April 22, 2025 • 17 mins
Sam LeCure joined us to talk about the Cincinnati Reds.
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Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sam Lekira is with us, the former Red A fixer
obviously on the FanDuel Sports Network and someone we always
loved talking baseball. With the Reds win yesterday twenty four
to two. I've heard pictures say that it's hard to
pitch when you have a lead like that. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yes, I have a baseball in that. I didn't keep
a whole lot of artifacts from the playing days, but
I kept one specific or two of them. I got
one from Chicago and one from a game in Saint Louis,
which there's a little extra side story on that one,
but it.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Was with a big lead.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
At that time that year, I was used to being
in some leverage situations, you know, I mean, not like
the highest. I mean it was Marshall and Broxton and
Chapman or whoever. But you know, I snuck my way
into the seventh and eighth here every once in a
while when shit got really out of hand and Tommy
fam hit a home run off of me, and I
think it was might have been like an eight to
one lead, and I'm kind of like, you know, you know,
(00:59):
there was a little bit of a letdown, like a
closer going in to pitch the sixth inning, like there's
just not the same intensity of it. And I went
out there and I was hoping to throw my hat
on the field, and I got my butt whipped.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And I'll never forget those two games.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Specifically, it's probably the only two times I ever walked
onto the field and lacked the competitive fire because of
the score of the game, you know, So it does
get tough, and so I thought I was really good
at being able to state mentally focus, but it is
really tough to go out there. I thought, for win
Randy Winn yesterday, it's your debut. You're not gonna throw
(01:32):
your hat on a field, like You're gonna go out
there and you're gonna pitch your tail off. So for him, good,
Scott Barlow's trying to find that, you know, I think that,
But typically I'd say overall, yes, it is hard to
maintain the same competitive fire when the lead gets too big.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
So twenty four runs is an outlier, right that we
might not ever see that again. What doesn't feel like
an outlier, though, is with Austin Hayes healthy and back
and Matt McClean healthy and back, you're getting good at bats.
The nine games prior to yesterday, they had scored fifty
one runs, which you know is not lighting the world
on fire, but that's five and a half runs a
game with this staff. That's yeah, that's good enough to win.
(02:09):
And so did we You know, they lost a bunch
of games early where they lost one nothing, They were
shut out, the offense was feeble, they were missing guys.
Did folks like myself underrate this offense coming into the season.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, yeah, and I'm not and I and I don't
think I'm saying I mean, that's why I don't really
try to raid it too much ahead of time.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So so I don't blame you for underrating it.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
But especially because last year was pretty terrible and spring
training that didn't really give you any idea of what
the offense I thought could be. But I wanted to
see the games. I wanted to see Austin Hayes. What
a difference he's made. Gavin Lux. I didn't love them
getting him just because I didn't know where he was
going to play.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I love him like he takes the best at bats
on the team.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I think Jake Fraley has turned a corner from kind
of the guy that I thought he was when he
got here to obviously last went through some things, but
he looks like the guy that I believe him to be.
So I think it's everybody just kind of if everybody
plays to their potential and nothing more. If everybody has
their solid one hundred and sixty two game average. I
think the offense is really good. I do think it's
(03:14):
a five plus runs a game offense. And I think
if you put five plus runs up a game with
what I believe this pitching staff could be, which has
regressed some after the amazing start.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I mean that was just bound to happen. I think
you're gonna win a ton of I think you won
the division.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I agree with you, and you know you talk about
the pitching staff, and I do want to ask you
about Hunter Green, who had his first clunker in nearly
a year on Saturday, but Andrew Abbott did not. And
you know, he's a guy. We all saw what he
did two years ago when he when he got to
the big leagues and he was awesome immediately, and you
know he's had injury issues. He's still I think when
he gets the ball and he's healthy, is a picture
(03:50):
of consistency. I'm not sure though I have seen him
be as dominant as he was on.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Friday, he was pretty dominant.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And I mean part of that is I think last
year and you're I think you're seeing it a little
bit with Nick Ladolo this year. I mean that that's
the highest strikeout game Abbot had him. I mean he
I don't think he struck out ten batters in the
game last year, and if he did it, you know,
maybe once or twice. But when he came up in
his rookiear, he was blowing everybody away. I think that
there's a maturity level for some of these guys. And
(04:19):
I think if you listen to him talk postgame and
you know whatever, it is the way they talk about
pitching Hunter to put Hunter in this group too, I
think there's a maturity factor that's coming into play where
and maybe it's Terry, maybe it's Derek Johnson, but they
want to pitch innings like that. I think that there's
(04:40):
they're recognizing the value of bulk innings versus.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Five and dive with two run. I mean, I don't know.
