Astros Drop Opener to Nats, Burrows Demoted, Rockets & NBA Free Agency

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
As usual and exciting twenty hours since we last spoke
thereabouts with Astros. Starting early yesterday and again today, they
are involved in the excitement. The Astro scored eleven runs
last night, so they're looking forward to taking the series
today or not because they gave up twelve. Team Oosa

(00:22):
is done at the World Cup and then arguably the
most exciting game of World Cup activity taking place during
our previous program as they were running through some of
it live even when they were talking with Joe Aspota
with what happened with Argentina. Chris Gordon nice enough to
join myself and Josh Jordan today. Adam Wexler, Josh and
Chris here with you on the A team. Another vacation

(00:43):
day for AC but we must being the home of
the Houston Astros, begin with last night's contest leading into
this evening's contest, another five point forty five first pitch
for the Astros and Nationals. They will lose the series
to the Nationals if they do not win this game tonight.
With Tatsu getting another opportunity to show that he can
pitch at the major league level, the same opportunities now

(01:07):
eighteen starts in that Mike Burrows is showing he cannot
Astro's taking him to a six to one lead as
he headed to the mound for the bottom of the
third inning, and by the time the top of the
fourth rolled around, the lead was gone. By the time
he left the mound in the fifth inning, the lead
was gone, and by the time his ledger was done
being filled with bad numbers, there was a ten in

(01:30):
the run column. Astros offense gave the team a chance
to still rectify that situation, ending up with eleven runs
in a game that they lost. Posted a comment on
the X platform last night about how remarkably futile they've
been in games where they've scored seven or more runs. Basically,
your borderline undefeated in the major leagues if you win

(01:53):
if you score seven times in a game, and the
Astros have had multiple recent seasons where they have been
undefeated scoring ten or more in a game, or seven
or more in a game. Not this year, not with
this pitching staff, and not with Mike Burrows. As we
again welcome into a Chris to the conversation, because I
thought it would start with this. The Astros have set
them up perfectly for no more starts from Mike Burrows today,

(02:19):
I would expect there's a good chance to Christian Javier pitches.
I also know that both Lance mccullor's junior and Renel
Blanco are set to pitch right here at Constellation Field.
It's part of their rehab assignment. Today's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
That's four days until the last game before the Astros

(02:42):
take off for the All Star Break, which currently is
scheduled to be started by Mike Burrows. That cannot happen anymore. No,
I'm putting my foot down no more Mike Burrows.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
The next start, Mike Burrows makes ken and should be
in Sugar.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
Line, Texas.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah, I agree with that. Also, they obviously have the
option to move to the bullpen things like that. The
Astros can't do to these two things at once. They
are clearly trying to win. They're clearly trying to make
the playoffs, win the wild Card, win every game they can.
They're gonna bring Jeremy Payne back on Friday, almost assuredly,
which in another scenario, if they had a three game

(03:20):
lead in the division, if they were fifty and forty
five something in that neighborhood I don't know that they
would do that at the risk of giving it an
additional seven days off when he's already had three different
times this year when he's been hurt. They are clearly
putting a lot into every single game. Josh Hater's already
pitched in back to back games twice something. They said
that we're going to be very reluctant to do the
bullpen as usual as overworked. That's the side of it

(03:44):
I'd like to see them doing. They should be playing
to win well. Playing to win doesn't mean just blindly
giving the ball to Mike Burrows over and over and
over and over again, because what happened yesterday wasn't new.
You can't get to the bottom of the list of
darting pitchers in Baseball American League starters also and be there.

(04:04):
He's been there all year. It's not a one start thing,
it's not a bad inning kind of thing. And he
just doesn't know how to pitch at this level. And
I don't mean that to be harsh and cruel and personal.
I mean it to be literal. He got seventeen swings
and misses. Again. He can get past hitters, but he
doesn't know how to pitch at this level. I think
that's perfectly fine to say about a pitcher who's barely

(04:26):
pitched at this level.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
His season ERA last night went up from five point
fifty eight to five ninety nine in one start, and
it was ten runs, only seven of them, earned only seven.
But still, I mean, a ten spot on the board
after you just left the game is absolutely ridiculous. The
thing I don't get WEX is explain to me the
Christian Javier thing. Christian Javier comes back, makes five rehab starts,

(04:52):
has a short outing corpus on June third, then makes
four starts with Sugarland, three shotout innings on June ninth,
three and a third innings of three run ball in
June sixteenth, four and two third innings of three on
ball in June twenty first, and then six shutout innings
against El Passo on June twenty seventh. And I'm going great,
he's stretched out, he's ready to go.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
This is a guy making.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Twenty one million dollars a year, twenty one point four
million this year, another twenty one point four million next year.
And then they announced on July first he's gonna be
activated from the IL but he will come out of
the bullpen as a long reliever. And I'm going, why
in the world you stretched him out to six innings
in his last rehab start, now going the bullpen, Well,
we'll use you in one and two inning increments.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Like well, this is clearly weren't going to do that.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
It just well they used him for two innings the
other day, Like I just I don't get it, especially,
and like why were they Why are they so afraid
to send Mike Burrows down? He's young, he has options.
It's gonna be okay, you're not admitting defeat. It's not
a oh man, well that was a that was a
crappy trade. No, we could still be a win, but
right now it's looking pretty crappy the more you keep
running him out there and getting his ass run out.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
So I just to me, it makes no sense.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Christian Javier is making and I get it to you
don't want to use the money excuse, but a guy
making twenty one million dollars as a starting pitcher who
went through his rehab and was ready to go, should
be a starting pitcher in.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
The big leagues.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
I would have rather see Christian Xavier or take them
ount yesterday. Even if he's not great, it would have
been better than.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
What Mike Burrows gave you.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, Pitching him for the two innings that they did
on Saturday likely prevented him from starting Tuesday.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
Again, I'm not sure if there I said, they might
use him today. Otherwise he's going to go Saturday to
Sunday without pitching if he's a starter, And that's what
I think is gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
I'm saying shouldn't have been that he should have been
the starter coming back from sugar last six innings. He's
ready to go back into the rotation.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
I understand that as well, and it definitely could have
been the decision they would have made. I don't know
how he would have performed, but it would have been understandable.
That's kind of the point of it's not a one
start thing. It's not okay, now we think we have
what we need to know. They've They've had the same
type of information for such a long period of time.
It's hard to believe that they didn't have other options,
and that is no longer an excuse. It probably wasn't.

(06:58):
As you pointed out, when Javier became active and became
healthy enough. Heck, he made a second or final rehab
start after they thought he had already made all of
his necessary rehab appearances, So that game option number one
of how are they going to replace him? And now
they have two more, potentially, both of whom we would
be on regular rest Renel Blanco and Lance mcullors Junior.

(07:18):
There's no given that they're both done rehabbing after their
appearances today expected appearances today, but the timeline and the
number of pitches they've thrown and how far they've been
stretched out suggests they very well could be roster crunch
certainly could come for a few pictures, and it does
seem like it may end up being that way for Burrows.
We did hear from Joe a spot a little bit
earlier on that. We will replay a little bit of

(07:40):
his visit with Matt Thomas show with Ross coming up
at three point thirty, so he will weigh in on
what internal conversations the team might be having about that
particular aspect of it. Again, trying to keep pace in
the division they would love. They said their goal was
to be five hundred at the All Star break. Well,
the only opportunity to do that is win. They are

(08:00):
now three games under five hundred. They lost tonight would
prevent that they would be four games under with four
games remaining until they get to the All Star Break,
the final two with Washington, the three games with the Rangers,
and all of this discussion nine minutes into the program
prevents us from talking about another home run from Jiner Diz.
He's now got two in his last couple of games,
a three run home run early in the game with

(08:22):
two outs from Jose Altuve that put Mike Burrows in
the Astros up three runs, a four spot in the
eighth inning when down five runs, including another road home
run for Bryce Matthews, who continues to defy logic with
his inability to hit at home and his unbelievable ability
to hit on the road day on the road, I

(08:43):
honestly should be in the lineup, but I would be
shocked if he was not today with the matchup that
they have, so I would expect him to be out there.
We'll definitely talk a lot more Astros this afternoon, about
twenty minutes out from being joined by Astros reliever Nate Pearson.
He will join us as part of the Astros players
show every single week right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
We'll also hear a little bit from the Rocket. Roger

(09:05):
Clemens paid a visit to Sports Talk seven ninety earlier today,
so we'll give you a little bit of his insight
onto not having to face yourd On Alvarez, the type
of hitter he is. We'll do that in the four
o'clock hour. The NFL didn't want to be left out
of all this NBA news, the World Cup activity, and
what's going on in Major League Baseball, so they gave
us some very important dates for the upcoming year. And

(09:26):
of all the things they made that announcement on, everyone
seems to be I guess intrigued or kind of edge
of their seat, even though we're about ten months away,
nine months away. The combine ends next year second early
in the second week of March. The very next day,
as they call it, tampering period in free agency opens up.

(09:48):
People think that's going to make the NFL even more
off season excitement. I don't really think it makes any
difference at all, but I'll take their ex platform word
for it.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
Is interesting.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
I mean, the NFL is college football particularly, but even
the NFL.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
Yeah, it's also media days in the Big twelve.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, that's going on too.

Speaker 4 (10:08):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
It's interesting.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
It used to be like there is an off season
for NFL, but it doesn't feel like you could literally
come up with an NFL topic every day of the offseason.
There's always something going on, and.

Speaker 1 (10:18):
They provided the Astros don't play. We do football at
five every single day, three hundred and sixty five days
a year that we're on the air.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
But like whether it's schedule announce some schedule leaks, schedule, Hey,
they might play a game in Brazil next year. You know,
it's like all kinds of stuff like that. There's they
are able to give you more souls and nuggets all
throughout the year.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
So yeah, they do it intentionally. The timing of things
when we're having the combine, when the off season begins,
when you know, even Pro Days, which aren't really their schedule,
they take you all the way into the late April
early May draft. The schedule comes during the off season
OTAs in mini camps. All this stuff happens every single month.
There's no off month, there's barely any off weeks. We're

(10:57):
sitting here at the onset of July. We're just right
up week one of July, the same month that training
camp begins. Training camp is three weeks away.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
I was talking with Aaron Wilson earlier today and he
was like, yeah, so, uh yeah, July whatever it is,
twenty stuff.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
Was like, God, that's this month. That is insane.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
I did see one of the Texans doing some shopping
over the weekend, so hopefully he's getting prepared for his
first training camp.

Speaker 3 (11:22):
Oh, Texan's rookie.

Speaker 1 (11:24):
No, he was a draft d Okay, a little later
in the draft linebacker. Oh for did not win a
national championship.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah, what's his name?

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Wade?

Speaker 3 (11:33):
What as?

Speaker 1 (11:34):
That's the man? So he and everybody else will be
prepared for training camp in three weeks, and expectations not
only here in Houston are at a certain level, but
definitely nationally as people continue to handle their off season
from a writing standpoint with list this and list that
and power ranking that and the positions here and the
roster there, most everybody is on the same page in

(11:57):
that they're complete opposites. Either it's a Super Bowl appearance
or bust, or we're gonna watch the downfall of the
Texans offense. And CJ. Stroud. Almost everybody is no longer
in the middle, no longer the slow rise, or they're
one of the up and coming teams. Either it's happening
this year in year four for Demiko, Will and CJ.

(12:18):
Or they're going to have to take a new path
is what they think is gonna unfold. So definitely looking
forward to that ongoing conversation. A little more on your
Houston Astros specifically, what else needs to be done with
this Astros roster, because if Pena and Blanco and Lance
mccullors Junior are all playing for the Space Cowboys today,

(12:38):
well they're probably going to be playing for the Astros
very very soon. What else can be done to keep
this team as close, if not further ahead of those
teams in their division. We will do that next here
on the A Team eighteen continues On a Tuesday, Wex
and Chris Gordion Josh Jordan here with you. This afternoon.
We will be on Space City Home Network via the

(12:59):
simul cap as we are every day, coming up at
three o'clock. Brief visit to the TV side because of
the early Astros first pitch, so we'll be into Astros
coverage right here at four thirty with the on deck
show five point forty five first pitch. We do actually
have the game on right now. From yesterday Astros are
down twelve seven, batting in the seventh, ended up twelve eleven,

(13:21):
losing with eleven runs. Come on, now, can't have that?

