Luke & I on the Phillies Ep. 32: WE ARE THE BEST! -- 5/23/24

Sean Brace, #Phillies/#MLB Insider Luke Arcaini, and DJ Tonka talk all things #Phillies as our baseball boys are the BEST IN MLB!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
There's breaking shadow right going off Castiano'scoming on Championship. This is Luke and

(00:32):
I on the Phillies, brought toyou by Fox Sports The Gambler, and
away we go a three man weavegetting the band back together, and no
better time than right now. Ofcourse, with the red hot fightings,
the Phillies continue. They're winning ways. Another victory last night over the reigning
World Series champions, the Texas Rangers, and I don't give a damn what

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their record is. You look acrossthat Doug got us filled with people that
have rings, hardware, championships,and that's all you gotta say. So
the Phillies are for real. We'regonna talk a little bit more about whether
or not there is something behind someof the things that people are floating out
there taking the shots. But youknow, we're at the top of the

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list for everybody, so take takea number. I like that. Well,
allow me to introduce the crew asalways Luke and I on the Phillies
and always consists of Luke himself.That's Luke Rcanny, our Phillies insider for
us here on the Gambler and withthe three man weave, though one and
only mister Phillies DJ himself one ofthe five guys DJ tnka no rain delay

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holding him out today, and it'sgreat to have you Tank. How you
been man, I'm good, Man, I'm good. Saturday was a spectacle.
It was only a half hour raindelay, but it felt a lot
longer. Yeah, and you're incharge of when you got a rain delay?
Are you playing the tunes? Andoh yeah, es going yeah,
especially like last season, and wehad a couple We had a couple of

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rain delays when it was during footballseason too, so we were playing football
games on the big screen, andthen I was playing commercials like I went
at a bar. It was sofunny. That's funny. Do you have
a go to song that you playevery rain delay? I always, it's
funny. We always try to thinkof songs with rain in it, and

(02:22):
I always go to blind Melon,No Rain, Andre Creenans, who Shot
the Rain? Anything anything but purpleRain? I play. Yeah, that's
a little too to eight minutes.Well look no, uh no rain on

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our parade at this point in time, boys, real man, this is
this is what all right hand inthe air. If you thought this is
how it's gonna go, because youknow, I didn't think. I thought,
see I'm iffy there because I,like I obviously wasn't expecting you know,

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fifteen series wins in a row,best start through fifty games in the
history of the franchise. But like, I mean, they're good enough to
do it, Like we said alloff season, they were good enough to
do this. It's just it wasjust a matter of them actually going out
and doing it. I mean Isaid to you Brace probably fifteen different times
in the offseason, if if theycan play five hundred baseball in May,

(03:24):
they can win one hundred games.And they haven't lost a series since like
the second week of April. Like, it's it's just bizarre stuff that they're
doing. Right. Do you knowthe last series that they lost Cincinnati Reds.
Was it the Red Series? Yeah? I think I think it was
the Reds in Cincinnati. Yeah,they get heard series. They've won their

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last fifteen series. Yeah. Somy buddy's there, Cincinnati Reds DJ,
and he was talking so much smackon us, and I was like,
yeah, I mean, granted,he's like the only person that can right,
Yeah, it's the only the onlyreal person to get Yeah, I
mean, it's just it's just everynight there's a new stat I mean,

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Ranger Suarez, his name is gettingthrown in with Grover Alexander, Like eighteen
ninety five was the last time theywon twenty eight of thirty four. Like
it's just it's just stuff you've everseen before. I mean, it's it's
like I saw somebody say it theother day, and and and we'll kind
of dive into like the players andstuff like that. But to me right

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now, and I agree with theperson who said this, it feels like
it feels like the level of theeight lineup and the and the twenty eleven
pitching staff combined together, which Imean, if if you put if you
put those two things together, they'regonna be pretty damn Bill. Yeah,
that's the They're they're just rolling.They're they're rolling, they're having fun,
and they're they're winning these games likereally convincingly too, Like they're hitting minus

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one and a half at like analarming clip. Like it's it's bizarre.
Every night they go down to nothing, I'm like, all right, they'll
come back and win. They endup winning by like eight, Like it's
I was at the game the othernight, and they like that one was
a bit closer, but then lastnight they went down a little bit,
came back won Like what ten issomething like eleven four? Sorry, they're

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just once they go, they justthey go and they don't They don't stop
for for anybody in their way.I feel like this all happened. Do
you remember that Rob Thompson interview wheneverybody was like questioning them like these these
I'm trying to remember the exact wordthey were saying, Yeah, these guys
don't slug. Right after that interview, I feel like this winning streak started

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and like how they umped in everybodyin the clubhouse. It's so fun true
because like technically, like if ifif you look at like the home run
numbers, they're not really like inquotes, like slugging better than everybody else.
They're ninth in the league in homeruns, so like it's not like

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they're flying away with the home run. Who's number two on the team,
JT. I mean it might beit might be Swore Harper, Yeah,
definitely Harper Harper. Schwarber has nine. Brandon Brandon marsh is next with six,
so they only have two guys overover six. Yeah, they're they're