I think that there's a kind of a shift in
the focus.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
And I've always thought that, you know what, what Cash
Davis saying bull Durham about strikeouts or you know some
of their fastest.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Get yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I just thought I think that the understanding that the
strikeouts are fascist and if you can pitch six and
seven innings a game and keep your bullpen fresh, like
that's the recipe for winning games, and the strikeout is
as awesome right when you need it, I would, oh
my god, give me twenty seven first pitchouts versus twenty
seven strikeouts in a row. Uh. Yeah, I just I
(05:21):
think I think there's a shift in focus, like, Okay,
they realize they have the stuff to strike guys out.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
So you were asking about Andrew Abbott.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
He was just grooving the other night, and I think
he couldn't help the strike people out. He still has
that strikeout gene in him. He knows how to do it,
but it's more important when it's second and third, two
or one out.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
If it's second and third and one out, you want.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
A strikeout, like you're going to go for the strikeout
and so being able to get it then versus just
being able to rack them up that because they look cool.
I think that I believe that's an actual focus of theirs.
I can't confirm that. But the way they pitch, the
way they're going about it, that's what I see.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I think the biggest and most important start that the
Reds have had this season, which is obviously still very young,
was that Monday night in San Francisco when Hunter Green
got into the ninth inning. They were three and seven.
They're playing a good team that had lost just once,
and you know, they weren't scoring all that much, and
so every inning was a high leverage inning. And then
he followed that up with a dominant performance against the Pirates.
(06:19):
When he gave up the leadoff homer on Saturday, I
said to myself, and this is before he threw another
pitch and gave up another homer, I believe you. I
just I felt like he was due for one. I
just felt like he was due for one, and he
wasn't very sharp, and I just I just disregarded to go,
you know what, he's gonna have two or three clunkers
like that? Is that the approach? Or did you see
something or anything on Saturday that should give folks like
(06:42):
myself pause?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
No, I don't things, and I don't want to.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because the Baltimore lineup was kind of built to hit
right handers, and I think that's why you saw Abbotts
so dominant. You know, Brent Suter cut through him for
four innings, I mean, and nothing against Brent Suiter, right,
I mean, I love Brentony did a great job. Built
to hit right handed pitching, That's part of it. But
I was almost expecting a clunker two. But I had
(07:08):
to write my ship. And I think this is a
big credit to Hunter that I've been expecting greatness every
time out, and so even after the first home run,
I kind of just told myself. I was like, no,
he's going to write the ship because I think I
think it might have been against Pittsburgh, No.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Seattle, or it was somebody at home.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Just now like he kind of had a rough first
inning and it looked like it was going to go
haywire and it will looked like it was going to
be the clunker that it was against Baltimore, but he
righted the ship and went seven innings.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I can't remember who was against, but it's kind.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Of that same feeling. I just felt like he was
still like an Obviously, as the game wore on, they
really grind some at baths out the location wasn't there
on anything. The slider was real flat. And some of
that is, you know, potentially early season workload, Like Hunter has,
you know, throw this many innings in the month of.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
April in his career.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I bet you know, like it's a lot early and
he's a big guy, he's built different, but it you know,
nobody's immune to that. I don't care how big you are.
