September 24, 2025 • 18 mins
Tony and Austin talk with Chris Welsh from the Reds Radio Network about last night's loss, tonight's pitching matchup, and more on ESPN 1530!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Cincy Shirts Cincy three to sixty about Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts
All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back Cincy three to sixty hour number two thanks
to Cincy Shirts on the home of the Bengals, ESPN
fifteen to thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. But we're not kicking
off our number two talking about the Bengals. We're kicking
off our number two talking about a playoff race for
the NL wild Card last spot available. Unfortunately, with last
night's loss, a couple with a Mets win, the Reds
(00:36):
now looking up at the Mets with five games to play,
they do hold the tie breaker. Let's talk more Reds.
Let's talk more reds Pirates with our guy Chris Wells,
who joins us right now. Chris, what's up?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
All right? Guys? How we doing? The Reds are refer
now right at least arnofficially by half a game, even
though the standings say that they're tied.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes, yes, let's uh, let's discuss it. I want to
get into some pitching conversation. But since he's been a
Cincinnati Red, Chris Ellie de la Cruz. Somehow, some way,
it feels like when the lights are the brightest, he
plays his best. And last night in the most important
game of the year, you saw the Elie de la
Cruz that so many are are so fond of him.
(01:17):
Why they think he's got superstar ability? What is it
about the big moments that we get the best version
of Elie like we did last night.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Well, you could say that the most important game of
the year happened every day for the last two weeks, right,
So I'm not so sure that a player actually is
able to switch the switch on, especially when he's only
twenty three years old. But you know, he's got immense talent.
We know that, and I think our expectations for Elie
are so high because he's got this great god given
(01:45):
talent that you know, you expect them to go out
there and be a superstar player. And you have to
remind yourself he's twenty three years old, so he's going
to grow through you know, cold, cold times and hot times,
and and you kind of have to ride the way
with him. And you know, for Eli, I think that
he falls into the same slumps that every other hitter does.
You know, you start guessing too much at the play,
(02:06):
then you take pitches right down the middle for strike three,
and then you start trying to hit your way out
of the slump, so you start chasing pitches out of
the zone. I mean, it happens to everybody, and I
think that right now he's beginning to see it a
little bit. He looks more relaxed at the plate, his
swing is a little bit better, and I think a
little bit of that has to do with him being
moved around in the lineup a little bit, because he's
(02:27):
now adjusting. You know, he went to number three all
year long, down at the bottom of the order, close
to it, and now he's worked his way back up
a little bit. And you know, a little bit of
fooling around like that by Terry Frankcona may have a
positive effect.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I wonder you mentioned the youth of Elie Day the Cruz.
This is a young team with a couple veterans mixed in.
Talk about the playoff pressure that you go through as
a hitter. Maybe sometimes and maybe you do press in
situations like that. There's more fans, there's more build up,
there's a tenseness about out the ballpark, is that real
(03:01):
in Major League Baseball when you do have young players
that are playing in a game that feels like it
does have more meaning, like it has down the stretch,
and how much in those situations do you rely on
a guy like Terry Francona.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I think that it applies to everybody, whether you're a
veteran or not. I mean, unless you're a guy that
has been in the World Series, you know six times
you're going to get a little nervous around these games,
and you should. I think the difference, however, with the
Reds this year, everybody in that clubhouse knows how what
a struggle that has been to score runs. I think
(03:35):
somewhere around fifty times this year they've scored, you know,
one run or few were in a ballgame. And so
when that happens, guys tend to go to the plate
and they try to do too much. They get outside
of their own ability level, and you know, they start
chasing pitches and they start making bad decisions at the plate.
Instead of knowing that the guy behind me can can
(03:56):
pick me up, they try to do too much themselves.
I think that is really the case that happens even
more with a young team that has never been through
it before. But I don't think this team's nervous. I
really don't. I think that they feel like they're playing
with house money right now because no one really expected
them to be this close to the playoffs, but their
pitching staff has carried them there and they realize now
(04:17):
that it is within reach.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Chris, A lot of the conversation the last day or
so was around how you navigate the pitching matchups. Do
you throw Hunter Green last night and maybe allow him
to be available for Game one sixty two if needed,
Do you hold him for tonight's game against Paul Skeens.
