Rockets Take The #2 Seed! What's Going On With Astros Bats? Brian Bogusevic Joins The Show

Rockets take the #2 Seed! What's Going on With Astros Bats? Brian Bogusevic Joins The Show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Lunchtimers. This is the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Ross Via Real and Adam Wexer with you here.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Uh yeah, I guess that makes you are pinch hitter
for Matt Thomas for four hours, although it's more of
a replacement.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
I don't even know how this would work.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
He's out of the lineup today. You're in the lineup.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
You're out of the lineup.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
He is not starting.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Yeah, you're right, He's completely out of the lineup. So
you are here. We are at Let's go ahead and
set the same Big City Wings Marquee location. We have
two count of two four pack of tickets to give
away to an Astros game.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
We're not talking about upper deck.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
You're not gonna get the air conditioned dripping on you
or anything like that. We're talking about dug out seats.
Two four packs will be given away here at the
Big City Wings Marquee location. We have a lot of
stuff coming up on the show with you until two o'clock.
Matt Thomas is out, Adam Wexer is here. You can
get in if you'd like it. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two one

(00:59):
two five seven ninety We will have Checho Bumbass up
coming up later on the show, we will also have
Brian bogus Sevic talking all things astros at eleven o'clock
and really, I'm gonna mention this to Bogey when we
get them on wex UH. This is a good time
to have an expert like Brian bogos Evic on where
if everybody were hitting, maybe we wouldn't have much to

(01:20):
talk to him about on the interview, but we can
go through a number of different Houston astros who are
struggling at the plate, including well just about everybody except
for Jose Altuve.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Jose Altuve has gotten off to a nice enough starts
and it's been enough with guys behind him hitting two
fourteen and one eighty nine and one fifty six and
one fifty four and yiner Diez is hitting sixty one
and today they're trying to win their third series of four.
They've won two of three. A win today gives them

(01:52):
a third series victory in the four that they've had. Obviously,
that means they were swept in one of them, the
only one they lost. They didn't win any games, but
you win series, you usually have a pretty good season overall.
And that's what they're trying to do today. They are
in a they're in a pitcher's park, for one thing,
and I do think the Mariners suffer a little bit
from that because they just don't score any runs at home. Ever,

(02:13):
even though their pitching is so good, and that's what's
been on tap for these two games, I don't think
the Astros could have ever imagined getting the kind of
pitching they've gotten through the twenty one innings of this series.
It's been incredible, or twenty innings of this series. What
they got from w Waszneesky, no nothing except for two pitches,
gave up two runs, and seven innings Frombert truly gave

(02:34):
up nothing. He left the game with no runs on
the board. Unfortunately, Taylor Scott has been used in both games.
And that's pretty much it. That's really the only downfall
for the Astros in this entire series. It cost them
one game, Luckily yesterday didn't cost them the game. It
cost them the lead, but it didn't cost them the game.
Big at bats, in terms of making it happen, there

(02:54):
weren't very many of them. Victor Carratini's was one of them.
He singled to score the only run in extra innings.
The Astros have played for extra innings this season and
have yet to give up a run.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Well, that's great. I just wish they would get it
done at nine.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
I was on a post game I believe we started
at twelve thirty am last night.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
That was fun. We got a couple of calls. Bogey
was doing postgame last night as well. I'm true you
guys can share some postgame after dark stories.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
I guess we could do that. We got a few
calls last night on the tenth Inning show. I do
appreciate you folks that got in, but it was a
late night West coaster for the Astros. As you mentioned,
you got Fromber. You got Ace Fromber, thankfully, and he
did stabilize in that started against San Francisco Giants. He
was giving up some runs earlier and think things got
a little bit better. But so far, two times out

(03:42):
of three he's been pretty good. As you mentioned, wes
Nesky going seven innings deep. That's good because the Astros
are going to try to figure out what they are
piecing together when it comes to a starting rotation. They
do get the off day tomorrow so they can try
to stay on schedule if they would like. But Spencer
Arraghetty going down, and we talked about all season about Okay,

(04:03):
they got a nice one through five, what's going on
after that? And unfortunately we're on April ninth and we
already have to try and answer those questions.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, I'm curious to see if Joe we'll have that
decision today, because I kind of feel like using Ryan
Gusto yesterday might help him make that decision. If this
was part of a program, maybe this would have been
a bullpen day. We might as well use him in
the game. If they anticipate maybe putting him in to
the rotation, I think that would be a little bit
of a risky move because he's, yeah, he was stretched

(04:32):
out during spring and now he's gone another three weeks
by him being used the way they have. He's already
thrown eight innings this year. I wonder if they would
just rather keep him where he is, at least for
the next two or three turns through the rotation and
look more at a Colton Gordon, have him make his
major league debut and just take over that spot. They
could shuffle the rotation a little bit with who's healthy
just because of how the schedule lays out. But the

(04:54):
timing of those two starts was Nesky into Fromber was
also huge because he came off back to back days
where your starters did not pitch very much, you run
out Blanco, did not go deep into the game, and
the day before the same thing had happened. They had
to have those two starts in back to back games
to get them to today, where if Hunter Brown does
what he's been doing, they probably have everybody but Hater

(05:17):
available to them today. Maybe Ryan Goestone not available because
of the position he's in, but it'd be nice to
go out there and maybe put some runs on the
board and play a little bit of a different game
the one game they wanted with the nine runs. It's
just such a different baseball game with your pitchers not
being on thin ice. Every pitch that they throw, and
they did flawlessly. They were down seven to one for

(05:39):
six innings as they made their comeback, and then seven
to five, and then seven to seven, then then nine
to seven. It's just a different way to go out
to the mound and pitch. When every pitch isn't well,
this could be the pitch that kills us.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, they've won five games. The biggest win was by
three runs. I was against the Twins five to two,
where they they exploded for five runs. Like you said,
you haven't. We haven't had it really this year except
for the other way. Well, the Astros did come back
in that game when they were down seven to one,
but you haven't had it where we're like, okay, here
comes whoever. Well, when it was Ralphiel Montero when he

(06:10):
before he was traded yesterday. If you have not heard,
it's like, all right, yeah, it's kind of a lazy
six seventh inning. You're just looking to throw strikes and
get out of here. Because the Astros have exploded for eight, nine,
ten runs. It just hasn't happened yet. We're eleven games
into the season.

Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, it's not gonna happen unless you know, the players
that have a pedigree, have a resume, have a history,
start turning it around. And unfortunately both of the new
guys are are far from it. Perettis hasn't produced a
home run. He has had his on base looking like
his on base is just fine, as you know, because
he continues to draw walks. He's hitting two fourteen, which

(06:46):
is a good thirty points below his career batting average number,
although not too many people should be looking at that,
some still do three forty six on base percentage. We
talked about you and I talked about this earlier before
the season began. He's going to be one hundred plus
points better than his batting average with his on base
So if he just hits two forty, then he's gonna
have a three to fifty on base percentage, which on

(07:08):
this team would be tremendous because Christian Walker and Jiner
Diaz right now, man, Christian Walker is now finding ways
to have, you know, four at bats and five outs.
He's striking out in an alarmingly high rate for his
career and swinging at pitches that are not in the zone.
In doing so. His third strike swingings have been on
pitches that are fading worse than Vigio pitches so far

(07:31):
this year, and it's been incredible. That's just not what
he's done throughout so much of his career. And I
actually think Janer had better abs in yesterday's game, but
it doesn't matter at this point. There's got to be
some production. You can't get two hits eleven games into
the season.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah, I think that's just the blessing and the curse
with the Yiner, and that's that's the way. I mean,
unless he completely starts changing his approach, he's he's a
guy who swings at everything, so he's prone to He'll
have a week where he's getting two, three, four hits
every single game and he's hitting everything, and then when
he's not, it looks like what we're looking at right now,

(08:06):
which we've seen those types of spells from him. But
I thought, really, uh, and maybe I just put in
too much stock of what happened last year. Last year,
he started out the season really hot, and then I
figured maybe it's because he was catching every day or whatever,
legs started to slow him and bog him down a
little bit. He was hitting slumps. So this year I
was hoping for the at least the same thing to
where he would start out hot. But it's the exact

(08:30):
opposite of that. As just said, he's hit the dude'
hit in sixty one and it's not like he draws walks.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
No, if he's not hitting himself on base or allowing
the Mariners to put him on via air, and he
ultimately ends up scoring all this being said, and all
this unfortunate, non positive offense talk, we're coming off the
first meaningful at bat of camp Smith's career. He not
only did he drive in the run, not only did
he run around the bases faster than any Astro has

(08:59):
or likely will the rest of this year, one of
the fastest in the season in Major League Baseball. But
he got around on a pitch. I don't know if
everybody's noticed this, but even when he's making contact and
not staring at strikes go right down the middle. Everything
is going to the first basement or to the right fielder.
He ripped one down the third base line, which is
a rare spot for a triple, and he still made

(09:21):
it to third. It obviously drove in the run, and
it was a huge at bat for the person as
much as it clearly obviously meant something in the game.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, he was out for a couple of games, and
we talked to Joe Spot about it yesterday, letting him
clear his head, said he would be back in the lineup.
He was, got his first extra base hit, his first
run batted in as the Astros got to two to
one win over the Seattle Mariners. They go for the
series victory Today at three to ten here on Sports
Talk seven ninety Alight, we got to take our first break.

(09:50):
We are broadcasting live from Big City Wings mar Key location.
We will be giving away a couple of a couple
of four pass of Astros tickets. Here with you until
two o'clock. You want to get into the phones, you can.
How are we feeling about Cam Smith? How are we
feeling about the bullpen and the pitching and the hitting

(10:10):
that is not there? Seven one three two one two
five seven ninety is the phone number seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. You can also send
tweets to at sports RV and at Adam J. Wexler
as well if you'd like. We got Brian Bogus seven
coming up at eleven o'clock. Shut jobumass up slash Ain't
nobody got time for that coming up at eleven thirty

(10:33):
as well. With you until two o'clock here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Tom hen the.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
Twenty seed in the am.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety ros Viria with you
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. There is no
Matt Thomas. He is traveling with the Rockets. We are
now at the Big City Wings Marquee location. We will
be giving away four packs of Astro tickets talking about
dugout seats, So come by. We're gonna be here till two.

(11:04):
We'll be giving those away later on on the show.
You can also get in the phone lines if you
want to interact that way. Seven to one to three
two one two five seven ninety is the phone number.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety. We
got Brian Bogo seven coming up at eleven o'clock. We'll
be talking a lot of Astros. Of course, we got
other stuff to get to with the Rockets, more Cougars,

(11:24):
fallout and all that good stuff. But last night the
Astros get the victory two to one, twelve freaking innings
in Seattle, and I think he kind of mentioned it,
and I saw you tweeting it about as well. Uh,
mister Wexler, you were none too happy with Taylor Scott
being the first out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
He didn't throw strikes in the appearance before and that
cost him. Both of those runners came around to score
in a one run game late in the game, after
Hayden Wizneski pitched his backside off, and to bring him
back the very next day is an understandable move by
a manager. We're early in season. Need this, get this
guy going, you know, show that I have confidence in him.
I completely understand that. And there were still nine outs

(12:07):
to go. It was only the seventh inning.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
I'm glad you said.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
I just don't think that's the move you make in
the situation the Astros are in with their offense. It's
just get his confidence going at a different point in
a different game in a day or two. You're gonna
are you sure you're gonna get all these great starts
lined up back to back to back, bring him in
a fourth inning, bring him in in a sixth inning.
Something like that when to me, especially since this happened

(12:31):
to be the day you traded away Rafael Montero, who
probably was your last guy in the bullpen in terms
of non long men. And that also meant with the
Bennett sussa move that had not yet mattered because he
wasn't there yet. You were playing one pitcher short in
the game yesterday to begin with, so I would have
probably waited. Now you're gonna lose the game, probably if

(12:52):
he comes in the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth inning. But
I wouldn't have done that in yesterday's game, and it
showed again he puts too many runners on base, he
throws too many hit able pitches the strikes he does throw,
and it happened again in last night's game.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
Yeah, that's the funny thing to me, though.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
It's like, but you know, just like six months ago,
this was one of your more reliable guys, and maybe
he was lightning in a bottle and maybe he'll never
be that good again. But I think in the way
that you laid it out, I think it's fair. I
think a lot of people I was getting a lot
of tweets, and nobody really called about it last night.
We were mostly just talking about the game and stuff
or acting like this is managing malpractice and Joe Spoda

(13:32):
needs to be fired for putting Taylor Scott out there.
I'm like, hold on, let's pump the brakes. Volts like
he was one of your more reliable guys last year,
and we've already seen this track record. You mentioned it
just now. Joe Aspota backs his guys. He shows confidence
in his guys. He's a people first type of manager,
to where he says, hey, Taylor, you were one of

(13:53):
our guys last year. We need you in a big spot.
We're going to go to you right here, because the
other options were I think it was two righties he
was facing up. I mean, and Brian King can get
right he's out, but and Brian King was used in
this game and got four outs.

Speaker 2 (14:06):
But it's like, it's like you gotta spin the wheel, which.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
Journeyman unreliable Without a big sample sized journeyman, am I
gonna rely on tonight?

Speaker 2 (14:15):
He doesn't have a whole lot of options, especially Brian
to break you down.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
Yeah, there's no question about that. Although I do think
track record is interesting with these less experienced pitchers. And
as much as Taylor Scott's not some twenty two year
old kid, He's still a fairly inexperienced pitcher because he
didn't pitch his way into a major league spot until
last year. Last year was the first time he's been
a major league pitcher from the beginning to the end.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
It was more things last year than he had his whole.

Speaker 1 (14:37):
Career, and I guarantee you that had something to do
with his late game or late season slow down. He
was trustworthy for four months. He was really untrustworthy for
the final two months of the season. His last sixteen
appearances over August and September of last year, he allowed
an ops of over one thousand. He was extremely hittable.

(15:00):
The Tailor Scott we saw at the end of last
year was the Tailor Scott that showed up to West
Palm Beach. And it's the Tailor Scout that so far
started this year, which is the Taylor Scott that was
the pre astros Taylor Scott. And it's why he never
held down a consistent spot there Again, I said in
one way the first time, the second way with your
bullpen being down a guy, you're down a guy. How

(15:21):
many arms do you think he has to choose from?
There's only so many guys he can even throw. Brian A.
Braves probably not going to be asked to pitch in
yesterday's game. So now you're down two guys because you're
down a spot and you're down him. There's only so
much he can do. At the end of the day,
who pitched all of them? Everybody essentially had to go
out there and give you something and be asked to
get their three outs or their six outs, like Josh Hater.

(15:44):
It just it makes a little bit more difficult when
one of those guys who you have to go to
at some point. If it wasn't then it would have
been elsewhere. And You're right, the spot where he used
him seemed like a reasonable spot to do so. And
then Brian King just keeps doing Brian King things. He
allowed his first runner and just blew people away. His
stuff doesn't appear on the gun like it's unhittable. His

(16:06):
spots are being hit very very well, and I imagine
his delivery. We'll ask Bogie about this. I think you
guys may have already about his release point and how
deceptive that might be. But establishing a role in this
bullpen has happened rapidly for Brian King. He's absolutely their
seventh inning guy, their last three relievers, their hater Presley

(16:29):
a bray you of twenty twenty five? Is King a
bray you hater? I don't think there's any question about it. No,
I don't think so either. That's that's the way that
it's emerged.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
We also are eleven games into the season, so uh,
we'll see how things go from there, and you do
have Kleb b Ard and Forrest Whitley coming soon as well.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
But I was talking about this last night of the postgame.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
There was a caller and he was like, yeah, well
you know you got Kayleb Bard and Forrest Whitley coming in.
It's like, okay, yeah, it's those We're talking about a
journeyman and an unproven major.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
Bigger as well. So I kind of feel bad for
Joe A.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Spada. The state of this bullpen is now. While there
are some good arms like you mentioned Brian King emerging,
it's also like who's gonna be?

Speaker 1 (17:06):
I think something have some hope when their relievers throw hard.
Caleb Orton Force Whitley will throw hard. Ort made his
first rehab appearance in yesterday's Space Cowboys game through fifteen pitches,
nine of them for strikes. Not very effective, giving up
a run on a couple of base runners and hitting
a guy and not finishing his inning, although he may

(17:26):
have just had a plan of throwing a strict fifteen
pitches forced Whitley expected to throw today for the Space Cowboys.
But going to guys that throw that hard, I think
gives everybody hope. It doesn't necessarily work out that way,
because if they don't throw strikes, it really doesn't matter.
But that's what Caleb or did do last year, and
I think there's some pretty significant hope that, if healthy,

(17:47):
that's exactly what Forest Whitley will do. Also, Bennett Susa
will be available today presumably for the Astros, and we'll
at least have a full roster, another lefty, four of them.

Speaker 3 (17:58):
I was gonna say, do you do you think Bessie
Bake mad thought he's left in the bullpen? Now, okay,
he probably doesn't care. He's printing grapes on his wine.
It is Uh.

Speaker 1 (18:06):
Do you not get the sense that Dusty Baker's post
baseball life is pretty sweet?

Speaker 3 (18:11):
He's doing all right.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
I feel like he lives a certain relaxed way to
begin with, even through his managerial years. That's just who
he is. That's just his personality.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
And at wanst your question about which catcher he should play,
then he gets really mad with you.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
That's that's in my experience anyway. Twenty four hour day,
that's five minutes of his day. The rest of his day,
it's all good. Throwing some wristbands, getting the dugout hang
out a little bit. You know, the off season's coming.
He's got his World Series championship. He enhanced his resume
while he was here with Houston, although it was legendary
to begin with. And and now, like you said, you know,
enjoying some of wine country days. The vibe of that

(18:46):
sounds pretty good. Yeah, I guess he's doing all right. Okay,
he might have fired off a text to Dan and say,
hey man, what's up with this?

Speaker 2 (18:51):
Hey man?

Speaker 3 (18:52):
Yeah, he does.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
You think he even texts that way? Hey man?

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Come on, damn dude. All right, we're gonna take a
break here on the Mat.

Speaker 4 (18:57):
Top Show with Ross, with Adam Wexler, without Thomas.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
You want to get in. How are we feeling about
the Stros Seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
You know what, we haven't even mentioned the greatest astro
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Jake Myers will do that when we come back.

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you a very important question. What is your sauce of choice?
When you were at Big City Wings.

Speaker 1 (23:28):
Well, I've been to this location now three times within
the last three weeks. Oh wow. Also with our latest visit,
which was during the semifinal National semi final on Saturday night,
I was it was a bit of an overorderer, so
I brought some home. So I actually ate Big City
Wings last night for dinner. H the new Taheen dry

(23:51):
rub Oh. I had it for the first time on
Saturday night. It is outrageously good and I'm not a
big dry run Oh. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
You didn't seem like you'd be a Tahen guy either.

Speaker 3 (24:00):
Wex O good stuff. I go straight for the firehouse.
Firehouse lemon pepper with some blue cheese. Let's go love
the flavor of a hobb and aarow pepper.

Speaker 2 (24:09):
Quite spicy. Anyways, that'll take.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
Care of the peppers. When I got order, the White
Wings app so good.

Speaker 3 (24:14):
Oh, the White Wings Classic. All right, we're here Big
City Wings Marquee location. You folks want to get into
the phone lines, you can seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
You want to come by and say hey, you can.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
We'll be giving away two four packs of Astros tickets
talking about some pretty good seats, so we'll be here
until two o'clock.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Come by and say hello again.

Speaker 3 (24:34):
Phone lines open at seven to one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety The good news was all this is
we're talking about the bats struggling, and you mentioned the
bats have been terrible. Astros have still won five games.
And the other good news is, while you are two
and a half games back early on in the season,
there is not a single team in the American League

(24:57):
West with a positive run tow deferential. Again, the West
will be winnable, I think this year.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Yeah, the Rangers unfortunately picked up a couple of one
nothing victories already earlier this season. Actually, in back to
back games, they're a minus twelve. The Astros are only
a minus nine, and they're still too range behind him.
The Angels keep finding ways to win. And I don't
know how many people saw some of the highlights from
the latest game at the latest minor league ballpark that's

(25:25):
being used for Major League baseball. I'm guessing the lighting
sucks in the ballpark where Tampa is playing their home
games because guys are running to the wrong place to
catch fly balls, to catch pop ups in the outfield.
Mike Trout, now, granted he doesn't have a lot of
right field experience. He says, I played seven games this year,
hadn't played any games in right field since twenty twelve.

(25:47):
If you haven't seen him over running a ball by
about fifteen or twenty feet. It happened in last night's game,
and ultimately they caught a break. On the other side,
the Angels did to win another one run. They're even
a robust even on the run differential, and they're four
games over five hundred like the Rangers are. I did

(26:08):
think the Angels would be better. I don't think this
is too much to get worried about. What it means
is when you play them thirteen times this year, don't
expect to go eleven and two. The Angels aren't gonna
win this division and they're probably not gonna be in
the race all year, but they're not pushovers by any means.
I think they smartly put together a roster that can
have them competing right up until the trade deadline, when

(26:31):
they can unload some of these players and get talent
in return. I keep going back to something that the
Royals did a couple of years ago. The year the
Rangers won the World Series, they signed a role as
Chapman to a one year deal, and they were not
gonna be good and not gonna be competitive. Likely he
pitched great out of the bullpen, they traded him to
the Rangers, and the Rangers gave him Cole Reagan's who

(26:51):
is an absolute stud in their starting rotation already a
couple of years in with many more to come. I
wouldn't be surprised if the Angels tried to do something
similar this year.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Yeah, I get that makes a lot of sense. That's
one way to run a franchise. I guess, hey, why
don't we sign the guys to a bunch of cheap
deals and we'll try to get some prospects out of
the deal. Okay, I can see that going now. I
just yeah, you're right. I don't think the Angels are
going to be long for this.

