Baseball Brunch - 08/24/25

Chris Sack, Gregg Murphy, and Sean Brace are LIVE at Xfinity Live! to talk Phillies, MLB, and more!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand, the new
and improved Ieheard Radio app WDAS and WD two seven.
Bring d Philadelphia is Fox Sports Radio The Gambler. Summer
Sundays are met for freshly cut grass ballpark dogs and

(00:21):
the best baseball dog you can find. So kick back
with your bacon and eggs and pour yourself on mimosa
while Phillies Greg Murphy and Green Legion Radio's Chris Zach
break down your fight and Phils and take you around
the league right now on Baseball.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Brunch Playball nove Alphia.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Welcome in the Baseball Brunch powered by Green Leadion Radio
on one or two point five Fox Sports The Gambler
and also on the YouTube channel and The Gambler.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Uh Man, it's exciting to be here with you guys today.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Beautiful weather here in the Sports complex great outside Sitsens
Bank Park is your Philadelphia Phillies are set to host
the Washington Nationals and the last matchup of the season
between the two. Ranger Suarez takes the hill today against
Jake Irvin. I'm Chris Sack of Green Lead and Radio
and I am joined by a real esteemed I guess
you know a panel of colleagues here. Well, yeah, like

(01:21):
you guys know, and for those of you that followed
the show back in twenty twenty one, twenty two, and
twenty three, and just maybe a couple appearances in twenty four,
you know Greg Murphy obviously Phillies broadcaster.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
He was not fired.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
So don't listen to the Murph. Do not listen to that.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
INTROH short change, Murph. It's a pleasure being backed by
your side. I was selling the same before we went
on air. I was like, Murphy was always to my left,
So as long as you keep him on my left,
everything else kind of fills in from there.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
But Murph, it's always a pleasure, my brother.

Speaker 5 (01:52):
Yeah, it's great to be back, great to be with
all of you guys, and great to be talking about
this Phil team to starting to play some pretty good
baseball right now at the right time, which is good
to see. So I'm looking forward to the next hour,
all the all the memories flooding back from our years past.

Speaker 4 (02:07):
We had, We had some good times, so hopefully we
do it again today.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Speaking to Jansen before the program, and he said that
that was the you know, the intro that he could
find we're blaming slash Yeah for the fact that we
could not find the one that says Philly's broadcaster Greg Murphy.
So just everybody that was having a heart attack right there,
don't pay attention.

Speaker 6 (02:23):
Murph is still there.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
He'll be doing pre and posts today and the host
of your Friday Night Roundtable and Phillies.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
That's tune in. Yeah, that's got to listen to that
we do. We have a good time. We have a
good time for sure.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
No doubt about it.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
Joining us Also today we have Super Sam Brady Sam ross.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
The table today.

Speaker 6 (02:41):
You know, because I'm here for baseball.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
You are here for baseball. We've had Sam on the
program over the years. She helped us out a lot
during those three years that we were on the air
every Sunday during baseball season.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
So Sam, it's great to have you here today, Super Sam.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
As we fill in today here at Exfinity Live soon
to be state Side Live.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Sam is gonna be out there in the crowd asking questions.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
Uh, to those that.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Are going to be here, it'splining your live So again,
if you're watching the YouTube channel, trust me, it's going
to fill in. It's a beautiful day down here. People
are going to be here for sure. Sitting next to
her is Rob Believe his host of The Rob B Show.

Speaker 4 (03:13):
Robbie, gentlemen, it's a pleasure to be here.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
I'm back from LA and I couldn't think of a
better place to be in the South Phildelphia, You, gentlemen,
talking a little Phillips Base.

Speaker 6 (03:21):
It's gonna be a blast.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
And then host of the Big of the Daily Ticket,
The Daily Ticket on Monday through Friday on Fox Sports
The Gambler is Sean Brady.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
Brace yourself going on to be here, the longest intro
ever to start a show. Let's talk the ball.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
We got to go.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
I feel like I feel like with Quinby and when
you do the pregame show, we have a lot more
that we have to go through for that.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
I'm about three Eagles chants in right now. Just say
three Egels chances and you're not wearing the white jacket.

Speaker 4 (03:49):
We need that.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yes, that'll too hot for that today, but hey, check
us out again on the on the Gambler YouTube channel
one of two point five Fox Sports a Gambler w
b as am around the rest of the Dell revel
or simply download that iHeartRadio app and you.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Can listen to us anywhere worldwide.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
So gentlemen and u as we're talking about, let's get
out of the box here. We're not doing a ticket giveaway.
A lot of people were asking about that today. Well, listen,
tickets are very expensive, show back and.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Change.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
I can give away my Flyers preseason tickets.

Speaker 6 (04:22):
That that's what you guys are looking for. I'm not
using them. Let's get out of the box here.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
This week, coming off of a six and four road trip,
the Phillies returned home.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
They're four and one. They swept out the Seattle Mariners.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
What a big series that was, both for the offense
and for the pitching across the board.

Speaker 6 (04:39):
Just a phenomenal series.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Friday night, little blip in the radar against the Watchington
Nationals by heay Man. These Nationals are a scrappy bunch
for sure, so we'll talk a little bit more about that.
But they can wrap up today with a five and
one home stand, heading to New York, going up the
Queens for a three game uh stand with with the
with the rival Mets. But let's start off here the
big news of the season, not just the big news

(05:00):
of the week. What's happened with Zach Wheeler.

Speaker 4 (05:03):
Murph.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
I want to throw it to you here a little
bit to talk about it because you're with the team.
You were down there in Washington, DC when the news
hit last Saturday about what was going on. He had
a blood clot in his right extremity, his right shoulder.
He had a procedure done on Monday where they removed
the clot, and a lot of people were sitting there going, well,
it seems like maybe we'll get him back this year
and take it from me. Right before we started doing

(05:25):
our show in twenty twenty one, I'd gone through a
blood clot issue. I had blood clots from having COVID.
I had him in my left leg, I had him
in my lungs I had I had to be on
blood dinners for three and a half months. I pretty
much figured all along that he was not going to
be back this season. But now we know from the
news yesterday that they're going to remove his upper rib,
the first rib on his right side, to alleviate that

(05:48):
pressure and the recovery time we're looking at it six
to eight months.

Speaker 5 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean, obviously a big loss, not only from
a baseball standpoint, it's hard to replace the Zack Wheeler.
In fact, you can't replace Zack Wheeler or a baseball standpoint.
But you know, for those of us that are around
the team and around Zach all the time and have
been over the last you know, a handful of years,
you know he's also one of the best guys in
that clubhouse. He's he's a leader, a quiet leader, but

(06:13):
he's you know, he's one of those guys that kind
of keeps it light and loose at all times, even
on days.

Speaker 4 (06:18):
That he's pitching.

Speaker 5 (06:19):
Zach Wheeler is a guy that, you know, there's this
thing in baseball where if a guy's the starting pitcher,
you're really.

Speaker 4 (06:25):
Not supposed to talk to him that day. Not Zach.
Zach's the guy's like.

Speaker 5 (06:28):
He welcomes all comers from all No, he's not royality
in that regard, but certainly he pitches like royality from
time out about So, you know, it's a huge loss
and and you know, we we send our best out
to his family and to Zach. He's in very good
sperience from what I understand I've been told, and you
know he's just ready to move on and get the

(06:48):
surgery and start the recovery and get back to playing baseball.
Six to eight months from now, it's going to be
a minute. Probably won't see him in spring training next year.
Hopefully we see him, you know, maybe about.

Speaker 4 (06:59):
Midway through the year next year.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
But you know, what the team has to worry about now,
and what Zach wants them to worry about now is
going out there.

Speaker 4 (07:06):
And finishing business. And they can.

Speaker 6 (07:08):
This team is still talented enough to get the job done.

