Cougar, Texas Tech, Baylor, whatever, to laugh at the Longhorns and they haven't been successful since the 2005 season 20 freaking years ago. I look at those highlights.

It makes me feel so old. The shoulder pads are huge. The uniforms look cheaper. The video is grainy. And it's just like, no, this doesn't feel like this was that long ago. But it looks like how in the 1990s, you're watching 1970s football, where they're all going down set hut and they got like one bar on the face mask. It's not good. But anyways, no, Texas is not the new Alabama.

But hopefully, I just want one championship before I die. I just want one more. Speaking of that, did you hear... Is that so much to ask for? Go ahead. Did you see that, speaking of Texas, did you see the report of Arch Manning struggling against his own defense? I wanted to bring it up to you.

I did not see that. Thanks for bringing it up. Well, Texas is supposed to have a really good defense. Where did you see that? That's why I didn't want to. Oh, okay, you didn't find. You know, I just, it was on Twitter.

You were following a bunch of Texas haters on Twitter. Yeah, that's why I was like, I was just kidding. You, I saw it. It feels like it's something, I'm not super worried about it. I do have reservations of people thinking that Arch Manning is just going to,

to come in and light the world on fire. Maybe. And I've talked to a lot of Texas fans about this. I would say in general, I am not the type of fan. There are certain types of Longhorns fans, and I understand that they draw the ire of many of you who are like, we're the biggest, baddest on the planet,

we're going to win every game we play, and you're like, bro, you haven't won a championship since 2005. Where is all this arrogance coming from? So I understand. If we were doing a Thursday, I just don't get it. I wouldn't be saying that about people who hate Longhorn fans. I get it because they walk amongst us. I'm just not that type of fan in general with anything.

And I don't even know who, I mean, I was feeling like the Longhorns in 05-ish were pretty unstoppable. But USC, people forget, now you don't know this, Jonathan, because you were in January 4th, 2006. How old were you? January 4th, 2006, I was 3. Okay. So did you know that before, okay, so of course it was different. It was just a BCS game. It was one game.

So the season ended. The Big 12 championship was like first week of December. I was there, by the way. It was at NRG Stadium. They crushed Colorado like 70 to 3. Oh, God. Poor Joel Clat got like five concussions in that game. He was getting destroyed.

So that, I was feeling pretty good about that. I was at that game. I was taking picture. I got taken grainy pictures with my Nokia phone. back in the day. But that entire month of the buildup of the game, basically USC was back-to-back

college football championships and they were anointing them. They were already crowned as the greatest team of all time. It wasn't a matter of how much Texas is going to lose. It wasn't if Texas were going to lose about how much they were going to lose to USC in that Rose Bowl.

Home game, which it didn't turn out to be that way. 60% Longhorned fans people say, if not more. Home game, back-to-back champions. Matt Leinert, Heisman winner. At that point, Reggie Bush had won the Heisman. It was all about how unstoppable the USC was. ESPN did a series, Jonathan. Right, right.

They were doing it on Sports Center like every week. Let's put US 2005 USC against the greatest teams in football history. They were like, how would this USC team fare against the 1943 Army team with the four horse minute running back. Well, let's break this down. They were all about 176 pounds in 1940. So I think the USC has the advantage here. They were putting them up against 2001 Miami.

They were putting them up against, I don't even know, like 1970s, Oklahoma sooner teams, like Newt Rockney, Notre Dame teams. They were literally doing a series where they were breaking it down. it was like Mark May and Lee Corso, whoever, of how the 2005 US, the unstoppable machine that was the 2005 USC team, how they would fare against every great college team in history. And generally they were just picking USC. Isn't that kind of funny? USC and Texas both had the same downfall of like drought?

No, it's not funny. No, it's not funny at all, Johnston. But no, since those moments, now Texas made the championship again in 2000. and 9 and then Colt McCoy's shoulder off its bone basically. Okay, that didn't really happen. But Marcel Darius hits Colt McCoy and knocks him out of the game as they got a three and out and then they were driving towards

a touchdown. And I will maintain until my death because you can't prove me wrong that if Colt McCoy stays in that game, the Texas Longhorns would have won that game and taking the championship away from Nick Sabin. But anyways, yeah, it hasn't been going great for both programs since, but Texas did make the final, were they in the final four, right? Yeah. Of the last two years.

How did they lose to last year? They lost to Ohio State last year. And then the year before I was there at the Sugar Bowl when they lost to Washington. Oh, you went? Yes, I did. Yeah, thanks for bringing it up. Yeah, that's hilarious.

That was a bad one. I'm sorry. I remember that one. Yeah, I remember too. Anyways, what was I trying to get to? Yeah, so it was supposed to be, the USC was like the most unstoppable team in the history of sport. And then they're like, how are they going to fare against the 2001 Miami Hurricanes?

Well, they didn't beat the 2005 Longhorns. So I just, I'm not that type of fan that goes crazy and over the top. And I get this whole discussion started with me having reservations about Arch Manning because multiple times he was put in games over Quinn Ewers and he never went and won the job. Now, we could just go ahead and sweep the last. that under the rug and say it's Steve Sarkesian showing loyalty to Quinn Ewers. I don't know. That's how coaches are.

Yes, I understand. And Quinn Ewers was certainly a representation of getting him to come back to Ohio State was a big coup and getting him to come back to Texas and getting him in the fold. And part of this Steve Sarkisian led Texas Renaissance, you can't have that without Quinn Ewers. So I understand perhaps just saying, well, coach was showing loyalty, but if would he do that at the expense of winning a national championship? If Archmanning was that ready?

I don't think so. But a whole other offseason. He is a redshirt sophomore. We'll see what happens. And I'm excited. And well, big test coming up, week one for the Longhorns against Ohio State. The number one team in the country,

an underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Okay, I didn't mean to spend a whole segment on the Longhorns. I apologize to you in advance. We can talk about anything you want to get to. We're going to talk to college football. We've got some NFL stuff to get to as well. You guys can get in. Phone lines open.

We're talking some Astros. Josh, Hater, doesn't sound good. How we're feeling? How would you configure the starting rotation, especially with guys coming back? 713-212-5-790 is the phone number if you like to get in. 7-1-3-2-7-90. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas with you until 2 o'clock. Hey, it's Matt.

I'll remind you that if your trees are not looking their very best or are worried about them causing damage with the summer storms, you're going to call affordable tree service right now at 713 699-2663. Martin Spoonmore needs to hear from you. Your trees need their special attention. You can't do it. Martin can. 713 699-2663 offering full-service tree care, and they've been doing that since 1999. That number again, 713 699-2663.

Ask for Martin and tell them that Matt from Sports Talk 790, sent you to the best place to get your trees fixed. That's affordable tree service 713 6992663. 12.33 in the p.m. here on Sports Talk 790. Rosvi Real with you, the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Without Matt Thomas, he will be back Monday. He is in Austin. As Courtney brought up, yeah, you get the welcome to, what is she? She's a senior now in high school, I guess.

