Latest / Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered / MLB Playoff Predictions: Yankees-Red Sox, Cubs-Padres, Phillies-Braves, Dodgers BIGGEST threat

Transcript

MLB Playoff Predictions: Yankees-Red Sox, Cubs-Padres, Phillies-Braves, Dodgers BIGGEST threat · Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: There's something about the warm summer air and a cold
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: corona with lime that makes the roar of the crowd
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: sound a lot like the roar of the waves.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: That's because this is our playa, and the best seats
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: are always wherever you're sitting.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Whether it's a weeknight game under the lights or a
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Sunday afternoon in the sun, you know baseball isn't about
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: rushing around. It's about settling in, letting the game come
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: to you. And nothing pairs better than an ice-cold corona. Nothing.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: So find your seat, your corona, and your lime. Because
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: real fans know the only thing better than nine innings
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: is extra innings, especially on La Playa.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Corona.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: La Playa awaits.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: The official cerveza of Major League Baseball. Get yours at
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: ordercorona.com for 21 plus, relax responsibly. Corona Extra Beer, imported
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: by Crown Imports, Chicago, Illinois.
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: What up, y'all?
• 0:52
  Speaker 4: I need to tell you about this new sports trading
• 0:55
  Speaker 4: app called Polymarket. It's the best new way to trade
• 0:58
  Speaker 4: in sports. In the past, you wanted action on the game,
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: you put some money in, and if your team was
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: doing well and you wanted to cash out, they'd lock
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: the trade and take a huge fee.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: But Polymarket is a prediction market.
• 1:11
  Speaker 4: It's a stock exchange for sports, buying in and selling
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: out on your terms. When your team goes down to 20%,
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: you can buy in and sell it off at 40%
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: when your team comes back to double your money. I've
• 1:22
  Speaker 4: tried them all and Polymarket is simply the best. Better
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: than DraftKings, FanDuel, Kaoshi, you name it. They're so confident
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: you'll never go back to the other guys. They're giving
• 1:32
  Speaker 4: you a free $ 50 on your first trade when you
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: deposit $ 10. And now they've launched a new feature, squads
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: a group chat where you can see what everyone is
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: trading on so download the polymarket app today and you'd
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: code ross rizzo when you sign up that's code ross
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: rizzo to get fifty dollars free after you trade just
• 1:54
  Speaker 4: ten dollars let's go polymarket trade them.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: All welcome back to another episode of ross and rizzo
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: unfiltered rossi we have hit the end of the season
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: 162 of 162 Drama-packed weekend around the league. Teams getting in,
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: teams not getting in. I'm Anthony Rizzo with my partner,
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: David Ross. We're going to be coming to you every
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: single game, every live reaction. We're going to be breaking
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: down all the in-game decisions the managers make from former
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: manager David Ross himself. I'll be giving my opinion from
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: the player's point of view. Overall, I cannot believe it's October.
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: We are in another year of October baseball, Rossi. We
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: finally made it.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Let's go, baby. 162 is in the books, guys. We're
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: on the grind. It came all the way down to
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: the last day with a lot of teams, which is
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: super exciting and always fun when you got something to
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: play for right at the end. But a lot of
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: these teams limping in to the postseason. Some of these
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: wildcard teams, rotations beat up. Guys get a little bit
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: of a break and head to their next city. And
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: we start our favorite time of the year, and that's
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: postseason baseball, which we know a lot about.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: A lot, a lot. David Ross has two World Series championships,
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: one with the Boston Red Sox, one with the Chicago Cubs.
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: I have one played in two World Series, not as
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: fortunate to win both of them. But, man, dude, the
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Phillies getting in today by winning. The White Sox are in.
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: The Astros win the division on the last day. The
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: Guardians clinch over the weekend. The Padres are in hosting, right?
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: I mean, there's– It's taken a.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Lot of twists and turns. I tell you what I
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: said on, we had baseball tonight here. I'm in, I'm
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: in Bristol doing ESPN. And I said tonight with the
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Astros getting in at 81 and 81, first time ever
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: a team without a winning record makes the post season.
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: Worst team, right? Yeah.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Worst team ever. And I was like, I got fired
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: with 83 wins. What the hell? I was like, these
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: guys go to post season. I went to the house.
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: I made it.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: I made Eduardo die laughing, but, Super pumped for the Astros.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Sucks for the Rangers, obviously. You know, we got friends
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: of the program in almost every team and managers you
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: root for, people you root for. But we've got the
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: table is set. We've got a lot of drama, a
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: lot of drama. Lots. The Bills.
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: Bro, you know what? And this is as I've gotten older, too.
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: These April, May, June, it's not just one game, right?
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: And that narrative every year is true. At the end
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: of 162, it always comes down to the wire. So
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: you hear, I mean, I'm sure you've said this as
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: a manager. I'll say, oh, you know, it's just one.
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: We're in a little bit of a rut. No, no,
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: that game in April, that game in mid-May counts. That
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: dog day game in July counts just as much. And
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: proof is in the pudding every single year.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: You know, the other thing I think we learned, Riz,
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: is like you can't count anybody out either with what
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: the Red Sox did. you know, I, if I was
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: looking at the Padres team, I would have, I would
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: have sold their offense was just anemic and, you know,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: they were kind of just getting by in a really
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: tough division. And even the Arizona diamondbacks go right down
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: to the last day and have a chance to get in,
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: you know, in a really tough division. So, um, this
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: Philly started nine and 19. That's great. Nine and 19.
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: I know. And now they're in the playoffs. Now they're
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: playing the Braves playing division rivals. So, um, I think
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: it's always cool at the end of the year, especially
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: with how competitive the league is now. I feel like
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: the game is better than it's ever been. As far
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: as guys competing, got to give shout outs to the
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: league leaders, right? Uh, Jordan Alvarez, batting title, not easy
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: to do hitting three 16 in the American league. Gabby
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: Moreno hitting three 11 for the diamondbacks that came down
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: to the wire, him and Louisa rise. Shout out to Venezuela. Um,
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: home run leaders, PCA and Kyle Schwarber, both tied at
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: 45 in the National League.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: How about that? Who would have thought PCA had the
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: same amount of homers as Kyle Schwarber in this thing?
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: Not me.
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: And then Pete Alonzo with a late September surge. He
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: had two homers the other day versus the Yankees with
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: 43 for the American League.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: And RBIs, right?
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: And RBI, I believe. I think he's the first player
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: ever to to lead it in RBIs in the National
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: League and the American League. So special year from Pete.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: Found his new home that the baseball gods, I guess,
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: had in store for him. That's what he said, awkwardly.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: And then the ERA leaders, man. Jacob Mizorowski with a
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: 1.8 ERA and Cam Schlittler, a 1.95. The only two
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: guys with a sub-2 ERA. Well on their way to
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: their first Cy Young. I always think that's cool. At
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: the end of the year, you That's it. I was
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: the best in the league this year at that.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: No doubt. Those are the things that get on the
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: back of your baseball card and stay forever. You know
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: what I mean? You put that season up. We know
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: how hard it is to be consistent and to be
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: good at anything throughout 162. Kudos to those guys leading
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: the league in a category no matter what it is
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: in a positive mindset. It's impressive.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: No doubt. Rossi, I have a question for you. Were
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: you ever teammates with Julio Franco?
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: Can I be honest with you? I played against him
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: in winter ball.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: In winter ball? What year were you born?