Speaker 5 (07:11):
Might be a little bit more difficult without Zach Wheeler
at the top of that rotation, but it's certainly something
they can do.

Speaker 7 (07:15):
Seck, I want to come right in from the fan
perspective to Murph, and one thing that is brought up
a lot right now, Murphy is we look back at
the Fildelphi Eagles of twenty seventeen when Winz goes down,
the team galvanized, raised up and of course led the
way to a Super Bowl championship led by Nick Foles.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
Do you feel like.

Speaker 7 (07:30):
This team could, in a weird, sensible way like this
could bring them together a little bit closer.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah, I do.

Speaker 5 (07:38):
I think what we have to be careful about is
that football and baseball are so different, just in the
way the season's unfold, right, I mean, we're you know,
when that happened to the Eagles, they had what two
more regular season games and then and then they're running
through the postseason, and they kind of came together in
this grounds. Well, we still have thirty two games left
in the regular season and then then you know, hopefully

(08:01):
fifteen games in the postseason that they're going to end
a playing. It's a lot to hope that the emotion
is there throughout throughout the entire time. So but what
I really think is you just have to look at
the talent on this team, and you look at the
rotation without Zach, It's still one of the best rotations
in the National League.

Speaker 4 (08:20):
It's still one of the best rotations in baseball.

Speaker 5 (08:22):
The bullpen, we all know, is much improved now with
the additions that they made at the trade deadline, and
this offense is starting to click. So for all those reasons,
you look around, the Philly still have the second best
record in baseball. You know, only the Brewers have a
better record in the National League. And so I just think, yes,
I do think we've seen a little bit of that,
you know, emotion kind of carrying them through this week, sure,

(08:44):
and hopefully it continues, but at the end of the day,
at some point, it's going to have to be the
talent that takes over and continues from there.

Speaker 4 (08:51):
Rob believes chime in.

Speaker 2 (08:52):
I don't know if I want to be the negative
one being I knew, I knew.

Speaker 4 (08:56):
It was going to be.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
And we don't obviously not on the scale of the Phillies,
but I used to own a semi pro baseball team
and it's very to me. I hope they rally around Zach.
That's what we all want them to do. But when
you lose your ash, your belt cow and you're going
into the playoffs, the odds are stacked against you.

Speaker 4 (09:15):
So I hope I'm wrong. I want.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
I want the team to rally. I want them to
make a run. But it's it's very difficult when you
lose that. I mean, he's he's arguably the best picture
in baseball. It's very very it's a tall order to
do that for me though. This and this is why
you know, Sean had me on. We were we were
we did a yeah, we're advertising for the show for
this for the Sunday and he brought me on probably

(09:39):
to talk some shots.

Speaker 6 (09:41):
Yeah, man, I'll be on there anytime.

Speaker 3 (09:43):
But I was on the Daily Ticket the other day
and we were talking about He's like, hey, were you
one of those fans that was downtrod? And of course
initially you're you're not happy about it. You're upset, you know,
because like, really, what the Phillies had between Wheeler and
Sanchez was one and two that nobody else in baseball
can match, right, I mean, but the thing is, you
still have Christopher Sanchez, and for me, the fact that

(10:05):
he has risen his game up over the last year
and a half and to step up. He's still runner
up right now in Cy Young voting, like if the
season ended today, And really, I just think Paul Skenes
gets it because he's got the pedigree, he's the number
one overall pick. He was a Rookie of the Year
last year. He didn't win it over Chris Sale's and
Lebby Dunne. You know, that's fantastic.

Speaker 7 (10:26):
I love you, h But my wife's out there, but
I feel like anytime he gets brought up that second,
that's sorry, my fault.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Absolutely, Actually he should be taking the back seat to her.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
But I look at it like this when you have
a guy like that, now, everybody else has relied on
this step up and you saw that earlier this week
against the Mariners. And we're gonna get into the rotation now,
because that's what I want to talk about with the
news of Zach Wheeler going down. Now, it's who is
going to fill in that rotation in the postseason behind
Christopher Sanchez. And obviously now is your Game one starter

(10:56):
if the postseason were to start today. So Ranger swore
Az coming off a fantastic start last Monday, starting today,
let's see if he can continue that trend going. And
then you had uh his Lozardo, who's like, really, if
you take away probably three starts this year, I mean
like that he's got an over four e er, but
if you take away a few starts, Lizardo has pitched

(11:16):
really well for this team, Doctor Jackyll, mister Hyde, but
he's figured himself out a little bit here over the
last few weeks. And then Nola bounce him back, bounce
him back yesterday the two solo shots, but that's that's
Nola' solo shots are gonna happen. The good thing was
you're up six to one, so now you're seeing who's
going to fill in that postseason rotation behind Christopher Sanchez.

Speaker 6 (11:37):
So Sean, let me ask you.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
Out of those guys that I just named, and at
tywe Walker, who's pitched really well for the Phillies this
year and whatever role that they've given him, what a
consummate professional and teammate everybody wanted him. Gone, Hey, I'll
be the first everyone, I'll be Hey, listen, if we're
going down that route with calling out Quimby, I will do.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
It myself, you know.

Speaker 6 (11:56):
But sewn Tozy one one of those guys, who are
you looking at?

Speaker 2 (11:59):
Who you step up?

Speaker 4 (11:59):
Who the contract? Who's who's expected to do it?

Speaker 7 (12:01):
It's Aaron Nola, right, you know, if Nola can return
to form of what we saw at the beginning and
of course throughout the course of of last year, I
think that he is the number two guy.

Speaker 4 (12:11):
Uh does he have enough time to get there? We'll see.

Speaker 7 (12:13):
Of course the second start yesterday, Cruz through five innings
looked like Aaron Nola, you know of old and I
Uncle Kurv. Look, all I'm saying is like he got
the paycheck. He is expected to be that guy. And
if you go to him, I would imagine Aaron Nola
will tell you, Yeah, that's that's what I'm here for.

Speaker 6 (12:29):
This is my time to shine.

Speaker 4 (12:30):
I need to step up. So I look at Aaronola
before anybody. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (12:33):
And I think the one thing that we can all
agree with is that the Phillies have options, right. I
mean it's not It's not as if it was Zach
Wheeler and this, you know, fall off a cliff and
they have no other talent. Christopher Sanchez that second answers
you guys talked about, and then and then all of
these arms you know that we're talking about, Aaron Nolajesu's Lozardo, Uh,
the Ranges, swaz These guys are all proven at the

(12:55):
big league level to be able to go out there
and give you a chance to win.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
And that is a luxury. And the Phillies had six guys.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
Now they have five guys and in the postseason you
probably only need three and a half.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
In the first.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
DS, they added in the extra travel day, so you're
not going to need a fourth starter until the exactly.

Speaker 6 (13:13):
So it's it's to say that the Phillies really do
have options.

Speaker 5 (13:16):
And I think it's going to come down to you
know who's got the hot hand as the season ends,
and if Aaron Nola is, you know, rounds back in
the form as Sean said, you know, does he have
enough time to get.

Speaker 4 (13:27):
Right where he needs to be.

Speaker 5 (13:28):
He probably has just enough time right like it's it's
almost exactly the amount of time you need for a
picture to really start getting sharp. If he's that guy,
then yeah, I think he slides in as your asure two.
And uh again, you know who do you want in
the bullpen? You might might decide the rotation based on
who you think is best coming out of the bullpen
as well, and gives you that that option.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
So the bottom line is they have choices, and that's
that's a luxury at this stage of the game. Rob
your thought on the rotation without Wheeler, I'll go with
Murph as go with the hot hand. Who should be
the two and the three? But again I'll try to
be the voice of reason. I don't see Aaron Nola
was my number two. He hasn't showed me with the
end of last year and before he got hurt this
year that he's my number two.