How do you view that back and forth? And do
you believe that that it is the right choice to
(04:39):
hold Hunter Green for tonight against Skeens.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Well, you know, it's one of these things where you
have to balance how a pitcher feels to your matchups.
And I think you're always going to see Terry francona
favor how the pitcher feels. If he feels like maybe
Hunter Green would be better with an extra day off
and be stronger going into the game tonight rather than
(05:02):
pitching him last night, that's the way he's always going
to go Terry, francon is never going to be accused
of using a picture when the pitcher feels like he's
fatigued or whether he sees something in him and that
you know, a lot of this has got feeling because
you can't find the answers in a spreadsheet for this
kind of stuff. And I think that's where Francona really excels.
He listens to his players and he's able to actually
(05:27):
make decisions based on that. So you know, this isn't
really an ex'es and o's decision by Francona. It's x's
and o's and then human being involved too.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Chris, you talked about the struggle to score runs a
little bit. Obviously defense is important in these tight games,
but how do you balance maybe the defensive value of
a key Brian Hayes with the offensive value of a
Sal Stewart or maybe even include Matt McLean in that conversation?
How difficult are those decisions for Francona to make just
because of how much they need to score runs.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Well, we watched this team all year long, right, and
you know that they have a problem scoring run. So
if you have a problem scoring runs and you have
a what a twenty two or twenty one year old
in South Stewart sitting in the sidelines thinking that he
can be the difference maker, or do you do what
you know has gotten you there, which is run prevention.
And I think that if you're going to hang your
(06:21):
hat on pitching, and the Reds have to do that.
And this one reason why nobody wants a base of
Reds in the playoffs is because they're starting pitching, you
have to continue to go with run prevention. And I
think what Kee Brian Hayes has brought to this ball
club is just a certain amount of stability at third
base that they haven't had. They had a revolving door
down there. They had guys that you know, may have
(06:42):
been matched up in the lineup because of offense, but
they didn't have anybody on this ball club that they
was there only because of defense. But the exception of
Espinall and I don't think that he's the guy that
they figured as an everyday player. So when keep Brian
Hayes comes over, now you've got some stability on the
left side of the endfield. Hopefully you think it would
make Eli de la Cruz a little bit better. I
(07:04):
think it has. But you've got to continue to play
the way that you got there, which is by run prevention.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Obviously, Paul Skeens is a landslide favorite to win the
Cy Young and he has had a great amount of
success in his career against the Cincinnati Reds twenty three innings,
just one on run. If you're putting on your your
hitting cap or or talking to players, how do you
even go about trying to approach a guy like Paul
(07:30):
Skins in such a meaningful game.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, you know, the guy has not only owned the Reds,
he's owned other teams as well. Yeah, he's just that good.
I mean, you know, there's a mediocre player and then
a few steps up there superstar players, and then you
have these guys like Schemes who are having a kind
of year that he's having which is basically unhittable. So
what you do is you go up there and you
battle every pitch. I can't get hitting advice. You know,
(07:55):
my best advice to hitters all along is the former
pitcher is swing down and run hard against against schemes.
You know, you just battle, and the key I think
is this, you played great defense and you take advantage
of whatever they give you on the base paths. If
Schemes can be run on, then you run. If you
need to bunt, then you bunt. But you've got to
(08:16):
put some pressure on him somehow, because you know what,
he's not used to giving up runs against the Reds.
If the Reds are able to tag him for a
couple of runs early on, he may change his whole demeanor.
