High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Bryce Is Back; Magic Number Is 4

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

Jack Fritz reacts to Zack Wheeler's dominance, Bryce Harper's latest home run and everything else in the Phillies win over the Brewers on Tuesday night. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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programs purpose-built for you. Visit continue.yorku.ca One he swings and it's a roller to second charging start He gloves it flips the first the ball games over in the Phillies are one win away From clenching the spot in the postseason as they beat the Brewers tonight in Milwaukee five one the final Welcome on in it is the final out sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Tuesday night as we react. The Phil's just putting together professional effort out in Milwaukee tonight. And I gotta be honest, like, just get me to the post season. Just get me to the post season.

I'm ready for red October. They're right there. I think they can feel it. I think we all can feel it. After last night's Eagles game, I think we all needed. The Phillies did not bring us down even further, and they stepped up and they did a job. But man, I just could not be more ready for October to start like they they've a hundred percent ride the ship

Playing pretty good baseball will get into it all but but I think we're starting to feel it They were it's getting a little chilly outside. It's not like Discrutieatingly hot it's time. It's time to start. it's time to get in the bank and Listen, they are now three games If you like if you want to be technical about it, there's two games up on the Dodgers But with a tiebreaker, they are three games up on them They are now while they won a tiebreaker now over the Brewers So they're even further up on them. They're in a pretty

damn good spot to at least get the one or two seed. The magic number to clinch the NL East is four. Like Scott said, their magic number just to clinch a playoff berth is one. I like that they're already planning for a little champagne toast. Tomorrow's not the night where, or whenever they do clinch the postseason berth, that's not the night to go crazy. We know that when they win the division, it's gonna be a different party, and winning the division's gonna matter.

Like, it's pretty cool. Like, it's obviously when expectations happen and expectations get risen, it feels like you can't appreciate these kind of things, but we're looking at a Phillies team that might end the regular season with the most wins in baseball, the most, uh, the number one seed in the national league and winning a division title for the first time since, since 2011. So it's been a really,

really good year, even with the, the six week power outage in the middle of it's been a, it's been a really, really good baseball season. Obviously, we hope it ends in a World Series title, but I hope that doesn't take away, if they don't, from what has been a really, really good regular season. The game wrap-up sponsored by Crevitz, providing professional CNC machine cleaning services, waste, coolant, removal, and scrap metal systems, designing our efficiency and lights out manufacturing,

Crevits.Online, 215-592-9494 to get in. If you're in Milwaukee, we'd love to hear from you. The Brewers have a chance to win the National League Central tonight. It was like 20,000 people there. I mean, come on, come on Milwaukee. You get a little full of yourself We've made a playoffs five out of six years and no one's there to celebrate and that's that's pretty disappointing Well, obviously if you you sat on your couch like I did and enjoy this one would love to hear from you

Two one five five nine two Ninety four ninety four, but let's get to the biggest takeaways the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan Ninety four ninety four, but let's get to the biggest takeaways the game brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest Injury law firm and I kind of talked about it there, but they just look poised like They just look ready and they're playing Really high level baseball heading into the stretch run here and heading into October Playing a little bit of small ball that they're hitting some home runs Which is which is important. I know that there's been this Insane narrative that has been talked about on on these airwaves and I'm sure with your buddies

Hey, all they do is just live and die by the home run You have to be able to hit the ball of the ballpark. Like I agree I don't want all swing and try to launch and that kind of stuff but you have to be able to do it and Castellanos goes yard good to see. It's gonna be interesting when Bohm gets a little bit more healthy does he go back to the forespot or do they stick with Nick Castellanos? Castellanos has obviously been a really consistent player now for going on two months. He was in the four hole when Bohm went out. It wasn't that great. Like he was he didn't fall off a cliff but it also wasn't like he got in the four spot

and and really thrived but you know they signed him for that spot and I'll be curious when Boam Maybe gets a little bit more games under his belt. He did not play tonight He was it was in Mundo Sosa had a good night He was able to get a big hit late and score a run and played good good defense at third base But I wonder if they ride Castellanos in that spot Move Boam down to five even though Boam again was on you know He's got the most

doubles or tie for the most doubles in the National League. It's been a, it's been a really good Alec Bum season, but that's one I think we're going to monitor as we head down the stretch run here. And then Bryce obviously getting his, his power back is important. That's two home runs on Saturday at the home run tonight. He's not wincing after swings and misses. That's big stuff. Him not wincing and giving us all panic attack every single time he swung and missed is huge. So the big home run tonight had a couple hits yesterday. Good stuff from Bryce