His daughter, Carly, Division I volleyball player. Congratulations to her. that the first day of school yesterday and then today, I don't know, a couple days off from volleyball. So whatever. Good wishing them all the best in Austin, Texas, which is not the town that it used to be. But that's a different discussion for a different time. Phone lines open at 713. What's that?

I just said, uh-oh. Uh-oh, what? What, you're throwing shade of Austin, man. I loved Austin. Oh, you did? Oh, you could go down to Texas Relays. I dropped the baton on national TV. Oh, man.

I'm sorry. Yeah. You had some good times at Texas Relays? I PR that at that, but You know, we can always tell when we lived in Austin when it was Texas Relays weekend. Yeah, you get. I bet you could.

It's like, oh yeah, you know what? It is Texas Relays Weekend, huh? All right, cool. It's all good. Anyways, welcome back to the Matt Tabu Show with Ross, Jonathan Allen, Ross Vue Rial, with you as well. and as I said the phone lines are open at 71321-1-2-5-7.

I don't have Adam Wexer coming up in a moment, but Eddie wanted to get in on the phone line. So let's Eddie, let's let Eddie go. What's up, Eddie? What's up, guys? I know I'm going to lay to this segment. Well, the segment's already passed, but I don't get how Jordan's been out for three months, but his hand was never broken. Like, you get how many bats per game three?

No, they said there was a fracture. There was a fracture. Oh, there was a fracture. Okay. And how long does the fractures usually take the heel? I mean, I'm sure he's in some pain. Yeah, I don't know. It's mostly a mystery.

But the thing is he's had multiple setbacks is what I think. So they talked about there being a fracture. Then there was, he was at the Florida Complex League. Then his hands swole up on him. Then they did imaging. They said the fracture is healing and the pain is from something else. then he said basically through an interpreter that he kind of needs surgery but where the injury is in the hand

he can't get surgery and then now Dana Brown is saying publicly that he's pain free and he's going to start live BP this weekend he was doing BP which I guess is just some coach doing soft toss now live BP is where people are throwing him actual full velocity pitches that's supposed to happen to him weekend this weekend and obviously that'll be more strained on his hands and more of a test to see how he's feeling after that.

Well, hopefully he gets through it because, I mean, come on, man. He's like a big old elephant to get a splinter on his foot. It can't seem to go forward, you know? But anyway, you need your hands to swing a bat, is my understanding of physiology. I mean, I know, but still, it just seems like, come on, deep, like, do a little pain. We need them really bad right now.

But we'll see what happens, and hopefully the best will get something from him this next few weeks or so. But all right, guys, I'll have a good day. All right, appreciate, Eddie. Yeah, well, the problem is you're damned if you do. You're damned if you don't. We can all sit here, you know, kicking our feet up on our recliners and saying, eh, what it was.

Why doesn't he just play a little hand pain, whatever? But then what happened initially in the injury is that he was playing through the pain and then it made it worse. And then the other side would be, why didn't you tell them you had it? pain. All you're going to do is make it worse. Why would you play to the pain? So he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I continue with my gut feeling is that it just feels like this is something that he can manage the pain and play with it a little bit, but there's a procedure that's needed that will knock him out for the season and they don't want to lose him for the season

now. Just a gut feeling, just reading some of the comments and the way that this has been played out and the fact that if you recall when the Astros won the World Series in 2022, that Martin Maldonado was playing with a sports hernia and a broken hand. And of course, well, we hope that you're on when he comes back, hits better than Martin Maldonado. But we'll see. He could very well this weekend we could hear, well, he's taken live BP, he had a setback, he's out for the year.

It could happen. It wouldn't be the craziest thing ever. It wouldn't be all that shocking. But man, he's only played 29 games this year. And when he's right, he's one of the most feared hitters in baseball. I believe he's still the Astro's all-time career leader at OPS Plus. OPS Plus 100 is league average. He's got a 162 career OPS Plus.

It's pretty good. That's amazing. being that far above league average for this long. And this lineup becomes that much more dangerous and lengthy with him in it. I mean, think of it. We kind of keep daydreaming about what this lineup would be with Yordon Alvarez back in it. Oh, man. Pena, Correa, Altuva.

Well, Pena, probably like Pena Altovae, Yordon, Correa, Walker, Diaz, and then Cam Smith. Hazer Sanchez. What am I missing? You're talking about going 7, 8 deep in a lineup. And then if you can get these pitchers right, and then if the bullpen can kind of

be shored up by some of these starters going into the bullpen, come playoff time and mixing and matching and figure things out, Brian Abrae is your closer. If I just say that, that's not a bad thing. You just lose the depth

with losing Josh Hater that you're already kind of sketch on in terms of guys who are super reliable come late and close as far as long-term Major League track records. Bennett-Tunes has been very good. Stephen O'Kert for Spells has been very good. Brian King for spells has been very good, but who is really reliable that you can truly, truly rely on?

Guess we're going to find out. Only one way to know, and that's to watch the games and see how they unfold. Astros, one game ahead of the Mariners right now. That game is at the end of the second. Mariners and Orioles, they are knotted up. in a nothing nothing tie. But getting your order on back would be huge.

I remain optimistic because if this were something that he just has no chance of coming back from, then why are they walking it this way? Why are they playing it this way? Why is he even swinging about it at all? So they obviously have some hope that he can contribute this year. So I'm going to keep that same hope with the Astros organization that overall, I know we've had some issues with the injuries over the. the years, but overall,

pretty good organization in the last 10 years or so here in Houston. So we'll see what happens. I don't know. I can't predict the future, but I'm hoping he gets in some hacks this weekend. Maybe gets a day of rest. Feels good. Who knows if that means just some more live BP or a rehab start for a couple of games. And then hopefully in a couple of weeks,

back on the Major League roster, because they need him. Not just for the playoffs, they need him for the American League West. you know, month ago when Astros are seven games up, I was feeling like, hey, everybody take your time, we're all good. Nope. Mariners made some big moves.

They've got a very lengthy lineup, very good pitching, and arguably the best roster in the American League right now. So we'll see how it plays out. All right, quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. You want to get in, talk about anything I said or getting to anything you want to. 713-212-5-790 is the phone number, 7-13-212.

We got Adam Clanton joining at 1 o'clock. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas with you until 2 p.m. here on Sports Talk 790. The fences here on Sports Talk 790. Thanks, Craig. I'll give you a little Matt Thomas show allure. Jonathan. That's from the very first batch of Matt Thomas show liners.

Who is that saying that? That was Craig Bigio. Who's that? I'm just playing. Jonathan, are you playing? See, I can't see you on video, so I can't see 360 hits.

One of the Astros' greats, all-time greats. Certainly on the Mount Rushmore. I don't know where people put him ahead of Bagwell or Altuve or whatever, but anyways, also had his struggles in the playoffs. But, yeah,

that was, that liner has been airing since 2010. Craig Bigio, the timeless. I can't think about that. Guys, I would be eight when that was. playing right. Just from everybody's Oh right. We get it. You're younger than us. Okay? I understand.

