Latest / The Craig Way Show / Gene Watson's MLB World Series Predictions

Transcript

Gene Watson's MLB World Series Predictions · The Craig Way Show

0:00
Speaker 1: Joining us on the hotline, as he joins us each
0:02
week to talk Major League Baseball, now Playoff Baseball to
0:05
discuss is r MLB insider. That is the one and
0:10
only Gene Watson, who's just kind of cruising the highways
0:13
and byways of our fair state.
0:15
Speaker 2: How are you, GENA good afternoon, Craig.
0:18
Speaker 3: How are you?
0:19
Speaker 1: We're great, great, doing well. I always want to get
0:25
you on before the playoffs start and get your predictions. Now,
0:31
having said that one game is near nearly completed, but
0:35
I got a feeling it doesn't affect what you thought the.
0:39
Speaker 2: Way the series comes out. Now.
0:40
Speaker 1: I know aj Hinch is a friend of yours, and
0:42
I also know that you feel really good about the Tigers.
0:45
But from what I've heard you talk about the Astros
0:48
this year, it would be difficult for me to believe
0:51
that you were going to pick against the Astros.
0:54
Speaker 2: Am I wrong about that?
0:56
Speaker 4: No? You know I've said you know throughout the week
1:00
that anytime you've gone to seventh straight American League Championship
1:04
Series until somebody comes in and knocks.
1:07
Speaker 3: You out, you are king of the heel.
1:09
Speaker 4: Now, I will tell you I have a little bit
1:12
of concern about this series coming into it, because these
1:16
Tigers remind me of the Three Marlins and also the
1:20
fourteen Royals.
1:22
Speaker 3: Just youth and energy.
1:24
Speaker 4: And when you get a team like that that they
1:27
don't know what they don't know, that can be very dangerous.
1:30
And if they win this game and you've got Reese
1:33
Olsen for Game two, and you've got Jackson job who
1:37
stretched out waiting in the bullpen, the advantage swings heavily
1:42
to the Tigers, and that would be an enormous upset,
1:46
upset in the first round.
1:47
Speaker 3: Of the playoffs.
1:47
Speaker 1: Would it be safe to say for Tigers fans, really,
1:51
even for cautious Astro fans, that if there was one
1:55
that you absolutely thought the Tigers might get, it would
1:58
be Game one. Because of Scooball and how he's been
2:00
and win in the Triple Crown of pitching this year.
2:03
I mean, the numbers say he was the best starting
2:05
pitcher in all of baseball this year.
2:08
Speaker 3: No question, no question.
2:09
Speaker 4: I just think that people probably felt like, as good
2:13
as he's been, the Astros are incredibly difficult to beat
2:17
in that ballpark.
2:18
Speaker 3: And you know, I was texting with aj this morning.
2:20
Speaker 4: I woke up to a text from him and we
2:23
texted back and forth, and the one thing that I
2:25
said to him is if anybody can prepare a team
2:28
to win in that ballpark, it's you, and he has
2:31
done that to this point today.
2:33
Speaker 2: Well.
2:33
Speaker 1: And then the other thing that was we found this
2:36
out yesterday or last night, that then the Astros made
2:41
the decision that Verlander was not going to be available
2:44
for this series and that really slotting in was going
2:49
to be your Don Alvarez. And so we saw Alvarez pitch,
2:54
but he gave up three consecutive two out base hits
2:57
in a three run inning that to this point he
3:00
stood now having said that they've just got a lead
3:04
off double from Rvaldez, I said Jordon Alvarez because I
3:09
was watching him at the plate. But from her Valdez
3:11
came in and gave up Paul that Jordon Alvarez has
3:13
just had.
3:13
Speaker 2: A leadoff, oppose field double in the bottom of the night.
3:16
Speaker 1: So it's still three to nothing, but Alvarez just double
3:18
the opposite way. But from R Valdez was the guy
3:21
who's going to the mount, and yet the Tigers were able.
3:23
Speaker 2: To attack him in that second inning.
