August 14, 2025 • 47 mins
On this edition of the Crawford Boxcast presented by Karbach Brewing, Chris Gordy and Ross Villarreal discuss the Astros' big series win over Boston, and also discuss how the bullpen and rotation could set up for the postseason. Who will be healthy in time? Who will be the odd man out?
Also, the guys are joined by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talking the latest on the Josh Hader injury and who can step up in the bullpen in his absence. Also, what's the latest on Yordan Alvarez and how close is he to a return?
Also, the guys are joined by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talking the latest on the Josh Hader injury and who can step up in the bullpen in his absence. Also, what's the latest on Yordan Alvarez and how close is he to a return?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans cheers, Wucky, Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Bucks casts, proudly for you by
Crawford Bach from Carmach Brewy, you're getting bear.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh my godness, the Crawford Bucks cast starts now here
we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Real.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I don't want to be too hyperbolic here, h Ross,
but can we say that was one of the most
important wins of the season for the Astros.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yes, just in terms of hyperbolic, just in.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Terms of feeling good about yourself after you're getting your
ass beat fourteen to one. The night before, Hotter Brown
on the mound, like, if you lose that game yesterday,
I mean, we're going into an off day feeling not doomsday,
but like, oh my god, this thing is on off
the rails. They've lost another they lost another series. Josh
Haterer's done all this kind of stuff. At least you
(01:06):
come out last night going okay on a night you
only had four hits to find a way to win
four to one.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Clease, He'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It was good and Hunter Brown I had tweeted after
the game that he in my postgame tenth inning show,
tweet that he.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Was dominant, and that's really not accurate. He he was good.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
He was giving up some hits, he walked three guys,
he had a back, but he got a couple of
double plays.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
He wasn't getting the swing and miss like he normally does.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Just four strikeouts, but overall, I mean, that's what a
good pitcher and an ace can do. Where you're having
trouble locating, you're walking guys and you're getting guys on base,
but would you find a way? And Hunter Brown was
able to find a way six and two thirds innings,
just one earned run, giving up and the new look
high leverage eighth and ninth for the Astros. Gord he
(01:57):
been at Sousa four outs, taking over in the seventh
and then taking care of the eighth, and then Obrian
abray you with his first save of the season taking
care of business in the ninth.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Well, back to Hunter Brown real quick. He got that
all elusive tenth win. Do you know that Hunter Brown
won his ninth game on July second, up in Colorado.
He has been chasing that tenth win ever since, and gosh,
he's had a couple where he was in line for
the win and then it gets take you know, pulling
the rug out from under him, but finally gets the
(02:30):
uh I mean, shoot the one up in Boston, remember
that that Friday night in Boston where it was he
goes seven innings and that stupid sack fly that ties
the game. I mean they were winning one. Nothing could
have gotten it there. But he gets his tenth win.
He's now ten and five, and good for him. His
last couple he had that stretch of three games where
was a little shaky, not dominant Hunter Brown. The last
(02:53):
couple of games have been looking more like regular Hunter Brown.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, he's looking like he's rounding a little bit better
and to form, and we'd like to see the same
thing from Farm Berveldas the next time he is out.
But the Astros get to win, thankfully, the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
They were up three to.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
One in the ninth I'm literally in the middle of
doing the tenth inning show, like breaking down the game
and then looking at the box score. I paused dead
silence when I saw that the game was tied up
by the Orioles in the ninth inning.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
You're not gonna believe this, Isla.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yes, three to one in the in the ninth.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
And they blow it, but luckily they get it done next.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Thank god, they came back, and you know it was
I think they walked it off in the bottom of
the night. Yeah, but then the next bottom of the
frame that was great. So Orioles do get to win
over the Mariners. So you are having your at one
game ahead of the Seattle Mariners right now. And this
is where I mean, it's it's one of those things
(03:54):
where if the Astros now, of course we can blame injuries,
and they continue to pile up, and I will say
that my belief in the Astros' ability to win the
American League. Pennant was certainly shaken with the Josh Hater
news that he's seeking a second opinion and talking about
giving him space and all this other stuff like that
it's gonna be more than a couple of weeks for
Joe Spotted to mention that to me means it's gonna
(04:17):
be maybe even a couple of months. But that's just
speculation on my part anyways, not barring further injury, if
the Astros don't get this done, it is on them.
They have seven games left with the Orioles seven games
left with the Angels three apiece with the Rockies in
the A's. They have to get this done. They have
(04:39):
the twenty seventh most difficult schedule remaining in baseball with
a four to eighty opponent win percentage. Seattle's at four
to ninety three, that is twenty first, so they have
a one game lead. They they have the softer schedule.
You have three games head to head at the end
of September with the Seattle Mariners. If you're gonna get
this done, you're gonna have to take care of it yourself. Yeah,
(05:00):
I mean, I mean, it's all in front of you,
is what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Sure, Sure, I mean.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
But that's the thing is like, you know, how many
times this season have we seen it's like the Astros
play a good team and it's like they get up
for him and then you know, the crappier team sometimes
it feels like they don't play with as much urgency.
And to your point, the Josh Hater news, how does
this change the trajectory down the stretch? I will say,
though Russin's the Josh Hater injury happened. Look at Bennett
(05:28):
SUSA the last two times out.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
It's like he upped his game. It's like he was.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
He is throwing this frisbee sliders.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Dude, He's like, this.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Is my time to shine. Brian bray You slides into
the closer role. I'll step up right. So I'm feeling
okay about Brian A. Bray You being the closer.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
The loss of Josh Hater isn't necessarily about the closer's role.
It's about the actual depth that you lose because your
two most reliable guys all season long have been Brian
obray You and Josh Hater. You lose one of those.
Bennett Sue's the next man up for sure. But then
I mean, Caleb Word has been good. We had him
on yesterday on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross and
(06:03):
he I think last seven times out has been scoreless,
so that's good. But you don't have people with the
extended major.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
League track records that Brian obray You and Josh hand had.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
And look at I mean you almost wish the Hater
thing would have happened about three weeks ago prior.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
To the trade.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, ho about not at all.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
But look at Mason Miller goes to the pods for peanuts.
I mean there were all these closers kind of available.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Right, there would have been more urgency.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
But yeah, Mason Miller went for like a hole though,
but the Astros wouldn't have got in that. But I
understand what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Brown even mentioned it prior to the trade deadline when
we were talking about what do you want to add?
Speaker 5 (06:38):
And he goes, you know, we wouldn't mind add another.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Right handed relief, right handed reliever, and well they weren't
able to do that. Well, there's a right handed reliever
on the market that a lot of people keep talking about.
We'll talk about him. How are you feeling about the Astros?
Good news they get to win. Bad news sounds like
Josh Hater is gonna miss extend time. So this song
(07:02):
is the origin.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Of the dirty water.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I don't know what would you call it? Catch phrase?
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Now?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Do they play this during the games or only at
the victory?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
They play after wins? And because I wasn't familiar being
a Fenway, he's not going.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
San Neils from nineteen sixty six.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
I've heard the song, yeah, but I I did not
know the history. It was the mid nineties. The Bruins
started playing it when the Boston Bruins win the game.
They would play this after a Bruins win, and I
think around ninety six ninety seven the Red Sox started
doing the same thing. So then when the Red Sox
started going on the runs of you know, playing for
(07:44):
a World Series and stuff, this was like, fully, oh, Tommy,
you're not gonna believed the Socks won and they played
dirty Water.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Okay, I think they even said this fine, I guess
they said.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Liverpool Left C started playing it as well in twenty nineteen. Oh,
because the club is owned by Fenway Sports Group. Ah,
Boston people.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Taking their stuff over to the UK.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Figure a Beatles song would make more sense. Weren't they
all Bigliever Liverpool fans? Were they Everton fans? I don't
even know what's that line they say of Boston you
were my home. That's that's why.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
They play oh in this song? Yeah, okay, I miss.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
And it's leterally about the dirty water in the river
right there.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, we got a dirty ass we have in Boston. Yeah,
great song, guys, it's tough, it's fine, it's catchy enough,
I guess, but there you go a little dirty water.
As the Astros flush the dirty water, the Boston Red
Sox especially. That's the beauty of baseball. There's no scoring
on aggregate. It doesn't matter. One day you can lose
(08:50):
by thirteen and the next day you lose by you
win by three. They all count the same in the standings.
Astros get the victory. They have one three o their
last four. If you have not heard, sounds like it's
going to be bad news on Josh Hater. They're awaiting
a second opinion. Usually mean the first opinions.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
I think this is what you do as an ASTO,
saying now you expect the worst, hope for the best.
So if we go in with the mentality Josh Hater's done, yes,
maybe we're surprised by you know what, there's the chances
back to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I mean, you know, I hope so.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
I mean that was my reason for optimism yesterday, because
there's two months left and unless it's something season ending,
two months from now would be October fourteenth, and hopefully
they would still be in the playoffs and then we
would go from there.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
But can I give you a feeling great a hypothetical?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Oh boy, here we go, what what do you want?
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I started seeing this in my mind we got Lois
Garcia coming back, got JP Francis pitching. Well, hm, if
I'm Dana Brown, I go over to Triple A, I go, hey, Lance,
let's chat Lance. But Colors, Uh huh, Lance, I'd like
to put you in the mindset of an eighth ninth
inning guy where you're just gonna come out and throw flames.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Do what you do?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Uh huh.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Now, the Colors, we could slide to the back end
of the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So you want a guy who throws ninety one miles
an hour and walks everybody when he goes out there,
it flakes. Okay, Well, he's not just the curve ball
focused on. He can up the velocity. And this is
the thing. Now, the Lance, Mcolor's junior. You're not the
first person to float this up. And I've been disagreeing
with Matt for years about this for two reasons. Number One,
he makes eighteen million dollars a year, so long term,
(10:30):
if it's short term, that makes sense. So long term
this season, put your long term in the bullpen doesn't
make sense for a guy making eighteen million dollars, just fiscally,
not that did they always make decisions based on that,
but they often do Josea Bray who says hello but anyways, uh.
But also just as a practical matter, like he works himself.
(10:51):
And if you got two guys on base and you
get Lance mcolors junior coming in, how are you feeling.
I feel like he's about that he needs to like
walk the first two guys to settle into an inny
so that it just it doesn't fit that way for me.