Speaker 1 (27:16):
The other thing you mentioners about the American League, there
aren't any other teams even three games over five hundred
in the whole league except for the Rangers and Angels.
The awesome, unbeatable Mashers in New York they're six and five,
the AL Central leaders, they're seven and four. It's Detroit.
I mean, nothing's going on right now in the American

(27:38):
League outside of the American League West.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
Yeah, what the hell's going with the Yankees?

Speaker 3 (27:41):
I guess there's running into the buzzsaw that is the Tigers,
who have won five in a row.

Speaker 1 (27:45):
Well, now the Yankees have lost three in row as
they've met up with the Tigers. Tark Schoobel was on
the mound yesterday and the Yankees scored zero times.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
Yeah, what was it like twenty seven degrees out there
or something like that.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
It was snowing pretty heavily early in the game. They've
been playing afternoon game and guys were out. Radon was
out there in his typical short sleeves while he's pitching
in the snow badly. Uh well that's normally how he
pitches these days anyways.

Speaker 3 (28:09):
So all right, So so you know you're telling me,
not only is the American League West for the taking,
the entire American League is for the taking for the ashtra.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
I mean, I appreciate MLB dot Com not offering you
a wild card tab eleven games into the season that
they shouldn't be, but at five and six, like you're
a game out of the wild card.

Speaker 3 (28:28):
Hey, yeah, I like this. We're going to wildcard talk
right now. Eleven games end of the year. I really,
I really feel like that.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
I do like scoreboard watching already.

Speaker 3 (28:38):
So the Astros offense has been horrible. It's been one
of the worst in baseball. Where if you've got your
crystal ball, like, where is it going to be?

Speaker 1 (28:46):
Is it can?

Speaker 3 (28:47):
I was hoping preseason top ten ish. Last year they
were eighth and team ops. I think they're one of
the better teams in scoring runs, I can't remember. Oh
my god, they're absolutely bottom of the barrel right now.
Even where the Twins worse than the White Sox thirtieth
out of thirty in team OPS right now, the Houston ashes.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
It's it's embarrassingly low. It's because they don't they don't
have any extra base power right now. You got a lineup,
but you get to put nine guys in the lineup
every day. They've done that eleven times this year. Four
Astros have homered. Only four Astros have homered so far
this season. None from Peretis, none from Smith, none from
anybody in the outfield other than left fielder Jose Altuve,

(29:28):
who has a home run as a two home runs
as a left fielder, one as a second basemen. Payne
Goats has two, and Alvarez and Walker have just one each.
And this is where the issue is, where does it
get better? It has to get better at three four five.
I the lineup is put together correctly if the guys
are doing their job. Jord On Alvarez is not doing

(29:48):
his job, even though he's walked five times in this series.
He's got to drive in runs. He's got to drive
the baseball. He has to be the key to this offense.
They won't win it all, they won't score if he
has a down season. I don't really care what the
other eight guys. I don't think it's impactful enough. If
he doesn't have a strong offensive season, and I mean
a typical nine to ninety OPS season, then they're they're
sunk no matter what everybody else does. But right now,

(30:11):
while he's not doing much, everybody behind him is doing
even less. Walker, Diaz, and Payna are all hitting worse
than him, and he's hitting one eighty nine with a
six thirty OPS and they're not even close to him.

Speaker 3 (30:26):
Yeah, that's the thing is it's going to get better.
They're not going to finish thirtieth in team OPS. But
how much better is it going to be? And when
you say three four five, I mean, are you talking
about Jeremy Panna, Because ideally it would be Yander Diaz.

Speaker 1 (30:38):
I'm trying to give it a break. Like I don't
even want to say he has a two hundred ops
because I almost feel like that's a mistake, but it isn't.
His two hits are singles. He's had thirty three at
bats to accumulate two hits, and it's obviously not who
he is. We don't have the rest of the season
to balance it out. A two for thirty three would
stand out at any point. We're at that point now.

(31:00):
You couldn't hide this in August. But he doesn't have
the positive side yet to at least give him some balance.
And I think the way if you guys were listening
earlier at the Ross described it, I wouldn't call him
so streaky because he's just been a really good hitter,
hitting between two eighty and three hundred as a major leaguer.
But he hasn't gotten into a comfort zone at all
to where if he plays ten games, he's gonna have

(31:21):
a hit in nine of them. He's played ten games
or nine games he has a hit in two of them.
That's unheard of for Guyner.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
Yeah, hopefully. I mean he's gonna have to.

Speaker 3 (31:30):
As far as guys that are carrying their weight for
where they are, their batting position. It is jose L
two bay and it is the greatest of all time.
Jake Myers a couple of hits last night, the only
multi hit game.

Speaker 1 (31:41):
I do feel bad about what I'm gonna share with
you about. Come on, we'll do it. Nonetheless, come on, man.
We have an a team group text and it was
fired up pretty good last night. During the game, Uh huh.
And Jake Myers was at the plate in advance of
you know, one of his typical at bats, and I said,
I know, we're only eleven games in the season. There's

(32:01):
a long season ahead of us, but that swing from
Jake Myers might be the worst swing of the year.
The first pitch he got from Luis Castillo, I believe
it was in the fifth inning, was a billion miles
off the plate from the moment it left his hand,
and he swung at it with the weakest Todd Frazier
esque caliber. He was fooled, okay, he was. Sometimes he

(32:25):
swung at it like it was a little league game,
and his coach yelled, swing it at the last moment
because he made no attempt to hit the ball. He
didn't even lunch for it. He just moved his bat
through the zone. If they were measuring the bat speed
on that, it was probably in the thirties. You'd like
to see it in the seventies or eighties.

Speaker 3 (32:41):
But however, did however go ahead.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
He had two hits. Yes, he had one of the
only two hits in the game the night before. Yes,
And first two plays of the game last night, cam
Smith makes a great catch and then Jake Myers makes
it even better catch. As he does, he will be
a finalist for the Goal Glove in the American League
again this year. I have no question, no reason to
doubt that at all. He may even win it this year.

Speaker 2 (33:06):
Yeah, he's great in the field. He's your ninth place hitter.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
He's getting on base and now for the most part, okay, fine,
when he's not swinging away, he's been drawing a little
bit of walks, and we saw that in stretches from
him last year.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Just needed to be a little bit more consistent. So
he is unquestionably of the usual nine. He's been their
second This is how bad their offense is. He's been
their second best hit.

Speaker 2 (33:29):
Don't say that.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
Every single number you're looking at, he's drawn three walks.
He's got a seven to seventeen ops. He's got seven
hits and twenty five at bats. He's hitting two eighty.
Jake Myers is hitting to eighty. Those numbers aren't really good.
Seven seventeen ops is good, But when everybody else in
the lineup and I keep forgetting to add Brendan Rodgers
to the new guy pool with Walker and perettis he has.

(33:52):
He came into last night's game with a nice hitting streak. Well,
he just has so many empty at bats and their
strikeout totals team wide a way out of whack. This
cannot continue, and I don't think the history of these
players suggest that it will. But they're swinging. Miss right
now is through the roof, and it's not at bad
pitches necessarily all the time. They're just missing. They're whiffing
way too much. And he is a big culprit. Eleven

(34:14):
k's and twenty nine at bats.

Speaker 3 (34:15):
Well, good news is we'll have an expert to talk
about all this with Brendan Rodgers. I'm I'm tempering at Rogers.
Brian bogo Sevic is coming up at eleven o'clock here
on Sports Talk seven ninety. You can get in as well.
Those you and hold. We will get to you as
we go along. Seven to one three two one two
five seven ninety is the phone number. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Adam wats at ross

(34:37):
vie real with you from the Big City Wings Markeye
location until two o'clock. Yes, it does continue all the
way until two o'clock.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
We got everybody's favorite segment.

Speaker 3 (34:50):
Ain't nobody got time for that slash shut Joe bummass
up that's coming up at eleven thirty. We will have
Brian Boga Sevic breaking down these Astros bats coming up
at eleven o'clock. We have you at seven one three
two one two five seven at ninety and out here
at the Marquee Big City Wings location, we'll be giving
away some Ashros tickets. You want to come by, have

(35:11):
some good grub, maybe a drink. I'm not gonna tell
your boss. Just always planned for a safe fri at home.
Don't drive drunk, don't drive buzzed, and we'll hang out
and give away some tickets. So come buy Big City
Wings mark Key location. So a lot of different things
you can do. Haven't even mentioned the rockets clinching the
number two seed WEX we do.

Speaker 1 (35:28):
Have to get They were awesome last night.

Speaker 2 (35:30):
They were amazing.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
I love I mean, what what a great game by
the Rockets, or maybe they didn't play the uh the
the Oklahoma City.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
Thunder finally sat up in their chairs. Luka.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
Doncics got ejected and the Lakers lost, and the Houston
Rockets are the two seed in the West. We will
get to that as we go along, but right now
we do have a call from Don in Cyprus.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
I want to talk some astros. What's up, Don?

Speaker 11 (35:55):
Hey, I was just talking about the cat I'm wondering
why they're sort of terrible this year at throwing runners out.

Speaker 12 (36:04):
I mean they made if their their throws have been
on the.

Speaker 11 (36:07):
Wrong side of the bag, they've bounced to the second basement.

Speaker 13 (36:12):
Last year they were the baseball This be the worst.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
Yeah, thanks a lot, Don.

Speaker 3 (36:20):
I think was it like fourteen out of fifteen.

Speaker 1 (36:22):
I think they're up to sixteen out of seventeen seventeen.
I'll give you two things to point out. First, they're
pitchers this year even worse than last year. At hard
runner guys they were bad last year.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
And Javier is not there. He's one of the worst.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
It's like you could see it, and I can appreciate
the by the way a minute at dyk In Park
now and in the ballpark they're playing in right now,
they have the overhead camera rolling down the third baseline
that they use for stolen bases, guys rounding the bases
on extra base hits, where it gives you a full
view of everything that's going on. There's plenty of other cameras,

(36:56):
we've seen it before, but this one really shows you.
Like Mitch garv last night, there shouldn't have even been
a throw. He he doesn't steal bases, he isn't fast,
and he easily stole a base on the astros pitcher.
There's nothing for the catchers to do. Victor Carrottini doesn't
have a very strong arm compared to Yiner either, so
I don't anticipate Victor throwing too many guys out to

(37:16):
begin with. But that's been the biggest issue I think
this year. Go back to the opening series of the season.
Look at that throw that Jiner put on third base.
Put the throw right on the bag with fire behind it.
Partis all he had to do was open his glove,
let the ball fall in and the player slid right
into the tag. I don't think there's anything wrong now
with Yaner's arm or his pop speed, but I do
think it has a lot to do with pitching. At

(37:38):
this point in the season, the focus on well, I
need to get this over you. I'm focused on the hitter.
The Astros several years running now have been notoriously bad
at holding runners on, and I think that's the biggest
contributor today. But I wouldn't rate either of their catchers
in the top third of the league in throwing guys
out or I guess arm speed, So expect lot more

(38:00):
of this. Teams should be doing this. If you have
a team you can take advantage of, you should run
at will on them. And seventeen stolen base attempts and
eleven games is it's a pretty good number considering how
well the Asters have pitched and how limited to the
base runners they've allowed. It's not like they're giving up
fifteen runs and so the people are running. They're just
we got a guy on, let's just run a second.

(38:20):
They're not gonna throw us out.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
Yeah, it's it's been pretty bad.

Speaker 3 (38:23):
It's a combination of things like you, I mean you
laid it out there perfectly. It's just it's maddening how
it continues to happen though that that is definitely a way,
and especially since the advent of the pickoff rules and
stuff like that, it feels like steel numbers are up
and COT stealing percentages are down.

Speaker 1 (38:39):
But it can't be that. So it can't be this bad.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
You cannot have you said sixteen out of seventeen.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
Believe that's what they're sitting on right now. After the last.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Four percent COT stealing percentage or something like that, five percent,
whatever it is, that that cannot stand.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
That cannot stand. Yeah, the Astros certainly have to do
a little bit better, and I believe there are ways
to do it, but I know they've stressed it and
focused on it and it hasn't changed. It's actually gotten worse. Heck,
the only guy that's picked anybody off this year is
now in Atlanta, Brave Rafael Montero.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
Yeah, well maybe that's why they traded for him.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
Yeah, stop stop making these throws on over there and
getting guys out. Did talk about that a whole lot.
I'd probably offer a little bit of a hat tip
to Dana Brown on that move. Not sure, what we'll
come back in return. It's a player to be named later.
They did reportedly include a very large chunk of cash
to cover the majority of what's to be paid to Montero.
But this is a player you were trying to move

(39:35):
off of your roster for quite some time. You tried
last year at the deadline and there were no takers,
and now he had the opportunity to move him now.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Can't believe there are no takers for Rafael Montaro.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah, he's gone, as Wex has mentioned, and I.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
Mean, there are so many issues.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
The good news is we can keep coming back to
the fact that they're five and six.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
It can get better. The hitting will get better.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
I imagine sixteen out of every seventeen base Steelers is
not going to be successful. But also I guess on
the other end, is this pitching going to sustain with
the injury now to Spencer Arraghetty, And you're gonna be
searching for answers for what's gonna be happening, especially a.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
Long term plan for the fifth starter.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
Yeah, it's probably not gonna sustain quite what you've seen
from a few guys. But if fromber sustains it, I
wouldn't be surprised if Hunner sustains it, I would not
be surprised. It's more about three four five. You've gotten
one ACE level performance from those spots, from two of
those guys. Araghetty's first start was ACE level, six innings,
one hit, and obviously was Nesky's last start was ACE

(40:37):
level with seven innings of two run baseball, where he
honestly pitched it seemed like even better than that. Was
never in trouble, but did make the mistake to Bliss
right after the mistake time. He almost hit one out again.
Yesterday he hit one to the wall, the only extra
base hit that the Mariners had. But he is a
light hitting second basement with speed. I like the way

(40:57):
was Nesky's throwing the ball, so maybe there's a little
bit of hope that he's better than a fifth starter.
He I think was the fifth starter coming out of
spring training, rightfully so. But the biggest question mark is
beyond the injury to Araghetti, is Renelle. Renelle is not
really pitched well in any of his outings. He did
not pitch well in spring training, and obviously his arm
was used way more last year than it ever was

(41:19):
in his entire career.

Speaker 3 (41:20):
Yeah, the usage was high, and if you look at
things like batting average balls and play field independent pitching,
he was due for He's due for aggression this year
and he probably wasn't ever going to keep up what
he did last year. It was just kind of limit
the regression to improve to get better, which these you know,
we go to these advancetastistics. They don't talk about and
they just project and they go on bas on what

(41:42):
history was. So Renel Blanco can still improve and get
better as a pitcher as he continues along in his
major league career. So you're hoping for that to offset
some of the regression that is.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
Due, No question about it. He'll get another opportunity. We'll
find out what the Astros plans are with the open spot.
Two weeks into the season in the rotation with the
I would call it a freak injury to Spencer Arighetty.
There are pictures on the field all the time during
the opponent VP and they don't off Not only did
you get hit, he got hit on his pitching hand

(42:12):
and broke a finger.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
How so ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (42:15):
Yeah, all right, we're gonna take quick break here. We
do have Brian bogas Evic coming up to talk all
things Astros after this break. We also have eight no
body got time for that slash shut Joe bump Ass up,
Ross Via Real Adam Wexer with You live from the
Big City Wings mar Quey location until two o'clock. Right
back with Brian Bogus even our number two of the

(42:40):
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Ros V Real Adam Wexer
with You at the Big City Wings Marque location. We'll
be giving away a couple of four packs to Astros tickets.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
We'll be here until two o'clock.

Speaker 3 (42:53):
Come by and say, hey, a lot of stuff to
get to here on the show we got ain't nobody
got time for that slash shut you bumb ass up
coming up at eleven thirty. But right now we are
pleased to be joined by Brian bogas Sevic joins us
every week, does a great job and well I was
mentioning this earlier on the show.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
Brian, it's good to have you now, especially.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
Like if everybody were hitting we would maybe have a
little bit less to talk about with you, or maybe
it would be more fun. But we got a lot
to break down with these struggling bats with the Astros
right now, and let's go ahead and start it off.
I'll spin the wheel. Let's go to ir ds.

Speaker 13 (43:27):
Oh, that's a that's a tough place to start. You know,
there are a lot of guys as we go through
this who you can say, you know, points to different
things as to why they're close or why you know,
it's just a matter of time. I think ER's in
the toughest spot. He looks like he just doesn't have
any timing. He looks lost. You know, his body's going

(43:49):
in one direction, his bat's going in the other direction,
and the swings have just been kind of, you know,
flailing at balls. It looks to me like he needs
a couple of games where he just left the ball
travel and get into the hitting zone. Because he's out
trying to hit. He's trying to hit the ball way
out front of home plate while his body's going into
the third base dugout. At the same time, he's probably

(44:13):
as much as so many of these guys on offense
has struggled. I think Yiner's probably had it the worse.

Speaker 1 (44:20):
A Bogie wex here with you as well. I'm curious
if at any point during his previous seasons, have you
noticed him ever looking like this and maybe then what
he did to get out of it.

Speaker 13 (44:32):
Uh, not this that you know, There's been times when
he struggled, but a lot of that has just kind
of been over aggressiveness. Right now, it just looks like,
you know, he's trying to hit the ball as soon
as it comes out of the pitcher's hands. I think,
really what will do him well is if he just
you know, completely eliminates the left side of the field

(44:53):
for a couple of that bats or a couple of
games and just says, you know, I'm going to try
to shoot balls, you know, into the four hole and
into right field and back that contact point up a
little bit. He's done that at times, you know, throughout
the course of the last couple of years, when when
things have not been going well, just you know, take
that simple approach of like I'm going to take a
couple of pitches, see it and move that contact point

(45:15):
back and you and use the.

Speaker 1 (45:16):
Other way, you know.

Speaker 13 (45:19):
But but he's a long way from evening being able
to do that.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
Is it kind of looking back at last night's game
winning hit, that kind of a bat just from the
right side. Look at how Victor Carrattini took that pitch
and just popped it through the hole to drive in
the run. That kind of a bat and just say
this is where it's pitched. Just send it through the
hole for Yer just on the right side.

Speaker 3 (45:37):
Oh absolutely.

Speaker 13 (45:39):
I mean, if there was such a good replay of
that swing from Keratini and you could just see how
long his head stayed down on that ball, how deep
the pitch got into his swing. You know, he hit
it basically off of his back leg through the six
hole on the left side. You know, if iron could
take a couple of those and just see where that

(46:00):
contact point is, that's a good place to start, because
then you can start working it out front, then you
can start worrying about elevating. Then you can start, you know,
pulling balls for power. But right now, he's just got
to get he's got to get the ball to a
point to where he can make solid contact with it.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
Brian Bogasvic was us here on a Sports Talk seven nine.
Let's go to Camp Smith, first extra base hit, first
run batted in after a couple of days off, Did
you see anything different from him yesterday? And just to
evaluate what you have been seeing from him.

Speaker 13 (46:32):
Yes and no, I mean that was that was certainly
the best swing he's taken, you know, all season, you know,
eliminate the scring training stuff, but since since the regular
season has started, that was definitely the best swing he took.
He's late, he's been laid on fastballs, you know, since
the regular season started. He looks a little bit passive,
almost like he's trying to get on the fastball by

(46:53):
trying to get into hitters counts where he can look
and hunt for the fastball. But all he's doing is
getting himself out in the count and it's making it worse.
That pitch that he hit for the triple, it was
a breaking ball, and you know, it is probably off
script of what the Mariners pitchers wanted to do, because
Luis Castillo to start that game was just heater, heater,

(47:14):
heater on cam the whole time. You get a reliever
in there. But but the thing that he did earlier
in that at that is he took a really aggressive
swing on the first pitch of that at bat at
the fastball. So now all of a sudden, you can
put into the pitcher's head, Okay, maybe he's starting to
get on it. Maybe I have to do something else,
and he throws a pitch that kind of goes into
his bat a little bit. But you know, at the

(47:35):
major league level, you're not going to get into hitters
counts and you're not going to walk just by taking pitches.
Pitchers don't just lose their control and push you in
a three one coun because they can't throw a strike.
You've got to scare them out of the zone. You've
got to scare them away from attacking the middle of
his zone. So I would almost like to see Cam
go up there and get more aggressive. You know, usually
you're trying to take young hitters and dial them back

(47:57):
a little bit. You know, I'd almost like to see
him maybe not the point of what George Springer was
when he first came up, where he was, you know,
ready to swing when he woke up in the morning.
But uh, just go out there and just you know,
get to hack and let your natural ability take over,
and then you can start scaring pitchers out of the zone.
Then you can start working at bats, getting in hitters counts,
hunting pitches. But right now they're just attacking a hitter

(48:19):
who they think is is just behind it a little bit, not.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
Quite to go pick the stick on you, because you
guys will take care of that later today and all
throughout the season over on the TV side on Space
City Home Network. But rather than going through the whole lineup,
we'll eliminate jose Al Tuve at the top and eliminate
the elite hitter that Jake Myers is at the bottom
of the lineup. You got anybody else in between. And
this is not just today, but maybe over the next
couple of games. Who would be your pick to click?

