Astros Get Swept vs Red Socks Sitting 62-50, Astros vs Miami Tonight, NCAA Coaches Poll Talk

Astros Get Swept vs Red Socks Sitting 62-50, Astros vs Miami Tonight, NCAA Coaches Poll Talk 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross ten o'clock
straight up here on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hoy, Hello and welcome into The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Without Matt Thomas, we will be joined by Dan Matthews
hanging out from the previous program, The Shawn Salisbury Show
with Dan Matthews.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Dan, appreciate you hanging out. Why is it so dark
in here?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I don't like the you guys put on like the
super bright whatever these lights are, and they I mean,
we get in here like five am. Yeah, they give
me a headache, so I turned them off. These are
their regular Yes, I am very nocturnal. First of all,
I just woke up six minutes ago. Second of all,
it's too brighten here, man. And then you've got the
guys Adam and Adam who come in here and they
put on these TV lights and they'll really blast you off.

(00:55):
It's like you're standing in front of a jeep at
Jurassic Park.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Man.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
It's like it's way too bright. I was gonna it's
almost like the lights that people use for frogging. Excuse me,
oh okay, like when they're going to gig some frogs.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, like for the for the airboats. I've never been
frogging well.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
I mean, because you also have to make sure that
you know the eyes close together those are frogs. A
little further apart, those are not frogsless, all right.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
So we're off to a hot start here.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Dan, try sticking one of those things with one of
those prongs. It's not gonna go well. Okay, dance here
hanging out for an hour. Who's coming in? Adam Weser
is coming in for the one o'clock hour. Chris Gordy's
gonna join us just for one segment. He is still
on the road. He was in Boston this weekend. He's
gonna give us the Finwave report where we kind of
know how things went there. We'll get to that in
a second. He's coming up at noon. We have to

(01:45):
tell the truth at eleven thirty. I mean, we got
a jam packed show here. Matt Thomas is out, as
he announced on his Twitter his mother is having surgery.
So thoughts and prayers out to the Thomas family, and
I believe he is scheduled to be back tomorrow as
long as every thing goes well. So Matt is out,
you can be here and get in if you like.
It seven one three two one two five seven ninety

(02:08):
seven one three two one two five seven nine.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
You can also send.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Tweets two at sports RV at Dan Matthews hou that
is Matthews with one T. And while you're here, follow
my Instagram at sports RV. I'm trying to put more
stuff on my Instagram. Don't shake your head, Jonathan, Matt's out.
I'm gonna get in like twenty plugs for my Instagram today.
And you know what, Uh, the worst part is, ever
since I started plugging my Instagram, Matt and the fit

(02:32):
of jealousy has started plugging his. So give me the
leg up, please. I just sl be at sports RV
on Instagram. I feel like your thirst trap's land better
than his.

Speaker 4 (02:40):
Dude.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Okay, thank you, I appreciate that. I'll be putting some
more up today, really tasteful ones. Just one nipple, all right.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety is
the phone number if you'd like to get in.

Speaker 5 (02:51):
As I said, uh, we're all excited Dan about Carlos
Korea being a Houston astro and all these moves in
Jesus Sanchez and.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
We're coming back, folks, and we're going.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
To the World Series and then they get swept in
Boston over the weekend. Yeah, then they forgot how to
run the bases. They also did not field very well
of them never knew how to run the basis. Oh,
that's true. But in Hazu Sanchez is throwing to the
wrong bases. He's trying to throw the guys out at
home who have no cheese, got no chance of getting

(03:27):
I mean, it was, Yeah, you're right. All the fundamentals
over the weekend were horrible. Nearly overrunning which became a
foul ball, but you thought could land fair. And I
even heard Robert Ford mention that too, where he was like,
that ball had every chance to land fair too, and
he would have overrun that. So yeah, it was a
comedy of airs all the way around. And you know
what I mean, you guys, you set the tone on
Friday not for it to be a bad weekend, but

(03:50):
you set it to be a great weekend of playing
Steve Winwood back in the high Life again.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
And I heard that song and I was like, you
know what.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
I'm feeling great, this is gonna be an awesome weekend.
And now I don't even want to listen to back
in the high life again, because I don't feel like
I'm back in the high life again. Well, they're not
back in the high life, they're back in the you know.
I put out like some tweet about how the lineup
was greatly improved for Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday, they scored
nine runs and then on Friday scored one.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
This is a sad country music song. This is what
this is? Okay.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
This is you get into your car and you have
it on some station and it's some really just downtrodden
song that you're just like, my god, this is not
what I wanted on a Monday. Uh No, it's not.
And I guess things are gonna be okay. Jeremy Panya, thankfully,
he left with a hamstring what did they call it?
A twins A cramp? Okay, we're going with a cramp.

(04:42):
He cramped the hamstring on Friday, Then he was out
on Saturday. Then he was back in the lineup on Sunday.
But do you remember a certain Houston astro who had
a mild hamstring injury and then missed a couple of
days and then came back in the lineup, And everything
was supposed to be Okay, his name was Esach.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Don't do that, man, and now don't do this to me.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Now we're talking about him, how we talk about ribs.
It's fall off the bone.

Speaker 3 (05:07):
Meet.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Oh, it's not good. So I'm a little bit worried.
Can you can you calm me down? Can you help
me out? At some point? I mean, I'm not feeling
good about what's going on. I mean, I'm going to
do my best because I mean we've said this numerous
times before with this medical staff of I don't think
they put him back out there with any thought that,
you know, there could be some sort of reaggravation or

(05:30):
even making it worse, or any of those other things.
And I mean, it is worth noting with peretis that
it was the other hamstring. We saw this over across
the soil with the Texans few years ago. Remember Andre
Johnson heard his hamstring in a game and you're like, oh, oh,
that's not good. All right, he's back. Oh he hurt
his other one. Yeah, it's like you overcompensate and then
you hurt the other one. And by the way, I'm
pulling the box score back up, I thought they changed

(05:52):
some of the I thought some of those runs are
suposed to be unearned because of Farmer Valdez. What was
going on with those pass balls. I know that by
the way they want all felt they both felt like
pass balls to meet they were and now I know,
I don't know if there was some crossing up, which
is crazy that that happens when you have a pitch calm.
But uh, okay, that was a disaster obviously, fourth inning

(06:14):
for Fromber Valdez, where the six runs were giving up
a lot of soft contact. It just had a mix
of everything. You really hit the whole buffet. There was
the things that always befall Fromber. You had a walk,
you had some soft hit contact, you had some intermittent
hard hit contact, and then yeah, Erdas you had like
the fielding not doing them any favors, and then Fromber

(06:35):
not doing himself any favors, letting a butt go basically
through his legs. It was all of the bad parts
of the Fromber Bingo card yesterday. Like it's one of
those you know they're turning the wheel right there, you
got the Bingo balls in there, and you know you
have that one number pulled out and you're like, oh,
it's this one. Oh, that's a tapper up the third
base line. That's going to allow for the guy to

(06:56):
get on base, and that's going to frustrate him. And
then another one comes out the hopper. Oh, that's the
pitch that should have caught the bottom of the strike
zone and was not called a strike. So now Fromber's upset, like, yeah,
it had it all. I didn't really feel like it
was a classic, like he's completely lost control of this game.
I felt it was more like a lot of bad
luck than anything. I don't know that was a little

(07:16):
bit of that, but I mean there was also too
where I'm even kind of thinking at that point of
do you pull them, man, because this is just getting
away from you and it's not like your lineup is
really giving you tremendous at bats to think that, hey,
maybe there's a chance I Fromber can get us a
couple more innings, that we might have a chance in
this one. There was never a thought of that yesterday,
with the way that these guys were swinging at yeah

(07:37):
the garden not Yeah. The good news is it didn't
matter if he just gave up two runs, you didn't
score again the entire rest of the game.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
So they just the bat's quiet.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
It's funny how that works, and we always go back
to its baseball never, almost ever do things go according
to plan in baseball. You get all these guys in
your lineup, you're feeling like you're gonna score some runs.
Everybody in the lineup over the weekend, for the most
part's got like at ops around seven hundred or above.
And then you can't score. Two of the three games
you score one run. Well, that's why I said, the

(08:07):
excuses are out the window. Because you don't have Cooper
Hummel out there anymore. You don't have Zach Short out
there anymore. You have guys in the lineup that are
supposed to be able to contribute that you know that
you can count on because they've done it at this level.
And you get five runs and get out scored by
ten this weekend. To the math, how well this weekend went?
It didn't go as freaking dropping bombs on you. Well,

(08:30):
I mean him, ref Schneider, I mean Trevor Story. If
we don't have to see him until next week, that's
not too soon. I mean just every single turn, there
was nothing that you could point at this weekend and say,
well that was a positive the bullpen maybe, and at
that point did it matter? And how many putouts did
Bregman have it?

Speaker 4 (08:49):
Third?

Speaker 2 (08:49):
It felt like the ball was getting hit to him
every other play. That's my point. He plays. I mean
like where you get Christian Walker stay in the fifth
or sixth inning, gets to two to zero in the count,
and then the two oh pitch gets straightened up, legs
tops one over the third base and it's just like,
that's a two to oz pitch. That's one where the
legs need to stay underneath you and that ball needs

(09:09):
to go over the wall. Yeah, it looked like he
had his his sprints breed wasn't looking too great on
that play either. I don't know he's would it have mattered?
As soon as Bregman gets it, it's not going to matter.
You sound frustrated with the best this weekend, Dan, I'm
okay with this. Put it mildly, yes, man, This gulbo
has been boiling for a while, trust me, No, I

(09:31):
don't think you want to boil.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
I make everything turns into mushing.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
You want to you want to take it, then you
want to bring it to a song.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
Okay, Yeah, you want to simmer it down.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
Okay, Well, the good news is the Astros are taking
on the Marlins, who are somehow red hot. What the
hell man see? And here's how much the Astros makes sense.
They're going to win this series. And then the Yankees,
who have been playing awful baseball and if you saw
that this weekend, they they're a mess, right man? That

(09:59):
Friday meltdown was one for the ages of that one.
And then you know Jazz Chisholm doing whatever the hell
he was doing off first base, and then Aaron Boone
getting upset with his first base coach. His first base
coach is like, I can't run it for him? Aaron
Like that was pretty much the way that conversation went.
But what I'm saying is watch out, it's gonna go
great this weekend. And then somehow the Yankees are gonna

(10:20):
get right against the Astros. Uh well, I hope not.
But the Marlins are the They're taking the Marlins on
this first, right, that's correct?

Speaker 3 (10:30):
And so nine is it? Am I reading this correct?

Speaker 2 (10:32):
Like nine of their last eleven the Marlins have won
and now they're squared up at five hundred ball. They're
very much in the playoff picture, right, now that's crazy.
All right, Well we'll see how that goes and what
really hurt over the weekend. As you threw Hunter Brown
and from Bervaldez, you didn't have to face Garrett Crochet
and you got swept.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, that's how fun this weekend was for you.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
You throw a guy on Friday that's a sweeper slider guy,
and as soon as I saw that that was what
he relied upon, I was like, this team.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
Has no chance.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah he I mean that's pretty much been If you
have that and you throw it on the outside, and
you throw it with some regularity, this team will try
to pull it. And when they try to pull it,
they're gonna hit weak grounders to third and short. And
that's exactly what you've been seeing. All right, let's talk
about the approach a little bit.

Speaker 3 (11:14):
It'd be nice.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
Let's talk about the comedy of errors that was for
the Houston Astros over the weekend. You get all excited
for all the trades that are made. Carlos Korea is back,
there's a ton of Astros fans in Finway, and you
get swept. We can also talk about anything else going on.
Of course, the Texans are still going on. And as
long as there's been no major injuries, I'm feeling pretty

(11:36):
good about that.

Speaker 3 (11:37):
Anything else you want to get too cood?

Speaker 4 (11:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
We did have a caller who asked us about Graham
Mertz earlier and how much he would play vagabond John
from Minnesota, Okay, and I was like, I'm sure he'll
play quite a bit.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
You're not gonna see c J Okay.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
Graham Mertz dot coming up as well. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety We got to Tell
the Truth coming up at eleven thirty. We got Dan
hanging out for the first hour, Chris Gordy. At noon
we got Adam Wexpert one. I mean, it is a
jam packed show, The Man Thomas Show without Matt Thomas.
You want to get in you cant seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven one three two

(12:13):
one two five seven ninety ten eighteen in the Am
here on Sports Talk seven ninety Matt Thomas Show with
Ross without Matt Thomas.

Speaker 3 (12:28):
He'll be back tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
Ros viw Reale, Dan Matthews hanging out with you right
now seven one three two one two five seven ninety
The phone number seven one three two one two five
seven ninety. I didn't realize this. Dan, we were talking
about this and the breaker came across.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
The news wires.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
Julio Rodriguez is the first player in Major League history
with twenty twenty as in home runs and stolen bases
in each of his first four seasons.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, I didn't realize that. Crazy.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah, I didn't realize that until I saw that stat
come across yesterday. I want to figure Lou gabreg want
to pulled it off in nineteen seven by Mickey Mantle.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
Yeah, somebody back in the day. Nobody's done this but him.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
That's crazy, especially considering a couple of these seasons have
been disappointments for him.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
But I guess not this year.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
Now.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
I don't know. He's always I mean, he's always great
in center field, so he's gonna give you some value
no matter what they're ops. Seven forty three looks like
he's got some high hot power. Twenty home runs already,
twenty twenty season. Congratulations to him. And I say all
that to say this, we should be pretty worried about
the Seattle Mariners in this American League West race, which

(13:31):
we kind of knew already, but they took three out
of four against the Rangers. Over the weekend, you got swept.
It's now just a two and a half game lead
over Seattle, and the Rangers are kind of lurking back
there at four and a half back. Yeah, I mean,
first I would say, screw Julio Rodriguez.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
No, just kidding.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
I actually like Julio Rodriguez. But no, that that smell
that you smell right now, is it a stinky Seattle chowder?
That's too one and a half Seattle. Okay, mind you
and another one another lingering odor? All right, is Connor
mc McGregor in here. That's four and a half the

(14:10):
Rangers behind you. You're bumping lines in here. So getting
swept three out of your last seven series, losing five
out of your last seven, and going six and ten
out of the All Star break, and oh by the way,
going seven and fifteen since you left LA, that's how
that happens. Well, I can bring this up because Matt
hates when I bring up opponents schedule strength, But since

(14:33):
he's out, I can bring it up. The good news
is that the Astros now, of course, we know they
can struggle against teams who have losing records.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
Heah, you just saw it for six games.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
But would you rather play ten games against the best
teams in baseball or ten against the worst? Let's be
practical about it. It would be the worst. Well, come on,
I know, but they have the twenty third most difficult schedule,
meaning twenty third I guess eighth easiest it turns opponent
win percentage, however, Seattle.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
Is twenty six. Well, then win those games. Yes, that's
the moral of the story. We use Yes, go ahead.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
We use the golf example all the time here of
a good golf round for a pro golfer out there,
make the most of your par fives, you par the
par threes, which are you know, they're really tough teams
in this league. And then also to be able to
steal one here or they are on a par four.
They've been bogeying the par fives, the A's, the Nationals.
Even though you won that series. Still, I mean both

(15:32):
of those series right there, that cannot happen. If you
are going to see this thing through, that cannot happen.
That what just happened a week ago can never happen
again the rest of the way this season. You do
that again, You're not making the postseason period. Well, yeah,
I'm just making the point that it's not like the Astros.

(15:53):
I'm saying if they fumble this division, it'll be of
their own accord. They've got a lot of easy games remaining.
They still have seven left with the bad Orioles and
the seven left with the Angels, three more with the A's,
who unfortunately have been owning them, three more with the Rockies,
and three more.

Speaker 3 (16:07):
With the Braves, who are all bad teams.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
You've got some tough ones coming up as well, and
we talked about that and we'll see what happens. You
got three more with the Mariners, of course that series
looms large, and six more with the Rangers.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
But this is very winnable.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
You were in the pole position, you're in first, and
you've got all the reinforcements from the deadline. Astros need
to go out and win this American League West. You've
got fifty games left to go, and I mean, you know,
it's one of those that you haven't had to do
the full on sprint that you had to do last year.
But you got to pick up the pace a little
bit because you got to win some series here, like

(16:43):
you've got to be able to flip that trend as
much as possible because the Mariners aren't losing and they
have not been losing neither of the Rangers. So like,
soon enough the trend has got to turn, and this
is no better time than now to try to do it.
Rangers have the fourth most difficult schedule remaining, so uh,

(17:05):
they have the toughest road going forward, at least in
terms of opponent win percentage, which I always point out
as one data point. Of course, it doesn't always mean anything.
They go and doesn't always mean everything. They go out
and win their games and things are gonna go their way.
And six of those most difficult games for the Rangers
are against your Houston Astros. Seven one, three, two five,
seven ninety is the phone number Troy and Humble has

(17:27):
been waiting patiently.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Troy, go ahead, The floor is yours. Oh you know what? Yeah,
I'm sorry, I yeah, I got you do it, Jonathan
lad Uh.

Speaker 6 (17:37):
They have been a good since the La Dodgers series,
and not only that, all the things you brought up,
it's the banks running mistakes they're making. It seems like
I know they've had a lot of injuries, but it's
like the holes are starting to show up.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
We know they're catching this terrible.

Speaker 6 (17:51):
I mean amount of times the teams are stealing and
taking second base without throws down second base that just
aggravates me.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Like, man, the Astros k throw anybody out.

Speaker 6 (18:00):
They can't make any plays from their catcher position, so
like the pickups that they made. You know, I think
Cavsmid was needed a risk. Uh, I think Stas will
be a good outfielder for them. And uh, but as
you said, the Rangers and Seattle they got better and
the Astros, uh, they.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
Still had a cushion. They need to get right against
this Miami.

Speaker 6 (18:21):
Uh, these Marlins right now, and uh, they still can
do it. But man, it's just frustrating to watch them,
the level of play, how bad it's been, and then
you see the rest of the division catching up with you.
So hopefully they correctify the situation and we'll come on top.
Thanks appreciating Fellas.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
Thanks thanks a lot, Troy. And yeah, he brought up
something that I've been kind of thinking about. I mean,
we love, why are you blinking? Why are you slow
blinking at me?

Speaker 4 (18:49):
Dan?

Speaker 2 (18:50):
We love?

Speaker 3 (18:52):
I just would like to see.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
Exactly if you are going to be at the plate
and you're going to be giving up pass balls and
you're not going to be throwing anybody out. We need
to see now we've gotten a home run production. He's
got fifteen home runs. That's very good, especially at the
catching position, but it's not It just does not feel
like he's been consistent enough and certainly he doesn't get

(19:15):
on base a ton Bingo. You just said it. He
hasn't done it prolonged for prolonged periods. A couple of
nice games against the Washington Nationals, that's great, but then
pedestrian at best in the Boston series a huge reason
why you lose this series. And I'm not putting it
all on Jinor Diaz, but that's what aggravates you. Is
when you see what you saw yesterday with the pass balls,

(19:37):
you're just kind of like, dude, if you're not going
to give that part, which is the part that you're
known for, then I can't have you there Like that
to me means that you have to have Victor Karattini
back there a lot more if you're not going to
get more consistency out of the other part.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
And I'm not backing off of that.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Uh, his caught stealing percentage is thirteen point four.

Speaker 3 (20:01):
A lot of it is horrible.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Now the yes, the Astros pitchers don't do a good
job of holding guys at all lefties. Alrightyes, so the
league they Baseball Reference has this metric called the league
caught stealing percentage, Like his expected cot stealing percentage would
be twenty two percent. He's at thirteen percent. Last year,

(20:23):
he was at twenty two point nine. Before that, he
was at thirty, which is very good. I don't know
what's going on, and maybe some of it's bad luck,
but I mean, seventy one stolen bases on him this year.
I understand that he is offense first when it comes
to him being in the lineup. Yes, that is why
Yaner Diaz is the everyday starting catcher. But when the

(20:45):
offense is inconsistent at best, then that's when the other
parts get amplified. And that's why yesterday, when those two
pass balls happen, you're just like, dude, like you catch
the guy all the time, Like how do you not know?
Like this, this is what can happen when you put
your glove this way, Like that's to me, it just

(21:05):
was more of the fundamentals eluding this team, and you
just saw it over a three game stretch where this
looked like a fundamentally broken baseball team. His six pass
balls are tied for the most in the American League
with Shane lang Shape Langoliers and Carlos Navarez of Boston.
So I mean a lot of pass balls, not throwing

(21:27):
anybody out. And look, I'm not going to say it's
no production at the plate. Fifteen home runs is some production,
but it's not much out of that. Outside of that,
it's amplified again where you've got Jose al Tuve going
through one of his hey balls somewhat near the plate.
All Right, I'm swinging at it even if it's not
remotely a strike, and we've seen him do that. The
same deal with Christian Walker, who has given you some

(21:50):
good performances.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
He did hand some homers.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
It's nice to see, but it's again it's across the
board where it just feels like it's feast or famine
with this lineup, where it's almost everybody is on or
nobody is on, and you can't live that way, Like,
You've got to have a guy or two that can
pop and be able to at least you can look
at him in the lineup and say, hey, you know,
maybe this guy is not so great, but at least
I can count on that guy.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
Where's it been?