A role as Chapman has dead arm every once in
a while, you know where the stuff looks the same,
but it doesn't feel the same way coming out of
your hand.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
It's unless you've gone through it. It's kind of inexplicable.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
But I think a little bit of that, I think
just kind of balls elevated in the zone shows me
a little bit of fatigue because the stuff was still
ninety nine. But it just location is what we've been
talking about that's made Hunter turn the corner this year.
The stuff's always been one hundred and a ninety mine hours,
that's always been that. But what we've been talking about
most is the location of that stuff, and it just
(08:46):
wasn't there, and those days are going to happen, And
usually the first thing that comes to my mind is fatigue.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Not mechanic.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Give me a snapshot of what you've seen when you
watch Brady Singer and Nick Martinez.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Snapshot With Brady, I think, as advertised, I think that's
maybe even a little bit better than what I had expected.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But he's a year older, he's been around this league.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
He was kind of trending in this direction, in a
direction that he was going to get better this year anyway.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So I've loved what I've seen from him. He's been great.
With Nick.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I want to I'd like to worry, but it's you know,
recent history, aka last season when he started off getting
his brains beat out and then becomes the best pitcher
on the team. Now there's difference, obviously, because he's not
going back and forth. I am a little worried about
him only to the because of the command just hasn't
(09:41):
been there. I mean, he's walked almost as many people
this year as he walked all of last year, which
I was a ridiculous walk rate that he had last year.
I think he walked nineteen and one hundred and thirty
innings or something crazy. But he's almost there in thirty
innings this year, So that gives me some pause. Yeah,
the numbers first, second, third, time to the lineup, they've
gone up drastically, drastically, so there is some worry there,
(10:06):
But the stuff still looks crisp.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I still know the guy. I still see the back
of the baseball card.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
So, I mean, of all the guys on the team,
I don't want to worry about, I want him to
be the one I don't want to worry about because
he's just done it for longer and the and the
stuff still remains the same. So but he's need's a
kicking into gear here pretty quick or there's gonna start
to be discussions flying around about well is it time
to move Martinez to the bullpen? Then it's well do
(10:32):
you pay somebody twenty one million.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Dollars to be in the bullpen? You know what I mean.
So there's those questions that I'm not gonna answer. Somebody
else is gonna have to uh.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
One more because I know you have to work tonight,
put on an ice sport coat and all that sort
of stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Now, no, no, this is good. This is a good
thought provoking stuff.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I needed that because I was pretty much brain dead
today because I mean, after look, man, I don't care
if I'm playing the game or not watch an offense
for the twenty four runs gives me PTSD Brothers.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Okay, I've been I've been there. I've been there.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I've been the whipping boy that has on the mound
for as long as possible, but I've had to be
Carson Spires, which that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Him the other day. I loved that everybody kind of
went out of their way to.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
You know, Hunter did on TV. Who else said it?
Brent said it yesterday for them to go out of
the way man, because that's that's not an easy place
to be. So I had been out there and I
respect him a lot of parts. And I heard the story.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I don't know, did you watch that Maddox documentary.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I did, Yeah, yes, so talking about like he was
up and he was getting his butt whipped for a
few starts, and they come up to him before the
game said if.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
You don't win this game, you're going down.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And through four and two thirds they had to win,
but somebody came up and he plunked him. So he
didn't qualify for the but he got the respect to
everybody in the clubhouse and that was more important to
him than getting to win and staying in the big
leagues and different set of circumstances.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Obviously Carson didn't have to hit.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Anybody, but you earn the respect of the guys in
the clubhouse and then you start to feel that.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And Carson talked about.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Kind of feeling that comfortability coming into this year because
he had time to spend with the guys last year,
and that's an important thing for him, is the camaraderie
portion of it that makes him feel like he can
perform better. So I think he'll be able to feel
that respect a lot when he comes back through. And
I really like Carson Spires and I was having to
just sorry to go off on the tangent, but I
appreciated that those guys going out of their way to
(12:23):
do it, and I appreciate what Carson did as well.