3:26
Speaker 4: Simple approach, you know, for the way that teams approached
3:30
the regular season trying to hit the long ball, trying
3:33
to play for the three run home run. It's so
3:37
funny how the gears shift when you get into the
3:40
playoffs and you know you're facing that dominant starter. It's
3:44
really look out over the play stay simple and use
3:47
the whole field, keep the line moving. And you've seen
3:50
it so many times, year in and year out, where team's
3:53
identity in the playoffs completely shift from their regular season identity.
3:59
And I think that and AJ basically prepared these guys saying, look,
4:02
if you go up and you try to get big
4:04
in this ballpark, you're gonna get shut out today. But
4:07
Framber's stuff was not great. From pitch one. You could
4:11
see that he didn't have great feel for his breaking
4:14
ball early. He was a little flat with the fastball.
4:17
But so they really jumped on that opportunity early in
4:20
this game.
4:20
Speaker 2: All Right, all right, we'll keep people posting on.
4:22
Speaker 1: Right now, Bregman's at the plate, nobody out, and a
4:25
pinch runner for Alvarez at second base. It's three nothing
4:28
Tigers with the Asteroids batting in the bottom of the ninth.
4:31
Now in that one, the other game is underway. And
4:34
now going to the top of the sixth inning. What
4:36
a pitcher's duel there in Baltimore between the Orioles and
4:39
the Royals going on right now. And of course this
4:42
is a Royals team that you and others put together.
4:48
And now in the top of the six inning here
4:50
they are scoreless in Game one with Baltimore, Ibnut.
4:53
Speaker 2: Your thoughts on this Orioles Royals matchup.
4:56
Speaker 4: Well, Baltimore's played really good the last ten days and
5:00
and as much excitement excitement as there been here, there's
5:03
been around this Royals team. They've got great starting pitching,
5:06
but really when you get past Bobby Witt Junior and
5:11
Salvador Perez, they've really struggled offensively the second half.
5:15
Speaker 3: Of the season.
5:15
Speaker 4: They got Vinnie Pascaltino back today, which adds some presence
5:19
to that lineup, but but they've had a difficult time
5:22
scoring runs. And second to that is their bullpen has
5:25
not been very good at all all year long. So
5:28
Lucas Erkseg is going to be a really big part
5:30
of this series from a standpoint of when they get
5:33
into early leverage and in the case of this game,
5:36
late leverage, he's gonna have to really step up and
5:39
and and carry the load for that bullpen, because the
5:42
bullpen has struggled and they've struggled to score runs in
5:45
the second half, and when you run into an offensive
5:48
club like the Orioles, that can lead to a lot
5:50
of trouble early on.
5:52
Speaker 1: So with that in mind, what would be uh, first
5:56
of all, roll back on it. Are you sticking with
5:58
your pick for the Asteroid to win this wildcard series
6:01
of the Tigers?
6:02
Speaker 2: Let me start with that.
6:04
Speaker 3: I really am.
6:05
Speaker 4: I don't think that there's any panic. You've got guys
6:07
in that dugout that you know Jsel too, he's got
6:10
twenty seven postseason home runs. I mean, most of the
6:13
guys on the Tigers teams don't have twenty seven home
6:15
runs in their career, and so I just think that
6:18
there's gonna be no panic, no vibration from the Astros,
6:22
and that they'll they'll answer the bell and take this
6:24
to Game three and probably win it in three games.
6:27
Speaker 2: If they don't win this first one.
6:28
Speaker 1: Because Alex Bregman got an infield single, there's runners on
6:31
the corners with nobody out in Yer Diaz is at
6:33
the plate as the tying run there in the bottom
6:36
of the ninth with fully trying to close it out
6:38
for the Tigers. Visiting with Gene Watson, our MLB inside
6:42
are talking about game one of these postseason series, these
6:47
wild Cards series. Like we said, Baltimore and Kansas City
6:50
are scoreless in the top of the six. How about
6:52
the final analysis you pick for this series.
6:56
Speaker 4: I really think Baltimore is probably especially coming off being
7:01
swept in the first round of last season. I really
7:04
think Baltimore's probably the better team. It might take three games,
7:08
but I just think that you know, typically over the
7:10
course of one hundred and sixty two games, the things
7:13
that keep you from being good and winning the division
7:18
and being got an elite organization are the things that
7:21
meet you in the playoffs. And I just think the
7:23
ability to score runs and the bullpens weaknesses will end
7:28
up costing the Royals overall.