Speaker 4 (22:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (22:14):
Well, we're all good because Jackson Alexander's on the hill
tonight for the Astros, and Sandy al Contra should be great.

Speaker 3 (22:21):
Confidence time high.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
Well, at least Sandy's been terrible this year, so hopefully
that can continue. Miami A minus one thirty for those
of you playing bookie at home, which means you got
to lay one hundred and thirty dollars to win one
hundred Astros out a plus one ten. Oh. I mean
they've they've they've fallen short at times as favorites, so
maybe they can be able to tear dogs can win

(22:47):
Baby the underdogs right here, I'm not going to guarantee
you much of anything.

Speaker 3 (22:51):
We'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
It's a five point forty first pitch here on Sports
Talk seven ninety, so Adam and Adam, we'll have you
for the Astros on deck one up at four point thirty.

Speaker 3 (23:01):
I'll have you for the postgame tenth inning call in show.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
Hopefully it is a happy one now, no, no, no,
I want you to get the same calls that Matt
got yesterday.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
I don't know, I didn't hear, I didn't listen. But
what happened.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Let's see, you got one guy who said that the
coach has got to do a better job, including you know,
having the guys bunt more. And then he said the manager.
You mean no, no, I'm not talking about the manager.
All right, what's his name? And then the guy didn't
even know the name. Like it's just like, look, PSA,
all right, did you understand. We understand you're you're passionate.
We understand that you want to get your voices out there.

(23:34):
They're managers, they're not coaches. The manager, that's what you're
trying to talk about. And then when you do call in,
you watch and listen to this team enough, you know
the names, know the names.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
Well, we're asking if.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
You're gonna go Nick Saban on you, but I have
to go Nick Saban on you sometimes. Yeah, that's true.
If you're gonna call for somebody to be fired to
say they're not doing their job, at least.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
Know their name.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
It missed the one rule, you're a bit of intentionally
missing the name. We're all on to you. We know
what your bid is. Stop doing it.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
Dan is frustrated.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Folks. On a Monday morning, Dan brother Harry is over
seven one three naptime two five seven nighty. You want
to you want to come and say you don't know
coaches name? It'll be good for Dan. Matthews. Seven one
three two one two five seven ninety is the phone number.
Seven one three two one two five seven nighty. It
is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas.
Back in a minute, Dan.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
Is grooming in the studio.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
See all I needed was just a chance to be
able to go out get some water. Yeah, I'm back
in and you get a little Humpty hump here the
Humpty dance on a Monday instead of a hump Day.
There was a buddy of mine once who for karaoke.
It was at a Halloween party and he was Humpty
Dumpty for Halloween, so they had him up there. Okay,

(24:54):
but he was broken. Who was it when you were
one of the King's men? Uh No, okay, I saw
the video. I wasn't at this party. Okay, he did
this song, but he did the Humpty dance too. You
gotta do the Humpty dance. If you dress up as
Humpty Dumpty, if you're Humpty Dumpty, you're gonna do the
Humpty dance. You know, I heard recently the kids aren't
having house parties these days anymore.

Speaker 4 (25:14):
You know.

Speaker 2 (25:14):
We we talked about this on on on the Salisbury Show.

Speaker 3 (25:17):
Why do You Show?

Speaker 2 (25:18):
Let's get hear from one of the kids, Jen z Wing,
and they don't have houses apartments.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
No, you do it at your parents' house when they
go out of town.

Speaker 2 (25:27):
Well, you can, dude, the amount of house parties in
where you went to college, Austin anywhere that we had
in apartments?

Speaker 3 (25:34):
Tons of Oh yeah, tons of.

Speaker 2 (25:36):
I got stories from house parties to Austin folks. I
mean maybe we're throwing furniture off the roof at the
end of the night. And you know, I can't confirm
nor deny. Yeah, the statute limitations, I think is worn off. Okay, good,
So then I can't mention that I that I saw
a pregnant girl do a kegstand and it was very disturbing.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
I mean, sure you can mention that.

Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, do you know if the the product of Okay,
I don't know, this is twenty years ago. It was
very bizarre. You know, say, what were you in eastern Tennessee? No,
I was in West Austin, Okay.

Speaker 7 (26:10):
Oh anyways, seven.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
Now did you know that she was expecting or was
it like you know what? You know, hey, hey, are
you expecting? How far?

Speaker 3 (26:24):
You don't talk to her, You don't look her in
the eye.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
You just look around everyone else weirdly, like what is
going on here? That's one of those were you a
mealy mouthed at you side mouthed to somebody? What the
hell is going on? Herenant? Are you seeing what I'm saying?
This is like, yeah, I think she is. Anyways, all right,
so back to the Astros. This week they're taking on

(26:47):
the Miami Marlins, and no, you can't. You were you
saying the Yankees are gonna get hot this weekend when
they take on the Astros.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
There's no way.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
It's just it seems like it is anything that can
possibly go wrong at times go wrong. But then it's
the funny thing is is when you think, oh man,
this is not gonna be good, this is gonna be
a terrible series, like when they went to La and
then they do that. Can we talk about Boston fan
booing Carlos Correa and jose L Tuve and then cheering
for Alex Bregman and Alex Korra is their managers. It's

(27:17):
the next level. It's not even the next level of stupidity.
It's continued stupidity in the ocean of stupidity. And then
everyone got mad at Hector Nares because of the whole
intentional balk and then he just clearing incident and then
he was like, all right, they're treating and then they're
all like, oh, they're stealing side. Well, no, they're looking
at grips. It's it's kind of different guys, but I
understand why. It's the low hanging fruit. But also it's

(27:38):
the freakin' Boston Red Sox. This is what I don't
get more than any if there's any other organization that
should get as much heat, if not more than the Astros,
because not only was it twenty seventeen with the Apple Watches,
then it was twenty eighteen with Alex Korra, the manager
that was there who they fired and then rehired, and
Alex Bregman is there, and yet all of a sudden,
it's Astros are are still the face of this this

(28:00):
cheating scandal that happened eight years ago. Now, I said
it numerous times during the whole Michigan stuff in college
football that it's a case study of made teams are
not going to have that stink on them, no matter
how bad it is or no matter how far it goes.
But say that same year, if that's Clemson, if that's
Florida State, if that's I don't know, LSU, throw them

(28:22):
in there too, that they're accused of doing the things
that Connor stallions was, Oh my god, take away championships
and I mean just completely shut down the program. You
would have every single moral high horse hand ringing column
written by Pat Forty and everybody else like that in
college football to say that those things should have happened.
But for Michigan it was a competitive advantage. Hey, look,

(28:43):
they were just doing it better than everybody else. That's
that's pretty much how that's handled. And the Red Sox
are one of those teams. Yeah, well we shouldn't be
surprised by this. I need some bleep ol Twove chants
home run and then jose L Tuove hits a home
run this weekend.

Speaker 3 (28:55):
I really need that in my life.

Speaker 2 (28:56):
Maybe maybe the bad news is I mean, even though
the Marlins have been playing better baseball, you're gonna be
playing in pretty much an empty, empty building the next
few days. Uh, it's not a bad or good I
don't think it matters. Well, I mean supposedly it is
good because the more he gets booed, the better.

Speaker 3 (29:12):
Off he is. How do you do this weekend?

Speaker 2 (29:15):
Altov? Yeah, you got to hit yesterday? And what did
he get a hit on Sat? Much? No, he did
not do very much. That's okay. I don't I'm not
worried about it. But I just want them to win
ball games. I don't care if the crowd's empty, if
the crowd's full, I don't care who they're playing against.
The win some ball games. Folks really could use one
of those Jose alv heaters. I really could. Right, those

(29:36):
are nice and you can get there like the he
can get ten hits in a series. I mean, we've
seen it. We've seen it this year. What was that
series this year where he just went completely nuclear for
a few games. Was it against the Tampa on Me
Seattle or something like that and then he had the
well I think it was actually Seattle was the one
where he did that. And then I mean, funny enough

(29:56):
if you beat them three out of four times.

Speaker 3 (29:58):
Weird how that happens?

Speaker 2 (29:59):
And then what was it the final game of the
series against the Nationals when he had four people were
wondering could he finally get and.

Speaker 3 (30:06):
Then he didn't come up?

Speaker 2 (30:07):
Yeah, and then someday you only saw it didn't travel
to Boston.

Speaker 3 (30:11):
Weird.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
No, it's a it's a he's he's just a street
guy and we've seen that from him, I mean basically
throughout his entire career. So not that worried about it.
But do you need the wins to pile up right now?
I kind of did take one of your I think
you brought this to the air once. But so we
were talking about earlier. You know, God, you know, with

(30:32):
jose L two base standing in front of him, I'm
gonna give you tremendous bath to ball skills. I'm gonna
give you, at least in the beginning part of your career,
good fielding metrics, and uh, I'm gonna give you good speed.
The only problem is you're not gonna be able to
run the bases very well.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
How does he get picked off? At first?

Speaker 8 (30:49):
There?

Speaker 2 (30:51):
I was listening to it at the time, how does
he start heading for second? I mean the ball what
There are times with them on the bases where I'm
just like, you've done this before? Have you not? Like you?
You know that part of the game, don't you. And
of course we we love jose L Tuve. Oh, we
love him the biggest fans. We can't we can't say

(31:14):
enough good things about the guy to even with this
base running air. You know, it's honestly remarkable how consistent
he's been. It's actually impressive because I try to think of,
I don't even know who's the second most horrible bass
runner over this Astros run that you can even begin
to try and think of.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
Nobody even really comes to mind. Chazs isn't great.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
Yeah, you're right, Chad's a good one, I guess, Chaz,
Chazz Friday guest, Yeah, hey, contact play Lero Chenkin.

Speaker 3 (31:46):
Yeah, and it went the same way it went for Leroy.

Speaker 2 (31:49):
I get that. And then yeah, he got gunned down.
The whole infield was playing in and he went off
in contact and it was actually, I mean, it wasn't okay.
He was out in that Paris Chicas send on Saturday
where Oh hey, that's a good cinder right there, Christian Walker,
you're down by three. That was a perfect throw though
too right to It was a perfect throw coming towards home. Yeah,

(32:11):
I get it, but it was a perfect perfect throw.
It's anything but a perfect throw. Walker is safe home.
So eight, but by two as opposed to three, I know,
I understand. But anyways, was a L two V. Base running?
Always an adventure, Always an adventure. Okay, we're going to
take a break here on the Matt Thomas Show with

(32:33):
Ross without Matt Thomas. Dang Dan is hanging out for
another segment. We have to Tell the Truth coming up
at eleven thirty. Then we have Chris Cordy coming up
at noon. We have you if you want to get in.
You want to talk some astros. We've got a lot
of angle. We've been talking about two BA base running.
We've been talking about YIANR. Diaz catching defense. We've been
talking about unfortunately a signature from er Valdez blow up inning.

(32:56):
Anything you want to get to about the squad. Seven
to one to three two one two five seven ninety
is the phone number seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. All Right, Dan has to take over
the role of fawning over Lauren Shahati on the show today.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
I mean, I think it's just a chair. I think
this chair just brings it in.

Speaker 4 (33:23):
I get it.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
Would you rather stare at me or would you rather
stare at Lauren Shahati? That's an easy choice, and she
is quite striking in person too. Uh.

Speaker 3 (33:32):
Jonathan's gotta shake his head, sorry, Jonathan.

Speaker 2 (33:34):
I mean, you know, look, it's just there's something. There's
something that comes with this chair.

Speaker 3 (33:39):
You gotta live up to.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
It because that's the chairman.

Speaker 3 (33:44):
So many things to say and so many things that
I will say.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
I was gonna say if what Jonathan just said is
what I thought he just said, do I need to
worry about this chair?

Speaker 4 (33:52):
Wait?

Speaker 2 (33:52):
I want to spend more time on talking about the
kids not going to house parties, Jonathan. Now, uh, well,
you're also a highly successful Division one athlete.

Speaker 3 (34:02):
Now, were you guys.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
Partying in dorms or off campus parties or at the clubs?
What was it like?

Speaker 3 (34:08):
What's the party seemed like at old Western Kentucky.

Speaker 9 (34:11):
Western Kentucky is a bunch of house parties that you
just hopefully you get cool with some of the frat
guys that let you in, you get bring a couple
of them, and usually because I was an athlete, you
have the other athletes that come in. But Western Kentucky,
every sport had their own house to go party at,
so like the track house and so like, well, you know.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
I got there. There's the football house, yeah yeah, yeah,
but there's the women's lacrosse house, softball, And I think
I think I've told Johnson this that my cousin actually
played football at Western Kentucky. We did for all Jack Harball.
Oh really yeah, really old Jack Harball. Okay, And now
Jim's starting to look like Jack. You see him, and

(34:49):
he's got the dark, dark glasses that Jack used to wear,
and he even kind of gets that scrunched up face
that he did. And my cousin says that he just
watched some of the games and he's like, I almost
feel like I'm looking at his dad. So the two
are related. I suppose they look exactly the same too.
And then what about the SFA house party.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
Scene now that.

Speaker 9 (35:12):
And it's like only the frat houses too, Like they're
all across the campus. It's not like a one central
area like you would think it's like you gotta go
fifteen minutes out to a weird culvi sac and with
a bunch of woods and a bunch of like weird
like big mansion houses and this kind of sketchy over there.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
But yeah, this sounds dangerous.

Speaker 9 (35:31):
Yeah, so esspates more of like you go to the
local bar, you meet everybody. Oh okay, because if you
might get you might get a little tipsy, you might
be gone, your ride's gone, and you're stuck in the
woods for whoever.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Don't take it. You know, there's not there's not a
lot of readily available ubers at the old uh uber
is around there actually, and that is the problem in
some of these college towns and like especially to like
after a college football game, Oh hey, we'll just.

Speaker 3 (35:57):
Get an uber. I'm like, no, you're not. You're you're
you're not getting one.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
To day. This town of like forty five thousand people
now has one hundred and fifty thousand in it and
they're all looking for a new m So now that's
gonna be tough for you. That's how we had to
do with it back in mid day. You get a
taxi cab and pay like eighty dollars ago two miles like,
oh man, this seems like a rip. There's got to
be a better way, and I guess there was, all
right anyway. Seven one three two one two five seven

(36:22):
ninety is the phone number here on Sports Talk seven
ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
We've been talking a lot of Houston Astros baseball here
and rightfully so. They make all the deadline moves. They
got us feeling good about the Astros. It got us
feeling good about the squad and what's going on and
what's gonna happen, and the future is bright, and they're

(36:44):
gonna cruise to an American League pennant.

Speaker 3 (36:47):
And just as baseball is wont to do best.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
Laid plans, well, they don't necessarily go the way that
you want them to. They got swept by the Boston
Red Sox. And now you've got Jason Alexander on the
hill again to Miami Marlins. Confidence level not super high now,
But I mean, as I've said, this seems like this
is when the Astros do rise up. I mean, you
took two out of three in that series against the

(37:11):
Rockies and still shorthanded.

Speaker 3 (37:13):
You go into LA and you're like.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
Well, maybe a salvage this weekend, that would be cool,
a three and three road trip, And then you turned
around You're like, oh my god, we you swept these guys.
So it would be nice to see this team kind
of pick themselves back up and realize that you're in
the middle of a division race, because now you're only
two and a half games up, and I'm not going
to do the smell thing again, thank you, just to
remind you that the Mariners are only two and a

(37:36):
half games behind you, and they actually swing the bats well.
Now that's the one thing that they had not done
well for the last few years, and it allowed for
you to be able to overtake them and beat them.
That's a problem. Yeah, I'm definitely more scared of the Mariners.
And then I was feeling good that it was a
two and a half point I mean two and a
half games now, but was five games now down to

(37:59):
two and half games. So they are off today and
then next they have a three game set against the
White Sox. Don't ride off the Rangers either, No, I wouldn't. So,
I mean, they've got a series against the Yankees, but
they're only four and a half games back of you,
and they're starting to swing the bats better. You're trying
to make me worried. I mean, I'm worrying myself. Man,

(38:19):
I'm not trying to make you do anything. I'm worried
all my own. This isn't something that I'm cooking up
in my head. This is going seven to fifteen since
you left LA. This is six and ten after the
All Star break. This is getting swept in three of
your last seven series. This is losing five of your
last seven series. Odds to win the division right now
according to fangrass, fifty four point one percent for the Astros,

(38:43):
thirty eight point three percent, seven point for the Mariners,
seven point five percent for the Rangers. Of course that
doesn't mean a whole lot, but just putting it out there,
that's where we are, right. You should still feel like
that you're in control, because you are. But then it's like,
also to the beauty of that is also the curse
of Well, you can't start losing games and then start

(39:04):
looking at the TV going, oh my god, please White
Sox beat the Mariners tonight, Like stop living that life, man,
that's the life we've been living for a long time.
It feels like waiting for some crappy team to beat
the Mariners. But you win the game, it doesn't matter
what happens. It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. Well, no,
it definitely does help. But I mean at the same time,
I mean, like, why are you putting it on someone

(39:25):
else where you're the one who can handle this because
you're the one who can take care of it.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
You can take care of your own business.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
But they haven't been doing that consistently lately with all
the injuries that they've had.

Speaker 3 (39:35):
So I mean, we'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (39:37):
Are the injuries even really a thing now, because you
kind of got a capable, good bat in Jesus Sanchez.
He takes over for Cooper Hummel and whoever else you
were putting into that spot. I understand Jake Myers is
still out, but Taylor Tremmell probably of all the guys
in this lineup right now, is you're looking for that
East soch peretis extending that bat he does that, I

(39:58):
would say yes, especially in the pitch side, because I
mean you had what of course, Hunter Brown and Frommer
through two of those games, but Colton Gordon through the
other you got Jason Alexander going today. Now the Cavalry
is coming very soon, and I'm gonna feel a little
bit better.

Speaker 3 (40:11):
And that that's really where.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
I worry less when I think about the pitching that
is going to be coming here and back up to
the major league level from the IL, and then you
combine that with this lineup. Even though they didn't score
a whole lot of runs over the weekend, I'm still
feeling pretty good. Like I just read the fifty four
percent as far as the Ashros to win the AL
West and their numbers they have, my numbers are made up,

(40:36):
but according to Sports RV's aos percentages, I'm going as
sixty five.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
Percent for the Astros well, And that is the thing.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
I mean, you get Aarraghedty back this week, You're gonna
get Javier back the week following. But then it's also
to the question you have with those guys in more
Javier than it is Raghetty because he hadn't pitched in
a year and a half. So, I mean, you've got
that that you have to contend with, But how long
can you count on these guys to go in the

(41:03):
games four or five innings? Right now? Let's see Arragedtty
threw seventy nine pitches in his last start or did
he Did he have another one since then?

Speaker 3 (41:13):
I'm not exactly sure.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
The last one he had was the longest one he has.
He's probably go up to like eighty ninety pitches in theory. Well,
the guy like Arraghtty, who unfortunately can be effectively wild,
that's probably about a good four innings or something like that.
I mean, he's off of that Lance mccullor's tree where
spinning a bunch of stuff out there and we'll see
where it goes. Jaber can be that guy too, get
a lot of swing and miss, that's true. Javier can
run up the walks here and there. But look, it

(41:36):
is what it is. You need those guys back, and
are they going to be, over the balance of a
season more effective than the Colton Gordon and Jason Alexander's
of the world. Absolutely, so, I'm still feeling pretty good.
You trust those guys a lot more. But here's here's
where I think things kind of could really help you out,
is that you also got JP Franz and Luis Garcia
that are also going to be coming back. Sounds like

(41:58):
at least they're on track to do that. Maybe maybe
you only need you know, three four innings out of
those guys and starts and then you turn it over
those guys for a couple of three innings and then
you can get to the back end of the bullpen
in your high leverage guys. Is it wrong that I'm like,
I feel like JP France has got space cowboy written
all over him. I just don't expect I mean, unless

(42:20):
some other guys go down and you really need to
go to like a six man for a while or
something like that. He had that good year for a
while in twenty three, but then he kind of faltered
down the stretch and then Yeah, I'm bringing up to.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Stef fit the Ryan Gusso role for you right now.

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Yeah, Yeah, something like that, like long relief spot start,
That's what I'm looking for.

Speaker 3 (42:40):
It just not counting on a.

Speaker 2 (42:41):
Whole lot from Garcia too, I mean, because I'm not
so sure that you can be able to stretch out Garcia.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
It's done this year.