Speaker 2 (48:45):
Who do you.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
See maybe starting to come around and no longer hitting
below two hundred?

Speaker 13 (48:51):
Well, I think I think Jordan's really close. And you
know that's not anything you know, revelatory right there. I mean,
he's one of the best hitters in the world, but
his swings have looked much better. He's just missed a
couple pitches, hit another couple pitches hard. He's also getting
pitched really carefully right now because the guys around him
aren't hitting. But I just think it's a matter of

(49:12):
time before you know, a pitcher makes a mistake and
he jumps all over it, or you know, Christian Walker
wakes up and he gets all of a sudden, Jordan
gets a couple more pitches to hit. He's getting really
close and I really like to swing that. Jeremy Payne
has been taking his bat looked really quick. He's on
the fastball, but he's not cheating to get to the fastball.
He's able to lay off with some tough breaking balls

(49:35):
while still being quick enough to handle high velocity. So
I like where Jordan is getting to and I really
like where Payton has been for most of the seasons.

Speaker 3 (49:46):
Brian bogus Ivin continuing with us here on a Sports
Talk seven ninety, let's go to the pitching side last night,
Joe Spatta in the seventh inning going to Taylor Scott.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Were you surprised to.

Speaker 3 (49:59):
See him in in that role or it come out
of the bullpen?

Speaker 13 (50:02):
Then no, But because I think we're still in the
mode of the roles are kind of what we're defined
in spring training and going through the offseason, and that
you know, Taylor Scott was kind of penciled into that
seventh inning role. It's kind of morphed into a hybrid
of him Stephen Okurt based on what you want from

(50:24):
a matchup lefty righty standpoint, and that pocket of the
lineup lent itself to Taylor Scott. You know, he hasn't
thrown the ball particularly well to start the season or
even really in spring training, so that might you know,
that might change, you know, here in the near future.
But no, I wasn't seen. The season he had last

(50:44):
year buys him a little bit of a longer leash
to go out there and get right. But you know,
somebody is gonna have to step up and be that
that seventh inning guy. And he did it last year,
and it's still his kind of job to lose, but
you know it might not be for long.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Where already rubber stamp Bryan King is the seventh inning guy?
Is that Okay?

Speaker 13 (51:06):
He's been great, And not only has it been great
from a results standpoint, every inning that he throws looks easy.
I mean, he goes out there and he just blows
ninety two by guys, and he just dropped sliders in
that nobody can hit. And every time I look up
and I'm filling out out the score book, you know,
he's finished an inning with no base runners and he's
thrown only like twelve pitches. Yeah, I mean he's been unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
Steven Okert has had some success as a major league reliever,
some very good success a couple of seasons ago with Miami,
it obviously went in the opposite direction in the last
two years. Did he rEFInd what he had been doing
when you watch him pitch and he was on the
mound last night to finish things off. What is making
him so successful again?

Speaker 13 (51:47):
Well, first of all, he dealt with some injuries the
last couple of seasons, so he looks like he's healthy.
First of all, because he has had has had some
really good success in years past. The biggest question coming
into this season for him was what is he going
to be able to give you against righties. He's always
been really good against lefties. He's always had a really

(52:08):
good slider that's tough on lefties, But what does he
do against righties to get them out? And the inning
that he threw last night the biggest outs that he
had to get Ryan Bliss at the end, you know,
to close out the game. He had to go off
of his I'm just going to slider a lefty to
death because he's facing a good right handed hitter, a
right handed hitter who handles lefties very well, and he

(52:29):
located three fastballs, one at the top of the zone,
two on the outside corner, you know, ninety two ninety
four miles an hour. So that's the biggest thing that
I've seen is that he's got weapons to handle righties
as well as lefties, and he did it in as
big as spot as there's been so far last night.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
Let's talk about some more positive things.

Speaker 3 (52:49):
Is Jose al Twoba just going to hit until he's fifty.

Speaker 13 (52:54):
I wouldn't bet against it, And everything that he's ever
been challenged with he's done. So yeah, I mean, what's
going to affect him?

Speaker 1 (53:01):
You know, when when they.

Speaker 13 (53:02):
Said he couldn't hit in the big leagues, he did.
When they said they couldn't hit for power, he did.
When you know, they said they're going to change his position,
and is that going to affect his hitting, it didn't.
I mean, he he with all this stuff that he's
dealt with this offseason and coming into the season trying
to learn a new position. You know, he's out there,
you know, when the team's at home and we get
to go out there early, he's on the field at

(53:24):
you know, three thirty four o'clock taking extra extra fly balls.
Like the amount of workload that he's taking on is
greater than what he's probably had since he was in
his you know, second third year in the big leagues.
And yeah, he just continues to be the hitter that
we've seen for twelve years now. So I don't know
why it's ever going to stop.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
Well, I'm not a ballplayer. I'm not flying on the
charter with the team. I'm not making those trips from
city to city. You've obviously done that. I view today's
game not only to get a six and six, win,
a third series, get on back out of town. But
that happy flight I always think is a huge, huge deal.
You're playing Seattle. Also, all those things go into it.

(54:05):
But it seems like today I'm not going to go
big game, must win anything quite like that. But it's
kind of important to go out there and take care
of it today and hop on that burden style.

Speaker 13 (54:16):
No, I think you're right, And yes, there's a little
bit of a of a I don't know if it's
momentum or just you know, mood thing that will carry
over when when you win on a getaway day. But
what really if you think about it, you know, if
they win today. They win two series on the road
in which they didn't really hit at all. They had

(54:37):
a couple of blow up starts from starters where the
bullpen had to cover a ton of innings. So if
you're all of a sudden coming back from a road
trip and you go and you can go four and
two without, you know, really playing all that well outside
of some a couple of really good pitching performances, you
know that in and of itself is a confidence booster

(54:57):
to where you can look around that clubous and say, hey, minute,
we ever start playing well, like, there's no telling what
we can do because we're we're out here winning series
and we're not even playing well yet.

Speaker 3 (55:08):
Brian Boga seven, thanks for the time, as always, appreciate
you and we'll continue to talk to you down the road.

Speaker 13 (55:17):
All right, guys, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (55:19):
All right there you goo, Brian Boga Sevic. Great job
is always here on Sports Talk seven ninety as we
broadcast live from the Big City Wings marquee location ununtil
two o'clock. We'll be giving away some Ashros tickets, so
come on by if you'd like to again the marquee
location of Big City Wings gonna take a quick break.

(55:39):
You want to talk some Ashros rockets. Anything you want
to get to you can. The phone lines are open
at seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.
We also have eight Nobody got time for that slast
shut Jo bumb ass up coming up at eleven thirty
here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
Back at you here Matt Thomas show with Ross lots
of good stuf for you. Brian Belgsevic obviously offering the
intel there on the Astros. Maybe give you a little
bit of thought to some of the things he had
to say, both about the pitching staff and the offense.
Adam Watchley here with you know Matt Thomas. Today we're
here at Big City Wings with the Marquee location. Great

(56:16):
stop for lunch today. Come on out and see us
and enjoy some wings are sampling has already begun. We
got the awesome new dry rub the taheen. We got
some gold lemon pepper all sitting here waiting for us
to enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
Sorry, I was wiping my fingers.

Speaker 1 (56:33):
Yeah, Ross dug in already as he should.

Speaker 3 (56:36):
Our engineer deserves.

Speaker 1 (56:37):
A little bit of extra time to get his grug.

Speaker 3 (56:39):
On me and self control, don't get along too well,
so had to dive right in.

Speaker 2 (56:43):
Sorry, what's going on? What did I miss?

Speaker 1 (56:46):
You didn't miss anything? The Astros conversation obviously with Brian Bogasvic,
I think this is it's obviously it's so early. There
are one hundred and fifty one games left in this season.
But it is pretty alarming how many different Astros are
in a very bad place. Offensively, It's not just the production,
as we talked about with Yanery, it's more about what
they are doing at the plate, how they look at

(57:07):
the plate, and you know we're seeing the Christian walker
bewilderment walk is way too prevalent, walking back to the dugout,
shaking his head. I just I can't believe I swung
at that, or I can't believe the umpire called that
third strike on me. He's already had four or five
walks back to the dugout after striking out that. I

(57:27):
didn't think we'd see much at all this year, and
that to me, for who he's been. None of the
players they added this year had a longer road of
success in his past than he did again, a later
player from a when he got to the big League sure,
but he spent the last four years as an everyday
player and has produced all throughout. Some of his numbers
this year peripherals are not anything like what I would

(57:49):
have expected. I know it's only been eleven games of
Astros baseball this year, but you know he's got a
hard hit rate which is a good predictor of what's
to come. Not necessarily resist old space, but process based.
And I absolutely stole that line from Brian bogas Sevic,
a line he used last night. They're so good. The
expectation that things are going to go his way are there.

(58:10):
They're better than they've ever been. His hard hit rate
is as good as it's ever been in his career.
His bat to ball rate is it's right where it
needs to be. You look at some of the advanced
stat cast numbers that are with their his bat speed,
it's right where you would have expected it, very high,
among the best on the team, among the best in
baseball with some of these numbers. But then a strikeout

(58:31):
rate is way out of whack. Never been anywhere near
this high. Maybe he's had a two week stretch of
his career where it's been this high. A little hard
to pinpoint that, but doing it the way he's doing it,
there's too many at bats and he's by no means
the only culprit. They go up there. They're taking an
alarmingly high rate of pitches to hit. They're taking them

(58:51):
their strikes, they're fastballs, They're catching a huge portion of
the plate, and a lot of Astros' hitters were either
looking for something else or just getting into the bat
and they're just letting him go.

Speaker 2 (59:03):
Yeah, that's funny.

Speaker 3 (59:04):
The funny thing to me is that everybody is struggling,
and it seems like they're struggling in different ways. And
with Walker it has been the whiffs. It has been
the strikeouts and the lack of walks. He he has
not drawn.

Speaker 2 (59:15):
A walk on this on the season yet.

Speaker 1 (59:16):
Yeah. His walk rate zero ten for his career, it's
at zero point zero yeah ten.

Speaker 3 (59:21):
Yeah, ten percent walk rate's pretty solid. Uh, zero percent
is not good. That is totally unexpected.

Speaker 4 (59:29):
And that begs the question if he's whiffing so much
he's not walking, Is he because of the contract and
coming over the year and the offense is struggling.

Speaker 3 (59:36):
Is he may be pressing a little bit too much
of the box.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
Yeah, I don't. I don't see how you could shy
away from that term. It certainly looks like he's pressing
in the box, and even last night he walked away
from it, back kind of shaking his head. The one
ball he really connected with just hit it to the
wrong part of the ballpark and Julio Rodriguez was able
to easily track it down. But you know, a fifty
seven percent hard hit rate. His career is forty five.
He's never finished the season over fifty. He's at fifty seven.

(01:00:01):
There are some things that get worse.

Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
No, I'm saying regrets.

Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
His hard hit rate is going to go down, but
his results are going to go up. Okay, Okay, there's
no there's no question about it. I mean no, I
don't question it either. It's gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (01:00:15):
But it's just everybody in their own little way is
going through their slump all at the same time, except for,
as we mentioned, Jose Al Tuovey and to a lesser extent,
Jake Myers.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Would you also agree we've already seen plays made at
first base defensively, Oh yeah, that we would have never
seen last year. Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (01:00:32):
Was it the first inning yesterday when he had. That
was a run saving dive that he made. And no
disrespect to our good friends John Singleton, Jose Bray, whoever else.
That play would not have been made by by those guys.
Christian Walker has already been saving runs this season for
the Astros.

Speaker 1 (01:00:48):
John Singleton hit his first home run of the season
yesterday for the Triple As. Uh, what do they play Syracuse? Okay?
Are they the Syracuse Mets? Okay?

Speaker 14 (01:00:57):
They are?

Speaker 3 (01:00:58):
I have no idea. I mean, I'll I'll take your
word for it. Let's go Syracuse Metz. I mean, I'm
wishing John Singleton all the best in his future endeavors.

Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
But he's a replacement level guy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
Yes, this is an attempt at the upgrade to be sure. Yes,
you know, the offensive numbers are very a bray You
esque for Christian Walker, but the defensive metrics are saving
throws that have been off the bag, you know, cutting
off singles, turning what would be doubles into outs. And
it's one of the reasons why they need to do that.
Their defense needs to be at a much higher level

(01:01:30):
than it was last year. Perettis might not make these
spectacular plays that you saw from last year's third basement,
but you also realize you're not expecting to replace a
gold glover with a goal glover, but make the routine
plays look routine, and for the most part he has
done that. I think he's played a pretty good third base.
We'll see how the season continues, but you should have
plus level defense at every spot. With Walker being elite,

(01:01:52):
Pania is probably very close to being called elite, and
both Rogers and Perettis just need to take care of
their business. Rogers isn't quite the fender he was a
couple of seasons ago in Colorado when he too picked
up a glove made of gold.

Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
Yeah, he's just depending on what numbers you look at,
He's not the second baseman he was a couple of
years ago.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
But it's an upgrade, especially over jose A L.

Speaker 1 (01:02:13):
Twove.

Speaker 3 (01:02:14):
I think despite the zero for five day yesterday, that
he's trending in the right direction.

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
We had him on the Matt Thomas Show with.

Speaker 3 (01:02:21):
Ross and he talked about his approach and how things
have been changing and he think they found something. So
a bit of a hiccup yesterday, But if you can
just hit some and then you just need everybody else
to everyone to do their job.

Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
We go to back to Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
Do your job.

Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
Not everybody's doing their job. And there's still five.

Speaker 1 (01:02:39):
And six, Yeah, finding a way to win. They're gonna
be in a lot of close games even later in
the season when they're hitting. Their pitching has been very good.
Their bullpen's been very good. Taylor Scott's one guy in
the bullpen. The rest of the bullpen's been very very good.
Hater's pitched two innings twice already at this early point
in the season, which is clearly something to monitor. But
he also is able to do it because unlike last

(01:03:01):
year at the beginning of the season, he's pounding the
strike zone. He's throwing his pitches whether they're off the plate,
and guy's camp lay off of them. His first inning
of work last night and the ninth inning was just one,
two three, give me back to the dugout as fast
as I think we've ever seen him perform, and it
wasn't much different in the tenth inning, even dealing with
the gift runner over at second and then third.

Speaker 3 (01:03:22):
Yeah, I was actually gonna bring it up with Brian Bogosevic,
but we just didn't have time. There's too many things
to get to that. You know, in a way, you're like, oh, yeah,
josh Ayden went on there and got six outs, that's
what he's supposed to do. And but like it's like,
dude has been nails early on multiple times now, already
getting you six outs and staying in games and racking

(01:03:42):
up three saves and getting you the win on Sunday
as well.

Speaker 1 (01:03:47):
He's been huge.

Speaker 3 (01:03:48):
He's been Absolutely if he started off this season the
way he started off last season, Yastras would have lost
a couple of more.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
Games already, no doubt about it. And it is what
he's here for. It's why you went out and it
is why you went out and paid him the kind
of money that you did. But the expectations are going
to be super high. He's a closer, he's an elite
level pitcher and he still is at this age and stage.
But you go see it happen and you're like, yes,
this is the only way to keep things where they are,
because think about if one of this is what happened

(01:04:16):
last year except for the result. He pitched in that
Toronto series after they got swept by the Yankees, and
it was the only game they lost to Toronto. They
would have left Houston at three and four instead of
two and five if Hater hadn't given up the ninth
inning to run Homer in a one nothing Astros game. Well,
he's been out there now four times, three for three
on saves, multiple twinning appearances, all at his highest level.

(01:04:40):
He's closing out these victories or allowing the guys behind
him yesterday to close out victories. He's supposed to be
pitching in your wins only, and that's what he's done
this year. It's been beautiful.

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
It's been great to see and he yeah, it's almost
like I said, he goes by without saying because that's
the life that relievers live. You do your job, you
get your six outs, you're getting saves. That's what you're
supposed to do. But tip of the cap, shall we
say to Josh Hater three saves a one point two
nine ERA. At the start of the season, he was

(01:05:13):
a little shaky in that first first game and we're like,
oh gosh, this is gonna be another one of those
long seasons.

Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
But he's been absolute nails since then. Gotta have it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:22):
Hasn't a lot of hits since then, he's.

Speaker 1 (01:05:24):
Been incredible, And every pitch you're throwing in a game yesterday,
once you get to your top of the ninth inning
and you don't score, it's a walkoff opportunity for the
Mariners the last four innings that game, the ninth, tenth, eleventh,
and twelfth.

Speaker 3 (01:05:35):
So thus is the life he leaves as as a closer.
All right, we're gonna take quick break here on the
Mount of Thomas Show with Ross with Adam Lux. We
are at the Big City Wings Marquee location. If you
want to come by and say, hey, coming up next,
you know something you want to get off your chest.
You know something somebody's been making you upset, somebody that
has really been ticking you off, or if somebody's been

(01:05:58):
talking too much and saying the wrong thing.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Well, tell me.

Speaker 3 (01:06:00):
Nobody got time for that slash shut Joe bum ass
up that's coming up next, And I'm really excited to
hear what Wes has to say on this one seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety eight. No body
got time for that slash shut Joe bum ass up?
Coming up next here on Sports Stock seven.

Speaker 15 (01:06:21):
Night, Here again here again, hereby again, damp toaday here again,
damp toaday here we again, damfaday here ben again, tamn
here bab again time here bet again dampaday.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
Alright, folks, it is time for my favorite segment of
the week.

Speaker 2 (01:06:43):
You want to get in.

Speaker 3 (01:06:45):
Phone lines are open at seven one three two, one
two five seven ninety seven one three two, one two
five seven ninety Maybe you got cut off in traffic,
Maybe somebody has been upsetting you at work and you
want to say, ain't nobody got time for that?

Speaker 1 (01:07:05):
Time for that?

Speaker 3 (01:07:08):
Or maybe something someone's been saying something. Maybe Dan Matthews
has been spouting off on the Morning Show and you're like.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
Man, you know what, Dan Matthews, shut Joe bumass.

Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
Shut up.

Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
Man. I just say that because Dan Matthews is currently
scarfing wings down here.

Speaker 1 (01:07:23):
He's doing the right thing. Have tip to Dan for
making it on out here and endoying his day with us.
We're bringing you're not out here out here.

Speaker 3 (01:07:29):
Well you're not eligible for the Astros tickets, Dan, Sorry, yeah,
I know, yeah, that's true. He can you know what, Dan,
We'll actually we're adding it to the package. Dan will
sneak in with his credential and sit next to you
with the tickets if you'd like to win them.

Speaker 2 (01:07:43):
All right, we got some Astros tickets.

Speaker 3 (01:07:45):
We'll be given away here the ass the Big City
Wings mark he location here out Sports Scox seven ninety
with you on until two o'clock. So, uh, wex you
are esteem guess well first again boone lines are open
at seven one three, two one two five seven ninety
if you want to tell Gators fans of the Florida
Gators to shut their bum ass up. But wex you

(01:08:06):
are a Steen guest here on the show. Thank you
for hanging out. Number one, Number two, have you cleared
all the wings out of your teeth? And number three
what do you got?

Speaker 1 (01:08:13):
Well, I'm not gonna ask you if the answer that
question is yes or not, because if it isn't, I'll
be rather embarrassed. But I can't speak, and that's what
this is about. So last night, as the Rockets were
clinching the number two seed, it was a result of
the Lakers losing with the magic number of one. Any
Rockets winner, any Lakers loss would do it. It happened.
The Rockets have three more games that have zero bearing

(01:08:36):
on their postseason seeding. They will now meet the winner
of the seven to eight playing game Tuesday, April fifteenth.
Whoever wins that game, that's the best of seven first
round opponent for the Houston Rockets. We don't know who
seven or eight will be. But shut your bumb ass
up has to do with what happened in that game.

(01:08:56):
I completely agree that jt Or should not have ejected
Luka Dancits or given him the technical, But the shut
your bumb ass up is for Luca and all the
Laker cry babies.

Speaker 3 (01:09:12):
Shit, obumm ass up.

Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
Man. You can't yell at everybody in the arena every
game you play for your entire NBA career and then say,
how could you do that? How did you not know
I was talking to a fan? Oh maybe because he
already gave you your thirteenth technical foul of the season earlier
in the same game, and you still couldn't stop talking.

(01:09:35):
As much as I think it's embarrassing for the MAVs
to have put this, Luca is awful because of this
campaign out there after they traded him by the way
Lakers at MAVs tonight for the first time, We'll see
if Luca plays the second night of the back to back,
but one of the things that was discussed. Heck, Wendy
brought it up during the finals last year, and I
don't think this is a reason to trade a player.

(01:09:57):
But his complaining to the officials is you are on
All NBA first team, Luca, no question about it. He
is an All NBA first team. Never shuts his bomb
ass up. He yells at everybody in the arena. He
winds and complains. He doesn't run up and down the
court because he's too busy complaining. And he was always
near the top of the board in technicals thirteen and

(01:10:17):
fourteen for a player who's missed a bunch of time
this year. He is one of the elite players in
the league. But he never shuts up. And this is
what happens.

Speaker 3 (01:10:28):
Shut your bomb out, Yeah like that, I'm with it.

