Sax and Cates In The AM (Hour 2) 10/10/25

Steve and Tim take your calls and breakdown the Dodgers exiciting walkoff win over the Phillies. David Vassegh checks-in on his birthday 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
They say, the hardest thing in sports isn't winning a title.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's hard to repeat seasons.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
It's winning it again. This year.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
Is not trying to win a championship, They're trying to repeat.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's October baseball for your world champion in La Dodger.

Speaker 4 (00:15):
The twenty twenty five Dodgers are the National League's Western
Division champions.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
And you know what that means.

Speaker 5 (00:22):
Saxon Kates and AM is back.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
This is Saxon Kates in the Morning with Tim Kates
and former World champion Dodger Steve Sacks.

Speaker 5 (00:32):
Reacting taking your phone calls talking Dodgers playoff baseball all
postseason long.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Now here they are on AM five to seventy LA
Sports and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 6 (00:43):
Steve Sacks, Tim Kads, Tim.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Kates and World Champion Dodger Steve Sacks.

Speaker 5 (00:50):
Oh, Saxon Kates in the Am on this Friday morning,
and it feels so good as the Dodgers are going
back to the National League Championship Series. With a two
to one win over the Philadelphia Phillies and eleven innings
yesterday out at Dodgers Stadium, won a pitching matchup for
six innings Phillies scored in the top of the seventh

(01:12):
Dodgers scoring the bottom half of the seventh inning on
a Mookie Betts bases loaded.

Speaker 6 (01:17):
Walk to bring in the tie and run.

Speaker 5 (01:19):
And then in the bottom of the eleventh inning, with
the bases loaded and two out, Andy Pajez gets sawed off,
but O'Ryan Kirkering throws the ball home instead of first
and overthrows JT.

Speaker 6 (01:30):
Realmuto.

Speaker 5 (01:31):
Ballgame over, Dodgers walk off the Phillies two to one.
A great pitching performance from both sides, the starters, the relievers.
Phillies went all in. Dave Robers pushed his chips to
the middle of the table, going three innings of relief
with Roki Sasaki, who we're gonna hear from coming up
in just a little bit. You can't say enough about
what Inimachion and Alex Vesi did for this Dodgers team.

(01:54):
I mean, just a great baseball game with the defense
outside of the last play of the game, the defense
from Tray Turner and the Phillies. The Dodgers just missing
on some big hits and some big opportunities, straining the
bases loaded a couple of times. Just an all around,
great game at How about the home played umpire yesterday?
We were texting about the balls and strikes wow in

(02:17):
the game yesterday and Mark Wegner was the homeplay to
umpire and I was just watching MLB Network and I
guess after the game he apologized to Christopher Sanchez for
a two to two pitch and the seventh thing that
he called the ball and I think it was against
Alex call him, not for sure, but it should have
been a strike three. And it kind of felt like
that all day Held had a weird zone. It was up,

(02:39):
then it was out, then it was all over the plays,
and then he was calling inside pitches off the plate,
and then he wasn't calling strikes right down the middle
theany goodness. He kind of didn't affect this game too much.
But yeah, that was some interesting strikes and balls calls yesterday.

Speaker 7 (02:54):
So he apologized to Christopher Sanchez after the game.

Speaker 6 (02:57):
That's what it said.

Speaker 5 (02:58):
I saw a little blurb just now on the MLB
Network that Christmas I said the home plate umpire apologized
to him for that to call.

Speaker 7 (03:04):
He should have also apologized to the Dodgers for the
seventeen freaking pitches he missed on them too.

Speaker 6 (03:10):
This guy was horrible, horrible.

Speaker 7 (03:13):
And I don't mind saying it, but he was awful.
Thank God for the ABS, that guy'd be out of it.
This guy's gonna be out of a job the ABS
comes up, because he's he's gonna get shown up really bad.
He missed, He missed balls on every sequence. It seemed that,
you know, he called one in favor of the Dodgers.
I will say that was a foot out of the

(03:35):
strike zone. Maybe maybe he I don't know what he
did on that, but there was a low pitch and
it was at least a foot out of the strike zone,
and he called it.

Speaker 8 (03:45):
He called it a strike. And and I could.

Speaker 7 (03:47):
I was, you know, I'm sitting there, you know where
my allegiance lies, and I'm going, you know what, even
though I wanted it to be a strike, it wasn't
close to a strike. Yeah, and he called it a
strike for the Dodgers. I mean, this guy was awful. Sorry,
I'm I'm not you know, bringing anything new that people
didn't see. Yeah, I'm just you know, I'm just saying

(04:09):
what everybody else was looking at.

Speaker 8 (04:11):
This guy was not even close.

Speaker 5 (04:12):
In the seventh inning, Alex Call came up facing Sanchez
one out. Will Smith had just grounded out to short
on a two to two sinker. The game cast shows
exactly what we saw. A strike on the inside part
of the play, no doubt about it. He called it
a ball for ball three and the next pitch was inside,
even further out of the zone ball four to Alex

(04:35):
Call than Keiky Hernandez comes up in singles and that's
when they went to the pitching change, with Deran to
come in two pitches later or two batters later. Otani's
intentionally how about that? By the way, Otani, who's won
for the series, looks completely lost at the plate against
left handers, and you intentionally walk him. Still steve to

(04:56):
get to Mookie Beds. I mean, if the guy's struggling,
wouldn't you want to just finish him off and pitched
to him. But I guess that's the threat that Otani brings.
Even with the struggles here in the NLDS, they still
walked him with first base opening the seventh inning, and
guess what if batfired again as Mookie Betts drew the
walk off of Duran to tie the game. But again
it goes back to that missed strike three call against

(05:18):
Alex call with one out and then unraveled for Sanchez.
Duran walks in bets and that leads to the tie
and run.