Speaker 4 (42:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
JP France is thirty years old. Career era of four
to forty solid last year before going down with the
injury at five starts with a seven forty six ERA.

Speaker 3 (42:59):
But that was also the injury too.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah, and he and he got hurt and he had
the shoulder injury and he had sure surgery. So yeah,
I'm feeling a little bit more confident in guys with
maybe a little bit more of a major league track record.
It's just swinging the bats.

Speaker 3 (43:13):
Thanks the part. Really, No, they're gonna do it.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
They're gonna be good. Lineup's gonna be good, no time
like the present. You heard it here first lineup's gonna
be one of the one of the better ones in baseball. Well,
then let's go. Okay, this is a bad weekend. It happens.
It's baseball. Not word that much, just a little word. Okay,
two and a half convincing myself. All right, Dan, thanks
for hanging out, man, Thanks buddy, appreciate you. Dan Matthews

(43:38):
hanging out for an hour. I got two hours solo
coming up. You want to help out, you want to
be my co host for a couple of minutes, you
can call in seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number seven one three two
one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (43:51):
Jonathan Allen will be hanging out with me. We have Adam.
We'ser coming up at one o'clock.

Speaker 2 (43:55):
We have to tell the truth coming up at eleven,
so you guys can hang out as well. But we
got a lot of stuff going on. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety is the phone number
seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 7 (44:13):
Our number two of the Mat Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas is underway, ros Viria with you phone
lines wide open at seven one three two one two
five a seven ninety if you would like to get
in a seven one three two one to two five
seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (44:31):
As the Astros.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
Get swept right out of town against the Boston Red
Sox over the weekend, it did not go the way
that we wanted. We were all excited, all fired up
about this big trade deadline. Carlos Correa is back. He's
wearing the number one jersey. At the very least, wasn't
not cool to see Carlos Correa wearing for whatever reason

(44:55):
when they put the orange on, That's when I was like, man,
Carlos Corey is back in an Astro's uniform wearing that
number one. Sorry, Brendan Rodgers, you didn't get a whole
lot of say, getting your jersey number completely ripped from you.
So jersey number one Carlos Courrea. He did hit a big,
towering home run over the weekend that was good, but
just nothing offense offensively to speak of for the Astros

(45:17):
and only scoring what was it was it five or
six runs over the weekend. Not the way that you
wanted it to go. And unfortunately they get swept by
the Boston Red Sox. But I'm still feeling pretty good.
You get the Cavalry coming. As far as the pitching,
the hitting is gonna be fine. I like the way
that the team is constructed right now. And even though

(45:38):
the Seattle Mariners continue to creep up and up and up,
and they are very talented, they've made their moves and
they're gonna be a force to be reckoned with in
the American League West. Bottom line is the Astros have
the lead right now. They have a soft schedule in
front of them as well, and I'm feeling pretty good
about their prospects going forward. Winning the American League West

(45:59):
not threatening for like the one seed like they were. Gosh,
even a couple of weeks ago, right we were like,
oh man, they're they're coming for the Tigers. Now they're
two and a half games behind the Blue Jays and
the Tigers for the number one seed, so it's not
like they are completely out of those races.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
But right now we were kind of setting our.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Eyes on that and them being the number one seed
or at the very least the number two seeds, so
you can avoid that wild card series to start off
the playoffs. Just win the American League West. That that's
got to be goal number one. And I'm sure that
is goal number one for the team right now. It's
not like they're necessarily worried about all that stuff that
we're talking about here just on radio shows. But hold

(46:37):
off the Mariners and then we will go from there.
Seven one three, two point two five seven nine of
the phone number. As I mentioned, Yankees Keith is on
the line. What's up, Yankees Keith? How about them Yankees
getting swept by the by the Marlins over the weekend.

Speaker 10 (46:53):
That wasn't very pleasant at all. Just like y'all, y'all
feel like crap. We feel like crap. We We've were
coming in at Texas, gonna sweep to Texas Rangers. But
I got a feel good story for you.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
Wrong, Oh, you do. Go ahead.

Speaker 10 (47:08):
Last weekend, last week I called you about the Junior
Olympics being held in at Humble, Texas. Uh huh, I'm
proud to say my grandson the gold medal. Well, congratulations
by passcal Oh. Your family is proud of you, The
state of Texas is proud of you. America is proud

(47:31):
of one. Bobbing past scal.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
All right, we're got to get me that cham. Yeah,
we're going to start charging you for shoutouts, Keith. I mean, look,
we appreciate you folks. Hi, my name is Ross the
Sports Talk seven ninety. We appreciate you folks who are
very proud of your children and or your grandchildren and
all those types of things.

Speaker 3 (47:52):
And you want to give shoutouts.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
On this great, wonderful, huge platform that is Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (47:58):
But we're gonna have to start charging you Yankees. Keiths.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
You're gonna have to make like a like a twenty
dollars donation to my Venmo at Sports Harvy next time
you do that.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
Okay, you fifteen, you know what, you.

Speaker 2 (48:10):
Know what, No, don't even get me just twenty straight
to Jonathan. Okay, he's extremely underpaid. He's doing a great
job everyone.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
You know what I was.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
I was meeting even more people over the weekend. Jonathan, Man,
you got a fan club. I'm actually getting jealous, Jonathan. Actually, yeah, it.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
Was Everywhere's we go.

Speaker 2 (48:27):
We went to Tawgard Brewing a couple of weeks ago.
I was at car Car Bog Brewing a couple like
a week after that. Then I was at this other brewer. Wait,
I'm spending a lot of time at Bruce. Is it
time to look inward? Am I having a wake up
call right now? In the middle of the first segment

(48:49):
of the second hour of the Mat Thomas Show. I
don't know, but yes, I was at another brewery this weekend.
It was my brother's birthday and there were people. Yeah,
shout out to the people at Rowdy's Barbecue. They were
serving up some good que. We were having some bruise
as well and hanging out for my brother's birthday. Happy
twenty second birthday to my brother. From over the weekend, Yeah,
everybody's talking about Jonathan, So, I mean, you're you're turning

(49:11):
into a star, dude.

Speaker 9 (49:13):
You know I guys, I appreciate it. I'm just here
cold and it's very well small studio.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
I think it was fun.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
I think the talk of the weekend was the Hognuts story.
Oh did they like that? Okay, see, no, no, I
know it's a true story, but we don't need to
hear more.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
If you missed.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
I don't even know if this is gonna be this
probably shouldn't be replayed or anything.

Speaker 3 (49:34):
What hour was that this on Friday? It was one o'clock.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
Okay, the one o'clock hour, So if you want to
try to find that on the podcast over the weekend,
the hog Nuts story was. It was one for the ages.
I was crying, laughing, So that was the buzz of
the weekend. So, yeah, you got a lot of fans Jonathan.
The Jonathan Allen fan club is certainly growing. But anyways,

(49:59):
thank you Yankee Keith for that shout out to your son.
And you could use this as a jumping off point.
I'm sure you'll all show them all the podcasts. Okay,
if you want to talk some actual astros in sports,
you can do so seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (50:16):
If you'd like to get in.

Speaker 2 (50:17):
So, yes, we've been heavy on the astros and we've
talked about the Carlos Korea deal and what a great
deal it was. And he is here now, he's playing
third base. He had to play shortstop on Saturday, and
it's just a great fit. And it's just man, it's
just such a kind of down moment. We talked about
this in baseball that it always happens to where things

(50:39):
don't go the way that you wanted. The script was
written right, it was perfect. Carlos Korea comes back. They're
playing up against Alex Bregman and Alex Korra at Finway.
Did you see all those Astros fans in Boston. There
was a ton of them over the weekend. They're there,
they were cheering and had signs. It looked like it
was an Astros game in the crowd at Finway, and

(51:02):
everybody's cheering for Carlos Korea and everybody's talking about how
great it is and all that stuff. And then they
just lose. They lost in ten innings on Friday. You
had to use you burned, you burned a bray, you
burned Josh Hater. Then there was a walk off, and
then you get swept. And now I don't want to say,
it's like back to the drawing board. You're still in
first place. You're still in a very good spot. But

(51:22):
it just did not go the way. The coronation, the
Carlos Carea coronation that you were hoping for over the
weekend did not come to pass, unfortunately. But you're sixty
two and fifty ran through the numbers a little while ago.
You have the twenty third most difficult schedule remaining in baseball.
Unfortunately the Mariners have like the twenty seventh. But you
got a lot of games remaining against very bad teams.

(51:44):
Teams you should beat seven with the Angels, seven with
the last place Orioles, who are selling off all of
their players as well. So you're still in a good spot.
You're still going to be American League West champs. If
you ask me, seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number our old friend Jeans
Incline has rung in.

Speaker 3 (52:01):
What's up, James.

Speaker 4 (52:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (52:04):
The thing that disturbed me the most about this weekend
series was on Saturday when they had got the first
two batters on with no outs and then l TIV,
a guy that can butt, didn't butt. He hit into
a double playe and just killed that inning. That that
to me was like, oh my god.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
Please, Well, I'm gonna tell you something, would you jose
L Tuve is one of the better hitters in the
planet and he and I know he does like the bunt,
but I would rather him swinging away. You want him
to sacrifice, to do a double play?

Speaker 3 (52:31):
Do what you wanted him to hit? A sacrifice in
that moment? What was the score?

Speaker 11 (52:36):
Then a button for a base hit?

Speaker 1 (52:38):
The score?

Speaker 11 (52:38):
We were ahead at that time, and we had we
had them on the ropes if he if he sacrifices,
those people are eying butts for a base hit. We
got a guy on third base with no outs, but
he hits into a double plane and kills the inning.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
All right, James, if only Matt was here.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
I'm gonna explain this to you guys, because this keeps
happening and I kind of just don't get it. It's
twenty twenty five. Look around now, there are some bunts.
And we had the caller call in and with the
gotcha moment on Matt. Who was it?

Speaker 3 (53:15):
I can't even remember her name.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
Uh or something. Yes, shehena who sounded like she was
running a marathon while she called in, But we do
appreciate her for making the time and I wanted to
go with this gotcha moment for Matt and I kind
of ho hit in the background because I was also
saying they should be bunting. It's twenty twenty five. I'm
gonna tell you thist. Let's just walk you through this.
Let's do a little bit of critical thinking for everyone.

(53:40):
Do you think in twenty twenty five that managers and
analytical staffs and these these vast amount of resources I'm
talking about in the millions over the years of research
and development that these teams have been have that are
on the cutting edge of how to plan for game,
what to do in certain situations, What is going to

(54:03):
spit out into the algorithm giving you the most opportunities
to score the absolute most runs. Do you think they
have done their research on that? I would hope you
just said yes. So when you say yes on that,
and I'm talking about collectively all throughout baseball, they have
all done this and they know, situationally, for the most part,

(54:25):
what's the best thing to do, especially in games where
there are many innings left to go and it's not
close and late, they know that it is better for
manufacturing runs to have Jose Altuve, one of the greatest
hitters in the history of the planet, who is on
a freight train to three thousand hits and the Hall

(54:49):
of Fame. They would rather him swing the bat, put
the ball in play to where you can advance and
or score the runners without getting any outs, rather than
giving away one of the outs where you only get three.
You only get twenty seven outs in a whole game

(55:11):
with runners on. In that situation, you're only getting three
and an opportunity to score. You have a golden opportunity
for a crooked number inning. That's why, in general, they
don't go and lay down bunts. Should we just record this?

(55:32):
They've done the research. They know the numbers better than
you do. They know the numbers better than I do.
Giving away outs is no way to manufacture a bunch
of runs. Now it's three three to three in the
ninth and you only need one run to win the game.
I understand, and you will see more bunting late and close.
But I believe the scenario that our friend James is

(55:53):
talking about was earlier in the game. I can't remember
exactly what inning it was now, obviously it was a
disaster outcome. A double play doesn't get any worse than that.
But you are never ever ever going to hit a
home run. Bunting that's the best play in baseball. You
eliminate a lot of the best outcomes. And also there's

(56:15):
no guarantee. Even though Jose al Tuove is a good bunter,
he's had unsuccessful bunts in his career. That's another thing
that bunt guy never factors in. Sometimes you pop up
the bunt, sometimes you whiff on a bunt, or you
foul a couple of them. Then you're down into a
two strike count.

Speaker 3 (56:30):
Which guess what.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
The numbers show that you're in a two strike count.
Things are not going your way. So this is very
very simple, rudimentary math here, folks. You eliminate your opportunity
at the best outcomes if you bunt, no doubles that
score multiple runs, no home runs, no triples, no singles,
no anything. And a lot of times you can ground

(56:51):
out and advance the runners as well. But that didn't
happen in the scenario. It was the absolute worst scenario.
So we do what's called results oriented thinking, which does
have its place, but also you want to think about
the process first, and we say that was horrible, jose
al Tuve would have bunted. And then if jose al
Tuove would have popped out a bunt to the catcher,
you wouldn't say word one. For some reason, bunt guy

(57:14):
always forgets when that happens. So please, folks, critical thinking
is important. That's my public service announcement. Okay, those are
you on hold? We will get to you momentarily. You
folks want to get in seven one three, two one
two five seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (57:28):
Makes you all right?

Speaker 2 (57:36):
We're gonna do to tell the truth in the next segment.
And if you guess correctly. Now, I don't want to
unload like five prizes at once. Maybe we'll only take
five people and whoever guesses correctly, we will give them prizes. Okay, okay, okay.
Because we had a lot of stuff piled up. What

(57:57):
have we gotten, Jonathan? We got we got one? We
got one, big one?

Speaker 3 (58:00):
Oh what is it? What's gonna big war?

Speaker 4 (58:02):
Pack?

Speaker 2 (58:03):
Four pack?

Speaker 9 (58:04):
Take a family friends to a pit passes a monster
monster jam October eighteenth in our g stadium.

Speaker 2 (58:10):
Wow, I don't know eighteen, that's my stepdad's birthday. And
you're awesome. Get him.

Speaker 3 (58:17):
Don't give him a birthday present, man, give us some
pit passes.

Speaker 2 (58:19):
Bro Oh, gotta started off.

Speaker 9 (58:21):
I'm trying to get just in case the Maggie's back
and we gotta get these prizes out.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
We got one today though, mm hmm. Okay, so a
four pack there, and then what are we gonna So
we're only taking one winner?

Speaker 9 (58:30):
I mean we could do we could if they want
to Forest Talks have a nine T shirt.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
We can give two. Okay, okay, if they want to
do two winners, if you want, uh yeah, maybe we
only take well, I don't know. I think I'm gonna
be able to trick y'all. We're gonna take five people.
I'm gonna I got a gut feeling that only only
one or two of you is going to be able
to guess. H.

Speaker 3 (58:47):
We'll have to tell the truth.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
Coming up. It will be three lies and one truth
right this down, Jonathan, Three lies and one truth coming
up here on Sports Talk seven ninety in the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. It will be to tell the
truth in about eight minutes here. Seven one, three, two
five seven ninety is the phone number, as I have

(59:11):
been saying Trey in Sugarland has rung in what's up? Trey?

Speaker 4 (59:15):
Hey?

Speaker 2 (59:16):
Ross?

Speaker 4 (59:16):
Uh?

Speaker 8 (59:17):
You know, Robert Ford and Sparky have got the rank
among the top announcers in the entire industry, and I'm wondering,
why can't the radio broadcast sync up with the television broadcast.
I'd much rather listen to those guys than the blah
blah blah blah on television. Oh wow, but it's it's

(59:41):
impossible to watch the game and listen to Robert Ford
and Sparky because it's not synked up.

Speaker 4 (59:49):
Do you know why that is?

Speaker 1 (59:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (59:51):
So, I mean they're just on different frequencies, like they
especially if they're on the road or whatever. I mean,
they have to send their signal back to I think
Space City Home Network has headquarters like Atlanta or something
like that. Now Here on the radio, we we're normally
on a delay in case you start cursing up a
storm or something, Trey, So we get rid of the
delay though on the radio, so we are a live

(01:00:12):
time now if you pull us up on iHeartRadio. I
know there are people who do this and if somebody
wants to tweet me some tips and I can go
from there. If you listen to us on the iHeartRadio app.
It is on a delay. And I don't know what
kind of do you have, like a streaming service or
satellite TV or cable tray to watch TV.

Speaker 8 (01:00:33):
Well, I've got at the ranch, I've got Direct TV,
and at home is Comcast. Okay, And it's the same
in both places.

Speaker 3 (01:00:40):
It's maybe like thirty seconds delay.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
You might be able to pause iHeart Radio and sync
it up, but I don't know. I can't really verify that.
I don't normally listen to both. But when it's on
Apple TV, you can choose the broadcast, like I was listening.
I was watching the game on Apple TV Plus on Friday.
You can choose the home radio broadcast.

Speaker 8 (01:01:01):
Okay, but just soon listened to the Apple TD broadcast honestly.
But you know, and and just kudos to Robert Ford
and Sparky. When you listen to the game, you can
actually visualize what's going on.

Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
Yeah, they do a great job.

Speaker 4 (01:01:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:01:20):
Well, I'm just wondering why they couldn't sync it up.
I figured you'd have a good answer, and I appreciate.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
It, all right, thank you, Trey. Yeah, it's just two
different broadcasts. We're on two different I mean ones on
radio ones on TV, and we we love that. You
love the broadcast. And Robert Ford and Steves Sarks do
a great job. Like you're saying, like, uh, you know,
he steps into the batter's box. You know, the twist
is he he's checking his elbow guard, he's knocking dirt
off the bat all those little radio things that kind

(01:01:48):
of paint the picture for you. Both of them do
a very good job of it. They they're very well
honed in their craft. And and TV is just different, right,
you know, Todd Kallis and Jeff Blum, well I think
do a great job. I mean Trey clearly disagrees with me,
but I think both of them do really well, and
I like both of them.

Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
And it's just it's a different experience. TV.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
You can see most of everything that's happening. Radio obviously
you can't, and then you have to describe what's going on,
and really you feel the time more on radio. Ten
fifteen seconds of silence on TV where you can see
everything feels a lot different than the ten to fifteen
seconds of silence on radio, where I could just say
this as a host, you're like, oh, there's too much silence. Oh,

(01:02:32):
I gotta say something. I gotta fill the time with something.
So it's just two different styles of broadcast. And like
I said, if somebody can let me know, I don't
know exactly how you would necessarily go about syncing the two,
especially if your TV broadcast, like if you're on one
of these streaming services, I mean you're like a minute
plus behind. Maybe the MLB app will let you do that,

(01:02:55):
but also you have to pay for that service, so
I'm not exactly sure on that one. Does Does George
have some tips on a for us on synking the broadcast.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
Yeah, he's trying to weigh in on this is okay,
go ahead, George.

Speaker 2 (01:03:08):
No, not on the technology.

Speaker 12 (01:03:10):
I'm afraid sorry because I don't describe that stuff.

Speaker 13 (01:03:12):
But you know, yes, they're two different media, and so
on radio you have to do a little bit more
and do on television. But one thing Steve Sparks adds,
And I want to say, when Sparky first started, I
thought he.

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
Was okay, but man, he has gotten good.

Speaker 12 (01:03:27):
And I tell you he adds analysis of pitching in
a way that puts the TV guys to shame.

Speaker 2 (01:03:34):
And I feel like I.

Speaker 14 (01:03:36):
Feel like Jeff Blum on TV, I don't think he
adds anything.

Speaker 12 (01:03:39):
He basically just repeats what Callous has already said, but
he does it in kind of a more aweshucks language
that doesn't actually add any information, Whereas I mean, Sparks
is telling you about section and pitch execution in a
way that is fascinating. So I think there's a big
difference in content, not just not just style medium.

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
Okay, thank you, George.

Speaker 4 (01:04:02):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:04:02):
I look, I agree that Sparky does a great job
talking about inside pitching and what kind of guessing what
pitch is gonna throw or sinquitcing pitching and that type
of stuff. But I think Jeff Blum does a good
great job on the TV side as well, explaining things
and probably more from obviously a hitter's perspective as a
guy who was a hitter. And I like when they
talk about utility guys and what du Bond's thinking when

(01:04:25):
he has to move around and all like, there's a
million little things that I think they go through that
that Jeff Blum does a great job of as well.

Speaker 3 (01:04:32):
So I like them all.

Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
And maybe that's two of vanilla of a stance for
you guys, But I'm being honest. I like both broadcasts,
and I think definitely of course, we have some true
gyms here on Sports Talk seven out of your Home
for your Houston Astros in Robert Ford and Steve Sparks. Okay,
you guys want to get in. We're gonna play to
tell the truth. We got a four pack of Monster
Jam tickets plus pit passes jam on October eighteenth. Now,

(01:05:00):
where can you find these tickets?

Speaker 9 (01:05:01):
Jonathan Tickets are all sale now at ticketmaster dot com
of course.