Speaker 3 (13:26):
Yeah, I kind of checked out.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
I had the game on, but I was paying more
attention to Team USA at that point, so I had
to rewind a little bit to catch Uh. Well, I
saw the shoemake grounding the double play, and now I'll
I'll let.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
You go there seven.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
But so Team USA is because we're not going to
talk a lot of soccer today, I go to talk
at all if you is it any different today than
it was a month ago? Tem USA soccer? It seems
like it shouldn't be.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
No, but we all bought hope, We all bought into
uh but why because they were They kept advancing and
we kept getting advanced.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
One time, well, they advanced out from the round to
thirty two. I know they advanced out of pool play,
but that's not unheard of for Team USA. They don't
always do it, but they've done it plenty of times. Right,
But I think they've even won the pool before.

Speaker 2 (14:14):
The narrative of the last decade has been man, the
US women's team is the favorite to win at all
every four years, and the men's team just sucks.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
Why wouldn't it be that today. I'm not being anti
American soccer, right, Well, what did you watch? Yeah, I'm not.
I don't mean it like that. Like what was really
totally different? I know why they lost to Turkey A,
and I know how much better they played in the
first elimination game, knock out game.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
You can't play much worse, right, I think every other
game they had scored first. Right, So, like it looked
they looked more competent, they looked aggressive, they look good defensively.
All this last night, nothing looked good like they look
They look like they've never played soccer before.

Speaker 3 (14:58):
Right.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
Belgium probably a top ten outfit. They're not top five
or top six even. It's somewhere between eight and twelve,
maybe nine. Somewhere in there are very reasonably talented opponents
someone you should be playing in the rounds of sixteen.
And quite honestly, you could argue that the USA did
make it further. If they're regarded as maybe top twenty,
but not top sixteen. You're supposed to. Your most well

(15:22):
known player, without doubt is Christian Politic and your best player,
presumably is Poliitic And I know he wasn't one hundred percent,
but basically he almost showed the entire tournament like he
And this is your best, most game changing impact player.

Speaker 3 (15:40):
Well that's what we need more of those now.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Granted, I think the opposite is also why they lost
yesterday and are in trouble no matter what. Their goalkeeping
is atrocious, not from the mistakes that were made, but
they don't have an elite keeper. They have really good
They have had some and you can't without it, and
then you lop on the mistakes that were mad. But
why what I mean? It's good to feel good about

(16:03):
what happened. It was fun when they won their first match.
It was fun they won, they won their second match.
Watch parties were great, the stadiums that they played and
were full, the TEAMSA, Mexico and Canada all hosting. It's
been a phenomenal, successful, awesome tournament. But as you await
twenty thirty, maybe you feel good about the coach more
so than you have a year past.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Some of the younger players maybe show promise, but I mean,
this is a bigger problem about in America. Our best
athletes play football, basketball, and baseball.

Speaker 3 (16:31):
It's just it is what it is. It's against soccer.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Is and it's it's crazy because you go to like
any youth league park on the weekends and there are
dozens and dozens of fields of kids playing soccer in
all but it's like they all grow out of it.
They get to twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and they switch. Now
we're gonna focus just.

Speaker 1 (16:49):
On full Well, if you also drive by those same
fields or close by and you see adults playing soccer,
it's not a bunch of Americans playing soccer, right, it's
a bunch of people who live in Houston that are
international soccer players fans because this is number one in
those countries, and there's no reason for them to stop
playing when they become adults. And they don't. And yes,

(17:11):
it's totally so it's the same question every four years,
every two years. It's not going to be any different
in twenty thirty. They don't have there's not enough talent
playing soccer to get the kind of experience and skill
needed by playing in the best leagues they play in
the MLS or they don't play, and those players aren't
good enough to win in the World Cup and you're
seeing why.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, now I think it just again, it got her
very excited because they were jumping out to Leeds in
all these games you were winning, and it was like,
oh maybe, and the fact it was here too, so
you knew you had home field advantage no matter what
game it would be. It's just yeah, man, that was
like in two months, wex we're gonna see the Texas
Longhorns kickof against Texas State.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
Yes, that was the equivalent.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
Last night, that was Arch Manning and the Texas offense
just moving finally up and down the field, and like
us was a step slow on everything. Like it was
it was just like my god, like just get out,
Oh oh you meant to pass it here? And it
was like it was almost like a basketball press, like
it was as soon as you got the ball, here
comes a guy closing in on you immediately and you're like,

(18:14):
oh God, what do I do?

Speaker 3 (18:16):
Let me pass it this guy Nope, intercepted.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
And for totally different reasons, it ultimately felt like you
basically had maybe maybe an injured player and you were
waiting to see is he gonna plays. He's on the
injured list, he's listed as doubtful, he's listed as doubtful.
Oh my gosh, three hours before the game, he's gonna play.
This is gonna be awesome. And then that was the
whole focus. And you totally lay an egg because obviously

(18:39):
with everything that took place the day of before the
game and then the day of the game with disappeal
and that guy, Yes, would.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
There have been any difference if he had played or not?

Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yes, I mean I thought he he could have played
a little bit differently. I don't think he played poorly.
He had a couple of opportunities that I think he
kind of seeded to teammates and allowed for maybe some
misdirection type stuff, expecting him to be the guy they
were going to when he ultimately tried to allow for
other teammates maybe to make a play, and just nobody
was in position to do it.

Speaker 3 (19:05):
Nobody.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
They just they got out classed. They didn't get out played,
they got out classed. And unfortunately that's where it ends.
It does. I do think we're headed for even more excitement.
Did you happen to hear I know you know what happened,
Argentina coming back with two goals in the final, three
goals in the final eleven minutes plus extra time. Did
you hear what it sounded like?

Speaker 3 (19:27):
No?

Speaker 1 (19:27):
Now we are the home iHeartRadio, the home of soccer.
Here we got all the World Cup action. Well, we'll
have more moving forward, but everybody knows, uh Senior Cantor
and his fantastic calls. He was on the call for
this one. This is the equalizer and we'll send you
straight into the game winner after that. No, I mean,

(20:15):
I've said it there.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
This was just the time.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
Lost voice.

Speaker 5 (20:24):
Last one.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
And then I think you get the idea. Goodness, So
they advance. The world's best player advances a day after

(20:50):
the world's second best player is done with his career
in the World Cup. As Rinaldo had said a couple
of days ago, this would be his final War Cup. Portugal,
in a very exciting game, was upended and tears came
after that. We will talk Astros baseball on the other side.
Nate Pearson, Astros reliever, said to join us for the
Astros Players show here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Well,

(21:14):
this is the A team. Adam Wexler and Chris Gordi
here with you today. Time for the Astros players show.
That means our guest Astros reliever Nate Pearson joins us. Now, Nate,
we appreciate the time I'd mentioned to our listeners. We
actually have last night's game on in studio here. You
just finished off your shutout seventh inning and the team

(21:35):
is at the bat in the top of the eighth
where they put four runs on the board. As you've
been a part of this team now since you came
off of the IL, have you been pretty impressed with
this group you're with in the resiliency that they have.

Speaker 5 (21:49):
Oh yeah, hey guys, thanks for having me on. But yeah,
this is a great team.

Speaker 4 (21:52):
You know. They the hitters.

Speaker 5 (21:54):
They they grind out on bats and they don't make
it easy, especially as you saw and at seventh or
the top of the eighth inning there put up four
runs and we're very much back ended, ended up on
a little short But I mean, these these guys can hit, man,
and it's fun to watch.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Well, let me take you back a handful of years
in that the Major League Baseball Draft is coming up
this weekend. You're a former first round pick and you
had an interesting path to the draft, going to college
route and then transferring to the junior college route where
you were sensational. Did you anticipate your name being called
in the first round as it was back in twenty seventeen.

Speaker 5 (22:33):
Yeah, I had a good, good feeling that was going
to be Day one, So I kinda I kind of
knew that I was probably my name was probably gonna
get called it and know exactly where ended up happening
in the late first round, But yeah, it was. It
was a crazy day, full of a lot of emotions.
Definitely reminisce on it every year once the draft comes around,

(22:54):
and so everything everything changed and started my pro career,
So it was it was a pretty special day for me.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
I was gonna say, speaking of starting your pro career,
correct me if I'm wrong. You made your big league
debut right there in Washington, right back in twenty twenty.
Any emotions come back from when you made your big
league debut.

Speaker 5 (23:12):
Yeah, yeah, no, it's definitely cool to be back here.
You know, it was like six or seven years ago
in twenty twenty, and it was it was during COVID,
so it.

Speaker 4 (23:21):
Was it was pretty crazy. I think we were the home.

Speaker 5 (23:23):
Team too, because the Jays we weren't allowed to play
in Toronto, so we were the home team here in
National's Park, and we were wearing the home white jerseys
and I was pitching against Max shirts or with no
one in the stadium. Not exactly how I drew it
up in my in my mind as like you know,
chasing my dream, but it was cool. It was cool
to be able to pitch against one of the future

(23:44):
Hall of Famers and Max shures are and go head
to head with them.

Speaker 1 (23:48):
When you think about getting the start like that in
the career path that you've taken, the years you spent
in Toronto, trip through Chicago now on here to Houston,
about where things are, I guess for you. Are you
Are you happy with where you are right now in
the path you've taken to get there?

Speaker 5 (24:05):
Yeah, every day in the Big league's definitely happy to
be here, for sure, you know, happy to be on
be a Houston Astro and then giving me an opportunity
to help the bullpen out and help the pitching staff.
So you know, definitely thankful to be here and cool
to see other two organizations.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
But yeah, it's.

Speaker 5 (24:24):
Definitely been quite a journey and very thankful for it.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
Not long after you were activated, they came a part
of the major league roster following your elbow surgery. In
the offseason, Tonight's starter tatsu Emi, along with Steven Okert
and Olive Bersonto, they were part of a no hitter.
I had Ocred on the show not long ago and
asked him this very question if he was aware of
how many pitchers on the team have been a part

(24:50):
of a no hitter yourself included.

Speaker 5 (24:54):
Yeah, so, all right, I think a good guess. I
think Christian Javier had was part of one. Right, he's
been part of two oh two. Okay, he's got two
then Okre, then obviously Emi and Santa.

Speaker 4 (25:10):
I'm trying to think anyone else.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
There are still two more that are on the team
right now. Okay, they're both out in the bullpen with it.

Speaker 4 (25:23):
Okay, Well, was Hater one of them?

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Hater did it with Milwaukee in twenty twenty one, and
in one of the Christian Javier no hitters, Brian Abreu
had a no hit inning back in.

Speaker 4 (25:34):
Twenty twenty two.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
That's in the World Series.

Speaker 4 (25:39):
Cool.

Speaker 5 (25:40):
We got quite a few guys that have it under
their belt.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
And presumably you'll be teammates at the big league level
shortly with Renel Blanco, who has also thrown a no hitter.
So tell our listeners about your part in the Chicago
Cubs no hitter.

Speaker 5 (25:54):
Yeah, so it was showed a through really well through
seven no hit innings and pitch counts getting up there,
so they decided.

Speaker 4 (26:02):
To remove them from the game.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
And then I came in next, and I didn't really
know we had a no hitter going on because we
we had to play early in the game. That was
like a iffy whether they're gonna get an air or hit,
and they initially gave it a hit, but I think
as the game went on, they're like, that can't be
the only hit.

Speaker 4 (26:19):
So let me change it to an error, I guess.

Speaker 5 (26:22):
And as I was running out, I heard booze because
they're making a pitching change and the fans wanted to
I wanted to show to to keep going, so I
got heard some booze from I guess they're doing our
manager Craig Council for making a change. But thankfully I
threw a clean, clean eighth inning, and then Porter Hodge
came in and shut shut it down.

Speaker 4 (26:42):
The ninth, and it was a history from there.

Speaker 1 (26:46):
Been a few like that. You came into the game
and got booed and your team was winning eleven nothing
and throwing a no hitter.

