September 30, 2025 • 6 mins
Nick Kirby from Chatterbox Sports joined Todd Walker to celebrate the Reds making the playoffs and looking at the Wild Card Series with the Dodgers.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Reds are in the playoffs, and I don't think
many people would have thought that a couple of weeks ago,
and probably Nick Kirby among them, he joins us now
from Chatterbox Sports. Nick, I guess you're probably like me.
When the Reds got swept by the A's a couple
of weeks back, I thought that was it.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy, Todd, but it
felt like that was a final punch. But I mean
it felt like there was maybe five or six final
punches before that. So this team, man that they're fortunate
to be here in the postseason. But they did play
well down the stretch. You got to give them credit
the Mets to open the door, and the Reds really
(00:42):
did an incredible job kicking down that door and winning
a series. In getting that off your back.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, and they did go nine and four after being
swept by the A's, And you know, some people talk
about they backed in because they didn't win on the
final day, But you know what I say, you could
have backed in in June. You could have punched your
ticket in June with a win that we don't remember.
One hundred and sixty two games is the standard, Nick,
it doesn't matter where you win the last one or not.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I mean, I guess if you stay back, and
I maybe say more because they didn't win the Pirates
series more so than losing the final day of the year.
I mean, yeah, it's they played great baseball in Milwaukee.
I kind of wish they maybe would have played with
a little bit more since of urgency on Sunday. Maybe
they got a little lucky, but hey, it doesn't really
matter at this point, as cliche as it is, everyone
(01:36):
is zero and zero side.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah they are. And now, of course you have to
remake your roster for the postseason. But the Reds have
Hunter Green going in Game one. And I know there
were many people critical of Terry Francona for not pitching
Hunter Green on Tuesday last week. That would have made
him available for the last day of the regular season. Instead,
he's ready for a first game of the playoffs. Maybe
(02:01):
Francona got lucky. Maybe it was just a Hunter Green
didn't want to go or preferred to go on the
normal day or whatever it was. Right now kind of
looks like a very precient move.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, it definitely worked out for the Reds. I think
they did get pretty lucky. If I'm being honest, I
think they should have moved under Green up. But if
their thinking was if they were saying, hey, we're just
gonna gamble, then I'm okay with it. It wasn't it.
Maybe think that they didn't have that mindset. Was that
they said that under Green would potentially be available on
(02:34):
Sunday on three days rest, which kind of a little
contradicted that. But yes, look, it doesn't matter now at
this point that they got their guy in Game one.
And the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that I think
everyone thought was going to win one hundred and twenty
games this year, right, I mean, they were as sacked
as it was. In some ways, they kind of waddled
(02:57):
through the regular season. They did not They clearly put
their full effort into this season. They prioritize resting guys
for the playoffs, which I don't think there is anything
wrong with that, But now they have to face under
Green in Game one, and I guarantee they're not thrilled
about that idea.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Well, I guess it comes down to, especially in the
best of three in the playoffs of any length, winning
that first game is usually an indicator of who wins
the series. And for the Reds they've got Hunter Green.
You gotta figure he's the best equipped postseason pitcher. This
game one really is the whole series.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
It feels like, Yeah, and Hunter Green has made some
really really big starts late in the season, and not
just this year twenty twenty three. Remember you had that
start against the Twins late in that season where the
Red League desperately needed to win. I think he struck
out fourteen batters, if memory serves me correct in that start. Yeah,
(03:56):
fourteen batters September twentieth, twenty twenty three, seven innings and
one run base. Well, and then he also made a
couple of big starts this year, so well, he doesn't
have that postseason start. He's pitched some some pressure pack
starts and he has delivered for the most part in
those starts. So now, the Dodgers are a different animal,
especially I mean the top five in the lineup the Dodgers,
(04:18):
the Bottles Dodters lineup is not as formidable as maybe
you would maybe expect for a team like the Dodgers.