Speaker 1 (01:10:33):
How could you throw me out because you've been yelling
the entire game and I didn't know who you were
yelling at.

Speaker 4 (01:10:37):
He always looks like a petulant child, and then he
has the haircut of an eight year old, so it
always feels like it just makes the situation works.

Speaker 2 (01:10:45):
Like Luka Doncic.

Speaker 3 (01:10:46):
Looks like a Doe Kid, who unfortunately can drop fifty
on you any given moment.

Speaker 1 (01:10:50):
Yeah, there's now two players in the NBA who have
more technical fouls than Luca, because I haven't seen one
of them that Yesterday's has been reciveing the only two
players they've both reached their limit and been suspended for
a game. Dylan and obviously is one, and Draymond Nope, Oh,
I don't know. It's Anthony Edwards okay, and Draymond's right there.
He picked up number thirteen against the Rockets, but again,
he's also on the first team of Never Shuts Up,

(01:11:12):
and the officials in the Golden State Rockets game were embarrassed.
I'm glad you beg them to throw him out and
they wouldn't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:18):
Because that's where I was going. I'm glad you brought
up Draymond. Okay, maybe I brought up Draymond. Dre Mond Green.
First of all, you scream at the referees more than
anyone in basketball. You should have been run from that game.
And oh, by the way, you absolutely tried to. It
literally could have ended Albrin Shingoon's career with that flying elbow.

(01:11:39):
Nobody goes towards the basket. Perpendicular, you go up towards
the basket where your elbow will lock out. I know
your game. I'm familiar with your game. Draymond Green. You're
trying to end people's career. You're one of the dirtiest players,
if not the dirtiest player in the history of the NBA,
and you have.

Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
The gall to scream and clap at the officials.

Speaker 3 (01:12:00):
Oh, by the way, the officials don't even eject you,
so you know what. Ain't nobody got time for those
crappy officials not throwing out Draymond Green and Draymond Green,
chut your bamas up.

Speaker 1 (01:12:10):
Hey, nobody got time today.

Speaker 12 (01:12:14):
Wait, let me ship.

Speaker 2 (01:12:19):
Thank you Jonathan You know what? JK, what do you
got man?

Speaker 1 (01:12:23):
You know that's what you say.

Speaker 16 (01:12:29):
It was Monday, the game was right, right, And today's Wednesday,
and I'm still seeing all this hate going on to
Manual Sharp and the Kudes man and what what's all
going on on them?

Speaker 1 (01:12:37):
Right?

Speaker 16 (01:12:38):
And the plays everybody's reliving in and stuff. You guys, understand,
these guys got class this week after all that, man,
Like all this is going on, and on top of that,
they had probably homework they were doing the week, and
I know, like the joke is like, oh, no, one,
they don't do the homework er dada man, you guys
could get these athletes some prots.

Speaker 11 (01:12:56):
Man.

Speaker 16 (01:12:56):
Ain't nobody got time for all this hate, all this
They went what five straight days traveling or you know, in.

Speaker 1 (01:13:02):
Two weeks a whole month and just go in and balling.

Speaker 15 (01:13:04):
So we gotta give him some prod.

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
JK wants to get the student athletes some love. I
love that he does that all I think every week.
I really appreciate.

Speaker 3 (01:13:13):
I'm on board with Jonathan Allen's agenda here on a sports.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
Talk So it was nice to see yesterday the Cougar's
arrival back on campus over the guybe Lewis Development facility.
Their bus pulled up and there were a ton of
fans there awaiting their arrival. They had they helped to
put some smiles on their faces. And Emmanuel Sharp specifically,
you can see in some of the videos and pictures
that you know, while he was interacting with fans and

(01:13:39):
signing a few things, he had a smile on his
face and probably had not had one since obviously the
evening before with what went down, and he and many
others that were there that night, that suffered through all that,
that had an amazing season. And I don't know what
next year poortends, but they have pro this was the
most talented team Kevin Samson has had. There's no way

(01:14:00):
next year, So next year more talented. And I do
think we're gonna find out there are a couple players
that will transfer out, especially with yesterday's news that there
is a point guard transferring in. In addition to the
three elite recruits that will be on campus next year,
one of them also a point guard. I think there'll
be some players that could come back that won't. But man,

(01:14:21):
they're definitely one of the their number one seed talent
again next year, no question there.

Speaker 2 (01:14:25):
They're going to be the number one team at least
to start the season.

Speaker 1 (01:14:28):
Next year. We'll see after that.

Speaker 2 (01:14:29):
All right, seven one three two seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (01:14:32):
If you want to tell somebody something you ain't got
time for, or to shut their bumb ass up, see
me is on the phone lines.

Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
What's up?

Speaker 3 (01:14:38):
Ceb.

Speaker 17 (01:14:39):
Hey guys, if you're a fan attending and have those
games a Rockets game or Texas game in between, Enning's
haves quarters when you get up from your seat, you
go down the stairs on the right side and up
the stairs on the right side.

Speaker 1 (01:14:52):
That way, there's not any one person going the wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:14:54):
Way in traffic. It's common sense.

Speaker 1 (01:14:56):
Ain't nobody got time for that?

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
Hey, nobody got to have I like that one.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
Anytime you fire off the game you go to, it's
an issue if you fire off a common sense ain't
nobody got time for that? I am so down. Those
are the best ones because they're so obvious, and yet
it is an issue. You know, sometimes I will veer
to the side I don't belong on out of necessity, Yes,
because somebody is on the side they don't belong on.

Speaker 3 (01:15:23):
Yeah, I don't know if there's like a bunch of
Briton's visiting the stadium or what's going on.

Speaker 2 (01:15:29):
It's out of control. I like the CB brought that up.

Speaker 3 (01:15:32):
It seems to be an issue basically every game you
go to, and no matter where you are.

Speaker 1 (01:15:37):
Now at Toyota Center, will you ever just kind of
hold your ground play chicken with the walkers heading down
or up on the wrong side, there's gonna be a
break in though in the handrail. There's gonna be an
opportunity for someone to move where they belong. But will
you ever just play chicken with me?

Speaker 4 (01:15:51):
I guess maybe I have before, but I try not
to make a habit.

Speaker 3 (01:15:55):
I'm non confrontational in general. I just like to give
everyone the free pass. That's how I roll. All Right,
we're gonna take a quick break here. If you still
want to get in, you want to tell somebody to
shut their bumb ass up, or ain't. No body got
time for that? Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:16:17):
Continuing on on a Wednesday afternoon, almost still in the
am here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross and
nobody got time for that? Shut your bomb ass up?
Ongoing here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Always fun when
I can drop that on Luca. We'll see what the
remainder of the season is for him. But he absolutely

(01:16:38):
will not be doing that because he never does. Draymond
will absolutely not be doing that because he never does.
And to make people aware of what they could have
found on the X platform. When Draymond's elbow met Schengoon's
face April seventh, in the evening at Sports RV, his
exact words were, there is nothing natural about this shooting motion.

(01:16:59):
Watch his elbow will go back up when he actually
tries to make the basket, completely intentional. Shocking that you
were able to quote tweet a Laker fan account who
had the video for you.

Speaker 3 (01:17:10):
I just put in Drea, I put Draymond Green in
whatever video popped up I used, and that that's a
good angle. I mean, look, it's very clear, as I said,
he if you're going up to the basket, your elbow
was not out in a chicken wing.

Speaker 1 (01:17:22):
It's not natural going into a player you know that's
in your way. That might value there's gonna be contact
on your shot. Going up strong is one thing. What
he did has nothing to do with that.

Speaker 2 (01:17:34):
Terrible he honestly like that. I'm not even kidding.

Speaker 1 (01:17:38):
He should be.

Speaker 2 (01:17:38):
You could be kicked out of the leak for that,
or maybe he even should so.

Speaker 1 (01:17:41):
Then when they went to review and only flagrant foul
won him where you're even more insights.

Speaker 3 (01:17:46):
I couldn't believe it. I mean I could believe it
because that's what he does. He's crafty. He kicks up
in the air and he's like, oh, it's a natural motion.
He pushes guys. He's crafty with it, like you know,
your two eight year old fighting in the backseat of
the car. He started, he started, I'm not touching him.
Oh no, he did it. You you throw. There's a
way to be crafty about how a dirty player. So
it's a craft he's been honing for fifteen years.

Speaker 1 (01:18:08):
The parents in the front seat know who to blame. Y, Yeah,
it's it's ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (01:18:15):
All right, Let's go to the phone line seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. The phone number
seven one three two one two five seven ninety Steven
in Los Angeles, Go ahead.

Speaker 14 (01:18:28):
My ain't nobody gout tied to that is Taylor Scott.
Not only can you not throw strikes anymore, but when
you put guys on base, you let them steal on
you every single time. Joe, I think you're a great manager,
but ain't nobody got time for Taylor Scott in high
leverage situations anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:18:50):
Thank you, Steven.

Speaker 2 (01:18:50):
We have talked about this a little bit with Taylor Scott.

Speaker 3 (01:18:53):
I think the the plan was I think going into
the game with Brian Abray, you down Joe spotas thought
was Taylor Scott is my seventh inning guy.

Speaker 4 (01:19:02):
Brian King is my eighth inning guy. Josh Haters my
ninth inning plus guy.

Speaker 1 (01:19:06):
That's probably how it went down yesterday. I feel like
with Taylor pitching the last two days, today might be
Logan Van why major league debut day. We'll see if
it goes that way. And that's the other part of it.
He was a man down in the bullpen because there
was a spot empty because of the Montero trade. He
was a man down, an additional man down in the
bullpen because a Brave was down. One of the other

(01:19:26):
additional men in the bullpen has never thrown a major
league pitch before. In Logan Van Why. So, it's pretty
easy to get to the conclusion of why he was
in the game yesterday and when he was in the
game yesterday.

Speaker 12 (01:19:37):
It just is.

Speaker 1 (01:19:38):
Unfortunate that he's carried over how he performed late last
year into how he started this year not very successfully.

Speaker 2 (01:19:44):
I should actually correct myself.

Speaker 3 (01:19:45):
Joe Spotta's real plan was astro score eight runs and
you don't have to worry about high leverage relievers.

Speaker 2 (01:19:52):
Unfortunately, it's not happening.

Speaker 3 (01:19:53):
And basically any game that they're playing ain't Nobody got
time for these astros bats to be as slow as
they are. Hey, nobody got tam today, Geo in a
taska Sita, you are next up.

Speaker 18 (01:20:04):
Hey guys, a great show as usual. So uh for man,
shut a bum mass up. Ain't nobody got time for it.
I as soon as you guys mentioned that you were
gonna be at Big City Wings at the Marquee Center,
you know, I say, you know what, I'm gonna go
ahead and check my PTO. I got some PTO. I'm
gonna take the day off and make it today. You know,
take the wife out there, get some wings, you know,

(01:20:25):
meet you guys. It'll be a cool thing. So this
morning I wake up to a phone call for my
supervisors saying, oh, Geo, we need you to come in.
We're shorthanded today. So to my supervisor, shut a bum
mass up. Ain't nobody got time for that, man. I'm
trying to give me some masshow tickets and a Welter
and Ross headshot tickets.

Speaker 3 (01:20:42):
Man, shut your bum mass up.

Speaker 2 (01:20:44):
Man, we gotta we got a shack of them for you.

Speaker 1 (01:20:47):
G Yo.

Speaker 3 (01:20:48):
Man, appreciate it. Sorry you couldn't make it. Yeah, you
know what, I'm giving one to your supervisor too. Ain't
nobody got time for that, Geo supervisor, nobody try to
be out here, have a good time at Big City
Wings Marque location.

Speaker 1 (01:20:58):
That's very unfortunate, very very pro Sports Talk seven ninety
and Big Sitting Wings. We love you for that.

Speaker 3 (01:21:04):
Yes, we do appreciate you a Sports Talk seven ninety.
You can make your number one preset on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (01:21:10):
We would appreciate it if you did that.

Speaker 3 (01:21:13):
Uh, all right, Well, anybody else want to get in
you can seven one three two one two five seven
ninety is the phone number seven one three two one
two five seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:21:23):
You know I got another one. Uh. I'm not really
big into hockey.

Speaker 3 (01:21:27):
And you know, maybe that's a fault of mine, and
many people would say that's a fault of mine, But
I understand that alex Ovechkin has recently become the all
time goal scorer in NHL history. And what did I
see on my for you tab? Unfortunately that ESPN and
First Take and Steven A and all of them were
making it about they were just comparing alex Ovechkin's legacy

(01:21:51):
to Lebron's legacy. Does every single thing have to tie
into the la Lakers and the Lebron on ESPN. Ain't
nobody had time for that, ESPN.

Speaker 1 (01:21:59):
Come on, that's quite a quite a connection. The all
time leading NBA points scorer and now we have an
all new all time NHL goal scorer. Can you imagine
where the NHL would be, which is to say, nowhere,

(01:22:20):
without the legacy and the time on the ice of
Alex Ovechkin. I mean, I can't even imagine how low
a league they would be, how little fan support they
would have. It'd probably be a twelve team league right now.
If Ovechkin had not made his way to the NHL
and made his way to the top of the NHL
scoring list, which he did a goal scoring list goal

(01:22:40):
scoring points earlier this month. I mean, he's been incredible.
Everybody knows Alex Ovechkin has carried the torch for the
NHL for the last fifteen years. Everybody knows that great
comparison between he and Lebron. I love it. It makes
perfect sensecas here, Holy cow, these you got these shows

(01:23:03):
that have three, four or five talkie talkers on it. Yes,
and those shows usually have five maybe eight people that
help you with the show produces and other people I'm
not necessarily saying maybe the makeup artists, but they might
offer a suggestion here too. All these people come together,
first thing out of their mouth every post show meeting.

(01:23:25):
How do we talk about Lebron James tomorrow? How do
we talk about the Lakers tomorrow? The Rockets to the
number two seed? How do we make this about the Lakers?
The Oklahoma City thunder have a chance to win seventy games?
How do we make this about the Lakers? How do
we make this about Lebron? Nikole Jokicic and shake Gilges
Alexander are running neck and neck for MVP. Is this

(01:23:47):
a Lebron like season we're seeing from Sga? Is this
a Lebron like performance we're seeing from Nikolajokicic? Every And
I get it for the magnitude that he's been and
who he still is. And it's nothing about the him, really,
it's about the networks and the ackers inability to speak
about anything else, and to some extent they're consumers. Are

(01:24:09):
they really that tied to this? There will only watch
the show if you talk about Lebron, even when we're
talking about Alexzovichkin.

Speaker 3 (01:24:18):
That's pretty much what they do and in a sense
it is, Look, they have ratings, they know that when
they talk about Lebron that they're gonna get more eyeballs,
they're gonna get more action, they're gonna go more viral
and all that.

Speaker 1 (01:24:29):
Type of stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:24:29):
So in a sense, it's, uh, you know what is
that that meme word than the guy in the hot
dogs too, We're all looking for the guy who did this.
In a sense, it is the sporting public and what
they take in and being drawn to star power and
all that type of stuff. But mix it up a
little bit. I mean, my goodness, it's just beating over
the head. I think going to a well one too

(01:24:51):
many times. In a way, how we talk about how
it's always the Lakers and the Warriors on TNT and ESPN,
It's like there's other teams talk about two And I
think it is a little bit short sighted long term
to where you focus so much with Lebron and when
he does eventually retire, you're scrambling for something else to
talk about.

Speaker 1 (01:25:10):
I don't know if you know this, Ross, but if
the playoffs started today, we would see the Lakers and
Warriors in the first round. Let's talk about it.

Speaker 3 (01:25:17):
Oh oh, actually we could. Well, let's talk about who
your number two seed is as well. Who is that
if the playoffs started today?

Speaker 1 (01:25:24):
Adam Wetzler, the number one seed is the only team
ahead of your Houston Rockets, sitting at number two, fifty
two and twenty seven. The first of their last three
games you'll hear right here on Sports Talk seven to
ninety later this evening their last meeting of the season
with the Los Angeles Clippers and maybe just maybe their
first game of the season against Kawhi Leonard.

Speaker 3 (01:25:49):
Yeah, he hasn't played them all. Well, we'll see depending
on how the play in goes. Okay, we are going
to take another break here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. Without Matt Thomas, two hours are in the books.
We are continuing to broadcasts from the Marquee location of
Big City Wings. We very soon are gonna give away
our first four pack of Astros tickets. We'll have another
one later on. If you want to come hang out,

(01:26:11):
and if you also you want to come get on
the phone lines. You can talk some sports with us
at seven one, three, two one two five seven ninety
News at noon is coming up. Ross via Real Adam
Wexer with you on Sports Talk seven ninety until two o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:26:28):
Back half of the program begins right now.

Speaker 2 (01:26:31):
It's new work today.

Speaker 1 (01:26:33):
Yeah, well as this, I mean, I could have just
taken the day off, considering Astros baseball lazy.

Speaker 2 (01:26:39):
That'd be something Matt Thomas would do.

Speaker 1 (01:26:40):
Yeah, or ac although he will have pre and post games, yes,
and he and I and Matt all have some Rockets
work coming up later this evening. Adam and Matt will
have Rockets and Clippers for you with a very late
tip off. I'll be over on the TV side with
Calvin Murphy and Gerald Green on Space City Home Network
for Rockets basketball again. Now these games have no bearing

(01:27:01):
on the standings. We'll get at all those things here.
But I even recognize it is exactly twelve noon here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (01:27:09):
That's time for the news at noon. You know what
we will start there.

Speaker 4 (01:27:14):
We have been neglecting our friends and partners, the Houston Rockets.

Speaker 3 (01:27:20):
It's been a long season at of welex sort of
the Rockets at fifty two. At twenty seven, you have
the Los Angeles Lakers losing last night to the Oklahoma
City Thunder one thirty six to one twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:27:31):
Why does that matter?

Speaker 3 (01:27:32):
It matters because your Houston Rockets have clinched the.

Speaker 2 (01:27:37):
Number two spot.

Speaker 3 (01:27:38):
I mean, I cannot believe we were out like arguing
about Gary Clark minutes David Newaba needs to play more?
Is Christian Wood a top three player on a championship team.

Speaker 1 (01:27:52):
Under no circumstances, even knowing we might go this direction
today with where they've come from to where they are,
did I expect the name Gary Clark to come up
on today's program?

Speaker 3 (01:28:02):
Former Houston Rockets legend legend according to Rockets Twitter.

Speaker 1 (01:28:07):
I mean people in Gary Clark getting minutes. I'll hang
up in the listen.

Speaker 2 (01:28:09):
People were losing their mind.

Speaker 3 (01:28:11):
He needs to play more.

Speaker 1 (01:28:14):
It was it was something to behold.

Speaker 3 (01:28:16):
He's knocking down threes, he's.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
The perfect three and d wing.

Speaker 4 (01:28:22):
Let Gary Clark cook and it's like, okay, bro we
are obviously dealing with well quite frankly teenagers who don't
know ball. But anyways, I mean, all those things and
these these arguments that we had Steven Silas bless him.
I still love it as a coach, but we appreciate
all the Rockets in the past.

Speaker 3 (01:28:43):
It has led to this exceeding expectations. Win total I
believe was forty two and a half or forty three
and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:28:49):
Start of the season.

Speaker 4 (01:28:51):
They're up to fifty two wins and they are the
number two seed in the Western Conference.

Speaker 1 (01:28:57):
Yeah, all locked up fifty two and twenty seven. The Lakers,
the Clippers, the Nuggets, the Warriors, the Grizzlies, and the
Timberwolves are three through eight. They're separated by two games.
Those six teams, four of whom have an identical forty
seven and thirty two records, So any one of them,

(01:29:17):
any one of those six teams could end up seven
to eight, with the winner of that seven and eight
playing game being the Rockets first round.

Speaker 2 (01:29:24):
Of bove Yeah, pretty crazy.

Speaker 3 (01:29:25):
We don't know where they are gonna be in the playoffs,
but as far as the rest of the regular season,
you got three games left tonight against the Clippers, then
they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Last game
as it will be taking on the different Nuggets.

Speaker 1 (01:29:40):
We've seen their new head coach. Oh yeah, what's his name?

Speaker 2 (01:29:44):
I don't even remember?

Speaker 1 (01:29:45):
Alm Almans kid?

Speaker 3 (01:29:47):
Oh okay, sure, one of the Adamans. So the thunder
have been playing their starters. They've been clinched for a
long time.

Speaker 4 (01:29:54):
As far as the number one spot, how do you
think the Rockets and Emiannadoka handled the minutes for the the.

Speaker 2 (01:30:00):
Rest of the way.

Speaker 1 (01:30:01):
I don't know if it was a coincidence or the
thought was already there. If the Rockets have had and
currently have three players already listed on their injury report
for this evening. Fred van Vliet's doubtful, so I'm sure
he's not playing tonight, and Alpern Shagoon and Jabari Smith
Junior are questionable. That's an ankle for Fred, the growing
of Jabari, the back for Alburn. All of these things

(01:30:22):
have come up at a time throughout the year. And
Fred specifically, there's no question about that injury. He may
talked about that at their last home game. This is
something that he is dealing with probably the remainder of
the season. He's someone who may actually get all three
games off and then the full week of rest. They'll
either get six days off or five days off before
their first game the following weekend. I bet your Fred

(01:30:43):
is out of the Rockets lineup for the remainder of
the season, and they'll just go easy on others, Jalen's
gonna play in all three games, continue his consecutive games
played streak. But I doubt they are gunning hard to
push these guys even though they're playing their best basketball
this season, and you could think to carry that momentum
into the playoffs. Is he gonna pull a Randy Moss.