Speaker 5 (26:54):
Yeah, yeah, it was kind of crazy. I knew they
weren't necessarily booing me, but just the situation. But glad
I was able to keep it going.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
Talking with Nate Pearson, Nate, I was down there in
West Palm in February when you were the first day through,
and I know they said you were a little bit
behind schedule and all that, but you end up you
get back on track and you end up making your
your astroom straight debut there in May. Normally, when guys
get to the All Star break here, it's you know,
guys are ready for the break.

Speaker 3 (27:23):
Are you feel a little bit more fresh?

Speaker 2 (27:25):
I guess, like a little bit extra in the tank,
having started your season a little bit later than everybody else.

Speaker 5 (27:31):
Uh yeah, I'd definitely say so, But you know, i'd
be lying to say if I wasn't looking forward to
the break, just because you know, still still rehabbing every
day in the first like month and a half you're
going in, You're not getting any off days because there's
no off days in rehab because they're trying to every
day accounts, trying to get back. But but yeah, I'm
definitely not, you know, tired of fatigued. As you know,

(27:54):
a lot of these other guys probably are having thrown
all all season. You know, you're missing the first month
and a half, you know, kind of saved saved up
some juice, I guess you can say. But uh yeah,
I know these guys are looking forward to the break.
It's gonna be good to get recharge and finish the
second half.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
How have you found working with the the astros pitching
staff and then their data analysts and the R and
D people and trying to maximize the arsenal that you have?

Speaker 4 (28:21):
Uh yeah, I like it. You know, they keep it
pretty simple, you know.

Speaker 5 (28:23):
They they kind of just let you do your thing
and figure out what you do really well and try
to emphasize that and adding to outing. So you got
some smart guys in our corner, and so I think
it's been working pretty well.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
Over these last maybe month or so. What have you
marveled more at Jordon at the plate or Josh Hater
in the ninth inning?

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (28:46):
Both those guys are in the league of their own. Man,
watching jord On just just come up big day after day,
just whenever wee need at home or he just he
just shows down. It's it's pretty spectacular. And then you
get a Hater and it it's just like automatic lockdown
ninth Inny, Like you just know you're going to get
three quick outs and it's going to be easy. It's like,

(29:07):
just start packing up everything once he goes in. So
it's it's pretty special to be able to watch these
guys and share a locker room with them.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
And what's Hater been like for you specifically just in
the innings that go by when when you're hanging out
there with him among everybody else.

Speaker 4 (29:21):
Man, he's just a normal guy.

Speaker 5 (29:22):
He likes to, you know, just talk shop and you know,
we just talk about anything. You know, He's a normal guy.
And then once he goes to the ninth inning, he's
just he locks it in. Man, It's it's pretty cool
to see his mental side of the game.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
Nate, We certainly appreciate you joining us here on the
Astros players show forward to more success and hopefully the
Astros finish off these next five games in advance of
the All Star break and put themselves. I expect you
and the team expects to be in good position to
make a run after the All Star Break.

Speaker 4 (29:54):
Yeah, sir, that's the plan. I appreciate you guys having
me on.

Speaker 1 (29:56):
You got it. Nate Pearson here with us on Sports
Talk seven to ninety, Stros and Nationals five point forty five.
First pitch tonight right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (30:07):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (30:10):
Nice to spend some time with Nate Pearson, Astros reliever.
I didn't really get into the fact that he was
once again teammates with Olibersonta while we were talking to him,
but that move was made just in the last twenty
minutes or so officially from the Astros. Santa is now
back with the Astros and Mike Burrows is not. He

(30:30):
was optioned to Triple A. I'm not celebrating. It's a
tough day for Mike, but.

Speaker 6 (30:37):
We talked about it pretty better, Okay, I mean thin,
Come on, it's just.

Speaker 3 (30:43):
Like we give the guy got more than the benefit
of the doubt. Put it that way.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
Yeah, we were pretty clear in the opening segment that
it was no longer the opportunities had been exhausted. They're
trying to win baseball games, and he just simply couldn't
help them do that. And now he will have the
opportunity to show that he can figure some things out.
The idea that he was never going to be a
minor league pitcher again after a partial season last year
in Pittsburgh, it's not a crazy thought, and the Astros

(31:09):
didn't think that. He had a really nice spring training
obviously was able to execute the way he wanted to
get himself ready for the regular season. Interestingly, as opposed
to every other member of the opening week starting rotation,
he's the only one that's been healthy enough to make
every start this year. He's made more starts than everybody else,
even with his short one outing out of the bullpen

(31:32):
to kind of clear his head. They hope that that
would help, and it obviously hasn't. He still has what
looks like major league caliber pitches in his arsenal, but
the execution of those pitches is the timing of when
he does it. He is a head in counts, even
in yesterday's game, throwing first pitch strikes quite often, but
he doesn't get out and he doesn't get out of it.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
LEAs you were handled a six to one lead and
you couldn't say that.

Speaker 7 (31:53):
I was a one to two count on Abrams when
he hung that slider to him for the home run.
And that's not great, obviously, But it's his fastball that
worries me.

Speaker 4 (32:01):
Guys.

Speaker 7 (32:01):
That's why I'd rather go with Javier if he misses
over the middle of the plate because at his spin
it may not get ripped. But when Burrows makes a
mistake with that fastball, it leaves the yard way too often.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
Just look at the pitches that have been hit out
this year off of Burrows, if you have the opportunity,
I mean, visualize where they are. They're over the heart
of the plate. He's not there. They're catching so much
plate and a lot of them have been fastballs. He's
not missing bats with those. He's missing bats with other pitches.
He doesn't have trouble usually doing that missing bats, but
his execution is just it's been miserable and that's why

(32:34):
the results are what they are. It's why he's giving
up so many home runs. Like the matchup yesterday was
two pitchers who don't belong in a starting rotation for
teams headed to the playoffs or hoping to make the playoffs.
In the case of Micholas, I just don't think he
has very good stuff. I don't know how he ever has.
I don't know how he gets major league hitters out,
and he couldn't get major league hitters out yesterday until
he had the lead and was able to throw shut
out baseball on the fourth and fifth inning. He's terrible.

(32:55):
He's not a major league quality stuff pitcher. I think
Mike Burrows is. But if the results are all that
really matter, and I'm a little surprised they didn't have
enough to make this decision earlier, but I think that's
strictly what it came down to. I mean, two weeks ago,
before Javier returned, they'd spent the better part of the
year not having other alternatives. Colton Gordon's not an alternative.

(33:17):
Jason Alexander is not an alternative. They already had brought
up Peter Lambert, It's been in the rotation almost all
year that technically they'd already brought up Spencer Araghedty. Also,
Lance mccullors was already hurt. They didn't have the options
that they now do have because Javier is healthy and
on the roster. Presumably he is at least a very
very good option for Sunday's start now, which is now available,

(33:38):
and both Lance McCullers Junior and Renel Blanco are probably
capable of making that start. Also, they both pitched today
with Sugar Lane.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Let me let me ask you this without having researched
years past, but I'm looking at the numberst We're not
even to the All Star break yet, nineteen teams have
hit one hundred home runs or more. Do you think
the ABS is having Like when you talk about burrows
leaving meatballs over the play, like, is that forcing these
pitchers to put more pitches in the strike zone because

(34:06):
of the ABS challenges?

Speaker 1 (34:07):
And I bet there's some numbers that say there is
a slight tilt in that direction. Hitting like batting average, singles, doubles, triples,
really isn't up the same. But I do think the
power numbers are and the Astros right now, I was
running through some of those numbers yesterday. The Astros over
their last forty one games before yesterday had gone twenty
five and sixteen. That was the best record in the

(34:29):
American League over that span. They were fourteenth in the
American League in batting average. They were first in home runs.
People have been swinging for the fences, you know, hunting
launch angle, hunting exit velocity, and players are being groomed
in that manner and through the system developed in that
manner maybe a better word to use to try to

(34:50):
do that. And so I think it's showing up more
and more. And then you had the pitch clock, and
then you had the abs. I think it's all headed
in that same direction. It used to be a bad
way to go about it. I don't think it is
any longer. Nobody cares if you hit two forty. They're
really only looking at your slug and your ops. Yeah,
and you know, yesterday, for example, the Astros were an
extra base machine. As a team, each of their three

(35:13):
home runs were multi run homers. Much of this year,
that's been a huge problem for them. Most most of
their home runs are solo home runs, and in Burrows case,
that was kind of the only thing that was really
burning him because hardly any of his home runs allowed
were solo homers. They were always after he'd put himself
in trouble and it was up against it and would
either hang a pitch over the heart of the plate,

(35:34):
or throw a fastball even ahead in the count over
the heart of the plate, you know, to give up
the three run shot to Abrams that Josh brought up
an absolute laser. But that was the fifth consecutive batter
to reach in the bottom of the third inning. He's
had outings like he had a fourteen straight outs to
start his outing against the Cardinals earlier this year, and

(35:55):
then five consecutive batters reached and he got pulled.

Speaker 2 (35:58):
What's crazy is you were going to have to like
had had you continued to put Burrows out there any
MYI goes out there for five days, like you already
have aj Blue Boss, a long reliever. You have Christian
Hovey right now, as are wrong, Like tell McCullers and Blanco. Hey,
you guys get rid of his long run because you
almost have to have that if you're gonna keep having
these guys go out there and get yanked after now,

(36:18):
at least Burrows didn't have a lot of early yanks.

Speaker 3 (36:20):
But am has right.

Speaker 1 (36:22):
But they're also pitching back to back now and have
been for a little bit of time. That's even more
crucial to avoid that they have had. You know that
they got an off day before this set of games.
They've got another off day on Thursday, which could help.
But you know, as you'll hear from Joe spot in
about half an hour, he's pretty clear about what they
needed from Emi tonight. They need five innings. He's not
even asking for much. But his last four outings two

(36:43):
of them very good, six innings, three runs or less.
One of them was no runs, but the two other
outings were a two out outing and a four out outing,
and the two out outing was the one like yesterday,
Burrows had a six to one lead in the third
and couldn't get out before giving away the lead. Em
I had a nine thing lead before he even threw
a pitch and couldn't get out of the first innings.

Speaker 7 (37:03):
That's the problem. They're turning into the Spider Man meme
now with Burrows and Emi. They're turning into the same guy.
Burrows at least would give you link there earlier this year.

Speaker 1 (37:11):
Yeah, Burrows actually threw almost twice as many innings. He's
up over ninety four innings and EMI's sitting at forty eight.
And that's the biggest difference. Emi also missed some time.
He's only making his thirteenth start, but they also are
attached to via the Spider Man meme as well. You
put one of them in the picture when you gave
him eighteen million dollars a season for the next three
seasons should he opt in, and the other one joined

(37:33):
it pointed at him and his Spider Man costume after
you traded for him. These are two of the I
think it's okay to call them Markye off season pitching
acquisitions from Dana Brown. Both have pitched. I mean, the
guy you're sending down has a better era than the
guy who's starting today. EMI's got a six to one
four ERA and he I'm not sure when his rope

(37:55):
will be gone because they're this is the same thing
we said forty five minutes ago. They're tying to win.
How much money Christian Javier makes doesn't matter. How much
money Emi makes doesn't matter. How much money Burrow's makes
doesn't matter. Burrows also has options, which made this a
very easy decision, which makes you wonder why it took
so long to get to that decision with so many
other players not having options.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
Do you worry though about it?

Speaker 2 (38:18):
Guy like in mine that came out early in the season,
about adapting to big league life and all that on
how he would react mentally if you did have to
send him down.

Speaker 1 (38:28):
I do, but not for that reason. My concern would
be if it goes as badly as it has, then
he is an absolute lock right to opt in. Oh yeah,
wouldn't you like to open the door with some success
for him to say, oh, my gosh, I figured it out.
I just had a stretch of nine straight quality starts. Hey,
Scott be my agent. Shouldn't we go ahead and hit

(38:50):
the market and then somebody else can pay him?

Speaker 4 (38:54):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
He's had some encouraging outings, like the last one was bad,
but I'm gonna hold out hope it's it's good tonight.