But nonetheless, I mean, you're facing you know, Otani Freeman
that you've got some some pretty good hitters and you've
got to just find his way to navigate through that.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports as well us. Nick, I
know you guys have been maybe some of the most
vocal as far as criticizing Terry Francona's lineup choices. You
guys are big proponents of Will Benson in particular, and
clearly he has had some impact. But now in the postseason,
your your lineup really can morph from day to day
(04:56):
on who's hot or a certain matchup. You got to
t us Terry Francona ultimately, Now what's his postseason pedigree? Right?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, And what I'll say about Francona is the team
definitely relished the idea of moving on to the next
day all year and they had to do that because
this seams so vitty gun putching losses, and I think
for Coinna there's a lot of credit for keeping the
team afloat and keeping them like not just motivated, but
(05:28):
still you know, believe it in some ways. Yeah, lineups
that lineups on Sunday, you know, with your season on
the line of of of Hayes, Travina and McClean at
the bottom, lineup left a little bit to be desired.
I really would like to see South Stewart get an
opportunity to play, especially whenever the Dodgers starts Blake Snell
(05:51):
a LEFTI I think you really need South starting lineup.
He matched lefties all year at Triple A. Hees five
home runs Todd in limited playing time in this series.
One home run can completely flip the entire series. So
I would like to see South Stewart in particular against Flakes. Now,
(06:11):
that's maybe the one thing I'm begging Terry Frank going
to to kind of go against your want to play
the veterans and give South Stewart a king.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
We'll see what all develops. Is the Reds and Dodgers
tonight in Game one of the series, and hopefully the
Reds can win it behind La Area native Hunter Green.
Nick Kirby is a Chatterbox Sports. You've heard their stuff
all season long on the Reds Radio Network pregame show. Nick,
hopefully we can talk again next week about an NLDS.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
That would be pretty exciting, Tide and you know what, Hey,
you're playing with house money at this point. I'm certainly
not going to count the Cincinnati Redd and I don't
think you should either.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
No doubt about it. Thanks Nick, Thanks Ton,
The Reds are in the playoffs, and I don't think
many people would have thought that a couple of weeks ago,
and probably Nick Kirby among them, he joins us now
from Chatterbox Sports. Nick, I guess you're probably like me.
When the Reds got swept by the A's a couple
of weeks back, I thought that was it.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy, Todd, but it
felt like that was a final punch. But I mean
it felt like there was maybe five or six final
punches before that. So this team, man that they're fortunate
to be here in the postseason. But they did play
well down the stretch. You got to give them credit
the Mets to open the door, and the Reds really
(00:42):
did an incredible job kicking down that door and winning
a series. In getting that off your back.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, and they did go nine and four after being
swept by the A's, And you know, some people talk
about they backed in because they didn't win on the
final day, But you know what I say, you could
have backed in in June. You could have punched your
ticket in June with a win that we don't remember.
One hundred and sixty two games is the standard, Nick,
it doesn't matter where you win the last one or not.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I mean, I guess if you stay back, and
I maybe say more because they didn't win the Pirates
series more so than losing the final day of the year.
I mean, yeah, it's they played great baseball in Milwaukee.
I kind of wish they maybe would have played with
a little bit more since of urgency on Sunday. Maybe
they got a little lucky, but hey, it doesn't really
matter at this point, as cliche as it is, everyone
(01:36):
is zero and zero side.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah they are. And now, of course you have to
remake your roster for the postseason. But the Reds have
Hunter Green going in Game one. And I know there
were many people critical of Terry Francona for not pitching
Hunter Green on Tuesday last week. That would have made
him available for the last day of the regular season. Instead,
he's ready for a first game of the playoffs. Maybe
(02:01):
Francona got lucky. Maybe it was just a Hunter Green
didn't want to go or preferred to go on the
normal day or whatever it was. Right now kind of
looks like a very precient move.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, it definitely worked out for the Reds. I think
they did get pretty lucky. If I'm being honest, I
think they should have moved under Green up. But if
their thinking was if they were saying, hey, we're just
gonna gamble, then I'm okay with it. It wasn't it.