Speaker 3 (01:31:05):
He's gonna come in for like five minutes just to
get the start streak and keep it going.

Speaker 2 (01:31:08):
And then why did you do play the rest of.

Speaker 11 (01:31:10):
The game on?

Speaker 1 (01:31:10):
Don't you say that about Josh Allen? He just did
that at the end of this regular season in their
last game.

Speaker 3 (01:31:16):
Oh yeah, that's right, Yeah, Josh Allen did it. Why
do you pull at Josh Allen?

Speaker 11 (01:31:19):
Or right?

Speaker 3 (01:31:20):
Put?

Speaker 2 (01:31:20):
Whoever?

Speaker 1 (01:31:21):
What else is on the news for today?

Speaker 3 (01:31:22):
Oh well, let's keep it moving on the news at
noon the Houston Astros if you did not catch it
late into the evening, well after midnight. In twelve innings,
they defeat the Seattle Mariners after dropping the first game
of the series. A good way to win the series
after dropping the first game, wex is to have fromber

(01:31:43):
Valdez and Hunter Brown going in the next two days.

Speaker 1 (01:31:45):
It certainly made you think well Man. A sweep could
be in the works if they had taken care of
a three to two lead heading into the late stages
of the first game. But Fromber aced it up yesterday
no runs allowed while he was out there for his
six and an earlier first pitch. Today, getaway day out
of Seattle for the Astros with Hunter Brown shockingly Seattle
sending the same guy to the mound that started yesterday's game,

(01:32:07):
Luis Castillo, Luis.

Speaker 2 (01:32:09):
As president is the eighteen nineties.

Speaker 1 (01:32:11):
I believe yes, Luis F. Castillo is making the start
today and we'll see what the Astros have in store
with Hunter who the results haven't been unbelievable, but he
is throwing the ball unbelievably well in my opinion through
his two years.

Speaker 2 (01:32:26):
I'm feeling a night.

Speaker 3 (01:32:26):
Can we get a first, like really relaxing victory for
the Astros today? Hunter Brown's going against that awful Seattle
Mariners lineup.

Speaker 2 (01:32:34):
You're going up against Timu.

Speaker 3 (01:32:36):
Luis Castillo, like, come on, let's get some hits today?

Speaker 1 (01:32:39):
Can we Can we do that?

Speaker 3 (01:32:41):
Can can we?

Speaker 1 (01:32:42):
Like?

Speaker 3 (01:32:42):
I don't know, I got a crazy idea. How about
a couple of home runs from the squad today?

Speaker 1 (01:32:46):
Well, here's a picture the Astros haven't seen before. Is
that that's old news? Like? We don't do that anymore,
do we?

Speaker 3 (01:32:52):
I guess not.

Speaker 1 (01:32:54):
He's only thrown six and two thirds of major league
pitching in his entire career. His first start was brief,
three innings, three runs.

Speaker 3 (01:33:05):
Okay, So yeah, so I'm I'm you know what, I
am guaran personally guaranteeing. If not Adam Watcher will give
you one hundred dollars, I'm personally guaranteeing the Astros wind.

Speaker 1 (01:33:14):
I will give you one hundred empty bucks.

Speaker 3 (01:33:16):
Empty bucks.

Speaker 1 (01:33:17):
I'm gonna tell you those No, those are no values
going down. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:33:20):
I tried to use them overseas as well. It didn't
really work. The empty bucks are going down. They're crashing
like the stock marker right now.

Speaker 1 (01:33:26):
But I digress.

Speaker 3 (01:33:27):
All right, anyways, let's keep it moving on the news
at noon. Other things to get to here. Let's go
to the top ESPN headline of the day. The Pirates
say their new Bucco Bricks display is on the way.

Speaker 2 (01:33:39):
Your your thoughts, Adam wexserch are.

Speaker 1 (01:33:41):
Bucco bricks some form of currency there in Pittsburgh?

Speaker 2 (01:33:44):
I think so?

Speaker 1 (01:33:45):
Now the Pittsburgh from in terms of what is in
store for the visuals at their ballpark. I don't know
if it made news at noon Worthy earlier this homestand
when they were in hot Water with Roberto Clemente's family.

Speaker 2 (01:33:59):
My gosh, they took it down for that Seltzer.

Speaker 1 (01:34:01):
Yes, we have his name and his number all over
the ballpark and our wall is twenty one feet high.
You know how much it was an oversight, an honest mistake.
What are Bucco bricks all about? I have no idea.
I was just reading headlines.

Speaker 3 (01:34:15):
Let's keep it moving with an actual, super important headline. Actually,
I believe they talked about this on first take. For
ninety straight minutes, Adam Lebron James will be turned into
a ken doll.

Speaker 1 (01:34:25):
Sadly, I have seen the figurine you have, yes, because
on the TVs here wal to Wall TV's here at
Big City Wings over the Marquee location for US today
for the live broadcast. During one of the programs that
was on over our shoulder, Lebron was gazing longingly at
himself in figurine form.

Speaker 2 (01:34:44):
Was it like Alex Rodriguez kissing himself in the mirror?

Speaker 1 (01:34:47):
Not quite like Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez.

Speaker 2 (01:34:52):
Well, I'm looking at the pictures of the Kendall now.

Speaker 1 (01:34:56):
Books. Good. I guess it looks like he's a basketball
Like he's headed to the arena and knows it's on ESPN.
So he's gonna be.

Speaker 3 (01:35:03):
Seen coming sponsor plugs with the Beats by Dre headphones
in this thing.

Speaker 1 (01:35:08):
This is ridiculous. Is he wearing He's not wearing Lebron's,
is he? Or he's gotta be right?

Speaker 2 (01:35:18):
Uh No, those look like they don't Those look like
Jordan once.

Speaker 1 (01:35:21):
That's what I thought I saw. Huh. So the goat
makes it onto Lebron's figurine kicks.

Speaker 2 (01:35:28):
Yeah, he's playing the the other the what is it?

Speaker 1 (01:35:32):
What did he call it? The ghost?

Speaker 3 (01:35:34):
The ghost of Michael Jordan that he's been chasing.

Speaker 1 (01:35:37):
Keep on chasing. Sure he'll get there one day.

Speaker 2 (01:35:40):
Well, he surpassed him in points, scort.

Speaker 4 (01:35:42):
Great, you surpass him in assists, passed him in rebounds.

Speaker 3 (01:35:45):
Wow, And that's about it, not scoring championships, not MVPs.

Speaker 2 (01:35:50):
It's okay championships.

Speaker 1 (01:35:51):
It's okay not to be the greatest ever. It's okay
to be the next greatest or the third or fourth,
or he's one of the all time greatest. Well, it
depends on how you define all time greatest. Bron is
one of the all time greatest. We're not debating that.

Speaker 2 (01:36:02):
Oh no, I'm not debating that.

Speaker 1 (01:36:03):
We're not debating that he is the greatest, are we?

Speaker 3 (01:36:06):
I'm saying the argument for him that he's the greatest.
If I'm picking one player from NBA history to start
a franchise with, I'm picking Lebron James.

Speaker 1 (01:36:13):
Do you really think so? Yow?

Speaker 3 (01:36:15):
How come longevity and playmaking abilities?

Speaker 1 (01:36:22):
Like he's proven his longevity. But if you started your
franchise with any player and you started to get career right, well,
so start your franchise with Michael Jordan, and because of
the information you have, encourage him not to gamble and
go ahead and not take two years off and not
retire early for no reason and not need to come
back exactly, just go ahead and play your fifteen eighteen years.

Speaker 3 (01:36:43):
Clearly emotionally unstable, clearly a bad gambler. Uh clearly, Okay,
can't guard one through five? Nowhere news it newting here
five Len James.

Speaker 1 (01:36:52):
But in light of the fact we just finished the
final four and we're about to start the mask.

Speaker 3 (01:36:55):
We're close to the playmaker. Does it make his teammates better?

Speaker 1 (01:36:58):
Do you consider much? Fill Micholson and Charles Barkley in
the same gambling vibe as Jordan, I would say, if
it's an issue like they're bad, like it's been a
problem for them, but look at where they are and
what they're doing, it's like not a problem at all. Well,
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:37:12):
Phil Micholson has been subpoena and he's been.

Speaker 1 (01:37:14):
He was eating dinner with all the other Masters winner
this week.

Speaker 4 (01:37:17):
Well, he's been a State's witness as well as Phil Nicholson,
so he's probably a little more serious for him than
the others.

Speaker 1 (01:37:22):
He's fine, he's on the course's playing his golf, swinging
the sticks.

Speaker 3 (01:37:28):
Yeah, I guess he has been all right. Well elsewhere
on the news at noon, here's some news for you,
Adam Watcher. We are broadcasting line from the Big City
Wings Marquee location.

Speaker 1 (01:37:37):
Great to be out here as always. I mentioned been
out to this location a couple of times, three times
in the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 3 (01:37:43):
Was here for that. You've got to get a booth
named after you, like they have a booth named after
Matt Thomas or the King location.

Speaker 2 (01:37:48):
We need the Adam Wexer booth here.

Speaker 1 (01:37:50):
This will definitely and has become my home base for
Big City Wings. A huge Yeah, it's could not be
any closer to our place of work. You're a resid
so yes, it's a nice spot. And the day today
you mentioned it earlier. We are right next to the patio.
It is beautiful outside today and it feels like we're
broadcasting outside.

Speaker 2 (01:38:10):
It is gorgeous.

Speaker 3 (01:38:11):
Yes, they have the garage door whatever you would call
this wide open.

Speaker 2 (01:38:15):
So come hang out at.

Speaker 3 (01:38:16):
The Big City Wings Marquee location if you'd like to
come by, Ross vir Real, Adam Wexler with you. Half
the show done so we have given away half of
our Astros four pack of ticks. We have one more
to give away if you want to come by and
try to win those. We'll be with you until two
o'clock here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:38:35):
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross and Today with me
Adam Wexler coming to you live from the Marquee location
at Big City Wings at a chance again to sample
some of one of their new flavors out here. The
taheen drive, blend ad some Buffalo lemon pepper at some
Buffalo hot and well, the kitchen's open. You can come
on out and enjoy some of your own as we

(01:38:58):
continue with our number three Here wex and Ross here
with you seven one three, two one two five, seven
to ninety. If you want to get in on the discussion,
mention the slate ahead here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Astros Baseball comes your way at two o'clock with the
Astros on deck, ac we'll have that for you, and
then Hunter Brown and Luis Castillo the other Castillo going

(01:39:18):
at it this afternoon. A three to ten first pitch
Astros will lead into Rockets coverage. Rockets and Clippers coming
your way later this evening, and Rockets again have already
locked up the number two spot. The Clippers, I don't
know where they're gonna be, but they have also been
playing some of their best basketball of the season. The
Rockets stopped the Oklahoma City thunder eleven game winning streak

(01:39:39):
a couple of nights ago. Uh The Golden State Warriors
were twenty one to five since the arrival of Jimmy Butler,
and the Rockets took care of them. The Clippers have
won seventeen of their last twenty heading into the ball
game tonights on the hardwood, and we'll see what the
Rockets have in store for them. If in fact, they
are going full bore the final three games, knowing that

(01:40:00):
they've already locked up the number two seed, they will
not be any higher, they will not be any lower,
and they won't have much to say except in the
games they play. Remember, each of their three remaining games
are against a potential opponent in the opening round of
the playoffs. Because any of these teams could still drift
down into that seven or eight spot, none of them

(01:40:20):
currently are in that spot. Denver's playing with a new coach,
the Lakers and many of the other teams probably want
to be two or three two is now out the window,
or six or seven and avoid being on the same
side of the practice the Oklahoma City Thunder. But if
you play with fire and your playoff positioning, then usually
karma comes back to bite you. So I don't know

(01:40:42):
that these teams will really necessarily go about it that way.
Still a little bit alarming that a team with championship
aspirations right now, two years removed from winning the NBA
Championship with roughly the same core group of players decided,
not too bad. Internally, it's not working out. For we're
getting rid of both our GM and our head coach

(01:41:02):
with three regular season games remaining, which Denver did yesterday
with Calvin Booth in the front office and Michael Malone,
the all time winningest coach in franchise history and the
only coach to ever delive deliver Denver a championship. Not
too bad, it's not working out. We can't win like this.
You gotta go, and you gotta go right now.

Speaker 3 (01:41:22):
I can't believe that there's been three moments recently in
the NBA where I see a tweet from Shamsharana, I
see a check mark, and because Elon Musk ruined the
check mark system, I have to check double check, triple check,
quadruple check. And then I see it, and then I

(01:41:42):
still can't believe that it's real. And I still can't
believe that it has happened. With the Luca trade, Yeah,
go ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:41:48):
The Luca trade, the Taylor Jenkins firing, and now the
Mike Malone firing.

Speaker 2 (01:41:52):
Uh, yes, that would be correct. That's all three.

Speaker 3 (01:41:56):
I mean, how I've been talking about them as one
of the Western contenders, and really I've been kind of
putting in the pecking order again ahead of the Rockets,
just because of the talent they have and as you mentioned,
the core that they still have. But I guess things
have gotten so poor and so bad and so toxic,
and reports are coming out that maybe it is just
the the general manager versus the head coach or whatever,

(01:42:20):
and players are taking sides.

Speaker 2 (01:42:22):
So they got rid of both of them.

Speaker 1 (01:42:24):
So the basketball is gonna get better over the next
two weeks. I'm saying that entery coach who's been on
staff to say, hey, wi are's not playing hard enough
on defense, and here's where I'd like to change. We
need to be doing this. We need to run this switch.
You gotta have communication. We'd like to defend it this way.
You got to slip down here and you gotta show
up here. Like they've spent an entire tenure of Mike
Malone not doing this stuff, and now Adamman's gonna get

(01:42:46):
them to do it in the next three games plus postseason.

Speaker 3 (01:42:49):
I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense that's
what we're doing.

Speaker 4 (01:42:52):
I just don't get it, which we do on Thursdays
on the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 3 (01:42:55):
I just don't get it. It makes it makes absolutely
no sense. But what you were talking about with seating
and where it's gonna go, I mean, there's no ideal
way for this to play out for the Rockets. The
good thing is what we talked about is first of all,
we wanted to First of all, we want to make
the playoffs or the play in Then it went up
to the playoffs, then it went up to the top four,
then it went to two or three.

Speaker 1 (01:43:15):
Now they are two.

Speaker 3 (01:43:16):
I mean, I honestly still can't believe that we're sitting here.
So as far as teams to avoid, I don't I
don't even know. Warriors, probably, Nuggets probably. How much did
the Lakers scare you in the playoffs?

Speaker 1 (01:43:30):
Well, if they beat the Lakers and Nuggets, and I
know they're not necessarily gonna play their absolute hardest, best
full lineup to do so, but if they did that,
they would be the only team in the Western Conference,
the only team in the NBA to beat every other
Western Conference playoff team twice this season. If they do that,
and again it's it's a little bit out of whack
because they would have if they would have played everybody,

(01:43:52):
that to me says And now that they've also seen
the Butler Warriors twice and they're won and one against them,
They're gonna see the Luca Lakers, presumably on Friday Night.
Do you really have to avoid these teams because I feel, Oh,
you want to avoid the Warriors or Lakers, so you
get the Wolves or you get the Grizzlies. I'm not

(01:44:13):
I don't think that should be in our minds, as
you know, followers of the Rockets or the fans of
the Rockets.

Speaker 2 (01:44:19):
I would say, Grizzlies, Give me the Grizzlies.

Speaker 1 (01:44:20):
I'm not trying to avoid anybody.

Speaker 2 (01:44:22):
I'm trying to avoid anybody.

Speaker 1 (01:44:24):
I'm the matchup against anybody.

Speaker 2 (01:44:27):
You shouldn't be necessarily afraid. But there are teams that well, okay,
I'm afraid of Steph Curry. I'll say it.

Speaker 3 (01:44:32):
He's the boogeyman. He is the Houston Rockets playoff boogieman.
I've had enough of Steph Curry ruining the Rockets playoff
hopes over the last years fifteen fifteen years or so.

Speaker 1 (01:44:42):
It's the worst he's ever been. Yes, clearly he's old.
Everybody gets old. I just had a conversation. We'll listeners.
Everybody gets older. It's just what happens. I don't think
what they did to him the other night is repeatable
to that degree, certainly not in a playoff game, not
with how it will be official. But when he isn't on,

(01:45:04):
I think the Rockets have the ability to beat the Warriors.
And unless he's really on, you know the guy you're
so unhappily remembering about in the postseason, I still think
it's their team did get better. This is a very
good trade for them, and Kaminga's back and their other
players like Gary Payton the second and Brandon Pajemski clearly

(01:45:25):
helped that team win and are way better than people
give them credit for. But they're no different than anybody
else to me in the West, the West is awesome.
The team the Rockets plays is gonna be really, really good.
I don't know that any team makes the Western Conference
playoffs this year and doesn't think they should be in
the Western Conference finals. The Wolves were there last year,
the Lakers have Doncic, the Nuggets just won the championship.

(01:45:47):
The Grizzlies were just on the cusp of doing this
two years ago before last year, and they still have
a pretty good Big three. This is incredible, the deepest
the playoffs, in my opinion, have ever been. If you
are the eight seed and you are in the playing tournament,
you absolutely should believe you can play in the Western
Conference finals. Yeah, they should.

Speaker 2 (01:46:05):
They're fourth and net rating in basketball.

Speaker 3 (01:46:09):
The last fourteen champions NBA champions have been top five,
Derek and tender. Now there's that little a little thing
called the Oklahoma City Thunder going on up there. That's
that that's gonna be tough, and they would be rightfully
favored in a seven game series.

Speaker 2 (01:46:24):
Well, yeah, I'm saying go.

Speaker 1 (01:46:25):
Ahead, the two to three seed and the three seed
avoid those just beat them this week. The Rockets beat
the Thunder and they Lakers beat the Thunder. I'll soundly,
I'm still scared. I'm not saying you shouldn't be there.
They are as good as their record is, believe me,
I get that, but unbeatable. They've played in the Western
Conference finals zero times. They have very little playoff experience.

(01:46:46):
Last year was no. I'm just saying they're clearly that
the odds on favorite, and they absolutely should be and
they're they're significantly better than everybody else. But it's not
a foregone conclusion. It feels for run to me that
they're gonna make the finals. I think so, I mean,
I'm I would pick them.

Speaker 3 (01:47:04):
Yeah, I'm picking them, and I think they're gonna be
heavy favorites and I think they're gonna end up there.
But hey, it's been a great season for the Rockets.
They can beat anybody, as you said, they as you've
kind of outlined, they've been beating a lot of the
top teams in the West. They've had They've fared very
well against the top teams of the East as well.
All right, Phone lines open at seven one three, two,
one two five seven ninety. Yankees Keith is next up

(01:47:25):
here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. What's up
Yankees Keith?

Speaker 19 (01:47:28):
Hey, good afternoon. Have you got to congratulate the Rockets
or the fantastic season? Unfortunately, they're gonna play the Lakers
again Friday and then that and I gotta bet with
our brother, but I can't. I'm gonna lose. I'm gonna
lose automatically because we're gonna play our second and third string. Uh,

(01:47:50):
Is there any way possible that Lakers and the Rockets
will meet in the playoffs, because I'm pretty sure in
my mind that we can beat them forder too.

Speaker 2 (01:48:01):
Yes, it is very possible.

Speaker 3 (01:48:03):
They as as of this moment right now, they are
the three seed and that would be a second round matchup.

Speaker 1 (01:48:11):
They also, like I said, they could. They're forty eight
and thirty one. The seventh seed is one game behind them.
They could be in the playing game. They could be
the first round opponent for the Rockets.

Speaker 2 (01:48:24):
What's the procedure if there's a five way tie?

Speaker 1 (01:48:26):
Do we know that? We do? I don't know what
the answers are to the tie breaking procedure, but they do.
It is in place head to head division winner has
the first tiebreaker after head to head, which probably comes
into play with whichever team is in it. If if
they all end up tied like that, and I don't know,
they'll will end up quite well.

Speaker 3 (01:48:45):
Yeah, if they all I guess, huh, so you go
to the division tiebreakers, because yeah, Lakers, Clippers, Warriors all
in the same division. Of course, the Rockets have clinched
the Southwest Division champion ship. Congratulations to them. All right,
we'll figure that we're gonna take quick. We're gonna figure
this all out. We're gonna legal figure We're gonna do
full detailed breakdown of every single possible tiebreaker scenario coming

(01:49:08):
up here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:49:10):
Maybe I'm making that up. We're not gonna do that,
all right.

Speaker 3 (01:49:12):
We're talking to Rockets, we've been talking to Astros. Anything
you want to get to. We're with you until two
o'clock at the Big City Wings Marquee location.

Speaker 2 (01:49:19):
Ross Virial Adam.

Speaker 3 (01:49:20):
Wexer with you at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety twelve thirty pm here on Sports Talk seven
ninety Ross VI Real with you Adam Wexer as well.
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. We've got

(01:49:41):
that the Texas Hammer. Jim Adler is in the house
taking pictures with Adam Wexer. He said he's his hero
for years clad he finally gets to meet him. All right, man,
what this is getting wild over here at the Marquee location.
We also got some party people. We got some people
signing up for the Astros four pack of tickets we
will be given away in a short order here on

(01:50:01):
Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:50:02):
We're having a good time. The wings are flowing.