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not just hitting the ball out ofthe ballpark every night. They're just they're
playing baseball. Yeah, they're playingbaseball. Alec Bom literally has an rb
I every night. That's not ahome run. I mean he's on he's
on pace for one hundred and fiftyone rbi s right now to beat Howard
and in his m v P.It's I mean, it's just absolutely bizarre,
like what Boem specifically right now,but just just everyone's doing. Harper

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and May is hitting like three fifty. JT has a nine to fifty oh
ps since since Trey Turner went down. I mean, that's the craziest thing.
They're doing this all without their threehundred million dollars short stop. Then.
I mean he'll be back in probablytwo weeks. And I mean who
was back into this mix? Thatmess up the chemistry though, yes,
no, I mean it can right. It's I mean it's you put Trey

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Turner back in for Edmundo Sosa,Like it's just like this team's knots man.
They're insane. Yeah. Just areal clip, real quick clip from
the from MLB dot com here rightup last night after the game, Philly's
aimed to stay the course amid historicstart. Of course, Rob Thompson had
that great SoundBite after the game,or it might have been pregame where it

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was talking about the Seattle Mariners whenthat team went off in two thousand and
one, but they didn't win atall, and he said, quote what
did they do at the end?Asking about the one hundred and sixteen win
Mariners club which lost in the ALCS, And that's when he was like,
you gotta keep going, you gottakeep grinding and keep pushing all the way
through. And this team is doingexactly that. And again, I'm not

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gonna sit here and ask for theraw ros speech on May the twenty third,
I don't think anybody needs that withthe way things are going for the
team, but it hit home foreverybody else because you know, look,
this team has had great success inthe last two seasons. Some of its
expected, some of it wasn't.But the bottom line as they finished the
season either in the World Series ora deep postseason runs. So you know,

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there's levels, there's steps to this, and that's what they're they're in
pursuit right now to win it.But just real quick, on this Wednesday's
eleven to four victory, lifted thePhillies record, currently the thirty six and
fourteen, establishing the best fifty gamesstart in franchise history. Only forty two
other teams have ever won thirty sixof their first fifty games. Once again,

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only forty two teams in the historyof baseball since nineteen one hundred have
won thirty six out of their firstfifty games twenty twenty six of them excuse
me, since nineteen hundred, sothe last being was the two thousand and
one Seattle Mariners. This team ison such a pace right now, long
way to go, a lot ofbaseball to be played, but damn,

(08:50):
I'm having a lot of fun.YEA, yeah, that's the thing.
There's a there's a long way togo. They have one hundred and ten
baseball games left and twelve. ButI mean that that kind of mentality that
that Rob Thompson talked about last night, it seems like it's going everywhere throughout
the clubhous. It seems like he'ssort of and all these guys are sort

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of backing him, and I thinkthey know that right like they they don't
they don't care how many games theywin in the regular season. Like it's
awesome that they're gonna win probably onehundred hundred and five games at this rate.
But who cares if they don't winat all? Right, Like it
doesn't matter if they go back tothe NLCS and they lose again. And
Matt Strong after the game last night, was asked by Scott Franski. Franski

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said, this Phillies team has donesomething no other Phillies team has done.
One thirty six of your first fiftyand match Strom, he said, six
words, he said, but otherteams have won the World Series, that's
all, he said. Like theythey just know that, like really really,
when it comes down to it,in ten years, you can look
back on this season and be like, cool, that's fun that they can

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they can they can go win onehundred and five games, But it doesn't
matter, Like it doesn't matter ifyou if you in it. This team
won one hundred and two games andtwenty eleven. Do you think anybody cares
about twenty eleven more than two thousandand eight. No, nobody cares unless
you win the big one. Andthat's tom I'm gonna come over to you
in a second. But you know, look, I do want to point

(10:16):
this out and I don't think you'resaying that at all, Luke, But
as an older gentleman, as theolder statesman here, you know, uh,
I'll due respect to Liut because he'syoung. And just enjoy the ride,
though, man, enjoy it.You have runs don't come man.
And when they like that eight totwenty twelve run, it was it went
like that, and yeah, youhad one World Series championship to show for

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it. But the O nine seasonwas awesome. The two cliff Ley was
amazing, Like there were so manygood fun moments, and then it just
disappeared. And then this team stunkand it sucked. So here we are
now this this run Harper, thevibes, you know, talk You're gonna
talk a little bit about the ballparkand what's going on down there as far

(11:01):
as like how it feels. Doesit feel different, Like I don't even
think expectations, of course are throughthe roof for this team, but it's
still doesn't feel like it is right. It feels like everybody's staying loose and
sexy and just enjoying it and goingup there and swinging and being free spirited,
throwing strikes. All these pitchers areincredible Thompson continues to pull all the
right you know, or make allthe right moves. It's just a lot

(11:26):
of fun. Man. I'm enjoyingthis season so much right now. Saying
one more quick note on what yousaid, Sean, that you you have
to enjoy it because obviously these lasttwo years they've come up short. And
realistically, how much does this seasonmatter when you come up short? Not
that much, but it's been it'sbeen the two probably most fun obviously seasons

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since since O eight oh nine.Right. Absolutely. You also have to
remember, in one hundred and twentyfour seasons, the Phillies have made the
playoffs sixteen times. Come on,they've only made the playoffs sixteen times in
the history of the franchise. Formost losses they have they have the most
losses in the history of baseball.Yes, it's that they don't the stats

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say to you that they are usuallynot good. So like when they are
good, like you have to enjoyit and then and I think everybody is
enjoying it right now. And Ithink it's okay to sit here and say
that it doesn't matter until you winthe whole thing, but you can also
enjoy it at the same. Yeah, both of those things can absolutely be
true, be true at the sametime. You're right about that, Tanka.