Whatever. All right. You know what? I want Jonathan to shut his bum ass up. So if you want to get in, 713, 212-5-790 is the phone number 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. You can also send tweets to At SportsRV and you can follow me on Instagram. If you would like, I really would appreciate it. All right. So I was kind of scanning the newswires and I saw this story, Indiana's Lewis Moore gets initial court win over the NCAA. A judge on Wednesday granting a temporary restraining order

allowing Indiana safety Lewis Moore to practice with the Hoosiers. You say, what is the issue? He started games at both Ole Miss and Indiana, and he recently filed a lawsuit against the NCAA arguing that his three years at Navarro Junior College should not count against his eligibility. Oh my. Now for years, for years, correct? A junior college, if let's say you played two at Juko, that means you only have two left, right?

Yes, that's usually how it went. That's how it went. So he is challenging that in court, citing potential losses in earnings from NIL deals, and attended Navarra College, played football there, was redshirted and injured, and then played a couple of years at IU, went to old. miss and now it came apparently he's back at iu so he is trying to argue in front of a court that the jukal juko years don't count as eligibility can i have a comment on this go ahead this is our official resident ncdb a athlete this is why we i do want your perspective on this

but go ahead and talk about that lawsuit through the circuit you meet a lot of juco athletes and that's just in any sport you play in cbill a and a lot of them they'll have this saying as you know you're a juco like survivor you know they have a phrase for it. You made it out of juco. You know, it was a big... Oh, is it a phrase you can't say on air? I forgot. No, I just forgot the thing. If I remember... It was like something

something really bad. No, but the thing about it, and this is just my perspective, being D1, that's a privilege you get and you make and you earn because that's what you wear the caliber of. People that go into jukelet, I do they have

bad grades. Usually it's bad grades, right? Yeah, they are the student athletes. Or they need to prove themselves. Yeah, or they're just not, I the caliber athlete they were supposed to be, but that's why they took those two years to go to Juko, and hopefully for the best you get picked up, and that's what the transit portal was originally for, is get those people out of there and go to the, you know,

because you only do two years. You can only do two years in Juko, right. Oh, okay. So you can't really. You can only get an associates at Juko. So any community college you go to, you can only get an associate. Well, how come this? It said this guy, I thought, played three years there. He probably had a redshirt. Oh, you're right, you're right. You're right. He had a redshirt. And so, what I don't understand now with this new age of

people, they're saying they missed out, well, that's because you didn't put the work in. Now you're saying to all people that already they don't deserve that, or like, you know, no, no, no. If you are a student athlete, you got the grades and you went D1 because you have to be at least above a 2.0. So it's not fair to get two years at

Jucco and then four years at D1. It's not fair to the guys that got D1. I get you. And then we don't, and then it leaves the people that are 19, 18, that got D1. This dude's 24 bucks. Exactly. You're versed 26, 27 year olds on the court field. It's like a team full

of BYU players. And that's my point because I had to race against grown BYU people that were 28 with kids. So it's not fair. It's not fair. When you're running for your kids

you're going to have a little extra juice. Exactly. You got a wife to have a little extra juice. I got to put food on the table. No, okay. Huh. Okay. So he won this court care.

Well, parent that won, but he won a temporary restraining order that he is allowed to play. And this is getting challenging courts. But I said, all that to bring this up. And it kind of

might initially sound like a stupid question, but how long is the NCAA going to continue to operate like this? And that's the thing they were telling us, because I got, I went to, go ahead. What's in Kentucky at 2020? Right when COVID was hitting. And what they

were saying is, all right, since this COVID thing is we're going to give those seniors and juniors 2019 and 2018 class a year extradity because COVID ruined their last few years. Right. And they were supposed to end it. But then this transfer portal on NIL got out of hand and all, they'll give another year. Oh, the incoming freshman.

Okay, yeah, because they don't get the high school years because they didn't have, get their high school years, get recruited. And it should have been ended. But now it's snowballing. It's just snowballing, snowballing, snowballing, snowballing, where people think they deserve this. This is just not because the other person got it. Yeah. Yeah.

But it's all, to me, it's like the NCAA is just, they're losing case after case after case. I literally just put I put in Google lawsuits versus NCAA and I have a laundry list of these lawsuits and they've lost basically all of them they lost the big O'Bannon case which was name image and likeness

they lost a case versus Tennessee and Virginia from last year where the NCAA agreed to stop enforcing transfer rules they lost a case the Alston decision which was education-related benefits violating antitrust laws

to where you can pay players now. They lost another one where they had to give $2.8 billion in a settlement. In 10 years, is the NCAA still going to be operating the way that they are? They keep losing all these lawsuits and they don't have a leg to stand on. It's a house of cards of this whole, we are non-profit tax-free taking in these billions of dollars of revenues.

Every lawsuit I look up, they're getting, none of this can hold up in court. What they try to argue. And I think, and I really think it snowballed because of how they gave so much, if they never would have gave the extra years

to the 2019 class and 2018 class and the people that were coming in at a high school, if they just let it at that one year, whoever was in college at that 2020 year and left it at that, this wouldn't have happened for the NCAA, but because you give all these kids

these opportunities for extra, extra money, and then NIL really did hit after 2021, it's like, okay, now it's money and legal matters involved, right? Yeah, but Title IX, like employment status,

like how, I wonder how they can continue to, aren't there cases that are pending, like, that college football athletes are, are basically employees? I think about, think about how much,

more valuable that some certain and especially individual players how much more valuable did johnny mansell make the entire texas a and m athletic program absurd it was hundreds of millions donations pouring in when he was there and like rebuilding parts of the stadium getting more money for for all kind of funding how much money did he make kevin someone yeah and so these these college athletes are generation so much more money, especially the star players. Now, the guy who's getting the 90th scholarship is not, but that's how it goes.

The guy on the 53rd man on the roster of the NFL team doesn't make as much as C.J. Stroud or whoever. So I don't know, man. I just continued to be fascinated by how this NCAA House of Cards continues. And the problem

is it all went downhill when the TV money started coming in in the 1970s. That's when it should have been the loss of of amateur status. But the NCAA tried to keep, to have their cake and eat it to. And then this has just been a broken system basically ever since. You've had the under the table payments. Now they're trying to regulate NIL payments.

And now it's just all hell is broken loose because of not handling things properly for years and years and years and years. And just trying to keep the money rolling in. But anyways, just interesting to me, like every time I look up, it feels like every couple of months. The NCAA is losing some judgment. or losing some court case. That's a good question you ask. How much are they losing in legal fees? Do they get new lawyers?

They're like, brother, you just lost this five lawsuits in a row. We're down 500 million, man. You know what I'm saying? Hey, when your football coach is 1 in 6, you fire them. When your lawyers are 1 in 10, is it time to move on? Man, I don't know. Interesting to me. We're going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

We're talking about that. We've been talking a lot of Astros, Tex and stuff. you want to get into, we can. Will Adam Clanton be here on time? Find out next. Hour number four, the Matt Thomas Show with Ross is coming at you next. Oh my gosh, he's here, folks. I'm in the on-deck circle.