Speaker 3 (01:50:05):
It looks like some people are taking some half days
and getting day drunk as well. I'm not gonna call
anybody out by name, but it looks like that's going
down over.

Speaker 1 (01:50:12):
Here at their table after Marquee location. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:50:18):
Wow, you didn't know the Texas Hammer was going to
be here, did you?

Speaker 1 (01:50:21):
He is here. We've got some other things going on here.
A friend of the iHeart Radio Media family, the Texas Hammer,
the Adlers, if you will.

Speaker 3 (01:50:30):
Yes, the the Adler family. I think they're filming a
commercial or something.

Speaker 1 (01:50:34):
Over they're working on some social I'm gonna take a
peek over there here in a minute. Also a very
strong representative of the University of Texas longhorns.

Speaker 3 (01:50:43):
Oh, I actually didn't know that. But actually, as you
say that, I kind of jogged my memory. I think
that is okay, good friend, hook them horns.

Speaker 4 (01:50:50):
We're in a good spot. You gonna do all long
horns talk the rest of the show. I guess we
could have started with it.

Speaker 1 (01:50:55):
You can go, well, I'll get you twenty five seconds here.
Thumbs up, thumb down on Sean Miller, big thumbs up.
This is an easy one. Thumbs up or thumbs down
on stealing the baseball coach from Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:51:07):
And things are going pretty well so far from the
baseball program.

Speaker 1 (01:51:11):
And the Longhorns repeat as SEC champions, believe it or not. Oh,
they lost to Georgia second time they reached the SEC
tournament championship or the SEC championship game. In football, for
a second second, when you advance past Georgia in the playoffs,
it makes it feel like you were better than right.

Speaker 2 (01:51:33):
When your quarterback needs Tommy John, those kind of things
gonna happen.

Speaker 4 (01:51:37):
I will say they will not repeat his SEC champions
They reached the championship game, reached the game.

Speaker 1 (01:51:45):
Maybe okay, very strong, team's very young.

Speaker 2 (01:51:49):
I think honestly might be a little over hyped.

Speaker 1 (01:51:52):
Well he's definitely playing with a unknown and possibly lesser
group than they had last year.

Speaker 2 (01:51:58):
Yeah, all right, well, there you go. That's your Longhorn minute.

Speaker 3 (01:52:01):
Brought to you by absolutely actually brought to you by
Jim Adler here on Sports Talk seven ninety or Virial
Adam Welexer with you. Phone lines are ringing, so you
want to get in you can't at seven one three, two,
one two five seven ninety. David in Vegas has been
waiting patiently, so let's go ahead and get to him. David.

Speaker 2 (01:52:20):
How's it going? Uh huh yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1 (01:52:27):
Happy note is.

Speaker 11 (01:52:29):
Sorry this has been widely reported, but this is out there.
Reputable sources have confirmed at CBS SPORTSMLB dot com and
so on, but it's not too widely reported. There was
a we lost a former astro last night, a terrible Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:52:47):
We talked about it yesterday and I think we brought
it up earlier on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:52:50):
Uh oc table.

Speaker 11 (01:52:50):
Okay, I ask you your screener didn't know that, but
I tell you, yeah, all right, p U Octoba Hotel,
other things down there.

Speaker 1 (01:52:57):
Boy, the provincial governor was.

Speaker 11 (01:52:59):
Killed on that nightclub collapsed in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic,
and Nelson Cruz's sister also lost her life in That's
so pretty broad tragedy. But I have a special fundness
for Octovia Dotel is an astro because in my life
I have only ever gotten one Major League foul ball
one in my entire life, and it was when the

(01:53:21):
pitcher was Octovia Dotel for the Astros when I got that.

Speaker 1 (01:53:24):
So anyway, alright, p.

Speaker 3 (01:53:27):
All right, Thanks a lot, David, Yeah, we mentioned it well,
it was kind of we weren't exactly sure. Yesterday the
news was that he was initially pulled from the rubble,
so we thought that he was going to escape with
his life, but unfortunately the result in injuries. He passed
after that. So Octavio Dotel rest in peace. Former Astro,

(01:53:49):
one of the greatest set up men in Astro's history.

Speaker 1 (01:53:52):
Yeah, he had his finest moments, I think, in a
very long and successful career as an Astro and as
part of that most dominant bullpen this franchise has ever had.
From a three person trio with Wagner, Lydge and Dotel.
He was a part of two pretty significant Astros trades.
The one to acquire him sent Mike Hampton to the Mets.
The one to acquire Carlos Beltron sent him elsewhere as

(01:54:16):
part of that three way deal during the season in
two thousand and four, where Beltron made himself a lot
of money with his postseason performance and then ultimately returned
after learning how to science deal from the Yankees. Yeah,
which we appreciate.

Speaker 3 (01:54:29):
Thanks Carlos Beltrn really really couldn't have done it without
your pal all right, seven one three, two one two five,
seven ninety is the phone number here On Sports Talk
seven ninety, The Matt Thomas Show without Matt Thomas with
Ross with Adam Wexer continues at seven one three two
one two five seven.

Speaker 2 (01:54:47):
Ninety with Biscuit holding longest. What's up, Biscuit?

Speaker 19 (01:54:51):
Way man?

Speaker 1 (01:54:52):
What's up?

Speaker 11 (01:54:52):
My brother?

Speaker 1 (01:54:53):
Hey?

Speaker 13 (01:54:54):
Man?

Speaker 20 (01:54:54):
Wrong? He got one of my favorite guys and one
of the most magable guys.

Speaker 19 (01:54:58):
Ye oh, wis there? Man?

Speaker 21 (01:55:00):
And I just want to talk a little cougar basketball man,
Hey wex and Ross Man, y'all saying all this stuff.
They got the three top twenty right high school players. Right,
you got the big.

Speaker 12 (01:55:12):
Guy transferred from Saint Houston. Then now you got the
guy transferred from Creighton. You got Sharp, you got Mercy,
you got Arsenal, Whosan. I don't know Wex.

Speaker 20 (01:55:26):
I think somebody gonna be uh And you see it
came out as number one early earlier because of the
projected lineup in the players. Who you think is gonna be.

Speaker 12 (01:55:37):
The eye man out?

Speaker 20 (01:55:38):
I'm thinking Usan and Arsenal. I wouldn't be surprised. I
know it don't happen with Kevin SAMs. But somebody's gonna
have to get in the port if they want to play.

Speaker 1 (01:55:50):
Very likely, and you're right, and we talked about that
just briefly earlier. The amount of talent that is currently
set to return, plus what's coming on campus with Harwell,
Sinak and Flemings just those three, there are more. Yeah,
there's not playing time for the talent that they have,
and guys aren't going there to not play. You know.
The transfer to U of H for Ruzan was to play,

(01:56:13):
and potentially there's a transfer out of a player or
two and he certainly might be one of them that
transfers out also to play. He somebody wouldn't be able
to play here. They're not all it can't all work.
It's not where a player of this caliber, and there's
six or seven of them wants to be and the
Nile money will be there for them to do so.
And I imagine we'll hear about it in the not

(01:56:34):
too distant future because remember, very very unhelpfully, the transfer
portal opens before the season comes to a conclusion. In
college basketball, and the teams that were playing as deeply
as the Cougars were and others are handling both at
the same time coaching games to try to win a
national title and recruiting players and looking into the portal

(01:56:56):
as they're doing that.

Speaker 3 (01:56:57):
That's the crazy thing that we're talking about this. It's
like the University of Houston Cougars and Kelvinsa. They have
too many players, they have too many options. They have
the number two recruiting class, they're gonna be number one
coming into next year. To where the program was when
he first got here and how he's gotten them up
there making the final four, unfortunately falling short in the

(01:57:19):
championship game, but the heights that this program is reaching
right now where I mean you mentioned the nil money.
I don't know exactly what the spending is like over
there at U of H but in theory it wouldn't
be as big as some other programs, especially the blue
bloods with the history that with Cougars do have the history.
But it's pretty crazy that where where we are right

(01:57:41):
now with this program.

Speaker 1 (01:57:42):
They've done a pretty good job. You know, Landon Gosling
is helping a great deal with what they're doing with
their nil money and how it's being funneled through the
program and what they can do with these athletes he
was a huge part of their team not too long ago,
and now on this side of it, he's done a
great job. And this is the only way you can
try really get to this spot in college basketball and

(01:58:03):
then hope to remain in this spot in college basketball.
There's a tremendous amount of money that people are willing
to give to their sports at these universities. You got
to go out and get it from them. Appreciate you
telling for Tita. He is definitely one of them. He's
put his money into the building and the hirings. I mean,
you'd think by now with all the work that he's

(01:58:24):
doing such.

Speaker 3 (01:58:25):
A hard one would, so, yeah, that's true. Well he's
not working today, but we do appreciate him. He's traveling
with the Rockets and doing god knows what in Los
Angeles right now. But that's okay. We're out here at
Big City Wings having a good time. Mark the crowd,
The lunch crowd is filing it.

Speaker 1 (01:58:40):
It's a great place to get some grub and like
I said, enjoy the nice day. They have a couple
of new flavor wings for you. We've got a chance
to sample them out here. Although I've already had a
chance to sample them in my recent visits, and a
full menu is worth it.

Speaker 2 (01:58:52):
Live here.

Speaker 1 (01:58:52):
Now, you better believe I'm probably not going to get
out of here today without a desert or two. Okay,
I wouldn't expect you to go.

Speaker 2 (01:59:00):
We go into your fried Oreos.

Speaker 1 (01:59:01):
Guy had fried Oreos the last time, had the funnel
cake fries the time before that. It's probably gonna be
one of those two. Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:59:07):
All right, Well, we are actually gonna take quick break
here on the Matt Thomas Show when we come back.
We've been talking a lot of Astros. We've been talking
a lot of rockets. By the way, we do have
a four pack of Ashros tickets to give away here
at the.

Speaker 1 (01:59:22):
Big City Wings Marque location.

Speaker 3 (01:59:25):
But we also have the Astros lineup. It's not really
anything I'm not gonna oversell it. It's not anything too crazy,
but a couple of things we will have to get
to on that Astros lineup.

Speaker 2 (01:59:37):
We're with you until two o'clock.

Speaker 3 (01:59:38):
If you want to get into the fold, you can
do so on the phone lines at seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven One three two
one two five seven ninety is your phone number. It
is The Matt Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas
with Adam Wex. They're broadcasting live from the Big City
Wings Marquee location until two o'clock here on Sports Talks

(02:00:00):
seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:00:00):
Your Home for your Housed Rockets and your Houston Astros.

Speaker 3 (02:00:08):
Twelve forty six in the PM here on Sports Talk
seven ninety, Ros Viria with you just a couple of minutes,
I'm gonna have you draw a winner here, Wex go
shake your head at me.

Speaker 1 (02:00:20):
Oh the uh? What was it called when you let
those intrusive thoughts come to light? Something like that?

Speaker 20 (02:00:26):
Huh?

Speaker 1 (02:00:26):
Yeah, I know thoughts when I know what this is
technically used for in the kitchen, and I know what
you were doing with the items in there, but I
won't say it, okay. I was just mixing there you go. Mixing.
Mixing is what I would mixing the greens.

Speaker 3 (02:00:40):
Yes, I don't know exactly what you would call it,
but that's okay, all right. Adam Wex or Rosby Real
with you here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number if you'd like to
get in. Seven one, three, two, one two five, seven ninety.
Coming up at one thirty, we'll have our conversation. Good conversation,

(02:01:00):
I mean Brian Bogosevic. Really love having him as a
as a partner here on Sports Talk seven ninety. What
he does is space City Home network. He breaks it down,
articulates things well, funny, engaging.

Speaker 2 (02:01:12):
Good, good stuff from him.

Speaker 3 (02:01:14):
Earlier today on the Astros in the state of their
lineup right now, that's coming up at one thirty. Speaking
of the Astros lineup, You see what I did there?

Speaker 1 (02:01:24):
Not?

Speaker 3 (02:01:25):
Oh, like I said, a whole lot of surprises, but
a couple of things. Two notes. First of all, Jannerdaz
out of the lineup. Victor Karattini is in the sixth hole.
He is the catcher for the Astros today. But how
about bumped down? Is this a bumping up of Jake
Myers or a bumping down of Cam Smith or both
Cam Smith and right field batting in the ninth position

(02:01:47):
for the Astros, Jake Myers in the eighth spot in
center field.

Speaker 1 (02:01:51):
Yeah, considering who's in the lineup today, I don't know
that it means a whole lot, but I do think
having Jake and Cam bat in front of Jose Altuve
in this manner and this line up. It's something that
Joe Spotta was thinking about. The best hitter on the
team is batting lead off, which is probably what you
should be doing, and currently he is the best hitter
on the team. But the way it looks like they're

(02:02:12):
going to have to score runs is with the eight
nine leading into one, two, three, rather than one and
two leading into three four five, because they're three four five.
Has been so bad, it's not gonna be this way
for long and maybe it plays out and maybe it doesn't,
but it is right now something that they need to
see what they can do about it. I do think

(02:02:33):
it's also a little bit interesting, and I don't know
if it's by chance or by choice. First game of
the season, Hunter Brown was throwing to Jinar Diez. This
is now the second straight game he's thrown to Victor Krattini.
I don't believe he has any issue with either one
of them. He was super complimentary of Jiner and the
work that he did in that opening game. When you know,

(02:02:54):
Hunter Brown was on the show with us after his
first start and you were talking about how Villa was
up and he goes pitch Like all those things, they
really worked very well together. I think it's actually just
a sign of instead of what they used to have. Oh,
we can only throw to I am only throwing to
Martine or Martin, so great he has to be our catcher.
Both of these catchers, I think, are doing a tremendous

(02:03:16):
job with the pitching staff and do all the work
necessary to gain their trust in their planning sessions, et cetera.
I'm not looking into this too deeply, but I just
know it because it happened now twice in three games,
he's thrown to the victor.

Speaker 3 (02:03:29):
Yeah, three ten, first bitch here on Sports Talk seven
ninety two o'clock while the Astros on deck show for you.
So Victor Carrottini catching four, Hunter Brown, everything else pretty normal.
I mean, I guess, Jeremy, where are we at?

Speaker 2 (02:03:45):
On Jeremy?

Speaker 1 (02:03:45):
He's been batting fifth quite a bit because because Diaz
hasn't played well, it's.

Speaker 2 (02:03:49):
Been I want it. Now he's hit a couple of
home runs.

Speaker 1 (02:03:54):
Like you're not saying you want Victor Carrottin. Here are you?

Speaker 2 (02:03:58):
Brendan Rodgers. While he did go over five years fined.

Speaker 1 (02:04:02):
The additional problem of not getting hits, which is the
biggest problem. They're striking out too often. I'm to many
players in this lineup striking out too often.

Speaker 2 (02:04:10):
This is the deal I'm trying to look at.

Speaker 3 (02:04:11):
This lineup can convince myself this can be an offense
that is going to catch fire and really be one.

Speaker 2 (02:04:17):
What Look, I'm not looking.

Speaker 3 (02:04:19):
For them to be top five in baseball, but good
enough to where it can offset I mean, win some
games to where the pitching is going to be elite
and the offense is gonna be good enough. But Jeremy Panya,
we've seen some struggles and we're hoping for him to
turn it around.

Speaker 2 (02:04:33):
And he has had a couple of home runs that's
look good.

Speaker 4 (02:04:36):
But it's then like Victor Carrattini, E Brittany Rodgers, I'm
Myers cam Smith.

Speaker 1 (02:04:42):
I'm gonna make a mathematical guess here without finding it elsewhere.
I'm sure somebody has this easily popped up on their
accumulation of stats. The Rockies are number one in the
worst strikeout rate one hundred and twelve strikeouts in ten games.
That's pretty good, but the team that struck out the
most only has one hundred and fifteen. Strikeouts have one
hundred and ten, and they've played two or one fewer

(02:05:03):
games than all the teams ahead of them after the Rockies.
My guess is strikeout rate the Astros are they have
these second worst offensive strikeout rate in baseball right now?

Speaker 3 (02:05:12):
Well, they have the absolute bottom of the barrel worst
team OPS right now.

Speaker 1 (02:05:16):
Well, but those things like your OPS is bad for
all sorts of reasons. But you're not even grounding out
and moving the guy to third, You're not hitting sacrifice flies,
you're not moving runners anywhere because you're walking back to
the dugout because you couldn't make contact with the baseball.

Speaker 2 (02:05:32):
Yeah, I'm trying to pull it up for you. K percentage.

Speaker 3 (02:05:34):
Uh oh, this is actually last year would help a fen.
What's what year is this twice?

Speaker 1 (02:05:37):
Twenty twenty five?

Speaker 3 (02:05:38):
Okay, hey, good news, they're not worse the worst in May.

Speaker 1 (02:05:42):
That's what I said. Colorado was worse than Houston was second.
I did the math in my head correctly. You look
at this guy, Wow, you do hit us with twenty
twenty four, because that was it was an issue more
last year than it was in twenty twenty three, but
not to this degree. They were nowhere near this bad
last year.

Speaker 3 (02:06:02):
It was they were second to last, second best as
far as they had the second lowest K percentage last
year at nineteen percent.

Speaker 1 (02:06:10):
So that's a pretty big difference from second to twenty ninth.

Speaker 4 (02:06:12):
I would say that significant. Yes, it's gonna get better. Yeah,
how long were we gonna en Field? Why are we
doing this back.

Speaker 1 (02:06:22):
To back years.

Speaker 2 (02:06:23):
It's early, it's gonna get better.

Speaker 1 (02:06:24):
It's early better this time that we're talking more about
the record than the performance. Last year. The record was
so bad it obviously matched their performance. They have a
chance to return to Houston with a six and six record,
a third series win in four attempts, And I would
give Victor Krarattini this night. In his postgame on field
interview last night, all he said about his hit was,

(02:06:45):
you look at what happens when you put the ball
in play, when you make contact. He slapped a single
through the shortstop third base hole, with the infield in
and Chas McCormick on third base. You pushed across a
run in extras, which is necessary to win. And all
it took to win Vanford and the free runner. Yeah,
the Astros I did happen to tweet this out or
post it. Last night on X Vintage extra inning, ghost

(02:07:08):
Runner Astros shot up the middle with a runner on second.
It hit the bag and Ryan Bliss made an unbelievable play,
and they had a single with a runner and scoring position.
And he didn't even attempt to run home, nor should
he have Cam Smith third base mind drive to Luke
Rayley in right field. Were you surprised that the new
third base coast Tony Parris Cheka did not send him.

Speaker 3 (02:07:31):
Yeah, he doesn't, not quite the windmill that Gary pettis.
I was a little surprised.

Speaker 1 (02:07:35):
Yes, you just scored your first run is seventh inning,
it's Cam Smith. Are you protecting him from a collision potentially?

Speaker 2 (02:07:44):
I guess I couldn't wrap my head around that one either.
I thought he would have been sent.

Speaker 1 (02:07:49):
I agree the throws. The throw might be great at all,
and it was a pretty good throw although it got away.
But the throw is also coming from right field. The
catcher's got to probably be up the line he's got
obviously it has to turn in that direction and swipe
tag you. I thought it was an opportunity to try
to get a second run in a game where if
you score two runs, if you have a two run
lead on the Mariners in their ballpark, you're usually in

(02:08:12):
very good shape.

Speaker 3 (02:08:13):
I think it's one of those where, yeah, you get aggressive,
you make them make the perfect play.

Speaker 1 (02:08:18):
And it just didn't happen. But hey, all's well, that
ends well.

Speaker 3 (02:08:22):
I guess yep, a couple of more relievers, hopefully Hunter Brown.
How about eight innings a shut up ball from Hunter Brown?

Speaker 2 (02:08:29):
Let's go.

Speaker 1 (02:08:29):
There was no thought from you that was Nesky at
eighty two pitches should have had another inning.

Speaker 3 (02:08:34):
It was a brief thought, but I totally understand where
where Joe Spott is going.

Speaker 2 (02:08:40):
Hayden was Esky never thrown more than eighty nine innings
in a season.

Speaker 3 (02:08:44):
If you throw them out there with eighty two pitches,
maybe with a short leash, then you're having a reliever
come in there with you know, if he gets a
couple of guys on, he gets up to one hundred pitches,
you're in that danger zone. Then you got a guy
coming on in an unclean inning.

Speaker 1 (02:08:57):
I was okay with it. Yeah, I thought it was
right too. And Joe spot had said basically what you said,
this is he did his job that was the work
we needed for that was the worst job.

Speaker 3 (02:09:06):
Absolutely did his job and well, unfortunately Taylor Scott did
not do his.

Speaker 2 (02:09:11):
Job and now has not done his job in back
to back games.

Speaker 3 (02:09:15):
All right, we are going to take another break here
on Sports Talk seven ninety and the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross.

Speaker 2 (02:09:22):
My name is Ross vi Real. You want to get in,
you can.

Speaker 3 (02:09:24):
It's seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven ninety three
hours already in the books of The Matt Thomas Show
with Ross.

Speaker 2 (02:09:35):
One hour to go.

Speaker 3 (02:09:36):
Hour number four is coming up as we continue broadcasting
live from the Big City Wings Marquee location.

Speaker 2 (02:09:44):
It is Sports Talk seven ninety your home for your
Houston Astros.

Speaker 4 (02:09:48):
With Ross, hour number four of the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross.