Maybe think that they didn't have that mindset. Was that
they said that under Green would potentially be available on
(02:34):
Sunday on three days rest, which kind of a little
contradicted that. But yes, look, it doesn't matter now at
this point that they got their guy in Game one.
And the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that I think
everyone thought was going to win one hundred and twenty
games this year, right, I mean, they were as sacked
as it was. In some ways, they kind of waddled
(02:57):
through the regular season. They did not They clearly put
their full effort into this season. They prioritize resting guys
for the playoffs, which I don't think there is anything
wrong with that, But now they have to face under
Green in Game one, and I guarantee they're not thrilled
about that idea.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Well, I guess it comes down to, especially in the
best of three in the playoffs of any length, winning
that first game is usually an indicator of who wins
the series. And for the Reds they've got Hunter Green.
You gotta figure he's the best equipped postseason pitcher. This
game one really is the whole series.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
It feels like, Yeah, and Hunter Green has made some
really really big starts late in the season, and not
just this year twenty twenty three. Remember you had that
start against the Twins late in that season where the
Red League desperately needed to win. I think he struck
out fourteen batters, if memory serves me correct in that start. Yeah,
(03:56):
fourteen batters September twentieth, twenty twenty three, seven innings and
one run base. Well, and then he also made a
couple of big starts this year, so well, he doesn't
have that postseason start. He's pitched some some pressure pack
starts and he has delivered for the most part in
those starts. So now, the Dodgers are a different animal,
especially I mean the top five in the lineup the Dodgers,
(04:18):
the Bottles Dodters lineup is not as formidable as maybe
you would maybe expect for a team like the Dodgers.
But nonetheless, I mean, you're facing you know, Otani Freeman
that you've got some some pretty good hitters and you've
got to just find his way to navigate through that.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports as well us. Nick, I
know you guys have been maybe some of the most
vocal as far as criticizing Terry Francona's lineup choices. You
guys are big proponents of Will Benson in particular, and
clearly he has had some impact. But now in the postseason,
your your lineup really can morph from day to day
(04:56):
on who's hot or a certain matchup. You got to
t us Terry Francona ultimately, Now what's his postseason pedigree? Right?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, And what I'll say about Francona is the team
definitely relished the idea of moving on to the next
day all year and they had to do that because
this seams so vitty gun putching losses, and I think
for Coinna there's a lot of credit for keeping the
team afloat and keeping them like not just motivated, but
(05:28):
still you know, believe it in some ways. Yeah, lineups
that lineups on Sunday, you know, with your season on
the line of of of Hayes, Travina and McClean at
the bottom, lineup left a little bit to be desired.
I really would like to see South Stewart get an
opportunity to play, especially whenever the Dodgers starts Blake Snell
(05:51):
a LEFTI I think you really need South starting lineup.
He matched lefties all year at Triple A. Hees five
home runs Todd in limited playing time in this series.
One home run can completely flip the entire series. So
I would like to see South Stewart in particular against Flakes. Now,
(06:11):
that's maybe the one thing I'm begging Terry Frank going
to to kind of go against your want to play
the veterans and give South Stewart a king.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
We'll see what all develops. Is the Reds and Dodgers
tonight in Game one of the series, and hopefully the
Reds can win it behind La Area native Hunter Green.
Nick Kirby is a Chatterbox Sports. You've heard their stuff
all season long on the Reds Radio Network pregame show. Nick,
hopefully we can talk again next week about an NLDS.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
That would be pretty exciting, Tide and you know what, Hey,
you're playing with house money at this point. I'm certainly
not going to count the Cincinnati Redd and I don't
think you should either.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
No doubt about it. Thanks Nick, Thanks Ton,
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