But yeah, the twenty four runs of Brain Dead, we're back.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
What's what's the most you've ever had to wear? Where
you're out there, the team has gotten its brains beat in,
and whoever your skipper is says, dude, you're going to
go as long as you can. Like, what's what's the
most lost cause inning you've ever pitched?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So this will be It's going to be a different circumstance,
but I think by the end of it you'll agree
with me.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
So I mentioned the twenty inning game that was a
real deal.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That was a Friday night and oh boy, I think
it's Manhattan, Kansas where Kansas State is.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yes, yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
So we're into the ninth inning. I think we're winning,
and I'm the Saturday starter. So it's Friday. You know,
they had the Friday Saturday Sunday starter. So I'm the
Saturday starter. But our closer are all world closer gets
in a pinch and for some odd reason, manager brings
me in to put out the fire. Turns out that
(13:19):
was a foreshadowing. But got out of a base of
loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth and one
out and I did two thirds of an inning and
that was it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And we played twenty and I mean they used everybody
we had.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And then so he's like, all right, we're pushing you
back to Sunday since you just pitched went through it
on set. I threw one hundred and forty nine pitches
in a complete game on Sunday because nobody else could pitch.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
WHOA.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
So we won the game. I mean, I think we
won four to one or something like that. But that's
the most pitches I ever remember throwing. And again, like
you said, different circumstances and nobody was getting their ass whipped.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
But boy, my arm, I still have a wife.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And that's a little more than I needed to know.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Well. I mean, look, you call for the you call
for the good stuff. You get some good stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
That's that's why we have you on. Not as much
as I would like, but that's that's why we have
you on.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Give me that I'm not gonna call I'm not gonna
call him bag to get him to come on the show.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I mean, I will you love me too?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I would, I would love it if you would give me.
We've seen some really good and then we've seen some,
you know, not so great. I still think the bullpen
top to bottom has been his strength. Give me a
snapshot of that of that collective group the bullpen.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Yes, uh, I love I think the team is the
best team with I still think with the Lexus closing,
I don't think he's the best pitcher.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
That's not why there's other things.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But I love Emilia Pagan and Tony Santion And now
it looks like Graham Ashcraft a little bit being able
to float and put out fires in the sixth, seventh,
eighth to get the ball there.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Because Alexis Diaz does.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Not hold runners well that's and he walks people, but
so I wouldn't trust him to go in and put
out a fire, so I give.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Him the clean inning, you know, does that make any sense? Yes?
But I like the other guys.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I think like I think if Sam Mal, I think
sam Mal is important because Taylor Rodgers hasn't looked great
to me this year so far, but I mean Taylor
obviously has a great track record and can pitch.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
It is a kind a great career. Barlow I haven't
been in love with, but I'm following. I'm getting there.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
But yeah, I think the best teams with Alexis as
the closer for those reasons, because he walks people and
he can't hold runners, but he can strike you out
probably as good as anybody in that bullpen.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
So those are the things. So that's why it's always like, hell,
it was Francisco Cordero. They're calling him Cardiac Cordero, and
it seems like those are.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
The guys that you know, there's the ninth inning is
a different animal, but I think Alexis has a great
temperament for it, and I just like him better in
one set role than floating.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Around because I haven't seen him be able to do it.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
And I like Emilou and I like Tony doing and
putting out those big fires early. So I think the
bullpen if Alexis can get back to and I think
he's looks better.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
But I've liked the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, I think their strength and they're a strength, you know,
at all piggybacks off each other if you've got your
starters going, like I said, six and seven innings, and
when you run guys out there, they're fresh all the time,
but they're always working a little bit, you know, especially
if an offense goes out there and puts.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Up you know, gives you a six run leading.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You can go and you can run or z out
there to get them some work, and then they come
back and they stay sharp, but they stay fresh.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
It's a good spot to me, and I feel like
it's coming.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I feel like the last you know, ten or twelve
games has been pretty indicative of the type of team
that I think they can be. So that's that's been
a lot of wins, and I think many more to come,
I hope.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
So there is no one I enjoy talking about Reds
with more. I can't thank you enough for doing this.