Speaker 3 (02:09:56):
Here on a Sports Talk seven ninety broadcasting a love
from the Biggest City Wings Marquee location, and the hour
is now. Adam Wexer, we are going to do the
drawing right now. I am mixing this up. I am
tossing the entrance. Who will win the four pack of
tickets to the Astros game? Go ahead and pull a name,

(02:10:23):
just one who's drying off? Yeah, just one win. Why
do you have to rip it in half? It's all
in one piece. You want to read it? Jonathan Hamon?

Speaker 2 (02:10:31):
Jonathan Hamon? Is there a Jonathan Hamon in the house?

Speaker 3 (02:10:36):
Okay, congratulations, I'm looky, Oh my goodness, aren't you glad
you showed up? Jonathan Hamen, you are our winners?

Speaker 1 (02:10:43):
See strows.

Speaker 4 (02:10:45):
How about four dugout tickets and parking?

Speaker 3 (02:10:49):
Here you go, buddy.

Speaker 2 (02:10:51):
On May eleventh, the Astros taking on the Cincinnati Rez.

Speaker 3 (02:10:54):
Congratulations people Sports seven right, folks, that's right, all right,
congratulate to all of you.

Speaker 2 (02:11:01):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (02:11:02):
Second prize will be a handshake from Adam Wexer. Joan,
you win the handshake from Adam Wexer. So she got
one already actually earlier. That's a long time listener to
the programs. All right, let's keep it going. Here our
number four, The Matt Thomas Show with Ross Brian bogus
Sevic coming up.

Speaker 4 (02:11:20):
The great conversation with him talking about these Astros bets
who continue to struggle.

Speaker 3 (02:11:24):
We've been talking about the Rockets locked in as the
number two seed in the NBA playoffs and anything you
want to get to at seven one three, two one
two five seven, ninety seven to one three two one
two five seven ninety Hunter Brown on the hill for
the Astros three to ten, first pitch coming up, two o'clock,
Astros on deck. So we've talked about the astros bets.

Speaker 2 (02:11:48):
Basically ad nauseum.

Speaker 3 (02:11:50):
It's unfortunate that every single one of them continues to
be slow and every stat that we look at continues
to make me more and more depressed. Can you convince
me is it going to happen that at some point
this will turn around to the degree where the Astros
will be at least Can you give me top ten
offense by the end of the season.

Speaker 1 (02:12:07):
Yeah, I don't. I don't think I'll probably be able
to do that. I think the issue for me is,
even when they get it turned around, you're gonna need
Diaz to hit how he did because paina, Walker, and
Perettis the three other most important players of this offense
that aren't the obvious guys. They're not at high average hitters.

(02:12:27):
They're not gonna get They're not gonna be on base
via the hit. They're not gonna be pushing runners around
the bases via hit as often as you would like.
They're gonna hit a home runs like Perettis and Walker
are probably gonna hit fifty homers this year. I imagine
they're only forty nine away right now between the two
of them, but they're probably gonna hit two forty and
two fifty respectively. They're probably gonna be in the I mean,

(02:12:50):
I would hope Walker can still be an eight hundred
ops guy, but he's probably trending more towards the hopefully
the high sevens, and Perettis is probably somewhere just below that.
But it's a huge jump from where they are. But
the problem is it's everybody else. It's also if all
at once, it's not an issue of Christian Walker comes
out of the gate and hits one eighty, unless Peretis
hits one sixty and Diez hits sixty seven and Peynya

(02:13:12):
hits one fifty and Alvarez is still under one ninety,
it becomes an issue because it's a team wide issue,
all of them at the same time. The resumes say
otherwise not worried about Walker at this stage of his career.
Nothing about that other than the strikeouts, is any concern.
He said. I'm sure he has the best hard hit
percentage on the team. I imagine as the best percentage

(02:13:33):
of a horror of balls that have been hit at
one hundred miles an hour plus. He's just not hitting
him where he needs to yet, And then the strikeouts
are a team wide not expected issue. They can be
a top fifteen offense, which is all they need to do.
And it's also more about are the runs coming home

(02:13:54):
if they're good enough to hit with runners in scoring position,
which has been back and forth with this team a
couple times during this Golden era. If they're on the
plus side of that this year, then everything's fine, even
if your ops and average aren't top ten.

Speaker 3 (02:14:07):
Yeah, that's that's Another thing is is that with now
you've replaced Kyle Tucker with Cam Smith, so there's some
awsetting that, but it just feels like overalled. The team
speed is just I mean, jord and Alvarez can get going,
that's fine, but Escock Paratus is very slow. Even Alex
Bregnan was slow, Escock Paradius is even slower. And just

(02:14:30):
as moving guys around, having guys go first to third
would actually the Astros have been pretty good at early
on this season, but second home first to third, that
type of stuff to where that that materially helps you
produce runs. This is just not going to be confused
as one of the fastest teams in baseball.

Speaker 1 (02:14:46):
In my opinion, Christian Walker slow, Escock Paradis slow. They're
they're they're not fast. There's nothing, there's no way around it.
And all the base stealing talk we had over the
first three hours on top of that, they're a bad
base stealing team. They get bad jumps, they get thrown
out way too often. They're probably called Jake out like that.
Jake had an awful jump in the game yesterday. Jose

(02:15:09):
L Tuve the other day when he when Peretes was
at the plate and he you know, they have kept
having three two pitches with nobody out, and he's running
the second on a three to two pitch like it's
the end of the inning. It gets thrown it's just
he obviously also had the base running gaff the other night. Happens.
It's just they got it. You can't do that on
top of all these other issues you have. You got

(02:15:29):
to be a lot better at that.

Speaker 3 (02:15:30):
Yeah, I want to talk about Jordan Alvarez too, because okay,
we all say he's gonna hit, and he is gonna hit.
It's also in a way for as good as he
is and where the how great the OPS numbers have been,
it maybe hoping this year for that next level to
not quite Aaron Judge one Soto level, but getting closer

(02:15:54):
to that type of threshold and hitting forty home runs
for the first time in his career, which he's never done.

Speaker 2 (02:16:00):
He's been one of the best hitters of the planet.

Speaker 3 (02:16:02):
But you're also hoping for some growth and some improvement
there and again he's going to turn it around like
the whole offense. But again I asked to what extent
to what level?

Speaker 1 (02:16:12):
Yeah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have expected that. I don't
think there's more from him. If he has a forty
homer season, that's that's that's a bigger number. I don't
know that his OPS or OPS plus is really going
to be all that different.

Speaker 2 (02:16:24):
Yeah, how much.

Speaker 1 (02:16:25):
More is there for you? He's been over one seventy
four times in his career in OPS plus, which is insane.

Speaker 2 (02:16:31):
Aaron Judge is like.

Speaker 1 (02:16:32):
At two twenty right now, come on, it might pain
everybody says, hear this, I know, isn't. Yeah, Jordan is
an Aaron Judge. I know, I know, he's not the
best hitter in the American League. Again, especially with Otani
on the other side. Now is Aaron Judge, what's it?

Speaker 2 (02:16:48):
What is it right now?

Speaker 1 (02:16:50):
For a good friend Jordan Alvarez. The ops plus the
ops plus is not very good. It's eighty seven one
average folks, and he's career one sixty six ops plus
three damn good. That's pretty damn elite. So yeah, I'm
concerned about him. His bats have looked a little bit better.
I'd probably say during this entire road trip. It's a
little bit tough to get into a groove when Seattle

(02:17:12):
doesn't want you to see the baseball. They've walked him
five times in two games. So I think those things
actually trend well for him and I honestly, we talked
about this and I do believe it. It matters every
time he comes up, and it doesn't matter in the
first inning when he comes up, He's getting to see
a lot of pitches before he steps into the batter's box.
I do think that helps him, and I'm waiting for

(02:17:33):
it to pay off. I paid off at all, But
I do think he gets more comfortable when he sees
that as games begin. His numbers in the first inning
last year, and it's it's hard to really separate them
from the days where he batted second and the days
where he batted third. But his numbers in the first
inning were his worst, not from a run production standpoint,

(02:17:54):
because that's unfair because there could only be one or
two guys even on base, but his overall numbers of
you know, hard hit balls, his batting average is his slugging,
which is just an individual number. They were down in
the first inning his first bat of all these games
when he oftentimes he was batting and he was in
the batter's box on the second or third pitch of
the game.

Speaker 3 (02:18:13):
Yeah, I wonder how many, I mean, how many games
did he play second in the lineup. And then we're
talking about just isolating those singular likes.

Speaker 1 (02:18:20):
I haven't been able to do that.

Speaker 2 (02:18:23):
We'll have you, well, we'll get you on the spreadsheet tonight, WEX.

Speaker 3 (02:18:25):
But yeah, I always still argue that I would rather
have like, for example, there was a big spot last night.
I think it was where I think Jake Myers gone on,
and then Jose Altuvey did as well, and then for
some reason. I maybe it was because it was like
eleven thirty at night or something. I Jedi mind tricked
myself into thinking that Jordan was coming up, and I
got all excited. I was like, yes, here comes, here

(02:18:47):
comes Jordon Alvaz. I'm like, wait, no, it's Eastock. Paradus
is up now. Oh this is the worst well you
you probably could look at the other side. Julio Rodriguez
in last night's game, he was batting leadoff. When you're
at the bottom of the order and anybody you make
a mistake, tennybet.

Speaker 2 (02:19:05):
Did they put Dylan Moore and lead or no?

Speaker 1 (02:19:07):
Yeah, you're right. The day before, the day before he
was lead off, and he's popping back over as your
number one, your leadoff guy. When you make a mistake
with seven, eight or nine, and you could have gotten
out of the inning with him leading off the next dtting, well,
now you're facing him because of the spot in the order.
That's the payoff, one of the payoffs on batting your
best hitter first. He's their best hitter, even though the

(02:19:27):
numbers aren't there yet, but he's the best hitter they have,
and he's batted first quite a bit. I imagine he will
continue to do that. Oh Tani pretty regularly, both with
the Angels and now the Dodgers. He bats lead off.
That's one of the reasons. He also has protection with
Betts and Freeman when healthy batting behind him. But there
there is a reason for it. There's a good reason
for it. Jordon's never gonna bat first for the Astros,

(02:19:48):
I don't think, and I'm probably okay with that.

Speaker 2 (02:19:51):
Probably never.

Speaker 3 (02:19:52):
That'd be cool, though, you start the game Jordan Alvaretz
shout there blasting bombs. That'd be pretty cooch.

Speaker 1 (02:19:58):
I mean, we're old enough, old enough to remember when
this was not a question. Your best hitter bats third,
your best bats fourth. It's really not that Aaron Judge
is consistently batted one or two for several years.

Speaker 3 (02:20:10):
And like you mentioned Otani and then Julio was leading
off yesterday. I think, is it Polanco they would rather have?

Speaker 2 (02:20:16):
But Polanco, of course hurt.

Speaker 1 (02:20:17):
He's in today's lineup, batting behind Rodriguez in the tool and.

Speaker 2 (02:20:21):
Who am I thinking of? Victor Robles is the one
that got hurt.

Speaker 1 (02:20:23):
He's going to months, maybe up to twelve weeks or more.
After he made a spectacular catch, and we've seen it
now a few times the last few years. Because of
where the netting now is, guys can make spectacular dive
into the stands catches, but all they're doing is diving
into a very awkward net and then bouncing back. It
was good. He got hurt.

Speaker 3 (02:20:43):
Yeah, well, yeah, I guess you could also have guys
getting their teeth knocked out jumping jumping into the stands
as well.

Speaker 1 (02:20:50):
Or you can go JD. Martinez on on the fan
and just put your hand right in the middle of
her chest.

Speaker 2 (02:20:55):
Oh, I don't recall that.

Speaker 1 (02:20:56):
It's all over the inner website many years old. A
short porch.

Speaker 3 (02:21:01):
I don't want to I don't want to google JD.
Martinez phone fundling breasts. So I'm just gonna go ahead,
shake your word for it.

Speaker 1 (02:21:08):
Show.

Speaker 2 (02:21:09):
I'm gonna have to be good on that one.

Speaker 3 (02:21:10):
All right, We're gonna take a break on that note.
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety The Matt Thomas Show
with Ross Adam Wat's at Ross VI Real with you.
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 two five seven ninety. Astros
on Deck coming up at two o'clock, but also the

(02:21:31):
Matt Tomas Show with Ross with you until then as
well here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Our number four
rolls along here on Sports Talk seven ninety the Matt
tom Show with Ross from the Big City Wings Marquee location.
Thanks to those of you who came out. Appreciate y'all
gave away our two four packs of Astros tickets. But

(02:21:52):
there's still time to come. Hang ont have some great food,
have some great times, maybe a liquid lunch.

Speaker 2 (02:21:57):
Maybe you took a half day.

Speaker 1 (02:21:59):
Yeah, we say a people that we know that may
have taken a half day. They just got their multiple
trays of food. Head off to them, said a load
of Gary and subs and many of the other great
people that made their way out here and have said hello.
Joan was out here earlier. Are Jonathan our winner? Uh
just able to say hello again for a second time
as he scooped up his Astros tickets.

Speaker 3 (02:22:20):
Yeah it was John Hayman, but it also was not
the writer for MLB dot com or where is he now.

Speaker 2 (02:22:25):
New York Posts.

Speaker 1 (02:22:26):
I can't even recall it. That is correct, Okay, I
muted him ages ago when he started getting when he
was hearing things.

Speaker 3 (02:22:32):
Yeah, when he was hearing things that were completely wrong
and ridiculous and spouting up misinformation, I was like, Okay,
it's time to meet my good friend, the mute button,
which is your biggest friend on the Twitter slash x platform.

Speaker 1 (02:22:44):
So, for explanation purposes, a mute button accomplishes the same
thing as the block button, but the person that's been
muted or blocked is unaware.

Speaker 3 (02:22:55):
That is correct. Okay, that's the way I like it.
I like when people send me a bunch of tweets
and they're screaming into the void and they're all upset
with me, like I don't even know you exist, bro,
So go ahead and keep on keep that same energy.
And now the block button doesn't even matter anyways, because
our good friend Elon Musk, for for inexplicable reasons, made
it that someone can block you and then they could
still read your tweets.

Speaker 1 (02:23:17):
It seems like it defeats the purpose.

Speaker 3 (02:23:18):
It seems like it's that's not what block means at all.
But anyways, I digress. All right, So we've been talking
a lot of astros. We've also been talking some rockets
here on a sports talk seven, Idy just a quick
eyebrow raise for me. Earlier I was looking earlier you
were talking about the injury report with the Houston Rockets
that Fred Van Vliet is doubtful, probably will not be playing.

(02:23:41):
The spread was at the Clippers minus eight and a half,
but it has slightly tipped in the Rockets direction down
to seven and a half, with the Rockets taking on
the Clippers nine to thirty tonight, I believe here on
Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 1 (02:23:56):
Ay, yes, And these are really really difficult for those
that even if you know the Rockets, know the Clippers,
know how they've been playing, the Rockets are in a
new position. These games have no bearing on the standings,
So how they're going to play it tonight, Friday night,
and Sunday afternoon is a bit difficult to guess if

(02:24:19):
you're looking at their minus whatever, their plus whatever going
into these three games. Now, I know it means something
to the other teams, but I actually feel the same way.
Do we know that Denver's trying to get this seed
versus that seed? Do we know the what are what
are these teams playing for? And I still can't believe
there's four days left in the regular season. There's three
games left for everybody, and the team that's three could

(02:24:42):
be eight. The team that's eight could be three. All
six of the teams that haven't clinched a spot in
the Western Conference playoffs everybody but Oka See and Houston.
Okay See is one, Houston is two. None of those
teams have clinched their spot yet. The Lakers could be
in the play in tournament. Any of these teams could
be in the play in Tournament. The other thing that

(02:25:02):
could happen tonight of note for the Houston Rockets is
this could be it for the Phoenix Suns. They could
be clinched to not whoo in the top ten.

Speaker 2 (02:25:14):
How have they lost seven games in a row?

Speaker 1 (02:25:16):
Do you happen to catch their work last night?

Speaker 2 (02:25:18):
I had it on, I wasn't watching, If that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (02:25:22):
They're not trying and I'm big dead series. Golden State
had a fifty point lead five seconds into the game.
It was embarrassing. But Dallas is locked into the play
in tournament if they win tonight or Phoenix loses tonight,
and that would be that for their pick, which belongs
to Houston definitively being a part of the NBA Draft

(02:25:42):
lottery and there's still room for them to make that
pick even better because they keep losing, and if the
Eastern Conference playoffs kind of go haywire from a play
in tournament, this could rise three or four spots back
from fourteen.

Speaker 2 (02:25:55):
I feel like Cooper Flag fits nicely on this Rockets roster.

Speaker 1 (02:25:59):
I really do, And that would probably accelerate their ability
to say, Okay, we can break up some of the
young core because there's only so many spots on the court.

Speaker 2 (02:26:08):
What do you make of Cooper Flag?

Speaker 3 (02:26:09):
By the way, I'm he's the consensus number one. I'm
not getting superstar vibes from him, okay, And we also
do have to remember this should be his senior year
of high school.

Speaker 1 (02:26:20):
He's eighteen years old. Yeah, so he's gonna improve. I
don't know if this is the easy way or the
wrong way. Is he a slightly better Lori markten? Lori
Marketing's probably taller right now? He's become a really good
three point shooter. He of course got a Max de
a star by the way, a wrong star. He was

(02:26:42):
good in Chicago, but not what they thought he'd be. Yeah,
he's been through Cleveland and now Utah. He is not
a superstar. He is a borderline all star. He's probably
a twenty three to twenty four point a game guy
with eight to nine rebounds and a good three point shooter.
I think Cooper Flag is just a little bit better
than eight. And I'm not he sounds obvious. I'm not
saying it only because he shares the same skin tone.

(02:27:04):
But I do think he's gonna end up playing a
similar style.

Speaker 2 (02:27:08):
Of basketball like that.

Speaker 1 (02:27:09):
I love it, like he's gonna probably be a little
bit better finishing around the rim. And I actually think
marketing is pretty good. He just doesn't do enough of
it anymore. I think he's a guy who's now settling
for too many jumpers. I think Flags a little bit
more athletic than that, and again, I think marketing is
very athletic. Is one of the reasons why he got
to this point and was able to earn that contract.
But I think he's he deserves to be the number

(02:27:31):
one pick. I do think he's the best player in
this class, and I think you're probably right in still
placing him just shy of superstar status. Top fifteen or
top twenty four players are all stars. Basically, is he
gonna be a top twenty five NBA player. I don't
think it's a given. I mean, look at say, Paolo
ben Carrol. I don't think that's a bad comparison either.

(02:27:51):
I think he could be similar to that, he's similar
to Wagner. I don't think there's too much differentiation with
how they're going to play. I don't think he's ever
gonna have the weight and strength maybe that Powlo has,
but I think he's a better leaper. I think he's
gonna be able to finish around the basket very very well.
But these guys aren't stars, and they are MAX players,
not stars, but they are gonna get a MAX deal.

(02:28:13):
Fronz already got his.

Speaker 2 (02:28:14):
They're gonna get max. Yeah, well max deals just get
handed out to everybody.

Speaker 3 (02:28:17):
But yeah, that's just kind of my gut feeling right now,
is that I like Cooper Flagg.

Speaker 2 (02:28:22):
He was great. I mean, look, he scored twenty seven points.

Speaker 3 (02:28:25):
Against some best defense in college basketball, that being the
University of Houston Cougar's and almost I don't want to
say effortless, but you kind of look at the box
and we're like, oh, man, I guess he was going
off for a little bit there. He did score twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (02:28:37):
Yeah, just from the late in the game situations, the
call that was made when he went over the back
j one, the call that wasn't made when he fouled
Tuggler on the rebound slam he absolutely smashed into his arm,
No call, Nobody cared, Nobody probably even mentioned it. And
then his own offensive foul on the final play when
he hooked the defender to try hooked Roberts to try
to get an open look, which he then missed. It's okay,

(02:28:58):
calls are gonna get made. Not I'm kind of glad
nobody did bring it up. I just did to kind
of point out the it wasn't really a part of
who won and lost that particular game. Missing a goaltending
call maybe a little bit different because that is it
points on the board. You know, the foul on Roberts
late in the game, Roberts has still had to make
the free throws, they had to be in the double bonus.

(02:29:20):
Those things are all part of it. This is just
simply Florida. You know, took the ball off the room.
That's illegal. That should be two points on the board.
Well you shouldn't.

Speaker 4 (02:29:28):
Well, okay, so they're going to replay the game sixteen,
it changes the scenario.

Speaker 1 (02:29:32):
Everything changes, Just back to the Cooper Flag scenario. With
the seven game losing streak for the Suns, they're now
thirty five and forty four. They've already bumped up to
the ninth worst record. Let's go, and that's a seventeen
point three percent chance of bumping from nine to top four.
It's a four percent chance of moving inside to the
number one spot. And when I was talking about the
playing tournament, if Orlando or Atlanta do not advance to

(02:29:56):
the postseason, or both of them, then they're going to
move two teams potentially that could help with this scenario. Also,
the way Phoenix is losing, it doesn't look like it's
gonna matter. I think the spot they have today is
the spot they're gonna hold at thirty five and forty four.
They'll probably finish thirty five and forty seven. They're gonna
end with a ten game losing streak, and they're gonna
have the ninth best chance to land the number one

(02:30:19):
pick in the draft, which is a Rockets selection. The
Rockets currently have a top ten pick and they're the
fourth best record in the NBA. Life is good, you
know all this Oklahoma City draft asset nonsense talk. Oh
they got eighty billion first round picks. Yeah, here are
ok C's first round picks in next year's draft. Right now,
I'll go real quickly. Nowhere near the top of it.