Speaker 1 (39:00):
I'd love to see some analogies for the word bad
and a thesaurus. We need some ones that are further
along the treacherous disastros. Just really some bad bad words
for the word bad national disaster. Yes, I think that's
much more to my like, and we'll reset the program.
Come back top three o'clock hour, get started with the simulcast,
and dive in on some of the other items we've
not even gotten into yet. Beyond your Houston Astros the

(39:25):
eight The Tuesday edition of the eighteen continues. Wex Chris
Gordian for ac Josh Jordan here with you this afternoon.
Ninety minutes from now, we'll be into the Astros on
Deck Show with first pitch from National's Park, Game two
of this series coming up at five forty five. Half
an hour from now. We're gonna hear a little bit

(39:45):
from Joe Aespotto, who made his weekly visit to the
station earlier today on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross
about an hour and change early in the four o'clock
hour on four point fifteen, a little bit from the
Rocket Roger Clemens. He joined Dan on the Morning Drive
with and talked a little bit about his involvement in
an upcoming charity event and drive with the Astros Foundation

(40:06):
of the Roger Clemens Foundation, and some thoughts on the
current Astros team and the state of pitching in Major
League Baseball. So we'll do that before we hit the
Astros on Deck Show. The team has made a move
today that probably was long overdue. The start for Mike
Burrows yesterday was not particularly good. Ten runs, four and
a third, seven of them were earned. The Astros lose

(40:28):
twelve eleven. Is Thera closer to six than five. It's
bad if it's five, it's even worse if it's six.
And he has now been optioned to triple A. In
his place, Olive Bersonta joins the Astros bullpen. Gives him
a little bit of help today in the fact that
they might need some help today considering tatsu Emi is

(40:48):
tonight's starting pitcher and he's obviously had some issues recently
and really over his entire major league career of what
is just twelve starts. We'll get in all those things
over the course of the next ninety minutes. Curious as
we are just outside the NBA's moratorium. We saw earlier
today that Donovan Mitchell is gonna get two hundred and
seventy three million from the Calves, and a few other

(41:09):
items have trickled in. The Rockets have made it official
with their draft. First draft e only draft E Bruce
Thornton has been signed, and he's obviously working out a
Rockets mini camp. They've not yet made official two of
the three expected moves. Yesterday, they announced the Dorian Finney
Smith trade. They got money for Dorian Finney Smith. That
was what they received cash considerations.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
That was just a dump to get what closer to.

Speaker 1 (41:35):
The tax and to not have him playing basketball for you.

Speaker 3 (41:40):
Well, I didn't think he was he would have a
mitigated disaster, but he was.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
I would again being's too soft with your terminology. How
was he not a mitigated disaster?

Speaker 2 (41:50):
He well, I thought he was trying to get He
wasn't as full of healthy self, and so we saw glimpses.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
Yeah, I'm not saying he won't be better next year
or in the few, but he was not a helpful
player last year.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
You were.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
He took up a roster spot that could have been
spent on somebody who could play.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
And though they were excited to see, okay, let's see
what it's like fully healthy here, but I get it.
So this gets somewhat closer to the first apron is
that where they are.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
It also gives them flexibility on exactly how they make
these moves to sign these two players. I mean, it's
pretty simple with Bogdanovich because it's a veteran minimum deal
and the league actually takes on a chunk of that,
so they're hit on the cap a little bit less.
But how much of the mL is used on smart
and how they kind of walk their way through each
of these. It's like what Nick Cassario does every offseason.

(42:37):
We got this is going to be announced, and then
this is going to be announced, and that's going to
be announced to get to where they need to go.
And the Rockets and every NBA team goes through that
a little bit. But I was curious if you recall
what took place ten years ago today.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
Ten years ago today, July seventh, twenty sixteen.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Obviously it's NBA related, NBA related, Rockets related. I mean technically, yes,
technically on that day, no.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
H, I see, I'm bad.

Speaker 4 (43:06):
Actually it was.

Speaker 1 (43:06):
It was very Rockets related. Even then the Rockets were
trying to win a title and this helped prevent it.

Speaker 3 (43:13):
Gosh, twenty sixteen.

Speaker 1 (43:16):
Now three days earlier, on July fourth, twenty sixteen, a
Player's Tribune article was penned and it was titled my
next chapter.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
Oh is this where Kevin Durant went to the Golden State.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
Officially he became a Golden State Warrior. July seventh, twenty sixteen.

Speaker 3 (43:35):
I was ten years ago already.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
Good Lord, Now, clearly they were very good before he
got there. They were very good after he got there,
and they were exceptional while he was there. This is
a super team. This is him joining a super team,
making him an even super team. Who gets pinned with
this all the time, like how could he do? This

(43:59):
is how it was viewed. You couldn't beat him and
look at Okay, well why don't you just head on
over there? And he won his titles, the only titles
he's been able to win, and he's saddled with that.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pearson, Ray Allen. I guess is different
Lebron James joining Dwayne Wade and getting Chris Boss to
join him, I guess is different. I'm obviously questioning why why?

(44:23):
I know none of the exact specifics are the same.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
Webron got a lot of heat for that though, but
you're right, the guys in Boston didn't get as much.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
But yeah, I mean, Durank got got killed.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
It just was the circumstance, like they were right there,
the thunder were right there knocking on the door, and
then you go and leave for the team that just
beat you.

Speaker 3 (44:43):
That's it just fell Bush League.

Speaker 1 (44:46):
But they were knocking on the door before their general
manager said, I don't want to hurt my hand knocking anymore,
and I'm going to ultimatum James Harden off the roster.
And then they were still very good, very good without
James Harden. Briefly before Kevin Durant said I'm gonna leave too.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
Mm well, I again, good for Durant, he went there,
he got and and look he was for those post
a lot of those post these games, as good as
Steph Curry and Clay Thompson. Those guys were many of
those nights. Kevin Durant was the best player on the court.
And so you know he what what he won finals MVP, right,
Yes he did, so, I don't know, it's twice.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
It's just a it's just a move.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
I still, in hindsight, I'm not wasn't a fan of
just had they not just lost to the to the Warriors,
I think it might have been a little bit different.
But it felt it feels like had he stayed out
put let me ask you, had he stayed in Okac,
would they have eventually won a title there?

Speaker 1 (45:44):
They would have been like just about all the players
here recently that have won one. Maybe they would maybe
they would maybe like Giannesty would have gotten one. Maybe
like Denver and Joke Yoko Nikola Jokic, they would have
gotten one. But I don't think they were in any
better situation than any of those teams considering what else
was out there. I mean, maybe he was essentially ensuring

(46:04):
he would not be a part of the Charles Barkley
Carl Malone crew while he was still in his prime.
But he was the reason that they won. He didn't
just go along, I'll join the team and whatever they
need for me, they'll get it. He was the best
player they had when he was on the team. He
was their best player. He won NBA Finals MVP in
each of the years they won the title that he
was there like he was. He wasn't just along for

(46:25):
the ride. He made them significantly better because he was.
This was the best, the best part of his career,
which is still ongoing, which brings us to modern day
and sadly over the last handful of days, as fake
trade proposals of being reported by fake reporters, it gets
people to fake talk about Kevin Durant being interested in
joining the Detroit Pistons. What just total nonsense when they

(46:50):
were again, I hesitate to even call it a report,
but talks were happening between the you know, Pistons and
the Celtics and the Bucks and the Cells and Celtics
and the Pistons and the Rockets were part of discussions
potentially to see their interest level in moving on from
this or that, and obviously it was met with we're
not interested in moving on from Durant, Shane Goon and

(47:14):
then Thompson will listen. We're not saying that some of
those players are untouchable, but to the level that they
were interested in moving on from Kevin Durant, I don't
think that was the case. And to the idea that
he came here and is so soured on the situation,
or maybe by his own doing, is so sour on
the situation that he's ready to move on that the
Rockets of the team that gave him the extension, the

(47:34):
team that he wanted to get the extension from, the
team that he wanted to get traded to the players
that he wanted to play alongside, and maybe it didn't
go as as he thought it would. And that's why
we talked to him right around the All Star break
about the burner account and what was said and never
really even got a clear answer about if it took place,
but he wants to leave again. Like, I find that
very hard to believe.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
You Now, we talked to that media days. I think
this was even off the not off the rock but
like we weren't taping. He just talked about how awesome
it is to be back in the state of Texas
and how much he loves Texas and it's home and
you know all this kind of stuff. And I mean,
how many Rockets games this year wex did you go
and see Longhorn jerseys? I mean it's I think there's
part of that. He likes, he likes Texas, He's like

(48:16):
his time in Houston. I don't think there's anything the
Rockets did last year.

Speaker 1 (48:20):
Yeah, which you're getting do Do you think he's sour
on the ability to win here?

Speaker 2 (48:24):
No, But I mean, look, if he had if he
had gripes with the style of play that Shegoon or
Jabbari or some of these guys would do, well, don't
you think he go to he may with it and
go hey, well but yeah, I think, uh, it's clear
they got to do some things and and look, have
an extra shooting will will help. We'll see what Bognanovich.

(48:46):
And you know, I don't know Marcus Smart and he
have his one of his better three point.

Speaker 1 (48:51):
Set of defense, but uh, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
This could be very interesting. I was reading an article
the other day about Fred van Vliet and what he brings.
And again, I know there was some people putting rumors
out there, Oh they might trade him and all this
kind of stuff. But like man, I'm intrigued to see
what this team looks like with him and how much
it's going to help Kevin Durant. So many times in
those games last year, Kadie got frustrated with you know,

(49:16):
bad passes and all this.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
That's all alleviated with Fred. And I'm not saying Fred's.

Speaker 2 (49:20):
This stood, you know, greatest point guard of all time,
but he certainly is going to be that better court general,
if you will.

Speaker 1 (49:29):
Two ways. He makes this team better by simply dribbling
the ball, and that that's my literal statement. When he
dribbles the ball, it means Amen Thompson doesn't. Amen Thompson
plays point guard almost no minutes this year, and Kevin
Durant doesn't dribble the ball. Kevin Durant bringing the ball
up from the free throw line on an inbounds pass
sixty feet up into set up the offense. That happened

(49:50):
all the freaking time last year, and then they would
blitz him and then they would turn it over. I mean,
he's not gonna have eight turnover games anymore. That's what
Fred's Fred all the other stuff. He might bring this,
and he might shoot better and they might get into
their sets. He's going to prevent these two players, very specifically,
the two best players on the team, from being in
positions that aren't successful for them. Kevin Durant handling the

(50:13):
ball for twenty seconds on a possession, fifteen seconds on
a possession to start it is not ideal for the Rockets,
their offense, or anything else that goes along with Kevin
Durant being on the court for thirty seven minutes at night.
And the same is true for Amen Thompson. That should
be all gone if they have Fred or some other
point guard, if, like you said, maybe they move on
from him, which I don't think is happening. I think

(50:33):
they're at least getting to the season. He does not
have a no trade clause any longer. He picked up
the option year on his two year deal and has
now set to make twenty five million bucks. There were
a couple of other NBA items, We will get into
those a little bit later on the show. Wanted to
dive back into yours Houston Astros their lineup for tonight,
their opportunity still to get above five hundred, to be

(50:57):
much more in this race for the postseason when the
All Star Barks hits when we come back. Continuing with
the A team, here Adam Wesler, along with Chris Gordy
here with you this Tuesday afternoon Astros lineup is in
for tonight. Brayden Shoemak made his return to the team
off of the IL yesterday and was in the lineup

(51:18):
and drove in a run. He is with the team
facing a left handed pitcher back on the Astros bench today.
Nick Allen will make the start at shortstop. Christian Vasquez
will do the catching for tatsu E. Allen and Vasquez
at the bottom of this lineup. At the top, it's
the same as it's been Jeremy Payne's absence, Al Tuo,
ve Alvarez, Peretis and Walker. Then your three outfielders, Cam Smith,

(51:39):
Zach Descenzo in left and Bryce Matthews in center, of course,
as many right handed hitters as can allow. With the
Andrew Alvarez start for the Nationals. Alvarez a left handed pitcher,
pretty standard stuff from him when he goes out there.
He's had a pretty nice season. He's made eleven appearances,
nearly half in the bullpen and half as a starter.