Speaker 4 (14:08):
Again. I hope I'm wrong.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
So you're gonna have Murph s out of perfect whoever
the hot hand is going into the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (14:13):
That's who you're two and your three is, and that's
how you have to do it. See.

Speaker 3 (14:15):
But then Aaron Nola too, like you want him to
step up the role because remember this rotation was his
rotation before that Wheeler made this rotation. Yeah, I mean
he was, he was the guy. He was the one
in this rotation before they sign Zac Wheeler to that
contract as well as that extension. But and also you're
going into the postseason. I can't remember a time, it's
certainly not in Philly's history where you're going in with

(14:35):
three lefties at the top of your rotation. Now, obviously
you had you had Cliff Lee and Cole Hamil's, but
you didn't have a three like these you would go
out with this season end today. He would trot out
three lefties in that wildcard series for.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Sure, because you don't know what Aaron Nola is gonna
be over the over the course in the next month. Now, Rob,
I want to go to you here because you do
have the same mindset, the same milk kind of like
Quimby No God, I didn't say that, well, you know
it's they did the Rob v sh like, what four
hundred plus shows together like.

Speaker 4 (15:04):
Last night?

Speaker 2 (15:04):
There you go, So, I mean, you know, so here's
a big thing. Now. Obviously, the biggest acquisition at the trade.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
Deadline across Major League Baseball has been the addition of
Juan Duran here in Philadelphia, and everybody loves the intro.
I'm blaming everybody that wind to complain for his intro
to be played on television.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
Why he blew up the other night. That's that's that's
that's for all you guys.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
Listen.

Speaker 6 (15:24):
It's kind of like it's kind of like Rookie of
the Year. You don't miss anything. It's like it's like
rookie of the year.

Speaker 3 (15:29):
All right, you want to see the kid pitch come
out to Wrigley, like you want to see the intro
come out to the bank. That's what you need to do,
all right. But he's been fantastic. I mean the numbers
oh and one now with a one point one seventy
year arra, with seven saves and nine strikeouts. He's been incredible.
But why I want to talk to you about is
what us baseball ficionados, and I'd like to think you

(15:49):
are one as well. Rob is when Rob Thompson brought
Joan Doran into the game in Washington when he had
four days off and he'd only pitched twice over a
week and a half.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Where was your stance on that? Listen, I'm fine always
bringing a picture and when if it's if it's the
right situation. And I'm also I hate when pitchers said
I had too much time off or I didn't have
an I didn't have enough rest. Either you're good to
go or you're not good to go. So I didn't
have that much of an issue with it. Four runs,
it's not eight. No, right, no, And you're right in
that situation, I wouldn't have brought him in me personally,

(16:19):
I wouldn't have brought him in. What were you up
in arms about it? I wasn't up in arms about it.
I was kind of like, why you're doing that? But
you know, I wasn't it was you know, it was
a regular season game, it was a postseason game. I
don't know, but I wasn't up in arms about it.

Speaker 5 (16:29):
Well, I will say this, Rob Thompson, since taking over
as manager of the Phillies, has always brought in his
best option, his closer. He didn't call him a closer,
but his best option. This guy's a closer. But Rob
has never used that before. Yeah, but I'm saying that
in a save situation. Major League Baseball calls a safe
situation three runs or less. Rob Thompson calls it four

(16:52):
runs or less. He's been consistent with that since the
day he took over. So four runs, that's a safe situation.
In his mind, He's bringing his high leverage guy and
this it's his closer, Duran, And that's that is the
main reason he brought it in. And the second reason
he brought him in on that day, And this is
what we talked about on the post game show that

(17:13):
up when when when Duran first arrived and sat down
in Rob's office the very first day, Rob's first question
to him is how long can you go without pitching
in a game and still feel sharp?

Speaker 4 (17:24):
And he said four days? Four days. On that fifth day,
I have to pitch. And that's why Rob brought him in.

Speaker 5 (17:32):
So if you want to argue, go argue with Doran,
because Doran is the one that said I need to
be in that ballgame, not Rob Thompson.

Speaker 4 (17:39):
It was Dourran.

Speaker 5 (17:40):
And what that's what folks don't take into consideration sometimes,
and you know that's a conversation that managers have with pitchers.

Speaker 4 (17:47):
How long can you go?

Speaker 5 (17:48):
Some guys can say Rod tells the story. Mariano Rivera said,
I can go two weeks and I'll get out on
the mountain. I'll be as sharp as anybody. But Doran said,
four days.

Speaker 4 (17:58):
That's it. That's my that's my limit. I need to
get in there.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
And that's why you're not getting that an experience in
the bullpen. You're not, you know, a bullpen session. You
need to do it against major league hitters in that situation.

Speaker 7 (18:06):
It's great insight as far as how Rob Thompson views
a safe situation.

Speaker 4 (18:11):
I don't think I've ever heard that before. So nice
work on that.

Speaker 7 (18:13):
One, Murph bringing that one. I'll definitely be recurgitating that
one on the air. But I look it just come
on man as a fluke came back up.

Speaker 4 (18:20):
But off the bat, to the to the heel.

Speaker 6 (18:22):
I'll tell you what, though, I think my man is
a soccer fan right.

Speaker 4 (18:25):
As I'm whare of my Manchester United.

Speaker 7 (18:28):
Just all I'm saying is like he had my group text.
I'm sure everybody's group text going crazy, like, did we
just lose him? He gets carted off and he's like, eh,
now he's good one hundred percent. The next day, Yeah, look.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
I was as surprised as you were, and I was
obviously it was down there. And I talked to him
the next day in the locker room.

Speaker 4 (18:43):
In fact, I was.

Speaker 5 (18:44):
Standing with Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer as the
clubhouse opened, and we were anticipating an opportunity to get
an update on Doran.

Speaker 4 (18:52):
And in comes Doran.

Speaker 5 (18:54):
He walks right past us, and Scott and I both
kind of turned and looked and watched him walk down
the hallway, and he looked perfectly funny, had a little.

Speaker 6 (19:01):
Hop in his step.

Speaker 4 (19:02):
And I looked at Scotta, that is right, you know.

Speaker 5 (19:06):
So then he said, yeah, I was, you know, I
think it scared him more than anything. And Kevin Stocker
brought up an awesome point on the radio that night.
He said, hitters are used to hitting balls off their feet.
They're used to getting, you know, their toes smashed or
their ankle hit or and they know what that pain
feels like. And they know when that pain is something
it shouldn't feel like. You know, you fell a ball

(19:28):
off your foot. It's gonna hurt for a couple of minutes.
You limp around the box, then you get back in there.
Pictures they're not used to that, especially nowadays. These pictures
are don't hit at all, so it comes back, it
hits him, and his probably first thought when the adrenaline
war off was oh my god, him, I seriously hurt.
And I think by the time they got the card
out there, Bryce was joking with him, Trey was joking

(19:51):
with them.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
They knew it wasn't all that serious.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
They also said the cart was brought out because apparently
the steps to pumphouse is like really excessive.

Speaker 5 (19:58):
And because there was a postgame concert and the medical
cart was being blocked so they couldn't get I mean,
there was like all kinds of things. Who was playing,
who was the post It was either that was either
it's a big thing these days. I know it was
either live not live.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
I forget train. It was.

Speaker 6 (20:15):
Saint Louis had what Nelly and and Snoop. I think,
of course we've had it here.

Speaker 4 (20:19):
I think it was I'm pretty sure it was trained,
but anyway.

Speaker 6 (20:21):
You're postgame concert, it was like so it.

Speaker 5 (20:23):
Was a thing but I think it scared him more
than anything else. And then once the once he got
the news that it was not broken, he was he
was good to go.

Speaker 4 (20:29):
Sounds great.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
Well, listen, we're gonna take our first break here on
one of two point five Fox Sports.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
A Gambler.