But also it's like you got to figure something out
for him if he's going to continue to be on
this roster.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I'm just thinking, like you're starting to get a lot
of your starting arms back. I mean, keeping mind Brandon
Walter was pitching really well. If he comes back, that's
another arm you have. And I'm just like, I start
to look at mccolors and go, Bro, there's not a
lot of spots here left, but we're one hand short
on the back end.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
What if you.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Just just for the rest of the season, Lance, put
yourself into one inning mentality and we want you to
go out and dominate that one inning.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, I just think I think he's gonna get every opportunity.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
He's gonna go to hell. You'd go to JP first
Louis Garcia and ask them.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That, Yeah, Louis Garci has come out of the bullpen
and been good. Yeah, So, I mean he is kind
of used to that role and I don't know if
they're thinking of using him in that way.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Again last night, but Dana two weeks in a row
with Sean Salisbury says, yeah, we we just want to
see more velocity from Like they're basically saying they don't
think he's throwing big league velocity. Huh, but he's getting out,
he's pitching innings, he's he's been so effective at triple
A level. I just like, all right, I mean it
is you can't come up and do that for an
hitting and sometimes yeah, we'll see. I wonder where he's
(12:13):
gonna fit in, uh with the puzzle pieces.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Same thing for JP Frantz. I've been saying he looks
long for a to be a space cowboy. Have we
gotten any update on Brendan Walter, who I feel like
is kind of a wild card in all this as well?
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Well, that's what I said. Walter was pitching well okay before.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And uh, I just mean now with the elbow elbow
inflammation he's out with we got we got like a
round of updates on Monday.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I'll go and look those up. But let's get to
a couple of phone calls.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
We got appreciate you guys getting in seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Is the phone number
seven one three two one two five seven ninety on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross with Matt Thomas out
until Monday, John, your next stup? What's up?
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Hey, guys? Good morning?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
How ya doing great? What's up? Well?
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I got an idea. Man, desperate times call for desperate measures,
and sometimes you got to think outside of the box
a little bit. And uh, because we've never seen anything
like this before with with the rash of injury injuries
that we've had, So I absolutely and you kind of
stole my thunder just a little bit with the last
(13:17):
comment that you were made about talking about making some
of these starters into back into the bullpen. Guys. But
the guy that I saw come in the other day
and really looked sharp and was throwing flames out the
bullpen was blue ball. How about him in the back
end in a leverage spot. We got forty one games
(13:39):
or so, left it to kind of audition for that
and I'm not saying necessarily he needs to be the closer,
but man, how about a setup man? How about a
seventh inning guy. I mean, he looked fantastic. And I'll
hang up and listen to your comments, but what do
you think?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
All right? John, thank you. I thought you were gonna
say so. You didn't say something as crazy as Steve
did yesterday, who was advocating for Billy Wagner to come
out of retirement and pitch for the Astros. I will
say it's not crazy. I will say generally they and
while he has come out of the bullpen for the
(14:16):
Astros kind of in a I'm gonna keep I'm gonna
keep pumping the headliner thing. I'm going I'm going down
with the ship. They have an opener and then headliner.
I'm going with the headliner role for aj blue Ball
and he has come out of the bullpen. Some excuse
me and Triple A. I just don't know what if
they're gonna feel like they want to go to that well,
(14:38):
but anything's on the table, especially in playoffs. So depending
on what they look at and what they like, I'm
gonna guess they're not gonna want an unproven rookie who
has been rounding in a form. I think he was
pictuer of the week for either PCL for this or
for the Space Cowboys. I'm not sure recently after being
Pitcher of the Month in July, so he has been
(14:59):
rounding in to form. I'm gonna say that's not crazy,
but I'm gonna say it's probably unlikely.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
The uh.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
By the way, the Brandon Walter update from what was
this eight eleven, so this was a couple of days ago,
he uh still coming back from that elbow inflammation through
a twenty pitch side over the weekend at the Complex
in Florida.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Twenty pitch side is good. Yeah, that means yeah, I
thought that. Look, you hear elbow information, you think the
dude's about headed for Tommy John So.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I would think he's nearing a rehab start.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
That sounds like it.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
And then look, and if you end up with too
many starters, then you do have you do end up
with bullpen options.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Well, this is the decision. Playoffs is and again like
or I'm not even sneaking playoffs. I'm just thinking, like,
down the stretch of this season, if if I start
to get these guys back healthy, if Luis Garcia gets back,
or JP Frantz gets back, Hey Brandon Walter gets back,
we're now this logjam of too many and mccolors, you
have a logjam of too many starters, and I just
Dana Brown, I think it's worth sitting down and having
(15:58):
a conversation going aj blue Ball, would you like to
contribute to our big league club in some way? I
have a perfect opportunity. No it's not as a starter,
but as a bullpen.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Guy I have. I have a wild not would necessarily
a wild card point, but a point, and we'll get
to it after the break. A point to to give
you to why I think lance Pecullor's junior will definitely
stay in the rotation.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I was talking about.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My point of why I think lance Pecullor's junior will
stay in the rotation for as long as possible. A
couple of reasons. As I mentioned, he's making a lot
of money, he has a lot of history with this team,
and I understand we could say that doesn't matter, and
maybe it doesn't matter to you or me if we
want him on this team. However, do you believe the
(16:52):
reports that Hector Norris was kept on this team?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So he could get ten years of service time.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I mean it looks that way. But here's my question.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
If he goes out the other night and pitches well,
does he you know, does he immediately get defaid?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
What does jo Aspota always do with his players? He
is a player's manager. He goes down with the players,
whether it be jose A Brew or whoever, when they're
backs against the wall, they aren't pitching well, they aren't
playing well. He shows confidence and a lot of times
the confidence is rewarded.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Sometimes it is not.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
But I think I'm not gonna say there would be
a full on uproar or mutiny if all of a sudden,
Lance mccullors Junior was squeezed out of the rotation for
like Jason Alexander or Brandon Walter. But I think the
way that things operate, and with Joaspota being such a
player's manager, that mccullor's is going to have to go
out there and like continue to get shelled. It's gonna
(17:51):
take something desperate for him to not get the shot
when he come if and when he comes back.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
For mccullors, you mean, yes, I just I look, if
he comes back and he like can only go like
he gets pulled again in the second inning or third inning.
I just I gotta look at a lance. Let's let's
hit the reset button this offseason.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Mm hm, but we can get another blister.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Now, Let's have you throw just an inning at a time.
Let's have you be the bullpen guy. I know you
don't want to do it. I give you a guarantee.
We will go into spring training, you will be part
of this roptation and all that. You'll be a starter again.
But for this season where we are mid September, I
think it's foolish to think you're gonna work your way
back into a five, six inning starter going into the postseason.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It's been a very very weird season for him, getting
hurt coming back, and then that horrible start against the Reds.
Then he had a couple of quality starts in a row,
then the.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Weird incredible outing against the Dodger, very good against it.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Yeah, lights mc colors, Yes, like we've seen those flashes.
They're in there somewhere. But then too often he's walking
guys and he getting tattooed, and so it is interesting
to me there's a range of outcomes of one outcome
as he comes back and he's great. I don't know
how likely that is, but there's also an outcome where
(19:13):
he comes back and he's terrible, and I don't know,
does that mean they completely let him go.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I don't think that would happen. I think he would
just go back to the IL.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think this blister is a good thing to where
you can continue to say that's recurring, because we've seen
blisters from guys and I'm not saying it's not legitimate
with Lance Periculos Junior. But you can go back. You
can kind of lean back on that. If he comes
out here and he throws two and a third and
gives up seven runs, and he can just go back
on with another blister issue and then that'll be that.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So I don't know, it'll be.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
One of the things is I love about sports is
is we can try to sit in front of these
microphones and predict how things are gonna go go, but
we don't know, So we'll see what happens with that.
I just I don't feel like it's gonna be a
bull thing for him. It just for a number of
reason doesn't make sense. But if it did happen, I
would welcome it, but do whatever you can, but.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Talk about this realistically, like we got too many cooks
in the kitchen. Yeah, if everybody keeps coming back and
getting healthy here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, Jason Alexander would be a kind even though he's
been good the last couple of times out and that'd
be difficult. The reality is that he is a journeyman
and you literally picked him up awful waivers from the
A's earlier this year.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Ask him to be a one inning guy.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I don't think so. It would be to me candidates
for the bullpen. I would start the list with Louis Garcia. Yeah,
if you have that many good starters. Even though I
like Louis Garcia as a starter, I think long term
i'd feel more confident about him than say, Jason Alexander.
But he's been good the last couple of times. Everything
is so touch and go. And this is the beauty
(20:47):
in the Curse of baseball, is it sample sizes can
be so small. The worst pitcher in the world, and
while we've seen it happen against the Astros, can can
go out there and deal six innings of one run ball.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Well, and you think about it. The postseason roster so limited.
I mean thenate Verlinder didn't make the postseason, Russ.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
He didn't deserve to. But uh, I don't know. It'll
be man, there's a lot of moving parts, right.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
But you're right, Luis Garcia, let me just update you.
Four and two third innings last night. Six hits, one run,
one walk, six strikeouts.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
How many pitches does it? Say?
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, I gotta look for it. But okay, I mean
that's that is effective. I mean that is.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Seventy seven pitches, fifty two of them for strikes. I
mean he's doing his thing. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
But data keeps going. We gotta see more velocity. I'm like,
he's getting out well you want I don't know, man,
They like you're gonna go for him throwing four two,
like get into fifth inning in these Triple A games
to come up and go art one inning at a time.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I'm gonna tell you what we're discussing right now has
been discussed over and over and over again with all
the coaches and management to figure out how to where
everybody's gonna go. So I'm sure they have a clearer
picture of it than we do. You have bag all
those meetings, Uh, no, he's on the broadcast helping Matthew
like his inside. Yeah see you guys, good insight. I
will agree with that. Matthew.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
You're next up on the Mad Toma Show with Ross.
Speaker 7 (22:10):
What's going on, guys. I just want to make a
couple of points and just kind of remind everyone. You know,
obviously the Josh Hader news is you know, is not
good news. But you know, the twenty seventeen Astros with
you know, Ken Jiles struggled as our closer in the
twenty seventeen year old series and we had to have
starters going the bullpen and get out. You know, Colin
(22:31):
mceue got some important outs, obviously, Charlie freaking Morton got
some really important outs. And the twenty twenty three Rangers
with I think it was Jordan Montgomery, they like a
starter in the bullpen that he got some important outs.
And those are two teams that won World Series without
a bona fide closer. And so with all of these
abundance of starters that we have, like you know, Brandon Walter,
(22:55):
Lewis Garcia, you know, those could be two guys that
could go throw two innings. That kind of negates the
need for you know, it's like six or seventh, eight
to eighth any guy, and to hand the ball to
a braid you who upbraid you kind of reminds me
of like prime Lance mccolers, where it's like that first
guy kind of needs to get on base for him
(23:16):
to hit that second gear and be like okay, I
need this, you know, and just to really start getting
out and throwing one hundred miles an hour. But I
just wanted to make those couple of points because you know,
Brandon Walter, Luis Garcia JP France. But I mean, you
got to talk about LANCEA mccollers the way I was
going right now. I don't know if he makes the
postseason roster, but you know, you never know. And of
(23:39):
course Alexander, but yeah, I mean I think a braid
you is also a pretty good closer, Like he could
be a great closer. It's just the matter of getting
to him. And I'm just my whole point is is
we have the arms to be able to hand the
ball to him. Kind of what a Spottle was saying
about whenever he was talking to his bullpen of like, hey,
it's up to you guys. It was up to you
(24:00):
guys to hand the ball to hater. It's gonna be
up to you guys again, and I just think we
have the arms to do it that are coming back.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I think they think so highly of Bennett's Sussa. I
think they're, oh yeah, they almost think they're interchangeable. Like
there may be because think of this ross playoff game.