(52:01):
But you can barely tell the difference. Eight of his
eleven appearances this year have been either twelve or fourteen
outsworth of appearance time, whether he started the game, whether
he's come into the game, and even in his last
game when he was out of the bullpen. So probably
going to see quite a few arms today for the Nationals.
The Astros scored eleven runs in yesterday's game, but they
did not win, and that is not something to have

(52:24):
happened very often. I mentioned earlier. I was kind of
looking through that over the last handful of years, the
Astros when they scored seven runs or more. Last year,
that did that thirty four times and they won all
of those games. But one this year they've done it
twenty seven times and they've already lost five of them.
And if you go back the last six seasons, when

(52:45):
they've scored ten runs or more. This year, they've done
it ten times, and they've lost two of those games
ten runs are more. They have two losses. They're eight
and two. The last five years combined, they did it
seventy three times, also two losses, seventy one and two
in games where they've scored ten runs or more heading

(53:06):
into this year, going back to twenty twenty one, this
year eight and two.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
Well, I think that tells you're out there with the pitching.

Speaker 1 (53:12):
Has been Yes, it does very loudly, but you.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
Know, but again, like we've seen so many times where,
you know, over the years, where the good offense has
picked up bad pitching, and it's happened a couple of
times this year. But yes, there's also been times where
the pitching has been so bad that I think some
other teams they're you know, they they're up by so
much that so they throw in a garbage arm and

(53:35):
the Astros capitalized and suddenly a game you're losing ten
to three, you're now down ten to eight, and you know,
it looks a little bit more respectable. But so yeah,
so that's where it's it gets a little skewed when
you try to look at the offensive numbers for the
Astros and and all that kind of stuff. But to me,
all that matters is record right now. The fact you're
forty five and forty eight trying to get back to
five hundred. I thought they would get above five hundred

(53:58):
by the All Star break. I just think mathematically that's
not going to happen here. They would have to You
got to win four or next five. Yeah, basically just
to be at five hundred, right, So I don't think
that'll happen. But but yeah, again, I think the offense
is the biggest thing. We were talking about it earlier.
Rex the home run numbers. The fact that the third

(54:19):
most homers in all of baseball is big to me
because the last few years we saw those power numbers
come way back down. In fact, last year they finished
I want to say, sixteenth in the league in home runs.

Speaker 1 (54:30):
Were they missing anybody?

Speaker 3 (54:31):
Well, that was the thing.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
Everybody was like, Oh, you lost Bragman, you lost Kyle Tucker,
you lost all these guys.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
You lost Jordan Alvarez, him too, hit six homers last year.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
He's a big part of it. But I think you've
also gotten a little bit of help from the other
guys too. Yes, Jordan's in a class of his own.
But the fact they're third in homers, you're you're getting
some help from some other guys and starting to see
your Christian Walker's getting back to being Christian Walker again.

Speaker 3 (54:54):
That's good to see.

Speaker 1 (54:55):
Yeah, twenty twenty four, they were tenth at one hundred
and ninety. They only hit eight. You were in twenty
twenty five, but like you said, they were sixteenth in
the league.

Speaker 2 (55:04):
And go back to those World Series years, they were
like top five, top ten all those years.

Speaker 1 (55:08):
Yeah, the years where you're like, how did they not
win the World Series? Like the twenty nineteen team and
several of the others, they were incredible. Now you're right,
and it's unfortunate. It's really still stuck at that top
four and they've gotten like Eastik Perettis has had a
much different offensive, been a much different offensive player probably
the last five or six weeks. Christian Walker is still

(55:28):
not nearly the player he was out of the gate,
but he's also hasn't fallen to where he was last year,
which is why he's been able to keep the ops
up over seven to fifty in between seven to fifteen,
eight hundred that's about where Perettas is. You clearly are
a different team when Jeremy Payne is not batting lead off,
which hopefully is only for two more games, I hope
for the rest of the season as well, because he
should be back on Friday. He is expected in the

(55:50):
lineup tonight for the Space Cowboys as part of his rehab,
and they expect him to only miss the minimum the
ten games and be back. But if you can get Payna, Alvarez, Perettis,
Walker and somebody else at least, so like just fifty
to fifty half. If you have five players in your lineup,

(56:11):
five out of nine that you can count on, the
fifth that you could count on would have been Carlos Korea.
It now has to be somebody else. Who do you
have the most faith in it being that fifth player? Altuve,
Cam Smith or Jander Diaz or I'll give you d
anyone else.

Speaker 2 (56:28):
Yeah, I mean, look Altuve, Well, I gotta call on
the post game show the other night of some of
guy who's like, it's it's.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
Over with Altuve. It's done. Let's just let's cut our losses,
let's move on. You know it's over.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
I want to trade him.

Speaker 3 (56:39):
He was this guy was just very upset.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
See if he has options left?

Speaker 2 (56:42):
And it is crazy. I mean a guy who's a
basically a career three hundred hitter. I mean, the average
is dipping day by day.

Speaker 1 (56:49):
He's gonna flirt with retiring as a non three hundred hitter. Yeah,
he's at three zero one. He's in two thirty five
this year, but he hit three eleven and twenty twenty three,
then to ninety five, then to sixty five, now to
thirty five. That is a very sharpest sharp drop off decline.

Speaker 2 (57:05):
But he's also he goes on uh, he goes on
runs like more than anybody I've ever seen, where he'll
go on a three week span where he stinks, and
then he'll go on like a two week span where
he hits ten home runs and a bunch of doubles
and he's you.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Know, and so you still expect that, Yeah, I think
So that's where I probably differ. Know, his OPS has
dropped two hundred points over that same span, which is
a much better indicator of the type of offensive player
that he is. He was a nine to twenty one
OPS player in twenty twenty two, and this will be
the fourth consecutive season. It has dropped and it's at
seven oh six. That's not good. And he's not young,

(57:42):
and he's not likely to find some fountain of youth.
He just turned thirty six two months ago.

Speaker 7 (57:47):
He's more homer or bust. He has to try and
ambush a fastball in the first pitch more than ever,
from my opinion.

Speaker 1 (57:53):
Just like he did yesterday to put three runs on
the board first pitch after Shoemake and Matthews reached and
of him and they led for to one. He had
not homered since June ninth, I believe prior to that.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
Yeah, driven three runs yesterday with one swing, and prior
to that.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
Gosh, he's had like two RBIs on the peror three weeks.
That's crazy.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Like that's another I mean last year remarkably because he
hit twenty six homers, but he only had fifty one
extra base hits. He only had fifty one extra base
hits the year before that. This was an area where
he still could produce. He's going to be I would
imagine well below that number this year. And he's probably
not going to drive in forty five runs this year,
maybe not fifty, and that would be the lowest mark

(58:41):
of his last twelve years non COVID, and.

Speaker 7 (58:45):
He's been your lead off hitter over his last thirty
games on base percentage of two seven four.

Speaker 4 (58:49):
That's rough.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
Okay, so we've eliminated Altuve. Now you're left with Cam
Smith or Andr Diaz. Who are you going with?

Speaker 4 (58:57):
Gosh?

Speaker 3 (58:58):
I mean, I'm I'm out on you Jiner.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
I mean, this was a guy that was supposed to
be what his first full year of playing. I think
he was right there comfortable with like Adley Rushman in
terms of like one of the best hitting catchers in baseball.
I remember Dusty was like, all gonna thank me one
day for not playing him as much. And now that
he's been playing more and more of the last couple
of years and a little bit out of circumstance with
with injuries and stuff, probably have to play more than

(59:23):
he should have. Although last year when you had Kartini,
I thought it should have been more fifty to fifty.
You should have gotten him off his feet more.

Speaker 1 (59:29):
In Yiner's fourteen games since he returned from injury, zops
is seven to fifty two. He's homered three times, hitting
two fifty. That's very much acceptable.

Speaker 3 (59:39):
I'll take that.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
That absolutely is one of your other additional I can
count on these guys hitters. A seven to fifty ops
is absolutely usable, helpful, you're better, you'd lengthen the lineup
with that, and camp Smith clearly still he doesn't look
like the same hitter as he was last year. But
there's still the results aren't quite there. Tons of barreled balls,

(01:00:02):
tons of exit velo excellence, a lot fewer bad at bats,
but not quite the results that some of those peripherals
would suggest he should be having.

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
I thought he was going to take a bigger step
this year and we just haven't seen that.

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
That's somebody I'm sure will step up if they do
what we think they're gonna do. I said it yesterday
and I'm not. After a twelve to eleven loss and
the optioning of Mike Burrows if you missed that, he
was optioned down to Triple A and Alien Bersonte is
now part of the Astros Bullpen, I don't have a
change of opinion. I think the Astros are definitely going
to the playoffs. I do think they're going to win
the division in order to secure that playoff spot, and

(01:00:36):
because of the fact they aren't even very far behind
the Central Division leading teams, whether it's the Guardians or
the White Sox on any given day, I think there's
still a very good chance, if there are no future
injuries of significance, that they finished with the number two seed.
They're not going to finish with the second best record,
but they'll be the second best record among division winners,

(01:00:57):
and they'll get the week off before the playoffs, probably Ryan.
And they're sitting here at forty five and forty eight,
ninety three games into the season.

Speaker 3 (01:01:07):
So uf Seattle went in the division if I think.

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
The Astros will overtake them, because I'll save that for
after we hear from Joe A.

Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
Spot.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Joe Spot is going to join the show next. You
heard from him earlier today. He will make a comment
on Mike Burrows and the confidence that they still have
in him, although we now know he is not currently
on the active roster. He was sent down earlier today.
An option back to Triple A here from Joe Aspota
on the offense and their resiliency. When we come back
this Tuesday afternoon edition of the A Team Astros and

(01:01:40):
Nats Tonight, Astros and Nats Last Night, a twelve eleven
victory for the Nationals and an unfortunately poor performance from
starting pitcher Mike Burrows. He's since been optioned to Triple A,
with Ali Bersonta brought up to the team. We had
a chance to catch up with Nate Pearson, Astros reliever earlier.
You can catch that via our show page and via
the radio app, and via our YouTube channel where that

(01:02:02):
interview is posted. And if you missed the Joe A
Spot of interview with Matt Thomas and Ross earlier today,
a portion of that for you here. You can catch
that in its entirety in those very same places. Also,
Initially the conversation begins with the manager of the Astros. Well, technically,
if you listen to the full interview, it begins with,
oh my gosh, Argentina is coming back. But the portion

(01:02:23):
of the interview we have for you is your team.
The Astros did everything they could to come back last night.

Speaker 8 (01:02:30):
I competed to, you know, get credit to our guys,
our offense. They competed to do this. We never out
of a bowl game, and that's very important when you're
playing games that, especially like Washington is a team that
we we know this for a ton of runs. We
know that we capable scoring a ton of runs. You know,

(01:02:53):
we know that there is way for us to get
back against their bullpen. So know, you know, we really
wanted to keep that game somewhat close. Uh he kind
of got out of our hands. But I get credit
to our guys that, uh, we're able to make it
a ball again.

Speaker 9 (01:03:10):
You have been, and it's one of your attributes as
a manager. You've got your guys back in the moment
you don't and that's when things turn south. And you've
been more than more than encouraging to all your players
and good times and the bad you're starting. Yesterday just
could not get the job done. There are people at
Triple A that are wanting to get back on the
major league roster. It's about as important of a time

(01:03:33):
for Mike Burrows to cement his spot in your rotation,
maybe even in your on your pitching staff. And obviously
unfortunate last night was on a good indication of what
he thinks he can.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
Do for you.

Speaker 8 (01:03:43):
Yeah, you know, very unfortunate because he's working so hard
trying to create you know, from swinging midstuff. We see
flashes of it. It's amounting where we see being very
efficient getting quick out you know this off lineup they
just put the barrel on the ball. They got powered,
they've got speed. They do so many different things to

(01:04:07):
create habits that you know. Uh, just Mike had a
tough time getting people out, getting freaked out. They really
square balls up, uh, the whole entire game. And we
need to find ways to get Mike to swing, you know,
to treat swing and miss, maybe create a little bit
more Angle three facts or maybe some death uh you know,

(01:04:29):
adding some more you know, sweet free rider. Uh, because
right now it's just it's it's hard to create and
uncomfortable of that when you're using too much of the
heart to play and the hitters have seen and stuff
very well right now.