Speaker 3 (20:33):
This is Baseball Brunch, sitting alongside Sean Brace, Greg Murphy,
Rob believe Is and Super Sam Ross.

Speaker 6 (20:39):
I'm Chris Sach. We'll be right back after these messages.

Speaker 4 (20:43):
If you can wager on it, we're talking about it.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
It's the Gambler.

Speaker 2 (20:57):
Baseball here on one of two point five Fox Sports.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
A game on this beautiful Sunday morning down here in
the Sports comm let's go.

Speaker 4 (21:04):
I do have a nice audience, audience, it's great. I
love hearing that.

Speaker 6 (21:07):
But we're right outside of Bank Parkers.

Speaker 4 (21:09):
We're trying to bring you in and.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
Set you up for Murph doing the pregame show at
one o'clock and leading you in one thirty five for
first pitch today, which I always love it when I
hear Scott Franski and Larry Anderson or Kevin Stoker and
like right on time at one thirty seven.

Speaker 4 (21:24):
That's our first pitch.

Speaker 7 (21:25):
I want to bring this up to Murph real quick
if I could, because Franski has a thing blasted.

Speaker 6 (21:32):
Oh man, yeah, no, no, it's not crushed. He does
blasted and crushed.

Speaker 4 (21:37):
Well, he needs to stick with blast.

Speaker 6 (21:38):
So if you could pass that on the France I've
never met him.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
How is Scott Frankause.

Speaker 5 (21:47):
Scott Franski is one of the best people you'll meet
and an incredible talent, obviously, But if you said that
to Scott, I think he would say, well, I he
kind of prides himself on not having really right. You
know a lot of play by play guys will have
a particular call. I mean, of course, if you grow up.

Speaker 4 (22:05):
In this area area, you know right so.

Speaker 6 (22:07):
But but for Scott, he does.

Speaker 4 (22:09):
He tries to mix it up a little bit.

Speaker 5 (22:11):
But when when when Sharper or Harper's hitting them, and
you know, there are home runs that as a play
by play guy, you anticipate it's going to go out,
but you really need to wait until it clears the
wall before you can actually call it. Those are probably
seventy five percent of the home runs hitting baseball, and
then every and then twenty five percent of the time

(22:31):
it's blasted and and you know it the instant.

Speaker 4 (22:34):
It is hit like, actually, Sosa is yesterday as soon
as so has Hid.

Speaker 5 (22:37):
I just pointed up to you know, straight away, you know,
within a blink of an eye, because you just know,
and he does tend to go to blasted at that
point I did too.

Speaker 4 (22:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's he's he's got some good ones though,
for sure.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
Speaking of blasted, let's talk about the offense, because over
the last week of Philly's offense has really risen to
the occasion and a lot of these guys, like earlier
in the season, we were looking down on them, like
you know, the fan base was looking down on him.
And think of Murphy, I'd like to think maybe, you know,
because obviously we haven't doing the show over the last
year and a half together.

Speaker 2 (23:07):
But I have grown up in a lot of ways.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
I've taken a more positive approach in my you know,
and how I go about things.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
And I'm glad to hear that now, you know, I'm
becoming a grown man right before everybody's eyes. But like
the way marsh started off.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
And he's one of the best hitters that the Phillies
have had since May first, and then the way Stotts
started off, you know, he started off good, but then
he got really into a funk for a couple of months,
and then his wife gives birth to their son, and
he's been on a tear ever since. J t Roumuto
since June first, is the best offensive catcher in Major
League Baseball through.

Speaker 4 (23:37):
That point, second best offensive player probably. I mean what
July he was.

Speaker 3 (23:41):
He had the best batting average in all baseball in July.
And then obviously, you know, we know about Schwarber and
Harper hitting those two nukes the other night. The offense
is really starting to come together and and form and
put runs on the board. That's gonna you know, let
these starting pitchers that we were just talking about settle
in better here.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
I mean, Trey Turner has been insane, thank you.

Speaker 5 (24:02):
Yeah, I was waiting for him, but actually, but he's
been insane all year. Like he's just consistent all seasons.

Speaker 6 (24:08):
Now tied for the best batting average in the National League.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
Now as a three zero one batting average, he's only
three hits behind what Boba sheet for most hits in
all Major League Baseball. So I'm gonna start this off
because obviously with Zack Wheeler going down, now the offense
needs to come together even more. We need a catalyst.
We need somebody in the starting lineup to either continue
doing what they're doing or somebody has to step up
to continue this offensive approach that we've been used to

(24:31):
over the last what eight nine games now, dating back
to last Saturday when they got shut out. Rob, were
you leaning on the most out of everybody in the
in the lineup? Who's your guy that needs to step
up here as we go down the home stretch.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Well, I gotta be honest, I don't care about the
regular season at all.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
This whole season. I haven't cared about the regular season.
What it comes down through with the Phillies is the playoffs.
And the person you have to rely on is Bryce
Harper because he's your star. That's the guy that's going
to do it. And listen again, I hate that I'm
being the voice of because I'm never.

Speaker 6 (25:01):
I wouldn't go that far. I would say your negative voice,
but I don't.

Speaker 4 (25:05):
I would say.

Speaker 7 (25:08):
I don't care about the regular season. How do you
get to the postseason if you don't care about the
regular season?

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Though they're gonna I hear what you're saying, but they
should get there right, they should be there.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
Right an that's what the Braves are saying this year too.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
But with this team, they are up and down, up
and down, streaky baseball team, that's what they are. So
I don't really care what they're doing now. I care
about what they're doing when the playoffs start and what
are they are they Are they on the Phillies hot
streak where everyone's hitting, or are they on.

Speaker 4 (25:35):
The cold streak?

Speaker 2 (25:36):
Because it's not like one or two guys go cold
in the lineup, the whole lineup goes cold.

Speaker 4 (25:40):
So that's kind of what I'm looking for.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
And the most important thing to me is in the playoffs,
situational hitting, situational hitting, situational hitting. If you're not doing
that when you're in the playoffs, you can just pack
it all in. So I am just waiting for the
playoffs to start and then that's when I have my
laser focus on this baseball team.

Speaker 5 (25:59):
Allow me to be a contrarian just a bit, because
I think this narrative that the Phillies are a streaky
team is wildly incorrect. Okay, they they are a baseball
team playing one sixty two and if you if you
look around Major League baseball. Every team does this, but
the Phillies haven't lost back to back games at home

(26:19):
since June first. Streaky teams don't do that. Good teams, dude,
that's a great step.

Speaker 6 (26:25):
Yeah, It's just there's so many little things that you
can look at.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
You know.

Speaker 5 (26:29):
The Phillies have a what eighteen games above five hundred
at home, two games above five hundred on the road.
Streaky teams don't. Streaky teams are five hundred. The Phillies
are twenty games over five hundred. So this idea that
they're streaking what they are is frustrating. Sometimes when the
offense goes cold and and that I get, you know,

(26:50):
I sit there and watch it and think to myself,
how are these guys not able to hit this.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
Guy hopetially against the pitcher that has like a mid
five era. That's the part that really becomes frustrated.

Speaker 5 (26:59):
Right, But if you talk to the guys in the
clubhouse about that, they'll look at you like you probably
have not played the game at this level, right, because
that's that is what it is. The game is difficult,
and these guys are going to go cold. But for
the most part, this offense has done a pretty darn
good job at having at least one or two guys

(27:21):
that have been swinging it. There are going to be
times where they get shut out. They've been shut out
six times this year. It happens, It happens to every
team in baseball. The Brewers have the best record in baseball.
I don't know how many times they've been shut out,
but I bet it's around six. So I just think
that this idea that that there. We saw it last
year in the postseason the best way.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
They did that nice Harper and in the World Series.
Yeah yeah, yeah, they went cold.