7:30
Speaker 1: All right, So there that is right now. And by
7:34
the way, the Astros just got a huge break. Maybe
7:38
not d As may have caught a piece of it.
7:41
They'd ruled a foul tip after originally ruling a foul
7:44
tip into the mid It was not caught on the
7:47
off the tip, which would have been a strike on
7:49
aj Hinch asking about it, but not a reviewable play there.
7:53
And as it stands right now, it's just a no
7:56
to count on Das at the plate with runners on the.
7:59
Speaker 2: Corners from two out. Royals have a go ahead runner at.
8:01
Speaker 1: Second base with one out in the top half of
8:06
the sixth inning against Baltimore. As they do that, a
8:09
base hit by the way by Daz given a second life,
8:13
brings home the first run for the Astros And now
8:16
the time runs are on runners at first and second,
8:20
nobody out. It's a three to one ball game. Is
8:22
the Astroids bat in the bottom of the ninth? All right,
8:24
we'll keep everybody up to day. Let's jump to the
8:26
National League. What a crazy day yesterday? What did it
8:29
for Braves, Mets, and I guess Diamondbacks fans chewing their
8:33
nails all the way through hoping that there was going
8:35
to be a sweep that never happened, and now it
8:38
winds up being the Mets and Braves getting those last
8:40
two wildcard spots.
8:42
Speaker 3: What a great day for baseball.
8:44
Speaker 4: And you know, and talking to a lot of Mets fans,
8:47
they considered yesterday to be one of the best days
8:49
in Mets baseball in a very long time, and it's
8:52
what we've said all along.
8:54
Speaker 3: When you when you.
8:56
Speaker 4: Get into these type situations, your best players, your money players,
9:00
have to be the guys that step up, and Francisco.
9:03
Speaker 3: Lindor certainly did that yesterday.
9:05
Speaker 4: I thought it was so bizarre to have both teams
9:08
celebrating in their clubhouses, and even some of the players
9:11
coming out and meeting at home plate from both teams
9:14
to celebrate with each other. I thought that was one
9:17
of the more bizarre things I've ever seen in the
9:19
game of baseball.
9:20
Speaker 3: But the Mets are playing very good baseball.
9:22
Speaker 4: Right now, and they believe in themselves, and they've for
9:25
everything they've been through this year, with the injuries and
9:28
all the adversities, this is a team that's hot right now.
9:31
I would consider them to be the National League version
9:34
of the Tigers right now, and they are.
9:36
Speaker 3: They're very, very dangerous right now.
9:38
Speaker 1: Okay, another update, Astros do on a sack bunt have
9:43
moved by Pinya, have moved the tying runs in the
9:46
scoring position and have runners at second and third with
9:49
one out. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Bobby Witt, junior RBI opposite
9:54
field base hit to score Garcia with a first run
9:56
of that ball game. Royal is still batting in the
9:58
top of the sixth with a one.
10:00
Speaker 2: Nothing lead on Baltimore.
10:01
Speaker 1: Okay, so now with it standing, let me go back
10:05
to talking about the Braves, Because when Chris Sale was
10:10
unavailable for yesterday's game due to back spasms, the general,
10:15
if not cynical, view was, Okay, Brian Snitker is playing
10:20
a smart game here.
10:21
Speaker 2: It's a gamble.
10:22
Speaker 1: But if he wins this gamble, he has Sale ready
10:26
to go for this Division series, maybe even Game one
10:29
against San Diego, if not Game two, Well that was
10:31
shot down because it was announced he's not on the
10:34
Division serial or the wild card roster for Atlanta opening
10:38
that series in San Diego tonight. So I mean, that's
10:42
that's a huge bite out of Atlanta's hopes, isn't it
10:45
not having him available against the Padres.
10:48
Speaker 4: For a team that was limping to the finish line
10:52
just to get in an incredible blow And the psychology
10:56
of what it does to your clubhouse, especially when you're
10:59
going into pet Co and playing that team in that environment. Uh,
11:03
it's just an enormous blow and one that I'm not
11:06
sure they're going to be able to overcome. The Padres
11:10
are the best team in baseball. In the second half,
11:13
they are out, they are thirsty for blood. They're out
11:16
to prove that this is not a fluke. They they
11:19
believe that they are the most balanced and talented team
11:23
in baseball, and truthfully, they are right now. And there
11:27
are a lot of people's pick to win the World Series.