Speaker 10 (01:04:48):
Yeah, unfortunately he's had some good starts, but also that
you add it all up, it hasn't been great. At
some point you have to make a decision on if
you're going to keep putting him out there in the
starting role.

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
Have you have you come to that or is that
being disc No.

Speaker 8 (01:05:01):
It's been discussed. We you know, we're having those conversations
right now. You know we're entering you know, we halfway
through the season. Uh, we you know, we we all
start break coming up once once we get back from
the all stub break even not serious in Dallas, right,
We all these games are very important, these series that
they're becoming more important, so we need to we need

(01:05:24):
to start winning some series and continue to win some games.
And anytime we have games like the one from last night,
it trickles down to our boop and trickles down to
our depth. So we need to try to minimize hollies
like that so we can stay healthy and we can
continue to, you know, perform at a high level every night.

Speaker 10 (01:05:43):
Astros manager Joe Spottle was here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (01:05:46):
Let's go with a little bit of the positive.

Speaker 10 (01:05:48):
You've been needing all year long, some production from the
back end of the lineup, and you got it last night.

Speaker 8 (01:05:53):
Yeah, can't smith uh bringing about really well, Bryce Matthews.
They came run yesterday and someone you know, Tremlo, has
been thinking about well, have been getting on base be
nicely put Tina to get you on your ds to
touch slug because we've been getting all that slugging from
the top four or five guys of our owner. So

(01:06:14):
if you could stretch things out and continue to have
some some production from the bottom. Uh, it creates more
length and it becomes you know, become harder for from
your posting for the fucking pitching staff, Joe.

Speaker 9 (01:06:28):
We were talking earlier today about Jordan is an ops
career guy at nine hundred plus, but this year is
just doing it at different levels. He's in my mind
the MVP in the America Link at this point Triple
Crown chasing as well. Is there anything that you think
he's changed or is he just seeing the ball like
it's a big grape for it right now?

Speaker 8 (01:06:48):
No, you know, he's healthy. I think that's the most
important thing. He's always been able to see the ball
really well. He's always been able to hit the ball too.
All fields always make good string to sea. This is
the Jordan that we that we've seen per year for
me and how well he's taking care of his body
with his rest, nutrition in the weight room and being

(01:07:10):
able to you know, be strong basically like the last
staying underneath them. And right now, like you mentioned, he's
the he's the m v P of the American League
and he's he did a nice Jeff the off season, guys,
like he worked, he's sell off to be able to
you know, post for us for one hundred and fifty
plus games.

Speaker 10 (01:07:30):
Todd to you, Emi on the hill for you tonight.
We kind of talked about the up and down for Burrows.
It's been the same for him. Uh, what do we
need to see from him for for him to be
less like his last starter and more like the two
previous where he was striking everyone out?

Speaker 8 (01:07:42):
Yeah, you know winn He winnie five plus innings today, guys. Uh,
and we know he might can do it. Starts from
from my first inning, you know. I think that's when
you know em night is going to be how early
he's going strikes right when he comes down and he
finding his own and the slider's on and the left
these are kind of taking hot swings because they can't

(01:08:04):
recognize between the past one that's fier. Now you know
that he's that he's stopped, he's on. We need we
need to see that tonight. We need we need an
outing from Emi. Way you can take this steep into
the game.

Speaker 1 (01:08:17):
Pretty simple. And I mentioned that you were going to
hear that from Joe a spot earlier today that he
needs to they gotta get outs. He cannot dip into
the bullpen. Yet again, I know they have an off
day on Thursday, and I know they have a fresher
arm and Santa here a bigger bullpen technically, because they've
moved a starter out and moved a bullpen arm in.
But this is more than just helping the team. Like

(01:08:38):
he's got to be capable of getting the ball every
fifth day. He's asking for fifteen outs, not asking for
him to go out and win the game for the team, right,
but he's asking him to go do the job as
starter supposed to do, whether you're the ace or you're
the sixth man in the rotation.

Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
Well, what did we see that went up his last
time out that he had been much better with the walks?
Like that was the problem. That's where he works in
the trouble where the pitch count gets high, he worked,
he works in. It feels like those full counts.

Speaker 1 (01:09:07):
And then I feel like if Emi was in some
sort of self help group, not necessarily AA, but something
like that, and he has to kind of introduce himself
and say who he is and what his troubles are.
And he would get up in front of the group
with his interpreter and say, Hi, my name is tatsu
em and I hate throwing strikes. Fifty seven pitches in

(01:09:27):
his last outing, twenty three strikes. Yeah, he's had three
starts where he's thrown more balls than strikes. That's insane
and almost impossible. Starting pitchers don't even ever do that hardly.
He's done it three times in twelve starts.

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
But look at those two prior starts or you hat
six innings at six innings, one walk.

Speaker 3 (01:09:45):
And eleven strikeouts.

Speaker 2 (01:09:46):
Who won ten strikeouts in the other So he was
on track for two the previous two starts.

Speaker 3 (01:09:51):
And then last time went off the run.

Speaker 1 (01:09:52):
And what about the start right before that that was
bad too, That was the two out outing.

Speaker 3 (01:09:56):
I was the Royals one.

Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Yeah, it's incredible. We honestly, as much as we say
we've never seen anything like what jord On Alvarez is doing.
I've never seen anybody pitch like Emi. Three outings of
four outs or less, and he's been out part of
the only no hitter thrown in baseball this year. Insane.

(01:10:18):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety with you
on the eight team a few minutes ago, we were
talking about the Astros path to the playoffs and the
fact that they're sitting at forty five and forty eight.
They haven't done anything special this year. They've been below
five hundred since the opening road trip of the season,
and I haven't even gotten within one game of five
hundred at any points since then. Still have an opportunity
to do that before they break for the All Star Game.

(01:10:40):
Where this team I think is going to win the
division is sending all of one player to the All
Star Game, and they don't deserve any other All Stars.
I think it's an accurate one player. Of course, that's
Jordon Alvarez, So start there. Jordon Alvarez, as Joe Spott
had just noted, he called him the American League MVP.
Who's his competence. He currently leads in homers, RBI's and

(01:11:03):
batting average. If he wins the Triple Crown, it's a
done deal. But among those competing with him for any
one of those spots, among any other player who's certainly
a big part of a winning team, Let's say, like,
if he's not the MVP and it's not due to injury,
who's beating him, who's getting the votes over him?

Speaker 3 (01:11:25):
Yeah, YONDI Diaz kind of cooled off a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:11:28):
Right, nice average, but he's not even the team MVP. Yeah,
i'd be junior Cameron Aro. Where are his numbers?

Speaker 3 (01:11:35):
By the way, much.

Speaker 1 (01:11:36):
Closer to Jordan's three home runs behind his batting average
As this incredible hot streak has gone on has started
to climb, his OPS is right there with the next group.
Remember Gordon on Alvarezz well over one hundred points better
OPS than anybody else. There's Ben Rice, there's Cameronaro, and
there's Nick Kurtz. In that next group of players, Rice,
by the way, will ruin the post All Star Break

(01:11:57):
portion of his greatest season ever by participate in the
home run Derby.

Speaker 3 (01:12:01):
Did you get that email?

Speaker 2 (01:12:02):
It like some PR group sent out and it said
something to the effect of sixty eight percent of players
that play that make the All Star Game all have
terrible second halfs.

Speaker 1 (01:12:13):
That's an awfully large number considering these are like the
best players playing. That seems a bit off.

Speaker 2 (01:12:18):
I mean, I always think, like the home run Derby,
curse Bobby A Bray you and guys like that that
just can't find the pop. Who's the Maritors catcher big
dumper that they Clanton loves to rip.

Speaker 1 (01:12:29):
On, but he he was okay post All Star Break.
He's just turned it. So we'll table the MVP discussions
so I can bring up this point on the Astros
winning the division. The Mariners won the division last year,
and they won it late in the season when they
got the most remarkable, unbelievable MVP runner up sixty home
run season from cal Raleigh, and the Astros got absolutely

(01:12:51):
nothing from Jordan and they beat him by a couple
of games. This year, Jordan's going to be MVP. He's unbelievable,
and the Mariners are getting nothing from cal Raley and
there's still three games ahead of the Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:13:06):
Crazy. They're pitching is doing what they're it's.

Speaker 1 (01:13:09):
Doing well, and now Gilbert has turned it around. He's
been phenomenal. Bryce Miller has been great, but Brian Wu
hasn't been awesome. George Kirby hasn't been awesome. Muno's had
an a brave, you like start to his season and
you're still behind them.

Speaker 2 (01:13:22):
Yeah, to bring it back to your question, I would
say probably Junior Cameraro or Ben Rice are probably in
the conversation. And what's crazy is I'm watching the highlights
of Sports Center whatever that was there here Sunday and
they one you knew there wasn't much going on in
the sports world because they were doing full baseball game
highlights on ESPN. But they lead off with Junior Cameron Aarron.

(01:13:44):
How awesome he is and look at him going after
the Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:13:47):
Oh yeah, by the way, let's get to that Ordion guy.

Speaker 2 (01:13:49):
Yeah, he hit a home run later and all this,
but they were like hyping up Junior Camenaro like I've
never seen it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:55):
Six straight games with the homer. He had eleven homers
over an eleven game span. He's probably in my opinion,
I don't know if he's officially accepted or received an invitation.
That'd be my pick to win the home run Derby
this weekend or Monday in Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:14:10):
He has numbers.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
It is on Netflix, which takes us to that other question,
which we talk about all the time here because this
is where we are. The Astros just finished a three
game series where one game was a local broadcast, the
first game of the third game where network broadcasts and
Sunday specifically, every baseball game was covered carried nationally only

(01:14:35):
via the NBC and Peacock Network. A couple games were
on television on NBC. All games were available on Peacock
and none of the games were available anywhere else. This
is why I get the pushback when I were saying,
I just you know where to find him. It's not
that hard. Well, you have to actually have to pay
for all these services if we want to see all
these games that basically people who don't pay for Peacock

(01:14:56):
in this instance had no baseball that they cared about
to watch. They did not have access to it on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:15:04):
Isn't there a basic version of Peacock where a bunch
of ads or.

Speaker 1 (01:15:07):
Something probably go with your seven day free trial type
of thing that you could do. But that's the point
of people.

Speaker 2 (01:15:14):
You always get the second one comes around, you go, oh,
you've already used your trial, so you can't do it again.

Speaker 1 (01:15:19):
So Apple was Friday and Peacock was Sunday, and you
got you know, some some other games that are pay games.
You can pay for your service through. If you have
a cable provider, you can get Sehn free if you
want to pay for it. Because you don't, then you
can do that as well, whether it's for the month
or for the year, and you should. I think they
believe that. Yes, this is how I get all my games,

(01:15:39):
but I want to also see the game that they
don't have. Now I gotta pay for that. And then I
want to see this game that Apple has that they
don't have. Now I have to pay for that too. Yeah,
well look is it good news?

Speaker 2 (01:15:48):
Where's every game is on Sports socks of a ninety
so you know you're getting on the radio there, but uh,
majority of them on on on on Space City. But yeah,
it's it's tough. It's frustrating. I have a buddy of
text me the other night He's like, what where's the game?
I can't find it. I'm like, so now, Grandpa, I'm like,
you're you're about thirty years younger than it is.

Speaker 1 (01:16:08):
Like that's one advantage that we do have with the
games are here. If you want to listen to Astros baseball,
the vast majority of them were right here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. Many of them are on both Sports
Talks seven ninety and News Radio seven forty khrh. And
if it's not here, we'll be there. And that doesn't
happen very often except during a basketball season. But they're
they're here. We have them all It was very.

Speaker 2 (01:16:30):
Weird though, having Todd Kallis Julian Morales, but we're taking
Blummer out and putting in the color guy from the Rays.

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
It was very trippy.

Speaker 1 (01:16:39):
Yeah, well, I'd prefer to have more of Houston voices there.
I think that's the It's it's a much much better
national broadcast if you pull the people that cover the teams, right.
I mean it's nice for you know, say Aj Persinski
and his play by play guy to do interviews and
catch up with the team when they come to town
and a day before they play, and they're perfectly capable
of handling that, but they're not ever going to have

(01:17:00):
as much information about the players that are out there
than people who cover them all season long and are
in the booth all year long. And so when you
mix people from both booths for the national game, you
get that. And I think it's just a smarter way
to do it, because the people that do it nationally,
they're not bringing any viewers because of who they are,
and they're just happy to be on the national broadcast.
They don't make it any better. You think we should

(01:17:21):
do that more.