Now here's the other part of that. Schemes was taken
out after his last start, to think, after three innings,
so he's probably not going to be out there, you know,
six seven or eight innings tonight. I think that they
(08:36):
want to make sure that that he stays healthy through
the winner. They want to make sure that he wins
a Sion Award, and I think it's going to be
kind of a cameo appearance for him tonight.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
How many hits did you have in your big league career, Chris.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I don't know. I had one that left the ballpark
and Pete Rose met me at home played, but that's
about the one that I remember.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
The votes, Yeah, I just looked it up here. I
got you four twenty six career hits, including a big
fly that ain't too bad.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, one year I did hit two sixty three
and I drove in eleven runs. So you know what,
though my philosophy was don't strike out. When I got
two strikes on me, I choked up so much that
there was hardly any of the batch showing. But I
just wanted to boop them in there, and basically that's
what I did.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I think we need more of that with the Reds.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
How do you view and how do you think in
a game like this, You got five opportunities left. Every
game is going to be played like a playoff level
atmosphere with Matt McClain, and we've seen the struggles and
those struggles were unfortunately on display last night with some
runners in scoring position. How do you balance a guy
who's still so young and fresh in his career and
(09:48):
you don't want to take away the confidence. You want
to give them those opportunities, but also find best ways
to construct this lineup. How hard does that become with
a guy like Matt McClain.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
You know, I don't know if macl reach a lower
point with his confidence this year. This kid's a good player,
He's a gutsy player. He's really a hard nosed guy
on the inside, and this is you know, you're eating
a lot of humble pie. You know, there's a thing
in baseball that I like to steal from my buddy
of mine, Tim Flannery. He used to say that there
are two kinds of players in baseball. There are humble
(10:20):
players and those that are about to be humbled. And
I think that McClain has lived that. I mean, he
thought that after having what ninety days of a really
good rookie season, he was going to come back and
take off from there, and it just doesn't happen all
the time. And last night was a perfect example of
him chasing some pitches out of his zone, not being
prepared for pitches that come down the middle. And that's
(10:40):
what you have to do well. I remember facing really
good hitters. What I found is that they every good
hitter has a zone that if you fill that ball
in that zone, he doesn't miss. And McLain is fouling
those off or taking those pitches. This year, he's going
to come around. I'm not so sure it's going to happen,
you know, overnight, but he's going to be a good player,
really good player or down the road. And let's just
(11:01):
hoping that he can relax a little bit and do
what he can do.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
The Cubs are in a downward free free fall. They
need to find a way to get a win today
against the Mets tonight. Atmosphere wise, with everything that's on
the line at Great American Ballpark and three two one
night and ticket uh tickets for eight dollars up top,
and you get Paul Skeens and Hunter Green on the mound,
what are you expecting just from a sheer atmosphere standpoint?
(11:27):
At Great American Ballpark tonight, it's going.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
To be like playoff atmosphere because the pitching matchup alone
is worth the admission. I can tell you that even
he then double the admission. Yeah, because you don't get
this kind of talent on the mound very often at all,
maybe once a year. And these two guys budding just
InCred I mean they're there are one hundred mile an
hour plus guys. I mean, this is not going to
be a good night for hitters. Uh Now, A lot
(11:52):
of it may depend on what the weather holds, you know,
when when pitchers can come in there warm up, when
they're going to be maybe a rain delay. All those
things are going to be factors into this ball game,
but you ought to be a playoff atmosphere. And I'll
tell you I just can't wait to watch.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Chris. Cannot thank you enough for joining us. We appreciate
you taking the time today and enjoy the guaranteed last
five down the stretch here.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Well, thank you, guys. I enjoy your work very much.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
And hey go Red Chris, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Man.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That is Chris Welsh. Awesome, awesome to get his time today.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
I did not know that Chris Welsh, the crafty left
hander had twenty six knocks, six of which were doubles,
eighteen runs batted in in a big fly.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well over the course in his career with runners in
scoring position? Was it higher than Mount McLain right.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Now, give me just a second.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Mount McClain has won ninety two this year. Give me
one second to look that up. And Chris top that.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Standby base is occupied with runners in scoring positions. That's
what we're looking for, yes, you said, Matt McClean is
hitting what this year?
Speaker 3 (13:04):
One?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Chris Welsh in his career had runners in scoring position
forty one times. When he was at the dish, he
hit one ninety five. Oh, that is better.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
So you could make an argument that Well should be
in the six all tonight.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Now, he mentioned that season that he hit two sixty
two and had eleven runs batted in. That was nineteen
eighty two with the San Diego Padres. That season, with
runners in scoring position, Chris Welsh hit four fifty five.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
He was eleven for or excuse me, he was five
for eleven, four runs a double, ten runs batted in,
he walked once, only struck out twice. Unbelievable. That is incredible, man.