Speaker 2 (01:05:05):
Okay, ticketmaster dot com for these four pack of Monster
Jam tickets plus pit passes.

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
You want to win one of those.

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
You gotta win to tell the truth that is coming
your way next at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety. All right, we got one more, A room
for one more contested one a young up, we got

(01:05:33):
room for one more you seven one three two one
two five seven ninety. If you guess correctly seven one
three two one two five seven ninety, you get a
four pack of Monster Jam tickets plus pit passes October eighteenth.
Tickets available at Live nation dot com. Okay, we're gonna
play to tell the truth, Jonathan. I'm gonna explain it

(01:05:55):
for the folks.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
You very know.

Speaker 2 (01:05:56):
Well, three of these are gonna be lies. One of
them is going to be the truth. Now, I will say,
all four of these opinions I think are regular opinions,
and I could or could not believe them, but only
one I truly believe in my heart of hearts. And
I'm marking it right now on my uh, on my document.

(01:06:20):
You're doing it right now.

Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
I'm marking it right now, and you're gonna.

Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
See my hands are up, Jonathan. Well, yeah, I haven't
read them yet, and nobody's guests, So look, look, my
hands are up. I'm gonna flip the we have like
a He's got a different Jonathan's in a different room,
So I have to show him like a through the
through the video camera, of which one I truly believe,
Three lies, three lives, one truth. Let's go number one.

(01:06:50):
The Astros will win the American League West. But not
only that, folks, it's not even coming down the last
series of the weekend. They're gonna win by at least
three games. You have this improved lineup. I know things
didn't go the way that you wanted to in Boston
over the weekend. Arrag Getty is coming back, Javier is

(01:07:12):
coming back. You're gonna have a strong one through four,
maybe even five or six in the rotation. The schedule
isn't that difficult. I know they stumbled out of the
deadline gates with this sweep against the Red Sox, but
the Astros are gonna win the West by at least
three games. Opinion Number two, Okay, okay, come playoff time,

(01:07:38):
and this hurts to say. The primary catcher for the
Houston Astros will not be Yiner Diaz. Victor Krattini gives
them so much versatility with the switch hitting. He's better
back there behind the dish. Diaz with the pass balls
over the weekend. Too much of a defensive liability. Can't

(01:07:58):
throw anybody out in playoff scenarios. You have to go
with who is going to give you the best chance
to win, and I think that's Victor Carrottini. Let's start
off strong. Hurts to say, but I think it's true,
or do I? Number three, we talked about this offseason

(01:08:20):
for the Astros. You have Carlos Correa, you have Christian Walker,
you have Jeremy Paania, you have Esoch Paradus. You got
Bryce Matthews waiting in the bullpen. There's a long jam
on the infield. I have made the definitive what proclation, Yes,

(01:08:41):
I say definitively. The odd man out this offseason will
be Esoch Paradus. You're not gonna be able to trade
the contract of Christian Walker or Carlos Carrea for that matter,
Jeremy Panna, while it does make sense because he's a
Boris client, he's got two years left, doesn't make sense.

Speaker 3 (01:08:59):
Obviously.

Speaker 2 (01:08:59):
Bryce Matthews is gonna stay because he's the future and
he's under team control for a long time. Esak Paradus
is going to be the odd man out and will
be traded away this offseason with the log jam that
the Astros have in the infield. You just wrote these down.
These are good, Thank you, Yes, right now. I just

(01:09:21):
came up with them after you need to do we
peel the curtain back. Yes, I started doing these last break,
the eleventh fifteen break.

Speaker 3 (01:09:27):
I started writing these.

Speaker 2 (01:09:29):
Max Astros, as I know, and you know, faltered in Boston.
They're playing a red hot Miami Marlins team. Then they
go to the weekend, they go to the Yankee Stadium
for the weekend. I'm not saying they're sweeping either of them,
but they're winning both series. They're going at least four
and two. Especially if you get over this Jason Alexander hump,

(01:09:52):
then you got Hunter Brown frommer throwing in rotation. You
also have Spencer Arrig Geddy coming back. I'm feeling good,
baby t he wins four and two over their next
six games. Your Houston Astros are gonna win the next
two series that they play. I went with four Astros
opinions because we've been talking to Astros all series, all

(01:10:14):
show long. Okay, to recap, I only definitively believe one
of these the Astros win the West by three games.
The Eider Diez is not going to be your playoff catcher.
Eascac Paratus is the odd man out this offseason. You see,
my hands are still up, raight, Jonathan, and Astros win

(01:10:36):
both of these next two series.

Speaker 3 (01:10:38):
Keep an eye on my hands. They're still they're still up.

Speaker 2 (01:10:41):
Okay, Jonathan, which of these four opinions do it?

Speaker 3 (01:10:46):
Actually?

Speaker 2 (01:10:46):
Truly in my heart of hearts, believe.

Speaker 9 (01:10:50):
You know you made it harder because you put all Astros.
I think this is actually a toy phone on. Just
talk it out, alright, alright, and way be cause I
gotta I gotta get my cookup.

Speaker 3 (01:11:02):
Maybe maybe you can't win a prize.

Speaker 9 (01:11:04):
He said, they win by three right now, are struggling
in the alway. So we got there two and a
half up, Man and Rangers are still looking really strong.
Diz has been off all the last couple of stretch.
Is hm, I'm feeling these first two. I'm not even
gonna think about the other ones.

Speaker 4 (01:11:23):
I'm not.

Speaker 2 (01:11:25):
But there's three lives though, Yeah, there's only one truth.
And you believe that?

Speaker 9 (01:11:31):
Okay, you know what, I'm gonna just take it quick,
take it comfortably, trust my gut. And I'm saying that
you believe that the Astros can still win the als
Aos in three games? Okay? You think it's number one?
Number one is what I'm going with. That's that's dub Ken.
Which are these opinions?

Speaker 10 (01:11:50):
Now?

Speaker 2 (01:11:50):
Write these down in their in their note, I guess
or something. Ken, what's you the four? Do I believe?
I think number one?

Speaker 4 (01:11:59):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:11:59):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
Hey, Ken believes number one?

Speaker 3 (01:12:03):
Tyler?

Speaker 2 (01:12:05):
Which one do I believe? He socks out East soak
is out? Okay, that is number three? Three is three?

Speaker 3 (01:12:15):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:12:16):
Tyler believes number three is the true one. Orlando, you're
next up? Which one do I believe is true? Yes, sir,
I'll even number one is true?

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
Number one? Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:12:30):
Orlando believes number one is true. That's three number ones
and a number three. Jeremiah, go ahead.

Speaker 4 (01:12:37):
I'm going number two.

Speaker 2 (01:12:39):
Jeremiah is going with number two. Jeremiah, okay, I like that.
M that would be Janer Diaz is no longer the
the catcher. That was a hard one. That's hard. I
almost went there. What does ross believe?

Speaker 4 (01:12:53):
Guys?

Speaker 3 (01:12:54):
What is Kyle? Which one do you believe?

Speaker 2 (01:12:57):
Number number three?

Speaker 3 (01:12:59):
Numbernumber three? Okay? Number three for Kyle Man.

Speaker 2 (01:13:05):
I should have had a drum roll Asidic thag ready
here for this? All right? Nobody picked number four. I
thought that was the week one. This is the last
one I came up with. You guys are right. I
mean they might win the next two series, but who knows.
I also don't believe, even though maybe I should, that
Yiner Diaz will not be the primary catcher. Look, he's

(01:13:27):
not throwing guys out, but Victor Kartini's not throwing guys
out either, thirteen percent cat stealing for for Yiner Diaz
carotene is not much better at seventeen. You've got a
lot more potent, I would say, more potential in the
bat even though Karattin is having a better offensive season,
to kind of mix and match him a little bit
better and throwing Yiner out there every day. I think
the ceiling is still high enough with theyr diaz. But honestly,

(01:13:48):
it wouldn't be the craziest thing. That's why it's one
that I could kind of believe. So we'll throw that
one out. Then it comes down too, we gotta kick
out Kyler and Tyler. They're gone all right down to
down town too. I think esach Paratus is the most likely,
but I said definitively, I think Christian Walker could be moved.

(01:14:10):
I still think there's a way outside shot that Jeremy
Panya could be moved. Certainly, Korea, I think is probably
the safest it could be.

Speaker 3 (01:14:16):
Paradis.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
Walker's been hitting, so maybe he's a little bit more tradeable.
So you and wait, yeah, we only had two guys
went okay, Orlando and Ken the congratulations you are the winner, Jonathan.

Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
You got it right as well.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
That sounds. I'm like, it just goes beginning up.

Speaker 3 (01:14:34):
Saw me crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
But this lineup and you get the pitching back and
all that type of stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:14:38):
You already have a two and a half game cushion.

Speaker 2 (01:14:40):
I'm feeling confident, baby, I'm feeling three plus games, first place.

Speaker 3 (01:14:45):
Four.

Speaker 9 (01:14:46):
The Houston Astros. Who do we give these pit passes to?
Do we get the can? Or do we get Orlando?
Whoever got in first? I guess.

Speaker 2 (01:14:54):
You know what. Let's do this. Let's your first refusal?
Oh you want to flip a coin? I mean Ken
got in first the first Okay, Okay, oh wait, no Ken?
Ken's uh wait? Is Kin one of the all time
prize horse?

Speaker 3 (01:15:07):
You tell me?

Speaker 9 (01:15:08):
You tell me one in the last he did.

Speaker 2 (01:15:13):
Okay, he won fair and square. Sorry, Orlando, you got
in second, so you're in second place. This is how
life works, all right. Appreciate all y'all calling in and
playing to tell the truth. Coming up at noon, we
will have Chris Gordy. He's gonna join and talk all
things Astros as he was in Boston over the weekend.
Twelve thirty. We'll have the news noon one o'clock. Adam
Weser's joining meantime, you guys can get in. Seven one

(01:15:33):
three two one two five seven ninety is the phone number. Oh,
I didn't even show you my document, but you know,
if I was gonna change it, it would be for you
to be wrong, and I didn't do that, Jonathan, So
I think I don't know if you can see my
ex all the exes up to number one. All right,
seven one three, two one two five seven ninety the
phone number. We'll take a quick break here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross with out man Thomas back
in a second.

Speaker 3 (01:15:56):
Welcome back.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
To the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas.
Ross is here, Jonathan is here, You are here, Chris.
Gordy will be here in just a few moments. He's
gonna be on at the top of the hour. He's
gonna give us the Finway Report. He was out there,
just happened to be going to the Boston Red Sox.
I'm gonna sneeze for a second. Jonathan, you talking, so

(01:16:22):
you know, Gordyon then join us here in a little bit. Well, great, Jovan, Okay,
we made it, folks. Yeah, So Gordy, you know that
was that was wonderful. Gordy's gonna be here coming up
at noon twelve thirty. Jonathan l is gonna give us
the news at noon ish one o'clock. Adam Weser will join.
We've been talking a lot of astros. Thanks to Dan

(01:16:43):
Matthews for hanging out as well. Congratulations to those of
you who are able to win. Sorry Orlando, he said
shut your bum ass up. When we asked him if
he wanted a T shirt. He's like, no, I don't
want no. Seven to ninety T shirt. Man on one
of those one of that monster jam what will be
giving away monster Draam. I believe the rest of the
week unbelieve it or not, but when Matt is out,
we don't normally do believe it or not because I

(01:17:04):
like to take the day off from writing the questions.
I am just saying, Gona, oh okay, m No, I
just I take the day off when Matt's out. Oh yeah, right,
the questions. Well, Matt, Matt's been stepping up, doing him
some a little bit lately, so I'm proud of him.

Speaker 4 (01:17:19):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:17:20):
Anyways, you guys can get in seven one three, two
one two five seven ninety. We just did to tell
the truth and yeah. You know, the more I think
about it, I'm like, Bam, I get a little overconfident
believing that the Astros are going to win the American
League West by three games. But I'm feeling pretty good
about when Arrogedtty comes back. And I understand like his
entire major league track record isn't exactly like the dude

(01:17:43):
is a multiple time say Young Award winner, But I'm
feeling pretty good about where he's going to be able
to be.

Speaker 3 (01:17:49):
He had that freak thumb.

Speaker 2 (01:17:50):
Injury, he only got what two starts this season, is
going to kind of have to work himself into shape.
Is a guy that we've seen can rack up the
walks and then that's when he kind of can start
to get into trouble. But I'm feeling good as long
as you would. It's it's August fourth, You've got fifty

(01:18:12):
games left in the season. That's in theory eight seven
eight turns in the rotation, depending on how long if
they want to go to a six man for some
stretches or anything like that. In the old days, you
would just say, well, I would say not in the
old days, and the old days, you'd say, oh, fifty
games left, that's twenty five starts. Yeah, left for the
young lad and no, that doesn't happen now. But ten starts,

(01:18:34):
eight starts, whatever it's going to be. For Spencer arrogatty,
get him ready for the playoffs. I think you're going
to be in a pretty good spot. Javier is coming soon.
I understand anybody can get injured, but the same thing
can be said for from Er Valdez or Hunter Brown.
Anything can happen to these guys at any point. That's
just the death's nature of the beast. When it comes
to pitching pitching injuries, You've just got to know that

(01:18:57):
at any point anybody can go down. But there's no
since and getting anxious over it. You can't control the
elbow tightness or inflammation as Brenton Walter has or anything
of anyone else. So if they're out there once, they're
there once, they're on the team until told otherwise, which unfortunately,
the other shoot can drop and we've seen it time

(01:19:18):
and time again this season for the Astros. I'm gonna
say they're gonna I'm just gonna in my mind mentally
believe that they're gonna be out there, like I said,
until I'm told otherwise.

Speaker 3 (01:19:30):
So he's coming back.

Speaker 2 (01:19:31):
I think three games for the American League West for
the Astros is probably right. It will be interesting because
I did have the thought about you or Diaz over
the weekend though. I was thinking about this, and this
is why I stuck it into to tell the truth,
if yinor Diez could or could not be the primary
catcher come playoff time because of Victor Carrattini, who's been

(01:19:55):
overall better at the plate, he doesn't have the power
that Yaner Diaz does. What is it fifteen home runs
free Jiner, I'm trying to pull it up. It's ten
for Victor Karattini. Carotini has the better ops. He has
a slightly better caught stealing percentage, but neither of them
are good and he has fewer pass balls. So I

(01:20:16):
could see that happening. I just don't think so. I
think it'll just be kind of a split and then
you go from there, depending on where yord On Alvarez is,
he's going to be your DH. You've got guys who
can play the outfield. Now this team is I'm feeling
pretty good, and maybe that's why I'm talking about them
winning this by three plus games.

Speaker 3 (01:20:36):
This is a stacked in theory.

Speaker 2 (01:20:39):
I know the Boston Red Sox pitching disagrees that it's
a stacked lineup, but in theory, this is a great
Astros lineup. And if you get you've got Jeremy Payne back,
as long as his hamstring's okay. Yes, I'm a little
bit worried about his hamstring. But yord On Alvarez, if
he comes back, I mean, think about it. Panya al Tuve, Alvarez, Correa, Walker,

(01:21:04):
Sanchez Diaz, maybe you get Jake Myers back at some point.
This is feeling like one of those lineups from years
past where you're seven to eight deep and you're feeling good.
Do you have any updates on Myers or Alarez? We

(01:21:26):
haven't heard, Okay, I know that Jordan and Alvarez is
swinging a bat and I think he's he's still at
the Florida Complex League. Apparently he's swinging with more vigor.
I don't know what the word they used was, but
he's been swinging the bat a little bit better. And
Jake Myers, all we've really heard about him is that
he's rehabbing in Houston, So yeah, he could be far away.

(01:21:47):
And I look Jake Myers is having a career year.
He's having like the greatest batted ball luck of his career.
So I think some of the luck will kind of
at some point go down, but maybe not. Who knows.
I can't predict the future any better than you can.
But even without him, this is a pretty good lineup
if you're going with any of Well, let's see, you

(01:22:11):
got Sanchez out in the outfield. He doesn't play a
whole lot of center, but he can. You can put
Dubon out there, you can put Tremmel out there. Cam
Smith is going to be locking down right field.

Speaker 3 (01:22:21):
For you for a while.

Speaker 2 (01:22:23):
I'm feeling pretty good about the outfield, even if even
if Jake Myers doesn't show up, which which I would
love that he would. They said a couple of months,
and that was what at this point, maybe about a
month ago, So you're in August fourth. Who knows, how's
he going to be feeling with his calf injury when
he comes back. I'm not sure, but I'm feeling pretty

(01:22:44):
good about that. And then again, you have the best
one two punch in baseball with Hunter Brown and from Rivaldez.
Astros are in a good spot no matter what they
It's funny how we went how much just one deadline
can change the way we feel, because it was great
moves made by Dana Brown, who deserves a lot of credit.

(01:23:05):
And there's still some of you out there who don't
like Dana Brown, which is so crazy to me. How
Dana Brown, a hater guy, doing after that deadline didn't
really cost you much of anything to shore up the
team as much as they did, unless you were a
huge Ryan Gusto fan. Sorry Jonathan that he had to go.
I know I was defended him. I don't know if
I was a fan. You're you were Ryan Gusto fan
number one, And that's okay. All right, we're gonna take

(01:23:27):
quick top of the hour break. When we come back,
Chris Gordy will join us. I don't know where he
is now. He's somewhere up in the Great Northeast. He
was in Boston over the weekend at Fenway Park covering
the Astros, drinking beers, watching the game. So he's gonna
talk to us about the Stros and what they got
going on. Then at a twelve thirty, we got the
news at noon ish. In the meantime, you guys can

(01:23:49):
get in as well seven one, three, two, one two, five,
seven ninety. But when we come back, Chris Gordy on
all things Astros and Boston over the weekend. Twelve oh
too in h Town our number three of the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross with it without Matt Thomas. He
will be back tomorrow. Got Adam Wester coming up at

(01:24:11):
one o'clock. We have the News at noon ish with
Jonathan Allen coming up at twelve thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:24:18):
But right now please to be joined.

Speaker 2 (01:24:20):
By Chris Gordy, who is of course one half of
the Crawford Box Cast presented by Cott Rock Brewing. You
can find it for free on the iHeartRadio app Chris
Gordy joining us from parts of Now where are you
right now?

Speaker 3 (01:24:33):
Gordy, still in.

Speaker 4 (01:24:36):
The Northeast, and you know the accent's.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
Rubbing off of Oh my god. Yes, so Goofy need.

Speaker 4 (01:24:42):
To get back down to Houston.

Speaker 2 (01:24:44):
All right, I appreciate this, good God.

Speaker 3 (01:24:48):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:24:49):
So you were so this was kind of serendipitous. Now
you were going taking vacation and you were gonna be
in Finway over the weekend anyways, going to the games.
But then it happened that Carlos career, got traded back
to be a Houston Astro and you went to which
games of the series.

Speaker 4 (01:25:06):
Uh, I went to Friday and Saturday. So yeah, it
was I'll tell you this, it was pretty surreal being
there on Friday at the at the ballpark and kind
of waiting for, you know, to see Carls Krant for
the first time back in an Astros uniform. And you know,
we were talking with Chas McCormick and some of the
players out on the field that will say, yeah, cha,

(01:25:27):
Chas is great. You know, he's he's the guy who's
been around so long. And he was even admitting to us,
you know, hey, trade deadline day was not fun for
him because you know, he said, it's just she's nervous.
You know, he said he sees the Astros made these deals,
made a trade with the with the Twins, made a
trade with Miami, and he said, I'm sitting there thinking,
am I going to Miami? Am I going to Minnesota.

(01:25:48):
Luckily he wasn't traded, but he just brought up that
it's kind of been funny these last few trade deadlines
that you know, his name has gotten floated up there
are times and so it's you know, he said he
wants to be with you know, wants to be with
the Astros. And I kind of asked them and almost
kind of off the record, but just kind of like
kind of shooting the ball with him, and I said, uh,

(01:26:09):
I say, what would you rather. Would you rather be
an everyday starter on like a bad team like the Marlins,
or would you rather be in a spot like this
where you're kind of platooning, not playing every day with
a but with a championship contending team with like the Astros.
And he said, I want another ring, he said, I
don't care how it comes about. He said, I want another.

Speaker 2 (01:26:27):
World Series ring.