I'll bother you again soon. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Please do buddy,
Sam Lekira is with us, the former Red A fixer
obviously on the FanDuel Sports Network and someone we always
loved talking baseball. With the Reds win yesterday twenty four
to two. I've heard pictures say that it's hard to
pitch when you have a lead like that. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Yes, I have a baseball in that. I didn't keep
a whole lot of artifacts from the playing days, but
I kept one specific or two of them. I got
one from Chicago and one from a game in Saint Louis,
which there's a little extra side story on that one,
but it.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Was with a big lead.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
At that time that year, I was used to being
in some leverage situations, you know, I mean, not like
the highest. I mean it was Marshall and Broxton and
Chapman or whoever. But you know, I snuck my way
into the seventh and eighth here every once in a
while when shit got really out of hand and Tommy
fam hit a home run off of me, and I
think it was might have been like an eight to
one lead, and I'm kind of like, you know, you know,
(00:59):
there was a little bit of a letdown, like a
closer going in to pitch the sixth inning, like there's
just not the same intensity of it. And I went
out there and I was hoping to throw my hat
on the field, and I got my butt whipped.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And I'll never forget those two games.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Specifically, it's probably the only two times I ever walked
onto the field and lacked the competitive fire because of
the score of the game, you know, So it does
get tough, and so I thought I was really good
at being able to state mentally focus, but it is
really tough to go out there. I thought, for win
Randy Winn yesterday, it's your debut. You're not gonna throw
(01:32):
your hat on a field, like You're gonna go out
there and you're gonna pitch your tail off. So for him, good,
Scott Barlow's trying to find that, you know, I think that,
But typically I'd say overall, yes, it is hard to
maintain the same competitive fire when the lead gets too big.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
So twenty four runs is an outlier, right that we
might not ever see that again. What doesn't feel like
an outlier, though, is with Austin Hayes healthy and back
and Matt McClean healthy and back, you're getting good at bats.
The nine games prior to yesterday, they had scored fifty
one runs, which you know is not lighting the world
on fire, but that's five and a half runs a
game with this staff. That's yeah, that's good enough to win.
(02:09):
And so did we You know, they lost a bunch
of games early where they lost one nothing, They were
shut out, the offense was feeble, they were missing guys.
Did folks like myself underrate this offense coming into the season.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, yeah, and I'm not and I and I don't
think I'm saying I mean, that's why I don't really
try to raid it too much ahead of time.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So so I don't blame you for underrating it.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
But especially because last year was pretty terrible and spring
training that didn't really give you any idea of what
the offense I thought could be. But I wanted to
see the games. I wanted to see Austin Hayes. What
a difference he's made. Gavin Lux. I didn't love them
getting him just because I didn't know where he was
going to play.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I love him like he takes the best at bats
on the team.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I think Jake Fraley has turned a corner from kind
of the guy that I thought he was when he
got here to obviously last went through some things, but
he looks like the guy that I believe him to be.
So I think it's everybody just kind of if everybody
plays to their potential and nothing more. If everybody has
their solid one hundred and sixty two game average. I
think the offense is really good. I do think it's
(03:14):
a five plus runs a game offense. And I think
if you put five plus runs up a game with
what I believe this pitching staff could be, which has
regressed some after the amazing start.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I mean that was just bound to happen. I think
you're gonna win a ton of I think you won
the division.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I agree with you, and you know you talk about
the pitching staff, and I do want to ask you
about Hunter Green, who had his first clunker in nearly
a year on Saturday, but Andrew Abbott did not. And
you know, he's a guy. We all saw what he
did two years ago when he when he got to
the big leagues and he was awesome immediately, and you
know he's had injury issues. He's still I think when
he gets the ball and he's healthy, is a picture
(03:50):
of consistency. I'm not sure though I have seen him
be as dominant as he was on.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Friday, he was pretty dominant.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And I mean part of that is I think last
year and you're I think you're seeing it a little
bit with Nick Ladolo this year. I mean that that's
the highest strikeout game Abbot had him. I mean he
I don't think he struck out ten batters in the
game last year, and if he did it, you know,
maybe once or twice. But when he came up in
his rookiear, he was blowing everybody away. I think that
there's a maturity level for some of these guys. And
(04:19):
I think if you listen to him talk postgame and
you know whatever, it is the way they talk about
pitching Hunter to put Hunter in this group too, I
think there's a maturity factor that's coming into play where
and maybe it's Terry, maybe it's Derek Johnson, but they
want to pitch innings like that. I think that there's
(04:40):
they're recognizing the value of bulk innings versus.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Five and dive with two run. I mean, I don't know.