Speaker 5 (27:44):
But again, that can happen in June. It can happen
in August, it can happen in October. You hope it
doesn't happen in October. There's no guarantee it could happen
to the Milwaukee Brewers in October.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
It's likely to happen to the Milwaukee Brewers in October.
Happens in this yeah so hot right now.

Speaker 5 (28:01):
So I just I just think that that if you
put in perspective, and if you take all thirty teams
into consideration, there's no way you can argue that the
Phillies are a streaky team.

Speaker 4 (28:11):
When I said, streaky team.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
I meant as far as hitting goes, because a lot
of those wins they're winning by you know, you know,
four to three, two to one, you know, things like that.

Speaker 4 (28:20):
And I like this team.

Speaker 5 (28:20):
I'm not saying I know, I know, and I get that,
but yeah, but I look, the strength of this team
is they're starting pitching.

Speaker 4 (28:26):
Yeah that's a that's a first statement. But their offense
is pretty darn good too. It is when they're all
when they're all hitting.

Speaker 7 (28:31):
Well, it's I want to give credit to the to
the opponent as well. I want to talk about postseason.
You're talking about the teams that are there for a reason,
So you're right. I will say that I look at
it like this. You play one sixty two.

Speaker 4 (28:42):
You got to enjoy this.

Speaker 7 (28:43):
We need as a city to enjoy this team every
single time they take the field, whether they win or lose.
Is a fun team. And I'll answer your question. It
starts and ends with the guy who sets the table.
It's Trade Turner. At the time a last sixteen games,
he's been on fire, four to thirty plus average on
base per just through the roof.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
He's stealing bases.

Speaker 6 (29:01):
You saw him go yard yesterday, which is a great
site at home.

Speaker 7 (29:04):
The bottom line, it comes down to Turner and we
know what he's capable of, and he tears it up
on that basse path and that's the change for me.
So if Trey gets on, he gets hot, I think
everybody vibes off of him, and like I said, he
sets the table.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
You know what I love about it is like they
won yesterday, and they and they were set up to
win on Friday night.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
A lot of that had to do the run production
was really the back end of their lineup. I mean,
like you know sosaid with a three run shot last night.
I mean that's that's the separator. You go from two
nothing to five nothing, you know.

Speaker 2 (29:32):
I mean, like that's Bryson's stopped down there at the
bottom of the lineup. I love him batting nine. Do
not move him, do not. I don't care how hot
he is, do not move him to six because what
he does in.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
That nine hole is now Bryson has finally started to
figure it out again about like someone showed an image
the other day, mechanically, what they've done with him. His
hands used to be here, his hands are now down here.
They've lowered his hands. Now he's got a quicker approach
to the baseball. And what I can appreciate about Scott
and you saw this. I was at the game on
Tuesday night against the Mariners with my youngest son and

(30:04):
watching it, like he hit a double and then he
wound up on third, and then Trey was on and
then now you have runners on first and third, and
then Trey steels second. Correct, It's just like, now you've
got two guys that can set the table at the
bottom and it turns right over in the turnary. He
got speed instead of going one two with the speed
like the Phillies used to do.

Speaker 2 (30:22):
And that's how I like my lineup is one two
with speed. Now you got a nine to one with speed.

Speaker 4 (30:26):
That sets the.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Table for Schwarber and Harper to see fastballs, because now
you can't throw a ball at breaking ball in the
dirt against one of those guys, because you're probably gonna
have second and third a double steel. You're gonna have
a guy that's on third and the guy steal second.
Now it's second and third. You're out of a double
play situation. So I look at Bryce and Stott to
continue what he's doing in the nine hole, setting the
table for the guys.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
Now, it's kind of like, yes, it's kind of like
Schwarber is not batting second.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
Schwarber's batting third, right, I mean like really, it's just
he's batting second to lead off the game, start the game.
Now it spends the whole entire lineup, and it just
makes things so much easier for those guys that are
right behind them.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
I do want to recognize a little.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
Bit here on the program today the job that Rob
Thompson has done as Phillies manager, not just this year,
but overall as a whole. I mean, he's got the
best win percentage as a manager in franchise history, three
twenty five and two thirty nine record with a five
to seventy six winning percentage.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Obviously an AL pennant.

Speaker 3 (31:21):
They lost in the Nationalague Championship Series and then last
year made the playoffs. Every year he's in line for
a fourth straight appearance. I think what we do here
is Rob, is we look at the lack of success
in the postseason the last couple of years, and I
still say to this day, the twenty twenty three Phillies
are going to be the most disappointing thing for me,
especially if this run doesn't end in another World Series
appearance or a World Series Championship. Twenty twenty three is

(31:43):
gonna bite me. It's gonna haunt me for a long
time because I still think that was the year. I mean, like,
you know, the way they were primed up up two,
zho up three to two, coming back home with Aaron
Nolan just sworez on the mound going into six and seven,
and then you know, obviously, and then they would have
beat the Rangers. I'm sorry, I know the Rangers were hot,
but they would have beat the Rangers. But the job

(32:03):
that Rob Thompson has done this year with managing personalities,
managing big money contracts, managing a bullpen up until Duran
came in, was just piecemeal, you know, especially Dave Robertson
now joining Duran too, that's another big move. But to
get by with what he got by with being twenty
one games over five hundred, with pretty much just having
kirkering and strom as you're as you're punched in the

(32:26):
back end of the bullpend, then Ralvarado getting suspended. I
just want to speak a little bit on appreciation about
the job that Topper has done.

Speaker 6 (32:34):
This season for this team.

Speaker 2 (32:35):
I think he's actually done a really good job. And
I think the most important thing for a manager it's
not right in the lineup, card out, it's not doing
the double switches.

Speaker 4 (32:42):
It's managing personalities.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
Yes, and it's also it's also knowing what the Sato
guy on game day, whatnot to say, what's gonna put
him in a good mood, what's going to put him
in a bad mood.

Speaker 4 (32:50):
So I think he's very I think he's very great
at that.

Speaker 8 (32:52):
He was.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
I think that's the most important thing as a manager.
It's it's your clubhouse, and it's making sure your guys
are all on the same page and there there were
they need to be, don't They know how to play
the game, obviously they know what they're doing, But it's
managing the personalities.

Speaker 4 (33:04):
And I think he's done a great job doing that. Yeah,
there's are I agree with you, Rob, But I think
if he's called a manager for something.

Speaker 2 (33:12):
He does have positive.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
It's all good.

Speaker 5 (33:15):
It's nothing but love, nothing but love. But you know,
Rob is really good. You mentioned Charlie manual. That's what
Charlie was so good at as well. I mean Look,
these guys at this level are all really good baseball minds, right,
Like this idea that Rob has, you know, no idea
what he's talking about, or Charlie didn't know what he
was talking that's just ridiculous. I mean, these guys have
forgotten more baseball than a lot of us will ever know.

(33:36):
But it's managing people, it's managing those egos. And Rob
he said it perfectly. I think that's really what Charlie
did so well, and I think that's what Rob does
so well. These guys come to work every day and
now we're going into the fourth season with with Robs
at the helm, and they go out and play for him.
They like playing for him, they want him to be here,
and that means something. And you know, across all the sports,

(33:59):
if you're playing for for your head coach, if you're
playing for your manager, you're gonna have you're gonna have
better results than if you were the other way around.

Speaker 7 (34:07):
So I think Rob's done a you know, I think
he's done an outstanding job. So I would just say, yeah,
proofs in the pudding. Right, look at the numbers. Look
how successfully he's been since he's taken over. And my
goodness that year when he did take over from Joe
Garlardi being let go. Nobody had that run, right, Even
the biggest diehard Phillies fans were surprised by what they
were able to do that summer. So I give him

(34:27):
all the credit in the world. He's very steady in
the boat. He's old school. I don't hey, look, you know,
I'll respect to the Gabe Kaplers of the world, you know,
the young guys.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
I like my manager to be a little older. All right.