You're the top of the order is coming up in
the eighth. I'm going to Brian, Brian to pray you
in the eighth, and I'm going Bennett sus in the
ninth because don't you want you want your more effective
(24:28):
guy facing the better hitters.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Yeah, so either way, I agree with you, they're interchangeable,
and I'm I'm not necessarily if the playoffs. If we
waved the Magic Wand and the Astros are in the
playoffs today, I would feel way more confident.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
It's about getting to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
It's about five because you you have to kind of
trial these guys, right, Lance McCullers Junior, he could come
back and pitch lights out.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
He could, but I don't know that he's.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Going to same thing with you know, you mentioned JP
Franz and Luis Garcia and Brandon Walter, who doesn't you know, guys,
Brandon Walter doesn't have like a major uh major league
track record, So you got to kind of throw these
guys out there. And they're working through kind of rehabbing
at the major league level, which they've talked about as well.
So it's it's touch and go for me more than
(25:13):
more in the regular season of trying to figure all
this out and how the pieces fit together than if
we could just magically teleport to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I would feel a lot more at ease.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
So it's kind of figuring out how all the pieces
fit together before getting to that and getting into the
playoffs first, which of course the Astros haven't done.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
When when we.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Come back, I'm we're gonna run through a quick hypothetical.
All things being cool, everybody's healthy and back, well, we'll
set it. Let's just say the Astros are in the
Waldcart series. We're gonna set the Astros pitching staff.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Jordan's back right, Well, we're just doing okay, okay, I
got him as a lefty reliever. You gotta get creative.
Probably not, Hey man, he's throwing balls like ninety five
miles an hour from left field.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
Before.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, we'll put Chazz on that offer. Yes, well, all right,
we'll trial Chas out there. All right? What three five,
seven ninety is the phone number if you want to
get in seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
You can send tweets at sports RV and at Chris Cordy.
And also I would appreciate a follow on my Instagram
at sports RV. I'm trying to build that up. I'm
(26:14):
eleven away from eleven hundred. All right, we're gonna take
a quick break. We got Brian Taggert coming up at
eleven o'clock. We'll talk about a lot of that with
a lot of this with him then, and we also
have somebody on the fold.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
We'll get to on the hold.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
We'll get to next to your on Sports Talk seven
nighty the Bat Tobby Show with Ross. The Astros beat
the Boston Red Sox yesterday and stay one game ahead
or not stay. They gain a game on the Mariners
because they lost to the Baltimore Orioles, and they will
play the Orioles again today. Is that an afternoon getaway game?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It is.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Ooh, that's it noon.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Let's go on MLB Network, all right, live updates as
we go along here on the Matt tom Show with Ross.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
You ready for my exercise? Yes, here we go. Ross,
we were surcing about it, but I'm ready. We are
setting the table. We need to like some uh who
wants to be a Millionaire? Somehow music? Well, no, it's
the Matt Thomas Show.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
We got to play something from nineteen seventy six, so
the match game or something.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
The astro is set there. Wild Card Series roster last year.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Okay, get us the who wants to be a Millionaire?
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Music?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
If you could, Jonathan see you in there?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I don't know, a.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Camera's are not working, can't see if he's there ahead.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
So you don't have to follow this model. But okay,
this was the model of the astros set for the
Wildcard Series last year. It was five starters, six bullpen guys.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
Okay, as we know that's.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Interchangeable one of your starters because it's such a short series.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Guy, this is actually turning up the intensity.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
One of your starters could could theoretically be a bullpen
guy in a Wildcard Series. But we're just setting the
table here. So here's who we need. Ross, we got
eleven arms. Okay, I need five starters and six bullpen
arms for a hypothetical wild card slash Alds series.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay, we'll begin with the starters. Okay, I think the
front end.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
We're just talking this out, Okay, okay, so give me
your first starter, first starter, Hunter Brown.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
Okay, so pencilin Hunter Brown.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Give me your second star from Vales to the lefty.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
So those are basically your your one thousand and two
thousand dollars questions, like you got the easy party.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
You're right right, I see you working.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
Okay, we go to our ten thousand dollars question.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Huh, who's your third star? SPA know what right now?
It's Christian Xavier.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Christian Javier Javier, you know, the guy with the world
series no hitter guy, one of your most expensive pictures
on the roster right now. Yeah, getting paid very well. Okay,
so Christian Xavier at number three, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I need two more starters.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Spencerraghedtty easy pas.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
We'll go Spencer arraghedtty four.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Now you don't normally you don't use five starters in
the playoffs, so this guy can also be a bullpen guy.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Okay, Luis Garcia, So we're going Luis Garcia.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Swing starter slash long relief.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (29:14):
So now I need six bullpen arms. Okay, I Bray
you Susa, Brian A bre You and Bennett Sussa are two.
I need uh Steven Oker. We will go Steven Oker.
That's three. I need three more. McNee states own Brian King.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
Do we trust? He was on the wild card roster
last year?
Speaker 2 (29:37):
So I've already got two lefty sure, yeah, I We'll
put Brian King in there.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Brian King takes a spot. We only have spots for
two more pitchers. Now, let me remind you, Ross, huh.
We have Jason Alexander. Yes, he's been a nice starter
for you. We have Brandon Walter. He's been a nice
starter for you.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay, let me put Caleb Ord in there because he's
been pitching well and he's a righty.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Go Caleb Ort. So you only have one more spot again, let.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Me let me set the table.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
We have Jason Alexander, Yes, we have Brandon Walter. We
have Colton Gordon and Sean Duban. I'm just including them
in the mix because they're on the active Ross.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Sean dubin kind of a rocked.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
And then we have Lance McCullers junior as well.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
All right, I got a name for you, Josh Hater.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Okay, I'm in this situation, Josh kidding.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
I will take.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
You can phone Jonathan if you'd like to ask him.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
No, I'm certainly not phoning Johnny.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
You can't ask the audience.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Uh, Nick Hernandez, No, I'm just kidding. I'm gonna go with.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Brandon Walter if he's he's Brandon Walter available.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
In the scenarios, Brandon Walter rounds out your pitching staff
so that I can.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Go Brandon Walter, I could go Sean Dubin.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Oh, and then this realm JP Fritz would also be available.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, I just don't know what he is yet. Right,
I'm gonna go with with Uh what did I say first?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
You said Walter? I'm gonna go with Brandon Walter.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
So poor Jason Alexander, who just went back to back
six innings of one run ball for you.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Well, we'll bring you back for Seinfeld Night next year.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Appreciate it? All right?
Speaker 5 (31:18):
That's it?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Kill the music, Jonvin, Wow, how stressful.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Honestly that sounds good.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Lance mccullor's junior, not on your postseason.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Uh no, he could pitch his way onto it where
we would put him, pencil him in as a Right now,
I mean, we'll see what Araghetty does.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I have confidence in Ragetty.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
And maybe it's just because he's such a great interview
and I like him, and I'm just being personally biased,
but I think he turned around.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
He's very smart.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yeah, good, good from that standpoint, but five walks is unacceptable.
But he knows that, so he'll get better and then
we'll go from there. So, I mean, you lay all
that out. The good news is you have as good
as a one to two punch as anyone in baseball.
So maybe the one to compete with you is is
probably not even gonna make the playoffs, that being the
Texas Rangers with EVOLDI into Grom. So you're gonna have
(32:07):
as good as a one to two punch as anybody
in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Right, But you also had that last year.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And lost and you were out in two games. I
get it too, So yeah, anything that's hey, play with baseball, baby,
anything can happen. You can lose it.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
You can get swept four games by the A's who suck.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
That's why these next few weeks are so big for
Hobby and Arraghetty.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
You just want to see them round into form and
see that's the thing. It's it's one of those things like, hey,
we don't have time for people to round in the form.
You're one game up in the West, so you got
to get into form quickly. So it's gonna be very interesting.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Cats twenty two is like you can't not have them,
not of course, like you got to throw them out
there and if they're bad, you kind of have to
just deal with it because they have to get their
innings under them.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
It's almost like they're coming out of spring training and
just getting their legs under them. So so yeah, have it. Yeah,
that's uh, that's some tough. So you're telling me that's
an Astros postseason roster with no Sean Dubin.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
Colton Gordon.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Doesn't that sound good to you?
Speaker 4 (33:01):
France, Lance McCullers junior or Jason Alexander. If Jason Alexander
Kee's pitching this way, he's gonna earn a spot.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
I mean, we'll see literally, look, I like Jason Alexander,
but we have to be realistic. He was he was
off the scrap heat from the a's But also, I mean, look,
a lot of those guys that I named in the
bullpen were kind of off scrap heat. The Astros certainly
work wonders with pitching, We've seen that before, but you
start with the established guys Valdez and Brown. I think
Javier Raghetti is gonna be a good three to four
(33:32):
how whatever order you want to put him in, depending
on how they're looking in the next couple of months.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
And also, I have some bad news for you. Guys
can still get hurt.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
We got two months left. Guys can still get hurt,
so we'll see we can't assume full health. And then
that that could honestly not in a not that it's
a good thing, but a silver lining would be it
makes the picture a little bit clearer for the Astros
than what to do going forward. All Right, we're gonna
take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross Without Matt Thomas, that is, Chris Gordy, I
(34:03):
am Ross. Vireal Brian McTaggart is joining us next. You
can get in as well on the phones if you'd like,
at some point at seven one three, two, one two
five seven ninety But we'll pose some of these questions
and more more Astros talk coming up with Brian McTaggart
of astros dot com, Chris Gordy along with me Ross
Vireal with you as well, and right now, after a
(34:23):
heavy first hour of astro's discussion, please to be joined
by someone who actually knows what you're talking about with
the Astros, Brian McTaggart astros dot com, MLB dot com
as well. Uh, Brian, A nice win by the astros yesterday,
but let's get down to what is the biggest topic
going on with the astros. Josh Hater. We got the
news yesterday that he's seeking a second opinion. We generally
(34:47):
understand that that means the first opinion probably wasn't good.
We got a preview of Brian A. Bray, you and
Bennett SUSA taking over the leverage spots last night. Just
in your my eyes, how big of a blow is
this for the astros and the the body language or
just what you can kind of read about how severe
(35:08):
it could be for Josh Hater.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Yeah, well, the fact that you know, a couple of
days ago, Joe spot A call it a punch in
the gut and then yesterday. You know, obviously they're waiting
on the second opinion, and you know he says he
wants to give Josh space to see the doctors.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
So yeah, you're right.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I mean, second opinion is never good. Rarely does it
seem like do they come back and say, hey, second opinion.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
He'll be good to go here, you know, in the
fifteen days are up.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Joe even said it's going to be longer than the
fifteen days, which will take him, you know, probably into September,
because you know, you're gonna have to start building up
a little bit, you know, with a you know, throw
a couple of bullpens and whatnot. So it doesn't sound
very good. I mean, we'll wait for the prognosis tomorrow.