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: I was born in 77. Okay.
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: Julio Franco was born in 1958. That seems like a
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: hundred years ago, right? And a guy by the name
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: of Justin Verlander faced Julio Franco. And what an amazing
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: career he has had. And his last start on Saturday,
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: we're going to get into it. But he faced 20-year-old,
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: I believe 20-year-old, Connor Griffin, born in 2006.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Wow.
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: Wow. I want to talk about 48 years apart. That's
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: how long JV's been doing it for as far as generations.
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: He's been in five different generations.
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: That's insane. Well, one, that's a credit Hulu of Franco
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: who played forever. And I mean, JV, what a, what
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: a cool moment he got yesterday in Detroit. I expected
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: nothing less from AJ Hinch, the way they handled that, the, the,
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: you know, Don Kelly checking his glove because he gave
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: him the hot foot back in the day. Like there
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: was so many, there's so many narratives kind of going
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: throughout that game and him competing his butt off and
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: trying to help that team win. And they ended up
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: walking it off and giving him that win. But, Um,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: what an amazing, amazing, uh, career he had 266 wins, uh,
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: eighth all time and strikeouts with 35, 60, 10 time
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: all-star three times Cy Young MVP in 2011, which nobody
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: should get the MVP. Sorry, JB. That's just, that's just my,
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: my take, but we'll give you already wanted. So we've
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: got to give it to you. And a two-time world
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: series champion, man. If I'm, I said this a while
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: back on a show. that if I had to give
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: somebody the ball in the postseason and they said I
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: could choose anyone, you know, dead or alive, I was
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: looking at Justin Verlander's numbers. He leads in a second
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: in innings pitch all time in the major league postseason baseball,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: and he's number one in postseason strikeouts. Like, that's a
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: dude that really steps up in the moment. He goes
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: deep in the games, and he's punching out a lot
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: of dudes, giving you a chance to win. What a
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: cool moment with his family, his daughters. Like, I mean,
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: I was crying as a dad.
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: Seriously, I started tearing up. I was like, whoa, my God,
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: what's going on?
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: Right?
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: And then you see him huffing and puffing on there. Like,
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: tears were flowing. So that was congratulations to him and
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: his family, man. What a career he's had. If you're
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: a young pitcher, I would just go back and watch
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: how Justin Verlander navigates games, right? Especially when he was,
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: he's kind of revamped himself when he, you know, he
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: was hurt for a few years and he goes to
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: Houston and kind of comes back from Tommy John and
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: just becomes the old Justin Verlander again for a while.
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: But man, when he would be throwing 93, 94 in
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: the first second and then it'd be the eighth inning,
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: he's throwing 99, right? How he held it back, how
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: he went deep in games. You knew when he got
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: the ball, he was going seven to nine innings every
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: single night. in his prime of his career.
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: And I remember him like everything. And he was done
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: in Detroit when he got traded, like, Oh, he's on
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: the back end of his career. It's going to be,
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: you know, he's got, he's, he's kind of on the
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: down slope. And I tell you what, man, he's done
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: nothing but fly. He went to Houston and just went
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: like just through the roof. And it's elite. It was
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: elite stuff with location and a guy that knows how
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: to read, read swings as you talk about and navigate
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: a lineup. Like again, Hall of Famer, you know, no doubt,
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: maybe first ballot should be, in my opinion. I mean,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: this guy was a true horse for a really, really
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: long time, which is hard to do in our game.
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. And then on the other side, you know,
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: another ace that's done it for a very long time
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: as well. They were former teammates on multiple times with
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: the Mets and the Tigers. Max Scherzer had his last start.
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: uh in the last game game 162 for the blue
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: jays we don't know if that's it for scherzer if
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: it is congratulations i i wish he would have announced
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: that so he could have got some flowers on the
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: way out but again he he shoved today vintage max
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: he went seven innings one run he has 224 wins
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: in his career he's ninth all time i believe he's
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: what three behind verlander in strikeouts.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: He might have a little bit of, like, somebody give
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: me a million bucks to come start a game and
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: jump Verlander. Like, those two guys, probably two of the
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: most competitive guys that you're going to be around. And
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: it wouldn't shock me if he came back for a
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: start or two.
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. I mean, Max, eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young,
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: two-time World Series champion. Bro, I remember when he was
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: shoving with the Nationals. And you'd go to Nationals Park,
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: and any time he got two strikes, the ballpark would
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: just start lighting up with two different color eyes just
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: flashing on the screens. And I was like, oh, no.
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: I started swinging early because of that. I'm like, I
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: can't get the two strikes. I don't know if I'm
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: going to be able to handle myself. So congratulations to
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: him and his family as well.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: You got a homer off Max. You got a homer
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: off Sherris.
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: I do. I do. I think it was foul. It
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: hit the flagpoles at Wrigley, or the flag, so. I'll
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: take it. Sick. Hall of Famer Cy Young award winner.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. It's a pretty good accolades to, to future
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: hall of famers that pitched a long time in our
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: game in our era. And we're dominant. Um, we don't
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: know if Max is going out, but both of them, um,
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: you know, with the families and, and getting the sendoff
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: from the fans, like what cool moments.
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: You know, you know, a thing or two about a
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: nice sendoff, huh?
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. You guys treated me good. You treat me
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: really good.
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: Before we get into the playoffs, the preview, let's hit
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: our Corona playa, playa of the week.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: Playa! No doubt. We got.
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: Turning back the clock, Nolan Arenado, Rossi. Ten hits, three
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: home runs. Almost literally willed the Arizona Diamondbacks into the
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: postseason late. Seven runs. Ended with 30 homers for the
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: first time since 2022, Rossi. Great to see him back.
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: He got traded to Arizona and had a resurgence this year,
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: and good for him, man. He grinds. He loves baseball.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: He's a superstar in our game.
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a baseball rat, obviously, and his defense, like,
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: you know, we're talking about his offensive stats, but his
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: defense has been second to none for a really long time,
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: and we were talking today in studio, like, Hall of Famer,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: he definitely a future Hall of Famer type guy with
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: his numbers and how long he's played. He's got one
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: more year in his deal for I think it's only
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: like $ 6 million. So a guy that will have another
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: year and be able to add to those stats. I
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: think he set a career high. I think he had
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: three or four grand slams this year for the Diamondbacks.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: So like you said, putting them on his back there.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Everybody thought he was getting old in St. Louis. And,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: you know, a 30 home run season is absolutely crazy
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: with 86 RBIs. And like, you know, big part of
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: the Diamondbacks push there late.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: Yep.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: And one more thing, I know we said we're going
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: to get into this, the playoffs, but I have to
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: give a big shout-out to the Warriors, the fellows who
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: played all 162 this year. There's only three of them
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: in the league, Rossi.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: Nice. Who are they?
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: Matt Olsen leads them because he started every game. He's
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: the iron man. He's on a long run. He's on
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: a very long run. I think it's three or four
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: seasons now, not missing a game. PCA. Played in all 162.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: He didn't start all 162, but he played in all 162.
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: And Bryce Harper, for the first time in his career,
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: played in all 162.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: That a baby, Bryce. That's a great bill of health.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: You know how hard that is. You can speak to that.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: Catching is much harder than your position, so I was
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: never able to do that. I'm just kidding. When you
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: got the dudes that post every day in that lineup,
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: like you did, like Olsen's been doing for a long time,
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: like that's extremely hard to do just simply because of
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: the wear and tear on your body and the travel
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: and the day game after night. But I'm glad you
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: gave those guys a shout out. That's well deserved as well.