Harper and Zach Wheeler. Let's get into it. The pitch count tonight, sponsored by the Plumbers Union Local 690, protecting the health of the nation. Visit plumbers690.org. 99 pitches for Zach Wheeler tonight, and he was brilliant. He has been in such a good rhythm here. I wanna say it started really against the Nationals

like a couple weeks ago. His last four starts, he's just been dominant, just dominant. Heading into the stretch run and wanting to be at his best and getting the kind of feel of October, we're starting to see what he has looked like the last couple of october's and he is just such a treat to watch listen, I I'm sure people who are listening right now older than me, I know you'll bring up Carlton and Look, the Phillies have been blessed with a lot of good pitchers

I'm talking about shilling and I'll see you get into the Hamels and Doc and Cliff, Zach Wheeler is just right there with those guys. I mean, he is, he's just dominant. I mean, almost every single night, he is putting forth a really solid effort at a minimum. I mean, at a minimum. And I just, you try not to take for granted how a great, great player and a great, great pitcher

in their prime, he is so good. Like, he is so good. Fastball looks like as the season is progressing here, getting the velocity up, he's up to 97 tonight. Of majority of the season he's been 95 to 96. Good to see as the games are getting more and more important, Zach Wheeler also lifting his game another level. But they just look locked in but they just look locked in.

They just look locked in. Zach Wheeler looked locked in. I know the offense struck out like 16 times, feels like a lot of strikeouts, but in watching it, a lot of it came early. I thought late, they put together better at bats. They added some insurance runs. Every baseball game's not gonna be perfect,

but for like a majority of that game tonight, really good baseball by the Fells. Starting pitching, bullpen, hit some home runs, got some insurance runs, all that, and the one negative is the 16 strikeouts. You don't wanna see that many strikeouts at all, but there's a lot of good tonight and It's it started with Zach Wheeler who was just brilliant to a five five nine two ninety four ninety four cash Meera leads us off tonight. How you feeling buddy? Oh

Well, I feel great actually after the last two nights. I Know we got Phil's loss in a disappointing Eagles game. Oh no no I'm actually a Falcons fan so I was enjoying last night quite a bit. It's unbelievable okay well this is a good night for you Cashmere. Oh it was a great night great night. So about the Phillies man sorry about the Eagles I'm sorry about that but I so about the Phillies, man, sorry about the Eagles, I'm sorry about that, but so about the Phillies, man, I do want to ask you, Jack, is Zach Wheeler, I mean, and Ruben Amaro was actually talking about this in the post game live and he said, he goes, there is not one

other pitcher on the planet today that I want starting a game that I need to win and in a do or die game that I need to win and in a do or die game that I need to win, there is not one pitcher that I want more than Zach Wheeler. Yeah. And it's just like, it just reminds me, it's like that guy we have. And it's like, yes, I know we had Ranger pitching last year in game seven,

but it makes me wonder that if we had Zach Wheeler pitching game seven against the Arizona Diamondbacks, do we win that game? Even if we do score two runs because with how good he is, I mean, just because like, at least the boys know that, Hey, all right, we got Zach Wheeler on the mound. We don't have to put up five, six, seven runs today to win. You know what I mean? Like we can, we can actually just, you know, just do our job and not press as don't have to put up five, six, seven runs today to win. You know what I mean?