I honestly, I had never looked that up before. I mean,
I knew Chris had a good career, but I didn't
(14:02):
think he had many at bats as a relief pitcher.
That's pretty damn good. And he went deep. That's awesome, man.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
That is cool.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I love it. So take the over tonight is what
we're thinking. Six and a half.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
What if we just touch him up for like six runs?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Man?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
What if we just shoot down his sah young helps?
What if we get him for like twelve?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Now?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
How much does the does Livy dun play a role
in this great question? She's here, yep, I just saw
that she posted she's in Cincinnati. Yeah, she's playing chess
with Paul this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Okay, what he does every game?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Maybe maybe breakfast with Livy, game of chess, get the
mind right, and then just go throw about one hundred
and four down the pipe.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Aaron Judge is hitting three twenty five this year with
runners in scoring position. Chris Welsh crushed that number. Oh yeah,
crush that number. Oh yeah. I was asked something over
the break Yeah in uh in one are my group chats,
and I think this question becomes different right now because
of where the franchises are right now. The offensive line.
(15:09):
We talked about the struggles with where the roster is
for the Bengals and where the Reds are at. We
were asked, not counting this year, who makes the playoff
next REGI Bengals, not counting this year? Yes, take this
year out of it, Bengals. You still go Bengals, Okay,
(15:32):
you don't. I think it would have been a landslide
before the season if you ask me that question. Seeing
where this team is out on the offensive line right now,
in the defensive side of the ball, it makes me
worried that they're way further off than we thought. With
the Cincinnati Bengals. I still think I lean Bengals.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
What about when it's close, trade tray and get a
first round pick. Now we're talking. Now we're cooking with
that they draft. I don't know, uh, left tackle, move
Orlando Brown to guard. We should just do like a
flip Fairchild the right guard, Matt Lee or Seth McLaughlan
take cares the spot, Amarus Mims as sins bang like that.
(16:14):
Speaking of Amarus Mims, spotted last night, oh Kenwood Mall
at Great American Ballpark. Oh, I saw two Bengals offensive linemen,
and I thought to myself, well, you know I've been
talking ill of these guys. I've been calling him soft.
So if they've been listening to the show, they might
confront me. I'd I'd be screwed. Uh No, they didn't.
(16:38):
It was a Cody Ford, who I mean at this point,
hell give him a chance.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
And I saw him. Oh, I saw him when a
Marius Mims went out of the dol I mean, not
at tackle. Don't put him at tackle. Cody Ford and
Amarus Mems I saw at the game last and Barrett
Carter throughout the first bitch. Okay, we just turned this
into a whole segment of texts we've received. I have
one more question, Okay, I throw it at you. Are
these am I getting these two? Or I haven't looked
at me? Can I throw you one more?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Matt McClain stinks, stink's defensive or stinks offensively? He's been
okay defensively in a game like this tonight. Would you
think about south Stewart starting over McLain?
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Yes, I just had that conversation with some of our
guys in the salesroom. Yeah, I mean you got to
consider that.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Why not him in the two with.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
McLain and or uh Ke Brian Hayes.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, I would almost lean getting him in for McClain. Now,
I agree getting him there and put him in the
two hole Martine to three and you kind of back
everyone up after that. Or you put south Stewart batting
six after lli day of the cruise and you give
him a little more protection.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Perhaps at least there's a thought that he could leave
the yard if your Paul schemes, do you just kind
of line up and throw it until I prove they
can hit it tonight? Yes, Like here's the heater, dude,
hit it.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Come get it. He's gonna go up and get it
and come back with it.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
If I were him, in the first two innings, I
would throw nothing but heaters. Yeah, and then the next
two innings, I throw nothing but sliders. Man, good luck, dude,
just look completely completely out of sorts.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts against the Reds. That's incredible.
Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts, seventeen hits in one run.
All right, wasn't it his last outing against the Reds
where the Reds had opportunities early and failed to capitalize.
