Cincy 360 Hour 1 -- 9/25/25

Tony and Austin recap that brutal Reds loss from last night, take your calls, and more on Cincy 360.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Skyline Chile. Since He three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
sponsored in part by Skyline Chile. Stop by Skyline Chili
for a three way or cheese coney today. Feeling good,
It's Skyline time. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, good afternoon, Happy Thursday. Welcome in. It's since He
three sixty right here on the home of the Bengals
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station via the iHeartRadio app.
If you are listening via the iHeart Radio app, ahead
and hit that microphone button. Leave us a talkback. We'll
get to your talkbacks in our number two this afternoon.
Appreciate you listening along, Appreciate you being here. My goodness,

(00:47):
we're lucky we're on the air. What a lot we
have to talk about. After the prank that you just
pulled on me. This is one of the best you've
ever done. This is hilarious. H got you out of
the room, yep, snuck in, yep, came up with a

(01:09):
ruse and.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
The execution. Yeah, I mean he did my mouse here
that I used to I don't know run. The radio
station has been compromised, or at least it had been
Thankfully I was able to fix it. Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Uh, look, we gotta try something because if we just
had to start this show and dive right into the Reds,
that would be a bummer. Here's what we got going
on today.

Speaker 4 (01:40):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Gavin Gerhardt, the anchor of the Cincinnati Bearcats offensive line,
is going to join us at two o'clock this afternoon.
We'll talk about what the Bearcats have done up to
this point, in a little bit about Kansas. We'll keep
the Bearcat Conversation rolling with Keegan nickoson covering the Bearcats
for barcat Journal dot com. Because after one o'clock tomorrow,
I take off for the airport for you see, Kansas

(02:01):
on Saturday. So we wanted to spend a little bit
of time this afternoon on the UC Bearcats.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, we owe the Bearcats from love absolutely as they
get set for Kansas. I didn't do anything to us.
Supposed to have Reds baseball coming up this afternoon, so
what a great time to talk a little bat We
got the Bearcats on deck.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Zach Taylor normally on Wednesdays, but because they play on Monday,
is set to meet with the media today at one o'clock,
so we will obviously carry what Zach Taylor has to say,
and you know what it's going to be, Austin. I
don't think it's gonna take a genius to figure out
what's going to be talked about at one o'clock. But
I think the team is a lot closer than maybe
what they showed and all things like that. We'll spend

(02:42):
some time on the Reds here early in the show.
A couple segments from now, we have a Reds lineup,
and we are going to discuss the Reds lineup for today,
which hopefully maybe gets changed while they're in a rain
to Labe. We'll see, but we're gonna talk Reds. We're
gonna talk about the failures of the first two games
against the Pittsburgh Pirates. We have to have the Matt

(03:04):
McClain conversation. I'm sure you're done hearing about Matt McClain,
but we're going to have the Matt McClain conversation today
along with the Hunter Green conversation. And you know now
how you've put yourself behind the eight ball because he's
not available at least not to start maybe out of
the bullpen, which we'll talk about in just a little
bit but a rough two games all around for the

(03:24):
Cincinnati Reds, which we'll get into in just a few moments.
Do we try today, Austin to navigate the path of
how the Bengals can win on Monday?

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Sure, it starts. I think it starts by if you
score more points than Denver, you should be fine. It
is Thursday. Normally we start turning the page by then.
Do I think Denver kind of looking at the film
and those defensive linemen are licking their chops? Is it
like that video of Shannon Sharp talking about oxtail ribs, chicken, barbecue, chicken.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
All I'd imagine they are. I would imagine the defensive
front is licking their chops for the Denver Broncos. Denver,
in a lot of sense, Austin is a team that
was projected to do big things this year that has
not shown it through three weeks. Maybe a chance for them,
in their eyes, to get right. Maybe a chance for
the first place Bengals to get back on track. How

(04:22):
about that? Yeah, we'll dive into that today. Last night
the whirlwind of the NL Wild Card. While the Reds
lost in extras, the Mets also lost. It would have
been nice if the Cubs could have held onto that
five to one lead the night before, and despite a
comeback effort, the Diamondbacks lost in extra innings to the

(04:44):
Los Angeles Dodgers. Also last night, the big dumper Cal Riley.
He hit number fifty nine and number sixty.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Dumpy go poo pooh is what they say.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
The Mariners clinched the American League West last night, and
again the big Dumper hit number fifty nine and sixty,
And as he was being interviewed after the game, they
asked what next, what's next? And he said over the
broadcast at the stadium, Austin might as well go and
win the whole bleeping thing.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Mood all about that for cal atmosphere last night in
Seattle was awesomes. I think, what is it like there?
It's gonna be their second playoff appearance in twenty two years,
so obviously we can relate to them a little bit.
I'll be living vicariously through the Mariners should the Reds
not make the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
I think so as well. Other things that happened last
night in baseball Dumpy go poo poo. Philadelphia Phillies, they
sealed a first round by last night by hitting eight
balls out of the ballpark. Yeah, eight home runs last night,
and Kyle Schwarber hit fifty five and fifty six last night. Also,
Aaron Judge hit fifty and fifty one last night. I