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. Man, bro, it's not easy to get through 162.
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: It's a big exhale going to the playoffs, not going
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: to the playoffs. You just– everyone should be proud of
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: themselves for maneuvering the– maneuvering 162-game season. Olsen was five
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: straight years, hasn't taken a day off.
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: Man. Wow. That's impressive. Wow. That's a big body to
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: be moving around every single day.
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: In Atlanta. Yeah, it's nice and cold in the summer
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: in Atlanta, of course.
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: Rossi, we got, I mean, bro, we got four wild
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: card games starting Tuesday. Four series. Who are you most
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: excited for? We have Braves-Phillies starting us off at two.
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: All these games are on NBC Peacock. You have Cubs-Padres
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: in the National League. Red Sox, Yankees at Yankee Stadium
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: in the Bronx, and then White Sox at Houston.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, the first one I want
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: to point to is Yankees, Red Sox. You'll be on
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: that call. It's at primetime, 8 p.m. I think that's
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: just two, you know, both offenses haven't really been clicking.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: I think like when we talk about Red Sox, Yankees,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: we think about dominant offenses, right? Just the sluggers throughout.
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: They're not really built that way, and especially if Judge
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: is out. You know, Wilson's just coming back with a
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: hand injury, and the Red Sox offense hasn't really been
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: putting up quite the numbers here in the last few
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: weeks with him out. So he's a guy that they
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: need to come back and swing it well. But I
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: think that's the first on my docket, and then obviously
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: we follow the Cubs hard, and I think the Padres
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: are the hottest team coming into this thing. They've been
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: absolutely rolling from a wild-card team perspective. Their starters are
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: with King and Pavetta. They've got to throw Pavetta in there,
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: in my opinion. He threw well against the Dodgers. Maybe
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: Robbie Ray, a third starter, see how they line things up.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: But that offense has really started clicking in the second half.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: Tatis and Jackson Merrill have been two of the best.
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: You know what?
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: I feel like Tatis and Jackson Merrill have carried the
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: Padres in this last two months like Bregman and PCA
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: have for the Cubs. Got two really horses in the
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: middle of those lineups that have been doing real good
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: damage on the back end, and it should be a
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: really fun, exciting series. The Padres' bullpen may be one
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: of the best in the game with Merrill Holm and
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: Mason Miller, and then you've got the Cubs. who probably
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: edge them out in the starting, and the bullpen's really
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: going to have to get– Craig Council's going to have
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: to get creative with this bullpen. I don't know who
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: they're going to put in the bullpen. Maybe they get
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: to throw a starter down there and just try to
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: piece it together and get really creative. But that bullpen
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: for the Cubs is probably the weakest one in the
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: postseason to me.
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: Well, so for the Cubs, this will be our first
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: really breakdown is the Cubs-Prodres. For the Cubs, is Gosman
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: going to be back, right? He's on the IL. That's
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: a question mark. You got Clay Holmes lined up, and
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: you have Matthew Boyd. And then you could just piece
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: it together, hopefully somehow, some way. Hopefully Gosman comes back,
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: which you would think Gosman's coming back, right? So the
• 19:22
  Speaker 3: probables there are those three in some type of order, which, bro,
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: you could win a series with that. You can go
• 19:29
  Speaker 3: deep with that. You have three legit pitchers that they're
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: going to have to rely on to take you into
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: the sixth inning. Because we do know the Cubs bullpen–
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: is not their strong point, right? And guys are going
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: to get hot. I believe in Daniel Palencia. I do
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: believe he's going to get hot with the emotions of
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: the postseason. You saw what he did in the World
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: Baseball Classic. It's there. It's in the tank. Right. The
• 19:53
  Speaker 3: character's there. So, it's, that's, that's the one weakness. That's
• 20:00
  Speaker 3: the biggest weakness for, I mean, and to win the
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: last game of the World Series, the last game of
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: the season, you need to have pitching and defense. They
• 20:09
  Speaker 3: have the defense. Their pitching is not very good.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: But their offense has been as good as in a
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: long time. They've had one of the best offensive. It's
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: a really deep lineup with quality at bats throughout.
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: Their offense, man, I mean, PCA's leading off, right? He
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: can bridge you and make the game 1-0. Then you
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: have Bregman, Seya, Nico, Happer, if it's a righty on
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: the mound right now. Who's playing third for them? Either
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: Shaw or.
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: You've got... I think they're going to go.
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: Dansby's back.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: Dansby's back.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: So their lineup is.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: I think Bush is.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: Bushy.
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: Bushy's really good. And they've got Ramirez.
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: He had a monster playoffs last year, Bushy.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Pedro Ramirez, who's played really good when Dansby was out.
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: He played a great second base when Nico moved over.
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: I think he'll play third base for them. to start off.
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: If Bregman can't play the field, they probably can't afford.
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: I'll tell you what, bro. The first game Bregman back,
• 21:15
  Speaker 3: he challenged the pitch that was damn near right down
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: the middle, right? At the bottom of the zone, I go,
• 21:20
  Speaker 3: oh shit, he's not seeing... That's a telltale right there
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: that you're not seeing that well. And then today he
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: goes out and goes 4-4-4 with two home runs. So
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: that's a massive, massively good sign if you're a Cubs fan.
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: I mean, I think that if the Cubs put up
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: runs early on the road, right? I talked about this.
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: I like them being road dogs. I would have liked
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: them going to Atlanta, maybe a little bit easier travel,
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: but I do like them as road dogs. And the
• 21:55
  Speaker 3: only way you're winning really is by beating the starters
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: of San Diego, right? You cannot rely on beating Mason
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: Miller or, Suarez in the back end of the Padres bullpen.
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: So I'm excited. I have my fan hat on hard.
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: Obviously I'm rooting for the Cubs, but both my former team.
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: So I guess I went out no matter what Padres Cubs,
• 22:16
  Speaker 3: you know what I mean?
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I think it's going to be a great series.
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: And I know we'll be following hard late on, on
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: Tuesday night. We'll be, we'll be locked in on that.
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: How about the Padres though?
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: Brother Padres, the Padres are, well, I think it's going
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: to be like, they're not going to wait around for
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: starters to go long. They're, they're going to try to
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: get four or five starters and, and it's going to
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: be a shortened game quick. Like, so we know how
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: quick or we know how hard it is to be
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: facing a new pitcher every inning, especially the type of
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: guys that they have on the back end of that,
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: that bullpen.
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, they'll have Michael King probably starting game
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: one who future, future Chicago cub, Michael King. I'm just
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: throwing it out there now, uh, Jed Hoyer and Carter. Um,
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: I was pulling for him last year to sign with
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: the Cubs. Love him. He's a gamer, bro. He's a stud.
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: He's been there. He's done it. He was in New
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: York with you, right? He was in New York with me.
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: Great person. And then they'll have Pavetta behind him, right?
• 23:22
  Speaker 3: And then it starts getting a little dicey, right? But
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: their bullpen is elite. And their offense, man. You wrote
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: this team off at the deadline. They were trading everyone
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: at the deadline.
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: Nope. A.J.
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: Preller comes back. A.J. Preller adds to their team. And
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: then I just looked up yesterday. Manny Machado hit his
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: 30th homer, right? Everyone was talking about how bad he was.