But I felt that they were probably already reliever short,
you know, after the trade deadline. I know they they
looked at trying to get a reliever. It just felt
(35:54):
they could have used one more. And now losing hater.
Uh yeah, I mean, I bray, you can close, SUSA
can close, but you know, now you're a little bit
more limited in how you get the ball to the
ninth inning.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
The perfect formula would be what happened last night your
started go six to two, third, seven, seven, and then
you only have six seven outs to cover. But we
all know that's not gonna happen every night. So they're
in a tough spot. And you know, we'll see what
the news is. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow about hater.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Where where do you think they go to kind of
shore this up? You do have a lot of arms
coming back. Do you think guys like Luis Garcia, who's
been in the bullpen before, would be an option? Do
you think they would try to pick somebody off the
scrap heap? We keep getting inundated with Ryan Press the
questions here.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Yeah, I've bassed around about Presley, and I get the
idea that they're not completely interested in that. I mean,
I think it would have happened already, you know, if
if they if it was going to work out. You know,
he and Dana Brown didn't exactly leave on the best
of terms, So I don't know if that, you know,
if that, uh, you know, hangs over their head as well.
But I think if if probably was going to be
an option, he'd be here already. But uh, you know,
they did get Dela Santo's sort of you know, off
(36:59):
the scrap heap, like you said, and you know his
first adding was okay. So I don't know, they're just
gonna have to piece this together the best you can. Yeah,
they get some starters back, they can move some guys
to the bullpen. I think Walter stuff would play well
in the bullpen out of the left side, you know,
deceptive three quarter.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Arm slot left side.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
They you know, Joe spot It pretty much admitted that
when aj blueball went back down that that he could
be an option for a you know, a bullpen starter role,
sort of a hybrid to come back up. So I
think we'll see two or three guys who can start,
who can relieve, and they're just gonna have to try
to patch it together the best they can. That they're just,
you know, Brian King, you know, struggle a little bit
(37:36):
giving up the long ball. So if they can get
him back back and forth like he pitched the first
you know, half of the season, that that would help
as well. But it's just every day it's just gonna
be a chess match for Joe spot of playing the
matchups and and maybe throwing a guy two innings and
uh and then try to get that ball to the
eighth and ninth.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
And it is interesting, Brian, as the team starts to
get healthy, they bring you know, Christian Hovey and sp
Spencer Arragatti back on this team and they're trying to
work into establishing themselves back into the rotation. And both
last outing for both were better. And then you've got
Jason Alexander who's had a couple of good starts again
for this team. Brandon Walter working his way back. We'll
(38:16):
see if he gets closer to a rehab start. We
know Luis Garcia had another good outing last night for
Triple A as he rehabs, and we know mccullors is
getting closer. I bring all this up to say, if
the math maths here, Brian and these guys all start
to get healthy and they truly are with the void
of Josh Hater, does Dana Brown have a conversation with
somebody to say, hey, I need one. There's not enough
(38:39):
rotation spots here. Do one of you guys take on
a bullpen mentality here? Is that maybe some of those
conversations going on behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Oh yeah, I mean I think they'll have to.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
I mean, if they and that's a great problem for
them to have if they can get all those guys back,
if they get Garcia back in mccolors in France and Walter,
and you know you have seven eight starters. Now, yeah,
they're gonna have to put a couple of those guys
in the pen. I think they would all be willing
to do it pretty much. Like I said, They've already
sort of had that discussion with blue Ball, and they
might have had it with a couple others so far.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
And you know, we've seen this team in the past.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Put starters in the penn late in the season and playoffs,
and you know a lot of teams have done that
as well. When you get to the playoffs, you're gonna
use pretty much three starters, four at the most, so
you're gonna have some extra arms in the bullpen. So man,
they just got to do what they can to try
to get to the playoffs, and I think they'll be
in a lot better shape when they get there. But
(39:32):
certainly I think they have to win the games at
Hunter Brown or fromber Start. They just feels like they
need to win every one of those games and then
hope that Javier and Ragetty continue to get better. I mean,
Javier was better than I thought he was gonna be
as Veilo was there, and I think he'll be fine.
Arrag Getty's last start was better than his first. So
those are all positive things if you're the Astros.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven ninety
and name. We haven't mentioned much Colors Junior. I just
feel like we talk about him, and I feel like
I can see it playing out in so many different
ways with him. What what is your kind of gut
feeling on him coming back and.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
How he fits into the puzzle? Boy, that is a
really good question.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Ross. I I don't know.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I mean, I uh, it's uh, this whole thing is
really weird being out a couple of weeks with a
blister now and you know, back on the mound Friday
night Sugarland making a rehab start.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Yeah, I mean, if he goes out there, he can
get people out. You give him another shot in rotation.
Have they had that discussion with Lance of you know,
maybe putting him in the bullpen and that being said,
I mean, he's you know, he's he's you know, maxing
out at ninety two ninety two point five miles an
hour at this point, so they're gonna have to, you know,
make a tough decision. I'm not sure where he fits
right now. I know he he wants the ball and
(40:50):
he wants to compete, but especially to get some of
these other guys back.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
And you know, but you know, he's got a shot
if he if he goes.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Out there and pitches well and stays healthy, I think
we'll get another shot in the big leagues. But he's
gonna have to come up here and get people out
because they got a quarter of the season left and
they're on a dog side here with a really good
Mariners team, So they're just gonna have to put their
best foot forward and put their best arms out there.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Roan, let's talk a little bit about the offense. It
feels like every time I see something disparaging about either
jan er Diez or Christian Walker, they make me look
stupid that night and go off. And last night it
was jan or Diez with two hits in the big
home run, but on a night well he had just
four hits. I mean, the two home runs were as
big as you can get, but I just I'm looking
(41:33):
for more consistency, and I hate to harp on this guy.
But Hazy Sanchez. You know, they had some hits, a
bunch of doubles when he first got up here with
the Astros. But we're working on going on almost a
week without a hit for him. Do you continue to
bat him two hole top of that top of that
lineup if he continues to not hit here?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Oh? No, I don't think Joe will either.
Speaker 6 (41:55):
Man.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
I think he's gonna o for twelve Yeah, in the
last you know, six seven games or so. But yeah,
I mean, I think the lineup is long enough now
you have enough options to where if a guy struggling
to move him down. We've seen camp camp Smith everywhere
in this lineup, from first to you know, ninth and
so uh. You know now with Urias, Uh, you know,
Chads has swinging it a little bit better against left handers,
(42:17):
so you have you have some more options from the
left side, and with Korea as well, that you know
you can move things around him.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
He gives care a day off yesterday.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
And and you know, you feel comfortable if you know
you got solid options to put out there at third base.
So U Joe, He's not going to be the same
lineup every day and if a guy's struggling, he's he's
already shown he's not afraid to move him down to
him out of the lineup, and that's going to be
easier to do over the last quarter of the season.
But yeah, you traded Hayesus Sanchez for a reason. You
(42:45):
wanted an impact left handed bat. He was that the
first week. He hasn't been so much in the last week.
But uh, you know, we've seen Yander be really streaky
this year. Walker got going, but still he's a little
bit streaky. Even even Jose Al Tube has been streaky.
So it's going to happen, and you know they're going
to keep running Sanchez out there and see if he
can make an impact.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Continuing with Brian McTaggart and keeping on the injury front.
Jordan Alvarez, I feel like we've asked you about him
basically since May. At this point, he's going to take
live VP this weekend. They said that sounds good. I'm
gonna ask you, how crazy would you call me? One
to ten if if I said I think that he's
(43:25):
maybe managing pain on something that he needs an off
season procedure for, Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
I mean we've been told on numerous times he's pain free.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
I mean the okay, the.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Bone, I mean, I think Dana Brown said at the
other day he's pain free. The fracture has been healed
for a couple of months now. So, you know, I'm
not sure what the issue is. It's hard to say
if he's going to need surgery it out because I
really don't know what's wrong with him other than hand inflammation.
What's causing the hand inflammation, we don't know, so uh,
but you know, he's dealt with hand problems for so
(44:01):
long now that you would think that if there is
a solution where they can do surgery, then they probably
should explore it and do it, just because this seems
to have been lingering in his career now for ever
since he came up.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Really he's had these hand inflammation problems. But who knows.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
I mean, the fact he's taking live vps a really
good sign. That's a big increase in velocity, you know
against pitchers down in West Palm Beach, and the next
step would be, uh, would be a REACB.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
So maybe there is a light at the end of
the tunnel. Who knows. Yeah, So before we get you out. Brian,
just ask you in general, this this hater thing going down.
Obviously they can kind of manage it, but in your eyes,
how much does this affect your feeling of the the
Astros to not just win the American League West, but
to win American League Pennant, I think it's a big
(44:50):
blow to both. You know, one of the you lose
one of the best closers in the league. Yeah, I
mean that's really going to hamper your bullpen.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
Like you said, Bray, you can clar that's fine, but
you know now how you're going to get the ball
to or Bray, you and a SUSA and King and
all that, you're just taking a huge piece of your
arsenal out. And we've seen him pitch an inning in
the third, we've seen him pitch two innings like he
did Friday night.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
You don't have that guy now, and so yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Mean, I think it's gonna make it that much more
difficult to fight off the Mariners who are playing really,
really good baseball since the trade deadline, and and we
get to the playoffs, you know, the bullpen use is magnified,
and being able to have a guy to shut down
in shortened games and get those last three outs as
Uh is huge and so if he is out, that's
just that's that's a big weapon that that Joe Spottle
(45:36):
won't have.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
But we'll have to find ways to overcome it. All right,
one more question once you got over atstros dot com,
uh that we can check out.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
Yeah, well, we have a story posted last night from
Luis Garcia's rehab start in his sugar land and sort
of a story on the on the pitching last night,
I mean Hunter Brown went away from his fastball, his
best pitch went curveball heavy against you know, a Red
Sox lineup he was seen for the second time in
two weeks. And then also in that article a little
bit about the bullpen usage post Josh Hater. But also
(46:07):
this weekend, check out a cool story Spencer Aarroghetty's players weekend.
So players are gonna be front and center and Spencer
Aroghetty loves to put together legos and we'll have a
story more on that in the newsletter, which we'll hit
your inbox Ross on Saturday, So look out for that.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Brian, all Right,
appreciate the time man, We'll talk to you down.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
The road, all right, see you all right, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
There you go. Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot
Com covering the Astros like Nobody's bidness. I gotta take
a quick break here on The Matt Thomas Show with
Ross without Matt Thomas. You want to react to anything
he said? How you feeling, I'm gonna say, before the
game yesterday, hearing the Josh hater not news, but hearing
that he's getting a second opinion and just not encouraging words.