You're already in vacation mode. He's wearing a shirt with a guy. He's got palm trees on his shirt. I like it. You know what happened? See, Matt Thomas would make funny for that shirt. I'm not going to do that. Matt Thomas.

Have you ever noticed that for someone who makes fun of people for so many other things? Okay, let's not You don't even want to deep dive into his brain But go ahead Well Okay, I'm gonna You get it Somebody left their adapter here

You get ready Maybe his Chris Gordy was there Okay Hi, welcome into the Matt Thomas With Ross without Matt Thomas Adam Clinton is hanging out Appreciate Gordy hanging out For a couple of hours before

We'll have Brian McTagger Conversation if you missed it coming up At 1.30 We're with you until 2 o'clock We've been talking NCAA We've been talking some Texans Of course with the joint practices Jonathan M. Alexander, just his gut feeling, the way he sawed, about an even practice between the Panthers and the Texans.

And he thinks that actually bodes well for the Panthers who might have a good season. But anyways, of course, we're also going to talk about the Houston Astros who are now one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners. And they're knotted up at nothing, nothing, nil, and the bottom of the fourth. Oh, it's nothing, nothing. This is the most boring game ever. I would never watch this. base hit oh come on baby there we go two runners on one out first and third for the Baltimore Orioles will keep you updated as we go along anyway sorry but go ahead with your psychoanalysis of Matt Thomas well oh well I've got a couple things I started and then yeah so first

of all Matt Thomas for someone who just absolutely destroys people on the daily for a variety of reasons let's face it he is he is our favorite dirty uncle Matt Thomas he's the dirty uncle. I can agree with that. Of sports talk 790. Uh-huh. But man, he's always, you know, making fun of people. And he has something to say about what I am wearing virtually every day.

Virtually every day. That's a very chick thing to do. I can't believe you're wearing that. Like, that's basically what he's doing. Well, I'll just say it's part of his charm. It's part of his schick. It's certainly part of his schick and part of his charm. I'll just leave it at that.

And you're not saying to that. It's fine. It's fine. Glad you're here, Clint. I'm glad to be here. You know what? I was thinking about this on the way in. Because occasionally, just kidding, all the time.

Matt Thomas is out, so you have to have somebody fell in with you, and I don't blame you one big because, you know, that's just the way it goes when you work with a diva like him. Nobody wants to hear me monologue for four hours. Certainly not myself. I like you solo. Oh, thank you. You don't get it often.

There's always Matt there. Yeah, that's true. No, you're a good listen. You're a easy listen. Oh, thank you. But you're not easy listening. Oh, I think that's a compliment. I'll take that.

I appreciate it. You're not like, you know, hauling oats or something. But no, like, I was like thinking about the hierarchy of like sports talk 790 and the turnover that's happened over the years. Because you and I have been here for a long, long, long time. I've been here the longest. You have. Well, not longer than Matt, right?

Or were you here before, Matt? If you count me being a floater, I've been continuously here at IHeartMedia, Houston, the longest. If you count Matt coming back, he came back in January. I was officially made full time in February, but it was already basically... 2010? Yes, of 2010. But it was already in place, and I've been here continuously since 2009. You're a package deal, though, you two.

Don't I know it. At least your name's on the marquee. I've been trying to get out of that. Well, I had to beg and plead, but anyways. That only took like 20 years. Yeah, it's fine. But, uh, but yeah, no, I was like, you know, I'm probably, I'm probably closest to Matt because I've, him and Wex. It's kind of like a, because people don't

know how long Wex and I have known each other. Like I was an intern with Wex. Back to Morse Media Mix Men. Or under Wex, I guess I should say. An intern in Wex's department when I started you know, in broadcasting. And that was over at Channel 2. But

yeah, him and Matt, I've probably you know, there's guys in this town that I've known that long. But it's like but Ross and I we don't hang out all the time because you live in town and now I'm a family guy, you know, the birds. Yeah, I know.

But, uh, but like, you're one of those people, and you have these in your life where it's, like, I could not see you for 10 years. Yes. And then we would get together and we wouldn't miss a beat. It would be like a swimming conversation. We don't, we disagree on a lot of stuff having nothing to do with sports. Yeah. But it's like there's always been, right?

And that's proof that America still works. Well, I don't know. I'm telling you right now, Ross. It works, no matter what you think. we're making you put a dollar in the jar every time you do that. Every time I do that. Okay. So what have you been talking about? The death of Josh Hater? What's been going on today?

Yeah, how are we feeling? So I would say, okay, obviously they won yesterday. If I tell you, your closer went from Josh Hader to Brian and Bray. You say, okay, Brian and Bray can close it out. He's gotten saves. Benetius has got some saves as well. Doesn't necessarily have the same major league track record. But I just feel like at some point with the way that the hits keep coming, I'm not going to say they're not going to win the AOS and they're not going to win. By the way, Orioles on the board won nothing.

Let's go. O's. I'm not going to say they're not going to win the West. I'm just going to say I went from even a couple of weeks ago being like they should be favorites to win the American League pennant to now like I'm not so sure. Well, they take it a blow. A couple of things you mentioned there. I'll go backwards. First of all, just yesterday my co-host said the Astros are still winning the West.

For what it's worth. I agree. And then secondly. I may or may not have touched base with both the hater and the Sousa households last night. And it's, I didn't find out anything. But I was, you know, I loved that Sousa got that spot last night because I'm with you. Like, with Brian Abraeu, it's just the, you're just moving, you're moving the domino down a notch. It's next man up. Yes.

But you have fewer dominoes. But it's the man. Like, how many teams have a Brian Abraeu that you can do that with? Yeah. And so, like, he, he's not Josh Hayes. but he was here before Josh Hater doing Josh Hater things. Does that make sense? Yeah, and also I would say you could interchange.

I would imagine, based on matchups, left hand-handedness with Sousa the lefty, Brady the righty, depending on pockets of the lineup. And styles are different. They might be switched up, yeah. Yeah. But dude, that Sousa was doing friggin Frizzby Sliders last night. I'm telling you, man, Sousa, that's my dude. We are both true, well,

we, meaning all three of us are true lefties. Yeah. So we had him on the show, as probably a month ago now, maybe more, in that conversation. came up and I think I mentioned the fact that you were also a left-hander here at the station. And he's like, we started talking about how left-handed people are discriminated against. Especially when it comes to spiral binders. Cisors.

Or spiral notebooks. Desks at school. Yeah. All sorts of stuff. Literally computer mouse. Frankly, we should have. Nobody makes a left-handed computer mouse is a BS. Frankly, we should have our steering wheel on the other side of the car here in America.

Oh, we should like Britain. Like we're in Britain. Yes. Okay. Only we would drive on the right side of the road. Yes, and we have nicer teeth. Yes, we do. We use toothpaste here.