Sounds right, Yeah, sounds about right. Your talkbacks are next
(18:38):
on this the Home of the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to Cinti shirts.
This is Cincy Shirts Cincy three to sixty about Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts
All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back Cincy three to sixty hour number two thanks
to Cincy Shirts on the home of the Bengals, ESPN
fifteen to thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. But we're not kicking
off our number two talking about the Bengals. We're kicking
off our number two talking about a playoff race for
the NL wild Card last spot available. Unfortunately, with last
night's loss, a couple with a Mets win, the Reds
(00:36):
now looking up at the Mets with five games to play,
they do hold the tie breaker. Let's talk more Reds.
Let's talk more reds Pirates with our guy Chris Wells,
who joins us right now. Chris, what's up?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
All right? Guys? How we doing? The Reds are refer
now right at least arnofficially by half a game, even
though the standings say that they're tied.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes, yes, let's uh, let's discuss it. I want to
get into some pitching conversation. But since he's been a
Cincinnati Red, Chris Ellie de la Cruz. Somehow, some way,
it feels like when the lights are the brightest, he
plays his best. And last night in the most important
game of the year, you saw the Elie de la
Cruz that so many are are so fond of him.
(01:17):
Why they think he's got superstar ability? What is it
about the big moments that we get the best version
of Elie like we did last night.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Well, you could say that the most important game of
the year happened every day for the last two weeks, right,
So I'm not so sure that a player actually is
able to switch the switch on, especially when he's only
twenty three years old. But you know, he's got immense talent.
We know that, and I think our expectations for Elie
are so high because he's got this great god given
(01:45):
talent that you know, you expect them to go out
there and be a superstar player. And you have to
remind yourself he's twenty three years old, so he's going
to grow through you know, cold, cold times and hot times,
and and you kind of have to ride the way
with him. And you know, for Eli, I think that
he falls into the same slumps that every other hitter does.
You know, you start guessing too much at the play,
(02:06):
then you take pitches right down the middle for strike three,
and then you start trying to hit your way out
of the slump, so you start chasing pitches out of
the zone. I mean, it happens to everybody, and I
think that right now he's beginning to see it a
little bit. He looks more relaxed at the plate, his
swing is a little bit better, and I think a
little bit of that has to do with him being
moved around in the lineup a little bit, because he's
(02:27):
now adjusting. You know, he went to number three all
year long, down at the bottom of the order, close
to it, and now he's worked his way back up
a little bit. And you know, a little bit of
fooling around like that by Terry Frankcona may have a
positive effect.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I wonder you mentioned the youth of Elie Day the Cruz.
This is a young team with a couple veterans mixed in.
Talk about the playoff pressure that you go through as
a hitter. Maybe sometimes and maybe you do press in
situations like that. There's more fans, there's more build up,
there's a tenseness about out the ballpark, is that real
(03:01):
in Major League Baseball when you do have young players
that are playing in a game that feels like it
does have more meaning, like it has down the stretch,
and how much in those situations do you rely on
a guy like Terry Francona.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I think that it applies to everybody, whether you're a
veteran or not. I mean, unless you're a guy that
has been in the World Series, you know six times
you're going to get a little nervous around these games,
and you should. I think the difference, however, with the
Reds this year, everybody in that clubhouse knows how what
a struggle that has been to score runs. I think
(03:35):
somewhere around fifty times this year they've scored, you know,
one run or few were in a ballgame. And so
when that happens, guys tend to go to the plate
and they try to do too much. They get outside
of their own ability level, and you know, they start
chasing pitches and they start making bad decisions at the plate.
Instead of knowing that the guy behind me can can
(03:56):
pick me up, they try to do too much themselves.
I think that is really the case that happens even
more with a young team that has never been through
it before. But I don't think this team's nervous. I
really don't. I think that they feel like they're playing
with house money right now because no one really expected
them to be this close to the playoffs, but their
pitching staff has carried them there and they realize now
(04:17):
that it is within reach.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Chris, A lot of the conversation the last day or
so was around how you navigate the pitching matchups. Do
you throw Hunter Green last night and maybe allow him
to be available for Game one sixty two if needed,
Do you hold him for tonight's game against Paul Skeens.