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: Tatis has 20-plus pumps, right? He hit his first home
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: run damn near at the All-Star break, it seemed like.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: So this team is the hottest team in baseball right now.
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: With home field advantage in San Diego, that place is
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: going to be an absolute zoo. And you know they
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: want redemption from last year with the Cubs knocking them out. Right.
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: And you've got what I'm really excited to watch, just
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: my Ethan Salas being the young catcher for the Padres.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: And he's gotten some big hits since he's been their
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: everyday guy and called up. And, yeah, A.J. Preller went out,
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: got some pitching. Robbie Ray, Casey Mize. Mize hadn't pitched
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: that well. Shout out my former Auburn guy. But he
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: hadn't thrown the ball well as expected. I think that
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: those three, if they could hold the Cubs' offense down
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: for a little bit, that's going to be their best
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: chance to win.
• 24:38
  Speaker 3: You have two of the hottest hitters in the second
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: half in that series, with Tatis with over 1,000 OPS
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: in the second half and Alex Bregman with over 1,000
• 24:47
  Speaker 3: OPS in the second half. And then you have the
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: NL MVP. It's like the Padres just can't get away
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: from the MVP. They have Otani at the NFC every day,
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: and then they have PCA this year. So, man, that's–
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: I mean– I do think, I said this, and I'm
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: going to stick by my guns, I think the Chicago
• 25:06
  Speaker 3: Cubs are going to become road dogs in this playoffs.
• 25:08
  Speaker 3: I believe it. They're going to win game one, and
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: the record is what? I think I wrote this down.
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: 14-1 if you win game one in this three-game series. Ooh, ooh.
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: Right?
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: 14-1.
• 25:22
  Speaker 3: If you're a manager, Rossi, is that something in your head?
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: There's no way. You're just like, all right, we just
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: got to win.
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: Well, that's the stat you pull out when some front
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: office guy comes down and is like, well, we should
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: start Cam Schlittler game two just in case we lose
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: game one and we got a shirt.
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: Like, no, bro.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: Like, we're trying to win game one. We'll adjust after that.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: So that's when you pull out those stats. Hopefully some
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: reporter gives it to you because you don't really look
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: at that stuff as a manager of like what the–
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: you're just trying to get the boys all healthy and
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: pushing in the right direction and get things lined up platoon-wise,
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: let everybody know their role. uh, who's going to pinch
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: hit and win and where stuff like that and let
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: those guys start to do, do some homework. But, um, yeah,
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: you're right. That's a good stat. And that's, that's why
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: you start your horses game one.
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: Right. I mean, what a wild, uh, finish that the
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: Cubs had to go to Boston and then to fly
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: to Tampa for that one game and now flying to
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: San Diego. But that cross country flight, man, that could
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: bring some really good vibes to the team and start,
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: you know, the boys are all getting together for a
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: five hour flight out to San Diego. Um, just being
• 26:28
  Speaker 3: boys on the plane, you know what I mean? That,
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: for me, is momentum enough to go in there and
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: steal game one, and then here we go. You know
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: what I mean? So I'm taking the Cubs in this one, Rossi.
• 26:40
  Speaker 3: I do think that they're going to win, and they're
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: going to have a showdown with the division rival Milwaukee,
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: the team from the north, who I really do admire
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: a lot. But I do think that the Cubs are
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: moving on.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: Well, I think I'm glad we disagree because we, we
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: agree on a lot. So I just, there's something about this.
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: I thought home field advantage was really important and I
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: probably would be taking the Cubs in Chicago. But the
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: Padres have been one of the hottest teams in the
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: second half and they've climbed their way out of the cellar.
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: And I just feel like they have that momentum going
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: in to this. They played a big series to two
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: or three from the Dodgers. Like they're, they're playing well
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: right now. And, Um, we've talked about all the reasons why,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: but I just think home field advantage last year, they
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: had to go to Chicago this year. Chicago has got
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: to go to them. And I, I give the edge
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: to the home field. Yeah.
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: I mean, the Cubs put the ball in play, man.
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: They put the ball in play, but that's going to
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: be a good one.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: We can disagree.
• 27:39
  Speaker 3: It's good for TV. That one started, that one starts
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: at 10 Eastern. So it'd be late nights for us, Rossi.
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: I'm going to be locked in on the, which I
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: like because I'll be getting home late.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: So. I'll be watching them over here at ESPN and
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: doing Late Night Sports Center, and then we'll get on
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: with you. I might be a few cocktails deep by
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: the time I get back to this computer.
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: It'll make for a better program. There you go. There
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: you go. We got our boy Kenny Chesney going on
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: tour next summer, Rossi. Perfect segment into the Vibes Tour
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: on Kenny Chesney on SeatGeek. I am all over this tour.
• 28:17
  Speaker 3: Get your tickets on SeatGeek.
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: SeatGeek.
• 28:19
  Speaker 3: Shout out SeatGeek. Of course, I have a code for
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: you guys. You can use code RossInRizzo10 for 10% off
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: of your next set of SeatGeek tickets. That's 10% off
• 28:29
  Speaker 3: of any tickets with promo code RossInRizzo10. Make sure you
• 28:33
  Speaker 3: click the link in the description to download the app
• 28:35
  Speaker 3: and have the code automatically added to your account so
• 28:38
  Speaker 3: you can use it later. Thank you, SeatGeek. I know
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: I will be all over your app looking for these
• 28:45
  Speaker 3: Kenny Chesney Vibe Room Tour tickets. That's going to be
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: a good one. That's a big one for me, Rossi.
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: We've been in the vibe room. We've been in the
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: vibe room. That's a spot. That's a spot. And with
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: Church and Sheryl Crow, like, I mean, what a tour
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: it's going to be. It's always good. He always ends
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: in Boston at Foxboro. He always starts in Tampa. I've
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: been to that one. Maybe we'll have to have a
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: meeting in Chicago, maybe a podcast from Chicago.
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: With Kenny on it?
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: 626. With Kenny on it? 626.
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: That'd be nice.
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: Good.
• 29:16
  Speaker 3: Hey, again, Ross and Rizzo 10 for 10% off your
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: next set of tickets at SeatGeek. Ross and Rizzo 10.
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: SeatGeek. Guys, we were on the number one team in
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: the world, so it only makes sense that we partner
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: with the number one brand for better sex, Bluetooth. If
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: you want a gold glove performance in the bedroom, check
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: out Blue Chew Gold. It's a four-in-one formula designed for
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: performance and passion. Two ingredients maximize blood flow for stronger,
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: longer-lasting results and to get you in the mood mentally.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: And it dissolves under your tongue for fast results. Guys,
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: Blue Chew Gold will have you feeling like a slugger
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: in the 90s, juiced up and ready to knock it
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: out of the park. Upgrade your performance. Experience it yourself
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: at BlueChew.com. We've got a special deal for our listeners.
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: Right now, when you buy two months of Blue Chew,
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: you get the third month free with promo code LOVABLE.
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: That's promo code LOVABLE. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: important safety information. We thank you, Blue Chew, for sponsoring
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: the pod and the bedroom.
• 30:22
  Speaker 3: Let's stay in the National League, Rossi. Let's hit the
• 30:26
  Speaker 3: Braves and the Phillies, right? crazy kind of different seasons
• 30:33
  Speaker 3: that each one had. The Braves were just steady Eddie
• 30:37
  Speaker 3: all year from the get-go. They were just good. They
• 30:40
  Speaker 3: hit a little lull. I think it was in June.