Speaker 7 (05:25):
Yeah, and you know, as far as the walk to Otani,
h if it was almost anybody else, maybe Judge, maybe Schwarber,
I don't know, but maybe Judge is the only other
guy that I could see them walking, even if he's struggling.
Because remember these two guys, and there's probably a couple
other but I'm just mentioning know Tani and say Judge,

(05:47):
these two guys don't have to be exactly right. They
can They can be off and still hit the ball
out of the ballpark. That that's how powerful and good
they both are. So I understand, you know, go ahead
and walk in Otani. I probably would have done it too.

Speaker 5 (06:04):
Yeah, I'm just looking up real quick as you're talking.
Mark Wegner did. In fact, according to Christopher Sanchez after
the game, was telling the media that came up to
him and apologized for the missed strike three call on
Alex's call there with one out in the seventh inning
should have been a strike. He called it a ball
and that would be the eventual tye run that would
come around and score in that seventh inning, but el

(06:26):
Dodgers take advantage of that again. Next year probably not
going to be an issue with the ABS being implemented.
I'm sure the a Phillies would have challenged that and
it would have been called a strike.

Speaker 8 (06:36):
Again.

Speaker 5 (06:36):
It's gonna be interesting to see how games change next year.
Of course, of the course of a regular season, Okay,
we'll see a lot of it, and it'll affect some games,
But in the playoffs when there's a judgment called strike
three or a ball four Zaxy, I think we're gonna
be talking about this a lot.

Speaker 6 (06:53):
Yeah, next October. The challenge system.

Speaker 7 (06:55):
Yeah, inasmuch as you know, I'm a purist, I don't
liked all these you know, intrusion of you know, just
let the game do what it is. But you know,
in this case, it's like the NFL. You know, they
go into the going to the hood for you know,
just a quick second, and you want to get it right.

Speaker 8 (07:12):
That's the main thing. You want to get it right.

Speaker 7 (07:14):
And uh, I think it's it's kind of a good
thing because the umpires are not going to be able
to just skate now and making calls that are, you know, ridiculous.
They're gonna have to They're gonna have to atone for
these things.

Speaker 5 (07:27):
Last night, kek Herd Nandez was part of that seventh
inning to tie the game. He had a single to
get on base. He was one for four drill walk
as well. He is mister October he has been his
entire Dodger career. And afterwards in the clubhouse, David Vase
caught up with Key k here and Nandez, who gave
a very candid interview about this Dodgers team as a whole.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
What's it like to be able to beat a team
like this k the Phillies.

Speaker 4 (07:52):
A lot of people believe it was going to be
your biggest challenge in a pitching type before game series.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
How were you able to be able to as a
group stick with it?

Speaker 9 (08:01):
Well, for for for for first, we scored more runs
than them three out of the four games, so we
won those three games.

Speaker 6 (08:09):
For celebrating, but.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, that was That's an unbelievable team.

Speaker 9 (08:14):
On the other side, you know, I thought this year
is gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Last year it didn't.

Speaker 6 (08:18):
Happen because the mess got the best of them.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
And here we were again doing it again against them.

Speaker 9 (08:23):
You know, they they had some really good pitching and
they had some mosses at the top of that lineup
and throughout that lineup. That's a pretty deep line up
that they got over there, and it was a pretty series.
We we had to earn every single one of the
those three wins, and uh, you just saw a really
good baseball for four games on both sides, and I'm
really glad we came out on top.

Speaker 10 (08:44):
Kyk.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
There's been a lot of.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
Talk about your boat and for those guys to come
out of there tonight and keep the gate where it
was to give you another opportunity.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
How much confidence do you have in those guys.

Speaker 9 (08:55):
I've always that confidence, man Thlozard, My guys, I trust them.
You know, it doesn't even really matter if things don't
go their way. They in the postseason, you know, everybody
starts at zero and yeah, you can say whatever, like
one inning year winning there.

Speaker 6 (09:11):
But you know, we got some really.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
Good arms back there. We got some stuff back there,
and in.

Speaker 9 (09:16):
The postseason, that's that's all you need.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
You need stuff.

Speaker 9 (09:18):
You need strikes, and if we're throwing strikes, we're gonna
be all right, and I mean our our pitching was
a I think our pitching deserves all the.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Credit in the series.

Speaker 9 (09:25):
If it wasn't for this pitching that we had throughout
four games, we wouldn't be in this position right now celebrating.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
It seemed like they were only able to score in
like one hitting every game.

Speaker 9 (09:39):
They only scored in two innings last night, say night,
they only scored one run. So that that just that's
the testament of our pitching. Man, I think we we
could have won these games a little more easier.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
But you know, they did a great.

Speaker 9 (09:51):
Job on their pitching side, and our pats didn't really
do much. But all credits are pitching. If it was
we're pitching, we wouldn't be celebrating right now.

Speaker 4 (09:57):
You deserve to get credit for being don't has to
knock tober player? Well, what can you say about the
other guys like ta Oscar and Tommy.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Seems like you have a lot of those type of guys.

Speaker 6 (10:07):
You know, we had.

Speaker 9 (10:08):
A When you look at the position.

Speaker 6 (10:10):
Player side, a lot.

Speaker 9 (10:11):
Of us are back from last year. A lot of
us are back from a couple of years, so you
know two years ago we went through the worst last
year we went through the best. So when you go
through the worst and you can go through the best,
you know, you.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
Learn a lot about each other. You you you learn
to care more and more.

Speaker 9 (10:31):
About about each other as teammates, as a team and uh,
you know, we're just a team that we're gonna find
a way to figure out how to win a ball game.
And you know, we we didn't really have to slug
this series, but we found ways to score run whether
it's an er or kick or whatever it was.

Speaker 6 (10:49):
But putting the ball in player.

Speaker 9 (10:51):
It's just a good thing since it happened, and that's
kind of what we did. We took the league game
too by putting the bond play. We we won the
game by putting the ball in play tonight. Yeah, We've
gone through a lot together as a group. So there's
this trust in each other that we have that you know,
if you don't get it done, then the guy behind
you is gonna do it. I think that speaks volumes

(11:12):
about our group. And again I'll credit to our pitching.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
Congratulations.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
We'll see you either here with Chicago or in Milwaukee.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Thanks Dave, thank you.