11:29
And so it's gonna be a really tough, tough, uphill
11:32
battle for the Braves to go in there and try
11:34
to pull that off.
11:35
Speaker 2: Okay, you've talked about the Braves, the Mets, and Padres.
11:37
How about your thoughts on the Brewers.
11:40
Speaker 3: Well, you know, uh, the Brewers.
11:42
Speaker 4: They there's a lot of people that think that the
11:45
Mets can go in there and beat them.
11:46
Speaker 3: And this is the most fundamentally.
11:49
Speaker 4: Sound baseball team I saw all year long, Pat Murphy,
11:53
in the way they.
11:54
Speaker 3: Play small ball.
11:55
Speaker 4: They run the bases, they defend, they throw well from
11:58
the outfield, they hit the cutoff man, they just play
12:01
so well collectively as a unit. But there's a lot
12:04
of people that believe the Mets can go in there
12:06
and beat them, and that would be the equivalent of
12:09
what Detroit could possibly pull off in Houston.
12:11
Speaker 3: This week.
12:12
Speaker 1: By the way, the Tigers have made a change bow
12:15
Briskey out of the bullpen now and ESPN just showed
12:19
a graphic general and I bet you'll remember this well.
12:21
When teams have entered the ninth inning of the postseason
12:26
in any postseason game since nineteen ninety trailing by three
12:31
or more runs, they are one and five hundred and
12:34
thirty eight one. You may remember this Cubs against the
12:39
Giants in twenty sixteen when they rallied back.
12:43
Speaker 4: Remember remember well, But I'm going to tell you if
12:46
there is one team in baseball that can do it,
12:48
it is the Houston Astros.
12:50
Speaker 3: That isn't incredibly.
12:51
Speaker 4: I've gone in there four or five times as a
12:53
visiting team in October, and that ballpark has never ever
12:58
been an easy place to play and win, and certainly
13:01
in the not sett in the last seven years. So
13:05
it's it's gonna be an uphill fight, and they're certainly
13:07
not gonna go a way easily.
13:08
Speaker 3: All right.
13:08
Speaker 1: You know, how about your predictions on the two National
13:10
League wild cards here, So let's start with Brewers Mets.
13:13
Speaker 2: Your thoughts on that.
13:15
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go only because I know the Mets have
13:18
a lot of momentum. But I really think the Brewers,
13:21
just the way they go about in their temperament. I'm
13:23
gonna take the Brewers in three games and the other
13:28
series San Diego Atlanta. Yeah, I think the Padres, that
13:32
the Padres are so dangerous right now.
13:34
Speaker 3: I think that that they've got a chance to sweep
13:36
that one away.
13:37
Speaker 1: Okay, a sinking liner off the bat of Victor Karattini
13:42
was caught for out number two, So the Astors down
13:45
to their final out. They have the tying runs. Tyler
13:48
Green just made a great running catch on a sinking liner.
13:52
So now the tying runs in scoring position, two down,
13:56
bottom of the ninth and minute made. It's a three
13:58
to one league for Detroit on huge and they've gone
14:00
to the bottom of the six in Baltimore with Kansas
14:02
City leading the Orioles by a score one nothing. Now,
14:05
let me get your thoughts on the four teams that
14:06
got buys and how you think it might affect them.
14:09
In the American League, we're talking about the Yankees and
14:11
the Guardians. In the National League, we're talking about the
14:14
Dodgers and the Phillies.
14:17
Speaker 4: Well, you know, I think there's a little bit more
14:20
of an issue on the American League side than the
14:23
National League side. The Phillies and Dodgers are so well
14:27
versed and so it's their machines, and they're so talented,
14:31
and they've got so many guys that have been there before.