Like we can actually just, you know, just do our job and not press as much. Yeah. That's the best thing is like knowing that in a game one situation, you're gonna have to go through Philadelphia to get to the post, you know, to get to the World Series, but also you're gonna have to beat Zach Wheeler or Christopher Sanchez

or Aaron Nola twice. Yeah. Well, that's the advantage they've had. They have had, I mean, their starting staff has been really, really good this year. And when you have to face Wheeler and you have to face, it makes it that much tougher. And listen, Ranger was not great last night. There's no sugar coating it. But we also know that he's been a really money postseason pitcher over the last couple years even when he has Struggled in the in the at the end of regular seasons

But I mean the the starting staff is definitely the thing that I think we all feel the most Confident in heading into the bowl season Although I will say that the bullpen is creeping up there the bullpen's got some good things going as well I mean the offense offense is the one thing that I don't think we have any idea what we're gonna get. Yeah, I mean, Strom, Hoffman, Kirkering, and even Ruiz and- Ruiz is a monster.

Ruiz and Estevez and Kirkering. Kirkering. And even Alvarado's getting better too. It's like, we're starting to see 2022 Jose Alvarado. It's like you see that bullpen now you're like, there's like five, six guys back there that you can legitimately trust in a big time situation. That's tremendous.

I do wanna ask you this real quick before I hang up. And I mean, I know like, you know, Rangers, you know, been there, done that, but do you see any chance that he starts at game three over? Sanchez or a Nola? No, I don't think so at this point. It's Chris Sanchez has pitched too well They gave him a contract extension. It's not like they don't believe in him last year. He's a bit of an unknown so I get it like Chris Sanchez is just he's in a different stratosphere right now that then Ranger so I

is just he's in a different stratosphere right now than Ranger so I Think Rangers gonna be used for Ranger. Yeah, I think I think I think Rangers gonna be used as a Starter, you know like if they need him in a game for or out of the bullpen like he's gonna be a roving guy Like I think he was in in 22 Thanks cash man appreciate the phone call Zach Wheelereler, though, I mean, Rubin's saying there's no one in baseball he'd rather have than him. I mean, I don't blame him. He has just been nails. I mean, career postseason ERA with the Phils, 2.42 ERA. last year in the postseason 1.95. He's just absolute nails. And the way he pitched tonight,

he started to have that, okay, he's getting ready for the postseason. What a pitcher, 215-592-94-94 on the other side. Some other observations I had from the night, and also the player of the game smooth as always fills when a little bit later here you know with the final out starting but we're gonna move your phone calls on the other side and still react to this fills when on the final out sports radio 94 w yp what does

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anywhere. The two one to Bowers and he swings and lifts it in the air. Shadow right field, stock going out. Castellanos coming on. He'll make the catch and Zach Wheeler every bit the ace looked like it tonight seven strong against the Brewers Welcome back it is the final out sports radio 94 WIP Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Tuesday night The final out is always sponsored by Regency Furniture affordable never looked so good And that is Zach Wheeler's final out of the night.

99 pitches for wheels. And he is our player of the game, sponsored by South Jersey Gas Conserve, helping customers and the community save energy and money. Visit southjerseygas.com slash conserve. And on top of everything that Zach Wheeler's done, all of his going deep into starts and then strikeout numbers and second in the NL and wins it's it's it's a bummer he's probably not gonna win Cy Young I know that Bryce

Harper said after the game he's like that's Cy Young he should be Cy Young and listen I I hope he gets it I really do but Chris Aile has just been like just that much better like barely but these he's been better I think if you compare the resume side by side The thing that stinks is that not that you can take out blow-up starts But if they're not blow-up starts where you don't allow Seven earned or eight earned like he did in three starts. I believe this year His eRA on the season will be in the one sixes

Big France get that stat In the in the broadcast tonight where we take out his three blow-ups, right? That's three in an entire year We're about to be 162 games into this thing if you take out those three his eRA be in the one sixes he's so. He's so good and he's been arguably the best pitcher in the NL the last couple of years and he's been nails in the postseason and it would be a shame if if you kind of look back on this thing and he doesn't end up with a Seiyoung. I mean his year right now is 2.56. I mean, this is the best he's looked as a Philly. And he's been, in 2021, he could have won the Cy Young handily, but they went with Corbin Burns,

even though he threw less innings and all that good stuff. I mean, Phil's got a real horse here. And I feel like, you know, I banged the drum last year saying he deserves to be in the conversations with the Cliffs and the Coles and the Roy Halliday's and he just continues to, to, to build up that resume as, you know, one of the best pictures we've seen here in the, in the last 30 years. It's what it is. He's, he's unbelievable.