Speaker 5 (11:23):
All right, there's Key k Hernandez with David Vase last
night in the celebration, he said it a couple of times.
Trust and this team has been through a lot. The
core of this team. They've got some guys who are new,
certainly on the pitching staff, position players in the bullpen,
but the core, this group has been through a lot,
losing in the first round of the Padres, losing early
into the Washington Nationals back in twenty nineteen, get into

(11:46):
World Series and losing winning World Series, and I think
he said it best, we just find a way to win.
You know, the slug wasn't there, doesn't matter. Our pitching
steps up to the occasion. And that's big part of
this trust.

Speaker 6 (11:58):
If you look on the other.

Speaker 5 (11:59):
Side of I heard Jimmy Rollins on TV last night
with Pedro Martinez said the Phillies need that.

Speaker 6 (12:04):
The Phillies need leadership.

Speaker 5 (12:05):
The Phillies need some guys in there to tell the
younger guys it's okay, we're gonna get through this. The
Dodgers have that sax see that's built in right now,
that trust and that experience.

Speaker 7 (12:15):
Yeah, and they've got it all around the infield too,
which is you know, just a big part of this
team with Munsey.

Speaker 8 (12:21):
Played really really well at third base.

Speaker 7 (12:23):
U Mookie Bets a superman that can just go out
there and play a great shortstop.

Speaker 8 (12:28):
Freddy's over there picking it at first base.

Speaker 7 (12:30):
So you've got a good core of guys that are
going to play all the time and that that are
going to be the leadership aspect of this team. And
these guys can go there, they can lean on them.
Clayton Kershaw is out there in the bullpen, and he's
been a starter his whole life, you know, talking and
trying to keep guys, you know, at a constant level.
And so this stuff works, and chemistry works on teams,

(12:52):
and if you've been around for a while, you know
that you've got to have guys on there that have
been there and done that before because it lets everybody
else lean on them.

Speaker 5 (13:00):
I think this is worth repeating, and we've said it
a lot. It's been repeated by a lot of people.
That all starts, by the way, that culture, that trust,
that bond, that core group that Key K is talking about,
and this group often refers to it starts with number
twenty two. And I don't say it because he's a
future Hall of Famer and he's Clayton kershaw I say
it because he's that and he's willing to change his role.

(13:24):
He's willing to adapt, he's willing to do whatever it
takes to win in the postseason. He did it in
the bubble in twenty he was in the bullpen ready
to go. And we all know the video of him
winning that first World Series in Arlington and running out
of the bullpen because he was down there in case
they needed him to pitch and relief. Now he's pitching
out of the bullpen here in twenty twenty five. Wasn't
with this group last year. He was hurt in October.

(13:46):
Clayton kershew I was around the group, he was a
part of it, but he didn't participate in October baseball
a year ago. But when twenty two says, hey, I'll
go to the bullpen, doc Hey, I'll do whatever it's take.
I'll go out and pitch the eighth inning and take
it for the team because we don't have another reliever
we can go to. So we can save Shehan, so
we can save Vessia, and we can save Sasaki, who,

(14:07):
by the way, all three of those guys pitched yesterday
in Game four of this series. It all starts with
twenty two and what he does.

Speaker 8 (14:16):
Yep, it sure does.

Speaker 7 (14:18):
And like you said, people kind of overlooked the fact that,
you know, Clayton went out there and wore it in
the eight to two loss, but he enabled other guys
to not go out there and have them ready for
this game. And three of those guys that you just
pointed out were instrumental and the Dodgers holding them down
to get this victory. Now, I will say that it
all starts with twenty two on the as far as

(14:38):
the players, but it also has got to be with
Dave Roberts and that manager and that coaching.

Speaker 8 (14:43):
Staff, those guys. Those guys let these guys be themselves.
They let that culture flow on this team. They let
the conversation at the lockers happened.

Speaker 7 (14:54):
They let the door be open to the manager's office
anytime they went. They let that family atmosphere and the
players be what they're gonna be. Look, I mean Tanner
Scott did, wasn't there, uh, you know, for the game
before before and nobody, nobody batter than I I mean,
they know that it's a personal issue. They trust that
that it's the real thing, and and we'll find out

(15:16):
and you know, and hopefully that his family's okay. And
that's what matters the most, and that's what's paramount on
this team, is they care about the people.

Speaker 5 (15:25):
Yeah, last night we saw all three of those guys
that were saved from Game three pitch in Game four
image she and and Inning of relief Rookie Sasaki three lockdown,
shutout innings relief, Alex Vesia at Inning of Relief. Here's
image she and Alex Vesia postgame with David Basstay last
night in the celebration.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
All right, here we are with two of the bullpen dogs.

Speaker 4 (15:48):
Is Emit Sheen an official bullpen dog after the.

Speaker 6 (15:52):
Absolutely Oh.

Speaker 4 (16:03):
That was Jack Tryer, another one of the bullpen dogs. Emmick,
what's it been like for you to contribute the way
you did in this series?

Speaker 2 (16:10):
M It's unbelievable. I'm so grateful for these guys. Help
me out the bullpen, show me the ropstop.

Speaker 6 (16:19):
I tried to mess it up today.

Speaker 2 (16:20):
You're too good. You're too good for that. All right,
thank you guys.

Speaker 5 (16:26):
All right, there's alex Vessia and image Shean in celebration
image and didn't try to mess it up. He did
drop the ball on the three six to one double
play that could have been huge for the Dodgers. As
it is, he missed first, was trying to fend it
with his foot, it goes off his glove and a
run would come around and score. So at the time
it was pretty big. But in the end it turned

(16:48):
out to be okay because the Dodgers win the game.
But I can't say enough about what these guys have
done out of the bullpen image and adapting to a
new role. Alex Vesia. Yeah, he took some lumps ter
in the season and he wore a lot of it
innings in twenty twenty five for Dave Roberts, but when
they needed him in most here Alex VESSI even Anthony
Bonda the night before. Man, these guys, they're the bullpen

(17:10):
dogs again. We were talking about where where are the
dogs at late in the season, Where are these puppies at?
Where are they at? Well, the dogs are back. They
may have been chained up somewhere, but they're back.