(12:35):
You know, look just wax andfree spirited. Here. You tell
me what what's the vibes like foryou down there? Is there a difference
this year? Is it like loose? Let me say this before you talk
about it, because you're down thereway more than I am. I was
there Tuesday night with my girlfriend andI posted a video on Twitter and it,
dude, if it felt like aFriday night game in October in the

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in the in the ninth inning.It was a Tuesday night game in May
against the Texas Rangers. Yeah,like, I mean there was forty one
thousand and eighty three people there ona Tuesday night in May. So I
get it this. They had thatbig sold out streak you know from from
eight to ten. True they did. We're gonna smash that anywhere else.

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You don't get forty one thousand peopleon a Tuesday night in May anywhere else
in I got something crazier for you. So Saturday, the rainde Lay game,
I was there. It was fortyone thousand people in the rain.
Yeah. I think one of theballpark is what other what other fan base
is sitting waiting for the game tostart and cheering when that when the tart

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comes off the field in the rain, nowhere nowhere, it's not how but
anywhere else. And I'll tell youthat the vibes down there lately, whether
it's just me walking in the ballparkwhen there's no one there, like everybody's
in a good mood. Like everyoneeverybody's like, Hi, how's it going,
players are in a great mood,or like the vibes are just immaculate.

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I would say the energy level,like this year we upped it a
lot, like because with forty onethousand people there, you know what I
mean, you really have to beon your a game right, So like
you know, sometimes we would havefun, we're up a bunch of runs,
but I keep it high energy thewhole entire time I'm there, because
let's have a party. Let's let'sgo, let's go. How often you
get forty one people in a goodmood all in one building? Exact?

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If you want to go watch goodbaseball, you want to have a good
time when you're doing Like man,you want the music to be bumping,
like you want the beers to beflowing like it's just it's it's simply just
a party down there. Like there'ssixteen dollars state side. I'll buy them
state set. Yeah, oh god, so no here. Definitely have I

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gotta get you guys when I'm whenI'm working. You guys got to come
to a game, Yeah, definitely. Man, I haven't been. I
haven't been to a game yet thisseason. I was supposed to go to
two and the one that rained downin another nonsense, I'm I'm going.
I'm gonna be DJing Beef's are aregood friend Ryan Coyle his he's got a
tailgate his third year going. There'slike fifty sixty of them. So I'm

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djaying that's a Saturday game? Uhcoming again? Twenty second there? Nice?
Yeah, it's four o'clock start timeon Saturday. Yep, I have
all I have all Saturday games andthat's the I believe that's the Diamondbacks series.
Yep. Nice, Just it isgood job. I'm there the first
twenty second, twenty ninth, we'llbe there for that one rocking out Yeah,

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I love that and yeah, it'sgonna be a lot of fun.
And then rolling into that game withthat crew all I could be their dad.
That's how old I am compared toThat's all right, It's gonna be
a lot of good good times downthere. But again sticking with the trend
here, this team is just it'shitting on all cylinders. And Luke,
let's go ahead and get into thispart. If you wouldn't mine, you
know, I just I get it. You have to nitpick, you have

(15:58):
to point the finger at something,you know, And if we're honest,
you give me a seven game seriesagainst the Dodgers. Let's go. I
I like the Phillies, but theDodgers are just as good. There's only
a few teams that I could putin that conversation just as good as the
Phillies. I say, the YankeeStone cold are, I say, the
Dodgers are? You know, maybewe could flirt with like another team or

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two, but those are the threebig teams. So for those people that
are looking at the strength to scheduleand saying, well it's a quirk,
like John Hayman or Bob Nightingale,guys that are covering the game, I
understand it because they need something toget that traction, to get that engagement.
But is there something there, likeif we're honest about that. I
get it. We play one sixtytwo at the end of the year.

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You can't say anything along those lines. You play everybody the same amount of
times. Shut up. But aswe're sitting here right now, and for
somebody like John Hayman or Bob Nightingaleto look over and say, I still
think the Dodgers are a better team, and you know what, the Dodgers
probably had a little bit tougher schedules. So I'll give the edge to the
Phillies there. I don't know,maybe I'm putting too much into it,

(17:06):
trying to give them a little bitmore credit here. But your thoughts when
people do bring up that strength toschedule so far through fifty fifty games,
excuse me. Yeah, So there'sonly five teams in the National League with
a winning record right now, theDodgers, the Padres, the Phillies,
the Braves, and the Brewers.Not a single other team in the National

(17:26):
League has a winning record, Ibelieve. So the American League has definitely
performed better than the National League thisyear. That's that's definitely not I believe
there's seven or eight teams Yankees,Yankees Orioles Twins, Guardians, Royals.
There's two more in there somewhere,but what it comes down to is that