(05:51):
thought Schwarber was up to fifty eight. It says Schwarber
hit home runs fifty six and fifty or fifty five
and fifty six last night.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
Also doubled an singh information.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, so the Phillies are in Aaron Judge Clappert home
run fifty and fifty one, and it continues Austin the
spiral by the Detroit Tigers.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
I hate this. This is sad. I hate this. Eight
losses in a row for the Tigers. It's not good.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
There is only one playoff spot up for grabs now
in the American League. Well, technically they can catch Boston,
who's too ahead of Detroit. Detroit now just a one
game lead on the Houston Astros. By the way, Austin
Astros haven't helped themselves either, They've lost five in a row.
I know no one wants that last American League wild
card spot. Nobody wants the Nation, no one wants the

(06:42):
National League spot either. Detroit still has to play Cleveland
and then Austin. They do have three in Boston, so technically,
technically they could find a way to catch Boston.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
I wouldn't put a lot of trust in a team
right now that is playing the way that they are,
losers of nine in a row. And for the Houston
Astros as they try to get right, they have lost
two games in a row to the Sacramento A's and
they will finish the season at Los Angeles against the Angels.
So that is what's left. If you're Detroit right now,

(07:19):
you probably feel like there is a decent chance you're
not going to make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Oh yeah, I mean I don't know how, because you
feel otherwise.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Your path going forward is much harder than the Astros
going forward.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
I remember looking at the standings almost every day over
the course of the summer, and it would just be
Detroit is twenty games over five hundred. Yep, it would
never be less, it would never be more. Just twenty
games over five hundred all summer long, and here they
are dominating. I can't imagine what that would feel like.
It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. Can we get all that other

(07:52):
crap out of the way. Can we start talking about it?
Let me see you want to talk about it?

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Oh yeah, if I haven't mentioned it at all this week,
I'm excited for the Ryder Cup tomorrow morning, I can
tell you anyway. Yes, let's start getting into what happened
last night and what we witnessed at the ballpark, because
I would like to get some phone calls in. We'll
open up the phone lines after a segment number one
and get some of that in last night, Austin, I
don't know how to I don't think correctly summarize the

(08:19):
disappointment and just what felt like life as a Reds
fan bottled up into one game.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
To me, that's what it was.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Your knew runs were gonna be hard to come by
with Paul Skins on the mound. You knew the numbers
for Hunter Green against the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as
the numbers for Paul Skins. Last night, to me solidified
the fact that looking back on it, Hunter Green, it's
easy to look back in hindsight and say, okay, but
in my opinion, Hunter Green should have started game one
of the series. I think it starts there because you

(08:51):
didn't have the opportunity maybe to get him in Game
one sixty two.

Speaker 5 (08:55):
Now.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Terry Francona was asked about it and said that that's
something Hunter and him have our discussed and it's something
that he is open to doing if he feels okay
to maybe be used out of the bullpen. The fact
of the matter is you held him, held him back
on Tuesday to give him a chance yesterday and was
not able to conquer the Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul Skeins, by

(09:18):
the way, Austin, he's every bit as advertised. Oh yeah,
he is one of, if not the best pitchers I've
ever watched, and finishes the season incredibly with over two
hundred strikeouts and an ERA under two. Yeah, unbelievable. Gonna
win another Cy Young, He's unbelievable. Spencer Horwitz last night

(09:39):
was unbelievable. Kyle Lee killed the reds RBI double in
the fourth RBI double, in the sixth RBI double in
the eleventh, unbelievable. Three of the four RBIs came from Horwitz,
and the other RBI Austin, I had to look this up,
came from a player named Jack Sewinsky, who on the
season is hitting one forty.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
One, Jacksonwinsky. He was really good like four years ago,
and he hasn't been good since.

Speaker 2 (10:03):
He was good last night. He was good enough last night.
You know who wasn't good enough last night?

Speaker 3 (10:08):
The Cincinnati Ball Club.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah, Matt McClain. Man, I feel bad because at times
it feels like maybe we pile on. But at this point,
how can we not pileon? How can we not pile
on right now? With a guy in Matt McClain, who
was last in Major League Baseball when win probability added
per Baseball Reference. You know who's second from last, Santiago Espanol.