Speaker 8 (17:20):
Yeah, And that's a compliment. You be called a dog.

Speaker 7 (17:22):
You know, you're you're in football and you're playing with
the Redskins years ago, you're one of the hogs. You
know that these are all you know, sent with their
way with a lot of respect, and it's actually a
good thing. And you know the fact that that Shehan
went to first base didn't find the base, you know,
find the base first, then catch the ball.

Speaker 8 (17:42):
But nobody even mentions it now. It's just it doesn't matter.
You see.

Speaker 7 (17:46):
That's a great thing about winning is those blemishes and
little things that happened there, they're just nonexistent now they're
a far distant memory.

Speaker 11 (17:54):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (17:55):
And you know, the unfortunate thing for Kirkering on the
other sky, is he's gonna have to wear it all
winter long. He's gonna hear it everywhere he goes, and
it's part of the deal. But he'll bounce back and uh,
you know, he'll be better for it in the long run.
But Dodgers, you know, they wash those things away and
they keep on winning.

Speaker 12 (18:11):
Well.

Speaker 5 (18:11):
The good thing is in Philadelphia, it's a very forgiving market.
It's a very forgiving fan base. They let things just
kind of go off their back. They don't really linger
and hold on to grudges very long.

Speaker 6 (18:21):
Do they have Philadelphia?

Speaker 10 (18:23):
No?

Speaker 8 (18:23):
I mean, look, yeah, they're right.

Speaker 7 (18:26):
He's gonna hear this in Philly for the next twenty years,
just like in Boston with uh, you know, with Uh,
with Buckner had to deal with But but but look,
I mean this, this is all part.

Speaker 8 (18:37):
Of the deal. You know.

Speaker 7 (18:38):
It's it's the game, it's the way it is. You know,
it's not what his core essence to the team is.
You know, he's not he's not a shortstop. He's a
He's a guy that you know, blows hitters up and
he does a really good job at it. It's not
gonna affect his career one iota. That being said, the
Dodgers are looking forward to to Monday night. Man, they've
got They've got these guys primed and ready to pitch.

(19:00):
The staff is gonna be rested and it's gonna be
throttled up. And man, this is gonna be a great series.
Either team they play is gonna be phenomenal. Seven games too.

Speaker 5 (19:08):
Yeah, Dodger fans, Tomorrow night, Saturday nights, get by a
TV TBS watch Game five of the Brewers and the
Cubs to see who the Dodgers are gonna be playing
in the NLCS. Get a kind of idea on what
both teams are doing here in the postseas. It's been
a great series so far. Milwaukee won the first two
games at home, went to Wrigley Field. The Cubs answered back,

(19:29):
holding home field there with their two wins at Wrigley,
including the little big win last night six to nothing.
And now that series goes back for a decisive game
five tomorrow night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So make sure you
check that out and find out who the Dodgers are playing.
We'll take a break, will come back. We're gonna hear
from Rookie Susaki. David Bassay is gonna join us in
about twenty minutes. Your phone calls as well. Rookie Sasaki,

(19:50):
he's now a dog. He's now one of those bullpen
guys who Dave Roberts not only can rely upon, but
Dodger fans love. We'll hear from Rookie Sasaki next. Your
phone calls at eight sixty six nine eight seven two
five seventy. No apologies here. Dodgers win. Dodgers win. They're
off to the NLCS. Saxon Kates and am on ANFI
seventy light Sports. Dodgers are back in the NLCS. It'll

(20:22):
start on Monday here on am FI seventy LA Sports.
Who will the Dodgers play. We'll find out in an
elimina gate elimination game tomorrow in Milwaukee between the Cubs
and the Brewers. Dodgers get the winner of that series.
Cubs win a third straight elimination game to force a
game five, as the Dodgers will now find out if

(20:43):
they'll start at home against Chicago on Monday night or
will they start the NLCS the first two games in
Milwaukee against the Brewers on Monday night. That'll be all
he decided tomorrow, depending on who wins that best of
five NLDS Game five tomorrow in Milwaukee, Brewers and the Cubs.
Roki Sasaki has been absolutely fantastic for the Dodgers, and

(21:06):
we saw him in April. What he did as the
starter got hurt was around the team a little bit,
but mostly rehabbing, and then on a rehab assignment in
Oklahoma City. He rejoined this Dodgers team late in September
in a new role, a new attitude, had that one
hundred mile an hour fastball back, and since returning from
the IL a combined seven and the third innings no runs,

(21:29):
two hits, nine strikeouts and zero walks for Rokie Susaki,
who yesterday had three innings of shutout relief for Dave Roberts,
continuing to put zeros on the board while they waited
for the offense to do something. The Dodgers would eventually
win an eleven innings. But one of these stories in baseball,
and you love him, Steve come October, a guy who

(21:52):
hadn't been around, maybe a guy who gets called up,
maybe a guy who was hurt. And that's exactly what
Rokie Sasaki is. One of these great October stories here
at twenty twenty five.

Speaker 7 (22:01):
Yeah, love Roki's presence on the mound. He's not a
big dude, but he is quite the Anan mile, isn't he.
I mean, he just wants the ball and says, here
it is, here's one hundred, go ahead and hit this,
and they can't do it. The splitter is off the table,
and his assortment of pitches, especially coming out of the bullpen,
is more than enough to his plenty and he's got

(22:23):
more than that. So Roki Sasaki brings another element to
this team that they've been desperately missing, some comfort down
in the bullpen that knows that this ninth and he's
gonna get locked down and if I need to go
before the ninth I can do that too. So and
his ability to want to go out there and do
that and not say, well, I'm a starter and that's.

Speaker 8 (22:44):
All I do here.