But no, I think Bennett Sousa's going to be, you were talking, I heard you a little bit earlier talking about, okay, we're going to see who that guy is, if it's ochered, if it's, I don't know if it's not Sean Dubin. Oh, my goodness gracious. Hey, Dubin would have been great all year, though. Yeah, and then he gave up meatballs the other night. I understand.

Well, Caleb Orts was bad to start the season, and he's been good. So it's kind of, it's going to. Brian King is Jekyll and Hyde, too. He's been giving up some home runs. Including in the same series. He'll give up the game-winning home run in Saturday's game against the Yankees, and then he'll lock down the series the following day. And interesting enough, I believe Brian King has a reverse platoon splits.

I think he's actually better against righties than lefties. Yeah, I was looking at the numbers the other night. I think they were doing that last night. Yeah, so. I don't remember what it was, but... You've got tools in the toolbox, but you're missing one of your go-toes with Josh Hader. If you're Joe Espada. Did you enjoy all the fly-outs by Bregman last night?

I was like, that's more like it. That's the guy we knew and loved. Yeah. So, and can we, and I've got, you know, my buddy Larry is always texting me about this. A couple other people have sent this my way. It's not happening. It's not going to happen. If it were going to happen, it would have happened already. Brian Presley's not coming back. I was going to finish your sentence. Come on. I don't think so either. We were talked about it with Brian McTaggart.

And I was, I was kind of, we have to just kind of logically go through this. He was DFAed on July 31st. We're on August 14th. Nobody's tendered his services. there's 17-ish teams in playoff races. And the Astros aren't the only ones that need pitching right now. Every team could use a leverage reliever. None of them has signed Ryan Presley. And if you go, don't look at a stat-cast page,

unless you want to see, for those of you don't know, red to dark red is very good. It's a lot of sky blue on there. It's a homicide scene is what it is. It's not good. It's weird because I was just about to say about a bray-you, you know, don't forget there was three guys, after Framber Valdez in game six

against the Phillies that closed that thing down and clinch the World Series. We appreciate you. Hector Neris? He gone. You know, 10 years and one day was enough. Yes. And then Ryan Presley was the other side of that. And Abraeu was in the middle.

There's a reason that only Abraeu is still here. It makes me laugh that people are like, get rid of Hector Neris. This 36-year-old was only good a couple years ago. Get Ryan Presley, the 36-year-old that was good a couple years ago. I mean, it's one of those where we thank you for your service, but you're not going to go get Justin Verlander right now to round out your rotation for the same reason. His numbers suck.

Jim Crane might try to find a way. He's petitioning the league for a new trade deadline. If he wants to be a coach, I'm down, man. I don't want him pitching. He coached up Hunter Brown. Well, I mean, think about it. Justin Verlander can tell you a lot of things that other guys won't be able to because of his experience. Justin Verlander can't do those things anymore.

That's the difference. And it happens to everybody. Father's time is undefeated. undefeated. He's going to get us all. He's going to get you. I know. Man, I'm having a good day, so I hope it's not today. Oh, I'm sorry. Me too. I'll hope you make it through the day as well, Adam. It's certainly at least at 2 o'clock. All right, time

for a quick break here. Here on the West Loop, that means a lot. On the Matt Thomas show with Ross, without Matt, with Adam Clinton. You guys want to get in. We're talking some shrills. We'll talk about anything. I imagine we'll get off the rails soon enough here. We haven't talked about boogey nights in a while. Bring it up. Let's go.

Let's tell, has Jonathan finally seen it? Boogie Nights. What was that? Oh my gosh. Next segment here. 1997. Great film. Great well-acted. Perfectly cast. 1997?

Yep. Right? Bert Reynolds Academy Award winning. Bert Reynolds Academy Award nominated. Did he win it? He was won and Mark was nominated. Okay. But he didn't win it.

Somebody was better. Yeah, it's okay. Well, he's a big bright shining star. I thought Roller Girl and Amber Wave should have been nominated too. Ooh. Just say you're my mom and then you can be my mom. I'm nominating Julie. and more for something in that role.

The best line in the movie. That was from an actual... See, you're the worst. I know. I'm taking a break. I'm not taking the bait. I'm taking a break. Adam Clinton is here. We're here till 2 o'clock. You guys want to get in. You can. 713. 21, 2.12.5, 790.

The Matt Thomas show with Ross with you till 2 o'clock. Every time you go, you make the magic happen. The magic of horrid. Bills baseball. Yeah. And the game is close. And the yolks are hot.

Orioles are up. Three nothing on the Mariners. Give it all they've got. Let's go, baby. Oh, well, Mariners are in business. They've got a runner on second, no outs. That's Mitch Garver. He's not going to come through unless it's the Astros.

I can't stand Mitch Garver. I don't notice this giant, look at his stupid switch patch on their. jerseys. Here, let's hear this chorus. This is very like 1970s, 80s.

This started as, like a discount Elton John. It was pretty horrible. And it has morphed into like a grocery store jingle from the 70s. Once you get rid of the guy,

yeah, don't let that guy sing solo anymore. You remember back in the day? Kroger is the store where it costs less to get more. Like, it's that. That sounds vaguely familiar. Yeah. It's probably in the late 80s.

Maybe it's the same composer. I don't know. All right, there you go. I'm a H-E-B guy myself. I say with this, folks, go. Oriel's Go. They are leading the Mariners three to nothing right now. You know what?

How about the Orioles? Well, now it's a day game. They're not going to be tired when they get into town anyways, even though it goes like 15 innings. So you know what? Just win the game. Just win, baby. I can't tell you how funny it would be

if all of those gibronies who were on social media the other night, bragging. This is what the Mariners do every year. Mariners fans? Oh. Yes. Why are they so cocky?

That is the, I mean, when we talk, when we joke and we say the term poverty franchise, you know, like you can say that to pretty much anybody that you're playing at one point or another. But genuinely, what have the Mariners ever effing done in their lives? Nothing. And you had two of the most generational players of the 90s. Mitch Garver struck out. Actually, you had three. I told you he wouldn't do anything. He wouldn't play in the Astros.

I wasn't even looking and I knew that would happen. You had the big unit You had Griffey You had Echiro A-Rod Yeah you had it's true You had A-Rod And you have what to show for it

Nothing And now your best player is known as Big Dumper It's so appropriate I mean They suck Well They're only one game back

Of the Astros right now And for the record You know me With all my list of hate I was hating Josh Naylor When he was in Cleveland So I was way ahead of the curve Why the hell

Why would one Why would one spend energy on hating Josh Naylor the Cleveland Guardian? Because back then he was in the postseason with the Guardians. And he was just, he's not a likable guy. Okay. But now he's on a division rival. I hate him even more. Okay.

So you can, I mean, you can hate him now. I get it. Oh, I can. That's not an I just don't get it. I mean, you can, you don't need my authorization. I don't need anybody's permission. Clearly, you don't need my authorization to hate anything because you hate enough. But, okay.