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Rex and Red Sox were one yesand then the wins. Yeah. The
Phillies are beating the these teams underfive hundred. So the Phillies have played
the Nationals six times. The Philliesare five and one against the Nationals.
If the Nationals won all of thosegames against the Phillies, they would be

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over five hundred. The Giants areown four against the Phillies this year.
They are three games under five hundred. If they were to beat the Phillies
in all four of those games,they would be over five hundred. The
Padres at the time they are owerand three against the Phillies, they would
have at the time of that gamebeen over five hundred if they just beat
us and the Texas Rangers now aretwo games under five hundred. If they

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would have beat us in the firsttwo games, they would be over five
hundred. There's a key word you'reusing there. The Phillies are beating these
teams two back under five hundred.They at the time they are playing these
teams and they are over five hundred, or they should be. If they
could simply just beat us, andthe issue is they can't. So I
mean it comes down to one,you have to play who's on your schedule?

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Like, I'm so tired of it. I actually muted the words schedule
the other day on Twitter because Itruly just couldn't take it anymore. It's
one, you have to play theschedule in front of you. Two,
everybody plays everybody. That is thenew rule in baseball. Everybody plays every
team every season. That's just howit works. Whether you're home away doesn't

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matter. You play every team.And Third, like if if you're sitting
there and you're truly watching these Philliesgames and you think they wouldn't be winning
as much as they are because oftheir strength of schedule, I mean,
you're simply just out of your mind. Like they're facing good pitchers. They're

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just beating up on them like they'rethey're beating bad pitchers, they're beating good
bullpens like and they're just pitch.I mean, they're they're starters. They
have the most quality starts, theyhave the most innings pitched against starters,
they have the lowest ra against starters, and the most innings three of their
starters should be an All Star.Probably three of their bulls pen guys have
a chance to make the All StarGame. Three of their starters in their

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lineup have a chance to make theAll Star Game. Like we probably if
you wanted to get like generous withit, they could have nine to ten
All Stars this year. They won't, right, they'll probably have six,
six, seven, but they likealmost half of their current roster right now
could be in the All Star Game. So how much can you really complain

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about strength of schedule when I mean, they're just going out and they're just
beating up on everybody, like itdoesn't matter where they go, who they
play, Like I don't care whatthe record is. You go out and
put up twelve runs on a majorleague pitcher. That is impressive. Like
these pitchers, no matter what theirera shows, they're in the majors for
a reason. Like they're going outand they are just bashing on major league

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pitching night after night after night.It's it's just bizarre, Like I'm so
over this whole strength of schedule thing, like it cares like all you have
to do is play the teams infront of you, Like we're just beating
the crap out of everyone in frontof them. That's the that's the bottom
line, cocking. What was thetheme? What was the word you you
picked up on? So the keywordthat in your whole spiel there, Luke

(21:14):
was would like they would be overfive hundred if they did this, but
guess what they did, Yeah,just beat us. So maybe Rob Thompson
was instead of slugging as in likethe the normal sense of like hitting home
runs and stuff like that, he'stalking about, we're in a boxing match

(21:37):
every game, so we're slugging outto win the game, whether it's hitting
singles. Then you had the othernight, like you had Clements hit two
doubles, like stand up doubles atthat, which is amazing. You don't
have to slide in the second andlast chance. They're two stand up doubles
and key situations. So it's likemaybe he maybe he was like using slug
as a metaphor because we have tobeat up these guys in different way now

(22:00):
because people, I think really gotour number. They were like, hey,
these guys are home run hitters.Let's put them in bigger ballparks.
They're not going to hit home runs, right, and they're gonna pitch around
you so you don't get that meatballthat you want to hit four hundred and
twenty feet, you know what I'msaying. So maybe the slug that he
was talking about is literally the Rockymentality of like beating up play people just

(22:22):
to get through the game. Yeah, I mean in the past two years,
right when they get to the playoffs, they win the games they hit
home runs in, and they losethe games they don't like. That's that's
how it's been the last two years. I believe only one of their games
last year that they lost in theplayoffs they had a home run in,
and that was Game seven at theNLCS with that out bone home run that
they ended up losing the game.Bottom line for them the last two years

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was they were basically home home runor bust. And when you get those,
I mean, you get to theNLCS, you get these these big
time throwing lefties that like, youhave to find ways. You have to
put the ball in the gap,you have to slap the ball in the
left field, you have to bunt, like, you have to do anything
you can to get on base.And I think they're realizing that because right

(23:07):
right, like we said earlier,they're like ninth in home runs right now.
I think last year they finished third, Like they're they're they're starting to
realize that they're not having two hithome runs to win games. Alt Boom,
there was a crazy stat the otherday from Anthony San Philippo from Crossing
broad I got to pull it up, right, I think I heard this
one. So Alt Boom right nowis currently I gotta find this one second

(23:30):
just so, he said, justone more note on Boom. Up to
the minute, he's on pace forseventeen home runs and one hundred and forty
two RBIs. Why last time amajor league player finished a season with that
many RBIs and that few home runswas eighteen ninety four. He's gonna have