14:34
There's not going to be a ton of you know,
14:37
panic within the time off. But with Cleveland and New
14:40
York where the especially with New York, where the expectation
14:45
to win this year is so high, it's incredibly hard
14:49
to turn it off and turn it back on. I've
14:51
said it a thousand times, and that break you cannot
14:54
simulate competition, You cannot simulate high leverage pressure. And these teams,
15:00
especially these wildcard teams, that have fought for every inch
15:04
to get in and now they're going to continue to
15:06
fight to get through.
15:07
Speaker 3: The first round. Those are the teams that are most dangerous.
15:10
Speaker 4: And so I think that they're they're probably all four
15:15
gonna be fine in advance, but I think that there's
15:18
gonna be some issues. There has a chance to be
15:20
some issues in the American League.
15:21
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, And as we always do, Geno, I
15:26
will give you the right of way.
15:29
Speaker 2: To be able to change and update as we go along.
15:32
Speaker 1: But as we stand in on October first, who wins
15:37
the You've told us, who wins the Wildcard series, who
15:40
will win the division series? Who will win the league
15:42
Championship Series, who will win the World Series. So start
15:45
in the America League. By your predictions, the the AL
15:50
Division series would then be the Astros against the Guardians
15:54
and the Yankees against the Orioles. Correct, yes, and then
15:58
your winners in those divisions series would be who.
16:02
Speaker 3: I'm gonna go.
16:03
Speaker 4: Uh, I'm gonna go Guardians and Astros, okay, And I'm
16:09
gonna go Philly. I'm gonna go Phillies and and Padres.
16:13
Speaker 2: Pills and Padres. Okay, No, I'm that sight. Listen, you
16:17
picked it last year and you did.
16:18
Speaker 1: You picked the you pick or two years ago you
16:21
picked the Padres to beat the Dodgers.
16:22
Speaker 2: They did.
16:22
Speaker 1: Last year you picked the Diamondbacks to beat the Dodgers
16:25
and they did. So that's that's perfectly understand So then you, uh,
16:29
then who wins the two America the American League and
16:33
the National League Championship Series.
16:36
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go off script a little bit, and I'm
16:38
gonna go with the Cleveland Indians versus the San Diego.
16:41
Speaker 1: Padres, Guardians and Padres for the World Series.
16:45
Speaker 4: I think the Guardians have just been grinding at it
16:47
for so long and they've just got such a great
16:50
system there. Steven Votes done such a tremendous job this
16:54
year as a first year manager. They just know who
16:56
they are as a team and as an organization, and
16:59
they're super talented, and I think they're going to find
17:01
a way this year.
17:02
Speaker 2: All right, and then your World Series champion is.
17:06
Speaker 3: San Diego Padres.
17:07
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, So there it is. You heard it
17:10
from Gene Watson himself. All right, And like I said, Gino,
17:13
we'll do this every week and I give you, I
17:15
will give you the right away to update the predictions
17:18
if if, if you do happen the losing the Asters,
17:21
by the way, if the bases loaded now with two
17:24
down in the bottom of the night, trailing three to one, Gino,
17:27
I appreciate the time, and we'll do it again next week.
17:30
We'll take a look at it in the Division Series round.
17:33
Thanks for joining us today.
17:35
Speaker 3: Areat appreciate you? Take care you bet.
17:37
Speaker 1: That's Geene Watson, our MLB insider from the Chicago White Sox.
17:42
All right, So yeah, they've gone to the bottom of
17:45
the it's in the bottom of the night. There's two
17:46
outs the astros of the tying run and winning runs
17:51
on bass Bow. Briskey came out of the bullpen. He
17:53
got an out but then gave up a walk, and
17:56
so the bases are loaded with two down in the
18:00
ninth inning. And again they show that number teams are
18:03
one and five hundred and thirty eight when trailing by
18:06
three or more runs entering the ninth inning. The only
18:10
exception that rule the twenty sixteen National League Division Series
18:14
Game four where the Cubs came back from down three
18:16
to beat the Giants.
18:16
Speaker 2: That's that's the only exception to the rule.
18:20
Speaker 1: So right now, Jason Hayward, the former Dodger, at the
18:24
plate with two down in the bottom of the ninth
18:28
with the bases loaded. We'll update you on it when
18:30
we come back here on Sports Radio AM thirteen under
18:32
the Zone.