And you know, Matt Glenn's act deserves a lot of credit for, for going out and getting that deal done with Zach Wheeler and John Middleton deserves credit for doubling down and and signing him to an extension this offseason They they made him a really really high price picture and he went out there and he's been absolute show of City two one five five nine two 94 94 to get in couple couple other observations to get to 992 94 94 to get in couple couple other observations to get to

Trey starting to heat back up hitting over like 310 in his last seven games More base hits not not a ton of pop but not also just you know, a little slap singles He's hitting the ball hard and I do wonder if when he came back from the injury, if he wasn't fully 100% and the hamstring was still a little bit tight, and now as he's running a little bit more, he's getting more comfortable. He looks fast. He must beat out another routine ground ball early in the game tonight. He looks spryer in the field, too. we've talked a lot about Trey and his defense

and how it feels like when the ball's hit his way, it's a coin flip as to whether or not the play is gonna be completed. In the last seven games, again, it's like smaller sample size, he just looks quicker out there. Like looks more like a natural shortstop. So I'll take it because it beats the alternative of almost covering your eyes

when the ball is hit to the shortstop. So Trey looks a little bit quicker. Heading into the postseason, Schwerber almost hit one out tonight, but he also had an RBI. He's closing in on 100 RBIs in the season. Trey looks quicker. Bryce, Powell looks like it's on its way back

Cassianos continuing to be pretty consistent bone back have to get him back into a rhythm lineup. This is starting to Lengthen a little bit But obviously we know if they're gonna have a parade down Broad Street They're gonna need that top those top guys to to do their part But at least heading into the stretch run they're starting to look like they're rounding into form a little bit the Phillies for the crowd that tells you that all they do is beat up on bad teams they are now 9 and 2 against the Dodgers and Brewers and 23 and 10

versus the other five National League playoff teams, so they've been playing pretty good against a lot of good teams as well as beating up on some bad teams, but ultimately have to take care of teams that are in front of you and You know, it's interesting you look at the National League. It's just They're in a really good spot It would be really disappointing if they don't come out of this with one of the top two seeds. A lot of the other teams in the National League, you know, I've obviously been, if you listen to me, if you listen to Hi Hopes, to me and Salter, fearful of the Diamondbacks.

They're starting to falter a little bit here. I mean, they are a half game out and they could lose tonight so they could be tied with that last wild card spot with the with the Mets and the Braves now they had two games behind the Mets so they'd be two games behind the Mets and Diamondbacks. Diamondbacks probably get in but you know four and six in their last ten they're not exactly peaking you know they they got hot there in the middle of the summer and carried that over. But you wonder if they are having a little bit of a peaking

too early allegations going on out there. Padres are a damn good baseball team. Again, it's a really good league this year. You can see all seven. You know, even the Braves, probably not. But a lot of these teams are going to be players in October, so Affiliate continue to take care of business playing good ball, but definitely not last year's

National League and the final thing here before we go to the phones is You know, you talk about the rounding out the bench trying to find the bench well Austin A's according to Rob Thompson is gonna be activated for the Mets series and This last week and a half I mean it feels like that Last the righty bench spot off the already bad off the bench spot It's gonna come down to Weston Wilson or Austin Hayes and I I think Austin Hayes is is fighting for a playoff spot

I know they traded for him. I know that Dave Dombrowski said when they traded for him that they're going to give him runaway and he's a starting left fielder. Given the kidney thing, Rob Thompson said he lost a good amount of weight and strength, so I have no idea what he's going to look like. And Weston Wilson has done a really good job.