(23:52):
one hundred and forty RBIs and undertwenty home runs. How likely is that
to finish? Maybe not, butlike that's that's insane, Like the dude,
I mean, he's a career likethree forty hitter with with runners in
scoring position. Now it's just they'refinding ways finally to not just hit the
ball out of the park. Schwarber'sbeen a big one. He like so

(24:15):
many more singles this year, somany more balls in the gaps. He's
hitting the ball down the line.These pitchers are throwing. There's been a
trend. He's been seeing way morefastballs this year and and it's finally a
thing for him where he's not tryingto hit every single wall out of the
ballpark, which a few more pointson the average helps there. But he
but he's but he's been more morelike a leadoff hitter this year, which

(24:37):
I've really thought he was a leadoffhitter in the past, but now he's
he's even kind of been one moreso it's just they're finding ways to do
it without just hitting the ball outof the park, which has been huge
for them. Yeah, but Iwould like to continue to talk about hitting
the ball out of the ballpark andand focusing I'm Bryce Harper, Yeah,

(24:59):
because you know, look, heprovides so much for this team. And
you brought up the eight and wewere talking about a little bit of the
earlier the good run, and youknow, he's got that Ryan Howard vibe.
Now, is he gonna hit fiftybombs this year? I don't know.
I wouldn't put a cap on BryceHarper by no means, But he's
on a damn streak right now andespecially in home really locked in and for

(25:22):
the NL Cy Young, Yeah,it's tough when we talk about the awards
for any of these phillies. Immediatelyyou're just gonna have to go against the
media juggernaut for the Dodgers, right, we know the show Hay story for
the MVP. And then from theCy Young standpoint, you just got to
work against your own guy, whichis Zach Wheeler getting to start so Ranger

(25:42):
Suarez and Zach. But Bryce Harper, let's just focus on him for a
second. And and man, I'lltell you what, tonk when he steps
to the dish, that's got tobe the loudest, right. He's definitely
still number one as far as crowdfavorites. I'm gonna be honest, man,
it's it's him and Dot I knewit's it's all stocks. It's it's

(26:03):
music, man, they love it, you know what I mean? Like
when when he's coming when when Bryceis coming up with his Nelly song,
it's a lot, you know,a lot bigger, uh, his country
song, I can't think it outthe top of my head, but that
new one, it's like a barsong or something. It's like or something
like that that's catching some play now. So like it's if I had to

(26:25):
pick who gets the biggest ovation,it's not nice because that song. Yeah,
if it doesn't know that song,it's different walk in the league.
Literally, it's like, you know, it's like that's that's not even like
debatable like that. You know there'speople out there that don't like it,
right, you know there's people outthere like I hate this lock up song.
There would be a tell, tellthe Karens and the Chats just get

(26:48):
out of the ballpark and let someother fans come in. It's like,
how how could you not like that? Man? And you know, we
were we were just talking. Iwas talking to call him my my,
my good run. We went tothe Marlins game last year, the playoff
game, and that's the one thatStot hit that grand slamming. It was
two weeks ago when the Phillies werein the Marlin taking on the Marlins,

(27:10):
and I was like, damn,dude, I forgot about that. Like
still to this moment when Turner comesback, like his Tiesto song pops off
too. So it's like you getthese catchy songs like but Boom comes up
but when he has his and nowpeople are catching on the Sosas too.
So it's like, but I thinkoverall the best Stott. You hear it

(27:33):
outside the ballpark. It's easy tocatch on at Mundo. Yeah, yeah,
Tonka. As far as you know, pitching is concern with Rangers Suarez.
I now see he's got the group. What is what's the group up
there? Look what are they called? The Ranger What are they called?
I think they're the Power Rangers,right, Power Rangers Rangers or the Power

(27:55):
Rangers or something like that. Ihaven't seen that yet for everyone. Yeah,
I haven't seen that yet. Ijust gotta uh So, Foco has
been sending me stuff to wear thegames. Uh So, they sent me
the overalls and then they sent meone of the crews in the ballpark.
I'm wearing the hat the Fanatics crew, which is dope. I was like,
now they have they have their ownsponsor now, which is crazy,

(28:18):
Like these these little hordes of peoplethat create these names for these you know,
these little fan clubs are getting sponsorships. It's wild. Yeah, it's
hey, look it's wild, wildWest with the teens. The humber jeans
jeans. Definitely that one was funny. Yeah, that was funny. I
haven't seen the Ranger one now.I haven't seen that one yet. Yeah,

(28:41):
they were just up there when hewas showing pretty. That's a few
weeks now, it's pretty. Whenhe struck out ten, he was up
there with the Pandemic crew, ifI'm not mistaken, and then you know
they were just people tressed up.Dude, I'll tell you straight up,
He's won me a lot of moneythis year so far. I would definitely
buy a Power Rangers suit and wearit to Arrange Suarez. I would.
I would buy it for you becauseI don't think you'll do it there.

(29:06):
Don't tempt me with a good time. I will absolutely be down there and
as all as I could be theGreen Ranger, I'm in there. It
is. He is unbelievable. Youwant to talk a little bit about Ranger
Suarez, because I think he's atthe top of everybody's list, whether you're
talking locally nationally. What he's doingright now, Luke is just insane.
Ten strikeouts. Again, the Rangersline up, they don't strike out much.