• 30:42
  Speaker 3: No one knew because they were so good to start.
• 30:46
  Speaker 3: They have dudes that just put up some sick numbers,
• 30:48
  Speaker 3: led by Michael Harris. I mean, he had 26 pumps,
• 30:53
  Speaker 3: 36 doubles, put in 155 games, doesn't strike out a lot,
• 30:58
  Speaker 3: plays an amazing outfield.
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: So he flies under the radar for me. I'm glad
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: you brought him up first. We always talk about Acuna
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: and Olsen and, you know, Drake Baldwin's a stud, but
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought him up. Cause he, I think
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: that's been the key to their success. He's had a couple,
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: he used to get hot, you know, for a month
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: or two and then he would, then he'd go cold.
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: He just had a nice steady season and all that
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: hard work he put in the off season. He was
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: as consistent in one of their best players. And then
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: Matt Olsen to me.
• 31:27
  Speaker 3: They're just a, Like, I look at that team, like
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: I look at the Cubs, probably I give the Braves lineup,
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: they're about equal as far as depth, man. It's just,
• 31:38
  Speaker 3: they're one through nine, they're just good offensive teams, and
• 31:42
  Speaker 3: the Cubs are the number one offense in the league, right?
• 31:45
  Speaker 3: The Braves are very balanced throughout. They're just right there
• 31:50
  Speaker 3: at the top of OPS, Slug, Homers, everything, so they
• 31:55
  Speaker 3: do everything right offensively. They don't strike out a and
• 32:00
  Speaker 3: they have guys that have won the World Series before there.
• 32:04
  Speaker 3: That's going to be, for me, their offense is incredible,
• 32:09
  Speaker 3: and then their pitching staff arguably is one of the
• 32:12
  Speaker 3: most underestimated starting staffs there is in the National League, honestly.
• 32:17
  Speaker 3: They just don't get talked about enough, I think, because
• 32:19
  Speaker 3: maybe they get lost to the bigger markets.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, I want to give it to your point.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: One of my favorite players, another one that goes under
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: the radar uh, Mauricio Dubon for the Braves. Like he
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: plays everywhere, contact bat, puts the ball in play. It's
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: a quality AB. Like I, I agree with you. I
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: think the Braves probably just cause a little more slug in, um,
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: in that lineup for me, but I know the, the,
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: the Cubs have had one of the best offenses in baseball,
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: but I like the depth of both, both of those teams. But, um,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: You're exactly right. I mean, Chris Sale, what a, talk about,
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: we root for these guys that have been in the
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: league for so long and are just dominant. We talk
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: about Verlander Scherzer, another Hall of Famer, Chris Sale, and
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: when he is healthy, he's been nothing but dominant on
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: the mound, and it's nice to see him at the
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: back end of his career be so dominant. And their
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: bullpen is so underrated. At least it's at the back end.
• 33:12
  Speaker 3: Stacked.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: Stacked. Their bullpen is really good, and I don't think,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: it doesn't have the names I think that we're used
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: to and kind of fall in love with, but They're really,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: really good.
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: They have Rossell Iglesias, who's been as steady as there
• 33:26
  Speaker 3: is as a closer. Then they have Robert Suarez that
• 33:29
  Speaker 3: they got from the Padres, who is an insane closer
• 33:32
  Speaker 3: in himself that he's setting him up. They have a
• 33:36
  Speaker 3: bullpen to make the game really short, and then they
• 33:39
  Speaker 3: also have Chris Sale that's going to probably go 7
• 33:42
  Speaker 3: or 8 in Game 1. Chris Sale is 3-0 versus
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: the Phillies this year. He's held Harper... two for 21
• 33:51
  Speaker 3: off of them. Schwarber's two for 25, which does not
• 33:54
  Speaker 3: matter at all. The postseason is completely different if you're
• 33:57
  Speaker 3: a Phillies fan. But, I mean, you have Chris Sale
• 34:01
  Speaker 3: as your number one going, which is, in my opinion,
• 34:04
  Speaker 3: for the Braves too, they're 0-3 versus the Phillies in
• 34:08
  Speaker 3: the playoffs, which isn't good. But I like that they're
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: playing in this wildcard round. Right? I like that they
• 34:14
  Speaker 3: can just keep going. They can keep their grind going.
• 34:17
  Speaker 3: You have a bunch of guys on that team that
• 34:18
  Speaker 3: just grind every day. So they're set up to build
• 34:23
  Speaker 3: some momentum.
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: Another home field advantage. And Tyler Miley, I think is
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: how you say it, that they got from the Reds
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: at the trade deadline has pitched to under a two.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: His last start wasn't as clean, but he's been dominant
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: for them since coming over. So I'm sure he'll be
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: their game two starter. Their starting staff after Chris Sale,
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: to me, falls off a little bit, but they're so
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: good in the bullpen, the lineup's so deep. Um, what's
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: so interesting to your point is they know each other
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: so well, right? Multiple times playing against each other in
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: the post season, Atlanta's dominated the season series this year
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: for the post season. It's almost like sometimes you want
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: to pick the underdog when they've played each other a
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: lot and one team's dominated them. For some reason, you're
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: like just that competitiveness in you as a player when
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: you've getting beat by one team multiple times. You, you
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: feel like not this time, right? Not when it matters
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: the most. And they've got a lot of guys that
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: are on that Phillies, uh, team that are future hall
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: of famers that know how to know how to produce
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: in the moment. So we'll see the Phillies have been
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: awful down the stretch. Sorry, Chris Tran. They've been terrible.
• 35:31
  Speaker 3: And they're, they're pitching, but they're pitching is a mess. Yeah. Well,
• 35:36
  Speaker 3: I mean, bro, before we get on them, Drake Baldwin,
• 35:40
  Speaker 3: 25 plus homers, right? Um, Acuna, he's been on fire.
• 35:46
  Speaker 3: He torched the Phillies the last two weeks of the season.
• 35:49
  Speaker 3: Torched them. He loves Phillies pitching. So the Braves are
• 35:55
  Speaker 3: definitely lined up for this series. I mean, we look
• 35:59
  Speaker 3: at the Phillies, man. They have completely limped into this postseason.
• 36:06
  Speaker 3: I mean, things couldn't have gone worse the last 10
• 36:09
  Speaker 3: days of the season. Jesus Lizardo goes on the I.L.
• 36:12
  Speaker 3: a few weeks ago. Louisa Rise goes down. They have
• 36:15
  Speaker 3: to throw Zach Wheeler in the last game of the
• 36:19
  Speaker 3: season just to get in. So now they are coming
• 36:21
  Speaker 3: into this series completely bruised, battered, adversity, everything. Backs against
• 36:31
  Speaker 3: the wall right here, right? So it's going to be
• 36:35
  Speaker 3: an uphill battle for this Phillies to win this wild
• 36:40
  Speaker 3: card series, Rossi.
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: For sure, man. I was happy for Schwartz, got a
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: big two-out knock to take it from 2-0 to 4-0,
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: give them a little breathing room today, and we know
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: what that guy can do in the postseason. Yeah, for me,
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: I'm going to go straight to my predictions on this one.
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: I feel like it's Atlanta in two games, but if
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: it goes to three, I'm going to give the advantage
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: to the Phillies.