I think Cody Clemson is going to make it, but that Weston Wilson, Austin Hayes, who do they trust more versus a tough lefty to come up in a pinch hitting spot? Even tonight, it was, I think you started to see maybe a glimpse into what this could look like in the postseason. I don't think I'd be surprised if Cal Stevenson made the postseason roster,

but you got a situation there where you could get Weston Wilson off the bench in an avat-adventages spot for you and then you can go to Rojas late you can also do that Rojas start and if you want to get Weston Wilson in there for a big at bat you could put March in center field like there's a there is a the makings of some good platoon options that I just don't think that they had in their arsenal in the playoffs last year.

Charlie's in Sal, Sal Berry? What's happening Charlie? Hey, good evening. What's going on? Yeah, great for the fills. Loving it, loving it all the way through. All good on that. 215592, 94.94. On the other side, we'll take a look ahead to tomorrow

plus get to the play of the game. All coming up on the final out on sports radio 94 WIP. What's better than watching your team win? Winning money while you do it. I'm Jim Costa and I cashed the ticket. Mike Valetti and I give you the edge to make every game playable. College football, NFL, we're breaking it all down game by game. Your podcast feed is going to be filled and you're going to love it. You can click on the games you care about. We do it all. With our analysis, we're finding games that other people aren't talking about.

We're turning every Saturday and every Sunday into days when you got a chance to win. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Cash the ticket with us. Follow Cash the Ticket in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And the right-hander deals and the pitch hit high in the air deep left center field. Mitchell going over to the track nearing the wall. He's out of room. It's into the Brewer bullpen and Bryce Harper with a two-run home run to give the Phillies the lead here in the sixth. There's our play of the game sponsored by Mike's amazing the official official mayo and Mustard of the Phillies Bryce Harper goes yard

Homer twice on Saturday Homer tonight power on its way back not wincing after every swing and miss October around the corner. I don't know sounds like a Right time to get Bryce Harper going welcome on back It is the final out sponsored by a Regency furniture affordable never looked so good Bryce Harper going yard there and he said after the game, you know the He like threw his bat I guess the broadcast didn't think that he thought that he got it and he was actually saying that now he's actually so excited Because he'd never hit a home run off of Montaz before that he thought that he got it and he was actually saying that now he's actually so excited because he'd never hit a home run off of Montaz before

that he slammed his bat like that. I thought he thought that he didn't get it too. So yeah it was an interesting reaction from Bryce but either way two hits last night home run tonight things average the last like 20 games is above 400. I mean he's even without even without the power. He has done a really good job adjusting back and Again with with Wheeler pitching the way he is Turner Schwaber Harper like bullpen rounding in the form Chris Sanchez continuing to shove Aaron Nola big start tomorrow So Noles on the mound

versus Freddie Peralta tomorrow. Freddy Peralta last six stars 2.25 ERA, bid up and down has great stuff high strikeout numbers given the way that Phil's swung the bats tonight at least strikeout wise could be another kind of one of those efforts but it's an important start for Aaron Nola probably has one more before, two for before the end of the season But you know you look at last year's September He was like this until this point of the season and then his last couple starts before the postseason He really you know locked in and and and figured it out. Well, you know

I think I think he would ease some tension if he goes out and shoves tomorrow. The Brewers team, speaking of, you know, national league teams that they might face in the postseason, I don't think this is, you know, the last couple years Brewers teams where they were kind of on fraud watch because they had no offensive talent. I mean, Julio Domas is a, is a 30 30 plus, 100 RBI shortstop. William Contreras is a really good hitting catcher, National League All-Star. Reese hasn't been great, but Reese is over there. Jackson Chorio is 20 and just had a 2020 season. They have some, they have much more offensive talent than they've had in the last couple years.

So, are they ripping the cover off the baseball? No, but that's a good Brewers team and you know the Phils should be proud of the way they played tonight and obviously having Zach Wheeler on your side goes a long way towards helping you win ballgames. But, Arenla on the mound tomorrow versus Freddie Peralta game starts 740 I will have you for leading off and the final out is hopefully the Phils can clinch a postseason berth we're getting close use it to start like ASAP cannot wait for red October back at CBP gonna be a lot of fun Phils playing good baseball just He's playing professional baseball.

That's all you can ask for. Jody Mack is coming up next. Francisco Rojas produced the final out tonight. Talk to you tomorrow here on Sports Radio 94 WIBA.