J.P. Crawford. another guy who never does anything unless it's against the Astros. He's a scrub. He's like 135 pounds and then against the Astros. He gets like five infield hits. He was one of the reasons they were leading that game, game one. I'll tell you what, speaking of like our relationship and all of the relationships I have with my co-workers here at 790, I'll tell you what, there is. Who told you upper deck?

Yeah, but it was not, it wasn't just that you said it. It was that it happened. And the reaction of you, I almost got like, you know, you're sometimes in a, uh, uh, car collision and you have to call Mo'Carum injury lawyers, by the way. Okay. Look at this. You know, because you've been injured. Yes.

Because your neck or your bat, whatever. Uh-huh. I thought I was going to feel like I was getting a car accident the next day because Ross, he literally grabbed my, like, grabbed me by the neck. It started shaking me. Like Happy Gilmore and his caddies. Yes. That's exactly what I was.

Yeah. That's what I felt like. And I didn't, I wasn't even mad. It was great. I'll always remember that, man. Like, I remember I was. with my buddy David at my house watching all 18 innings of game three. I know where I was and who I was with for all these awesome places in Houston sports memory.

So, you know, I was standing in the hallway with Gordy when Kyle Tucker caught the final out and then we went on to the field. The only two people from Sports Talk 790 they got to. I think. I won't tell later. Then you got out there. I was out there on the field. But it was like the initial wave, which really wasn't the initial wave. I was on the field at final out. You were? Uh-huh.

Well, you weren't there with us in line waiting. I was in line waiting. It was me and... Joe? Tyler Soto, I think. Okay. That Anaheim Angels fan that he is? Yes.

One of the many, one of the myriad former producers here at Sports Talk 7-9. I said there was turnover. Yes, there was very high turnover. We're happy you're here, Jonathan. All right. Anyway, so how we feel in it, I guess, is you sound like you feel like pretty confident. Like I said, First of all, everything's ebbs and flows.

You get the news that Josh Hader is going to be out probably for a significant amount of time. And I'm just not feeling as confident as I was previously getting that news because I was kind of optimistic that it wasn't going to be something that's going to remove him from the roster for the season, but it kind of feels like it's trending in that direction. My lack of optimism about his situation specifically is far more pointed towards next season and beyond than this year. Does that make sense? Because of what we just talked about. I mean, your roster is what it is now, including your bullpen.

And you have a brayu, and you have some guys that have, you know, looked good that I think you can spell him because you have a hater. Believe me, that's the only reason I'm saying this. My concern is it's not his elbow. And in a weird way, I almost wish it were. No, no, no, let me explain. Explain. If it's a rotator cuff, just for the... Yeah, that's bad, too.

That's not a one-year thing. That's, oh, he's not going to come back and throw 98 anymore. He's going to throw like 94. He's going to throw 93. Like his velocity is going to be affected. And it's not going to necessarily be one of those things either where you can say, all right, he's ready to go. He just, it's almost like a hamstring.

There's no real, like, definitive timeline because everybody's different. It's his rotator cuff. It's legit the first step to making the pitches he's needing to make. and you just gave him how much money and this is going to be going into year three I don't feel good I don't know anything like I said I was not told anything last night

it was more of a good vibes exchange type situation I think when we get the I mean when you hear when I saw the quotes Joe's father's like yeah I needed to give him some space I mean that's not good okay glad you brought that up we all by now on August 14th of

2025, especially this year. We all speak Joe E's. We speak a spot of E's. We have been able to translate what he's saying. Dana Brown, too. Because Dana Brown and Joe Spada have this thing they do where it's like coded optimism. Yes.

It's giving you a little bit of hope. Right. You got to read between the lines. Neither one of them are doing. Wait, what? Are you talking this on air or not? No, he did want to be on air? I just called and wanted to tell me.

You don't know, no, no, no, no, because this is the direct. He wanted me to say it in your ear. But if you as well, he said, do you remember your memory of? Okay, we're talking. Let us hit break, Jonathan. No, I'm, she wanted to say, I know. Okay, well, then he can get on air. I know.

No, okay, look, Jonathan, you don't, okay, Jonathan's talking. Did you imagine about it here? First of all, I'm very, yes. But, uh, no, Jonathan, yeah. Brian Lima's off air call. It does, I doesn't need to interrupt a segment in my ear. I'm sorry. I'm very, uh, I am horrible taking IFB.

It completely stops my train of thought. Yeah, I'm the same way. So, yeah. We're going to break in like 30 seconds and we can talk about it. Sorry. Okay. I don't know what I was saying. I don't know either.

It's fine. Shout up, Brian Leema. I think he really loved all the pictures that you were posting and everybody was posting of their children on the first day of school. It went over swimmingly with him. Okay. After I responded. All right. We were going to, wait, we were talking about 2022.

Apparently our memory was off. I don't know. You were the first one on the field with, with Gordy Gordy and I were waiting to go onto the field after the final out I was on the field in 2022 no no no I know everybody was out there eventually

what I'm saying is I was in line for the final out I was in line waiting for the final out where were you when you were stopped I was probably behind you maybe I don't know you guys there was a long line yeah but definitely myself and I believe Tyler Soto and maybe Michael

Connor maybe eventually we all wound up out there I don't know because that night I got hammered drunk at the rooftop where we were broadcasting and doing post game until 3 a. What was the hotel? I remember. No free

plugs. That's true. Nice deck out there. Yeah, you like the deck a lot. Well, it's a great place. It's a nice scenic view, if you will. Quick break here. On the Matt Thomas show with Ross. And Jonathan Allen is here and Adam Clinton is here, but Matt Thomas is not here. Funny

how that works. With you until 2 o'clock. We'll be back here in just a second. hate everything. I'd hate him if you played for any other franchise. That is so lame. It just doesn't do anything for me. I hate it because it sucked.

I hate the Lakers and the jazz. I probably hate you. Probably hate you. You think I hate the Texans, biggest showed in the entire sports world. It sucked. He's been drinking the hater rate again. With all the sports hate that I can muster.

And now, more of what Adam hates. But that's just me. This is a classic. That's from the proper gentleman. You know that? No. One time I hosted the morning show here with this other guy, and that was one of the segments we did.

Well, occasionally. You know what I don't hate? We're allowed to do it. I don't hate that the Orioles are winning 5-0. In the rain. And it's pouring rain. And it's, let's get to the end of the fifth so we can call the game, folks. Seriously, like you said, we're looking at the screen right now.

It's not just, it's pouring. Like the raindrops you can see in the field of view. Come on. Come on, call this. Let's get the third out first. Yeah, we need the third out and we need this game called. You know, last night it was, I believe it was three to one, and then they tied it, and then they got walked off anyway. I'm just not, like, Wex and I completely are on.

Here's a shocking revelation. Wex and I are on completely different sides of things on something. He is, like, bullish on the Mariners. And I'm telling him, why not? Why are you not? Because they always do this, dude. They do this every year. It doesn't matter.

Last year's team has nothing to do with this year's team. It did this three years ago. It doesn't matter. But it's the same core group of guys. Yeah, okay. And then what? You added Josh Naylor and, okay, great. Josh Nealis had a nice little.