Speaker 7 (22:45):
No, No, this is a team player and he's been
a godsend to this team and no reason to say
it's going to stop now.

Speaker 8 (22:52):
He's just throttling it up right now. I think he's
getting stronger.

Speaker 5 (22:55):
He was highly thought of and sought after last off season,
and the Dodgers won the bidding war and signed him
as a free agent. He elected to sign with the
Blue and struggled early on. Had the electric fastball we
saw in Japan the first couple starts, and then got hurt,
and we saw him get emotional in the dugout, and
people had to for remember, this is a twenty three

(23:17):
year old coming over and playing in the United States.
Didn't have the early success, Probably that in his mind
he thought he was going to have. He's on a
team already with two Japanese superstars in Shohyo Tani and Yoshinobu.
Yamamoto gets hurt, probably deflated, could have lost him psychologically
and emotionally for the rest of the season. But to

(23:39):
his credit, bounce Back went through the rehab on his arm,
went through the rehab of his mechanics as well. Over
at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, went out to Triple A
Oklahoma City. Didn't initially have the success that he wanted. Steve,
he was still throwing mid to high nineties. He was
looking to touch one hundred something. Click in mid September

(24:00):
gets called up a couple of appearances late in the season.
He's blowing one hundred miles an hour and he's now
this Rokie Susaki two point zero that we all know
and love. It's been an absolute tremendous turnaround for the
young man. And here he is post game on the
field with David Vat say, right after the win yesterday.

Speaker 2 (24:19):
Rokie, what a night for you? What a postseason for you?

Speaker 4 (24:23):
What does it mean to you to be such a
big contributor tonight and in this series to post.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
A season hold on.

Speaker 12 (24:31):
My scot, It's like, what many contests?

Speaker 6 (24:42):
I must see it? And well, it's been the ball
mon Deck.

Speaker 12 (24:49):
Well, He's like, I'm Dick, It's like how many contest?

Speaker 3 (24:53):
Says now?

Speaker 10 (24:54):
First of all, I'm really glad that I'm healthy and
being able to perform, and you know, I'm really you know,
I'm really thankful for all the support staff, all the
people who really supported the way during my rehab progression,
and most of all, just all the coaching staff from
you know, top to bottom organizationally, They've been such a
help to me and they're the reason why.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
I'm back here.

Speaker 4 (25:14):
Rookie, how have you been able to embrace this role
and be so dominant?

Speaker 2 (25:21):
I touched it.

Speaker 12 (25:21):
The du up slows them up almost look up the
it's a little bit goal. It's all in this over
the thing, David Limus.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
Yeah, my fastball velo is out.

Speaker 10 (25:35):
My splitter feels really good, so I've been able to attack.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
His own congratulations, Go get some champagne.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
Thank you, There he goes, Rookie Sazaki and Will Ironton
such a big part of the Dodgers' postseason plans.

Speaker 6 (25:48):
All right, great stuff from David Veasse there.

Speaker 5 (25:50):
Will Ironton translating does a great job a part of
this Dodger run as well. And I love how he
credited the guys who helped him get back, the coaching
staff in the minor league level, the athletic training staff
at the minor league and major league level, and of
course Mark pryor Connor McGinnis at the major league level,
helping him get back to his form, get his mechanics back.
And I'm blown away. And at this point I'm at

(26:13):
a loss for words really to see what rookie Susaki
has turned into, because I remember what he looked like
in spring training. Now, I remember the hype, and I
remember the disappointment, I guess, and seeing him go on
the injured list and the velocity ticked down, and it
was just frustrating to see him not be a part
of this team for a majority of the regular season

(26:33):
and to come back like RoboCop two point zero, a
different guy. It's truly remarkable. I'm trying to think of
other examples we've seen in a baseball season of a
guy looking one way to start the season and looking
completely different in in a new role at the end
of the season in postseason.

Speaker 6 (26:48):
You just don't see it.

Speaker 7 (26:49):
And before that, all the expectations that were, you know,
that preceded him coming here, right, So, so, Tim is
was this a shoulder injury or an elbow injury?

Speaker 5 (27:01):
It was a shoulder for yeah, rookie, much.

Speaker 7 (27:03):
Much more difficult and complex than than an elbow, no
question about it. Shoulder injury is a lot more dangerous,
a lot more tenuous, and trying to, you know, figure
out what's wrong in there.

Speaker 8 (27:15):
It's just a lot harder.

Speaker 7 (27:16):
But for him to come back, and that's why he
was out so long, for him to come back and
figure it out, get back to where he was before,
and be happy with with where he is, because sometimes
when you come back from these injuries like this, you're
just not satisfied with it. It's just not you feel
like you're just not yourself still for quite a while.
But it seems that he's regained all that back in
his confidence to boot and his stuff's electric. Man, He

(27:40):
just he just he just freezes people in the batter's box.
He's he's got an extremely uncomfortable at bat to to
face this guy, and you can see it all over
the body language with the hitters.

Speaker 8 (27:51):
They don't react to his pitch as well at all.

Speaker 5 (27:54):
It was eight stars and then a stint on the
injured list for the rest of the season for the
most part, finally coming off the eye well the last
week and a half in September, but it was right
shoulder impingement that put him on the injured list, and
we mentioned it a couple weeks, like a week ago
when we were talking about him. I remember his start
to start the season and Rick Monday alluded to it

(28:14):
that he kept looking back at the radar gun on
the jumbo tron and looking to see how his velocity
was and after every pitch kept looking back.

Speaker 6 (28:22):
He kept looking.

Speaker 5 (28:23):
It seemed like he was more worried about that than anything.
And that's the guy who can throw one hundred miles
an hour, and you got the feeling he's looking back
and wondering, where is it? Well, why am I not
throwing a hundred? Why is it saying ninety six? Why
is it saying ninety four? I'm one hundred miles an hour? Yeah, Pitcher,
it wasn't there.