(10:33):
Matt McClain has the lowest WPA by a red hitter
since you probably remember him, Austin Virgil stall Cup of
course in nineteen fifty. Oh Verge nineteen fifty. He has
been everywhere. I don't I don't understand it. He's been awful,

(10:57):
but he keeps getting opportunities.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
Mo tweeted it out last night.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
He is the most indispensable nine hole hitter in baseball history.
You would think by the way he's managed that you
cannot play a game and survive without him. Yeah, the
nine hole hitter who the night before Austin was hitting
behind Elie de la Cruz in the sixth hole. That's
how crazy this is. Matt McClain last night, zero for five,

(11:28):
two strikeouts. There was a point in the game where
Tyler Stevenson Austin led an inning off with a double.
Do you remember this inning? What inning it was? What
inning was? It was it fifth, sixth inning, somewhere around there.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
It was the bottom of the fifth.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Bottom of the fifth. Tyler Stevenson let off with a double.
Will Benson actually did what you need to do. He
hit a ball on the right side and got Stevenson
the third. Yes, at that point I was watching with
my dad and my brother, and the Reds are trailing nothing.
I say, pinch hit for McLean right now, whoever you
have on the bench that can swing about and make contact.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yep. Eerily similar to the night before in the sixth inning,
when he should have been pinch hit for it correct
with a runner on base.

Speaker 2 (12:17):
One nothing you might be you don't know, might be
your last chance. Instead, Mount McClean is run out there
and he strikes out, doesn't put the ball in play,
freedom ends up striking out. You get nothing. Then that
the Pirates add another one in the sixth and it
feels like the walls are caving in. It felt that

(12:38):
way into the bottom of the eighth when nove Marte
hit himself an inside the park home run, and then
Austin in a two to one game, Gavin Lux walked,
Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch, so a great
opportunity first and second, two outs. Elie de la Cruz
unfortunately grounded out to end the game, and then the
hero moment Austin Tyler Stevenson Man.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
By the way that Ellie ground out the second base
one of the we've forgotten about it because of everything
that happened afterwards. But Ellie one hundred and twelve miles
per hour off the bat. Yes, a diving stab at
it by Nick York, the young Pirate second baseman who
throws to first, and as the ball is about to

(13:21):
be thrown to first, the first baseman slips and falls
basically on his side stomach and catches the ball as
he's falling and still taps the base to get day
la Cruz. They made a couple good plays. There were times,
and I think I saw somebody post about this where
you were just waiting for the Pirates to prove to
you that they were a last place team. In this

(13:44):
entire series. They have played incredible defense, they have been
very smart at the plate. They have not at any
point played like a last place team. They have played
like a team. If you didn't know any better, you
would think that the Pirates are right there in it
for a playoff spot like the Reds are.

Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, the Tyler Stevenson ninth and in home run one
of the best environments I can remember seeing a great
American ballpark.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah, place went nuts.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
It was Jay Bruce sep and by the way, and
by the way for the Reds who came out and
asked the fans to show up. Give credit because the
fans did show up. Absolutely not great weather, not great forecast.
The Reds did their part by making tickets accessible and
three to one specials, But weeknight baseball fans were asked

(14:35):
to show up. They showed up. The team did not
show up enough.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Listening to it on the broadcast, it felt like a
huge game and you could just feel the energy of
the ballpark. And the fans do deserve a ton of
credit for doing that, because there are plenty, plenty of
reasons for you not to trust the Reds and not
to give in and not to give them your money,
and not to go down that path again. But the

(15:02):
Reds did, but the fans did, and they deserve credit
for that.

Speaker 4 (15:07):
Ye.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
And at times it felt like willing this team, especially
prior to the Stevenson home run, where it's like, come on,
let's go. We know we have more than this. It
was a really really good environment.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
It was cool tweeted out last night, and he didn't
get a decision last night. Hunter Green and nine career
starts against the Pirates, forty nine innings, two point five
to seven, ERA sixty six strikeouts, and the Reds are.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
One to eight.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yeah, I mean, just explicable. It's it's hard to even fathom.
It's staggering. Yeah, staggering.

Speaker 3 (15:42):
And in that same vein talking about the fans, talking
about Hunter Green, Hunter Green talked last week about how
he wished there were more fans in the stands, yep,
and kind of urging this whole movement to pack Great
American Ballpark. And then Hunter comes out and pitches very well,
pitched well enough to win, and he didn't speak to
the media after the game, And I thought that was

(16:05):
soft by Hunter Green, who I have repeatedly said on
this show is my favorite red and I really like
Hunter Green. You said soft as the Bengals O Line's
as soft as Ted Carris against a stunt. It's as
soft as Lucas Patrick, as Dalton Reisner against a deed tackle.
It is as soft as soft can be, Hunter Green,
be better than that. If you're gonna call out the

(16:26):
fans and then you should get up there after a
performance in which you played well and you are supposed
to be. You are one of two faces of this franchise.
You are an all star for this team. You should
be talking to the media after the game. And shame
on him for not doing it. Yep, unbelievable. So at

(16:48):
some point you got to just grow up. You got
to be a man. You gotta talk about it.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
A few more thoughts on last night's game when we
come back. We'll grab a phone callar too as well.
It's since he three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports
Station thanks to Skyline Chile.

Speaker 5 (17:04):
He trying to get your business. Jeke Browning and his
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Broncos well Cincinnati's aerial assault leave the Stallions stunned? Find
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(17:25):
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Speaker 3 (18:53):
Too.