How do you view that back and forth? And do
you believe that that it is the right choice to
(04:39):
hold Hunter Green for tonight against Skeens.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Well, you know, it's one of these things where you
have to balance how a pitcher feels to your matchups.
And I think you're always going to see Terry francona
favor how the pitcher feels. If he feels like maybe
Hunter Green would be better with an extra day off
and be stronger going into the game tonight rather than
(05:02):
pitching him last night, that's the way he's always going
to go Terry, francon is never going to be accused
of using a picture when the pitcher feels like he's
fatigued or whether he sees something in him and that
you know, a lot of this has got feeling because
you can't find the answers in a spreadsheet for this
kind of stuff. And I think that's where Francona really excels.
He listens to his players and he's able to actually
(05:27):
make decisions based on that. So you know, this isn't
really an ex'es and o's decision by Francona. It's x's
and o's and then human being involved too.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Chris, you talked about the struggle to score runs a
little bit. Obviously defense is important in these tight games,
but how do you balance maybe the defensive value of
a key Brian Hayes with the offensive value of a
Sal Stewart or maybe even include Matt McLean in that conversation?
How difficult are those decisions for Francona to make just
because of how much they need to score runs.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Well, we watched this team all year long, right, and
you know that they have a problem scoring run. So
if you have a problem scoring runs and you have
a what a twenty two or twenty one year old
in South Stewart sitting in the sidelines thinking that he
can be the difference maker, or do you do what
you know has gotten you there, which is run prevention.
And I think that if you're going to hang your
(06:21):
hat on pitching, and the Reds have to do that.
And this one reason why nobody wants a base of
Reds in the playoffs is because they're starting pitching, you
have to continue to go with run prevention. And I
think what Kee Brian Hayes has brought to this ball
club is just a certain amount of stability at third
base that they haven't had. They had a revolving door
down there. They had guys that you know, may have
(06:42):
been matched up in the lineup because of offense, but
they didn't have anybody on this ball club that they
was there only because of defense. But the exception of
Espinall and I don't think that he's the guy that
they figured as an everyday player. So when keep Brian
Hayes comes over, now you've got some stability on the
left side of the endfield. Hopefully you think it would
make Eli de la Cruz a little bit better. I
(07:04):
think it has. But you've got to continue to play
the way that you got there, which is by run prevention.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Obviously, Paul Skeens is a landslide favorite to win the
Cy Young and he has had a great amount of
success in his career against the Cincinnati Reds twenty three innings,
just one on run. If you're putting on your your
hitting cap or or talking to players, how do you
even go about trying to approach a guy like Paul
(07:30):
Skins in such a meaningful game.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, you know, the guy has not only owned the Reds,
he's owned other teams as well. Yeah, he's just that good.
I mean, you know, there's a mediocre player and then
a few steps up there superstar players, and then you
have these guys like Schemes who are having a kind
of year that he's having which is basically unhittable. So
what you do is you go up there and you
battle every pitch. I can't get hitting advice. You know,
(07:55):
my best advice to hitters all along is the former
pitcher is swing down and run hard against against schemes.
You know, you just battle, and the key I think
is this, you played great defense and you take advantage
of whatever they give you on the base paths. If
Schemes can be run on, then you run. If you
need to bunt, then you bunt. But you've got to
(08:16):
put some pressure on him somehow, because you know what,
he's not used to giving up runs against the Reds.
If the Reds are able to tag him for a
couple of runs early on, he may change his whole demeanor.