(02:30:40):
Nowhere near the top of it. Zero top twenty picks.
They have a bunch of them.

Speaker 2 (02:30:45):
Yeah, they do have a bunch. But do they have
the value of the Rockets pick that is?

Speaker 1 (02:30:51):
That is not the case.

Speaker 3 (02:30:52):
All right, We're gonna take quick break here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Earlier today we got a
great conversation with Brian Bogosvik talking about this Astros struggling lineup.
We'll bring that to you as we go along. Will
bring that to you actually coming up next. As we
go along here on the Matt Thomas Show, with you
with Ross, with you until two o'clock. Adam Wat's at

(02:31:12):
Ross view real back with you after this very short break,
go with Ross without Matt Thomas. He he is out
traveling with the Houston Rockets. Adam Wexler is here hanging
out with me at the Big City Wings Marquee location.
Earlier today we were joined as we normally are on

(02:31:32):
Wednesdays at eleven o'clock by Brian Bogus Evin. It's a long,
four hour show, so we did want to bring you
we have different audiences. We want to bring you guys
into that conversation. Really good stuff every week with Brian's
Bogus seven. You can always catch it on our podcast
page at sports Talk seven ninety dot com. As I
said Wednesdays at eleven normally we will replay it as well.
So here is some of that stuff talking about the astros,
struggling bats and as I started off the conversation saying,

(02:31:55):
we're gonna.

Speaker 2 (02:31:55):
Spin the wheel, which struggling astro we're.

Speaker 3 (02:31:57):
Gonna talk about, and well the wheel landed on the ideas.

Speaker 13 (02:32:01):
Oh that's a that's a tough place to start.

Speaker 1 (02:32:04):
You know.

Speaker 13 (02:32:05):
There there are a lot of guys as we go
through this who you can say, you know, points to
different things as to why they're close or why you know,
it's just a matter of time. I think Yer's in
the toughest spot. He looks like he's just doesn't have
any timing. He looks lost. You know, his body's going
in one direction, his bat's going in the other direction,

(02:32:26):
and the swings have just been kind of, you know,
flailing at balls. It looks to me like he needs
a couple of games where he just lets the ball
travel and get into the hitting zone because he's out
trying to hit. He's trying to hit the ball way
out front of home plate while his body's going into
the third base dugout. At the same time, he's probably

(02:32:47):
as much as so many of these guys on offense
has struggled. I think Yer's probably had it the worse.

Speaker 1 (02:32:54):
A Bogie Wex here with you as well. I'm curious
if at any point during his previous seasons have you
noticed him ever looking like this and maybe then what
he did to get out of it.

Speaker 13 (02:33:06):
Uh, not this that you know, There's been times when
he struggled, but a lot of that has just kind
of been over aggressiveness. Right now, it just looks like,
you know, he's trying to hit the ball as soon
as it comes out of the pitcher's hands. I think,
really what will do him well is if he just
you know, completely eliminates the left side of the field

(02:33:26):
for a couple of that backs or a couple of
games and just says, you know, I'm going to try
to shoot balls, you know, into the four hole and
into right field and back that contact point up a
little bit. He's done that at times, you know, throughout
the course of the last couple of years, when when
things have not been going well, just you know, take
that simple approach of like I'm going to take a
couple of pitches, see it and move that contact point

(02:33:49):
back and you and use the other way.

Speaker 19 (02:33:52):
You know.

Speaker 13 (02:33:53):
But but he's a long way from even being being
able to do that.

Speaker 1 (02:33:56):
Is it. Kind of looking back at last night's game
winning hit, that kind of a bat just from the
right side. Look at how Victor Carrottin he took that
pitch and just popped it through the hole to drive
in the run. That kind of it bat and just
say this is where it's pitched. Just send it through
the hole for yainer just on the right side.

Speaker 19 (02:34:11):
Oh absolutely.

Speaker 13 (02:34:13):
I mean, if there was such a good replay of
that swing from Keratini and you could just see how
long his head stayed down on that ball, how deep
the pitch got into his swing. You know, he hit
it basically off of his back leg through the sixth
hole on the left side. You know, if Iron could
take a couple of those and just see where that

(02:34:34):
contact point is. That's a good place to start, because
then you can start working it out front, then you
can start worrying about elevating. Then you can start you know,
pulling balls for power. But right now, he's just got
to get he's got to get the ball to a
point to where he can make solid contact with it.

Speaker 3 (02:34:51):
Brian Bogasvic with us here on a sports Talk seven niney.

Speaker 2 (02:34:53):
Let's go to Camp Smith.

Speaker 3 (02:34:55):
First extra base hit, first run batted in after a
couple of days off the you see anything different from
him yesterday and just to evaluate what you have been seeing.

Speaker 13 (02:35:04):
From him, Yes, and no, I mean that was that
was certainly the best swing he's taken, you know, all season,
you know, eliminate the scring training stuff, but since since
the regular season has started, that was definitely the best
swing he took. He's late, he's been laid on fastballs,
you know, since the regular season started. He looks a
little bit passive, almost like he's trying to get on

(02:35:25):
the fastball by trying to get into hitters counts where
he can look and hunt for the fastball. But all
he's doing is getting himself behind in the count, and
it's making it worse. That pitch that he hit for
the triple, it was a breaking ball, and you know,
it is probably off script of what the Mariners pitchers
wanted to do, because Luis Castillo to start that game

(02:35:46):
was just heater, heater, heater on Cam the whole time.
You get a reliever in there. But the thing that
he did earlier in that at bat is he took
a really aggressive swing on the first pitch of the
bat at bat at the fastball. So now all of
a sudden, you can put into the pitcher's head, Okay,
maybe he's starting to get on it, maybe I have
to do something else, and he throws a pitch that
kind of goes into his bat a little bit. But

(02:36:08):
you know, at the major league level, you're not going
to get into hitters counts and you're not going to
walk just by taking pitches. Pitchers don't just lose their
control and putsh you in a three onecoun because they
can't throw a strike. You've got to scare them out
of the zone. You've got to scare them away from
attacking the middle of the zone. So I would almost
like to see Cam go up there and get more aggressive.

(02:36:28):
You know, usually you're trying to take young hitters and
dial them back a little bit. You know, I'd almost
like to see him maybe not the point of what
George Springer was when he first came up, where he
was ready to swing when he woke up in the morning.
But uh, just go out there and just you know,
get to hacking. Let your natural ability take over, and
then you can start scaring pictures out.

Speaker 1 (02:36:47):
Of the zone.

Speaker 13 (02:36:47):
Then you can start working at bats, getting in hitters, counts,
hunting pitches. But right now they're just attacking a hitter
who they think is is just behind it a little.

Speaker 1 (02:36:55):
Bit, not quite to go pick the stick on you,
because you guys will take care of that later today
and all throughout the season over on the TV side
on Space City Home Network. But rather than going through
the whole lineup, we'll eliminate jose al Tuva at the
top and eliminate the elite hitter that Jake Myers is
at the bottom of the lineup. You got anybody else
in between. And this is not just today, but maybe

(02:37:15):
over the next couple of games. Who would be your
pick to click? Who do you see maybe starting to
come around and no, longer hitting below two.

Speaker 13 (02:37:24):
Hundred, Well, I think I think Jordan's really close, and
you know that's not anything, you know, revelatory right there.
I mean, he's one of the best hitters in the world,
but his swings have looked much better. He's just missed
a couple of pitches, hit another couple pitches hard. He's
also getting pitched really carefully right now because the guys
around him aren't hitting. But I just think it's a

(02:37:45):
matter of time before you know, a pitcher makes a
mistake and he jumps all over it, or you know,
Christian Walker wakes up and he gets all of a sudden,
Jordan gets a couple more pitches to hit. He's getting
really close, and I really have to swing to Jeremy
pay has been taking his bat looked really quick. He's
on the fastball, but he's not cheating to get to
the fastball. He's able to lay off with some tough

(02:38:08):
breaking balls while still being quick enough to handle high velocity.
So I like where Jordan is getting to, and I
really like where Pain has been for most of the season.

Speaker 3 (02:38:20):
Brian Bogus Sevin continuing with us here on a Sports
Talk seven to ninety let's go to the pitching side.
Last night, Joe Spatta in the seventh inning going to
Taylor Scott. Were you surprised to see him in that
role or it come out of the bullpen?

Speaker 13 (02:38:36):
Then no, but because I think we're still in the
mode of the roles are kind of what we're defined
in spring training and going through the offseason, and that's
you know, Taylor Scott was kind of penciled into that
seventh inning role. It's kind of morphed into a hybrid
of him Stephen Okurt based on what you want from

(02:38:57):
a matchup. Lefty righty standpoint in that pocket of the
lineup lent itself to Taylor Scott. You know, he hasn't
thrown the ball particularly well to start the season or
even really in spring training, so that might you know,
that might change, you know, here in the near future.
But no, I wasn't seeing the season that he had

(02:39:18):
last year buys him a little bit of a longer
leash to go out there and get right. But you know,
somebody is gonna have to step up and be that
seventh inning guy, and he did it last year and
it's still his kind of job to lose. But you know,
it might not be for long.

Speaker 1 (02:39:34):
Where are you, rubber stamp? Bryan King is the seventh
inning guy? Is that okay?

Speaker 13 (02:39:39):
He's been great? And not only has he been great
from a from a results standpoint, every inning that he
throws looks easy. I mean he goes out there and
he just blows ninety two by guys, and he just
drops sliders and that nobody can hit. And every time
I look up and I'm filling out out the score book,
you know he's finished an inning with no base runners
and he's thrown only like twelve pitches. I mean, he's
been believable.

Speaker 1 (02:40:01):
Stephen Okert has had some success as a major league reliever,
some very good success a couple of seasons ago with Miami,
it obviously went in the opposite direction in the last
two years. Did he rEFInd what he had been doing
when you watch him pitch and he was on the
mound last night to finish things off. What is making
him so successful again?

Speaker 13 (02:40:21):
Well, first of all, he dealt with some injuries the
last couple of seasons, so he looks like he's healthy.
First of all, because he has had has had some
really good success in years past. The biggest question coming
into this season for him was what is he going
to be able to give you against righty's. He's always
been really good against lefties. He's always had a really

(02:40:42):
good slider that's tough on lefties, But what does he
do against righty's to get them out? And the inning
that he threw last night, the biggest outs that he
had to get Ryan Bliss at the end, you know,
to close out the game. He had to go off
of his I'm just going to slider a lefty to
death because he's facing a good right handed hitter, a
right handed hitter who handles lefties very well. And he

(02:41:03):
located three fastballs, one at the top of the zone,
two on the outside corner, you know, ninety two ninety
four miles an hour. So that's the biggest thing that
I've seen is that he's got weapons to handle righties
as well as lefties. And he did it in as
big as spot as there's been so far last night.

Speaker 2 (02:41:21):
Let's talk about some more positive things.

Speaker 3 (02:41:23):
Is Jose al Tuoba just going to hit until he's fifty?

Speaker 13 (02:41:27):
I wouldn't bet against it. Everything that he's ever been
challenged with he's done. So yeah, I mean, what's going
to affect him. You know, when when they said he
couldn't hit in the big leagues, he did. When they
said they couldn't hit for power, he did. When you know,
they said they're going to change his position, and is
that going to affect his hitting.

Speaker 20 (02:41:43):
It didn't.

Speaker 13 (02:41:44):
I mean, he he with all this stuff that he's
dealt with this offseason and coming into the season trying
to learn a new position. You know, he's out there,
you know, when the team's at home and we get
to go out there early, he's on the field at
you know, three point thirty four o'clock, taking extra extra
fly balls. Like the amount of workload that he's taking
on is greater than what he's probably had since he

(02:42:06):
was in his you know, second third year in the
big leagues. And yeah, he just continues to be the
hitter that we've seen for twelve years now. So I
don't know why it's ever gonna stop.

Speaker 2 (02:42:18):
Here go Brian bogus Sevic.

Speaker 3 (02:42:20):
Full conversation available Sports Talk seven ninety dot com.

Speaker 2 (02:42:24):
Ros Viriel Adam Watser with you.

Speaker 3 (02:42:25):
We're gonna take a break and when we come back
to final segment of The Mat Thomas Show with Ross
without Matt Thomas broadcasting live from Big City Wings Marquee location,
or the Matt Thomas Show with Ross as we call
it here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's the show
you're listening to. With you for just a few more minutes,

(02:42:46):
We'll have the Astros on Deck program coming up at
two o'clock. Astros and Mariners three to ten. First pitch
here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Couple of notes to
get to mister Wexler. First up, Spencer Arraghedtty good news,
will not require surgery on his fractured thumb.

Speaker 2 (02:43:06):
This from Chandler Rome.

Speaker 3 (02:43:07):
Joe spot is saying Arraghedty will be in a cast
for two or two and a half weeks, after which
there will be follow up imaging to make sure everything
is healing and there will need more clarity after that.

Speaker 1 (02:43:18):
Yeah, I'm pretty surprised that there is not a surgical
procedure necessary, But we just went through a little bit
of this with Jabari Smith Junior. They ultimately decided surgery
was not needed for him.

Speaker 3 (02:43:28):
Which metacarpal, which metatars wait, metatarsal was at the feet.

Speaker 1 (02:43:32):
I think in both cases it was the that opposable thing. Okay,
good so we'll see what it means for a pitcher
with obviously the arm being involved. He can he can
keep his arm loose ish, but he can't do it
by throwing a baseball.

Speaker 2 (02:43:44):
Yeah, okay, Well he's gonna be in a cast.

Speaker 3 (02:43:46):
So no video games for Spence aragedy know it likes
to play Fortnite other shooter games as well. But good
news that he is not going to require surgery. And well,
we were talking about this with Joe's spotty yesterday. He's
been asked about it. What are the plans as far
as the rotation short term and long term? They do
have the day off tomorrow at some point, could there

(02:44:10):
be Lance mccullor's junior factoring in. He will get his
third rehab start on Saturday for Triple A sugar Land.
He threw for the Corpus Christy Hooks on last Saturday.
I think it was inning in two thirds fifty pitches,
twenty eight of them for strikes, giving up four runs,
two of them earned. I did he was it three
batters he walked or something like that. So at the

(02:44:34):
end of the day, you just wanted to be healthy.
Sounds like he's healthy. He's going to start again on
Saturday up to fifty pitches.

Speaker 2 (02:44:41):
What are we expecting from Lance mccullor's junior.

Speaker 1 (02:44:43):
I mean, honestly, the way things line up, Well, let's say,
unless Colton Gordon is the person they choose to take
that start that's available, and it might be Friday, it
might be Saturday, with the off day, there's an option
if they'd like to bump up Renelle to Friday, and
maybe it's Saturday this open. I'm not sure how they're
going to play it here, but unless say Gordon takes

(02:45:05):
the spot and keeps the spot, all signs point to
Lance mcculler's junior going through his necessary thirty days, and
there's probably a minimum of two more starts after this
one coming up Saturday, maybe a third. And I don't
know why he would not be put back into the
rotation for that very reason, because they already This is
why you never make those plans. And you asked Joe

(02:45:26):
and you ask Daniel, well, what it's gonna happen? Well,
we don't know yet, because well we didn't know Spencer
Araghetty was gonna get hit by a batted ball at
a batting practice session for the Seattle Baron, but it
did happen. What the hell?

Speaker 3 (02:45:37):
We always say, it's baseball, and you see something you've
never seen before in baseball, But a dude get a
dude cracking his thumb out there on his throw on
his throwing hand out there in batting practice.

Speaker 1 (02:45:49):
Yeah. Mccullar's said very clearly multiple times during an extended
session with the media after his appearance with the hooks
he's unconcerned with the result or his apparent's first time
this season with sugar line.

Speaker 13 (02:46:05):
Ball.

Speaker 2 (02:46:05):
He'd be like, oh, yeah, I feel good.

Speaker 1 (02:46:07):
Well so that that particular day he struck out the
side in the first inning, I didn't think he was back.
I didn't think, oh, get him up here now, or
I know he's gonna get I don't think that if
he gets minor league hitters out, he's gonna get major
league hitters out. And conversely, I don't think if he's
allowing runs to minor league hitters, it's a given that
when he comes up here with much better hitters, the
same is gonna happen, if not worse. We've seen rehab

(02:46:30):
appearances for pitchers before, not quite like this one. He's
a very unique case for how long he's been gone.
But they're they're trying to there's a little bit of
spring training to it. They're working on things. I need
to get up and down. I need to make sure
my velocity is there. Am I executing my pitches? Is
the shape of the pitchers what I want versus Yeah,
this guy got me here, this guy singled off the wall,

(02:46:52):
this guy doubled to the gap. I didn't strike all right,
threw too many balls, and he's had it down to first.
I don't think it. One doesn't quit to the other,
and in Lance's case, I'm hopeful that plays out. I
also don't expect Lance's first start with the Astros to
be some sort of shutout performance over four or five innings.

Speaker 3 (02:47:09):
Well probably I'll go like, uh, three and a third walk,
a couple of guys three, three walk, two walks, three strikeouts.

Speaker 1 (02:47:16):
If you're unfamiliar with Lance mccollors pitching as a major leaguer,
he works counts. He has long at bats. Yeah, he
has high pitch counts, which prevent long appearances, which is
why I don't want him in the bullpen, which some
people have floated out and talked about.

Speaker 2 (02:47:30):
First of all, he's making eighteen million dollars, you want him.

Speaker 3 (02:47:32):
In the starting rotation if you're just organizationally as from
from the bottom line of that. And second of all,
he's kind of works best working out of his working
out of the own jams that he gets him into.
You don't want it coming in in unclean innings and
jams already in walking guys.

Speaker 1 (02:47:49):
Yeah, that's that's why the conversation that really was never
had and nor needed me. It's it's not that easy.
It doesn't happen that often where guys can do it,
and certainly not in this case. Just because a really
good pitcher got hurt and made himself into a closer.
John Smoltz, Yes, it doesn't mean everybody else can or
should too. Yeah, that's like the extreme scenario if I

(02:48:11):
wanted to say, another Dennis Eckersley. So now I got
to go back forty years to find another one with
that kind of success rate, as both he was a
really good starting pitcher and then he was the greatest
closer in baseball for ten years.

Speaker 3 (02:48:23):
Right right, Well, I guess I completely. I still remain
optimistic and I want to see Lance mccullor's junior produced
because the injury that he did get addressed is the
one that goes all the way back to twenty twenty one.
So hopefully we are all good and he can pitch,
and this will be some kind of blip on a radar.

(02:48:44):
We're talking about in five years with Lance mccullor's junior
that oh remember that time he was out for two
years and now he's been a good starter. I don't
know that it's gonna happen. Is his arm gonna fall off,
but it's very clear that he needs for the Astros
to be successful this year. I think he's got a
factor into their plans to be effective.

Speaker 1 (02:49:00):
We never talked about, and I don't think the whole show.
Ryan Gusta, Yes, do you think that they should consider
him or keep him where he is because it's been
so valuable already.

Speaker 3 (02:49:11):
I think they would consider him. I think they are
considering him.

Speaker 2 (02:49:14):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (02:49:17):
I don't know what they would do. Probably keep him
in his role because you've need him so much. It
is early season. Early season, you're not having guys go
out there and you're pulling.

Speaker 1 (02:49:25):
Hayden Wesneski after eighty two pitches.

Speaker 3 (02:49:27):
If that game is in August, you probably let Hayden
WESNESSI go out there for another inning. But you need innings,
you need somebody, and as you mentioned, Gusto has been used,
I would at this moment, I would keep him.

Speaker 1 (02:49:37):
In his current role. Yeah, it's tough one because the
longer he goes in this role, the less likely it
is you move him back into a starter's role, because
he's still probably currently stretched out pretty good from his
work in spring training from a three inning outing. If
they needed to convert him to a starter, he could
probably go out there immediately with the proper rest and
get you into the fourth or fifth inning and a
starter or two later. Now, he'd be perfectly capable of
going five or six if he was pitching well. And

(02:50:00):
I think the more he is in the bullpen, the
harder it becomes to flip him in seasons.

Speaker 3 (02:50:05):
All right.

Speaker 2 (02:50:05):
That is Adam Wex, sir.

Speaker 3 (02:50:08):
And with that that will conclude four hours out here
at Big City Wings Markey location.

Speaker 1 (02:50:13):
Thanks for hanging out, Wex, I loved it. Got our
grub on earlier with a sampling of wings. We will
be doing more of that now.

Speaker 3 (02:50:18):
All right. We have astros on deck coming up shortly,
but before we do get to that. I do have
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Speaker 2 (02:51:17):
Okay, now we can really get out of the show.

Speaker 3 (02:51:19):
Wex again. Thanks for hanging out. Thanks to all of
you for joining us. Thanks to Brian boga Sevic for
joining us as well. Thanks to Jonathan Allen back at
the station dealing with us out here on location, doing
a great job. I do Appregidam Coming up next, it
is Adam Clinton and the Astros on Deck Show three ten.
First bitch the Astros taking.

Speaker 2 (02:51:38):
On the Mariners. You're on Sports Talk seven. Out of
your home for your youth, an astro