Speaker 7 (18:54):
Stevenson swings hammers at high, deep weft center Field.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
There it goes, God, God, we're tid.

Speaker 6 (19:02):
It to listen to Great American Bump Park.

Speaker 3 (19:05):
Go ballistic.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
Boy, that's about as clutch as you could ask for.

Speaker 6 (19:14):
With one swing of the bat, Tyler Stevenson is hot
as a match here tonight.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
Oh my goodness, they are losing their minds and Great
American ball Park.

Speaker 3 (19:30):
Is rocket unbelievable. That was supposed to be a moment, yep,
and now it just becomes.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
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(20:01):
to Tyler Stevenson for giving us that moment last night.
We're gonna talk about Tyler Stephenson in just a few
moments Austin in our next segment, because we're going to
dive into the lineup for today's game, and oh boy,
that we've.

Speaker 3 (20:10):
Got a lot to talk about with that. Tito the Magnificent.

Speaker 2 (20:14):
Mo tweeted this out last night. If Austin Hayes is
in a position where he can't even give you one
at bat, why is he on the roster right now?

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Yep? If his injury is that bad, yep, make that
make sense. This organization is full of people that choose
to do things the hardest way possible, and repeatedly over
the years we have seen them choose to play shorthanded. Yep.
Whether that's with Terry Francona as the manager or David
Bell with the manager, or anybody else. I do not

(20:47):
know why they choose to do this, especially at the
most important point of the season.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
Make it make sense, make any of it make sense.
I just I don't understand. And it's frustrating beyond belief
when you are going all in on something and you
ask so much for the fans to please show up,

(21:14):
get behind this team, and they do, and that's what happens,
that's what's put out there. That game last night, which again,
in my opinion, Austin a microcosm of every big Reds
game I can ever remember. Build up just didn't quite deliver. Yep,
teased you a little bit, kept things close enough, but

(21:35):
in the end, you just didn't deliver. And they had
opportunities to deliver last night. They had opportunities in the
bottom of the ninth after the home run to finish it.
They had opportunities in the tenth to finish it. They
didn't get it done.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
I watched that game last night, watched that home run,
and I thought to myself, Okay, there it is. There's
the turning point. That's where things are supposed to change.
I thought, Okay, Reds are going to win the game.
Reds are going to find a way into the playoffs.
We're going to look back on this home run and
this moment and that crowd as what changed for this franchise,

(22:16):
because we look for those in sports. In twenty ten,
when Jay Bruce hit that home run, it was a
turning point. That team got over the hump. Now, obviously
they had problems in the playoffs and didn't advance, but
they made appearances in the playoffs in twelve and in thirteen,
and it ushered in a fun era of Red's Baseball.

(22:37):
It was a turning point, and we've been so far
away from that ever since. Even you know, in twenty twenty,
Trevor Bauer pitched some of the best performances in the
history of Red's Baseball, but it didn't feel the same
because there was nobody there to see it, nobody there
to experience it. And obviously the way that that season ended,

(22:58):
and just the odd oddity of twenty twenty in and
of itself. Let me, but that's just one hell of
a gut punch to Reds fans who just continued to
experience it over and over and over again.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
Let me ask you one more thing here, and then
we'll take a phone call last night, in the bottom
of the eleventh, they end up loading the basis why well,
because Will Benson was not going to get a pitch
to hit. They pitched around Will bentson in extras to
make sure Matt McCain got to bat, and he popped
up to the right side free to walk. Bases loaded.

(23:31):
It's a three to one count on Marte. Are you
good with him having the green light?

Speaker 3 (23:37):
Yeah? I think he just missed it. Yeah, I mean
it was it was middle middle. Yeah, I mean a
fast pitch you're looking for. Yeah, You're you're looking for
one spot in one location. And Larkin talked about this
last night as well. He's like, you're looking for one
pitch in one spot. He got a home run or
he got a fastball right down the middle, and he
may have just been just on top of it there,

(23:57):
but tough. Yeah, we have to discuss now how to
move forward and what that looks like today. Will do
that in a few moments. Let's grab a call here.
Jeff is calling in. What's up, Jeff?

Speaker 8 (24:08):
Happy Thursday. Gents, have either of you met the deep
voice guy at all?

Speaker 3 (24:15):
I have not.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
No.

Speaker 8 (24:17):
When I think of Dan Horde, the last word I
think of as dangerous. That always just cracks me up.
So is Cincinnati becoming the town of the team that
nobody wants to face in the playoffs even though we
never make the playoffs?

Speaker 3 (24:30):
Sounds it sounds about right.

Speaker 8 (24:33):
Remember last year at the Bengals, so much pitching nobody has,
nobody has pitching the Reds.

Speaker 7 (24:39):
Do you know type of thing, So, Austin.

Speaker 8 (24:43):
If if you haven't seen it, Hunter Green did speak
today and he threw Matt McClain under the bus and
backed up over.

Speaker 3 (24:48):
The top of him. Definitely.