Speaker 4 (01:26:28):
And so I just thought that was kind of interesting,
you know, kind of a fun conversation off the cuff
with with Chas McCormick. But yeah, once once Calls Krat
came out, Uh, it was surreal to see him back
in the Astros gear. And uh, it's it's almost like,
you know, like we haven't seen a friend in a
few years, and you just pick up right where you
left off. That's almost what it's like, except there's some

(01:26:49):
new faces around, you know, around the park. But man,
when we first got into the clubhouse and got to
talk to Josel Tuv. I mean, if you watch the
video he posted on the seven nineties Twitter, al too
many is trying his best not to smile, I mean,
because he is just he is ecstatic that he's got
his buddy back in Carl's Korea and really cool to

(01:27:12):
see Korea and Jeremy Penna chatting a ton And you know,
it's just it's a little weird because Payne is the
guy who replaced Carl's Korea. But seeing those guys have
a have a good bond from veteran to younger guy.
And look, I know the series didn't go the Astros way,
but you could already see I mean, Korea. I think

(01:27:32):
is going to be a nice piece to have to
this to this clubhouse as a you know, as a leader.
And I think he's still got a lot of good
baseball left in him. I mean, he hit that Friday
night game, he clubbed to two balls to center that
ended up being long outs, but you know, he hit
the home run yesterday, had the unfortunate battle Saturday with
the bases loaded late and didn't you know, didn't swing

(01:27:54):
at strike three. But I just I like what we've
seen from Korea. So far, I think it's gonna you know,
at least for the rest of this season, I think
is gonna be good. We'll see what the years to come.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
Yeah, we'll talk about like come to the bridges when
we cross them. As far as how the infield gets
configured for next year for the Astros, but you mentioned
being out there for the first couple of games. It
seemed like to me that and we've seen this now
with the Astros as good as they are, a lot
of fans are going out to these ballparks, especially the
historic one like Finway. What was it like the balance like,

(01:28:25):
it seemed like there was a ton of Astros fans
there this weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:28:29):
Oh, it was nuts on Friday. I mean they were
everywhere you looked, at least in our section there were
Astros jerseys everywhere, and then in the section right next
to the dugout. I mean, I don't know if those
all player family and friends or whatever, but it was
all Astros fans And it was interesting when they did
the you know, the player introductions, you know, the opposing

(01:28:52):
team they when that first video Carlos kra rolled on Friday,
I mean, our whole section erupted into applause and people
and hollering. I think Brian McTaggart tweeted from the press
box they heard booze, but from our section down on
the left, you know, left side of the infield, I mean,
it was it was going nuts. So yeah, Astros fans

(01:29:13):
were definitely well represented, you know, to your point, Yeah,
Fenway Park is a is a historic ballpark, and a
lot of Astros fans made this trip. I mean we were,
we were out about in Boston in the days leading
up to Friday. I mean we were seeing Astros people everywhere.
It was you know, ghost rows, ghost rows everywhere you went.
So yeah, that was that was really cool. And you know,

(01:29:34):
again unfortunate that the series didn't didn't play out the
way they wanted. But yeah, I mean even when when
you know, when they got their first couple of hits
on the on the game Friday night, I mean it
was it. It wasn't fifty to fifty, but it almost
sounded fifty to fifty because the Astros fans there were
so loud. And I'll say this, I mean Red Sox

(01:29:54):
fans were pretty uh pivod I mean compared to when
I was there back in the tw twenty one ALC. Yes,
and maybe that's just because it's a playoff atmosphere, so
everybody's more out, you know, drop spoken and drunk. Yeah,
I mean it wasn't really that. I mean there were
Red Sox fens it all around us this weekend that
didn't even have a beer Iner hand. So I was

(01:30:15):
that was a little surprised by that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:17):
Chris Gordy with us here on a Sports Talk seven
ninety reporting from the northeast. Uh So they get swept,
as you mentioned, did not go the way you wanted.
You get excited and all this juice from from being
at Fenway and Carlos Correa's back, all this stuff, and
now you lose. Meanwhile, the Mariners won three out of
four of their series against the Rangers, now just two

(01:30:39):
and a half games back. How are we feeling about
this American League West Race?

Speaker 4 (01:30:43):
Well, I mean, the good news is you get to
go play the Marlins, who stink. But they've they've been
playing better last eleven I know, I know, but this
is you know, the A'es did that too for a
little bit and then they got it. You know, every
every bad team kind of has that stretch where they
play inspired baseball for about two weeks and then they
go back down into the adultrum. So, uh, you know, hey,

(01:31:05):
can Azus Sanchez wake up and do something for us?
I mean that uh, that trade. I just keep looking
at going what I don't know what what that move was.
I mean, I know he's pretty good defensively. His average
is nothing to scream about. I know it's not you know,
just staying age. It does, it's not all about average,
But like for them for Joe to automatically insert him

(01:31:27):
into what the two or three hole like, was like, wait,
this guy just got here, Like this is this really
a table setter? Is this the guy that you think is? Ah,
we got to get him in the top of the
order immediately. I just I was a little surprised by that.
You know, again put in Korea where you did. I'm
fine with that. But yeah, they gotta hopefully these bats

(01:31:47):
come alive down in Miami. I mean, they're gonna have
to that. That was just what was so frustrating that
that Friday night loss was really one you left on
the table. I mean, thinking you're gonna win the game
one and nothing. I mean the Red Sox, the rid Tux.
Fans around us were literally going, let's just get a
runner on, get him a third, and you know, sacrifice
fly him in. I mean, that was what they were thinking,

(01:32:08):
was we're just gonna tie this game up because they
couldn't do much of anything on Hunter Brown, so that
one was unfortunate. The Saturday one kind of got away
from you, and then the Sunday God the fourth inning
of hell for fromber Valdez. We're just everything that could
go wrong let wrong. But I need to see them
ross get this offense going a little bit. I mean,

(01:32:29):
Christian Walker had two home runs in Boston, but like
if he was gonna step up at all, this is
the time to step up and do something with the bat,
because it's just, man, they left so many runners on
base in Boston. It was just you know, find the
timely hit. Where's the guy that can move him over
and drive him in. That's that's really been their issue

(01:32:50):
right now. I Mean, we could talk about Colton Gordon's thinking,
like I said, Fromber's meltdown, but you know, it doesn't
matter getting Arrogetti back and Hovier back and all these
guys coming back, Like you gotta score runs it's one run,
ain't gonna do it. In this league, you gotta score runs,
and so to me, that's that's what's so fascinating. One
other thing, Ross, I'll add talking with some of their
Astros fans that are in Boston. Guess what they're doing.

(01:33:13):
They're staying up here because for some reason, the Astros
are going down south to Miami for three games and
then coming back up here to playt Yankee Stadium. There's
a bunch of Assros fans that we're in Boston that
are gonna make the trek over to New York assume
playing Yankee Stadium in a couple of days.

Speaker 3 (01:33:27):
So hope the cans of beer in their back of
their head.

Speaker 4 (01:33:33):
Well, I mean, if you're if you're making this trip,
I mean you gotta have a couple of grand in
your pocket if you're doing Senway and Yankee Stadium in
the same week.

Speaker 2 (01:33:39):
But but yeah, I.

Speaker 4 (01:33:42):
Just I hope they find a way to take a
couple because if they lose two out of three and
get swept in Miami and they come up to Yankee Stadium,
I mean this we could be talking a week from now. Ross,
this whole thing being falling completely apart.

Speaker 2 (01:33:54):
Well, let's we'll come to those bridges when we cross it.
I think they're gonna be fine. Like you said, you're
getting some of your pitching horses back. The lineup is
going to hit no matter how it gets configured. We'll
see what happens with the Jordon Alvarez coming back, But
even if he doesn't imminently, this lineup is a lot
better than it was. Even though you have the Mariners
doing their thing, and even though they held off the
Rangers over the weekend, I'm still a little bit worried

(01:34:16):
about the Rangers in this American League. West Chris Gordy,
do appreciate the time they didn't have some delicious carbock
bruise up there in Finway, didn't they.

Speaker 4 (01:34:28):
No, that's what thinks about being up here. You got
to drink these stupid Northeastern beers that they make that
tastes like.

Speaker 3 (01:34:35):
Sewer water.

Speaker 4 (01:34:36):
I guess I'm excited to get back home real soon
and get back to dike In and enjoy at Crawford
Bach from our friends at Carbox Brewing, and of course
goes perfect with Astros. Baseball was out of dyke In
last week at George of Crawford Box and lo and behold,
and I was drinking them there at Dike, and the
Astros were winning games. So let something get back here
real soon after this long road trip and grab yourself

(01:34:57):
at Crawford Bok goes perfect with the Astros baseball. We're
right here in Houston at that Carbuck.

Speaker 3 (01:35:02):
Broy all right, thank you, Gordy. When you come back,
we'll see. Well, oh, you going to Yankee Stadium, aren't you?

Speaker 4 (01:35:11):
No, no, no, no, I'll be I'll be home much further
than that.

Speaker 3 (01:35:14):
All right, all right, Gordy, appreciate the time, and we'll
see when you get here.

Speaker 2 (01:35:18):
All right, Jah, all right, all right, there you go,
Chris Gordy out in the Northeast. Go in and see
the Boston Red Socks unfortunately beat the Astros three times
in a row. Okay, we're gonna take a quick break.
We got the news at noon ish, coming up at
twelve thirty. In the meantime, you guys can get in
the next segment. We've been talking a lot of Astros

(01:35:39):
here on the show. Naturally seven one three two one
two five seven Nighty is the phone number seven one
three two one two five seven ninety twelve twenty in
the PM here on Sports Talk seven ninety Matt Thomas

(01:36:01):
Show without Matt Thomas with Ross. I am here.

Speaker 3 (01:36:04):
Jonathan is here. Thanks to Chris Gordy for joining us
in the last segment.

Speaker 2 (01:36:09):
Appreciate him getting us perspective from Yeah, it seemed like
there was a lot of Astros fans. He was mentioning that,
I guess on the press box side or whatever that
Brian McTaggart was hearing booze, but they were hearing cheers.
So who knows. But Astros fans do like to travel
in numbers these days, especially when it's a historic park
like Fenway Park, and go out there and support their squad. Unfortunately,

(01:36:33):
they were met with three straight losses out there in Boston.
Phone lines open at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety We will have the news at noon ish
with Jonathan Allen coming up. Then at one o'clock Adam
Wexer will join. We'll be talking about all things Astro

(01:36:53):
and et cetera, and you can get in on the
phone lines if you would like to as well. So Astros,
I don't want to spoil a couple of things that
Jonathan has coming up, so we'll talk a little bit
more Astros here. As you know what, I'm a man
of the people. Okay, some people aren't men of the people,
but I am a man of the people. Chasing Alexander
on the hill for the Astros tonight. How we feel

(01:37:16):
and probably not great. But the good thing is Sandy
el Kantara has been horrible this season, like he's been
getting progressively worse for a couple of seasons. The people
were talking about them and him and Dylan sees as
possible starting pitching options. No, I do understand the thought that, hey,
you get him here in an Astros uniform with the

(01:37:38):
Astros pitching brain trust and he can figure something out.
Still got to have some life in that arm. I mean,
just a couple of years ago, dude was a perennial
Cy Young Award winner slash contender. Now he's got an
ERA of six thirty six. Last year four to fourteen,
he was having a bad year. I think it was
even worse to start the year, and then he kind

(01:37:59):
of turned things around. I could be wrong on that,
but yeah, Sandi al Kantara has been terrible this year.
So hopefully the Astros bats with this lengthened lineup can
do a little bit of damage, because they did not
over the weekend, and I want to just chalk that
up to, hey, just one of those things where they
only scored what one run on Sunday, one run on Friday,

(01:38:23):
three runs on Saturday, five runs the whole weekend. With
this improved lineup, I mean, it just looks dangerous. It
just looks really good, even with at some point, at
some point, you're gonna get jord On Alvarez back. I'm
gonna convince myself with that. But then you're then you're
gonna have like Peyale, Touve, Alvarez, Correas, Sanchez, Walker, Diez.

(01:38:45):
I mean, that's already six really good hitters. What's gonna
happen with Jake Myers, I don't know, but he was
hitting over three hundred hat having a great offensive season.
Marisu dubonn has been up and down, but the fact
that he's been able to keep his op a float
over seven hundred for a lot of the season, it's
been very impressive. And I've been a guy who I'd

(01:39:06):
never have been a Dubon hater or against Dubon or
anything like that. But there are some people who get
it into their head that he is this everyday three
hundred type hitter when he gets on these hot runs,
which is he is wont to do because he puts
the ball in play a lot, and you're gonna see
that with somebody who does what he does doesn't strike
out a lot of batted balls, you can end up
with some luck and you're getting three, four, five hits

(01:39:27):
over a weekend, and then everything is groundouts or popouts
or lineouts or whatever. So he's gonna fluctuate just the
nature of the way that he has to plate. But
overall for the season, he's been very good with the
ops over seven hundred. So depending on where you peg
him in the lineup, whether it be at second base
with a fully healthy Astros lineup with Korea now with

(01:39:50):
Payna playing left center, second base, wherever you want to
put him, he's in a great spot where he's he
can be a guy who can get on base, who
can get high at the right time, who can turn
over that lineup. So you've got a pretty good You're
in a very good spot even with jord On Alvarez
not yet back, and when he does come back, I
say win, because when he does come back, you're gonna

(01:40:13):
be talking about maybe not necessarily one of the best
lineups in baseball, but a very very good, deep lineup
that can get you places in the playoffs to where
you can be passing the baton to manufacturing run after
run after run. And I'm really looking forward to that.

(01:40:34):
And that's why I do think, and we did to
tell the truth about an hour ago. I'm looking to
them to get to this point to where they can
win the American League West by three games. I really
do think it's possible. Blue Jays are good. It's not
like I think they are like one of the best
teams in the world. I told you all season long
that the Detroit Tigers were playing a little bit above
their heads, and they have had some slippage there. And

(01:40:59):
you're in third place right now in the American League overall,
two and a half games behind the Blue Jays and Tigers,
who are tied for the one spot.

Speaker 3 (01:41:08):
You just need to get into one of those.

Speaker 2 (01:41:09):
I think it's really important that you not put yourself
in a situation where you were last year, where you
can be out of the playoffs in a flash, because
anything can happen is baseball. Anything gonna happen in a
seven game series. We've seen crazy stuff happen with Anything
can happen in a five to three game series. But
the more games you give yourself more of a leash
for error, which I do believe the Astros are one of,

(01:41:31):
if not the best team in the American League win
fully healthy, the better you're gonna be off. You don't
want a scenario where it's just a crapshoot in a
three game series. Last year, Trek Scoogle shut you down
fromber wasn't very good. Then Hunter Brown gave you a
good start, but aj Hinch was working as black Magic,
playing matchups in a bullpen game. And then you're out

(01:41:51):
of the playoffs in two games. It's not good.

Speaker 3 (01:41:54):
It's not good for anybody.

Speaker 2 (01:41:55):
It's not good for Jim Crane, it's not good for
I don't know, the Houston economy, not good for anything,
not good for us. Here at sport Stock seven ninetys,
if I'm gonna be honest, we like playoff runs. Get
them ratings, folks. We like deep playoff runs. Here at
Sports Talk seven, an't I'm an Astros fan. We all are,
and we want them to get into those top two
seeds of the American League, which I think they can do.

(01:42:17):
Red Sox are right behind them, only a half game
behind the Astros, four and a half for the Yankees.
I mean, it's pretty crazy at the top of this
American League. Mariners two and a half games behind your Astros.
They are off today, So if you can get to
win tonight, all of our heads can hit the pillow.
With the Astros three games up on the Seattle Mariners,

(01:42:38):
I'd be feeling a lot better about that than if
it were two. But Jason Alexander has to go out
there and be effective enough. Bottom line is, these bats
have to hit. You got steimied over the weekend, only
five runs in three games. Let's get a little something
going tonight in Miami. That would be very, very nice
for your Houston Astros. All right on three, two, one,

(01:43:00):
two five, seven ninety is the phone number here on
a sports Talk seven ninety. You're home for your Stros.
We're gonna take quick top of the hour break, I mean,
scarry bottom of the art break.

Speaker 3 (01:43:11):
When we come back.

Speaker 2 (01:43:12):
All the top sports news items of the day from
intrepid reporter Jonathan Allen. That is coming your way next
here on Sports Talk seven ninety The Matt Toms Show
with Ron all Right.

Speaker 3 (01:43:23):
I don't know why I gotta start talking like this when.

Speaker 2 (01:43:25):
I hear this music. You don't worry about it. John,
It's okay. We'll go to kJ first. We'll get to
the news of noon in just one moment. Jonathan got excited.
You know what happens. Happens, It happens, It does happen. kJ.

Speaker 3 (01:43:37):
What's up.

Speaker 2 (01:43:37):
We'll get you here in real quick before the news
at noon is yeah, game, yes, sir man.

Speaker 4 (01:43:46):
Just quick question, A couple of comment and a question.

Speaker 15 (01:43:49):
When I saw that Pinya hired Scott Morris as his
agent recently, I kind of figured that Righting was on
a wild as far as the tenure with Dashtros. I
do agree with you one hunch percent well healthy lengthwise,
this line up.

Speaker 4 (01:44:03):
You can go pound for pound with just about anybody.

Speaker 15 (01:44:05):
But I wanted to ask you, what do you do
you do you agree with Penia proximly being on the outs,
not now obviously, but at some point. And I also
think them bringing career back probably played the roles in
that this is just my opinion, want to hear if
you heard anything. And also before I let you go,
can you find out what Pena's current contract situation is.

(01:44:25):
How much longer do we have him money?

Speaker 2 (01:44:27):
We have him for two more years, two more years
of arbitration after this one, so he's under he's under
team control for the twenty sixth season and the twenty
seven and that twenty.

Speaker 15 (01:44:38):
Seven is the last year, correct, So if they're gonna move,
then it will potentially be at some point next year
or maybe our next offseason.

Speaker 4 (01:44:46):
But uh, okay, and just want to see what you
have to say, what you have to say about, uh,
whether or not you think.

Speaker 15 (01:44:51):
Them bringing Career back is kind of them greasing the
skids on this replacement.

Speaker 4 (01:44:56):
Again, love the show about.

Speaker 3 (01:44:57):
All right, Thank you appreciated.

Speaker 2 (01:45:00):
Yeah, we've we've talked about it and it's it's certainly
funny enough. We talked about it on the show myself
and Matt before the trade was even made, with Carlos
Correa kind of trying to figure out the ins and
outs of that. So there are a number of factors
in play right now. Right, first of all, you have

(01:45:21):
Escock Paradis with the hamstring injury, likely out for the year.
I don't even know if they've announced that, but I mean,
come on, Pretis is basically going to be out for
the year. Then you have Korea, then you have Penia,
then you have Walker in the infield. Then you have
Bryce Matthews. At some point you would figure he would
be a factor next year as well. So you add

(01:45:42):
all that up, you you could have some issues of
somebody needing to move on in the off season. Now
could that be Jeremy Pania who, as kJ brought up.
He signed with Scott Boris, but he's also under control
for two more years. Astros traded a way Kyle Tucker,
which was a big deviation from the way that they

(01:46:05):
normally operate. They've been letting guys walk right as the
at least to my knowledge, Kyle Tucker is the first
one that was going to be an impending free agent
and they traded away. And look how that turned out.
You got a really big haul. You got Cam Smith,
who's producing for you at the major league level. Unfortunately,
Esak Paradis got hurt, and then Heydwesneski was pretty good
until he got hurt. I mean, this is just the

(01:46:25):
nature of baseball as it is. Though, you have all
those guys under team control for several more years, and
you gave up one year of Kyle Tucker.

Speaker 3 (01:46:33):
That's a great haul.

Speaker 2 (01:46:34):
Now, what will Jeremy Pania bring you back? There's a
number of factors in play there. He would have two
mere more years under control if you moved him in
this offseason, which I don't think is likely, but I
also don't think is completely off the table. If you
just get this godfather offer that you cannot refuse it

(01:46:55):
would it would be hoove Dana Brown to listen to that.
Jeremy Peney is also coming off of a career year.
How much more would a the Astros or be other
teams interested in Jeremy Payne want to see more of
a sample size with this. We'll see he had a
good weekend at the plate for the Strows coming back,
And where does that leave Carlos Korea, who has talked
about openly now that for the last couple of years

(01:47:16):
he's wanted to move to third base, hasn't been able
to because there was just no heir apparent for the
Minnesota Twins. So Korea more comfortable at third base getting older,
So then who would your shortstop be if you trade
away Jeremy Pene So I still think Jeremy Panie is
going to be here? Does that make Esak Paradis the
odd man out? Estik Paratus has played first base before

(01:47:38):
Christian Walker gold glove caliber first base, and he's been
hitting a little bit, but he's not living up to
the contract he was signed to at this moment. So
could Christian Walker be on the move? Would you have
to send some money with that to kind of pay
for some prospects? Or if Christian Walker has a great
last fifty games of the season, do you really want

(01:47:59):
to keep him or does his value go up? I
don't know, but I would think of all the guys,
of course, most likely to stay in the organization long term,
it's Bryce Matthews because he's a good young player under
team control for several more years. Also Dana Brown's first
draft pick as an Astro as the Astros GM, and

(01:48:20):
then from there, I don't know. It feels like just
about everything's on the table. I don't know that anybody,
how attractive Carlos Karre's deal would be to somebody else.
How much money the Astros would have to send if
you were going to trade him away, but it kind
of I don't know. This would seem crazy to make
them to move him after you just traded him back.
So I don't know how it's going to shake out.
I don't think you can rule out moving any of

(01:48:40):
those guys in this upcoming off season. Bottom line is, though,
they're all in the team now, and we'll come to
these bridges when we cross them. Sorry, Jonathan, go ahead
and give us the top news items of the day.