Speaker 3 (28:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (28:42):
Yeah, that's his barometer. He knows if he's hitting a
hundred that things are where they should be. And there's
going to be a point in time, not for an
awful long time, but a point in time where that's
going to come off one hundred and the norm is
going to be you know ninety five, asked Clayton Kershaw
and all the other guys that have gone through it.
It's the normal evolution of a pitching arm. But right now,

(29:03):
at twenty three years old, I believe he does have
to worry about that and he can't expect a hundred.
Maybe a little more sometimes, but he can go get
a hundred when he needs it, and that splitter to
go with it. You got up in the zone. Down
on the zone, watchout hitters. He's he's healthy, and he's scary.

Speaker 5 (29:19):
David Masse is going to join us in just a
little bit on his birthday, by the way, so y'all
make sure we wish him a happy birthday. Seth in
Long Beach is next up here on Saxon Kate to
the AM while you're home with the Dodgers, am FI seventy.

Speaker 6 (29:30):
How you doing, Seth?

Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (29:33):
Doing good. Thanks boys. Hey, it's the best time of year.
One of the reasons is because I get to have
my morning commune with you two. So thanks for what
you do. Dat up early Sacksy. I'm an eighties kid
and you're always You're always part of part of my October,
So thanks so much. I have a two part question.

(29:54):
One do you see Immachien coming out of the pen
continuing in the next series, or do you think Davi
so have him the spot spot starter there. It seems
like he gets stronger the longer he goes. And the
second part is any word on Kek's ankle.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
He looked, he looked.

Speaker 13 (30:10):
Tender, and you know without his quality at bats, you know,
Pies doesn't even get up yesterday.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
So thanks again, guys.

Speaker 5 (30:17):
All right, Seth, thank you for the nice words. Imma,
she and I no doubt we will believe he'll be
in the bullpen for the NLCS now the way it
lines up here, and just to kind of give you
everybody a look at the schedule. Game one is Monday,
Game two is Tuesday, day off on Wednesday, then they
play Thursday, Friday, Saturday, three four five, so three days

(30:42):
in a row. So you play two games, day off,
three games in a row. And then if he needs
to go back to Dodger Stadium or back to Milwaukee,
whoever's got home field, it will be a day off
on Sunday the nineteenth, and then back for game six
in whatever city that's going back to. So it's a
two three form it and they'll have a day off
for travel in between games two and three and in

(31:05):
between Game five and six. So that's how it stacks
up as far as the days off for concerns. So
the Dodgers, I'm sure are already game planning if it's at.

Speaker 6 (31:14):
Home at that the road. Who's going to be the
game one starter?

Speaker 3 (31:18):
Now?

Speaker 5 (31:18):
Is Shoeotani maybe going to be the game to starter
on even more extended rest because he can pitch on Tuesday,
Steve and then have the day off on Wednesday like
he did throughout the second half of the season. That
built in day off that the Dodgers usually had on
Thursdays when he would pitch on Wednesdays. I know it's
a lot of days were thrown out, but my point
is the day off after Game two could be the

(31:39):
factor for him going in Game two and having Blake
Snell go in Game one on Monday night.

Speaker 8 (31:45):
Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 7 (31:46):
And so the Dodgers have choices and they're going to
have these guys at their top, So no worry's there.
The schedule is a blessing for them, and it's just
figuring out who they're going to play now. I don't
think they really care that much who they play. Either way,
it is what it is, but sure having home field
advantage would be would be most appealing to them since

(32:09):
they were, you know, a better team, uh this year
at home. But it's gonna be what it is, and uh,
you know they'll attack it no matter what.

Speaker 5 (32:17):
Dodgers during the regular season. Something to keep in mind.
Winless against the Milwaukee Brewers and they're head to head
matchups this season. Let's weak in another call Alex joins
us next year on I seventy.

Speaker 6 (32:28):
L A Sports, I do an Alex.

Speaker 11 (32:31):
Hey, what's up, guys, Good morning morning, Thanks again. It's October. Uh,
shout out my daughter first, real quick, it's her birthday today,
Trin's Day, Happy birthday.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
I got her.

Speaker 11 (32:44):
I got her at NLCS Dodgers birth for her birthday,
so she's welcome. Check it out, guys. I wanted to
talk about it again. We we talked about it last week.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
I don't know if you remember.

Speaker 11 (32:56):
I called in.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
They let my boy off the leash.

Speaker 11 (33:00):
They let ropie off the leash, dude, and look what happened.
Let him go, let the adrenaline pump and and I
feel like, uh, you know when that happens and you
let them navigate just like he did. I think good
things are gonna come from that. And uh, same thing
with she Han Man, you know, whenever he had the hiccup,
but his first outing against the Phillies, when when he

(33:23):
stepped up to the plate the first time, I think
the good outweighs the bad for sure, and yeah, man,
crazy Win. Uh it was a nail bier. I'm not
gonna lie. I'm I'm I'm like, yeah, I'm stressing kind
of too much, but no doubt, but no, man, overall
good Win and hey, dude, the Phillies brought it. And
I really expected nothing less because I grew up. Uh,

(33:46):
I'm thirty four, and man, the Phillies have always kicked
our but dude from the Chase Sutley days, you know,
and I just feel like we're spoiled to have this
Dodger team right now. My daughter's always like, oh Dad,
this Dad. I'm like, baby, it wasn't always a it
wasn't all always ice cream and rainbows over here. I
had to deal with a lot of stuff. So so,
you know, super grateful. I'm glad of my boy Rokies

(34:08):
going and again, guys, thank you. Let's enjoy this weekend,
and like you guys said, let's watch the game and
let's see who who the Boys and Blue are gonna face. Yep,
it's a team effort over here. And then even though
people have been struggling, Hey, it's behind us. Everybody needs
to step up. There's no I in team.