He's going to start hitting. He hadn't done anything yet. And he didn't do anything when Seattle had him the first time and they traded him. And then they traded it back for him. Okay. I'm just saying like you're trying to convince me that they're going to win the next 10 World Series in a row because they traded for San Antonio Suarez. I'm going to guarantee you.

what you said. I'm going to guarantee you. That's what you and Wex said. I'm going to guarantee you neither of us said that. All I'm saying is they're a threat. Yeah, they're a huge threat getting the Orioles taking the Orioles taken two out of three from them right now. Your best hitter has the best, the worst broken hand of all time. You just lost your closer. Oh, look, man. Right. It looks like the rain let up actually a little bit. No, actually it hasn't. It looks like the Orioles are going to pull them out.

Come on, man. Runners on the corners. Where are the outs? Oh, there it is. Duh. Yeah, it looks like Dan Wilson wants this game postponed, but I think the Orioles are trying to get the third out.

Yeah, it is, it is a full on downpoll. Although right now the Mariners are having a mound meeting and Josh Naylor's fat in case you're wondering, he's still fat. And it's not, like you're not seeing the downpour that you were seeing like two minutes ago. So I let, yeah, get this, I'm with you, man, call it.

You one more out and call it. Let's go. Remember the episode of The Office? When they're doing the CPR to staying alive by the BGs. Oh, yes. And Kevin can't get it and he just goes, call it. That's what they should do with this game right now. Hopefully.

Come on now. Well, we did the hate intro. Is there anything else you want to talk about that you hate? No, I'm good. Okay. I'm trying to be a better person these days. You know what? I'm just lying.

That's all we can do. All you can do is try to be better than you were yesterday. Sometimes I want to be worse. Christian and Lamarck. Go ahead. Oh, and Adam Clinton. Hey, Christian. Hey, Jonathan.

I mean, just wanted to basically cover... My name is Ross. Jonathan can say hello too, though. My apologies, dude. My apologies. It's just been three months since I called this station, but still, though, a couple of things I want to get off my chest. First of all, I think as Astros fans,

we need to stop relying on other teams to do our dirty work and just make sure that the Astros do theirs because I would rather basically listen to anything else other than that Orioles magic jingle that y'all just played. I mean, I could think of five, yeah, I could probably think of five worse

or jingles that y'all grew up with that were probably worse than that. But the main thing I want to talk about is with the anticipation deepening inside of me about the Rockets, regular season schedule, about to be released.

I just got to ask, ASK, how many games do you think the Rockets will get on these new platforms that are going to be, you know, showcasing this team because we all know the Rockets got the first game on NBC on Channel 2 in particular coming up on

October 21st against the Thunder, but how many games do you think they'll get on national TV overall with this newfound interest? What's the typical, like, what's a, well, the Lakers probably get like 25. Well, that's what I was going to say.

What's the norm for the top TV drawing teams, even if they're clearly not top teams? Yeah, I would say probably, probably, I'm going to be a range of 20-20-ish. So if that's the case, and the, you know, I think this has something to do with it.

Because now there's more mouths to feed, though, right? Amazon Prime, NBC, ABC, still right? Yep, ESPN ABC is still a thing, unfortunately. Like, they'll have the NBA finals, so we'll still be stuck with Mike Breen. I'm not as high on him as everybody else.

He's fine. He's just not Marv. He just, we grew up with Marv. Okay, well, so what? Well, then aim higher. Stop living in the past. Okay, what do you want on the games?

Kevin Harlan? Kevin Harlan's not better than Mike Breen. Yes, he is. I don't think. He's better at Mike Breen. He's better than Mike Breen at everything. What are you talking about? What's the most...

Hey, what's the most unique call from Mike Breen in the history of his career? You can't name one because it's vanilla ice cream. the whole thing. Yeah, he said bang a million times. And? What's the most unique thing? Well, Kevin Harlan is funnier.

But he's got a distinctive voice. He sucked the gravity right out of the building. Right. And he just comes up with that stuff on the fight. Here's a flamethrower. My brain can't do that. And I know what you're going to say. Well, what was Marge's signature phrase?

Yes. Yeah, he also had a spectacular move by Michael George. He had all these. And he set a facial. Yeah, exactly. That was not good. That was very good. good. What are you talking about? That's hilarious.

Yeah, his signature line was about to bite you in the back. He also didn't say block. He said, rejected. He had signature phrases. Right, whatever. Mike Brain's like, bang. He's terrible. He's not terrible. Yeah, he is. You are so wrong. Let me tell you something right now. But anyways, no, I don't care. What else do you hate? Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Dick Jefferson was the worst. It was not great. Mike Breen, you could argue his loss is fastball. He's not as energetic as he used to be. He never had a FAC. Yes, he did. Zach Branky. Oh my God. He's not. He didn't have a fastball.

You're, see, you're wrong. Zach Rinky threw like 100. He's in 1975. Zach Rinky threw in the high 90s and up to 100. Absolutely. All I know is that Mike Breen's not that great. All right. Anyways.

And everybody agrees with me. We're into the sixth inning. That's not true. We're into the sixth inning on Baltimore versus Seattle. I'll tell you, I'm very excited about my boy, Noah Eagle, getting some run on these new streaming service. You don't like Noah? No, I call him Nepotism Eagle. Why? Because he's also good like his dad?

He's pretty good. Yeah. He's right. I'm never mind. I'm not even going to argue with you. Are you going to call him a Nepo baby? He's not? I mean, it's okay though.

It's cool. If I'll give you that, you know, he's clearly got in because of his dad's influence somewhat or his whatever. But like, you've got to still do the job. Absolutely. But you also got to get an opportunity. Larry and Galveston, you're next up. Well, I tell you what, guys, all that I have to say to Houston fans is that we just need to R-E-L-A-X relax. Okay.

Jake Myers, Jake Myers, hopefully, is going to be that soon. I don't know what the outlook is on him, but thank goodness, when he was coming up, people were asking and telling Astros management and Dusty Baker to get rid of Jake Myers. You know what? You're right, but I was in the Jake Myers. I founded the Jake Myers fan club, Larry, and I stayed steadfast as president. Absolutely, Ross. And you know what?

Dusty Baker was a manager that won over 2,000 games as a major league manager. and he didn't win over 2,000 games by being stupid. Not true, ask some of the fans. Some people say he soiled his diaper out there. Well, the record speaks for itself. And, you know, I mean, I can't wait for Jake to get back. Yes. And as far as the pitching is concerned,

Abrae, being where he is, I watched him last night, and I watched the other fella that led right into him. Susan. And Susan's been, you know, I mean, we just need to give him some time to set himself up. I mean, you know, hell out of four batters, he struck three out of four batters out. Yes. There's a lot of good things about Susa, and there's a lot of good things about our Brayu. There are some things about Arbriu in the past that, you know, would have you scratching your

head going, God Almighty. God Almighty. Is you going to give up another hit? We'll be jumping right there because we have to go to break and we are up against it. So we will react to everything he had to say when we come back. 1-800-6-86-86. You're listening to the jungle. 49 past. I'm Jim Rome. Welcome back. Southern California,

1-800-636-86-86. They have put the tarp on the field in Baltimore. B-more, how are you feeling right now? 5-0-Os. Let's-go-Os. H-Town, watching the scoreboard, trying to desperately get that half-game on their off day. and the O's were doing them a favor.