(46:53):
It's shaking my confidence in the Astros as to a
level that's maybe as low as it's been all year.
But I still think they can win the American League.
Penn
Astros fans cheers, Wucky, Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Bucks casts, proudly for you by
Crawford Bach from Carmach Brewy, you're getting bear.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh my godness, the Crawford Bucks cast starts now here
we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Real.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I don't want to be too hyperbolic here, h Ross,
but can we say that was one of the most
important wins of the season for the Astros.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yes, just in terms of hyperbolic, just in.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Terms of feeling good about yourself after you're getting your
ass beat fourteen to one. The night before, Hotter Brown
on the mound, like, if you lose that game yesterday,
I mean, we're going into an off day feeling not doomsday,
but like, oh my god, this thing is on off
the rails. They've lost another they lost another series. Josh
Haterer's done all this kind of stuff. At least you
(01:06):
come out last night going okay on a night you
only had four hits to find a way to win
four to one.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Clease, He'll be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It was good and Hunter Brown I had tweeted after
the game that he in my postgame tenth inning show,
tweet that he.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Was dominant, and that's really not accurate. He he was good.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
He was giving up some hits, he walked three guys,
he had a back, but he got a couple of
double plays.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
He wasn't getting the swing and miss like he normally does.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Just four strikeouts, but overall, I mean, that's what a
good pitcher and an ace can do. Where you're having
trouble locating, you're walking guys and you're getting guys on base,
but would you find a way? And Hunter Brown was
able to find a way six and two thirds innings,
just one earned run, giving up and the new look
high leverage eighth and ninth for the Astros. Gord he
(01:57):
been at Sousa four outs, taking over in the seventh
and then taking care of the eighth, and then Obrian
abray you with his first save of the season taking
care of business in the ninth.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Well, back to Hunter Brown real quick. He got that
all elusive tenth win. Do you know that Hunter Brown
won his ninth game on July second, up in Colorado.
He has been chasing that tenth win ever since, and gosh,
he's had a couple where he was in line for
the win and then it gets take you know, pulling
the rug out from under him, but finally gets the
(02:30):
uh I mean, shoot the one up in Boston, remember
that that Friday night in Boston where it was he
goes seven innings and that stupid sack fly that ties
the game. I mean they were winning one. Nothing could
have gotten it there. But he gets his tenth win.
He's now ten and five, and good for him. His
last couple he had that stretch of three games where
was a little shaky, not dominant Hunter Brown. The last
(02:53):
couple of games have been looking more like regular Hunter Brown.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, he's looking like he's rounding a little bit better
and to form, and we'd like to see the same
thing from Farm Berveldas the next time he is out.
But the Astros get to win, thankfully, the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
They were up three to.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
One in the ninth I'm literally in the middle of
doing the tenth inning show, like breaking down the game
and then looking at the box score. I paused dead
silence when I saw that the game was tied up
by the Orioles in the ninth inning.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
You're not gonna believe this, Isla.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yes, three to one in the in the ninth.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
And they blow it, but luckily they get it done next.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Thank god, they came back, and you know it was
I think they walked it off in the bottom of
the night. Yeah, but then the next bottom of the
frame that was great. So Orioles do get to win
over the Mariners. So you are having your at one
game ahead of the Seattle Mariners right now. And this
is where I mean, it's it's one of those things
(03:54):
where if the Astros now, of course we can blame injuries,
and they continue to pile up, and I will say
that my belief in the Astros' ability to win the
American League. Pennant was certainly shaken with the Josh Hater
news that he's seeking a second opinion and talking about
giving him space and all this other stuff like that
it's gonna be more than a couple of weeks for
Joe Spotted to mention that to me means it's gonna
(04:17):
be maybe even a couple of months. But that's just
speculation on my part anyways, not barring further injury, if
the Astros don't get this done, it is on them.
They have seven games left with the Orioles seven games
left with the Angels three apiece with the Rockies in
the A's. They have to get this done. They have
(04:39):
the twenty seventh most difficult schedule remaining in baseball with
a four to eighty opponent win percentage. Seattle's at four
to ninety three, that is twenty first, so they have
a one game lead. They they have the softer schedule.
You have three games head to head at the end
of September with the Seattle Mariners. If you're gonna get
this done, you're gonna have to take care of it yourself. Yeah,
(05:00):
I mean, I mean, it's all in front of you,
is what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Sure, Sure, I mean.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
But that's the thing is like, you know, how many
times this season have we seen it's like the Astros
play a good team and it's like they get up
for him and then you know, the crappier team sometimes
it feels like they don't play with as much urgency.
And to your point, the Josh Hater news, how does
this change the trajectory down the stretch? I will say,
though Russin's the Josh Hater injury happened. Look at Bennett
(05:28):
SUSA the last two times out.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
It's like he upped his game. It's like he was.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
He is throwing this frisbee sliders.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Dude, He's like, this.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Is my time to shine. Brian bray You slides into
the closer role. I'll step up right. So I'm feeling
okay about Brian A. Bray You being the closer.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
The loss of Josh Hater isn't necessarily about the closer's role.
It's about the actual depth that you lose because your
two most reliable guys all season long have been Brian
obray You and Josh Hater. You lose one of those.
Bennett Sue's the next man up for sure. But then
I mean, Caleb Word has been good. We had him
on yesterday on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross and
(06:03):
he I think last seven times out has been scoreless,
so that's good. But you don't have people with the
extended major.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
League track records that Brian obray You and Josh hand had.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
And look at I mean you almost wish the Hater
thing would have happened about three weeks ago prior.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
To the trade.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, ho about not at all.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
But look at Mason Miller goes to the pods for peanuts.
I mean there were all these closers kind of available.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Right, there would have been more urgency.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
But yeah, Mason Miller went for like a hole though,
but the Astros wouldn't have got in that. But I
understand what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Brown even mentioned it prior to the trade deadline when
we were talking about what do you want to add?
Speaker 5 (06:38):
And he goes, you know, we wouldn't mind add another.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Right handed relief, right handed reliever, and well they weren't
able to do that. Well, there's a right handed reliever
on the market that a lot of people keep talking about.
We'll talk about him. How are you feeling about the Astros?
Good news they get to win. Bad news sounds like
Josh Hater is gonna miss extend time. So this song
(07:02):
is the origin.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Of the dirty water.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I don't know what would you call it? Catch phrase?
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Now?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Do they play this during the games or only at
the victory?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
They play after wins? And because I wasn't familiar being
a Fenway, he's not going.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
San Neils from nineteen sixty six.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
I've heard the song, yeah, but I I did not
know the history. It was the mid nineties. The Bruins
started playing it when the Boston Bruins win the game.
They would play this after a Bruins win, and I
think around ninety six ninety seven the Red Sox started
doing the same thing. So then when the Red Sox
started going on the runs of you know, playing for
(07:44):
a World Series and stuff, this was like, fully, oh, Tommy,
you're not gonna believed the Socks won and they played
dirty Water.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Okay, I think they even said this fine, I guess
they said.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Liverpool Left C started playing it as well in twenty nineteen. Oh,
because the club is owned by Fenway Sports Group. Ah,
Boston people.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Taking their stuff over to the UK.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Figure a Beatles song would make more sense. Weren't they
all Bigliever Liverpool fans? Were they Everton fans? I don't
even know what's that line they say of Boston you
were my home. That's that's why.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
They play oh in this song? Yeah, okay, I miss.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
And it's leterally about the dirty water in the river
right there.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, we got a dirty ass we have in Boston. Yeah,
great song, guys, it's tough, it's fine, it's catchy enough,
I guess, but there you go a little dirty water.
As the Astros flush the dirty water, the Boston Red
Sox especially. That's the beauty of baseball. There's no scoring
on aggregate. It doesn't matter. One day you can lose
(08:50):
by thirteen and the next day you lose by you
win by three. They all count the same in the standings.
Astros get the victory. They have one three o their
last four. If you have not heard, sounds like it's
going to be bad news on Josh Hater. They're awaiting
a second opinion. Usually mean the first opinions.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
I think this is what you do as an ASTO,
saying now you expect the worst, hope for the best.
So if we go in with the mentality Josh Hater's done, yes,
maybe we're surprised by you know what, there's the chances
back to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I mean, you know, I hope so.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
I mean that was my reason for optimism yesterday, because
there's two months left and unless it's something season ending,
two months from now would be October fourteenth, and hopefully
they would still be in the playoffs and then we
would go from there.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
But can I give you a feeling great a hypothetical?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Oh boy, here we go, what what do you want?
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I started seeing this in my mind we got Lois
Garcia coming back, got JP Francis pitching. Well, hm, if
I'm Dana Brown, I go over to Triple A, I go, hey, Lance,
let's chat Lance. But Colors, Uh huh, Lance, I'd like
to put you in the mindset of an eighth ninth
inning guy where you're just gonna come out and throw flames.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Do what you do?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Uh huh.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Now, the Colors, we could slide to the back end
of the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So you want a guy who throws ninety one miles
an hour and walks everybody when he goes out there,
it flakes. Okay, Well, he's not just the curve ball
focused on. He can up the velocity. And this is
the thing. Now, the Lance, Mcolor's junior. You're not the
first person to float this up. And I've been disagreeing
with Matt for years about this for two reasons. Number One,
he makes eighteen million dollars a year, so long term,
(10:30):
if it's short term, that makes sense. So long term
this season, put your long term in the bullpen doesn't
make sense for a guy making eighteen million dollars, just fiscally,
not that did they always make decisions based on that,
but they often do Josea Bray who says hello but anyways, uh.
But also just as a practical matter, like he works himself.
(10:51):
And if you got two guys on base and you
get Lance mcolors junior coming in, how are you feeling.
I feel like he's about that he needs to like
walk the first two guys to settle into an inny
so that it just it doesn't fit that way for me.
But also it's like you got to figure something out
for him if he's going to continue to be on
this roster.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I'm just thinking, like you're starting to get a lot
of your starting arms back. I mean, keeping mind Brandon
Walter was pitching really well. If he comes back, that's
another arm you have. And I'm just like, I start
to look at mccolors and go, Bro, there's not a
lot of spots here left, but we're one hand short
on the back end.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
What if you.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Just just for the rest of the season, Lance, put
yourself into one inning mentality and we want you to
go out and dominate that one inning.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, I just think I think he's gonna get every opportunity.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
He's gonna go to hell. You'd go to JP first
Louis Garcia and ask them.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That, Yeah, Louis Garci has come out of the bullpen
and been good. Yeah, So, I mean he is kind
of used to that role and I don't know if
they're thinking of using him in that way.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Again last night, but Dana two weeks in a row
with Sean Salisbury says, yeah, we we just want to
see more velocity from Like they're basically saying they don't
think he's throwing big league velocity. Huh, but he's getting out,
he's pitching innings, he's he's been so effective at triple
A level. I just like, all right, I mean it
is you can't come up and do that for an
hitting and sometimes yeah, we'll see. I wonder where he's
(12:13):
gonna fit in, uh with the puzzle pieces.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Same thing for JP Frantz. I've been saying he looks
long for a to be a space cowboy. Have we
gotten any update on Brendan Walter, who I feel like
is kind of a wild card in all this as well?