Speaker 5 (34:28):
So you know, all right, Alex, appreciate it, man, let's
go great to hear from you. Yeah, yeah, it's a
it's a new series for show. Hey, o Tani, it's
a new series for Freddie Freeman. They're not gonna see
these devastating left handers like they just saw from the
Philadelphia Philies. But coming back real quick to what he
said about Rokie Sasaki and unleashing Sasaki and let him
do his thing, there was a trust issue there. I

(34:51):
have to believe from Dave Roberts to Sasaki in his mind. Okay,
I know what he was. I know what we think
we have now in this Superstar Reliever. We saw it
a couple of times at the end of the regular season.
I still feel like Dave Roberts wanted to see it
before he believed it. Wiz Rookie Sasaki. Now, yesterday three
innings shut out baseball. There's no doubt now. I mean

(35:15):
if there was a little bit of like, okay, when
is Cinderella gonna turn back into her? And when is
that Carriag's going to turn back into a pumpkin sort
of thing for Sasaki, those kind of questions and doubts
are done with Sasaki.

Speaker 7 (35:29):
Yes, and and the Dodgers are in a phenomenal position
right now, not only because they disposed of two really
good teams, but look at the way things are trending
right now. Question of marks that you just put out
to him about Sasaki, in this one person that's been
so instrumental in the victories, he's got a lot probably
that he feels that he wants to prove. He's very,

(35:52):
very hungry after being you know, out of the game
for so long, and now he's really stepping it up
huge time because he wants to prove and he's very
hungry right now. A lot can be said in the
same manner on maybe a smaller scale, uh with uh,
with Shoheyo Tani, and you know, the top of that
order hasn't been exactly you know, uh, you know, as

(36:16):
good as they were throughout the season, So they in
a sense have a lot to prove. They want to
get after it big time and and this is kind
of like a renewment for them with this new series.
They want to go out there and show what they
can do. And that's what Sasaki's feeling in a bigger sense.
And the top of this order is feeling it too.
No home one home run in four games. That's not

(36:37):
the that's not the way this team mashes. So they're
going to go out there and get after it. I mean,
I think the Dodgers are in a really good position
internally with this team as far as how hungry they are,
and that's uh, that can be a great.

Speaker 8 (36:50):
Thing for them.

Speaker 6 (36:50):
We'll come back.

Speaker 5 (36:51):
We'll talk to David vad Say when we come back.
We'll also hear from Dave Roberts coming up at the
top of the hour. Your phone calls as well. Eight
sixty six, nine eighty seven, two fives. The Dodgers winning
eleven innings last night. They eliminate the Phillies. Now it's
onto the NLCS to await the winner of the Brewers
and the Cubs, who will play Game five in their
DS series tomorrow night in Milwaukee. Your phone calls coming up,

(37:13):
David vas Next, the birthday Boy joins us here on
Anti seventy l I Sports, Saxon and Kates in the
am Ni seventy LA Sports. You're a home of the

(37:34):
Dodgers who are advancing to yet another NLCS. They await
the winner of the Brewers and the Cubs, who will
wrap up their series in the NLDS tomorrow in Milwaukee
with a Game five. Winner moves on, loser goes home.
Dodgers are moving on, Phillies are going home. And what
was a wild game at a Dodger stadium yesterday? It

(37:54):
ended in eleven innings on a misfire from Ryan Kirkering
there in the eleventh thinning, Dodgers get the win, they
move on, and what a celebration it was after the game.
And you heard it all right here on a five
seventy LA Sports with the one and only birthday boy himself,
David vas A.

Speaker 6 (38:12):
Dave, Happy birthday, my friend.

Speaker 3 (38:15):
Oh, thank you, Sam, I appreciate it. It was a
great birthday gift from the Dodgers, not only to advance
to the NLCS, but to allow me to enjoy it
with my family as much as I can.

Speaker 5 (38:28):
Yeah, no doubt you get to stay home. You don't
have to go back to Philadelphia. You get a couple
of days now to kind of exhale, and as the
Dodgers do as well. And I brought it up earlier, David,
I think right now this is a good forty eight
hour window for the Dodgers to wait to see who
they find out they're going to play in the next round,
but also kind of decompress, kind of get reset, if

(38:48):
you will, for the NLCS, guys like Shoe Otani, Freddie Freeman,
this pitching staff, maybe just to get mentally and physically
right after this grueling series with the Phillies.

Speaker 3 (39:00):
Well, Dave Roberts would disagree with you, Tim, because his
message after the last two celebrations has been don't lose
your edge. He doesn't want them to decompress. He doesn't
want them to reset, and that's the mindset of the
team after they beat the Reds. That was the mindset

(39:20):
of the Dodgers after they clinched the division, and that
was the message from Dave Roberts. You go back to
listen to what he said. He said, I need it.
I asked you for four weeks, don't lose your edge.
So maybe Tim Kates would be at Don Kucko's every
night in between rounds, but that's not what Dave Roberts wants.

Speaker 7 (39:39):
Wow, Wow, that's okay, I'll be there, David. How many
Happy birthday, David?

Speaker 3 (39:47):
Oh hey, thank you Steve Sachs. You gave me a
great birthday president in nineteen eighty eight.

Speaker 8 (39:54):
All right, buddy, thank you. Now how many is it, Dave?

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Just so we all know, one shy the big five?
Oh sack?

Speaker 7 (40:00):
Okay, hey, hey, no big deal, don't worry about five. Oh,
it's just a number, brother, doesn't mean a darn thing.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
Look at you, you're a studge. Still look at this.

Speaker 6 (40:08):
Come on, and I'm one hundred and four of those.

Speaker 3 (40:11):
Plain believes I'm five years younger than Petros when it's
the other way around, Dave.