Speaker 2 (01:17:21):
We should trade like the color commentators out so you
get the opposing team's color guide from Alloy Insight for
national broadcast. Absolutely, I'm talking like the local ones, like
Space City. We just trade out Blumber every now and then.

Speaker 1 (01:17:34):
I mean, but what's that guy know about the Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:17:38):
Well, he's just giving us the more insight on the opponent.

Speaker 1 (01:17:42):
But you're tuned into the Astros Brod. If you want
to hear from him, go find their broadcast. It's available somewhere.
I'm sure you can pay for that too.

Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
It's uh, it is just it's I and I hear. Look,
we're we're blessed. We have everything. So I whether it's Netflix, Prime, Hulu, whatever,
I can watch all the games. But I get frustration
from some people out there, and it's put this way,
it's not gonna get better. It's going to get worse
because NFL is starting to put their stuff other heck,
college football, there's talk of playoff games going to the

(01:18:12):
streaming services in the next few years. So it's it's coming.

Speaker 1 (01:18:16):
I don't think there's any doubt about it. And yes,
it's a matter it's not just getting used to it.
It's a matter of deciding what you are willing to
shell it out for and what you're not. We got
another half hour the A team. We're gonna hear from
Roger Clemens in about fifteen minutes. We'll get into the
Astros on Deck show after that, and a few more
items as news continues to break around the NBA with
additional signings, although nothing yet officially from the Houston Rockets

(01:18:38):
on the additions they are going to make as they
get ready to send a bunch of other guys to
Vegas for Summer League. That is who we are, but
we are not together much of the last week and
change I was out now much of this week and
change AC is out. So we got WEX. Chris Gordy
nice enough to spend a few hours with the listeners
this afternoon. Josh Organ with us as per usual, as

(01:19:01):
we get you into Astros Baseball in about half an hour.
About fifteen minutes from now, you get to hear from
former Astro Roger Clemens, who joined the Morning Drive with
Dan Matthews earlier this morning. Right now, we had had
a discussion briefly about Kevin Durant the Rockets and where
they're headed and some of the moves they've made. Marcus
Smart will be announced as a Houston Rocket at some
point soon. The more days and hours that go by,

(01:19:23):
the more likely it is that the Rockets and whomever
might be involved in some more complicated transaction. If you
recall last year around this time, when Kevin Durant became
a Rocket, we had known for quite some time he
was going to be dealt to Houston, did not know
until much later it would be part of a massive,
record setting seventeam trade. So I think a lot of

(01:19:45):
the deals that we already know about whether their rockets
were lated or otherwise, that haven't been announced, the likelihood
is there'll be some things like that attached to a
few of them. But Marcus Smart specifically brought me to
this when I was thinking about how the Lakers are
kind of turning the page from who they were last year,
and they were the team to eliminate the Rockets last year.

(01:20:05):
The Rockets lost to a team in the playoffs last
year that will return zero starters, is zero starters from
their post in game, whatever game you want to pick.
That Austin Reeves wasn't healthy for the five players that started.
Ruy Hachimura, who's now agreed to a deal to join
the other LA team, Marcus Smart, who's going to be

(01:20:27):
here in Houston, DeAndre Ayton, who obviously has been moved
since the acquisition where he oh I already forgot, he
picked up his option, and then they found a taker
for him, Ruy and Luke Yeah, Luke Canard signed a
two year deal with Phoenix, and Lebron James is going

(01:20:48):
to be the center of attention for as long as
he wants, and he's going to want to be the
center of attention a free agency for a probably a
very long period of time. All five of those players
now clearly Luca was a Laker, and Re was a
Laker and will be a Laker moving forward. But basically
the team that they lost to in the postseason there,

(01:21:08):
they weren't the team that's going to be back next year.
To start the season, I almost feel like you should
have let us win.

Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
Come on, y'all, y'all aren't gonna win it all, and
then this whole you blow up your whole team anyway,
Jackson and Hayes, by the way, is a Utah Jazz
and uh jonder Aiden is a wizard.

Speaker 3 (01:21:24):
I think so oh.

Speaker 1 (01:21:25):
Yeah to partner up with his former former Lakers center
Anthony Davis.

Speaker 2 (01:21:30):
So their remaining free agents Lebron James still available, Drew
Timmy among others that are available. But no, it is
pretty crazy because I was texting a buddy. I said, man,
the Lakers they let all their I get, it's not
like stars, that's not Lebron, but it's like, but all
those role players are all gone. And his response was,

(01:21:50):
if Lucas healthy, they'll be at least the five seed.

Speaker 3 (01:21:52):
And I was like, I.

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
Guess, I mean, I know Lucas awesome, but like, is
he enough to elevate a carry a team by itself
with nothing else?

Speaker 1 (01:22:00):
You didn't have much to work with in terms of
length of game or length of time they were on
the court together. But I believe they will be good
with a back court of Luca and Austin Reeves. They'll
have some challenges, let's say, defensively, but they're a lot
better in the middle defensively. With DeAndre Ayton out and
Walker Kessler in Congress now worth one.

Speaker 2 (01:22:22):
D and thirty million, though that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:22:24):
Quite an off season for Walker Kessler on two fronts.
He's going to make thirty two and a half million
dollars a season for the next four seasons and no
longer have to play in Utah. Would rather be on
the La Lakers. And he was already with and has
been for the last several years, Miss America and they
just got engaged the raining. Miss America's Auburn sec guy.

(01:22:46):
Yeah good, I'm sure very very good friends with Jabari
Smith Junior.

Speaker 3 (01:22:51):
Still is. Quentin Grimes is there right with the Quinton.

Speaker 1 (01:22:54):
Grimes four year, sixty million Sondro mamishke Mamu kelish Vili
got fifty two million over four years and they're gonna
play a lot there. Adding Kevon Looney on a free
agent deal today. But he's come on, you sound like
Steven A. Smith disappointed in a player that looks like that.

Speaker 2 (01:23:11):
Loony Looney was on those Uh he seems they gave
the Astros or the Rockets.

Speaker 3 (01:23:17):
Yes, he was fifteen years ago.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
Yes, I think Quentin Grimes is in a good, good spot.
I think he was a little inconsistent last year and
an interesting role with the Sixers the more they needed
him to play well. Two years ago he stepped up
huge Rockets fans know that, as he had some monster games,
but last year's roster was a little bit different in
who they had and who they didn't and how he
was used. He just wasn't quite as consistent. I think

(01:23:39):
this is a great opportunity for him in LA I
said it when they first made all these moves. I'm
curious if you agree. I think they have the exact
same chance to win this year as they did last year.
I don't think much is different, and I'm not trying
to down Lebron in any way, but I think that
what they might be able to do a little bit
better they could. The only thing that really act worries me.

(01:24:00):
It's crazy to say it, but I totally believe in
it is three point shooting. I don't think people realize
how good Luke Canard and Ruey Hachimur are, especially in
the postseason. They're Arguabley're definitely two of the best five
active players, and the numbers are all there to back
it up. At shooting in the postseason three point shots
and Ruy was insane last year, even against the Thunder,

(01:24:22):
and they're missing They're going to miss that. Missing it
against Houston then he shot nineteen percent against the Thunder.
And Lebron's a bad three point shooter. And I don't
know what they You know, Grimes now needs to be
very good. Reeves needs to improve his percentage. Luca's pretty
good and maybe gets a little better, but they're you know,
his injury situation is one to watch. All that being said,

(01:24:43):
so you're just guaranteed the Lakers top five, the thunder
aren't going anywhere. Their team's basically going to be the
same next year. You know, Dort was brought back, you
extended Hartenstein, you moved on from Isaiah, Joe and Wiggins.
I don't think is of much consequence, and maybe you
found something and Marrow with your draft pick, there'll be
about the same. The Spurs are bringing in Tobias Harris,
pretty much the rest of the team is back. They're

(01:25:05):
paying a ton of money for defensive liability and three
point wizard Julian Champenni, giving him fifteen million a season
while paying DeAndre dearon Fox forty nine million a season.
But they're not going anywhere. Nothing's really different with Denver.
Of consequence, they may or may not have Peyton Watson,
but as a restricted free agent, he was missed in

(01:25:26):
the playoffs and he might be back. It's really about
the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're the only team that has made
massive changes besides the Lakers. Do you believe in the
moves that they've made? Do you believe in them being
better because they have LaMelo? Is their ability to compete
contingent on Lebron saying yes, I want to play for

(01:25:48):
A Rod's team. Is that been talked about that as
I don't think they're at the top of the fake
list that media keeps making. But I do think the Wolves,
the Warriors, and the Cavs. If you let me take
those three and you could have the other twenty seven teams,
I'd feel pretty good that Lebron's landing in one of
those three plays.

Speaker 2 (01:26:06):
Well, if he goes to Golden State, that's a They're
a top at least the top five seed.

Speaker 6 (01:26:11):
I think I maybe six disagree you think they would be.
They're two prone to not be available. Steph's gonna get hurt,
or Jimmy's gonna get hurt, or Lebron's gonna get hurt,
or two of them will be hurt, or three of
them will be hurt.

Speaker 3 (01:26:27):
I just I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:26:28):
I'd rather that team on paper than this current Lakers team.
But but but then again, the Blazers. What do they
look like with Joahn Morant? You know, are they better?

Speaker 1 (01:26:40):
I don't know, because I'm kind of they're gonna They're
gonna be different because I still think they have moves
to make. They got too many guards right now. I
don't think Drew Holliday is a Blazer when we get
to the season, So that might be somebody else they
can bring in. And now you're saying, let's count on
Jahn Morant. That's a huge ask.

Speaker 2 (01:26:59):
Lillard's back there right, Yes, yes, I get NBA's like
you get spin a wheel. I can't keep tracking where
everybody's at. No, that's an interesting one because I just
wonder who from I mean, look, when some of those
guys started leaving a free agency the other day, I
was like, yes, please go to the East, right, everyone
go to the East.

Speaker 3 (01:27:16):
Get out of here.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
Send all the good players to the East, and let's
make this a little bit easier in the West because
it's been so loaded for so many years. But I
don't know, I mean, does Dallas Dallas you have to
think is going to be better New Orleans.

Speaker 6 (01:27:29):
I don't know what the hell they're doing. I still
an I'm hopeful they still are moving parts Memphis.

Speaker 2 (01:27:36):
Memphis is just I mean, they're they're stuck in rebuild
the jet. The Sacramento King's good. Lord, Like, right when
you thought they were getting good, they took a monster
step backwards.

Speaker 3 (01:27:45):
So yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:27:47):
It does feel like the Rockets have to be at minimum,
at minimum have to be a top four I thought
they were top four seed this year. They ended up
with the five seeds, So but they have to be
a four seat this year and.

Speaker 1 (01:28:00):
Order to ensure that what one thing is at the
top of your list that has to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:28:06):
I mean it's it's like with everybody, you're all your
draft picks have to take another step. But Jabari took
another step last year and then has got to, dude,
find a shot. You don't have to be a great
three point shooter, but at least give me like thirty
percent from three. Give me something.

Speaker 1 (01:28:21):
How about up his percentage from fifteen feet, up his
percentage for twelve feet. I think that's much more likely
than him developing.

Speaker 2 (01:28:30):
Okay, let's not practice that. We know you're good at that.
Let's try all the other shots from around.

Speaker 1 (01:28:34):
The court and just quickly on Jabbari. Do you think
he took a step forward?

Speaker 3 (01:28:38):
It felt like it.

Speaker 1 (01:28:40):
It felt like it. But did he like what was
he better at?

Speaker 3 (01:28:44):
At least like points rebounds? I felt like he went.

Speaker 1 (01:28:46):
Up because he played more. He went up from thirty
minutes a game to thirty five minutes a game. Okay,
he shot the same. He shot thirty six percent, which
he had shot before. He shot forty five percent from
the floor, which he had shot before. Now they're both
better than his averages for his career, but only slightly.
You know, spective field goal percentage was fifty four percent

(01:29:06):
its career. He's at fifty two. It was slightly better.