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Well, that's what I said. Walter was pitching well okay before.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And uh, I just mean now with the elbow elbow
inflammation he's out with we got we got like a
round of updates on Monday.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I'll go and look those up. But let's get to
a couple of phone calls.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
We got appreciate you guys getting in seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Is the phone number
seven one three two one two five seven ninety on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross with Matt Thomas out
until Monday, John, your next stup? What's up?
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Hey, guys? Good morning?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
How ya doing great? What's up? Well?
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I got an idea. Man, desperate times call for desperate measures,
and sometimes you got to think outside of the box
a little bit. And uh, because we've never seen anything
like this before with with the rash of injury injuries
that we've had, So I absolutely and you kind of
stole my thunder just a little bit with the last
(13:17):
comment that you were made about talking about making some
of these starters into back into the bullpen. Guys. But
the guy that I saw come in the other day
and really looked sharp and was throwing flames out the
bullpen was blue ball. How about him in the back
end in a leverage spot. We got forty one games
(13:39):
or so, left it to kind of audition for that
and I'm not saying necessarily he needs to be the closer,
but man, how about a setup man? How about a
seventh inning guy. I mean, he looked fantastic. And I'll
hang up and listen to your comments, but what do
you think?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
All right? John, thank you. I thought you were gonna
say so. You didn't say something as crazy as Steve
did yesterday, who was advocating for Billy Wagner to come
out of retirement and pitch for the Astros. I will
say it's not crazy. I will say generally they and
while he has come out of the bullpen for the
(14:16):
Astros kind of in a I'm gonna keep I'm gonna
keep pumping the headliner thing. I'm going I'm going down
with the ship. They have an opener and then headliner.
I'm going with the headliner role for aj blue Ball
and he has come out of the bullpen. Some excuse
me and Triple A. I just don't know what if
they're gonna feel like they want to go to that well,
(14:38):
but anything's on the table, especially in playoffs. So depending
on what they look at and what they like, I'm
gonna guess they're not gonna want an unproven rookie who
has been rounding in a form. I think he was
pictuer of the week for either PCL for this or
for the Space Cowboys. I'm not sure recently after being
Pitcher of the Month in July, so he has been
(14:59):
rounding in to form. I'm gonna say that's not crazy,
but I'm gonna say it's probably unlikely.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
The uh.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
By the way, the Brandon Walter update from what was
this eight eleven, so this was a couple of days ago,
he uh still coming back from that elbow inflammation through
a twenty pitch side over the weekend at the Complex
in Florida.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Twenty pitch side is good. Yeah, that means yeah, I
thought that. Look, you hear elbow information, you think the
dude's about headed for Tommy John So.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I would think he's nearing a rehab start.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
That sounds like it.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
And then look, and if you end up with too
many starters, then you do have you do end up
with bullpen options.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Well, this is the decision. Playoffs is and again like
or I'm not even sneaking playoffs. I'm just thinking, like,
down the stretch of this season, if if I start
to get these guys back healthy, if Luis Garcia gets back,
or JP Frantz gets back, Hey Brandon Walter gets back,
we're now this logjam of too many and mccolors, you
have a logjam of too many starters, and I just
Dana Brown, I think it's worth sitting down and having
(15:58):
a conversation going aj blue Ball, would you like to
contribute to our big league club in some way? I
have a perfect opportunity. No it's not as a starter,
but as a bullpen.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Guy I have. I have a wild not would necessarily
a wild card point, but a point, and we'll get
to it after the break. A point to to give
you to why I think lance Pecullor's junior will definitely
stay in the rotation.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
I was talking about.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My point of why I think lance Pecullor's junior will
stay in the rotation for as long as possible. A
couple of reasons. As I mentioned, he's making a lot
of money, he has a lot of history with this team,
and I understand we could say that doesn't matter, and
maybe it doesn't matter to you or me if we
want him on this team. However, do you believe the
(16:52):
reports that Hector Norris was kept on this team?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So he could get ten years of service time.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I mean it looks that way. But here's my question.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
If he goes out the other night and pitches well,
does he you know, does he immediately get defaid?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
What does jo Aspota always do with his players? He
is a player's manager. He goes down with the players,
whether it be jose A Brew or whoever, when they're
backs against the wall, they aren't pitching well, they aren't
playing well. He shows confidence and a lot of times
the confidence is rewarded.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Sometimes it is not.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
But I think I'm not gonna say there would be
a full on uproar or mutiny if all of a sudden,
Lance mccullors Junior was squeezed out of the rotation for
like Jason Alexander or Brandon Walter. But I think the
way that things operate, and with Joaspota being such a
player's manager, that mccullor's is going to have to go
out there and like continue to get shelled. It's gonna
(17:51):
take something desperate for him to not get the shot
when he come if and when he comes back.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
For mccullors, you mean, yes, I just I look, if
he comes back and he like can only go like
he gets pulled again in the second inning or third inning.
I just I gotta look at a lance. Let's let's
hit the reset button this offseason.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Mm hm, but we can get another blister.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Now, Let's have you throw just an inning at a time.
Let's have you be the bullpen guy. I know you
don't want to do it. I give you a guarantee.
We will go into spring training, you will be part
of this roptation and all that. You'll be a starter again.
But for this season where we are mid September, I
think it's foolish to think you're gonna work your way
back into a five, six inning starter going into the postseason.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It's been a very very weird season for him, getting
hurt coming back, and then that horrible start against the Reds.
Then he had a couple of quality starts in a row,
then the.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Weird incredible outing against the Dodger, very good against it.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Yeah, lights mc colors, Yes, like we've seen those flashes.
They're in there somewhere. But then too often he's walking
guys and he getting tattooed, and so it is interesting
to me there's a range of outcomes of one outcome
as he comes back and he's great. I don't know
how likely that is, but there's also an outcome where
(19:13):
he comes back and he's terrible, and I don't know,
does that mean they completely let him go.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I don't think that would happen. I think he would
just go back to the IL.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think this blister is a good thing to where
you can continue to say that's recurring, because we've seen
blisters from guys and I'm not saying it's not legitimate
with Lance Periculos Junior. But you can go back. You
can kind of lean back on that. If he comes
out here and he throws two and a third and
gives up seven runs, and he can just go back
on with another blister issue and then that'll be that.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So I don't know, it'll be.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
One of the things is I love about sports is
is we can try to sit in front of these
microphones and predict how things are gonna go go, but
we don't know, So we'll see what happens with that.
I just I don't feel like it's gonna be a
bull thing for him. It just for a number of
reason doesn't make sense. But if it did happen, I
would welcome it, but do whatever you can, but.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Talk about this realistically, like we got too many cooks
in the kitchen. Yeah, if everybody keeps coming back and
getting healthy here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, Jason Alexander would be a kind even though he's
been good the last couple of times out and that'd
be difficult. The reality is that he is a journeyman
and you literally picked him up awful waivers from the
A's earlier this year.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Ask him to be a one inning guy.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I don't think so. It would be to me candidates
for the bullpen. I would start the list with Louis Garcia. Yeah,
if you have that many good starters. Even though I
like Louis Garcia as a starter, I think long term
i'd feel more confident about him than say, Jason Alexander.
But he's been good the last couple of times. Everything
is so touch and go. And this is the beauty
(20:47):
in the Curse of baseball, is it sample sizes can
be so small. The worst pitcher in the world, and
while we've seen it happen against the Astros, can can
go out there and deal six innings of one run ball.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Well, and you think about it. The postseason roster so limited.
I mean thenate Verlinder didn't make the postseason, Russ.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
He didn't deserve to. But uh, I don't know. It'll
be man, there's a lot of moving parts, right.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
But you're right, Luis Garcia, let me just update you.
Four and two third innings last night. Six hits, one run,
one walk, six strikeouts.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
How many pitches does it? Say?
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, I gotta look for it. But okay, I mean
that's that is effective. I mean that is.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Seventy seven pitches, fifty two of them for strikes. I
mean he's doing his thing. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
But data keeps going. We gotta see more velocity. I'm like,
he's getting out well you want I don't know, man,
They like you're gonna go for him throwing four two,
like get into fifth inning in these Triple A games
to come up and go art one inning at a time.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I'm gonna tell you what we're discussing right now has
been discussed over and over and over again with all
the coaches and management to figure out how to where
everybody's gonna go. So I'm sure they have a clearer
picture of it than we do. You have bag all
those meetings, Uh, no, he's on the broadcast helping Matthew
like his inside. Yeah see you guys, good insight. I
will agree with that. Matthew.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
You're next up on the Mad Toma Show with Ross.
Speaker 7 (22:10):
What's going on, guys. I just want to make a
couple of points and just kind of remind everyone. You know,
obviously the Josh Hader news is you know, is not
good news. But you know, the twenty seventeen Astros with
you know, Ken Jiles struggled as our closer in the
twenty seventeen year old series and we had to have
starters going the bullpen and get out. You know, Colin
(22:31):
mceue got some important outs, obviously, Charlie freaking Morton got
some really important outs. And the twenty twenty three Rangers
with I think it was Jordan Montgomery, they like a
starter in the bullpen that he got some important outs.
And those are two teams that won World Series without
a bona fide closer. And so with all of these
abundance of starters that we have, like you know, Brandon Walter,
(22:55):
Lewis Garcia, you know, those could be two guys that
could go throw two innings. That kind of negates the
need for you know, it's like six or seventh, eight
to eighth any guy, and to hand the ball to
a braid you who upbraid you kind of reminds me
of like prime Lance mccolers, where it's like that first
guy kind of needs to get on base for him
(23:16):
to hit that second gear and be like okay, I
need this, you know, and just to really start getting
out and throwing one hundred miles an hour. But I
just wanted to make those couple of points because you know,
Brandon Walter, Luis Garcia JP France. But I mean, you
got to talk about LANCEA mccollers the way I was
going right now. I don't know if he makes the
postseason roster, but you know, you never know. And of
(23:39):
course Alexander, but yeah, I mean I think a braid
you is also a pretty good closer, Like he could
be a great closer. It's just the matter of getting
to him. And I'm just my whole point is is
we have the arms to be able to hand the
ball to him. Kind of what a Spottle was saying
about whenever he was talking to his bullpen of like, hey,
it's up to you guys. It was up to you
(24:00):
guys to hand the ball to hater. It's gonna be
up to you guys again, and I just think we
have the arms to do it that are coming back.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I think they think so highly of Bennett's Sussa. I
think they're, oh yeah, they almost think they're interchangeable. Like
there may be because think of this ross playoff game.
