The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Brian T Smith - Tampa Bay Much More Of A Challenge This October

Episode Date: October 18, 2019

Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle joins Matt to discuss the ALCS as the Astros are up 3 games to 1

This is the Matt Thomas show. Back to New York. We go at 203 on the Matt Thomas show. Let's spend 10 quality minutes with our good friend, Brian T. Smith, with us every Friday here on the radio program. We've gone over and over, BTS, over some of the intricacies of the game. Through your eyes, just give me a sense of what has happened in the New York Yankees, a team that had full of swagger. And it looked like a large part of the game yesterday was. Let's get out of here and try to salvage a series somehow somewhere by winning three straight.

Matt, how the turntables have turned, right? We're Yankee Stadium, the Bronx, the Yankees, the history, legacy franchise, and they can't win a game in their own ballpark. And two years ago in the ALCS, that series, which was, you know, another defining series for the reyield Astros. that series came down to home and away. And by the time you get into the last couple of innings last night, that was a total embarrassment. I mean, they couldn't field the ball.

It didn't seem like they cared. The stadium was empty. It looked like an energy stadium when the Texans went 2 and 14. It's amazing what confidence, what precision, what well-played baseball can do in October and the Astros since that first game. have absolutely had it. Carlos Correa's walk-off, as of right now, completely changed this series. Yankees haven't been the same since.

But if you are a Yankees believer and there are millions across the country, game four was a total embarrassment for a franchise that's supposed to be associated with, you know, rings and Yankee pride. There was no Yankee pride at the end of game four. Because think about this for a second, Brian. The Astros have George Springer at 118. Brangman 182, Guriel 063, Alvarez 067, Correa 176. And look, and Al-Tubane Brantley have been hitting the ball well in the series. But it's not like the Astros brought their own form of bombers into Yankee Stadium

to just beat them offensively over the hat. It's been lousy defense. It has been their main go-to guys. Why is Aaron Hicks batting third for the life of me? Edwin Encarnasseeone, I don't think it's had a relevant hit in weeks for them. Gary Sanchez, with the exception of what he did yesterday. DeGrigorous has been bad. I mean, this is more of their doing, or maybe we need to start beating the chest of the Astros

bulletin because they have been phenomenal so far in this series. Yeah, I think number one, we have seen the 107 win Astros in this series. And look, Tampa, Tampa Bay, let's be real about this. It could change tonight. There are three more games to go potentially. The Tampa Bay Rays have been much more of a challenge and much more dangerous in in a playoff series this October than the New York Yankees have been.

And I don't know what's going on with the New York media. They're supposed to be tough. I feel like the Houston media is much more tougher on the Astros when they disappoint. I thought that Giancarlo Stanton, you know, that Stanton not playing and not being able to stay healthy would have been a much huger deal.

And it's completely flown under the radar. It's like, oh, he's out again, quad, oh, whatever. Yeah. That's somebody, if Stanton's not in their line, up. And they're going to say, hey, we 103 games this year without him for the most part. But you got him to be able to beat the Red Sox, to beat the Astros. You know, Tanaka had one great game, one bad game. The Yankees came into the series, Matt, with serious questions, I believe, all season about their starting pitching. And it's finally started to catch up with him. Their bullpen is overwork.

Adavino has been horrendous. He should never pitch again for the Yankees. But ultimately, for me, I mean, Judge last night was a disappointment. and crucial game-pinging situations. Stanton can't even get on the field. This is not a great team right now, and you nailed it. Aaron Hicks. Aaron Hicks is hitting third. So I'm going to go with Burlander and Cole

and a pretty good, very gritty, Grinky last night. I'm going to go with Joe Smith and Roberto Osuna and Rondon and Will Freakin Harris with the October goatee. Ryan Presley coming up, you know, wheeling a wheeling. barrel across Yankee Stadium. Most importantly, I'm going to come down and place my bet on right now

with what we know in the series, A.J. Hinch, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, the Astros entered the series as a better team. I expected them to win it. I expect them to win the World Series. But thus far, they've reminded us why they won 107 and why the Yankees were a surprise to win 103. Behind the scenes, give me some more thoughts on the whole whistling bed. And I clearly AJ at his press availability yesterday was quite irritated by it. Look, there's a lot of things that are rules that are broken in sports.

Every team, including teams of the word Houston in front of them, do that. So we can't be naive. But how much has the Yankees bitching about sign stealing and chirping maybe gotten to the Yankees' heads a little bit? Matt, I'm very glad you asked me

that question. Just like AJ Hinch said yesterday behind the podium. I've written this two straight years in Houston Chronicle. I said last year, look, If the Astros are doing something that is absolutely illegal, and they are, they've got some covert, you know, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, spy system going on, and they are breaking written roles of the game, then that changes everything. Thus far, they have been, you know, there was an issue in 17 in the World Series. There was an issue in 18 against the Indians and the Red Sox in the playoffs. It was an issue this year against the race.