They were doing them a solid. Alvin, fade that music out, man. Can't hang myself think. Alvin, fade the music down. Thank you. The O's were trying to do the Astros a favor. And then Mother Nature said, nay. Started pouring down rain in B-more.

All the crackheads are going under the freeway to take shelter. It's like the wire out there. A 5-0 lead looking solid in the 6th inning. And then, oh, the tarp goes on the field. Oh, H-town, that sucks for you. You were hoping to get a half game on your off day. Instead, Mother Nature had different plans, and the Mariners are still alive.

They can still win this thing. I don't think it's going to happen, Jimpathy. You know, does he even do terrestrial radio anymore? Or is it all web? I have zero clue. I don't know. I thought for sure you would know. Many moons ago, I was an everyday listener.

You were? Absolutely. I didn't know you were that big of a clone. I mean, I listen to sports. I'll put it this way. I listen to sports radio every day. Okay. And I was listening to him.

I certainly wasn't a Colin Cowherd fan. I liked the Jim Rums show for sure. Yeah, back of the day. I was listening to Colin Calhurt on breaks. Well, you could talk about how USC was going to trash Texas and they had no chance. He's an idiot. You know, it hurts my heart that one of my best buddies in this. business is his producer.

I'm not going to name names because I don't want to. We can figure it out. It's easy. Matt Thomas's name dropped him several times. Yeah. But he's a good dude. He's from Houston. Yes.

He used to produce Jay Moore's show. Yes. And by produce, I mean, write the whole thing. It was an interesting time. I love Jay. Jay's, if you would have told me that Jay,

who was married to Nikki Cox, would then divorce Nicky Cox and Mary Jeannie Bus and Mary Jeannie Bus That's a genius move by the way Of course it is I wonder if they signed a pre-known

Oh absolutely I would imagine And she was the one pushing it But still you get to live the lifestyle for a while What's your favorite J. Moore role? None You don't like him? I mean what's okay Tell me what his, give me his three best roles

He was that one dude and Jerry McGuire Bob Sugar He was Bob Sugar What are his other two most iconic roles? Not King of New York What was the movie he was in with Christopher Wawken Because he does a great Christopher Wacken impression Yes he does

I can't remember what it was called True Romance I think He's in that one I've seen true romance I don't remember him in true romance But when he used to he Do you remember when he used to fill in for Jim Rome It was hilarious

He would do like Carl's Jr. Commercial impressions It was all right I mean look I'm not gonna say the guys You're just talentless You just everybody here at 790 Like has bad taste in their mouth because of the whole show thing.

No, that's not true. I told you to name me three iconic roles and you couldn't even do it. I named two. Yeah, exactly. That's 66% man. That's not a passing grade. Because he's not like a star. He's a character.

Yeah, I mean, he's fine. It's all right. That's like asking, I don't even know. I don't even know. Oh, we always talk about, I've been kind of doing this with Matt. We talk about tiers. Like, of course, we call it Jessica Alba, Tier 1. Yeah, still.

Absolutely. Aging like a fine wine. Jay Moore, Tier 3. Of actors? And comedians. Maybe even Tier 4. Have you seen his stand-up before? Yes.

At the improv? I want to say I did see him. He's hilarious. He's all right. Tier 3. Where you got him? Tier 1? Tier 1 is like Brad Pitt.

You are such an elitist. Do you know that? That elit is one. What are you talking about? I didn't think this. See, I have tastes. I didn't think I have taste. That's something an elitist would say.

Just enjoy it, man. I don't enjoy it. It's a stand-up act. If he's not bombing, then it's probably going to be okay. It's fine. So it's pizza to you. No, pizza can be very, pizza, tier one. Even bad pizza is tier three, though.

Pizza can shift it to, it's a tier shifter. You're such an elitist. What am I elitist about? Well, apparently pizza. I'm sitting here in jeans and a t-shirt hanging out. You know what? That's what an elitist would do. They would dress in jeans and a t-shirt and judge everything else that's not good enough.

I'm not judging anyone or anything. It's okay. I'll just call you the elitist from now on. I said I liked your shirt. Does that make me an elitist? Yeah, but it was a sideways compliment. No, I like it. It's a nice shirt, but what I'm talking about that right now?

Okay, well, what's the problem? You're being an elitist. I don't think you're right. Because I don't like Jay Moore. Okay. You just said you did. Now you're saying you don't. I'm sorry.

I said I don't, I don't hate them. I am indifferent. Okay. What's he doing now? Is he still doing stand-up? I don't know. I could text him and ask him. Well, yeah, he was Bob Sugar 30 years ago.

It's real. You should say something. That's my favorite line. When he's firing him at the restaurant. Yeah, he did a good job as a role. I mean, it was... I'll give you that. For sure.

It was very James Woods of him. How confused are the prize whores right now, by the way? I don't know. They can wait. They come back. What should we do? You're doing Jim Rome impressions for three minutes. And then we're talking about...

Jay Moore and Bob Sugar. Prize wars are pissed right now. Well, Prize wars are pissed. They wanted their free stuff. We call them prize pigs. By the way, 22-year-old Jonathan, are you 23 now, Jonathan, right?

Happy birthday. It's his birthday today? It was Monday, yeah. It was Monday. And you went ahead and told them on Thursday. Great job. That's something on a lead us will do. I said something two days ago.

This is Tuesday. No, he was keeping it low-key. Oh, he doesn't like the attention? He doesn't like the attention of how old. He's old now. You're old and crusty, man. You're 23. Shoot my knees for like that.

But y'all are like, what, 55? Yeah. Wow. I just turned 55 yesterday. Oof. Appreciate you. He just asked if we were 55. I mean, I know I'm bald now, but good God, man.

That's something somebody young would say. Okay, look, let's see. Jay Moore, the Jay Moore show only lasted like not even a year. So clearly, Premier Radio Networks didn't think he was that great either. That's a radio show. That's not how good of an actor he is. so great as he was so hilarious, he would have lasted longer in the show. I'm just saying.

Rate Wex's mood, just based on the facial expression he's making, one to ten. I mean, it looks like he's got resting Wex face. It looks normal to me. All right, we're going to take a quick break here. Can I steal that? On Sports Talk 790. Adam Cleggen, thank you for hanging out. You're welcome.

Chris Gordy, thanks for hanging out. Oh, we never replayed Brian McTaggart. You can catch another podcast, SportsTalk790. Adam Wexer's coming up. They call it the A team. That's next here on Sports Talk 790. Brian Bogusevic tomorrow 10 to noon here on Sports Talk 790 at the time of the show with Ross.