I think that there's a kind of a shift in
the focus.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
And I've always thought that, you know what, what Cash
Davis saying bull Durham about strikeouts or you know some
of their fastest.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Get yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I just thought I think that the understanding that the
strikeouts are fascist and if you can pitch six and
seven innings a game and keep your bullpen fresh, like
that's the recipe for winning games, and the strikeout is
as awesome right when you need it, I would, oh
my god, give me twenty seven first pitchouts versus twenty
seven strikeouts in a row. Uh. Yeah, I just I
(05:21):
think I think there's a shift in focus, like, Okay,
they realize they have the stuff to strike guys out.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
So you were asking about Andrew Abbott.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
He was just grooving the other night, and I think
he couldn't help the strike people out. He still has
that strikeout gene in him. He knows how to do it,
but it's more important when it's second and third, two
or one out.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
If it's second and third and one out, you want.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
A strikeout, like you're going to go for the strikeout
and so being able to get it then versus just
being able to rack them up that because they look cool.
I think that I believe that's an actual focus of theirs.
I can't confirm that. But the way they pitch, the
way they're going about it, that's what I see.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I think the biggest and most important start that the
Reds have had this season, which is obviously still very young,
was that Monday night in San Francisco when Hunter Green
got into the ninth inning. They were three and seven.
They're playing a good team that had lost just once,
and you know, they weren't scoring all that much, and
so every inning was a high leverage inning. And then
he followed that up with a dominant performance against the Pirates.
(06:19):
When he gave up the leadoff homer on Saturday, I
said to myself, and this is before he threw another
pitch and gave up another homer, I believe you. I
just I felt like he was due for one. I
just felt like he was due for one, and he
wasn't very sharp, and I just I just disregarded to go,
you know what, he's gonna have two or three clunkers
like that? Is that the approach? Or did you see
something or anything on Saturday that should give folks like
(06:42):
myself pause?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
No, I don't things, and I don't want to.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because the Baltimore lineup was kind of built to hit
right handers, and I think that's why you saw Abbotts
so dominant. You know, Brent Suter cut through him for
four innings, I mean, and nothing against Brent Suiter, right,
I mean, I love Brentony did a great job. Built
to hit right handed pitching, That's part of it. But
I was almost expecting a clunker two. But I had
(07:08):
to write my ship. And I think this is a
big credit to Hunter that I've been expecting greatness every
time out, and so even after the first home run,
I kind of just told myself. I was like, no,
he's going to write the ship because I think I
think it might have been against Pittsburgh, No.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Seattle, or it was somebody at home.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Just now like he kind of had a rough first
inning and it looked like it was going to go
haywire and it will looked like it was going to
be the clunker that it was against Baltimore, but he
righted the ship and went seven innings.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I can't remember who was against, but it's kind.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Of that same feeling. I just felt like he was
still like an Obviously, as the game wore on, they
really grind some at baths out the location wasn't there
on anything. The slider was real flat. And some of
that is, you know, potentially early season workload, Like Hunter has,
you know, throw this many innings in the month of.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
April in his career.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I bet you know, like it's a lot early and
he's a big guy, he's built different, but it you know,
nobody's immune to that. I don't care how big you are.