• 37:07
  Speaker 3: Wow. Well, you'll have Wheeler lurking on short rest for
• 37:12
  Speaker 3: game three.
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah. So, I mean, maybe Lizardo out of the pen.
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: He pitched one inning, came back. Maybe he's stretched out.
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: Maybe they do some kind of bullpen game, a piggybacking
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: couple guys on short rest. Don Magley is going to
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: have to get creative. But I want to also.
• 37:28
  Speaker 3: Go ahead.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: No, no, no. I just want to give some love to,
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: I think, Braves manager Walt Weiss has done a phenomenal
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: job with him and maybe the manager of the year.
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: But just give him a little shout-out real quick. But, yeah,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: back to the Phillies.
• 37:42
  Speaker 3: Both him and Don Mattingly have been amazing this year.
• 37:46
  Speaker 3: But with the Phillies, I mean, it just can't be
• 37:48
  Speaker 3: a Schwarber, Harper, home run. And Bryce has done damage
• 37:53
  Speaker 3: there playing in Atlanta, right?
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: And a rise is out kills them.
• 37:59
  Speaker 3: I would imagine a rise is going to be ready
• 38:02
  Speaker 3: to go. I, I would just, I'd have to imagine, right. Um,
• 38:06
  Speaker 3: as long as there's no fractures in there, if it
• 38:08
  Speaker 3: was just a little, a little, whatever it takes. Right. So, uh,
• 38:14
  Speaker 3: they're going to need, you know, stock to step up.
• 38:18
  Speaker 3: Alec bomb to continue to hit. Well, he hit well,
• 38:21
  Speaker 3: the last six weeks of the season. Um, Trey hopefully
• 38:25
  Speaker 3: sets the tone or shore, but wherever they decide to
• 38:27
  Speaker 3: lead off.
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: So, Another under the radar, Amunda Sosa plays great defense
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: and was in there today. He's been around for a
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: long time and I think one of those unsung heroes
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: that produces in moments. He gives you quality at bat.
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: He's got a little power in all fields. He's a
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: good player. A good big leaguer.
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: The Phillies have a good back end of the bullpen too. Again,
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: they can hit home runs. They're not going to be
• 38:54
  Speaker 3: out of it, but this Braves team, man. I think
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: they're going to set themselves up nicely to move on.
• 39:02
  Speaker 3: The only downside to the National League bracket this year
• 39:08
  Speaker 3: is if you do win this three games, you're going,
• 39:12
  Speaker 3: you have, if you win the Cubs-Padres, you have the
• 39:16
  Speaker 3: Milwaukee Brewers with Jacob Mizorowski looming game one in a
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: full year.
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: Best record in baseball.
• 39:21
  Speaker 3: Best record in baseball. And Los Angeles Dodgers that are
• 39:24
  Speaker 3: going for a three-peat. So, yeah. I guess backs against
• 39:27
  Speaker 3: the wall immediately. You just got to take it one
• 39:29
  Speaker 3: game at a time. time, obviously, as we know that, Rossi.
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: Well, you got to hope that whole time off, like
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: every once in a while a team with too much
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: time off just doesn't come out hot. Maybe you can
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: sneak out a win or two early on. But definitely
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: the National League, you're going to have an uphill battle
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: with those.
• 39:47
  Speaker 3: Two teams waiting on you. The good thing with the
• 39:50
  Speaker 3: National League, with the teams that have the time off,
• 39:52
  Speaker 3: is their DS schedule, it goes game one and two
• 39:57
  Speaker 3: without an off day in between. Where the American League,
• 39:59
  Speaker 3: because of the way the TV stuff goes, is it's
• 40:03
  Speaker 3: game one, off day, game two, off day, game three
• 40:07
  Speaker 3: and four. So if you're the Guardians and the Rays,
• 40:11
  Speaker 3: you're playing two games in a week. You have five
• 40:15
  Speaker 3: days off, and then you play two games in four days.
• 40:19
  Speaker 3: So the American League side, I think it's going to
• 40:22
  Speaker 3: be a lot harder for those teams to get it going.
• 40:25
  Speaker 3: But you do want the time off, that's for sure.
• 40:28
  Speaker 3: You definitely do, yeah, for sure. I got the Braves advancing.
• 40:34
  Speaker 3: The one thing, because I love Schwarber and I want
• 40:37
  Speaker 3: to see him win another World Series, is the Phillies
• 40:41
  Speaker 3: just clinched today. So they're popping champagne, they're feeling good,
• 40:45
  Speaker 3: they're going to be riding a lot of momentum, a
• 40:47
  Speaker 3: lot of adrenaline into this postseason. They're battle-tested at the end,
• 40:55
  Speaker 3: so there is hope for sure with the Phillies. I
• 41:02
  Speaker 3: see that going three games, though. So your prediction would
• 41:04
  Speaker 3: be the Phillies taking it if it goes three games.
• 41:11
  Speaker 3: Let's get to the prime time, Rossi. The prime time.
• 41:16
  Speaker 3: The biggest rivalry in all of baseball. Been part of it.
• 41:19
  Speaker 3: You've been part of it. The New York Yankees versus
• 41:23
  Speaker 3: the Boston Red Sox. At the Bronx, Yankees-Sox primetime playoff baseball, Rossi.
• 41:34
  Speaker 3: What do we got?
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: Hey, buddy. This is what we pay to see. I mean, Tuna,
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: you're on the call, which is super cool. And in
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: New York.
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: You know, this is a hard one for me. This
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: is a hard one. There's so many variables. We're trying
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: to walk through thinking about what Aaron Boone is going
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: to do with the lineup. If Judge is in there,
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: if he's not in there, it feels like he can
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: only DH. Ben Rice hasn't played first. What's the platoon?
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: We were going around. Wells has been swinging the bat great.
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: I think he's going to be behind the plate, but
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: You know, you start going around the infield. Who's playing third?
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: Who's playing second? Who's playing right?
• 42:21
  Speaker 3: Like Abadalu Costello.
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, exactly. Who's on first? There's a lot of–
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: Ahmed Rosario may sneak in there. We had all kind
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: of scenarios going today. But the one thing I do
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: know is that the New York Yankees have the best
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: pitching staff. Their pitching staff is so good. Cam Sittler is–
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: potentially an MVP candidate in the AL and one of
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: the best pitchers on the planet. And he's dominated the Sox.
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: So he's going game one. And then I think they
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: said Freed and Cole is what I've heard. I don't
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: know if that's official yet. But then you go with
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: the Sox. They've just been the underdog and seem to
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: overcome a lot of odds. They're not going to be
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: scared going in there. I think the key to that
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: game is Wilson Contreras' health. If he comes back, he
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: had a career season this year with over 900 OPS
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: and leading in homers and RBIs and runs scored, all
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: kind of his offensive categories average. He's a key for them.
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: And so if he bounces back and makes their lineup
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: a lot deeper, it's going to be an exciting one.
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: And I've got to give the edge. I know the
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: New York Yankees, and I had a lot of those
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: guys at WBC, and I don't want to hear that.
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: them to hear me say this, but I think the
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: Red Sox bullpen is elite on the back end. And
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: they've got some, if Garrett Crochet is healthy, he was
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: throwing 94, 96 last week when we were in there.
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: Nasty sliders. Talked to Chad Tracy and he said he
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: wasn't as sore as he thought he would be after
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: that live VP. So it's, if you could bridge him,
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: you could make it a really short starter game, four
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: or five innings. bridge that to Garrett Crochet for an
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: inning or two, and then go off those horses and
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: Whitlock and Chappie on the back end, some version of that.