Now here's the other part of that. Schemes was taken
out after his last start, to think, after three innings,
so he's probably not going to be out there, you know,
six seven or eight innings tonight. I think that they
(08:36):
want to make sure that that he stays healthy through
the winner. They want to make sure that he wins
a Sion Award, and I think it's going to be
kind of a cameo appearance for him tonight.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
How many hits did you have in your big league career, Chris.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I don't know. I had one that left the ballpark
and Pete Rose met me at home played, but that's
about the one that I remember.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
The votes, Yeah, I just looked it up here. I
got you four twenty six career hits, including a big
fly that ain't too bad.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, one year I did hit two sixty three
and I drove in eleven runs. So you know what,
though my philosophy was don't strike out. When I got
two strikes on me, I choked up so much that
there was hardly any of the batch showing. But I
just wanted to boop them in there, and basically that's
what I did.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I think we need more of that with the Reds.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
How do you view and how do you think in
a game like this, You got five opportunities left. Every
game is going to be played like a playoff level
atmosphere with Matt McClain, and we've seen the struggles and
those struggles were unfortunately on display last night with some
runners in scoring position. How do you balance a guy
who's still so young and fresh in his career and
(09:48):
you don't want to take away the confidence. You want
to give them those opportunities, but also find best ways
to construct this lineup. How hard does that become with
a guy like Matt McClain.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
You know, I don't know if macl reach a lower
point with his confidence this year. This kid's a good player,
He's a gutsy player. He's really a hard nosed guy
on the inside, and this is you know, you're eating
a lot of humble pie. You know, there's a thing
in baseball that I like to steal from my buddy
of mine, Tim Flannery. He used to say that there
are two kinds of players in baseball. There are humble
(10:20):
players and those that are about to be humbled. And
I think that McClain has lived that. I mean, he
thought that after having what ninety days of a really
good rookie season, he was going to come back and
take off from there, and it just doesn't happen all
the time. And last night was a perfect example of
him chasing some pitches out of his zone, not being
prepared for pitches that come down the middle. And that's
(10:40):
what you have to do well. I remember facing really
good hitters. What I found is that they every good
hitter has a zone that if you fill that ball
in that zone, he doesn't miss. And McLain is fouling
those off or taking those pitches. This year, he's going
to come around. I'm not so sure it's going to happen,
you know, overnight, but he's going to be a good player,
really good player or down the road. And let's just
(11:01):
hoping that he can relax a little bit and do
what he can do.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
The Cubs are in a downward free free fall. They
need to find a way to get a win today
against the Mets tonight. Atmosphere wise, with everything that's on
the line at Great American Ballpark and three two one
night and ticket uh tickets for eight dollars up top,
and you get Paul Skeens and Hunter Green on the mound,
what are you expecting just from a sheer atmosphere standpoint?
(11:27):
At Great American Ballpark tonight, it's going.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
To be like playoff atmosphere because the pitching matchup alone
is worth the admission. I can tell you that even
he then double the admission. Yeah, because you don't get
this kind of talent on the mound very often at all,
maybe once a year. And these two guys budding just
InCred I mean they're there are one hundred mile an
hour plus guys. I mean, this is not going to
be a good night for hitters. Uh Now, A lot
(11:52):
of it may depend on what the weather holds, you know,
when when pitchers can come in there warm up, when
they're going to be maybe a rain delay. All those
things are going to be factors into this ball game,
but you ought to be a playoff atmosphere. And I'll
tell you I just can't wait to watch.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Chris. Cannot thank you enough for joining us. We appreciate
you taking the time today and enjoy the guaranteed last
five down the stretch here.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Well, thank you, guys. I enjoy your work very much.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
And hey go Red Chris, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Man.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That is Chris Welsh. Awesome, awesome to get his time today.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
I did not know that Chris Welsh, the crafty left
hander had twenty six knocks, six of which were doubles,
eighteen runs batted in in a big fly.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well over the course in his career with runners in
scoring position? Was it higher than Mount McLain right.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Now, give me just a second.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Mount McClain has won ninety two this year. Give me
one second to look that up. And Chris top that.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Standby base is occupied with runners in scoring positions. That's
what we're looking for, yes, you said, Matt McClean is
hitting what this year?
Speaker 3 (13:04):
One?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Chris Welsh in his career had runners in scoring position
forty one times. When he was at the dish, he
hit one ninety five. Oh, that is better.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
So you could make an argument that Well should be
in the six all tonight.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Now, he mentioned that season that he hit two sixty
two and had eleven runs batted in. That was nineteen
eighty two with the San Diego Padres. That season, with
runners in scoring position, Chris Welsh hit four fifty five.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
He was eleven for or excuse me, he was five
for eleven, four runs a double, ten runs batted in,
he walked once, only struck out twice. Unbelievable. That is incredible, man.