Speaker 7 (40:17):
This team, you know, this team was out of sorts.
It seems not really out of sorts, but they found
ways to win. They scratch out two runs to get
this victory. They hit one homer in four games. This
team slugs, but still they got They got rid of
a team that is really really formidable here, and they

(40:38):
did it in four games. I mean, I think the
Dodgers have to be elated where they are right now.
Wait till they get back to some sense of normalcy
and start slugging. I mean, it's like nobody has seen
anything yet and yet here they are. They're going to
the NLCS.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
Without a doubt, Steve, and that's what the message was
from all the players yesterday. They're talented, Yes, they have
a great group of hitters, but this was a pitching series.
Freddie Freeman said it to me. It was a pitching series,
and the Dodgers pitchers outpitched the Phillies in this series
to be able to have the opportunity to force a

(41:17):
mistake like that from Oriyan Keckering in the eleventh inning.
And everybody was praising Tyler Glassnow and Roki Sasaki because
let's be honest, it's been a not smooth ride for
Tyler Glassnow since he joined the Dodgers, but all of
a sudden, he has found something since he returned from

(41:38):
the injured list this season. And you have to give
Dave Roberts a lot of credit because he's been in
his ear and he's been very upfront with him that
he needed more compete out of him. And I feel
like glassnew saw what was going on with the other pitchers,
and in particular Clayton Kershaw, who at this stage of
his career still competes even though his body doesn't feel

(42:01):
the best, but goes out there and has a ten
win season. Don't discount that fact as far as the
impression it has left with some of these younger guys
on the staff. And I feel like Tyler Glass now
and Roki Susaki may have been the two most doubted
pitchers coming into the postseason, and it's baseball to see

(42:25):
them be able to be two of the biggest reasons
why they won last night.

Speaker 5 (42:30):
Now, the pitching was really good, no doubt the left
handers for the Phillies this series. Freddie Freeman told you
that post game he was so glad to be done
with these guys and moving on for show. Hey, Otani,
the struggle was real in this NLDS. How concerned are
you about it continuing maybe in the NLCS and whether
it's the brewers of the Cubs.

Speaker 3 (42:50):
Not concerned at all, because, like we talk about, styles
make fights, and the Phillies had not only really good
left handers they were throwing at Otani and the Dodgers,
but also I saw something that you know, MLB Network
sends out a research package that I'm able to see,

(43:11):
and they pointed out that not only were these Phillies
pitchers really good, but their arm angle was not over
the top. And O'tani does much better against lefties that
throw over the top. If you look at all the
Phillies lefties like Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, jezus Lozardo, they
come a little bit three quarters and he just doesn't

(43:33):
pick up the ball well. He has a history of
not doing well against those pictures and against pitchers similar
to that arm slot. So he's going to see completely
different pictures, a lot more right handed pitchers, and he's
the best player on the planet. I don't expect him
to be held down offensively like he was in this

(43:55):
series by those guys.

Speaker 8 (43:57):
Yeah, David and Andy Payez.

Speaker 7 (44:00):
You know, even though he's hitting nine, he came up
in this series in some crucial points of the game.
It looks to me like he's he's at every pitch
out of the Ballyard. You having home runs during the year,
great arm in the outfield. I think it's just a
matter of him relaxing and have a little bit of

(44:21):
success and then the game will come to him. But
I think he's trying to force it and hit everything
out of the park. Right now, What do you see there, Steve?

Speaker 3 (44:30):
I agree with you one hundred percent. He was trying
to do way too much in this series, and at
times they cost the Dodgers, not only offensively with some
poor at back qualities, but also in the outfield. You
think back to Game three, a bad throw instead of
just getting it to the cutoff man and maybe even
just going to second base to keep the double play

(44:52):
in order. You think about the game in Game two
in Philadelphia where he was moved to right field and
was so int on trying to throw out Nick Castiano
said second base that he allowed the ball to get
by him and sorry, that was Max Kepler in Philadelphia
where he was trying to throw him out and he

(45:13):
ended up at third base. So all of those things
was a product of Andy pater Has trying to do
too much, trying to throw out runners, trying to hit
a home run. But as you know, I'm sure you've
seen this with some of the big boys or just
guys that are having big swings are in a slump
when you have something happened like last night, where you

(45:33):
hit a dribbler to the pitcher and the game ends
and you're moving to the NLCS just by making contact.
Sometimes that changes getting out of a slump. And I'm
not saying it happens every time where the series ends
that way, but just in the regular season, you hit
a little tapper and somehow, some way you beat out

(45:54):
an infield ground ball, and then all of a sudden
you're back to yourself. Hopefully that happens for Andy Potts.

Speaker 5 (46:00):
Dave, great job last night in the clubhouse post game,
on the field as well, talking to all the different
Dodger players in the celebration as the Dodgers celebrate yet
again inside that Dodger Batty and Cage, and they hope
to do it a couple more times after beating the
Phillies last night in this divisional round. Enjoy your birthday
today and we'll talk to you on Monday. Whoever the
Dodgers may play, wherever you may be, it's gonna be

(46:22):
Game one on Monday night, either at Dodger Stadium or
in Milwaukee. So enjoyed, Dave, Thanks for coming on this morning, Dave.

Speaker 8 (46:28):
Happy birthday, guys.

Speaker 3 (46:29):
Thanks a lot, have a great weekend. It'll be a
sunny day in Philadelphia always Sonny in La and sad
and gloomy in Philly right now, right believe though, I.

Speaker 8 (46:39):
Was gonna tell you you're not going to Philly, just
like you said.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
Hey, I told you I'm not packing Sacks. I still
got the Saint Para underwear on from yesterday.

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (46:48):
Okay, all right, day, thanks buddy, have a great day,
Thanks Dave.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
All right, guys, there he goes the.

Speaker 5 (46:54):
One and only birthday boy himself, David fast Save one
hour ago.

Speaker 8 (47:00):
As are finally playing it.

Speaker 6 (47:01):
We know you love the beat a little base though.

Speaker 8 (47:03):
I like to go when it goes down, and like
to go.

Speaker 6 (47:07):
He has Steve Sachs.

Speaker 5 (47:09):
I have Tim Kats one hour to go here on
Saxon Kate to the am Data celebrate yet another Dodger
chance to move on to the NLCS as they beat
the Phillies last night in dramatic walk off fashion with
a two to one win and eleven Indians coming up
your phone calls, we'll hear from John Hartong as well.
He's Steve Sacks. I'm Tim Kates. Thanks for being with

(47:30):
us on this Friday morning. Here in southern California on
MFI seventy LA Sports