Speaker 3 (01:29:11):
Shanguon's got to get tougher too, that's the other one.

Speaker 1 (01:29:13):
Got to get tougher, got to be better on the glass,
got to be better with his turnovers. Needs to be
much much better at the rim when it matters, And
when he's at the rim is when it matters. I
don't mean in the playoffs only. I mean when he's
getting eight shots within four feet and making two of them.
That's unacceptable against anybody. And it happened more often this
year than it had in probably two years ago. He

(01:29:34):
was better at the rim the last two years, especially
in the postseason, he's had trouble finishing and that can't happen.
And then we have almost not talked about it at all.
The Tar Easton deal, Yeah, eighty one million dollars last
year's a player option five years. Good deal, bad deal,
players deal, team deal.

Speaker 3 (01:29:52):
It's fine. I mean I need him. Did you do?

Speaker 4 (01:29:54):
What?

Speaker 2 (01:29:55):
Did you think?

Speaker 1 (01:29:55):
His reaction though, I don't know because I can't. I
can't tell you what cryptic posts mean.

Speaker 2 (01:30:01):
His mom's response, though, seemed like it was almost like
shut up, son, you just got paid, now go arn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:08):
A lot of responses from her that I saw were
also from people saying, you know, they offered him this
and he could have had that, and then they're giving
him this after that season, and just the typical X
platform negativity.

Speaker 2 (01:30:21):
It was like a shark tank deal. It was like, oh,
five minutes ago, you had this offer, but you got
to settle for this offer. Yeah, he could have had
more money, had he but he battled himself. He thought
he was gonna have any had a nice year, I
mean ups and downs. Earlier in the year he was awesome.
He was like six Man of the Year candidacy early
in the year. But yeah, I think it's fine. But yeah,

(01:30:42):
I mean that's a good point though, Like I look
at him as hey, you may not start, but you
need to take steps forward in your progression as well.

Speaker 1 (01:30:49):
Yeah, just the three point shooting was far too inconsistent
elite at the beginning of the year. He couldn't make
anything in the big chunk of the year, and then
at the end of the year he was a little
bit better, not very good, but a little bit better
than the downturn he had. The problem was he's even
worse than Alper at the basket. You can't be a
you know, a wing player and shoot forty two percent

(01:31:10):
from the floor. You can't shoot forty six percent on
two point shots.

Speaker 4 (01:31:14):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:31:14):
I mean, nobody should be doing that, even guards. But
he certainly can't because all that stuff's coming at the
rim for him for the most part. And they just
did not go in last year. Rockets have made very
little different the players that they were counting on last
year to be a top four seed. They ended up
five same players they are counting on this year to
be a top four except for one the return of

(01:31:34):
Fred van vliet Reed's got to be way better out
and we didn't even get to read Shepard. Those are
where things lie most for them if a legitimate move
forward is going to be made, and hopefully the injury
leg luck they had during the regular season with Kevin
Durant flips into injury luck positively in the postseason. The
guy played seventy seven games last year and then played
one of their five playoff games. That was one of

(01:31:56):
their six playoff games. Very very unfortunate for the Houston Rockets.
We'll hear from Roger Clemens next his thoughts on this
year's likely al MVP, Jordan Alvarez. That's next. Continuate things
here on Tuesday afternoon on the eighteen, Chris Gordy in
for Adam Clanton, Wex and Josh Here with you. Dana

(01:32:19):
Brown talking with the media over at the Yard in
Washington this evening. A couple of things. Since they made
the move with Mike Burrows option to triple A, Ali
Bersonta is back with the team out of their bullpen
trade deadline a little less than a month away. Still
looking at the same that they have throughout left handed
hitting outfielder, possible additions to the bullpen. He did indicate

(01:32:40):
with Sunday's upcoming start available now that Mike Burrows is
no longer on the active roster. He mentioned Ethan Peco
as an option to join the rotation. He had a
nice month in the PCL with the Space Cowboys, although
I would think that's unlikely considering how many other options
they have. Renel Blanco was also mentioned by Dan as

(01:33:03):
an option. He will pitch in relief today with Sugarland.
Lance mccull's junior will start the game today in sugar Land.
And obviously, Christian Xavier has been a part of the
Astros bullpen for one appearance since last Friday. He threw
on Saturday. Going from Saturday to Sunday without throwing and
then making that start, It's definitely within the realm of possibility.

(01:33:24):
Even if he pitches today, maybe two innings, maybe thirty
forty to fifty pitches, I could certainly see him being
a strong candidate for Sunday's game. And before we discuss
much further on that, I want to let you guys
hear from Roger Clemens. He was part of the Morning
Drive this morning, joined Dan Matthews, part of a Roger
Clemens Foundation Astros Foundation and Echo part drive to assist

(01:33:48):
with a Little league teams around the Houston area. A
gear drive for them talked a little bit about that.
If you want to learn more about it, you can
catch that interview in full via Sports Talk seven ninety
dot com or the iHeartRadio app. As you I know
are subscribing to each of the podcasts for our respective programs.
The comments from Roger for you here center around uh
not having to face yard on Alvarez. If Roger's down

(01:34:11):
with that.

Speaker 4 (01:34:13):
He's dangerous, isn't he.

Speaker 5 (01:34:14):
I mean that guy, I mean, he's he can carry
a team for a couple of weeks and that's what
he's doing too. So hopefully everybody else around him, he
makes everybody else around him better.

Speaker 4 (01:34:24):
A'l tu be I love him.

Speaker 5 (01:34:25):
Uh, you know, you know what he's You know, we
were spoiled. We've been spoiled in Houston. You gotta you
gotta a minute. We've been spoiled, you know, mister Crane. Uh,
you know our owner. Uh, I mean we've had a
great team out there, uh putting up great numbers and
uh going to the playoffs and winning the World Series.
Been pretty spoiled. As an astro fan for sure. I mean, uh,

(01:34:46):
I again, you're right, I love it. I mean I
was that. I was a kid in high school sneaking
into the Astrodome. All I wanted to do is just
watch Nolan Ryan warm up. And you know in the Astererdome,
when you're throwing inside there and it's and his fastballs pop,
that meant he might be it might be ninety five
miles an hour, but it sounds like one hundred and
five inside the Astrodome, and I was really infatuated with that.

(01:35:09):
Nolan was one of my guys, along with Tom Sever.
If you got any dads, coaches, or moms listening out
there right now, you know the best pitching baseball still
strike one.

Speaker 4 (01:35:19):
My guys were that I watched.

Speaker 5 (01:35:21):
We didn't have the analytics or all the video that
the guys have now in front of them, but I
would get eight by ten photos of Nolan and look
how he incorporated his legs into his pitching delivery. One
of my favorite of all time. I've always told people
that I'm a power pitcher, not a power thrower. And
one of my favorite where you recognize the name Tom Sever,

(01:35:43):
Tom Terrific, Tom Terrific, is the ultimate power pitcher as
far as I'm concerned, and I was fortunate the Red
Sox traded for sever and so I got to as
a young guy, keep my mouth shut and both my
ears listening to this man and learned a lot from
him too.

Speaker 4 (01:35:58):
So just just some cool stuff, like you said, it's fun.

Speaker 5 (01:36:02):
Now. I I get videos from a bunch of top
notch pitchers you'll see around the league, have a chance
to visit with them. A lot of them trying to
learn the split finger fastball, which which I brought into
my game the second half of my career a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:36:17):
I featured that split finger. I love the strike.

Speaker 5 (01:36:21):
Zone now where they pinch you a little bit east
and west, but they give you north and south, so I,
you know, feature that fastball, you know up in the
zone and then I would jog your eye level as
a hitter and throw the split finger down. So love
working with the guys. I keep an eye on them
doing some work for NBC. I'm gonna be doing my
next fun deal for NBC will be in a couple

(01:36:43):
of weeks. I'm gonna be doing some color for the
The Dodgers are at the Yankees, so that'll be a run.
But again your go back to your don you know,
like you said, if he can keep it going and
get the other guys round and around him, it still
comes down to pitching and defense. Dan, As you know,
if you're going to get to the playoffs, you got
to to pitch it and you got to catch it,

(01:37:04):
and then if the hitting comes along for you, it's
it's it's all dandy.

Speaker 2 (01:37:09):
What do you feel like the state of the game
is in terms of pitching development.

Speaker 5 (01:37:13):
Well, I encourage them, especially when the double A, triple A,
you know that they try and go deeper into the game.
I understand some of these analytics. I'm I'm in the
middle of the road of I'm not real high on,
I'm not real low. I'm in the middle because I
still believe with your star star pitchers out there that
you know, if they feel like they're struggling, maybe getting

(01:37:33):
into the second time in the lineup, maybe third time
around the lineup, I still think you should go out
and give them an eye and a hard test, you know,
look them in the eyes, see where their heart's at.
You know, I'd love to see these guys, these starters,
get a little bit deeper in the game. You know
you're gonna you know, the way the game is, like
you said, to win, you're gonna have to have.

Speaker 4 (01:37:52):
An incredible bullpen. Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:37:54):
These guys are getting used a lot, they're getting taxed
a lot out there, and uh, I think this that,
if I have it right, the last five six to
seven World Series teams, the twenty six man roster, they've
used close to forty five, maybe fifty players. So that's
how important some of these guys that we haven't heard
of that are in sugar Land. They're going to play

(01:38:15):
a big part if the Astros are going to find
back in this thing and get to a wild card
or a playoff spot and have another run chance at
a World Series.

Speaker 1 (01:38:24):
Little doubt that what he said is very accurate. If
the numbers weren't exactly right, they certainly apply to the
Astro the last couple of seasons, even not being the
team headed to the World Series, they have used a
boatload of players and a boatload of pitchers, both due
to injury and all sorts of other reasons. You got
a guy who gives you three innings, Well, now I
can't pitch for three days, so it's time to send

(01:38:44):
them down. And bring somebody else if you've got to
have a fresh arm. And with some of the troubles
they've had with their starting rotation, they have needed to
go to their bullpen a little bit more often than
they otherwise might have needed to. Always interesting hearing from
Roger Clemens, and I do think there's a lot to
be said about the pitching development and where things are going,
and the fact that any pitcher on their way needs

(01:39:07):
to get used to two things as they get there,
the pitch clock and ABS. It's been in the minor
leagues a little bit longer than it's been in the
major leagues from an ABS perspective, and I wonder if
it won't still grow a little bit more as they
move forward with it. But it's Astros and Nationals this evening.
Predictions on baseball games, I'm not real big on, but

(01:39:28):
I'll ask for one anyway. Okay, So three of his
twelve starts tatsu Emi starts, he's gotten four outs or less.
He's also been a part of a no hitter with
six no hit innings cares in the area of six
point one four and he's facing the best offense in baseball.
Nobody scores more runs per game than the Nationals. They

(01:39:51):
weren't number one before yesterday. They were close, but they
slid into the number one spot with the twelve run
outburst in the last night's game. Emi does what in
this game, this evening?

Speaker 3 (01:40:05):
Where would you put Detroit's offense?

Speaker 1 (01:40:07):
I don't think they're very good.

Speaker 2 (01:40:11):
He did go six shutout against them a little over
a week ago, so I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:40:16):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:40:17):
Detroit's offense, for those that don't know, are twenty first
in runs per game.

Speaker 2 (01:40:21):
He went six shutout, part of the no hitter against
the Rangers. I think they have a half like decent lineup.

Speaker 1 (01:40:26):
Rangers are twenty fifth, Oh Man, I don't know. I
I what's worse. The Royals are twentieth. He lasted two
outs against them.

Speaker 2 (01:40:38):
That's true. I'll give him five. I'll give him five
innings of three run ball.

Speaker 1 (01:40:42):
Today, five innings of three run ball, which means it's
not a quality start, but the Astros will have a
chance to win when he leaves the mound. Is that
how you feel about it?

Speaker 3 (01:40:52):
I feel we're.

Speaker 1 (01:40:53):
Gonna get into the Astros on deck show. On the
other side, here appreciate Chris Gordy spending the afternoon with us,
and it's astros and nets come in your way.

Speaker 2 (01:41:00):
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