A role as Chapman has dead arm every once in
a while, you know where the stuff looks the same,
but it doesn't feel the same way coming out of
your hand.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
It's unless you've gone through it. It's kind of inexplicable.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
But I think a little bit of that, I think
just kind of balls elevated in the zone shows me
a little bit of fatigue because the stuff was still
ninety nine. But it just location is what we've been
talking about that's made Hunter turn the corner this year.
The stuff's always been one hundred and a ninety mine hours,
that's always been that. But what we've been talking about
most is the location of that stuff, and it just
(08:46):
wasn't there, and those days are going to happen, And
usually the first thing that comes to my mind is fatigue.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Not mechanic.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Give me a snapshot of what you've seen when you
watch Brady Singer and Nick Martinez.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Snapshot With Brady, I think, as advertised, I think that's
maybe even a little bit better than what I had expected.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
But he's a year older, he's been around this league.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
He was kind of trending in this direction, in a
direction that he was going to get better this year anyway.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So I've loved what I've seen from him. He's been great.
With Nick.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I want to I'd like to worry, but it's you know,
recent history, aka last season when he started off getting
his brains beat out and then becomes the best pitcher
on the team. Now there's difference, obviously, because he's not
going back and forth. I am a little worried about
him only to the because of the command just hasn't
(09:41):
been there. I mean, he's walked almost as many people
this year as he walked all of last year, which
I was a ridiculous walk rate that he had last year.
I think he walked nineteen and one hundred and thirty
innings or something crazy. But he's almost there in thirty
innings this year, So that gives me some pause. Yeah,
the numbers first, second, third, time to the lineup, they've
gone up drastically, drastically, so there is some worry there,
(10:06):
But the stuff still looks crisp.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I still know the guy. I still see the back
of the baseball card.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
So, I mean, of all the guys on the team,
I don't want to worry about, I want him to
be the one I don't want to worry about because
he's just done it for longer and the and the
stuff still remains the same. So but he's need's a
kicking into gear here pretty quick or there's gonna start
to be discussions flying around about well is it time
to move Martinez to the bullpen? Then it's well do
(10:32):
you pay somebody twenty one million.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Dollars to be in the bullpen? You know what I mean.
So there's those questions that I'm not gonna answer. Somebody
else is gonna have to uh.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
One more because I know you have to work tonight,
put on an ice sport coat and all that sort
of stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Now, no, no, this is good. This is a good
thought provoking stuff.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I needed that because I was pretty much brain dead
today because I mean, after look, man, I don't care
if I'm playing the game or not watch an offense
for the twenty four runs gives me PTSD Brothers.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Okay, I've been I've been there. I've been there.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I've been the whipping boy that has on the mound
for as long as possible, but I've had to be
Carson Spires, which that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Him the other day. I loved that everybody kind of
went out of their way to.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
You know, Hunter did on TV. Who else said it?
Brent said it yesterday for them to go out of
the way man, because that's that's not an easy place
to be. So I had been out there and I
respect him a lot of parts. And I heard the story.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
I don't know, did you watch that Maddox documentary.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I did, Yeah, yes, so talking about like he was
up and he was getting his butt whipped for a
few starts, and they come up to him before the
game said if.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
You don't win this game, you're going down.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And through four and two thirds they had to win,
but somebody came up and he plunked him. So he
didn't qualify for the but he got the respect to
everybody in the clubhouse and that was more important to
him than getting to win and staying in the big
leagues and different set of circumstances.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Obviously Carson didn't have to hit.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Anybody, but you earn the respect of the guys in
the clubhouse and then you start to feel that.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And Carson talked about.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Kind of feeling that comfortability coming into this year because
he had time to spend with the guys last year,
and that's an important thing for him, is the camaraderie
portion of it that makes him feel like he can
perform better. So I think he'll be able to feel
that respect a lot when he comes back through. And
I really like Carson Spires and I was having to
just sorry to go off on the tangent, but I
appreciated that those guys going out of their way to
(12:23):
do it, and I appreciate what Carson did as well.