I honestly, I had never looked that up before. I mean,
I knew Chris had a good career, but I didn't
(14:02):
think he had many at bats as a relief pitcher.
That's pretty damn good. And he went deep. That's awesome, man.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
That is cool.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I love it. So take the over tonight is what
we're thinking. Six and a half.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
What if we just touch him up for like six runs?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Man?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
What if we just shoot down his sah young helps?
What if we get him for like twelve?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Now?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
How much does the does Livy dun play a role
in this great question? She's here, yep, I just saw
that she posted she's in Cincinnati. Yeah, she's playing chess
with Paul this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Okay, what he does every game?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Maybe maybe breakfast with Livy, game of chess, get the
mind right, and then just go throw about one hundred
and four down the pipe.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Aaron Judge is hitting three twenty five this year with
runners in scoring position. Chris Welsh crushed that number. Oh yeah,
crush that number. Oh yeah. I was asked something over
the break Yeah in uh in one are my group chats,
and I think this question becomes different right now because
of where the franchises are right now. The offensive line.
(15:09):
We talked about the struggles with where the roster is
for the Bengals and where the Reds are at. We
were asked, not counting this year, who makes the playoff
next REGI Bengals, not counting this year? Yes, take this
year out of it, Bengals. You still go Bengals, Okay,
(15:32):
you don't. I think it would have been a landslide
before the season if you ask me that question. Seeing
where this team is out on the offensive line right now,
in the defensive side of the ball, it makes me
worried that they're way further off than we thought. With
the Cincinnati Bengals. I still think I lean Bengals.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
What about when it's close, trade tray and get a
first round pick. Now we're talking. Now we're cooking with
that they draft. I don't know, uh, left tackle, move
Orlando Brown to guard. We should just do like a
flip Fairchild the right guard, Matt Lee or Seth McLaughlan
take cares the spot, Amarus Mims as sins bang like that.
(16:14):
Speaking of Amarus Mims, spotted last night, oh Kenwood Mall
at Great American Ballpark. Oh, I saw two Bengals offensive linemen,
and I thought to myself, well, you know I've been
talking ill of these guys. I've been calling him soft.
So if they've been listening to the show, they might
confront me. I'd I'd be screwed. Uh No, they didn't.
(16:38):
It was a Cody Ford, who I mean at this point,
hell give him a chance.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
And I saw him. Oh, I saw him when a
Marius Mims went out of the dol I mean, not
at tackle. Don't put him at tackle. Cody Ford and
Amarus Mems I saw at the game last and Barrett
Carter throughout the first bitch. Okay, we just turned this
into a whole segment of texts we've received. I have
one more question, Okay, I throw it at you. Are
these am I getting these two? Or I haven't looked
at me? Can I throw you one more?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Matt McClain stinks, stink's defensive or stinks offensively? He's been
okay defensively in a game like this tonight. Would you
think about south Stewart starting over McLain?
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Yes, I just had that conversation with some of our
guys in the salesroom. Yeah, I mean you got to
consider that.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Why not him in the two with.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
McLain and or uh Ke Brian Hayes.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, I would almost lean getting him in for McClain. Now,
I agree getting him there and put him in the
two hole Martine to three and you kind of back
everyone up after that. Or you put south Stewart batting
six after lli day of the cruise and you give
him a little more protection.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Perhaps at least there's a thought that he could leave
the yard if your Paul schemes, do you just kind
of line up and throw it until I prove they
can hit it tonight? Yes, Like here's the heater, dude,
hit it.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Come get it. He's gonna go up and get it
and come back with it.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
If I were him, in the first two innings, I
would throw nothing but heaters. Yeah, and then the next
two innings, I throw nothing but sliders. Man, good luck, dude,
just look completely completely out of sorts.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts against the Reds. That's incredible.
Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts, seventeen hits in one run.
All right, wasn't it his last outing against the Reds
where the Reds had opportunities early and failed to capitalize.
Sounds right, Yeah, sounds about right. Your talkbacks are next
(18:38):
on this the Home of the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to Cinti shirts.
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