It was an issue this year in this series against the Yankees. until another team, or more importantly, Major League Baseball, can prove anything. And baseball's investigated the Astros a couple times and come away with absolutely nothing. Until somebody can prove something, the losers and the whiners need to shut up. And that's what I wrote in The Chronicle. If the Astros are doing something and they are breaking rules, you would think that, I mean, here's the thing. Players change teams every year, every season, Matt. You're going to tell me there's nobody else in this age of supermedia and cameras and

reporters everywhere in 24-7-365 clickbait, you're going to tell me that nobody, no great reporter in America in the era of fake news, can find a former baseball player, a current player on, let's say, the Oakland A's to come out and say on the record or, you know, very well-sourced, very well-sourced, very well-reported, yes, the Astros are cheating. Nobody has ever said that. So for this to come up again in Yankee Stadium, and you've got the commissioner in the stadium. The Yankees look like winers. The Yankees look weak. The Yankees look like a team that's on the verge of being eliminated.

Don't have a bullpen. Stanton can't play. And they're accusing the Astros of whistling. We're talking about whistling. So, you know, Astros need to finish this off tonight. You got Verlanner on the mound. I don't know why in the world, 10% of Astros' Twitter was freaking out that

Burlander was going to pitch game 5. This is exactly what you want for the Astros. Maybe the series turns one more time, but right now, it feels over. The Astros look like they're going to win the World Series, and the New York Yankees look really, really wimpy. All right. If things do fall apart tonight, which is a possibility, because you know what? Could happen. Could happen. And I try to get Jake on his opinion. I don't want to get yours.

What would you do for games six and seven in Houston, Texas? Yeah, that's where it's going to get interesting. And, you know, maybe there's a turn, right? I mean, this is a team at 103 games, and they play in the Bronx, so they should be better than this. let's say the Astros let's say Verlander pitches really well and the Astros lose 2 to 1 or 3 to 2. AJ Hens is going to have a huge decision and this is where Astros' Twitter should

really kick in and question this. As of right now and I need to see how the game plays out, man. I don't know what the correct answer is because Garrett Cole is the best pitcher on the planet that Garrett Cole has never pitched on short rest in the last example we have of Astros 8th throwing on short rest. It was a bus. Justin Verlander did not have it.

Do you save Cole for 7 not according to AJ Hinch. Everything A.J. Hinch has said this part in the playoffs that he believes in winning today. Right? You don't say we're going to lose today and win tomorrow. Game 7 is 50-50. Game 7, they had a first inning grand slam

and the minute of the main part goes quiet, and your season could be over. So I have to talk to Cole. I have to be Hinch. You have to steal it out. But depending on this, how this game goes, I do believe we have to give very serious consideration to starting colon 6 and finishing it.

Because here's a thing, If it's seven, what is Grinky going to start in short rest? I mean, seven feels like a wash already in terms of who you would throw. So maybe the best answer is you go with the best pitcher on the planet, say, hey, he's missing one day of rest, and let's finish this with Garrett Cole in our stadium. Maybe that's the best answer. See, I think it all makes a lot of sense. I just think people, and I'll put myself at the top of this list, think, my God, if the Astros drop two in a row, and it's a game seven, winner take all with the drama of a game seven

no matter what sport it is or what series it is, you're going to go with bullpen people. It just sounds really, really weird right now because that's right, but that's the state of major league baseball. We'll find out it may all be a wasted point, but they got off track and the ALDS. We'll see if it hurts them eventually in the ALCS, you know, with taking it to five.

And, you know, Grinky started game one. That was an ideal. You wanted to have Berlin and around. and Cole, but it's not like flip it upside down, Matt. It's not like the Yankees are going to be throwing magic fire in game seven. I mean, the Yankees are in a worse spot than the Astros are.

I think you go as what you know and you believe in and you throw colon six and close it out and then deal whatever happens in seven. But yeah, it's not an ideal situation, which is why I tell you right now, they came here, wanting to close it out here after the whistling, after throwing

stuff on the field, after Zach Grinky reportedly, you know, having personal insults yelled at him and the bullpen when he was warming up. After all that, the Astros want to close it out in Yankee South Stadium and celebrate on the Yankees field. I like how you think. BTS, Safe Travels back to our city. We'll talk again next week. Take care, Matthew.

You got it. Brian T. Smith, whether is from the Houston Chronicle, a Friday contributor on the show. All right, it's you and me the rest of the way with Ross as he prepares for a C.C. Sabathia, hell, yeah, or not. We'll get some handicapping advice for you coming up as well at the bottom of the hour.