Speaker 3 (01:48:49):
Don't take your head at me like.

Speaker 2 (01:48:51):
That news at noon ish, Jonathan, take my head. I
see you, No, no, I see you. I see you
shaking your That's all right, all right, what do you got, Jonathan? Well,
welcome to End on Noon.

Speaker 9 (01:49:03):
My name is Jonathan Allen, my friends, coming to JK
for short here on the show, here to give you
the latest sports news on the nation, just real quick.
If you haven't been listening or you've been living under rock.
We did get swept by the Red Sox at Benway Park,
only scoring five runs in a three game series. Now
sitting sixty two and fifty playing in Miami Marlins here
today at five forty pm. Ross I know we got

(01:49:24):
these new pieces. I know we're doing all this stuff.
Is it something that we should be concerned with?

Speaker 2 (01:49:28):
Oh?

Speaker 16 (01:49:28):
We do?

Speaker 9 (01:49:29):
We let this series marinay? And then we're like, okay,
the bats are just getting scary. Do we need to
switch lineups? What do we do here as fans right now?

Speaker 2 (01:49:36):
You know what's funny is that the lovely fun thing
about baseball is that things can ebb and flow for
three games and you can be like, eh, short sample size,
we don't know what it really is. It can go
for ten games, like guys can slump for ten, thirty
or fifty games and you'd be like, ah, it's a
small sample size. Dudes can have really good like betted

(01:49:59):
ball luck, or our whole teams can have good one
run game luck for an entire season, and you're like, ah,
we just don't have enough sample size. So we always
get out the microscope when it comes to baseball. So
I'm not gonna freak out over the three day weekend
that they only scored five runs, but who knows what's
gonna happen. You're going up against Sandy el Contero, who

(01:50:20):
has not been a good this season.

Speaker 3 (01:50:23):
But also have you heard before.

Speaker 2 (01:50:27):
Hey, this starter who's been really good and is having
a bad season shut down the Astros. Zach Gallon says, hello,
I feel like there's some other guys that we can
go and feel like they can say hello as well.
I don't even know how Giulito is doing overall this year,
but he was shutting down the Houston Astros. But he's
been having a decent season, I guess, so, I don't

(01:50:50):
know what the hell to tell you. Baseball is the
most unpredictable of all sports. I do think they need
to get the bats going. I do know that this
is a pretty good lineup. So let me see what's
what's the what's the Astro team total?

Speaker 4 (01:51:02):
Today?

Speaker 2 (01:51:03):
Let's go with the over. I'm feeling confident, baby, I
don't even know what it is. Over eight and a half. Oh,
that's a lot. That's a lot. There's a lot of
meat on that bone.

Speaker 3 (01:51:14):
Jason.

Speaker 2 (01:51:15):
No, that's not for the team, that's for the whole game, Jason,
Alexander and Sandy el Canda. Let's go over eight and
a half, folks. I'm feeling good. I feeling I'll be
feeling better tomorrow. And I think Spencer Raghetty is going
to take the hill for the Astros, even though I
don't know if that's been officially announced.

Speaker 3 (01:51:32):
What else you got, Jonathan?

Speaker 9 (01:51:33):
Moving on though it's the Lady did just come out
with their coaches poll for the top twenty five for
the twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (01:51:40):
Who's number one?

Speaker 2 (01:51:42):
Almost out number five?

Speaker 9 (01:51:44):
Let's start with number only the name Yeah four Georgia three,
Pence State to Ohio State, and Russ.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
Was number one.

Speaker 9 (01:51:52):
Manum liance got Texas today, and what Matt Thomas tell you?

Speaker 17 (01:52:00):
Texas five, Texas five, and it's goodbye to a crank
this up Texas five, Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:52:08):
Five, and we'll put over one more when.

Speaker 17 (01:52:12):
Texas fine, Texas five Forest Texas.

Speaker 9 (01:52:17):
That we love.

Speaker 17 (01:52:18):
Yeah, hell hell yes, sings all here, and it's goodbye
to all the rest ghettos.

Speaker 2 (01:52:26):
Hey, Orange, Yay, white Yay.

Speaker 17 (01:52:30):
Lord fight fight fight Texas Fight Texas Fight Texas Fight Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:52:36):
Fright yeah Texas, Right, all right, we'll go ahead stop it.

Speaker 2 (01:52:39):
Yeah no wait, oh my god.

Speaker 3 (01:52:41):
But number one baby and notable.

Speaker 9 (01:52:44):
Oh sorry bro, cut you off, but notable as well
on the top twenty five if you go and look
at it. But albums at a LSU Gordy's at nine
and Texas the name is tied for twenty first with
Ile State.

Speaker 2 (01:52:56):
Oh wow, I think it's nine teams from the SEC
or something like that in the top twenty five. Something
ridiculous like that. Yes, and I also was intrigued to
find this out. The first time ever Texas opens up
at number one in the coach's poll. First time ever. Yeah,
that's what the ESPN article I have that says it's

(01:53:17):
been that bad for a while. Hey, I mean, come on,
I'm I'm just saying Texas is a storied program, but
they don't have as many of the accolades as some
of the other programs. Arch Manning. Sorry, well that's the archiffect.
I guess we'll see how he is. I mean, Week one,
they're going and taking on number two. You said number

(01:53:39):
two is Ohios Take correct, Yes, number two Ohio State.
They are three point underdogs in that game. So we'll
see what happens. But I'm excited. I am trying to be.
I don't know what kind of fan of you are,
of whatever teams you're a fan of, Jonathan, but there's
like confident we're gonna win every game fan, And I
am like Debbie Downer, I feel like something's gonna go wrong,

(01:54:00):
and I feel like justifiably so, as the Long Wars
haven't won a national championship since two thousand and five, and.

Speaker 3 (01:54:07):
They made the three they made.

Speaker 2 (01:54:08):
Hey, come on, man, nobody wants to know about you
and suckling when you were suckling from your mother those times. Okay,
the good old days. Like a lot of disappointing seasons,
a lot of Texas is overhyped every year. I'm just
gonna say it, all right, I know it. I'm I

(01:54:29):
route for the Longhorns, went to Texas, and I just
I know more than anybody. So I get worried. I
get worried, like when is the other shoe going to drop?
When are they going to disappoint me? That's the kind
of Texas football fan I am.

Speaker 4 (01:54:41):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:54:42):
During game days and the live time, I'm very realistic.
I'm very excited. I'm very enthusiastic, But just like during
the weeks, for whatever reason, like Sundays through Fridays, I'm
just like, oh, you A're gonna lose in this wink.
That's my drive, that's my droopy dog. So I'm excited,
but I'm nervous. And last thing I got for you

(01:55:04):
guys is the w n A.

Speaker 4 (01:55:07):
W n b A.

Speaker 9 (01:55:07):
I know we don't, but I do want to address
how they're not They don't have voicing about case another.
You haven't heard a sex toal had felt on the court? Well,
somebody threw it, yes, but another one got thrown another
one at the versus the game of Golden State at
Valkyries and Chicago Sky Why is this happening? And Sky

(01:55:29):
Center Elizabeth Williams came then total reporters. It's very disrespectful.
I don't know at the point of it, whoever's doing it.
This just needs to grow up, and for once in
a wa NBA stance, I do agree with this. This
is really upsurd because any it just demoralizes us our
women as well.

Speaker 3 (01:55:43):
Right, Yeah, they counting they're getting arrested for this to
the fans.

Speaker 9 (01:55:47):
Don't Actually I didn't read anything about the fans getting
in trouble. So that's another thing that w n b
A has to get hold of, because every sports league,
major sports league, when this thing's happened, like recently with
that guy the Diamondbacks was.

Speaker 2 (01:55:59):
Now this has happened on football games A couple of times.
But this is these are incidents. These are piling up
with the w NBA.

Speaker 9 (01:56:04):
Right yeah, now it's now, it's gonna be a probably
gonna get more headlines and probably gonna keep happening.

Speaker 3 (01:56:09):
Honestly, how are these people getting these into the games.

Speaker 9 (01:56:13):
It doesn't seem like the half tysons Kate, That's what
I'm saying. It doesn't seem that seems like anybody could
just walk into these room.

Speaker 2 (01:56:17):
Word did you use to describe the security? Anyways, that's
the news. Okay, all right, we're gonna take a break
on that. On that note, you're on Sports Talk seven
ninety ros V Real with you Jonathan Allen as well.
Adam Wexer's joining at one o'clock. You guys can get in.
Phone lines are open at seven one three two one

(01:56:38):
two five seven ninety. I'm gonna make another plea if
you'd like to follow my Instagram. I would really appreciate it.
At Sports RV. Look, I started pimping mine and then
Matt got all jealous that I was getting followers, so
he started pimping his. So if you really want to
put Matt down, it would really help me out. You
can follow me on Instagram at sports RV even trying
to upload more content and quite frankly build it up

(01:57:02):
because we're doing influencer initiatives up here at iHeartMedia. So
if you want to do me a solid look, you
can mute me right after.

Speaker 3 (01:57:08):
I don't care.

Speaker 2 (01:57:08):
Follow me on Instagram at sports RVR. Quick break here
we'll talk some more sports. We'll have Adam Wexer joining
us up at one o'clock. It is the Matt Thomas
Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. With you until two
o'clock here on Sports Talk seven ninety twelve fifty two.
Here on a Sports Talk seven ninety to Matt Thomas

(01:57:29):
Show with Ross Matt Thomas. We've got Adam Wexer joining
us in a couple of minutes. We're gonna talk full
number one Longhorns football for one hour. I think okay,
maybe we won't do that. We might talk some mass stros.
We've got a lot of stuff going on to get to.
If you'd like to get in, you can seven one
three two one two five seven ninety is your phone

(01:57:49):
number seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
Jk Allen running it through the top five of the
Coaches Preseason Top twenty five poll. In the last segment,
Texas Longhorns again. I will say I was surprised to
see that they have not started the season number one

(01:58:09):
ever in the history of the college football preseason poll
or a college football coaches poll. That's pretty crazy. They
are number one with twenty eight first place votes. Then
you have Ohio State second. They have twenty first place votes.
Penn State got fourteen. Interesting Georgia with three first place votes.

(01:58:30):
Clemson has two first place votes. They are in sixth. No,
this is you boys.

Speaker 9 (01:58:35):
I will cut you off because you brought this up
the other day about Notre Dame always being up here
and I'd still and it kind of rose in around
it wrong way because they're not even in a conference
still right.

Speaker 3 (01:58:47):
No, they're not.

Speaker 2 (01:58:48):
But they generally have a pretty difficult schedule. I mean
they have I'll go looking. I don't know what their
schedule is here, but they play at USC every year.

Speaker 3 (01:58:57):
They play.

Speaker 2 (01:59:02):
Is it Michigan or something.

Speaker 3 (01:59:03):
I'll hold on.

Speaker 2 (01:59:04):
Let me let me pull up their schedule before I
start completely pulling stuff there. They have, they played Notre
they play Miami, they play A and m Purdue, Arkansas man,
they got a tough schedule. Actually this year, generally, year
in and year out, they are going to have a
pretty difficult schedule. So while I understand Notre Dame doesn't

(01:59:26):
have a conference and people want to get all mad
at them about that, yeah, look at this Miami A
and m Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State, NC State, Okay, that's
not great, but USC in general over the years very good. Pittsburgh, Syracuse,
Stanford is the rest. So yeah, they play a tough schedule.

(01:59:49):
What were you gonna say, Jonathan, You just think that
they because they don't have a conference, they should be discounted.

Speaker 9 (01:59:54):
No, I was just thinking about how you were talking
about that not too long ago, just about how Texas
gets held today standard about the nil and like breaming
plan and not winning, how Matt was how much the
huge disappointment.

Speaker 2 (02:00:05):
Yes, yes, when I was screaming at Matt, so I
was like, yeah, Notre Dame hasn't won a championship since
I think nineteen ninety two.

Speaker 3 (02:00:13):
So I'm just this is the thing, and.

Speaker 2 (02:00:18):
It's just that there are all these different programs and
I had written a list that I probably since deleted.
They they in their mind, their alumni groups are like,
we need to be winning the championship at least every
year or every other year. And once you start listing
all the teams that feel this way and feel like
they need to be winning, then you're up to like
fifteen teams, and well, if each of them won and

(02:00:41):
took turns, that would be fifteen years have gone by.
So I understand that it's difficult, but what Alabama was
able to do and this is why Nick Saban is
the greatest coach of all time in my opinion. With
the scholarship limits that they've had, the amount of times
that he was able to win a national championship, and
the standard that he set, you're never gonna have anything
like that again, I don't think, especially the way the

(02:01:03):
NIL you have Texas spending ungodly amounts of money, then
you have like the random Texas Tech popping into their
Ohio state, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Miami spending a ton of
money and wanting to win, Michigan winning one recently and
fancying themselves as a team that needs to be and
even teams that don't necessarily win championships every year but

(02:01:23):
their fan bases think they should be in it like
the Florida's and the Tennessee is of the world.

Speaker 3 (02:01:27):
Texas A and M. It's hard out there.

Speaker 4 (02:01:30):
Man.

Speaker 2 (02:01:31):
Only one team out of the twelve wins a championship
that make the playoffs, and eventually it's going to go
to sixteen teams. One out of sixteen is making it
to sixteen. They haven't done that officially yet, but I
think it's gonna happen in the next couple of years.
At least to my knowledge, that'd be fine. Actually I'm
looking up, but you are preseason number one. You've spent

(02:01:52):
ungodly amounts of money both in transfer portal and in recruiting,
and people say, yeah, there are gonna be people in
the alumni base of Texas long words, they're gonna say,
if Steve Sarkising does not win a championship in the
next three years, he needs to be out There are
people calling for Ryan Day's head when in the old
system of Ohio State wouldn't even have been in the

(02:02:13):
in the playoff and they won it all.

Speaker 3 (02:02:16):
So it's just tough.

Speaker 2 (02:02:17):
That's the only thing I try to preach everybody in
this day and age is championship or bus championship or
bus rings rings, rings, rings, rings, or you're a failure.

Speaker 3 (02:02:25):
And I just don't see it that way.

Speaker 2 (02:02:27):
And I'm not saying that just because the Texas Longhorns
are preseason number one. I've been consistent about this, especially
when it comes to college football when you have so
many different teams that are getting into the mix. But
this is the way that sports discourse has gone. If
you're not winning at all, you're a loser and you
need to be fired. That's just how it is. I

(02:02:49):
just I just don't I just don't get with those
that that line of thinking. All right, time for a
quick break. The man himself, Adam Wexler is here. He
is actually here on time. I appreciate that, not all
the them to do that. But anyways, we're going to
take quick break. One hour to go the Bad Thamas Show.
Adam Wexer is in the building. You want to get in,
you can seven one three two one two five seven
ninety is the phone number. Seven one three two one

(02:03:10):
two five seven nine.

Speaker 18 (02:03:12):
Now Sports Talk seven ninety Weather powered by Generator Supercenter,
the nation's number one Generac dealer.

Speaker 2 (02:03:19):
Your News Radio seven forty fore Cast partly cloudy with
storms this afternoon high eighty seven, partly cloudy tonight low
seventy seven.

Speaker 16 (02:03:26):
This report is sponsored by Payday. Hardworking people need a
hardworking candy bar packed with peanuts and filled with golden caramel.
Payday is definitely working hard for you, So grab one
now to power you through the day. Payday peanut caramel bar,
get to it.

Speaker 2 (02:03:43):
Lenny went to college and racked up huge.

Speaker 16 (02:03:45):
Debt, a little bit over one hundred thousand dollars for.

Speaker 2 (02:03:47):
A degree he couldn't use. Now what, I had a
friend that went to my computer career.

Speaker 19 (02:03:51):
They even helped him get hired immediately after graduation.

Speaker 2 (02:03:54):
One of the things I love about ideas that you
can work from anywhere you want.

Speaker 19 (02:03:57):
You could become an IT pro in just months, including
cybersecurity and the basics of AI with zero experience at
my computer career, dot Edu, my computer career, an Elite
comme tea certification partner.

Speaker 13 (02:04:09):
It worked for me, and I know it can work
for you.

Speaker 19 (02:04:11):
This is one student's experience Individual results Bury.

Speaker 18 (02:04:13):
Hey, if your refrigerator is broken or your ice maker's
not producing ice, called Uptown of plants repair at two
eight one, seven, five, eight, nine nine seven eight. Getting
work done right the first time with complete customer satisfaction.
Get everything working in your home properly with Uptunnel Plants
Repair at Uptonnal Plants Repair dot com.

Speaker 20 (02:04:31):
You still got it, but your immune system weakens as
you age, making it harder to fight flu neumacacal pneumonia,
RSV and COVID nineteen. As your doctor a pharmacist, which
vaccines you need? Sponsored by Pfizer.

Speaker 2 (02:04:45):
Listen up.

Speaker 21 (02:04:45):
Class at Academy Sports and Outdoors. School isn't just pencils
and planners. It's football gear that says I'd tackle like
a freight train. It's still say yes, ma'am. A backpack
that says I'm going places and so it's my swag
or a pair of joints that say I'm lightning on
the court and fire in the hallway.

Speaker 3 (02:05:01):
Now that's a fun first day score.

Speaker 21 (02:05:03):
Undefeatable prices on new gear for the new year at
Academy Sports and Outdoors. Plus get up to twenty five
percent off Nike clothes and shoes for a limited time
because at Academy, fun can't lose.

Speaker 22 (02:05:13):
Hey, if you're listening to me right now, I have
one thing every business needs most attention.

Speaker 3 (02:05:19):
Think about it.

Speaker 22 (02:05:20):
We swipe and scroll past stuff all day, but when
we're driving, cooking, and working out, we're also listening.

Speaker 2 (02:05:26):
That's the magic of audio.

Speaker 22 (02:05:27):
At iHeart, we're in your next customer's ears while they're
living life and listening just like you are right now.
So get your customers to listen up today using radio,
digital and podcasts. Visit Iheartadvertising dot com. That's Iheartadvertising dot com.

Speaker 23 (02:05:43):
If old spice, deep seasuperhydration, body washwom music, what would
it sound like? Start with the deep sounds of old spices,
ocean waves and kelp.

Speaker 2 (02:05:51):
Later on the.

Speaker 23 (02:05:52):
Smooth, renewing Western you wouldn't hear any pair bins or
thalltes because old spicey.

Speaker 2 (02:05:57):
Hour number four Yeah, four out of four are the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Here on
Sports Talk seven ninety it is without Matt Thomas, but
it is with Adam Wexler.

Speaker 3 (02:06:12):
Coming in early, which I do appreciate. I know I'm
interrupting his time of watching the.

Speaker 2 (02:06:17):
AX Throwing Championships, which apparently they do warm up throws
for this or is this do they do throws to
see who throws first? It's just summer league, okay.

Speaker 3 (02:06:25):
Is that the summer league acts throwing? It doesn't matter
as much.

Speaker 14 (02:06:28):
Have you done this before? I have not done as
I know you go to events where it's offered.

Speaker 3 (02:06:32):
Yes, but I have.

Speaker 14 (02:06:34):
I have ax thrown.

Speaker 2 (02:06:35):
I mean I've thrown a cushion, one that had velcrow
on it. I don't think that really counts this.

Speaker 3 (02:06:40):
Yeah, I know there was.

Speaker 14 (02:06:41):
Our badges got a fire and hard enough to get
into the target made of wood.

Speaker 2 (02:06:44):
I've done it ninety four percent bulls eye percentage.

Speaker 3 (02:06:47):
I would hope.

Speaker 14 (02:06:48):
So my god, I mean, they're not gonna show us
the guys that are in the thirties now. I don't
think you're gonna make it to ESPN, the OHO.

Speaker 2 (02:06:53):
These guys are pretty good, all right. Well, anyways, they're
throwing bulls eyes. We're gonna talk about anything shaping but
ax throwing here on the Battoba Show with Ross without
Matt Thomas. Phone lines open and available for you at
seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
to one three two one two five seven nine ext.
Tweets to at sports RV at Adam J. Wexler A

(02:07:16):
number of things to get two X but of course,
we have to start off with your Texas Longhorns number
one in the coaches poll. Could you believe that they
have never been number one in the preseason coaches poll.

Speaker 14 (02:07:28):
Ever, it's amazing, very a lot of wins in program history,
one of the all time winningest programs. They do have
national titles. It's been a bit since they've grabbed one.

Speaker 2 (02:07:38):
But yeah, it is a little bit surprising.