(29:30):
One of the better teams as faras you know, putting the ball
in play, you know, darnwell. I think that was the game
one, if I'm not mistaken,game one of the series. So it
just felt like this was a spotthat if I'm the Texas Rangers in that
club house, I'm saying, guys, like, let's turn it around right
here, right now, there's athere's an energy in this building. It

(29:51):
feels like a big game, let'sgo. And all Ranger Suarez did would
just strike them out. He hadsix strikeouts and four innings finished with and
it's insane what he's doing. Andhe's dominating lefties right now, which is
awesome wild. I mean, he'sif you're a lefty, it's it's practically
impossible to hit him right now.I mean lefties are hitting a three seventy

(30:15):
seven ops against him, a oneforty average. I mean even righties,
righties are only hitting one eighty threeagainst him right now. I mean,
it's it's it's it's just nasty stuff. Yeah, he's finally started to mix
everything up. He's he My onlyissue in the past years with with Ranger

(30:36):
has been he's always seemed a littlebit predictable. He's always kind of pounded
pounded in on a lot of guys. But now he's just he's all over
the place. He's he's he's lowand away with the change up and then
it'll go like belt high fastball onyou. When he doesn't throw hard,
like Ranger doesn't throw hard, he'she's he's sitting right now around like ninety

(30:59):
one. But he's not afraid tothrow a fastball right over the middle of
the plate, which is like,that's gonna throw a hitter off. No
hitter expects a guy who throws afastball ninety two miles an hour to throw
it right over the plate. Andhe does it, and and and then
he throws that change up at you, and and then the sinker goes down
and in. It's just like he'she's all over the plate, which is

(31:23):
something that that not a lot ofpitchers can do in this league. You
see a lot of guys. Theylove to live in one zone. They
either these these guys love to liveup high, down, down, low,
and away. If you look atRangers, like chart from the year,
it's practically even he's just he's justkind of mixing it all up all
over the place. I mean,my favorite stat probably from Ranger right now,

(31:48):
his lowest ops against hitters is withrunners on base, He's pitching the
best when there is runners on base. Hitters are hitting one thirty eight against
him with runners on base. Rightnow, I mean, he's he's,
he's he's working perfectly basically out ofthe stretch. It's it's been, it's
been fascinating to watch. And Imean, once again, we all know

(32:09):
that he is probably the most calm, cool and collected human probably on the
face of the earth. Right now. I mean, every time he goes
out there, it's it's just doeshis job, walks out. I mean,
he got a standing ovation the nightI was there when he walked off
the field ten strikeouts. It's acareer high that he tied. I mean,
it's just like he's just doing everything. I still think it's gonna be

(32:34):
hard for him to win Cy Young, but I keep saying that, and
then he keeps going out and justhaving a better Like every start just seems
like it's somehow getting better. Ibelieve he has like a under a one
e r A since after his firsttwo starts. It's just it's nasty stuff.
I have a question for you,Luke. When's this contract up.
Oh, it's gonna be this offseason. That's that that could be why he's

(32:58):
one. I would love for themto try and do it at some point
this season. I don't think.I don't really expect that. Nope,
Nope, you don't. Don't payhim yet. Make him earn it.
Yeah, yeah, it's it's gonnabe this offseason, and it's it's it's
gonna be pretty hefty. It'll beit'll definitely be north of one hundred,
but it'll be I mean, it'llbe deserved, right, I mean he's

(33:21):
oh yeah, he's if if youif you go off of all times all
times stats, he is a topfive pitcher in the playoffs in the history
of baseball and like six different pitchingcategories. I mean, I mean,
you have to pay them, man, Like you have no choice him.
You have to pay obviously. Eventuallyyou're gonna have to get bryceon stot a

(33:43):
contract very soon. Hoffman has toget locked up soon. They have a
few guys, but I mean Rangerright now, is is probably at the
top of that list right now.Yeah, No, he's definitely there,
and he's earning every bit of it. And you know, look to your
point, Yeah, make him earnit. But then at the same time,
when he goes out there and hedoes this over the next fifteen to

(34:05):
twenty starts, eight plus strikeouts,and it's just like, all right,
well that price tag just got atthat. Look, he's no dummy,
his agent's no dummy. They they'rethey're going to obviously play this out and
and rightfully so. And I'm surethe Phillies would love to keep them,
but that's just the price of doingbusiness. You know, all the stars
that they have on their teams.Look at the Yankees. I don't know

(34:25):
if the Yankees are gonna be ableto sign Sodo. I really don't.
It's just how it works. Yeah, money top, Yeah, bring them
here, bring them. But youknow what, wres one more Rangers.
Suarez has pitched twenty eight innings onthe road. He's lost three earned runs.
Yeah, he has a point nineto six ERA on the road in
four starts. Like he's pitching evenwhen he goes he's been like obviously he's

(34:52):
been unbelievable, but his worst startshave actually been at seasons back. He
goes on the road and he's justlike, I mean, he's legitimately like
unhittable. Like it's it's it's it'sit's just absolutely bizarre for a guy that
sits like ninety two miles now andhe's like, I saw this guy said
this the other night. I meanhe's like he's basically an old school pitcher,