Speaker 6 (34:38):
I want you know, Lou Brown from from Major that's
my manager.

Speaker 4 (34:45):
Got a couple of potential, as.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
It has happened before. Yeah, how about we do this.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
Let's go into an early break here in a couple
of minutes, all right, and when we come back on
the other side, we're gonna do some around the league.
We're gonna do Braces best Bets for the MLB Sunday.
If you're gonna go back back in time, can you
believe it? It's been a long time since we've done
that with Murph and a whole lot more. Right here
in the program one of two point five Fox Sports
a gambler. This is Baseball Brunch. We'll be right back

(35:14):
after this The Gambler, Philly's home for all things sports gambling.

Speaker 8 (35:23):
Yeah, can father bags good?

Speaker 3 (35:42):
Here we are back one of two point five Fox Sports,
The Gambler and the Great and the Gambler YouTube the channel.
As we getta, let's go Philly's chant going here right outside.
This isn't bank mark down here in the sports complex.
I'm Chris Sack, your host for today on Baseball Brunch,
sitting alongside Sean Raised, Greg Murphy, and rob O Laves
as well as Super Sam Brady.

Speaker 8 (36:04):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (36:05):
Before we dive into some around the league, we do
have a couple questions, one for sure on our Green
lead or on the Gambler YouTube channel. So Sam, go
ahead and pitch it to the ball.

Speaker 6 (36:15):
I'm hanging out here on the YouTube channel. And Lou
from Dave has a question.

Speaker 2 (36:20):
Will Painter or anyone on the farm be brought up
in September to Bacon impact?

Speaker 4 (36:24):
They should be, won't.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
The Phillies are the worst about bringing up Young Town.
I agree with you, Okay, I agree Justin Crawford should
have been on this team four months ago, and I
don't care what anyone.

Speaker 4 (36:41):
Wills to say.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
At least no, he should have been on this team now, Painter,
If you want to argue because the pitching is so deep,
I get it. But I love Painter and he hasn't
impressed me as much as I thought he would in
the minors.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
But I love the Phillies. But the Phillies.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
You never see the Phillies go oh, they're bringing up
their twenty year old feet on everybody else?

Speaker 4 (36:57):
Does it? Who was the twenty year old that they
didn't bring up?

Speaker 2 (37:00):
No, No, I'm just saying they never bring up young
guys in general, like other brothers.

Speaker 6 (37:06):
I know he'll be here in five or six years.

Speaker 4 (37:08):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
I don't think he's ready to go. But Murphy's at Green.
Murph can't say this because he works for the team.
Because I'm because I'm a broadcast journalist. Okay, But the
reason that Phillies won't bring up young guys is because
if they bring them up, then they don't have they
don't they don't have their rights for as long and

(37:29):
they can go to free agency sooner.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
And that's the only reason they will not bring them up.
I could. I don't care what they tell you, because
there's no other.

Speaker 2 (37:34):
Reason not to bring up Prawford but the Phillies spend money.

Speaker 4 (37:36):
Yeah, no, you're wrong. Yeah I'm wrong, but I'm wrong,
But no, you are.

Speaker 6 (37:41):
I mean it's to make a blanket statement like that
is completely wrong.

Speaker 5 (37:45):
I mean you might say that in a certain situation
that that's a reason they kept a guy down there,
that's accurate. But to say it as a blanket statement
for the organization going back one hundred years, that that's incorrect.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
When's the last young guy they brought up, John Ross
any other questions?

Speaker 6 (38:00):
There you go.

Speaker 4 (38:00):
He's twenty two or something. One its twenty one. There
you go. What.

Speaker 5 (38:06):
I don't worry about their age. I worry about whether
they're ready to play in the big leagues. And that's
what the front office is doing as well. Andrew Payter
is an exceptional talent. But is he ready to go
coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Speaker 4 (38:17):
I don't think so.

Speaker 5 (38:18):
Look at his numbers and he's trying okay, So so
they're not keeping him down there to keep this contract
and to keep him under control for longer, to keeping
him down there because he's not ready yet. And why
why isn't Justin Justin Crawford's not up here yet? Because
when they bring him up. They've been consistent all year.
They've said, when we bring Justin Crawford up, he has
to play every day. Okay, he's not going to play every.

Speaker 2 (38:40):
Day on the in this particular now it doesn't Well,
now you can't really have him play ever day because
we're geting too to the playoffs and you don't want
to bring a young guy in.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
But it's also und of the year. It's a lot
jam though it's Marsh and Kepler has been playing fall if.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
Do you think marsh and Kepler are going to keep
this up on the playoffs? I got I got a
desert beach to sell youself, okay, And.

Speaker 5 (38:57):
I got Bryson Scott, who got called up after a
year and a half the minor leagues. And I've got
Scott Kingery who got a six year deal before he
ever played a single day in the big leagues or
eight year deal, sixty or so. This again, it's the
blanket statement that I'm arguing, Yeah, that's incorrect. Yeah, there
are times that that that has come into play for
every major league team across baseball. The problem probably is

(39:19):
more that the Phillies haven't had those young superstars coming
through the organization, and and I would say that over
the last couple of years they've done a much better
job at drafting. And now we're having these conversations because
these kids are getting close and they're still very young.
We didn't have those guys eight years ago, nine years ago,
and now those conversations are.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
I think what Rob's going through is guys our age,
you know, like the guys our age here. I know,
a little bit older than you know.

Speaker 8 (39:46):
But.

Speaker 6 (39:51):
We'veen together for five years now on the air.

Speaker 3 (39:54):
You know, it's probably definitely the meanest thing that's I mean,
we can't best looking guy in the Yeah, he is
going I'm the worst looking guys. But I think what
we go through is it's a little bit of PTSD
because they waited so long to give the full reigns
to an ut league.

Speaker 2 (40:12):
They waited so long to bring up Ryan Howard.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
And obviously logjam with Tony and then you know, Toby
went down and Howard came up, and then we traded
away Tony.

Speaker 2 (40:20):
But you know, even then though.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Hamils came up and what twenty two, I mean, Jay
Rowl was twenty one, twenty two when he came up.
I think Pat was with twenty two to twenty three
when he made his debut. I just think with some
of the players, we look back and we go, well,
this is what this is what we've what we've dealt with,
this is.

Speaker 2 (40:36):
What we've seen.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
It is frustrating because you want this guy who's batting
three point thirty down there in the minor leagues.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Now, obviously triple A is a lot different.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
Than batting in the major leagues. But a guy that
can run like that, a guy that can play, you know,
the outfield like that. But you're right, we have a
logjam right now in the outfield. And listen, say what
you want about Marsh. Marsh has played in the playoffs.
Marsh has been there in the playoffs, which is big.
Kepler has played in the playoffs with the twin and
you know, listen, I don't think he's going to play
a ton in the playoffs. I think once you get

(41:03):
down to it, the crux of it, when we get
into October, it's gonna be casti on as Baitor in March.
That's what it's gonna be. Kepler is going to be
that guy off the bench. Hopefully he comes up in
a big spot. He's had a couple of big moments
this year earlier in the year that you'll put the
Phillies in the lead. It's not like he's so Tagucci
who had one hit that made a difference.

Speaker 6 (41:21):
Man like that.

Speaker 2 (41:24):
I always said, like that guy, But like he had
a moment, he had a moment.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
He deserved that ring because of that moment that he
had in Chase Stadium in two thousand and eight against
the Mets.

Speaker 5 (41:32):
And let me say one more thing about Justin Carford,
because I do think he's an exceptional talent. I do
think he's going to be part of this organization for
a long time moving forward. But he's still learning center field.
He's not a he's not a natural center fielder. He
is learning the game at the Triple A level, learning
to play center field. And so a lot of folks
haven't projected as your your future center fielder, and that
may very well be true, but he's not there yet.