Speaker 8 (24:50):
Oh yeah, it's an interesting conversation. And I was just
poking around this morning. So McLean has forty nine RBIs
fifteen of those are from his own home runs?

Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yeah that you know.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, it doesn't make sense.

Speaker 8 (25:09):
It doesn't. And for all the people clamoring for Ellie
to move to center field, please note what happened on
that inside the park home run last night with O'Neil Cruz.
I don't think we want that going on necessarily. So
and I know we all feel bad for Hunter, but
I feel bad for Paul's schemes too. Man, Just please
don't let him go to the Mets. The Dodgers and

(25:31):
Yankees on the Red Sox when his time is up.
That you know, he is fun to watch.

Speaker 7 (25:37):
He is one of the.

Speaker 8 (25:38):
Visiting players i'd pay to go watch if I were
in town. And maybe Fox did us a favor by
moving the game on Saturday to be up against Penn
State and UGA. That's a very very interesting decision by
the people over at Fox TV. And you know, does
anybody think if we go to Milwaukee and the name
Yelwich is simply written in the lineup, that we're gonna

(25:58):
win any of those games?

Speaker 3 (26:00):
Zero faith going to Milwaukee right now? Zero faith?

Speaker 8 (26:03):
Yeah, they put Yellis in the lineup. That's like Ian
happ We know what's gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
All right, Jess, I'm off.

Speaker 8 (26:11):
I'm off to Athens for the game Saturday night. You
guys have a good good.

Speaker 3 (26:14):
Luck on those roads.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
Jeff, we have about forty five seconds to a minute.
Let's take one more phone call. Okay, a blind phone
call caller.

Speaker 4 (26:23):
Hello, Yeah, it's Greg.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
Hey, Greg's Greg.

Speaker 9 (26:28):
Good. Hey.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
You know what you guys have said about the radz
Ich don't agree one hundred percent. But I on my
talk back yesterday I said I could not believe that
Hunter didn't pitch, you know, Tuesday night. What the hell's
going on? Blah blah blah.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yep, And did.

Speaker 7 (26:47):
You guys ever well number one with.

Speaker 4 (26:50):
Austin what she said to about Grain, you know, it's time,
you know, man up once.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
In a while.

Speaker 4 (26:55):
But did you guys ever hear why he didn't pitch
Tuesday night? I never heard the start on.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
My understanding is it was just you know, giving him
an extra day of rest after the one hundred and
nine pitch complete game and giving him some time to
to reset. And also I think it gave Brady Singer
an extra day. Singer had been their best pitcher since
the end of July over his last ten starts. So yeah,

(27:23):
just rough, okay, just rough. I don't necessarily agree with it,
but I think that was their mindset.

Speaker 4 (27:29):
Yep, Okay, Greg, I heard, Yeah, good day, Thank you.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Greg. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
It's it's frustrating, it's maddening. It's everything that we talked
it into being. And uh, there's also something frustrating and
maddening about the way the lineup has been constructed for today,
and uh, that's what we're going to discuss when we
come back here. Austin, it is since he three sixty
our number one on the Home the Bengals ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (27:56):
Your favorite neighborhood spoty.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
Welcome back since its three sixty, roll along here our
number one. Thanks again to our friends at Skyline Chilli.
Thank you for listening on the Home of the Bengals
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. You're gonna hear from
Zach Taylor coming up to the top of our number two.
Obviously your talkbacks. We're gonna talk to Kegan nickoson in
the third hour and Gavin Gerharty Center for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
So we've got a lot of football coming up. So

(28:21):
we're gonna finish the baseball conversation as the Reds are
getting ready, hopefully for first pitch at Great American Ballpark.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
But Austin win today, we forget about everything we just
talked about. I don't know what. I don't know if
we do or not. What if win today, win, Shulers,
Dodgers win this afternoon. Okay, Cubs go to it a
road tonight. Well, then you control your own destiny. Reds
are back on the playoffs. Let's go. Just gotta win
three in a row in Milwaukee. It's so, what have
you done for me lately? We tease this, so let's

(28:52):
get into this. Matt McClain pinch hit home run later tonight. Well,
let's get into this afternoon, because herein delay, here's my concern.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
We sat around this morning. The first thing we did
when we got here this morning is we we collaborated on, well,
I wonder what the lineup's gonna look like today after
that debacle that was last night that we have discussed,
what does the lineup look like? How will Terry Francona
send out his troops in a must win scenario today

(29:22):
at Great American Ballpark? And we have that answer.