Speaker 14 (02:07:40):
I don't find it very surprising that it accidentally worked
out this way. Opening weekend of the season features who
number one versus number two.

Speaker 2 (02:07:50):
I think that's kind of not an accident either. I'm
with you, but whatever, Uh, Texas number five all time
and wins. I remember the good old day when they
were number one.

Speaker 14 (02:07:59):
There with striking distance of rising up the ladder, don't
you think.

Speaker 3 (02:08:02):
Nine to sixty one?

Speaker 2 (02:08:03):
Michigan has the most with thousand and twelve Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama,
Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma. That's pretty good. Listen, good college programs.
And today, all right, okay, maybe we're not really gonna
lead with this. We had all the the tread deadline wicks.
We're all super excited. They've got Carlos Correa back, he's
in Boston. He's taking on Alex Bragman and Alex Cora,

(02:08:26):
and the Astros are ready to go. The lineup is
all juiced, and they score five runs over the weekend.

Speaker 14 (02:08:33):
Yeah, there was a lot more love for the name
and the jersey rather than twenty twenty five Carlos Corea
and twenty twenty five Hey Su Sanchez, for that matter,
obviously was in the lineup all weekend. They added players
that made the twenty twenty five Astros offense on paper better.
But these guys weren't having bang up seasons. These guys

(02:08:53):
weren't on a roll. These guys weren't Oh my gosh,
it's gonna turn everything around. And they both actually, you know,
you got the first home for Korea. Sanchez had a
couple of hits, and Astros special on the base paths.
They're not gonna turn this offense around. If that's what
people were expecting, they should make it a little bit
less likely to have weekends like this as often. But yeah,

(02:09:14):
their very first weekend, it looked exactly like the same
offense that was struggling to score runs when they left town.
Five runs in three games against you know, Boston's clearly
been playing good baseball, but the same thing that's plagued
them before those guys got here plagued them, specifically in
the Saturday game. The Astros in twenty twenty five have
not suffered from a shortage of base runners. They've been

(02:09:36):
one of the league's best hitting teams in terms of
batting average, which means runners are on. They also drew
a bunch of walks all weekend long, but they don't
have any slug They don't hit doubles, then they don't
hit enough homers, and so nobody makes it around the
bases to home plate. The numbers are all there for you.
Over this about month and a half time where they've
clearly fallen back to the pack, there was an opportunity

(02:09:58):
to you know, sit fairly firmly in the two spot
in the Al, sit fairly firmly atop this division. And
obviously the drama has been ratcheted up right here on
your home for Astros baseball over the next two months.

Speaker 2 (02:10:09):
This is what happens when you take Cooper Hummel out
of the lineup. He was hot, hitting his home runs
and whatnot. Although I think he got to pinch hit
Abe yesterday. But no, I'm excited about Sam. I mean,
especially Sanchez's numbers are really good against right handed pitching,
so I'm excited about him. Carey has been a lot
better since the first month of the season, so I'm
still excited about him shoring up the lineup.

Speaker 3 (02:10:30):
We'll see when Jordan gets.

Speaker 2 (02:10:31):
Back, but this as as they get healthier with Pinion back,
and we'll see what happens with the hamstring injury. Never
heard of a guy getting a hamstring injury, coming back
into the lineup and then being totally okay.

Speaker 14 (02:10:44):
Cramp, I mean it was in his hamstring. No, he
didn't hurt his hamstring. Well, a cramp hurts, It hurt,
but his hamstring is fine. Okay, are you sure he
played yesterday?

Speaker 2 (02:10:54):
Didn't he? I saw not well. He said Paradus came
back from his hamstring injury, and then what happened?

Speaker 14 (02:10:59):
Then he hurt the other hand.

Speaker 2 (02:11:00):
He's going then he's going full off twelve hours in
the smoke or off the bone.

Speaker 3 (02:11:03):
It's not good.

Speaker 2 (02:11:04):
I'm not feeling great about it, Okay, i'd I don't
want to hear the word hamstring from anybody for the
rest of the season.

Speaker 3 (02:11:11):
So yes, he should be good.

Speaker 2 (02:11:12):
He's younger, he's in better shape, and he saw No,
he's not young, he's not younger.

Speaker 14 (02:11:17):
You think he saw Paratis's multiple hamstrings while running to
first injury. He hurt each of them this year. You
think they have anything to do with him being less
than ideal body shape?

Speaker 3 (02:11:26):
Possibly?

Speaker 14 (02:11:27):
I can't rule it out. I mean, I mean, I
don't know. I don't think it's related.

Speaker 3 (02:11:33):
Do you God, do you think it's not?

Speaker 4 (02:11:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 14 (02:11:35):
Maybe it could be guys hurt hamstring and guys do
hurt hamstrings. They guys hurt hamstring, ming very strong, hitting
the weight room.

Speaker 3 (02:11:43):
I don't know. I am not his orthopedist.

Speaker 14 (02:11:47):
Didn't hurt his hams hamstring.

Speaker 2 (02:11:48):
It's more likely to hurt their hamstring a guy who
is in better shape or a guy who's not in
good shape. I don't know.

Speaker 14 (02:11:53):
I would say, how about it's knowing your limits?

Speaker 2 (02:11:55):
Okay? What does that mean?

Speaker 3 (02:11:57):
Like running slower? Aren't you supposed to full run it? Armer?

Speaker 2 (02:12:00):
No matter what?

Speaker 14 (02:12:01):
Like you give it your all, your pete rose it,
you give it, you said it correct, You give it
your all?

Speaker 2 (02:12:05):
Oh your don't one?

Speaker 14 (02:12:07):
But they tell you to go one hundred and you,
of all people, you know there's no such thing. You
would never let that fly. Why do you give more
than a hundred.

Speaker 2 (02:12:13):
There's only a hundred? I know, I know.

Speaker 3 (02:12:15):
Okay, so then what are you supposed to give? Ninety
seven percent percentage?

Speaker 14 (02:12:19):
No more hurt than they were going into the weekend?

Speaker 4 (02:12:22):
Payin.

Speaker 14 (02:12:22):
You should be in the lineup today, and bad and
lead off. The same orders should be available to you.
I can make this conversation continue down the negative path.
If you want to know which team has the most
wins in baseball over the last forty days?

Speaker 2 (02:12:34):
Yeah, is it the Marlins? I know they've won what
like nine of their last eleven something like that.

Speaker 14 (02:12:38):
We have two teams with twenty three wins over the
last forty days. The Astros have sixteen. That's how the
Marlins are back at five hundred.

Speaker 2 (02:12:46):
Let me pull up.

Speaker 3 (02:12:47):
Let me pull up the game logs for mister al Kantara.

Speaker 14 (02:12:51):
His era is still well above six. Well, it's not
had a good season.

Speaker 2 (02:12:55):
Last two times out combined twelve innings and no earned
runs given up.

Speaker 14 (02:12:59):
Looks like he said to the Marlins, I know what
you want to do, and I want it to I'm
gonna pitch my way off this roster and it still
didn't work.

Speaker 2 (02:13:07):
Okay, well he's still on the roster, so now he's
gonna he's gonna revert back. He's gonna give up like
six earned runs and we're gonna be feeling good. Is
that what you're telling me? I don't think it.

Speaker 14 (02:13:14):
You know, look at who they went against these last
three days, Chriswell and Giolito and Walker awful Vieler. It
didn't really matter who they were facing. It's it's more
on them. Well, they don't run into a great pitcher.
They just are who they are, and anybody can become
a great pitcher. You saw two of those three guys
have their best starts of the season. Best start of
the season for Giolito yesterday, best start of the season

(02:13:34):
for Kriswell on Friday.

Speaker 2 (02:13:36):
It's not them.

Speaker 3 (02:13:37):
How many times?

Speaker 2 (02:13:38):
How many times have they an't give the guys? It
was the same thing with that guy j T. Gen
from the from the A from the A's There has
been like fifteen guys. It feels like you've gotten their
best start of the season against this lineup, but the
line up supposed to be better.

Speaker 3 (02:13:51):
You you started Hunter Brown and.

Speaker 2 (02:13:53):
From Raveldez and you miss Crochet and you got all
these guys in the lineup, and you got swept.

Speaker 14 (02:14:00):
Only gave up fifteen runs, they only scored five. They
just clearly the extra inning game on Friday was very winnable.
They were in position. They gave outs away three different
times in that game. And I don't think the cam
Smith out on the base pass was alarming. You sent
him on a hit and run, the guy flew out
to short outfield and he got doubled off. The other

(02:14:20):
two are very inexcusable expected in al Twoveay's case.

Speaker 2 (02:14:23):
Justlous there.

Speaker 14 (02:14:26):
He just decided his own out. And then Sanchez, I
don't know why he's rounding second and stopping and then say, oh,
why don't I just head on over the third and
get thrown out by a mile in the first inning
of the game. Well, you're already in scoring position, very
very unnecessary.

Speaker 3 (02:14:39):
Well, he's fitting in nicely. And then he also.

Speaker 2 (02:14:43):
Didn't he throw a ball home when he shouldn't have
at some point too, Sanchez over the weekend, Well, okay,
they I mean some point.

Speaker 14 (02:14:51):
I mean I don't know if we're going to do
this all day. No, but we'll pile on this segment.

Speaker 2 (02:14:54):
No, I don't want to, Okay, hold on it.

Speaker 14 (02:14:57):
Well, the last set more seconds Boston and Boston's gonna
get both from ber Valdez.

Speaker 2 (02:15:03):
And Hunter Brown. The Astros are in good shape.

Speaker 14 (02:15:05):
Well, they've lost each of the last two starts for
both of their aces. And on the days of the races,
don't pitch Jason Alexander, TBA and TBA. That's who's pitching
in the next three days. We know one of the Tvas.
It's Eric ery Getty, who has thrown twice two games
at the major league level this year.

Speaker 2 (02:15:24):
He's ready enjoy it.

Speaker 3 (02:15:26):
He's uh well, at least he doesn't ever rack up
high pitch counts. So we should be fine.

Speaker 2 (02:15:29):
I'll go deep in the game. All right, Fine, we're
gonna take a break. We're gonna be more positive, I promise.
How are we feeling about the Astros losing to Boston
over the week, and we can get into some Texan stuff.
We're talking, of course the college football Pull your Texas
long horns. Okay, I know they're probably not your Texas
long horns are number one there. We can talk about
anything you want to get to seven one three two

(02:15:50):
one two five seven ninety. Is the phone number seven
one three two one two five seven ninety. Did you
get out for the Houston Astros in the place as
they take on the Miami Marlins every day? Maybe not?
Maybe on the bus ride back to the hotel Victory
bus ride. I like that feeling comment in Jason Alexander.

Speaker 14 (02:16:14):
Not too confident in Jason Alexander. The first game he pitched,
when he started, I was watching him and like, I
can't They're gonna tear this guy up. This guy is
gonna be awful. That was the game he pitched. Well, yes,
and since then it's been much more of what I
expected when I saw his major league pitches. Are coming
back next week, one more rehabs before he returns. And

(02:16:37):
honestly about the Tuesday Wednesday games, I don't really even
think it's there's much to debate. I mean, Hunter Brown's
you don't want to kill the guy. He's he's got
to pitch on a certain day, and you know, Eric Gett,
he's got to kind of work around that, so that
the timing of those should almost have to be the
two guys that pitch Tuesday and Wednesday because who else
is there when you trade away Ryan Gusto at the deadline,

(02:17:00):
and that was not an area of strength. You can
say it's an area of good quantity, but I know
what the situation as I get it. When you're Dana Brown,
I think it's a huge, huge risk. I mean, he
went into the deadline with six starting pitchers expecting to
return to the Astros six this year, this month. Arguably

(02:17:20):
all six could return, So I understand it, But how
do you know how many of them are gonna pitch?
Probably besides Brandon Walter, and he's the one you might
know the least about regarding when he returns. He pitched
well in twenty twenty five at the major league level.
I feel confident when he returns, if he's healthy, he
will do so again. But how could you feel confident
about any of the other pitchers, including Lance and the

(02:17:41):
four who have been out for months. They're gonna be back,
but you're banking on them returning and pitching well, because
now when they don't, or if they don't to be
fair well, then what you have not added anybody who
you have confidence in. You gotta give the ball to
other people. Brown and Valdez are gonna start twenty games.
The rest of the way, you got thirty other games.

Speaker 2 (02:18:03):
I think it's like, yeah, we'll go with those guys
and then we'll figure everything else out, because I don't
think this is necessarily the plan as much it was, well,
they're asking for arraghetti in three prospects for Cese. Who
knows what was happening with the Alcntara negotiations or whatever
starters they were trying to go to. And it was like, well,

(02:18:24):
Plan B or maybe even playing C is hope these
guys come back and a couple of them are effective,
And I think that's what planned the Dana had.

Speaker 4 (02:18:31):
To go to.

Speaker 14 (02:18:32):
Yeah, and the other question you ask is, well, was
there another left handed bat, quality left handed bat that
might not have cost you Ryan Gusto. You know, Ryan
Gusta was going to be a major league last year.
He made the team out of spring training this year,
and of all the guys that they've used in varying
roles pitching wise, he's the one I find most promising
for the future, and he came off of his finest start.

(02:18:53):
Those are the kind of starts that have held this together.
Every once in a while, they needed somebody else to
give them six innings. He gave them six innings, only
allowed one run. You're gonna win those games, and they did,
and then he had to be used. I understand it again.
You gave something to get something you got. As you've
said multiple times, since they acquired Hayesu Sanchez, they see
a ton of right handed pitching because of who they

(02:19:14):
employ as batters, and now they have a left handed
batter in the line up. Prior to Alvarez's return, that's,
you know, probably an eight to twenty You could expect
him to hit eight twenty ops against. You expect him
to get on base to drive in runs. Now he's
absolute total, unbelievable major league disaster against left handed pitching.

Speaker 2 (02:19:31):
But we don't likely have to see that.

Speaker 14 (02:19:33):
So it could you have gotten a different outfielder that
bats left handed, probably and it might not have cost
you Gusto, but it's very unlikely he would have been
as strong a hitter against left handed pitching as Sanchez is.
And Danna felt like improving the offense, which we don't
know about the shot in the arm they're going to
get because we're still uncertain about Jordan's return. Very uncertain

(02:19:56):
about the timeline on Jake Myers's return. I don't know
that anybody else, it's not currently there, is going to
make much of an impact with them offensively.

Speaker 2 (02:20:04):
And what about a guy who, I mean, we feels
like we talk about the least, but also I know
he hasn't provided much. But as far as his injury,
blister blister man Lance mcckeller junior, what's the latest with him,
what's going on there?

Speaker 14 (02:20:19):
I think he's a rehab start away. It's just a matter.
I think it's only a one rehab start ramp up
issue for him. But he's got to obviously start throwing
and continue to throwing, so he's capable of at least
going on a rehab start. He's eligible to come off
the IL as fifteen days have been spent there. He
went on on the twentieth. We're here at the fourth,
but it's not imminent. And even in his case, he

(02:20:41):
just slams home that point even harder about the effectiveness.
He was not effective at the major league level this year,
and now he's likely to get more starts to the
rest of the way because you don't have the options
you'd like. JP Franz Spence, Arigatti, Christian Xavier and Luis Garcia.
They all threw over the last week's time for an
additional appearance. You know, aarraghetty is he's he's in. He's

(02:21:02):
gonna be in Miami. He's pitching for them this series
and we'll start finding out what exactly you'll get. I
like that he has a little track record from last
year and he had one of two good starts. He's
bat in five hundred as a starting pitcher, one good start,
one bad. We'll tip it and then the proper scale
and he'll be two out of three. Yeah, on Tuesday
or Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (02:21:21):
It'll be interesting as far.

Speaker 2 (02:21:22):
I don't want to say like the growing pains because
it's August, but it is for a lot of these
guys who haven't thrown a whole lot of starts. But
if you can get Ragedty back and yeah, he's in
a ramp up period. What do you throw seven fresh
seventy exactly fresh seventy nine pitches his last time out,
which that can be like three innings for him, the
way that he kind of racks them up a similar
way to lancebu Color's junior has always had I'm actually

(02:21:45):
stealing feeling pretty good, honestly. And and no, you don't
know when anybody's gonna have a setback, but we've already
seen them from anybody, I mean a Hunter, Hunter Brown
or could.

Speaker 3 (02:21:56):
Get hurt at some point. It is possible. No, it's not.

Speaker 2 (02:22:00):
It could be. It could happen at some point. You
never know what's gonna happen. If these guys are going
through up their ramp up in their rehabs.

Speaker 4 (02:22:07):
And I know we have this like.

Speaker 2 (02:22:09):
Pitching injury PTSD this year because at one point what
they had like eight starters on the IL. I of course,
I'm with you. It's not a good plan A, it's
not a good plan B. But it's the plan they got.
And if your top two guys stay healthy and just
two of the other guys can be good, that's enough
to me to win the American League West and just

(02:22:30):
to win some playoff series.

Speaker 4 (02:22:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (02:22:31):
I had a discussion about this yesterday. It's obvious from
the standings two and a half games back, that's where
Seattle sits. Four and a half games back, that's where
the Rangers sit. I feel like the answer is obvious
based on the numbers. I just gave you which team
is more concerning? Is it hard to answer that? It
seems very easy to answer. I would stick with the Mariners.

Speaker 2 (02:22:50):
Some are trying to say the Rangers, but I think
especially with the movies the Mariners made and how good
their lineup is now, I'm sticking with them. I'm with you,
and I'm Meryl.

Speaker 14 (02:22:58):
Kelly pitch very well in his first start for the Rangers,
and they have the top three in the rotation. That's
as good as anybody in baseball. But they're just not
as good as the Mariners. I don't think they're as
good as the astros so, and you have six games
against them remaining, so that can go a long way.
If you take care of business there, then they're not
going to catch you with what's left in the schedule.
Most likely, you got three left with the Mariners. That's
one series. It could all be different after this coming

(02:23:20):
series if they continue to win. And they also took
care of the Rangers this past weekend three times in
four games. I like their lineup a lot one through six.
There's fourteen other teams in the American League. The other
nine of those are in the hunt. Do any of
them have a better one through six in their batting
order than what the Mariners put out there every day.

Speaker 2 (02:23:39):
I don't think so. Yeah, it's kind of crazy that
they we talk about this and the disaster weekend that
was after the moves it got made, all the pitching
injuries and everything, and you're two and a half games
back from a one seed.

Speaker 14 (02:23:55):
YEP in the American League. Everything is still I mean,
I don't want to go erin. It's right in front
of us. Man that is this all time favorite line.
He can't stop saying it this year as they drop
out of the fourth wildcard spot. But yeah, all this losing,
the Astros are a little bit under five hundred for
a little over a month, and they're still two and
a half games up, and they're still within striking distance

(02:24:15):
of not needing to see themselves in the wild card series.
All while they're not only not playing, they're not winning.
They're not playing good baseball. Not having offense or not
pitching well, and both have happened is one thing. But
playing poorly doing things you don't normally do, making mistakes,
you're just simply you know, not making plays. You got
a guy learning a new position, Carlos Korea and as

(02:24:38):
soon as he learns third base. On Friday, he played
shortstop in his first game back with the Astros because
Jeremy Payne, you had to come out for extra inning
exact they finished off the ninth thing and he was
back at shortstop with Pinya returning or out of the
lineup on Saturday. You're going to be good defensively, and
he's going to be very good over at third base.
And I think that it's going to be almost immediate,

(02:25:00):
but there's going to be some times where it's not perfect.
But it doesn't even matter. He has to hit, and
Joe Spot is telling everybody that by batting him clean up.

Speaker 2 (02:25:11):
Yeah, I think he will like I think it was
like a seven to sixty three ops. Since May he
gets back, he talked about his approach is a little
bit different or swinging.

Speaker 3 (02:25:20):
His excuse I want to say, excuse.

Speaker 2 (02:25:22):
Well, his reason you want to call it excuse you can,
was that he was working with some different batting coaches
in Minnesota. So he's back here with some guys that
he's comfortable with. I feel okay that the bat from
Carlos Kore is going to justify, especially if and when
you get fully healthy with jord On Alvarez coming back,
justify being in the four or five spot around Christian Walker,

(02:25:45):
who's showing some signs of life here and there. Yeah,
andar Diez, who's not having a horrible season anymore, at
least getting his OPS creeping up to seven hundred. And
you're gonna have seven eight guys with an OPS seven
hundred and above in this lineup, and that should be
enough to to manufacture some runs.

Speaker 14 (02:26:01):
Just have to figure out how to get the hits
at the right time. Saturday had a ton of bas runners,
never got the hit they needed. Correa was up in
that instance with the bases loaded and struck out. Looking
had three hits in his first three games, drove one
over the fence, absolutely destroyed that baseball, which is something
this team is certainly going to need. But uh, they
just they haven't really put it all together offensively, and
I think we know a lot of the reasons why.