Speaker 7 (41:53):
Defensively, he's just not I'll just say this, Seysar Hernandez
was unbelievable in the minor leagues.

Speaker 4 (41:58):
Got an opportunity.

Speaker 7 (41:59):
I mean, he is okay, but you know, that was
one one of the players that I was you know,
fixated on haven't. Yeah, he was having success in in
the h at the Triple A level, and I was like,
you know what, if you're gonna move up lea, give
this kid a chance. It's okay to trust the front
office from time to time, like I realize, you know, people,
we want to argue with every decision that yeah, exactly,
we want to argue with every decision that may make.

Speaker 4 (42:21):
But you know what, they went out there, they brought keplerin.
I get it.

Speaker 7 (42:24):
He hasn't lived up to to what we the standards
that we thought he would be bringing this year, but
he's coming on a little bit here. I would say
that the other players that are into rotation in the
outfield position obviously, like you said, a logjam. I think
that's one hundred percent. And Murph to your point, he's
got to play. You're not gonna bring him up here
if he's not gonna play, You're right, you know. I
do want to say one positive thing.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
I'm gonna be positive positive.

Speaker 4 (42:46):
I love their farm system.

Speaker 8 (42:48):
Now.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
They overhauled a couple of years I think maybe four
years ago, five years ago, and I think they've done
a tremendousjoff because there's a lot of guys down there like, oh,
this guy could be a player.

Speaker 4 (42:57):
That guy could be a player. So I'm done.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
I'm very happy about that, which can be positive, which
was very warmful, which which allows them, which allows them
to shop in the higher tier at the trade deadline,
like you you're not getting a duran if if you
don't have Nick abel come back after down year last year,
I said it, all right, he's a good player.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, but and he was one of the guys I
didn't want them to trade. But you get a guy
like Doran, it's worth it. And then but Abel, I
said all along.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
When they brought him up for his major league debut.

Speaker 3 (43:26):
He was debuting against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Sunday afternoon,
the worst lineup probably in Major League Baseball.

Speaker 6 (43:30):
That was a showcase, can you do it?

Speaker 4 (43:32):
He did do it?

Speaker 3 (43:33):
Now he didn't when they brought him up, and he
was in the rotation a little bit longer. But what
he did was he established himself with value. He made
himself worth something on the market with a team like
the Twins wanted him along Tayee if he made his
debut yesterday for the Twins, didn't pitch so well, but
he will.

Speaker 6 (43:49):
Yeah, I hope.

Speaker 4 (43:52):
This from a YouTube question. Yeah, we're going to say
him again.

Speaker 6 (43:56):
I'm done.

Speaker 3 (43:59):
I got a kid, I got a couple quick hitters here,
all right, So let's do this because we got to
get into the bets.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
We gotta get can't you believe it?

Speaker 3 (44:05):
So each one of you guys, all right, biggest surprise
in Major League Baseball for you guys this season?

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Good or bad?

Speaker 6 (44:11):
What has stuck out to you guys?

Speaker 3 (44:13):
As like when you look at that team, you go, wow,
I wasn't expecting this, or wow, I wasn't expecting that.

Speaker 2 (44:19):
As far as when you look at the standings, who
stands out to you?

Speaker 4 (44:23):
Murph, what do you got?

Speaker 5 (44:24):
Well, I don't want to you and I think had
the same one. Yeah, because and I think a lot
of people probably feel the same way. I did not
have the Atlanta Braves being one of the worst teams
in the National League. And you know, I did not
have the Marlins finishing ahead of the Atlanta Braves in
the division.

Speaker 4 (44:41):
So they have been shockingly bad.

Speaker 5 (44:44):
I kept waiting in April and May for them to
turn it around and uh and figure things out.

Speaker 6 (44:49):
It just didn't have for it this year, and that's
pretty surprising to me.

Speaker 4 (44:52):
Absolutely, Rob. I gotta be honest with you, the Blue Jays.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
If you would have told me who's going to be
leading in the division this late, I would tell you
it's the Yankees or the outside shot of.

Speaker 4 (45:02):
The Boston Red Sox.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
But the Blue Jays are playing so well and I
keep checking them, like they're still leading their division and
they have, you know, seventy four to seventy five wins,
So that's kind of that's my surprise.

Speaker 4 (45:10):
Blue Jays.

Speaker 7 (45:11):
Yeah, I would blue Jays are my pick as well,
but I would also touss the Astros in there.

Speaker 6 (45:15):
You know, a little bit of getting rid of some
players this offseason.

Speaker 7 (45:19):
Of course, made some moves in the the deadline to
get some of those players back, which is funny. But
bottom line is I thought the Astros would be eventually
passed off in this division by the Mariners or the Rangers.

Speaker 6 (45:29):
Uh, they've had their flirts with it, but it's been
the Astros division.

Speaker 4 (45:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
Plus they've been ravaged by injuries.

Speaker 3 (45:36):
I mean they Jordan Alvarez has been correct their their
center fielder, Meyers, like these guys in the pitching staff,
like they've been, they've been downtrodden and they're still they're
still in that lead in that division.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Mine would be the Seattle Mariners. I mean, I know
the Mariners have had the pitching, but.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
The fact that they could go out and they could
get a Yennios Suarez and uh and you know, a
Josh Naylor at the trade deadline.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
Their offense did just enough.

Speaker 3 (46:00):
I mean cal Riley and he's like even Jay Rodd
like he's hot, he's having a good year. It's not
what they thought and they signed in that big extension
and everything, but adding those bats in the middle of
the lineup, I think now they're more set up to
have success in October once they get there. Sean, I'm
gonna start with you on this one here, Ye team
in the National League that worries you the most, as
far as if the Phillies were matched up against them,

(46:20):
who worries.

Speaker 7 (46:21):
You to this team that Look, we can look at
it two different ways. We know that you got to
be playing your best baseball when it comes to postseason time,
no doubt about it. But I think the Brewers and
on the American League side, I would say the Tigers
are in the same world because they're putting it together.

Speaker 6 (46:34):
They were ahead of schedule last year. They were a
dangerous team.

Speaker 7 (46:38):
If if Alonso doesn't hit that home run, they're going
to go up against the Phillies in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (46:41):
Who knows what happens last year. I look at the
Brewers in the National League.

Speaker 7 (46:44):
Of course, the record tells you exactly how dangerous they are,
but I think we're sleeping on them just a little bit. Again,
the lineup doesn't scare you, but they're a base hit
you know, the station, the station type of team. I
like the manager, they got a great closer and mcgeil.
That's dangerous team for my money into Brewers.

Speaker 4 (47:02):
Yeah, that's a good one.

Speaker 5 (47:03):
I mean, the Brewers are a complete team, and I
do think it would it's gonna be. It would be
a tough matchup if you're playing them for a chance.

Speaker 4 (47:10):
To get to the World Series.

Speaker 5 (47:11):
The Padres scare me a little bit too, And the
only it scares probably not the right word.

Speaker 4 (47:15):
But I think they are starting to figure it out.

Speaker 5 (47:17):
They've had the talent to go into the postseason and
and get into a World Series of the last couple
of years, they just haven't been able to figure it out,
whether it was a clubhouse issue or whatever.

Speaker 4 (47:28):
They seem to be figuring it out.

Speaker 5 (47:30):
They seem to all of a sudden be looking around
that room and saying, you know what, we can play
with these guys pointing to the Dodgers.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
We can win a division here.

Speaker 5 (47:36):
And if that is a team that starts to gain
some confidence through the month of September and go out
there and win a division, I think they're gonna be
a tough out the postseason.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
The Brewers I'm not sold on because they usually choking
the playoffs. So me, it's the two obvious one. It's
the Padres and the Dodgers. I mean, the Dodgers are
the defending World chances. The Padres are a really good team,
so if we have to play them, hopefully when we
play them, it'll be very tough series. But those are
the two teams in the nationally that I'm like, I
don't want to play those teams, but you're gonna have
to say. I mean before the season, I do it.