But yeah, the twenty four runs of Brain Dead, we're back.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
What's what's the most you've ever had to wear? Where
you're out there, the team has gotten its brains beat in,
and whoever your skipper is says, dude, you're going to
go as long as you can. Like, what's what's the
most lost cause inning you've ever pitched?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So this will be It's going to be a different circumstance,
but I think by the end of it you'll agree
with me.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
So I mentioned the twenty inning game that was a
real deal.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That was a Friday night and oh boy, I think
it's Manhattan, Kansas where Kansas State is.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Yes, yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
So we're into the ninth inning. I think we're winning,
and I'm the Saturday starter. So it's Friday. You know,
they had the Friday Saturday Sunday starter. So I'm the
Saturday starter. But our closer are all world closer gets
in a pinch and for some odd reason, manager brings
me in to put out the fire. Turns out that
(13:19):
was a foreshadowing. But got out of a base of
loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth and one
out and I did two thirds of an inning and
that was it.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And we played twenty and I mean they used everybody
we had.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And then so he's like, all right, we're pushing you
back to Sunday since you just pitched went through it
on set. I threw one hundred and forty nine pitches
in a complete game on Sunday because nobody else could pitch.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
WHOA.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
So we won the game. I mean, I think we
won four to one or something like that. But that's
the most pitches I ever remember throwing. And again, like
you said, different circumstances and nobody was getting their ass whipped.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
But boy, my arm, I still have a wife.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And that's a little more than I needed to know.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Well. I mean, look, you call for the you call
for the good stuff. You get some good stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
That's that's why we have you on. Not as much
as I would like, but that's that's why we have
you on.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Give me that I'm not gonna call I'm not gonna
call him bag to get him to come on the show.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I mean, I will you love me too?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I would, I would love it if you would give me.
We've seen some really good and then we've seen some,
you know, not so great. I still think the bullpen
top to bottom has been his strength. Give me a
snapshot of that of that collective group the bullpen.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Yes, uh, I love I think the team is the
best team with I still think with the Lexus closing,
I don't think he's the best pitcher.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
That's not why there's other things.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But I love Emilia Pagan and Tony Santion And now
it looks like Graham Ashcraft a little bit being able
to float and put out fires in the sixth, seventh,
eighth to get the ball there.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Because Alexis Diaz does.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Not hold runners well that's and he walks people, but
so I wouldn't trust him to go in and put
out a fire, so I give.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Him the clean inning, you know, does that make any sense? Yes?
But I like the other guys.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I think like I think if Sam Mal, I think
sam Mal is important because Taylor Rodgers hasn't looked great
to me this year so far, but I mean Taylor
obviously has a great track record and can pitch.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
It is a kind a great career. Barlow I haven't
been in love with, but I'm following. I'm getting there.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
But yeah, I think the best teams with Alexis as
the closer for those reasons, because he walks people and
he can't hold runners, but he can strike you out
probably as good as anybody in that bullpen.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
So those are the things. So that's why it's always like, hell,
it was Francisco Cordero. They're calling him Cardiac Cordero, and
it seems like those are.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
The guys that you know, there's the ninth inning is
a different animal, but I think Alexis has a great
temperament for it, and I just like him better in
one set role than floating.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Around because I haven't seen him be able to do it.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
And I like Emilou and I like Tony doing and
putting out those big fires early. So I think the
bullpen if Alexis can get back to and I think
he's looks better.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
But I've liked the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, I think their strength and they're a strength, you know,
at all piggybacks off each other if you've got your
starters going, like I said, six and seven innings, and
when you run guys out there, they're fresh all the time,
but they're always working a little bit, you know, especially
if an offense goes out there and puts.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Up you know, gives you a six run leading.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You can go and you can run or z out
there to get them some work, and then they come
back and they stay sharp, but they stay fresh.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
It's a good spot to me, and I feel like
it's coming.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I feel like the last you know, ten or twelve
games has been pretty indicative of the type of team
that I think they can be. So that's that's been
a lot of wins, and I think many more to come,
I hope.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
So there is no one I enjoy talking about Reds
with more. I can't thank you enough for doing this.
I'll bother you again soon. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Please do buddy,
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