You're the top of the order is coming up in
the eighth. I'm going to Brian, Brian to pray you
in the eighth, and I'm going Bennett sus in the
ninth because don't you want you want your more effective
(24:28):
guy facing the better hitters.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Yeah, so either way, I agree with you, they're interchangeable,
and I'm I'm not necessarily if the playoffs. If we
waved the Magic Wand and the Astros are in the
playoffs today, I would feel way more confident.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
It's about getting to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
It's about five because you you have to kind of
trial these guys, right, Lance McCullers Junior, he could come
back and pitch lights out.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
He could, but I don't know that he's.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Going to same thing with you know, you mentioned JP
Franz and Luis Garcia and Brandon Walter, who doesn't you know, guys,
Brandon Walter doesn't have like a major uh major league
track record, So you got to kind of throw these
guys out there. And they're working through kind of rehabbing
at the major league level, which they've talked about as well.
So it's it's touch and go for me more than
(25:13):
more in the regular season of trying to figure all
this out and how the pieces fit together than if
we could just magically teleport to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I would feel a lot more at ease.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
So it's kind of figuring out how all the pieces
fit together before getting to that and getting into the
playoffs first, which of course the Astros haven't done.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
When when we.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Come back, I'm we're gonna run through a quick hypothetical.
All things being cool, everybody's healthy and back, well, we'll
set it. Let's just say the Astros are in the
Waldcart series. We're gonna set the Astros pitching staff.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Jordan's back right, Well, we're just doing okay, okay, I
got him as a lefty reliever. You gotta get creative.
Probably not, Hey man, he's throwing balls like ninety five
miles an hour from left field.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
Before.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, we'll put Chazz on that offer. Yes, well, all right,
we'll trial Chas out there. All right? What three five,
seven ninety is the phone number if you want to
get in seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
You can send tweets at sports RV and at Chris Cordy.
And also I would appreciate a follow on my Instagram
at sports RV. I'm trying to build that up. I'm
(26:14):
eleven away from eleven hundred. All right, we're gonna take
a quick break. We got Brian Taggert coming up at
eleven o'clock. We'll talk about a lot of that with
a lot of this with him then, and we also
have somebody on the fold.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
We'll get to on the hold.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
We'll get to next to your on Sports Talk seven
nighty the Bat Tobby Show with Ross. The Astros beat
the Boston Red Sox yesterday and stay one game ahead
or not stay. They gain a game on the Mariners
because they lost to the Baltimore Orioles, and they will
play the Orioles again today. Is that an afternoon getaway game?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It is.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Ooh, that's it noon.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Let's go on MLB Network, all right, live updates as
we go along here on the Matt tom Show with Ross.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
You ready for my exercise? Yes, here we go. Ross,
we were surcing about it, but I'm ready. We are
setting the table. We need to like some uh who
wants to be a Millionaire? Somehow music? Well, no, it's
the Matt Thomas Show.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
We got to play something from nineteen seventy six, so
the match game or something.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
The astro is set there. Wild Card Series roster last year.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Okay, get us the who wants to be a Millionaire?
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Music?
Speaker 1 (27:22):
If you could, Jonathan see you in there?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I don't know, a.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Camera's are not working, can't see if he's there ahead.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
So you don't have to follow this model. But okay,
this was the model of the astros set for the
Wildcard Series last year. It was five starters, six bullpen guys.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
Okay, as we know that's.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Interchangeable one of your starters because it's such a short series.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Guy, this is actually turning up the intensity.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
One of your starters could could theoretically be a bullpen
guy in a Wildcard Series. But we're just setting the
table here. So here's who we need. Ross, we got
eleven arms. Okay, I need five starters and six bullpen
arms for a hypothetical wild card slash Alds series.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay, we'll begin with the starters. Okay, I think the
front end.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
We're just talking this out, Okay, okay, so give me
your first starter, first starter, Hunter Brown.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
Okay, so pencilin Hunter Brown.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Give me your second star from Vales to the lefty.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
So those are basically your your one thousand and two
thousand dollars questions, like you got the easy party.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
You're right right, I see you working.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
Okay, we go to our ten thousand dollars question.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Huh, who's your third star? SPA know what right now?
It's Christian Xavier.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Christian Javier Javier, you know, the guy with the world
series no hitter guy, one of your most expensive pictures
on the roster right now. Yeah, getting paid very well. Okay,
so Christian Xavier at number three, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I need two more starters.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Spencerraghedtty easy pas.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
We'll go Spencer arraghedtty four.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Now you don't normally you don't use five starters in
the playoffs, so this guy can also be a bullpen guy.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Okay, Luis Garcia, So we're going Luis Garcia.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Swing starter slash long relief.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (29:14):
So now I need six bullpen arms. Okay, I Bray
you Susa, Brian A bre You and Bennett Sussa are two.
I need uh Steven Oker. We will go Steven Oker.
That's three. I need three more. McNee states own Brian King.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
Do we trust? He was on the wild card roster
last year?
Speaker 2 (29:37):
So I've already got two lefty sure, yeah, I We'll
put Brian King in there.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Brian King takes a spot. We only have spots for
two more pitchers. Now, let me remind you, Ross, huh.
We have Jason Alexander. Yes, he's been a nice starter
for you. We have Brandon Walter. He's been a nice
starter for you.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay, let me put Caleb Ord in there because he's
been pitching well and he's a righty.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Go Caleb Ort. So you only have one more spot again, let.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Me let me set the table.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
We have Jason Alexander, Yes, we have Brandon Walter. We
have Colton Gordon and Sean Duban. I'm just including them
in the mix because they're on the active Ross.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Sean dubin kind of a rocked.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
And then we have Lance McCullers junior as well.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
All right, I got a name for you, Josh Hater.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Okay, I'm in this situation, Josh kidding.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
I will take.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
You can phone Jonathan if you'd like to ask him.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
No, I'm certainly not phoning Johnny.
Speaker 5 (30:34):
You can't ask the audience.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Uh, Nick Hernandez, No, I'm just kidding. I'm gonna go with.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Brandon Walter if he's he's Brandon Walter available.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
In the scenarios, Brandon Walter rounds out your pitching staff
so that I can.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Go Brandon Walter, I could go Sean Dubin.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Oh, and then this realm JP Fritz would also be available.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, I just don't know what he is yet. Right,
I'm gonna go with with Uh what did I say first?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
You said Walter? I'm gonna go with Brandon Walter.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
So poor Jason Alexander, who just went back to back
six innings of one run ball for you.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Well, we'll bring you back for Seinfeld Night next year.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Appreciate it? All right?
Speaker 5 (31:18):
That's it?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Kill the music, Jonvin, Wow, how stressful.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Honestly that sounds good.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Lance mccullor's junior, not on your postseason.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Uh no, he could pitch his way onto it where
we would put him, pencil him in as a Right now,
I mean, we'll see what Araghetty does.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I have confidence in Ragetty.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
And maybe it's just because he's such a great interview
and I like him, and I'm just being personally biased,
but I think he turned around.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
He's very smart.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yeah, good, good from that standpoint, but five walks is unacceptable.
But he knows that, so he'll get better and then
we'll go from there. So, I mean, you lay all
that out. The good news is you have as good
as a one to two punch as anyone in baseball.
So maybe the one to compete with you is is
probably not even gonna make the playoffs, that being the
Texas Rangers with EVOLDI into Grom. So you're gonna have
(32:07):
as good as a one to two punch as anybody
in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
Right, But you also had that last year.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And lost and you were out in two games. I
get it too, So yeah, anything that's hey, play with baseball, baby,
anything can happen. You can lose it.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
You can get swept four games by the A's who suck.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
That's why these next few weeks are so big for
Hobby and Arraghetty.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
You just want to see them round into form and
see that's the thing. It's it's one of those things like, hey,
we don't have time for people to round in the form.
You're one game up in the West, so you got
to get into form quickly. So it's gonna be very interesting.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Cats twenty two is like you can't not have them,
not of course, like you got to throw them out
there and if they're bad, you kind of have to
just deal with it because they have to get their
innings under them.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
It's almost like they're coming out of spring training and
just getting their legs under them. So so yeah, have it. Yeah,
that's uh, that's some tough. So you're telling me that's
an Astros postseason roster with no Sean Dubin.
Speaker 5 (32:59):
Colton Gordon.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Doesn't that sound good to you?
Speaker 4 (33:01):
France, Lance McCullers junior or Jason Alexander. If Jason Alexander
Kee's pitching this way, he's gonna earn a spot.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
I mean, we'll see literally, look, I like Jason Alexander,
but we have to be realistic. He was he was
off the scrap heat from the a's But also, I mean, look,
a lot of those guys that I named in the
bullpen were kind of off scrap heat. The Astros certainly
work wonders with pitching, We've seen that before, but you
start with the established guys Valdez and Brown. I think
Javier Raghetti is gonna be a good three to four
(33:32):
how whatever order you want to put him in, depending
on how they're looking in the next couple of months.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
And also, I have some bad news for you. Guys
can still get hurt.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
We got two months left. Guys can still get hurt,
so we'll see we can't assume full health. And then
that that could honestly not in a not that it's
a good thing, but a silver lining would be it
makes the picture a little bit clearer for the Astros
than what to do going forward. All Right, we're gonna
take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross Without Matt Thomas, that is, Chris Gordy, I
(34:03):
am Ross. Vireal Brian McTaggart is joining us next. You
can get in as well on the phones if you'd like,
at some point at seven one three, two, one two
five seven ninety But we'll pose some of these questions
and more more Astros talk coming up with Brian McTaggart
of astros dot com, Chris Gordy along with me Ross
Vireal with you as well, and right now, after a
(34:23):
heavy first hour of astro's discussion, please to be joined
by someone who actually knows what you're talking about with
the Astros, Brian McTaggart astros dot com, MLB dot com
as well. Uh, Brian, A nice win by the astros yesterday,
but let's get down to what is the biggest topic
going on with the astros. Josh Hater. We got the
news yesterday that he's seeking a second opinion. We generally
(34:47):
understand that that means the first opinion probably wasn't good.
We got a preview of Brian A. Bray, you and
Bennett SUSA taking over the leverage spots last night. Just
in your my eyes, how big of a blow is
this for the astros and the the body language or
just what you can kind of read about how severe
(35:08):
it could be for Josh Hater.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Yeah, well, the fact that you know, a couple of
days ago, Joe spot A call it a punch in
the gut and then yesterday. You know, obviously they're waiting
on the second opinion, and you know he says he
wants to give Josh space to see the doctors.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
So yeah, you're right.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I mean, second opinion is never good. Rarely does it
seem like do they come back and say, hey, second opinion.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
He'll be good to go here, you know, in the
fifteen days are up.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Joe even said it's going to be longer than the
fifteen days, which will take him, you know, probably into September,
because you know, you're gonna have to start building up
a little bit, you know, with a you know, throw
a couple of bullpens and whatnot. So it doesn't sound
very good. I mean, we'll wait for the prognosis tomorrow.