Speaker 3 (48:03):
I do a new podcast, uh with Adam Gilmore and
Luisa Minge is the heart of the order.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
You guys can check us out.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
We don't have like a set schedule. But when we
get together, because we got one in Miami, we got
one out in Ohio, and.

Speaker 3 (48:15):
Yeah, so I mean, like the three of us, we
do a show together and at the beginning of the season,
we're like, you know, so I said, I hate the Mets.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
I can't and the Mets and the Braves, I can't
pick them in the World Series.

Speaker 4 (48:23):
The Dodgers.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
I can't say the Dodgers because of defending.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
It's just too easy.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
So what I did was I said, the Padres and
the Red Sox were in the World Series, and the
Padres are gonna beat the Red Sox.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
And then Red Sox are hot. They've they've come on,
they've taken three. They can sweep the Yankees and Yankee
Stadium today at a four game.

Speaker 6 (48:39):
Set, and they embarrassed them yesterday.

Speaker 3 (48:41):
So the Padres are that team for me too, especially
that it makes the Miller into that as well.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
So now we're gonna go to Brace's best bet for
Sunday's m will be action.

Speaker 4 (48:49):
What do you got for me?

Speaker 6 (48:50):
Here's the deal. We got two plays. Take them to
the bank, lock them in.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
I'm gonna do it.

Speaker 7 (48:55):
As I'm walking in over to the can, I use
your money to do that. Yes, uh, first and foremost,
you look at the number on DraftKings right here. As
far as the home run prop for Kyle Schwarber, he
is going yard today. It is plus one twenty. I
don't remember ever seeing a number attached to his name
that low.

Speaker 4 (49:11):
That show. Hail Tani territory. With all love and respect
to Kyle Schwarber, of course, going neck to neck with
that home run race.

Speaker 7 (49:17):
But Cayl Roley plus one twenty five, judge right there,
plus one twenty five.

Speaker 4 (49:20):
Schwarber is going yard.

Speaker 7 (49:21):
And of course Greg Murphy had a little stat to
add onto that flavor as well.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
Fifteen straight series where he is homered.

Speaker 5 (49:27):
That's the second longest streak in Major League Baseball history
Todd with Sammy Sosa. Mark McGuire twenty one is the longest.
But he needs a hit one today, Boom. Keep that
streak going, Schwarber, Sunday's baby at the bank.

Speaker 6 (49:38):
Let's go last but not least.

Speaker 7 (49:39):
I feel like every time I turn on television, especially
Sunday night, it's the Red Sox Yankees, Yankees, Red Sox.
The Socks have owned the Yankees eight straight. Not tonight,
Carlos Rodin is on the mountain tonight. I like the
Yankees on the money line to get a victory. They
were embarrassed yesterday. Judge came out and said, he's the captain.
I think that the Rodnin's gonna pitch him. Well, he's
been pretty good last five starts, So give me rod

(50:01):
Don and the Yanks tonight against the Swaks.

Speaker 4 (50:03):
Chansen hit me with it. Can you believe it?

Speaker 5 (50:23):
Five thousand of what a text to five and tend
on the wild things RB I had?

Speaker 4 (50:30):
Can you believe it? Can you believe it?

Speaker 1 (50:34):
Man?

Speaker 6 (50:34):
I missed that sound there?

Speaker 8 (50:35):
So good?

Speaker 2 (50:36):
Nostalgic for sure.

Speaker 3 (50:37):
These are two things that we found interesting that has
happened in Major League Baseball over the course of the
last week. I mean, we could pull anything out over
the last year and a half since our last baseball
brunch that we did.

Speaker 2 (50:47):
MERV go ahead, leave me off with your first one.

Speaker 4 (50:49):
All right.

Speaker 5 (50:50):
We talked a little bit about Trey Turner and then
how hot he has been. He began, well, he will
begin today games today leading the National League tied for
the top batting average three at the start of play
on August, the first twenty three days ago. Twenty four
days ago, he was thirty six points behind the Dodgers.
Smil Smith, he's been on thirty six points behind. He's

(51:11):
made it up in three weeks. That is at this
time of the year. To be able to do that,
you've got to be doing.

Speaker 3 (51:17):
Something right between the two of them too. When Will
Smith's been terrible, so he's been on the downside, you
believe for me. The Phillies had twenty one hits on Monday.
This is per Jason Stark. They had twenty one hits
on Monday, and they had twenty hits on Wednesday afternoon.
In the modern era, the last time before this they
had two games in the same series with twenty plus
hits would be never now we go.

Speaker 4 (51:38):
That's a short lists.

Speaker 3 (51:39):
That's a great offensive approach rate there, Murph, What do
you got for your other bub?

Speaker 4 (51:42):
All right? How about this show?

Speaker 5 (51:43):
Trade currently leads the National League in hits and Kyle
leads in RBIs and home runs.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Okay, so that's where we are in the last fifty years.

Speaker 5 (51:52):
Here are the teams to lead National League in all
three categories with multiple players in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
Ronald the Couoney Junior and Matt Olsen did it in Atlanta.

Speaker 5 (52:00):
In nineteen eighty one, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt did
it together, and in nineteen seventy five it was Dave Cash,
Mike Schmidt, and Greg Lozinski who combined to lead those categories.
So it's happened three other times.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
If it ends this way, and this year three of
the four will be Philadelphia Phillies stage.

Speaker 4 (52:18):
How about that's really cool?

Speaker 3 (52:19):
This is the courtesy is Sarah Langs. So that the
Yankees the other day had nine home runs? Okay, So
second time this season that the Yankees hit nine home
runs in a single game. So most home runs in
a game in Major League Baseball history ten by the
Toronto Blue Jay September four and fourteenth of nineteen eighty seven.
Then the Yankees have done it twice March twenty ninth
this year and August nineteenth of this year. Nine home runs,

(52:43):
both times Aaron Boone the manager. Okay, the only other
time that a team has hit nine home runs in
a game was in Cincinnati with the Reds September fourth,
nineteen ninety nine. Aaron Boone hit the first Reds home
run of the game. So if you're going to talk
about the top four times that you know.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
Nine or ten.

Speaker 4 (53:01):
Aaron Boone has had a hand in.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
Three of those crazy awesome stats.

Speaker 6 (53:06):
So listen, let's wrap it up. Care you believe that
we just did an awesome hour baseball bunch.

Speaker 4 (53:11):
I'm talking.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
I appreciate everybody, Appreciate the fans for coming out here today,
Mike Powers and Tie for setting up everything.

Speaker 4 (53:18):
Great.

Speaker 7 (53:18):
Job's birthday, Happy birthdayday, Happy birthday to my sister.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
My sister turns forty three today for forty two, that's
just forty two.

Speaker 4 (53:25):
Sorry, she's old.

Speaker 6 (53:26):
Your birthday ages you just love everybody's age.

Speaker 2 (53:28):
Oh listen, I'm turning forty. She still looks better than me.

Speaker 6 (53:33):
Is what it is?

Speaker 3 (53:34):
At John Chance back End Studio for Sean Brace, Super
Sam Ross Brady.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
I believe that's make sure you turn into the Rob
v Show, the pre and post game show and host
of your Friday night roundtable.

Speaker 4 (53:47):
Get a shirt.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Where do you get the shirt? At Island Press dot com.

Speaker 6 (53:51):
Greg Murphy my.

Speaker 3 (53:52):
Favorite, my partner as always looking forward to doing this
again another time with you.

Speaker 6 (53:56):
And I'm Chris Sack And like the three to one.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Pitch to Ryan Howard, we are out of here everybody,
have a great rest of your Sunday.

Speaker 4 (54:03):
Go Phillies.

Speaker 6 (54:04):
We'll talk to you soon.