Speaker 3 (29:25):
Four games to go, the finale with the Pittsburgh Pirates,
the home finale at least, of course, done until the
NLDS right right, which, by the way, NLDS tickets go
on sale today. Yes, yes, smart, great timing for that.
Here's how the Red Legs will line them up, leading

(29:45):
off in center field TJ Freedom, TJ Freedom. The second
batter is right fielder Noel v Martin Okay batting third,
playing second base, Gavin Lucks. I thought you were gonna say,
Matt McClean ats Javin Looks. The cleanup hitter is first
baseman Spencer Steer. The fifth batter is shortstop Ellie Day

(30:09):
La Cruz batting six. The dh Miel and Dohr. Seventh
batter is left fielder Will Benson batting eighth and catching
Jose Travino. The ninth batter is third baseman Key Brian
Hayes with Nick Lodolo on the mound. Okay, time out,
time out, hold on once more for Cincinnati that is Freedole, Marte, Luks, Steer,

(30:33):
De la Cruz, and Dohr, Benson, Travino, Hayes with Lodolo
on the mound.

Speaker 2 (30:40):
Is this all right? So they do like Christmas in July? Sometimes?

Speaker 3 (30:43):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Is this like your version of April Fools in September?
This isn't the real lineup?

Speaker 3 (30:48):
No, no, it is posted by the Cincinnati Ball Club
at nen o'clock this morning.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
I'll bet you that was a fake account. No, no, no, no,
it's it's it's true. So this is real. One million followers,
so you're telling me, yeah, that the man that hoisted
the team on his back last night, Yes, Tyler Stevenson,
Uh huh? After going four for five at the dish,
right and keeping the hopes alive for the Cincinnati Reads.
Is not in today's lineup.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
Correct, because apparently Tyler Stevenson can't play. The day after catching.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
Didn't Tyler Stevenson just talk about him being a little fresher.

Speaker 3 (31:24):
He did. I went back to double check it. Like earlier,
I went back and looked at the press conference from
last night, and I think it was Charlie Goldsmith that
asked him or somebody asked him, are you just running
on adrenaline? He goes, yeah, you know, I'm sure a
lot of guys are. I'm a little fresher than mostly
everyone else because of the time that I was hurt.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Like there's a realization that this isn't one of those
like afternoon mid season games that you just kind of throw.

Speaker 3 (31:53):
Away, right. I don't know if there is a realization
of that. I feel like to me, it is Terry
Francona going through his process and what he believes is
the best process to win. You can see over the
course of a game how he might manage it differently
knowing that he has to win. And by the way,
the Pittsburgh manager last night, typically he managed that game

(32:19):
like it was a playoff game, and I felt like
there was times where he outmanaged Terry Francona, which is
hard to believe. And as we sit here right now,
honest to god, I don't know the name of the
Pirates manager. I know that they fired Derek Shelton and
some other guy took over. So I feel like Terry
Francona has a process. I feel like he is stubborn

(32:40):
about his process and he will not change because he
believes that's how you get to where you want to go.
But I have a hard time believing that putting Jose
Travino in the lineup when your best hitter over the
last four or five days has been Tyler Stevenson, and
that you're going to go into a must win series
with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which Stevenson is not going
to art two out of the three games. I don't

(33:02):
understand it.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
This is why the DH is available, right this is
why a DH is in baseball now. It is There's
other things about this to me that are are mind boggling.
South Stewart was brought up because he can do what hit. Yes,
south Stewart was given what one opportunity in the last

(33:26):
five or six games to start, and it was against
the nl CY Young Award winner, who's ERA for the
season is under two.

Speaker 3 (33:33):
Correct. So South Stewart's not in the lineup today. Correct.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
A guy we talked about a little bit in the
in the last segment, Austin Hayes. He's not in the
lineup either.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
Apparently he's hurts.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
So the biggest series of the year, when you've got
to win games, Austin Hayes, is he too hurt to
taking it back to take a swing and if so,
why is he taking up a roster spot?

Speaker 3 (33:52):
He was too hurt to even take a swing yesterday? Yeah,
Jim Day reported on the TV broadcast. Did not see
Austin Hayes a bat yesterday. I mean, so when you
think of the Austin Hayes injury, the key Brian Hayes injury,
I mean they've basically been playing shorthanded for the last

(34:13):
two days. I don't get it, which We've seen them
do this over and over again in the past. I'm
not surprised by it. And I know that if you
were to put one of those guys on the injured list,
you lose them for the entire season and back injuries
are fixed. So I understand you're right, And I think
the other part of that would be, well who do
you call up? Who do you bring in? I mean,

(34:36):
there's not a very good answer to that either, and
you would be relying on that person. So I get it.
But also it's I understand how maddening it is. And
by the way, people forget Braxton Ashcraft, who's pitching today
for Pittsburgh. He's nasty. Yes, he started seven games this year.
He's got a two point six to two ERA sixty

(34:57):
six strikeouts in sixty five in Yeah, and you know, Francona,
in meeting with I believe Tommy Thrall prior to the
first game of this series, said he was very aware
of Brax and Ashcraft. At the end of the series, well,
now you got to beat him to salvage a game.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
I think it's a miss, that's my opinion. I don't
know how Tyler Stevenson is not in this lineup. I
don't know how you go into a game like this
and don't play arguably your hottest hitter. In a game
you have to score runs and you have to win. Well,
just a lot of questions.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
You know, since the game is starting in a delay,
maybe Terry Francona has some time to sit back and
think about it, and maybe last second, just go scratch
out Jose Travino's name. Maybe, you know, let's say this
this delay last two hours. Maybe then you know, Jose
or Tyler Stevenson gets enough rest, maybe gets a power