But I felt that they were probably already reliever short,
you know, after the trade deadline. I know they they
looked at trying to get a reliever. It just felt
(35:54):
they could have used one more. And now losing hater.
Uh yeah, I mean, I bray, you can close, SUSA
can close, but you know, now you're a little bit
more limited in how you get the ball to the
ninth inning.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
The perfect formula would be what happened last night your
started go six to two, third, seven, seven, and then
you only have six seven outs to cover. But we
all know that's not gonna happen every night. So they're
in a tough spot. And you know, we'll see what
the news is. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow about hater.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Where where do you think they go to kind of
shore this up? You do have a lot of arms
coming back. Do you think guys like Luis Garcia, who's
been in the bullpen before, would be an option? Do
you think they would try to pick somebody off the
scrap heap? We keep getting inundated with Ryan Press the
questions here.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Yeah, I've bassed around about Presley, and I get the
idea that they're not completely interested in that. I mean,
I think it would have happened already, you know, if
if they if it was going to work out. You know,
he and Dana Brown didn't exactly leave on the best
of terms, So I don't know if that, you know,
if that, uh, you know, hangs over their head as well.
But I think if if probably was going to be
an option, he'd be here already. But uh, you know,
they did get Dela Santo's sort of you know, off
(36:59):
the scrap heap, like you said, and you know his
first adding was okay. So I don't know, they're just
gonna have to piece this together the best you can. Yeah,
they get some starters back, they can move some guys
to the bullpen. I think Walter stuff would play well
in the bullpen out of the left side, you know,
deceptive three quarter.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Arm slot left side.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
They you know, Joe spot It pretty much admitted that
when aj blueball went back down that that he could
be an option for a you know, a bullpen starter role,
sort of a hybrid to come back up. So I
think we'll see two or three guys who can start,
who can relieve, and they're just gonna have to try
to patch it together the best they can. That they're just,
you know, Brian King, you know, struggle a little bit
(37:36):
giving up the long ball. So if they can get
him back back and forth like he pitched the first
you know, half of the season, that that would help
as well. But it's just every day it's just gonna
be a chess match for Joe spot of playing the
matchups and and maybe throwing a guy two innings and
uh and then try to get that ball to the
eighth and ninth.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
And it is interesting, Brian, as the team starts to
get healthy, they bring you know, Christian Hovey and sp
Spencer Arragatti back on this team and they're trying to
work into establishing themselves back into the rotation. And both
last outing for both were better. And then you've got
Jason Alexander who's had a couple of good starts again
for this team. Brandon Walter working his way back. We'll
(38:16):
see if he gets closer to a rehab start. We
know Luis Garcia had another good outing last night for
Triple A as he rehabs, and we know mccullors is
getting closer. I bring all this up to say, if
the math maths here, Brian and these guys all start
to get healthy and they truly are with the void
of Josh Hater, does Dana Brown have a conversation with
somebody to say, hey, I need one. There's not enough
(38:39):
rotation spots here. Do one of you guys take on
a bullpen mentality here? Is that maybe some of those
conversations going on behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Oh yeah, I mean I think they'll have to.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
I mean, if they and that's a great problem for
them to have if they can get all those guys back,
if they get Garcia back in mccolors in France and Walter,
and you know you have seven eight starters. Now, yeah,
they're gonna have to put a couple of those guys
in the pen. I think they would all be willing
to do it pretty much. Like I said, They've already
sort of had that discussion with blue Ball, and they
might have had it with a couple others so far.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
And you know, we've seen this team in the past.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Put starters in the penn late in the season and playoffs,
and you know a lot of teams have done that
as well. When you get to the playoffs, you're gonna
use pretty much three starters, four at the most, so
you're gonna have some extra arms in the bullpen. So man,
they just got to do what they can to try
to get to the playoffs, and I think they'll be
in a lot better shape when they get there. But
(39:32):
certainly I think they have to win the games at
Hunter Brown or fromber Start. They just feels like they
need to win every one of those games and then
hope that Javier and Ragetty continue to get better. I mean,
Javier was better than I thought he was gonna be
as Veilo was there, and I think he'll be fine.
Arrag Getty's last start was better than his first. So
those are all positive things if you're the Astros.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven ninety
and name. We haven't mentioned much Colors Junior. I just
feel like we talk about him, and I feel like
I can see it playing out in so many different
ways with him. What what is your kind of gut
feeling on him coming back and.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
How he fits into the puzzle? Boy, that is a
really good question.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Ross. I I don't know.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I mean, I uh, it's uh, this whole thing is
really weird being out a couple of weeks with a
blister now and you know, back on the mound Friday
night Sugarland making a rehab start.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
Yeah, I mean, if he goes out there, he can
get people out. You give him another shot in rotation.
Have they had that discussion with Lance of you know,
maybe putting him in the bullpen and that being said,
I mean, he's you know, he's he's you know, maxing
out at ninety two ninety two point five miles an
hour at this point, so they're gonna have to, you know,
make a tough decision. I'm not sure where he fits
right now. I know he he wants the ball and
(40:50):
he wants to compete, but especially to get some of
these other guys back.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
And you know, but you know, he's got a shot
if he if he goes.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Out there and pitches well and stays healthy, I think
we'll get another shot in the big leagues. But he's
gonna have to come up here and get people out
because they got a quarter of the season left and
they're on a dog side here with a really good
Mariners team, So they're just gonna have to put their
best foot forward and put their best arms out there.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Roan, let's talk a little bit about the offense. It
feels like every time I see something disparaging about either
jan er Diez or Christian Walker, they make me look
stupid that night and go off. And last night it
was jan or Diez with two hits in the big
home run, but on a night well he had just
four hits. I mean, the two home runs were as
big as you can get, but I just I'm looking
(41:33):
for more consistency, and I hate to harp on this guy.
But Hazy Sanchez. You know, they had some hits, a
bunch of doubles when he first got up here with
the Astros. But we're working on going on almost a
week without a hit for him. Do you continue to
bat him two hole top of that top of that
lineup if he continues to not hit here?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Oh? No, I don't think Joe will either.
Speaker 6 (41:55):
Man.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
I think he's gonna o for twelve Yeah, in the
last you know, six seven games or so. But yeah,
I mean, I think the lineup is long enough now
you have enough options to where if a guy struggling
to move him down. We've seen camp camp Smith everywhere
in this lineup, from first to you know, ninth and
so uh. You know now with Urias, Uh, you know,
Chads has swinging it a little bit better against left handers,
(42:17):
so you have you have some more options from the
left side, and with Korea as well, that you know
you can move things around him.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
He gives care a day off yesterday.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
And and you know, you feel comfortable if you know
you got solid options to put out there at third base.
So U Joe, He's not going to be the same
lineup every day and if a guy's struggling, he's he's
already shown he's not afraid to move him down to
him out of the lineup, and that's going to be
easier to do over the last quarter of the season.
But yeah, you traded Hayesus Sanchez for a reason. You
(42:45):
wanted an impact left handed bat. He was that the
first week. He hasn't been so much in the last week.
But uh, you know, we've seen Yander be really streaky
this year. Walker got going, but still he's a little
bit streaky. Even even Jose Al Tube has been streaky.
So it's going to happen, and you know they're going
to keep running Sanchez out there and see if he
can make an impact.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Continuing with Brian McTaggart and keeping on the injury front.
Jordan Alvarez, I feel like we've asked you about him
basically since May. At this point, he's going to take
live VP this weekend. They said that sounds good. I'm
gonna ask you, how crazy would you call me? One
to ten if if I said I think that he's
(43:25):
maybe managing pain on something that he needs an off
season procedure for, Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
I mean we've been told on numerous times he's pain free.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
I mean the okay, the.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Bone, I mean, I think Dana Brown said at the
other day he's pain free. The fracture has been healed
for a couple of months now. So, you know, I'm
not sure what the issue is. It's hard to say
if he's going to need surgery it out because I
really don't know what's wrong with him other than hand inflammation.
What's causing the hand inflammation, we don't know, so uh,
but you know, he's dealt with hand problems for so
(44:01):
long now that you would think that if there is
a solution where they can do surgery, then they probably
should explore it and do it, just because this seems
to have been lingering in his career now for ever
since he came up.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Really he's had these hand inflammation problems. But who knows.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
I mean, the fact he's taking live vps a really
good sign. That's a big increase in velocity, you know
against pitchers down in West Palm Beach, and the next
step would be, uh, would be a REACB.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
So maybe there is a light at the end of
the tunnel. Who knows. Yeah, So before we get you out. Brian,
just ask you in general, this this hater thing going down.
Obviously they can kind of manage it, but in your eyes,
how much does this affect your feeling of the the
Astros to not just win the American League West, but
to win American League Pennant, I think it's a big
(44:50):
blow to both. You know, one of the you lose
one of the best closers in the league. Yeah, I
mean that's really going to hamper your bullpen.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
Like you said, Bray, you can clar that's fine, but
you know now how you're going to get the ball
to or Bray, you and a SUSA and King and
all that, you're just taking a huge piece of your
arsenal out. And we've seen him pitch an inning in
the third, we've seen him pitch two innings like he
did Friday night.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
You don't have that guy now, and so yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Mean, I think it's gonna make it that much more
difficult to fight off the Mariners who are playing really,
really good baseball since the trade deadline, and and we
get to the playoffs, you know, the bullpen use is magnified,
and being able to have a guy to shut down
in shortened games and get those last three outs as
Uh is huge and so if he is out, that's
just that's that's a big weapon that that Joe Spottle
(45:36):
won't have.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
But we'll have to find ways to overcome it. All right,
one more question once you got over atstros dot com,
uh that we can check out.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
Yeah, well, we have a story posted last night from
Luis Garcia's rehab start in his sugar land and sort
of a story on the on the pitching last night,
I mean Hunter Brown went away from his fastball, his
best pitch went curveball heavy against you know, a Red
Sox lineup he was seen for the second time in
two weeks. And then also in that article a little
bit about the bullpen usage post Josh Hater. But also
(46:07):
this weekend, check out a cool story Spencer Aarroghetty's players weekend.
So players are gonna be front and center and Spencer
Aroghetty loves to put together legos and we'll have a
story more on that in the newsletter, which we'll hit
your inbox Ross on Saturday, So look out for that.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Brian, all Right,
appreciate the time man, We'll talk to you down.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
The road, all right, see you all right, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
There you go. Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot
Com covering the Astros like Nobody's bidness. I gotta take
a quick break here on The Matt Thomas Show with
Ross without Matt Thomas. You want to react to anything
he said? How you feeling, I'm gonna say, before the
game yesterday, hearing the Josh hater not news, but hearing
that he's getting a second opinion and just not encouraging words.
(46:53):
It's shaking my confidence in the Astros as to a
level that's maybe as low as it's been all year.
But I still think they can win the American League.
Penn
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