(02:26:23):
But yeah, like you said about Carlos back together with
the Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic hitting coach Alex Sintra, Yes,
everything should be a great.

Speaker 3 (02:26:30):
Guy, all right.

Speaker 2 (02:26:32):
Uh, there was an opinion I gave on to tell
the truth earlier today that I did not believe, but
I don't think it's crazy. I'm going to present it
to Adam Wexer when we come back. You guys can
also get in talk some Astros. Seven to one three
two one two five seven ninety is the phone number
seven one three two one two five seven nighty. It
is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas

(02:26:53):
with Adam Wexer with you until two o'clock here on
Sports Talk seven nights. Put yourself an.

Speaker 8 (02:26:59):
Do that guy?

Speaker 4 (02:27:00):
Know you can yourself? Will? This also be.

Speaker 2 (02:27:11):
On the postgame playlist for the Astros. How old after
a victory in Miami? It gets the people going though?
Wait is this from nineteen seventy five?

Speaker 14 (02:27:23):
I mean, I know it's the opening night of the
road trip, though's you know? And so their second night
in Miami because they got there yesterday, they are they
in a celebratory mood, you know, win or lose, but
presuming they win, are they going to enjoy South Beach
tonight in advance of Tuesday's game? Do they enjoy South
Beast Tuesday night in front of Wednesday's earlier start and

(02:27:44):
fly back to Houston or fly back to New York.

Speaker 2 (02:27:46):
What do you do all nights?

Speaker 3 (02:27:48):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:27:49):
It sounds now Miami bars used to close it like
three or four am, right, and then I think they
recently passed a law. Now that's back to two am,
which is normal for most people familiar with that. So
you're saying there, so they didn't party too hard? I
guess not. Maybe?

Speaker 4 (02:28:04):
All right?

Speaker 2 (02:28:04):
Normal two o'clock time, two o'clock, very time. What's it
a six forty first pitch of their time? Five forty
here on Sports Talk seven ninety with the Astros on
deck coming up with I don't know, some combination of
the atoms.

Speaker 14 (02:28:16):
Let's usually we both just hang.

Speaker 2 (02:28:17):
Okay, they both just hang for that's a I'm not listening. Sorry,
that's coming up at four thirty here on Sports Talk
seven ninety. All right, so I mentioned earlier today wex
are you familiar with the to Tell the Truth segment
on the Matt.

Speaker 14 (02:28:30):
Thomas Show with super confusing because I'm not a smart person,
but I understand the premise we can say four things
and one of them is not true.

Speaker 3 (02:28:38):
Yes, yes, it's very convinced.

Speaker 2 (02:28:41):
It's very not confusing, and a great bit by Matt
Thomas that we use here when even when he was out. Okay,
one of the opinions I did not believe, but maybe
I could as we go along. Was that, come a
playoff time your primary catcher? Could it be Victor Carratini
over Yin Diaz a couple of pass balls over the weekend,

(02:29:02):
although I don't know how many of those were charged
to him. His six pass balls are tied for the
American League lead. He is throwing out thirteen percent of
attempted bass steelers. Yeah, we hadrase that better.

Speaker 14 (02:29:17):
A couple of On the non radio side, we had
a couple of national broadcasts and so play by play
was a national voice or a Red Sox voice, and
it was brought up a couple of times. You know,
Jiner Diaz having a tough time this year throwing out runners.
I know that people know better than to say that
that are in the game of baseball, but they say
it anyway.

Speaker 3 (02:29:36):
It's not all his fault.

Speaker 14 (02:29:37):
It did his arm break or something does he throw?
I know you have pop times and you have you know,
velocity on your throws, and I will acknowledge they aren't
exactly where they have been in his career, but it's
very marginal difference. The difference is the pitchers don't hold
runners on and everybody knows it, and I still can't
believe people won't note that when they want to rip
the Astros catchers. The Astros catchers, he is light years

(02:29:59):
better than Victor car throwing the ball down a second
base in my opinion, But it's.

Speaker 2 (02:30:03):
Not on either one of them.

Speaker 14 (02:30:04):
Guys run wild on the Astros pitching staff, and they
do it against almost all of them. Get ready for
it when Christian Javier gets wild and starts walking batters.
I walk against Xavier as a triple and I think
the Astros had better be ready for it. The pass balls?
Where was he before this year on pass balls? Had
he even had one at all in his career? Remember
that streak he went. I don't know how many career

(02:30:26):
starts without ever having one for multiple seasons. It just
has happened. Maybe he got a little lazy. He's also
played a ton way more baseball than he should have
played if not for other injuries. Because they spent six weeks,
eight weeks with Karattini and Diez in the lineup together
nearly every day. He hasn't had to catch an overly

(02:30:47):
incredible amount. But he's been in the lineup almost every
single day because so many other teammates have been hurt
and he's been healthy. I don't think you're gonna see
Victor Carrottini take over the catching dude to the point
that y owner's watching playoff games.

Speaker 2 (02:31:03):
Yeah, I'm with you. And that's why it was something
I didn't believe, because it is the er is only
throwing out thirteen percent of base dealers, but I think
it's only seventeen percent for Kartini. And I mean we
get Joe spot it on every week and it's come
up a couple times this year, and it's something they're
aware of. They know this, it's not a secret, and
they keep talking about working on it and improving from

(02:31:27):
that standpoint, and it just doesn't seem to get done.

Speaker 3 (02:31:32):
And this is something. Is it not even the first
year we've been talking about this.

Speaker 14 (02:31:35):
Yeah, I mean, keep the running game to a minimum.
And you know, the nationalism is a good example of that.
The day where CJ. Abrams got on base four times.
It didn't matter where. If he's first, he's gonna be
on second base in five seconds. First pitch second piss.
You know, the guys in the order know to give
their teammates an opportunity to, you know, get that stolen base,

(02:31:56):
even all the way to third. Heading into yesterday's Gameini
had thrown out five of forty nine attempted bass Steelers.
Diaz had thrown out seven of seventy eight. That's around
nine percent for Diaz, that's ten percent for Keratini. It's
it's a team problem. They're part of the problem, but
it is a team problem. It's also not gonna get fixed.

(02:32:17):
Nothing's gonna change in two months. The pitchers aren't gonna
start throwing home more quickly. They're not gonna start throwing
over to first more effectively. And this is a little
bit of this, and I'm sure it's league wide.

Speaker 2 (02:32:28):
Is rule changes.

Speaker 14 (02:32:29):
I mean, I know the fans like to stupidly boo
when you throw the ball over to first base.

Speaker 2 (02:32:34):
I don't know why.

Speaker 14 (02:32:34):
That's the game of being I mean, you don't like
when they're trying to this is a baseball play. You
don't like baseball plays. It's not slowing the game down. Well, now,
they can't slow the game down. And once you've thrown
over twice. Well, you're really up against it.

Speaker 3 (02:32:46):
What do you wanted to do?

Speaker 14 (02:32:47):
Intentionally balk runners over to third so they don't get
caught stealings?

Speaker 4 (02:32:50):
Wow?

Speaker 14 (02:32:50):
Have you talked about Hector Narris?

Speaker 2 (02:32:52):
We can talk about it much. We did talk about it. Yeah,
what what's going on there? First of all? Now do
Bond recently was intentionally balked over the third base because
they thought that he may be reading grips? And then
so who was on second base for the Red Sox
I don't recall. And Hector Nares intentionally bock somebody over

(02:33:13):
to third and then he wants to go ahead and
then like start fights over it.

Speaker 14 (02:33:18):
Yeah, I'm not really sure why if it's I don't
know how much it happens, but it seems like it
happens a lot because there's nothing wrong with it. The
combating it is hiding or doing what they did. If
you think you can't do the things you need to
do to prevent them from seeing it, well then you
send them to third and you take your chances when

(02:33:39):
they don't have an advanced notice on what pitching on
what pitch is coming. It's happened to the Astros. It's
happened from the Astros. It's unfortunately to me, it's unfortunate
that it is just part of the game. I don't
know Hector neris is. I mean, he flies off the
handle all the time for no reason. I also take
his time here in Houston for this third go round

(02:34:00):
is going to be rather short lived when arms are
coming on their way back. Even though technically they'll be starters.
He's one of the guys at the very end of
the list, and he'll be I mean, I don't know
about the new guys yet the pitch yet. But Nerris
has not been successful here. He was not successful with
his last team this year. He was not successful with
his first team this year. It's not a surprise. Yeah,
Trevor's story, That's who it was. As I looked it up,

(02:34:24):
walked over and it just didn't make sense. But hey, yea,
Hector and Rris does like to start stuff.

Speaker 2 (02:34:28):
I'm with you.

Speaker 3 (02:34:28):
I don't think he's going to be on the team
much longer.

Speaker 2 (02:34:33):
Neither side really saying much of anything about this happening,
but it seems like it's part of the game. And
then there was a commentator I can't remember who it
was with Hector and Nerris throwing a splitter that apparently
that's one of the grips that's easier to read in
a glove of a pitcher because they literally split fingers

(02:34:54):
so much that it makes the glove bow out, and
then you can kind of relay that to the hitter.

Speaker 3 (02:34:58):
I guess is what they're talking.

Speaker 14 (02:35:00):
Yeah, seeing, you know, relaying stuff that you can see
on a grip going back and you know, looking at
you know, tells pitch tipping.

Speaker 2 (02:35:08):
It's just the way it is wanted to get a
giant oversized glove. If you throw a splitter and they
can't read anything, gra grab an outfielders glove. Those things
are using bat Those guys are using baskets out there.
You can hide up whatever, you know, a great gate
inside those there we go, or you just balk them
over to third and get the out. He did and
that's what he did. So, yeah, that was kind of crazy,
but it also seems like it's baseball. It's something that's

(02:35:30):
been done before. Like I said, I can't remember exactly
the scenario, but it happened to Marisa Dubond getting balked
over and the bench is cleared and everybody just gets cardio.
These days, when the bench is clear, everybody just starts
running in for the bullpen.

Speaker 14 (02:35:42):
You gotta get a big fat eye roll from the
guys in the bullpen because they know nothing. They have
to go and they are, well, we gotta go.

Speaker 2 (02:35:48):
Yeah, why what do you want to stay there? And
if you're in the middle of warming up.

Speaker 14 (02:35:52):
Well, you're also late in the game, so you're probably
gonna pitch soon.

Speaker 2 (02:35:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (02:35:56):
If you're the Red Sox pitchers in the bullpen, you
had to run in for that. It's your half inning
coming up. You're gonna be gassed because you're definitely not
in shape. If you're a bullpen fish, right, you'd like
to think that.

Speaker 2 (02:36:04):
Just saunter on over slowly and then they go kind
of stand around for a little while and then go back.

Speaker 3 (02:36:09):
That's basically what happened.

Speaker 4 (02:36:10):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (02:36:11):
A whole lot of nothing. Well, a whole lot of
losing too. For the Astros at Fenway Park. This weekend,
we're gonna take another break The Mat Thomas Show with
Ross without Matt Thomas continues for one more segment. You
Got the A Team with Adam Planton and Adam Weser
Up next week, A quick break here, don't go anywhere.

(02:36:32):
Hello there back for the final segment the Mat Thomas
Show with Ross. You've heard Matt's voice talk about it
a couple of times. We will be at Twered Brewing
Friday for the show deciding if I really want to
hang out with the show. Last time, I'm gonna be

(02:36:54):
honest with you guys, I had too many beers. But
it is gonna be a Friday, so I don't know.
Maybe I'll peer pressure myself into doing it, but we're
gonna be out at the Talliared Brewing in sugar Land
for the show ten to two. We will have some
Astros tickets to give away. We'll be hanging out having
some good fun. I think last time we had some
golf passes. I cannot promise you any of that, but

(02:37:14):
normally some good prizes you can hang out.

Speaker 3 (02:37:16):
Got some good bruise.

Speaker 2 (02:37:17):
I will tell you for a fact that I had
a couple of flights of bruise from out there.

Speaker 3 (02:37:21):
I liked them all.

Speaker 2 (02:37:22):
So if you guys want to come out and say hello,
we'll be out there at Friday ten a m. To
two pm for the show, and I might have to
have a flight or so maybe two, maybe a return trip,
maybe a round trip after the show as well, So
make sure you come out and see us out there
Talliard Brewing Friday for the show in sugar Land, Matt,

(02:37:42):
we'll be back tomorrow. Right now, Adam, Wex are hanging
out with me for a couple of moments. We've done
like eighty five percent of the show and the astros.
So just for you, Wex, We're gonna go Texans mode
for a little bit again. The reports not breaking news.
Texans defense is doing better than the Texans offense.

Speaker 3 (02:38:02):
So I just want to ask you.

Speaker 2 (02:38:03):
I'm not gonna hold you to this, but I'll say
by the end of the year, Texans will have a
top blank offense in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (02:38:13):
What do you kind of base that on. I'm gonna
base it on EPA.

Speaker 2 (02:38:19):
No, I'm gonna base it on DVO eight. No, I'm
gonna base it on yard springing top about fourteen yards
per play? Sorry, yards per play.

Speaker 14 (02:38:33):
I'll say top fourteen, okay, and I think that's a
pretty nice I don't know where they were last year
in that particular category, but they didn't score enough points,
They didn't score enough in the red zone. They certainly
didn't finish those drives off with enough touchdowns. They weren't
good enough on third down, and obviously all those things
tie together. If they're top half of the league offense

(02:38:54):
and a top five of the league defense, they're gonna
win another eleven games, and they're gonna win the division again,
and they're gonna win a who playoff game among those eleven.

Speaker 2 (02:39:01):
Well, let me give you the top teams and yards
per play last year. Baltimore, Detroit, San Francisco, Tampa Bay,
Green Bay, Buffalo.

Speaker 14 (02:39:11):
SO one non playoff team, San fran Yes, so some
pretty good offenses.

Speaker 4 (02:39:16):
Yep.

Speaker 14 (02:39:16):
The Houston Texans were nineteenth. Yeah, I didn't bump them
up crazy. That's five spots top fourteen. That's that's nothing outrageous,
but that also indicates what we're not seeing improvement, better
line play, better running game. I don't expect them to
show anything like that here in camp, So it's a
little unfair. They're clearly giving the ball to guys who

(02:39:37):
may not carry the ball hardly at all this year
because they're not handing it to Joe Mixon and Damian
Pearce isn't out there, not even sure what Pierce's future
is with this team, and so the first nine practices
here in Houston, they really didn't have to shuffle the
offensive line very much. Essentially, it was just a rotation
at center of the newcomer Jake Andrews and the holdover
Jared Patterson were splitting number one team reps at center.

(02:39:59):
The other four spots weren't changing on a daily basis.
Cam Robinson and tay Ersrie were the tackles. Ersery on
the right side, and Laken Tomlinson and Titus Howard were
the two guards, and it was rare that anyone would
ever take first team STAPs. That changed today in their
first practice in West Virginia when Cam Robinson went down
with some sort of may likely minor a leg injury. Obviously,

(02:40:20):
I'm fare so I was not there and did not
see it, but they did have to shuffle the line,
and I would say it was a surprise in what
they chose to do. I don't think I'd put too
much stock in it yet, but they bumped Titus Howard
back out to tackle for the remainder of practice, and
most of practice still remained. He went back out to
right tackle and they shifted Ursery over to the left side.

(02:40:43):
These are their first team reps that they went through
today for their first West Virginia practice. You know, moved
Juwe Scruggs into one of the guard spots, kept Tomlinson
in the other. They have a lot of things to
figure out, but the bottom line is I can't tell
you they have talent on this offensive line. The veterans
they added are journeyman caliber players at best. And unless

(02:41:05):
Ursery is what Nick has never done before, a very
good early round offensive line pick than their host, I
actually think he is what he's never done before, a
significantly better than Fisher. He moved ahead of Fisher on
the depth chart back in April the day they drafted him,
and it just played out that way. And same thing
for Scruggs and Kenyon Green obviously isn't here. Those are
the last four top two round offensive line draft picks

(02:41:27):
for Nick. Three of them are bad, and this one
looks like he is good.

Speaker 2 (02:41:31):
Yeah, you brought up Blake Fisher, and that's basically what
I was going to talk about. I thought he was
really honestly, he was just thrown into the grease a
little too quick. Last year. He looked well overmatched, felt
like towards the end of the year he was at
least not horrible. So I was kind of hoping. When
we talk about this offseason and the guys it brought

(02:41:52):
in and not really addressing I want to say not addressing.
I mean Cam Robinson and Tayersari are addressing it. But
it felt like there was maybe some confidence in Blake Fisher.
But as you mentioned and Titus Howard getting bumped out,
it seems like that any sort of confidence that I
was kind of trying to read in the tea leaves
has evaporated.

Speaker 4 (02:42:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (02:42:12):
I mean if they think that, and I don't know
this for sure, is just one day. It was the
thing they felt like was made most sense for the
tenth practice of training camp. They're five days away from
playing their first preseason game on Saturday, and again, the
game itself and who's going to be out there is
left to be determined. Fisher's been getting on most of
the reps at right tackle with the second unit. Well,
your first team left tackle goes down, so you bump

(02:42:34):
the right tackle over the left. Yeah, well the openings
right there, you know it would have made sense. But
if I'm going to tell you that Titus Howard's a
better right tackle than Blake Fisher. You're going to believe
me because it's true. And then if I can say, well,
with Cole Popovich and the new scheme in Nick Kaylee's offense,
they can play Juice Scruggs at guard that's now vacated
by Howard and still put a better five out there

(02:42:55):
rather than keeping Howard inside and bringing Fisher up. That's
an assumption on but they wouldn't commit to that today.
Dimiko said, you're gonna see a lot of lineups. We
shuffled things around today. He said that four or five
times during camp, and it's still true everywhere else other
than the ones, They've been shuffling guys all over the place,
giving as many guys as they can reps because they
clearly don't have an obvious these are our best five

(02:43:18):
to start, and these are the next four that are
making the roster. They don't have that because the talent
isn't there.

Speaker 2 (02:43:24):
You've been a lot of these pressers and practices and
all that type. Do you feel Dimiko's getting increasingly combative
with the media or is he's just always been like this.

Speaker 14 (02:43:33):
I don't think he's combative at all, and I don't
think it's changed.

Speaker 2 (02:43:35):
I'm not bad of I would say, I don't even
know shutting things down. I don't really think so.

Speaker 14 (02:43:41):
The offensive line is the non injury related area where
he will grow tired of those questions, and if you
ask him a question about a specific player, he almost
always turns it into the group as a whole, so
he doesn't focus that.

Speaker 3 (02:43:53):
Yeah, so I don't know.

Speaker 14 (02:43:54):
I don't notice anything different, quite honestly, six minute presser
with Demiko. It's probably three minutes of fluff, two minutes
of something you're not interested in, and here's a bite
that we think we can pull out and get a
lot of conversation about happens all the time listening to
him go six full minutes and answering question after question
after question. I don't really feel like his demeanor changes

(02:44:14):
over the course of that time today or any other day.
But there are two topics the offensive line, because they're
underperforming and bad and injuries. He does treat them very similarly.
No matter how he felt like Saturday's practice before they
left for the Greenbrier, his first question was about who
chooses the playlist that they play.

Speaker 2 (02:44:33):
At practice.

Speaker 14 (02:44:34):
He was happy to answer that.

Speaker 1 (02:44:35):
Yes.

Speaker 14 (02:44:35):
I followed up with the players, Hey, I want them
to get a little extra juice for thee Mota. Hey,
you hear a song, you feel good?

Speaker 3 (02:44:42):
You play good?

Speaker 14 (02:44:43):
And I asked him right after that, how does he
feel like the vibe of practice has been because we're
all asking him questions every day. Well, the defense dominated today,
and he said, I love the vibe. We're playing a game.
You started playing football because it's a game. It's supposed
to be fun. I want our players to feel that way,
even at this level. So he's all about the vibe
of it, and I think that's part of why he's

(02:45:04):
considered a player's coach. And he's obviously been there and
very recently, so the vibes are good. But if you
ask him right after, how good are the vibes? So
when are we gonna see Christian Harris on the field.
I'm sure his mood, but the.

Speaker 2 (02:45:15):
Vibes are bad with Christian Harris. I guess he's been
working off to the side or something like that. WEX,
thanks for hanging out.

Speaker 14 (02:45:22):
Great to be here, looking forward to the next several hours.

Speaker 2 (02:45:25):
I appreciate it. Yes, he is going to stay, I
am gonna go. Thanks to Dan Matthews for hanging out,
Thanks to Chris Gordy for popping in. Thanks to JK
for producing the entire show. Now it's time for not
just one at them, it's to them. They call themselves
the A Team. My name is Ross Virial saying thank
you so much for listening, keep it right here on
Sports Talk seven out of your home for your Houston

(02:45:46):
Astros