(35:57):
nap and he's fully rest. Didn't ready to go though,
That could be it. I don't know. I guess maybe
mother Nature does his favor here. Gotta be a favor
for him. Does this game start before three forty when
the Dodgers and d Backs. You know that's Yoshi Nobu

(36:18):
Yamamoto pitching for the Dodgers today tonight. Another good one
as well. Shotto Imanaga is on the mound, but he
is going against one Nolan McLain. Who Nolan McClain. Who's
that for the Mets four and one? Now, he's only
started seven games Austin one point two seventy ra So

(36:39):
if you're the Mets, that's a big one tonight as well.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
Obviously it is uh and this is tense. We talked
about the tenseness that was there last night. This is tense.
This is what this is what playoff baseball is.

Speaker 3 (36:54):
Huh Yeah, And it's amazing because after all of that,
there is ill a chance like they haven't been eliminated.
Even though it feels like they've been eliminated, they haven't
been eliminated. It's just crazy. It is one of the
beauties of this game and especially and I'm sure baseball
is just eating this up that they have all these
teams still in it at the very and all these

(37:16):
different scenarios that can happen. So it's fun. It's it's
it is fun. I texted a friend last night before
the game and I said, I'm actually nervous about this game,
and I forgot that I can feel that way about
the Reds, and that game lived up to it. And

(37:38):
then you know, it's just always kind of weird that
they kind of go into a nondescript day game to
finish out the entire homes Sason and it's.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Going to be this day game in between rain showers
and cloudy skies. It's just it's fitting for what we've
seen him in the last couple Yeah, and I think again,
as we said before, it is perfectly fair to be
frustrated about what's going on. It's perfectly fair as a

(38:08):
fan be asked, come on, come down to the ballpark.
We need your support and to go through the last
two nights.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
That's fair.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
And we'll see what happens today, not just with the Reds,
but with the Diamondbacks, with the Mets. And it's not
like Milwaukee hasn't been a house of horrors for this
team as well. So it feels like that it's got
a chance still to come down to the finish line.
We'll see what that looks like. But the Reds have

(38:38):
clearly done themselves. No favors against Let me can I
check my notes one more time on this. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Yeah,
the sixty nine and eighty nine Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeah, the
team that has won their twenty fourth and twenty fifth
game on the rope the last two games, that Pittsburgh Pirates.

(38:58):
That's the team that's been making the plays in crunch time.
That's the team who, as you said, has seemingly out
coached the Cincinnati Reds down the stretch. I just it's
just not acceptable and it's frustrating on so many different levels.
We'll take a break As Austin mentioned, the Reds are

(39:20):
in a rain delay to start today's game, so we'll
keep you updated with that as it goes on.

Speaker 3 (39:25):
Should we bring back out the banana phone? Banana phone,
see bana phone ringing? Well, you know what's gonna happen, Austin.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
We'll finish up the hour and we come back and
then so many people, now that the Reds are in
a delay, we'll be able to tune in to hear
what Zach Taylor has to say. Oh boy, you know
we were close. After watching the tape, we were close.
It wasn't as bad as it looked. Should I put
a poll question up? Who do you trust more, Zach
Taylor or Terry Francona. Yes, okay, I'm gonna work on that.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
We'll be back. I'm gonna finish number one. Now would
you answer that question?

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (39:59):
Man?

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Shit, ad Zadderfield in there just for fun.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
I'm going sat But he's their team's got a chance
to don't win a championship.

Speaker 3 (40:08):
All their teams have a chance to h Yeah, see
the dream is not dead.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
Okay, very much alive. Well here we go, we're living
the dream. Yeah, well mostly our number one since he
three sixty thanks to Skyline Jillian. Thanks for listening on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 10 (40:26):
Do you see Football in the NATI? Brought to you
by Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Welcome back. It is football in the NATI. Here a
couple more minutes. We'll grab a phone call in just
a moment as well. This is the time of the week, Austin.
You start to turn the page, and I know it's
different because the Bengals play on Monday Night football this week.
But I'm watching everywhere locks of the week. Who who's
your most confident pick?

Speaker 3 (40:53):
Denver? Denver? Denver.

Speaker 2 (40:55):
They already put on the board the clean sheet where
folks are picking games and media and on TV, and
everyone's picking Denver. How did the Bengals win the game?
Is there a path against a team in Denver who
has aspirations much like the Bengals great defense. Bo Knicks
has not played up to the level that he's been
expected to play. One in three start for them is

(41:17):
going to be tough to overcome. How do you match
that and beat the Denver Broncos.