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: You know, it's going to be a tight one. I
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: would take the under. It's going to be a low-scoring game.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: Both these offenses haven't been electric down the stretch, and
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: so we will see what happens. But it's definitely going
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: to be a must-watch TV and a pitching duel, in
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: my opinion.
• 44:31
  Speaker 3: Yep. Like you said, I am on the call, NBC,
• 44:34
  Speaker 3: with Jason Benetti. as a lead announcer next to Lou Merloni,
• 44:38
  Speaker 3: who's a Red Sox color guy, and Joe Girardi. So
• 44:43
  Speaker 3: that's going to be awesome.
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: We're going to do it tomorrow. Let me ask you
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: a question. Are you like Herb Street and you can't
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: make a prediction if you're on the call? Can you
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: make a prediction of who you think is going to win?
• 44:55
  Speaker 3: That's a good point, Rossi. Can I make a prediction?
• 44:58
  Speaker 3: We don't know. I'll make predictions. This is our show.
• 45:01
  Speaker 3: This is our show.
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: I'm going, hold on, I need to make mine. I
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: need to make mine before you make mine. I am
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: going with the Boston Red Sox to beat the New
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: York Yankees in New York. I feel like there's an
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: edge to this group. William Abreu with a big knock
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: in a big moment for me.
• 45:19
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, look, man, what the Red Sox have
• 45:22
  Speaker 3: done with Chad Tracy, you know, turning this entire almost
• 45:29
  Speaker 3: franchise around. You talk about what they've done. You really
• 45:32
  Speaker 3: want to dig into this. They turn this franchise around
• 45:34
  Speaker 3: for the next two, three years. If they continued that trajectory,
• 45:39
  Speaker 3: Craig Breslow's probably gone. They're probably hiring another manager. And
• 45:44
  Speaker 3: they could go into a full-blown rebuild for two or
• 45:47
  Speaker 3: three years, which the fans are already pissed. So, I mean,
• 45:51
  Speaker 3: I'm very impressed with what they did. It has been
• 45:54
  Speaker 3: anchored by Wilson. They've had amazing pitching, right? Josh Toley
• 45:59
  Speaker 3: has been a great story. Not even a great story.
• 46:02
  Speaker 3: He's just a great human being. It's so hard not
• 46:04
  Speaker 3: to root for him, right? So he's going to be
• 46:07
  Speaker 3: fired up pitching in the Bronx. He's going to be
• 46:09
  Speaker 3: coming out probably throwing 99 out the get-go. You have
• 46:13
  Speaker 3: the Cuban missile at the back end, Chapman, who, as
• 46:17
  Speaker 3: we know, Ross, he can give you five innings if
• 46:20
  Speaker 3: needed in one game. Crochet. So the Yankees are going
• 46:24
  Speaker 3: to have to score. And that could be a problem,
• 46:27
  Speaker 3: like you said, because the Red Sox play small ball.
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: They bunt a lot. They can move guys over. They
• 46:34
  Speaker 3: put the ball in play. They're scrappy. The Yankees slug.
• 46:38
  Speaker 3: So that's my biggest probably concern with the Yankees is
• 46:45
  Speaker 3: if Aaron Judge is ready to play, which I know
• 46:49
  Speaker 3: Aaron Judge pretty well, it's going to take a lot
• 46:52
  Speaker 3: to keep him out of the New York Yankees lineup
• 46:55
  Speaker 3: versus the Boston Red Sox in the wildcard series, right?
• 47:00
  Speaker 3: Where does he play? He almost can't play. And that's
• 47:03
  Speaker 3: a roster construction problem for me. Where you're telling me
• 47:07
  Speaker 3: if Aaron Judge can't play right field that it messes
• 47:10
  Speaker 3: up the entire lineup?
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: What?
• 47:13
  Speaker 3: Right? Yeah. Lefties pitching game one.
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: Well, they've got two lefties going, and they've got good lefties.
• 47:23
  Speaker 3: The Yankees are good against lefties. The Yankees are 35-20
• 47:26
  Speaker 3: versus left-handed pitching. Okay.
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: All right.
• 47:28
  Speaker 3: All right. And Toley isn't really necessarily a neutralizer against lefties,
• 47:34
  Speaker 3: I believe. He's a reverse split guy to a certain degree. So,
• 47:38
  Speaker 3: but it's just the way, you know, are you not
• 47:41
  Speaker 3: going to play Jazz? Are you going to play Volpe
• 47:42
  Speaker 3: at third? Like you said, there's so many question marks
• 47:45
  Speaker 3: that if Aaron Boone isn't communicating right away, right now
• 47:48
  Speaker 3: to his players, basically an entire outlook of this series,
• 47:53
  Speaker 3: it's a mindfuck as a player. If you're not going
• 47:56
  Speaker 3: into tomorrow knowing your role and if you're playing, if
• 48:00
  Speaker 3: you're not playing to be able to, you know, blow
• 48:04
  Speaker 3: off steam and show up that day for the team. Right.
• 48:08
  Speaker 3: Because everyone wants to play every one of those. There's
• 48:11
  Speaker 3: going to be four guys that are sitting every night
• 48:13
  Speaker 3: that think they should be playing there.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: Sure. Well, Caballero, like he could play second and Rosario
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: versus a lefty at third. You've got McMahon to come
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: in for defense.
• 48:23
  Speaker 3: He played third. He looks a lot better. He had
• 48:27
  Speaker 3: a grand slam in the world series. He's been great
• 48:29
  Speaker 3: in the playoffs.
• 48:30
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I just think they're going to go with
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: who's hot, and they've got a lot of moving parts.
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: You know, it's going to be, you know, Ben Rice
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: hasn't played first base in like two months. You know,
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: are you going to stick him at first if Judge
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: is DH-ing? You know, I'm just, we'll see.
• 48:51
  Speaker 3: I think we're going to find out. I mean, bro,
• 48:53
  Speaker 3: but what I do know, Rossi, is that they have
• 48:56
  Speaker 3: a bad man pitching game one. Yeah, they do. And
• 49:03
  Speaker 3: he dominates the Red Sox. He's from Mass. He grew
• 49:06
  Speaker 3: up a Red Sox fan. He grew up a Bruins fan.
• 49:09
  Speaker 3: And now he's become the villain there in his hometown. But,
• 49:13
  Speaker 3: I mean, we saw the reports of the Yankees flirting
• 49:16
  Speaker 3: the idea of throwing him game two. And it's like, what?
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: No.
• 49:20
  Speaker 3: Throw that man game one, and then you have him
• 49:21
  Speaker 3: in the bullpen on game three. I know we were
• 49:23
  Speaker 3: dogging the Marlins for that during the regular season, but
• 49:27
  Speaker 3: game one, and then you have him in the bullpen.
• 49:28
  Speaker 3: The Yankees pitching staff is going to carry them potentially
• 49:34
  Speaker 3: to the World Series.
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: Sure.
• 49:36
  Speaker 3: That's how they're going to get there.
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure.