(35:15):
Like he is the definition of likean old school lefty doesn't throw hard
but just makes you look stupid.You know who comes to mind when you
you say those things. There's onepicture in the two thousand and eight Ball
Club I think it was two thousandand eight Jamie Moyer. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, I mean,pitch fast. His command is there,

(35:38):
but if he has to turn upthe heat, he can't. I
think I think he topped out,probably like eighty nine or something like that,
but he would he would throw itright down the pike at you though.
You know what I'm saying. Hiscommand was all over the place.
He could hit all the corners.But that's what he was known for,
right, So, like he gotus through big those big moments as well.
So it's like when you're saying theselike old school type pictures, that's

(35:59):
the first person I think. IActually, I go to Cliff Lee more
than anything, and the only reasonwhy I do that again, completely different
pitchers from you know, power,but just the the guessing of the change
up is just wild to me,Like, you know, it's not coming
in there fast. But and thesehitters are you know, they take it.

(36:20):
It's a strike, they swing,they don't hit it, and it
just happens. And look, thisisn't a fluke. Eight strikeouts, seven
strikeouts, ten strikeouts. I don'tthink that's a fluke. Honestly, the
one game against the Mets where hestruck up four, that's a fluke.
That's how I'm feeling with this RangerSuarez season so far. Now, again,
a lot of baseball to be played, but I don't think this changes.

(36:42):
I think he's going to consistently strikeout six plus and continually have this
team, you know, or limitthe team that he's pitching against, and
have the Phillies in whatever game heis starting. And it's just incredible to
be able to watch it, reallyis, and can't wait for the next
Ranger day. Let's get there,ready, Yeah, it's it's it's really

(37:04):
a cool thing to watch This teamas well, is just because they're like
Rager's not doing it by himself.Wheeler has been incredible Nola has been incredible.
Nolan since his first start has beenreally good. I mean his his
e r A is almost under three, just like Wheeler and and Ranger.
I mean, this this rotation isjust doing like like absurd stuff right now.

(37:30):
They lead the league in innings,whip e r A like everything as
a starting rotation. Right now,they're they're just like going out there every
five, just every night, andjust just six innings, seven innings,
five innings, eight innings, nineinnings. Like it's just like it feels
like you're going to get minus maybeone guy in there. You're going to

(37:52):
get a really good start nearly everynight. Right now. It's just like
top to bottom there. I mean, they're absolutely the rotation base. Yeah,
it's really and the lineup line themand the Yankees and maybe the Red
Sox, but the Red Sox theygive their starters like five innings every night
and then they pull them and doesn'tbut and like you said, not doing

(38:13):
it themselves. Of course, allthe credit in the world to that lineup
too. I'm sure that you pitcha little bit looser knowing that you're gonna
have a lineup that can go inthere and if you're down to nothing,
it doesn't matter, Like they're notgonna panic. Real Muto's got a twelve
game hitting streak, Harper's ripping tocover off the Baseball Stats found his his
stride boom. We can go downthe list, like every one of these
guys are all producing. And oh, by the way, as you pointed

(38:36):
out, Luke three hundred million dollarsshortstop is still dealing with it. And
when he got hurt, you gotto remember what he was doing. He
was on fire too, so it'slike he's only gonna be bringing it back
ahead of numbers. Turner was hittingthree forty three with two home runs,
ten doubles, nine RBIs, tenstolen bases when he got hurt. Right,
you're gonna bring that tip back tothe mix. So again, I
think this number right here probably one, one oh three, one oh four.

(39:00):
But I'd be shocked if this teamdoes now win a hundred games this
year. Be shocked. I mean, he was your hits leader when he
got hurt, and I think theythey're like they've lost like two games since
he's gone, Like it's just imean, every everybody's hitting, everybody's pitching,
like it's just they're just clicking.Keep it going, baby. Yeah,
there's there's nothing I said the othernight. I'm just sort of running

(39:22):
out of words just to kind ofhow to describe it. It's just like
they're just like you said, Sean, They're just simply a wagon. Like
they go and they go every day. Like my buddy in North Carolina a
real quick betting betting a minute here, because I know Tonka wants to get
into something as well, but mybuddy in North Carolina legalizes gambling down there.

(39:43):
Just went live a couple of monthsago, a couple weeks school whatever
it was, and he's like,dude, I bet the Phillies every single
night. And I'm like, goodfor you. Yeah, Like I know
everybody like, yeah, everybody should. You should Philly's minus one and a
half every night until it doesn't hitand then and then I'm probably just gonna
do it again the next night.The team, so it was hitting consistent,
the wins are happening, they're notpriced too crazy. I get it,

(40:04):
you don't want to lay two dollars, but man, go and get
it. A win is a win, and mix in those same game parlays.
Pick a couple of right hitters andnow you're cooking man, because I
like, I've already hit a fewof them this year. This love when
when I see Ranger on the mound, you know, I balked. I
wish I would have went a littlebit more. I was talking myself into
taking eight plus strikeouts, which wasfour forty plus four forty or eight plus