Speaker 3 (41:21):
I've got a couple of numbers for you. Okay right now,
number one team in the NFL total defense, Cleveland Browns, okay,
Number six team in the NFL total defense, Minnesota Vikings,
Number ten team in the NFL total defense, Jacksonville Jaguar
Zax Ryther's playing good teams. So the Bengals have faced

(41:44):
three top ten teams in total defense in the first
three weeks. Now, I expected Denver to be in the
top ten, maybe even the top five. You gotta scroll
all the way down to number nineteen to see the
Denver Broncos. I've only allowed four touchdowns this season, but
they're averaging three hundred and twenty seven yards per game.

(42:07):
You might be wondering, well, where are the Bengals. The
Bengals are twenty fifth in the NFL and total defense
at three hundred and fifty nine yards per game. Now,
this is unrelated to Monday Nights game, but it jumped
off the screen at me. Number twenty eight Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah,

(42:28):
number thirty two Baltimore Ravens. Crazy. Now, Baltimore obviously has
gone up against some Juggernauts on offense, but four hundred
and fifteen yards allowed twelve touchdowns for Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
I was looking at some of the defensive numbers when
you were talking about that Buffalo Bill. Bill's worst team
in the NFL. Rushing yards given up per game, But
they only give up two eighty seven because they give
up one thirty one in the air. Yeah, Baltimore gives
up one forty nine on the ground. Denver one fourteen
point seven just a few yards ahea out of the
Bengals would give up one nineteen. So maybe a team
that the Bengals can find a way to get that

(43:05):
running attack going. Zach Taylor will join us in just
a few moments, which means we, uh, we have a
minute or two for a phone called Mike.

Speaker 3 (43:13):
What's up? Mike? What's up Mike? Hello, Hello Mike. We
don't have Mike, all right. We tried JT. What's up?

Speaker 9 (43:28):
Hey?

Speaker 7 (43:28):
I had an idea after last night. I was at
the game and the energy at that stadium was palpable.
It was just awesome. And having to do the Walk
of shame after the game through the banks, it gave
me an idea. You know how the Reds had the
Ring of Honor, I'm sorry the Bengals had the Ring
of honor. Yes, and everyone loves it and it's a

(43:51):
great thing. I was thinking the Reds, after ripping the
fans heart out like that, they should bestow a ring
of shame, oh after every game that they blow it
and it could be a ceremony. Jim Day can host it.
You give the shameful player his ring of shame and
then he hit the walk from the Great American Ballpark

(44:14):
to Paul Brown Stadium, our pay Course Stadium and let
the fans air their grievances with that particular person.

Speaker 8 (44:21):
If we put them in a.

Speaker 3 (44:22):
Cage, we'd hit security.

Speaker 7 (44:23):
All that that we're in the fans with like rotten tomatoes, pizza, beer,
And I think it would be very cathartic for the city.
And I think I may write my senator and mayor
and see what they think.

Speaker 6 (44:35):
But uh, thoughts on.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
That, guys, let's do it. I don't know about that.
That's like Festivus. I don't know about that one. At
this point, I'm listening to any idea. Uh, we'll try
one more time.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
We should do like the Vikings do, skull, skull, skull.
We should do shame, shame, shame. As they walk off
the field after another loss.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Uh, we got about just a minute. Let's see if
we get Mike this time. What's up, Mike, Hey, guys,
you got me?

Speaker 3 (45:03):
Gotcha?

Speaker 9 (45:05):
I don't know what the hell happened. Yeah, I don't
let that Denver stats for right now fool you. They're
gonna they're gonna give the Bengals fits. But Uh, anyway,
the Reds gotta be careful to I just Braxton Anscraft
ain't no, just got a two point six two e
r A a big dude and he don't run out
of gas easy. So that's a tough mats up right there.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
Today, without a doubt, Without a doubt it.

Speaker 9 (45:29):
What's the biggest surprise of the second half? The complete
and total meltdown in the Detroit Tigers unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (45:37):
Discuss nine nine straight losses and Mike, they're only being
saved right now because the Astros have lost five in
a row.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
No one wants the last wild card spot.

Speaker 9 (45:47):
You're getting some junk teams in there, including anyway, I
know you gotta go. Thanks guys, thank you.

Speaker 3 (45:53):
Mike, appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
Yeah, I'm just I'm throwing off Austin by Denver because
they gave up the twenty nine against the and I
know the culture a lot better than expected, but that
game against the Titans was way closer than it should
have been. And then they had the game won against
the Chargers, and credit the Chargers for making the plays,
but they they've squandered a few opportunities away here already
on the season, has Denver. I mean, if they don't

(46:16):
mess with the center, they beat the Colts as well.
So it's a game of one or two plays that
it can come down to to mean a winner loss,
and Denver has certainly been the victim of that, as
the Bengals have been on the right side of that
for their two wins. Speaking of the Bengals, the head
coach to the Bengals, Zach Taylor, is scheduled to meet
with the media when we come back one o'clock on

(46:36):
ESPN fifteen to thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to Skyline Chile.

Speaker 10 (46:40):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 8 (46:52):
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