(40:29):
strikeouts, and I didn't And Ijust said, I'm happy if he gets
to seven because that's the six anda half or five and a half gets
to six, and that was plusmoney plus one twenty five. So I
was kicking myself in the ass todo it. Lay the lumber on this
team right now, Tonka. Haveyou been playing placing wagers on the Phillies.
Yes, And last night I starteda new trend because I was made
aware of an interesting stat. Soout of I'm gonna I'm gonna add last

(40:52):
night's game in it too. Hislast night's game is included in this.
Out of the last twenty six games, they are twenty three and three for
scoring over three and a half runsper game as a team total, which
is wild wild like and these thisis from other gamblers that are like,
dude, I haven't lost, like, yeah, you can just hammer them

(41:15):
all the time. Over four anda half? Four and a half is
what is it? What is it? Right now? I'm gonna jump in
there right now. I usually Iusually get the number at four and a
half. That's usually what I seelike every day, usually around four and
a half. I mean, soif they're twenty three and three like you
said at three and a half,i'd have to imagine they're probably twenty and

(41:36):
six at at four and a half, So I would take that. I
forgot to put it in right.And then plus eight and a half over
eight and a half was plus money. It was I don't know, well,
were they up like five nothing alreadyor five one? It was six
to three or six to two,and I was like, I bet the
live wide. I was like,I'm just gonna. I'm just gonna.

(41:58):
I had like twenty dollars in mycount I was like, I'm just gonna
put it over the right. Yeah. And then and then real mutwo like
like like I think like struck outor something, and I was like,
uhh, I was like, whatdid I do? Is the bomb of
the fifth? I was like,what is going on? And then boom
we had we had there was twowe had to have two walk arounds.
So basically we had two full bases, loaded opportunities where these singles brought in

(42:19):
two runs another thing, but boomsingle brought into it was like boom I
had they just go. It wasgreat. Look And that's that's the mark
of a good team when you knowthey are the total for the games eight
and a half nine and here thereis a sixth inning and you're like,
all right, I still want action. Most of the time, it's like,
all right, these odds and makersknow what they're doing, so take
them under. But now it's like, dude, this is And that's similar

(42:44):
to uh the Nuggets game. Therewas a Nuggets game in the NBA and
in the previous round where they wereup by so many points at halftime and
I'm like, yeah, I'll stillgive fifteen and I took they won by
twenty five. Like this totally justgo like they just go like they're a
wagon, they're livelines jumping around rightnow, I'll tell you what because now

(43:05):
right on second. So but it'sall right, yeah, all right,
well let's let's put a bow inthis bad boy. Because it was great
to get the boys back together herefor another edition of Luke and I on
the Phillies to have Tonka with us. Yeah, thank you stuff. I
know, I know you're super busywith everything that's going on. Jet skiing
down the Jersey short that that's soreal, quick funny story. That was

(43:28):
a forty six dollar jet ski.Forty six dollars. Yeah, I got
it for free. It cost meforty six dollars to register it. Really,
No, I does sixty one.I keep up with all the new
guys. It's a two thousand andtwo. It's fun, good time.
Jet skis are fun. Gonna rideit to the ride it till it blows
up. Probably that's it. That'sall. I'm not on it when it

(43:49):
blows up. Conker will start withyou, what what's your schedule for the
ballpark? When I know they gottwo series coming up that they're on the
road, and then they'll be backin a bunch of games. And I
know June off the top of myhead, June first, twenty second,
and twenty ninth all Saturday games,and I believe they're all four o'clock.

(44:09):
Nice. I'm not sure, butI'm really excited because one now the twenty
second. I'll see both of youguys at the game. Hell yeah,
and we got a post show concerttoo. Oh yeah, that's right.
I'm deep. I'm opening for forRiley. Yeah, I'm I'm playing the
first twenty minutes for that. Getout on the field, centerfield. Yeah,

(44:31):
I'll be out in centerfield, dude, that's done well, all right,
weather permitting, I don't know,Like I don't want to say i'll
be out in centerfield. Then youknow I might not be, but but
yeah, I'll be there the costsripping up my outfield grass out there.
Yeah. And I also got theCascade game in July too, Cascades coming
to the Cysts Bank Park. Yeah, I think I think it's July twenty

(44:53):
seventh. I'm opening for that.Yeah, and then I have to like
that game is gonna be wild becausejust six o'clock game, I have to
open four cast game and somehow getthe Steam pub in Southampton, so I
might be calling Sean Brace that opensnow. Luke. Final thoughts, Sarah

(45:14):
as always Wagon, That's all Igot. They're good. They once.
Once they show me they can't win, then I'll stop betting them. But
till then, it's just I'm hammeringthem all. It's it's it's basically like
there's no there's no such thing aseasy money. Philly's mining US one and
a half is sort of easy money. Gotta fire on it, you have

(45:34):
to continue to fire on it,and even if they do lose a game
or two, still stay consistent.This team right now. You know,
like we discussed, they're going towin over one hundred plus games, So
you do the math on that fiftygames and you know we're at thirty six
wins, all that good stuff.But man, this team is just rolling.
So looking forward to covering it allall season long with the best in
the business, the one and onlymister DJ Tonka and of course Luke R.

(45:57):
Candy. I am Sean Brace everybody, have yourself a wonderful Momorial Day
weekend, Go Phillies, and we'lltalk to you next week. Peace,