• 49:38
  Speaker 3: A couple guys need to get hot offensively. If you
• 49:42
  Speaker 3: can string together three to four runs, you're getting to
• 49:47
  Speaker 3: the World Series because you have Cam, Freed, Garrett, and
• 49:53
  Speaker 3: then you have Rodon lurking at some point at any
• 49:56
  Speaker 3: time in those games where he can come in in
• 49:59
  Speaker 3: the 6th, 7th to bridge two innings, throwing fuel. He's
• 50:02
  Speaker 3: been an unsung hero for them this year. And their
• 50:06
  Speaker 3: back end of the bullpen is elite. I believe the
• 50:09
  Speaker 3: Red Sox bullpen is number one, and the Yankees are
• 50:12
  Speaker 3: number two, if I have that right.
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they both got great pitching, and you're right. I
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: think the horse just popped up. Chris Tran, shout out.
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: Cam has a. 74 ERA versus Sox in four games
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: this year, and last year went 8-plus shutty in the playoffs.
• 50:33
  Speaker 3: Look, I'm not— He likes the moment. There is some
• 50:36
  Speaker 3: circulating on X— the other day of a picture of
• 50:39
  Speaker 3: Schlittler and some Red Sox fan, I'm assuming, uh, AI'd it,
• 50:46
  Speaker 3: but did you guys not learn your, I know I
• 50:48
  Speaker 3: don't want to speak too early, but did you not
• 50:49
  Speaker 3: learn your lesson last year when you're talking all this
• 50:52
  Speaker 3: shit to him and he comes out and shoves it
• 50:53
  Speaker 3: down your throat? So the, the, the Yankees pitching is
• 51:00
  Speaker 3: a problem for all opposing teams this year because they're also,
• 51:03
  Speaker 3: they can put weathers in the bullpen in the back end.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: Um, Will Warren.
• 51:08
  Speaker 3: Will Warren's going to be back there. So you guys
• 51:11
  Speaker 3: are going to be throwing fuel back there. So Booney
• 51:14
  Speaker 3: has a whole arsenal to work with. It's the position
• 51:18
  Speaker 3: player core that is the biggest worry, right, is Judge going.
• 51:22
  Speaker 3: Is Stanton healthy? If Stanton's healthy, you're going to tell him, right?
• 51:26
  Speaker 3: He's the odd man out. Big G in the playoffs
• 51:28
  Speaker 3: is a whole other beast. You can't have nine DHs
• 51:33
  Speaker 3: in one spot, right?
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: You're starting to make me change my mind, Jorge. I've
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: already got my pick. Well, I think the Yankees win
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: in two, honestly. And I'm a huge fan of the
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: Red Sox. I know I play for the Yankees and
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: the rivalry and all, but I have covered the Red
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: Sox a few times this year. You're drafted by the
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: Red Sox.
• 51:54
  Speaker 3: Drafted by them. I always have a soft spot for Boston,
• 51:58
  Speaker 3: the way they've treated me and my family, especially when
• 52:00
  Speaker 3: I was going through my sickness. But they're a team
• 52:03
  Speaker 3: of grinders, man, and they're a team– that you can
• 52:06
  Speaker 3: root for because of the adversity they went through this year,
• 52:10
  Speaker 3: the grind, managerial changes, Peyton Tolley's immaculate ending, smiling on
• 52:15
  Speaker 3: the field, right? So I can't wait. I can't wait
• 52:19
  Speaker 3: to be on this call.
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: Another storyline, game two, Sonny Gray has not had a
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: lot of success in Yankee Stadium when he was there
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: pitching for the New York Yankees. So he goes back
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: with a little time for redemption. in a big moment,
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: and he's had a phenomenal year, another guy on the
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: back end of his career, seemingly, as he's talked of.
• 52:40
  Speaker 3: You want to talk about a home field advantage, Rossi? Bro,
• 52:46
  Speaker 3: I'm just going to throw this out there and paint
• 52:47
  Speaker 3: this picture. If Schlittler strikes out the side in the
• 52:50
  Speaker 3: first and the Yankees homer in the first, the Red
• 52:53
  Speaker 3: Sox don't even stand a chance, right? And obviously, there's
• 52:57
  Speaker 3: a lot of baseball left, but that place is an
• 53:00
  Speaker 3: absolute zoo. It's bonkers. And it's Red Sox, Yankees. These
• 53:05
  Speaker 3: fan bases hate each other. I'll be boots on the ground, Rossi.
• 53:10
  Speaker 3: Field level, right in the action. And I cannot wait.
• 53:14
  Speaker 3: I'm going to be taking my headset off all the
• 53:15
  Speaker 3: time just to hear how Lotto gets in there.
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: You need to get just for our program. You might
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: need to give us a little quick, quick little video.
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: You got to send in to Chris and let him
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: throw it on here. Give us a little true sound
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: in the moment. That would be that'd be cool. That'd
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: be cool.
• 53:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's, I mean, 8 p.m. Tuesday night. Yeah, but
• 53:39
  Speaker 3: you know what? I say that, and I'm on the game,
• 53:43
  Speaker 3: but I really, I want to see good baseball, man.
• 53:46
  Speaker 3: I do. I want to see punch for punch. I
• 53:49
  Speaker 3: want to see these teams score five or six and
• 53:51
  Speaker 3: make the managers make crazy decisions, right? I love this
• 53:56
  Speaker 3: time of the year, especially in a three-game set where, Rossi,
• 53:59
  Speaker 3: you know, like, If Schlittler's in a hole in the
• 54:03
  Speaker 3: first two innings and you're Aaron Boone, how quick is
• 54:07
  Speaker 3: your trigger?
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you got to go.
• 54:10
  Speaker 3: Same with Tracy. And the equalizer for the Red Sox
• 54:16
  Speaker 3: is Garrett Whitlock, who can go multiple innings, multiple days.
• 54:21
  Speaker 3: And he can bridge the gap big time for the
• 54:23
  Speaker 3: Red Sox. So it's going to be an early start. early.
• 54:27
  Speaker 3: You got to score early and it's not going to
• 54:29
  Speaker 3: be easy to score early with the pitching that's going.
• 54:33
  Speaker 3: Get your popcorn ready. That's going to be a fun one.
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: Let's go. Let's go.
• 54:39
  Speaker 3: And then a series that I'm going to tell you
• 54:41
  Speaker 3: no one, absolutely no one saw coming back in March
• 54:46
  Speaker 3: was the Houston Astros hosting the Chicago White Sox. I mean,
• 54:54
  Speaker 3: teams that One team that limped in, one team that's
• 54:58
  Speaker 3: disappointed but is really happy to be in. The Astros
• 55:03
  Speaker 3: are 81-81, worst team ever to make the playoffs, which
• 55:06
  Speaker 3: is a pretty funny stat, winning the AL West. And
• 55:10
  Speaker 3: the White Sox led the AL Central for damn near
• 55:14
  Speaker 3: most of the year, and they kind of collapsed there
• 55:16
  Speaker 3: at the end. And now they're on the road as
• 55:19
  Speaker 3: a wild card. Instead of having a first-round buy like
• 55:22
  Speaker 3: the Guardians, they're on the road playing the Houston Astros.
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we've got we've got it feels like the veterans
• 55:31
  Speaker 1: versus the rookies, right? Like, yeah, the Astros have been
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: in the postseason and won the West. I think it's
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: like eight out of nine years or nine out of
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: the last 10, something crazy. So they know what they're doing.
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: They know how to get in. They've got the best
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: one of the best hitters in the game right now
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: in Jordan Alvarez, especially in the American League. This guy's
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: had a phenomenal season. You know, will the White Sox
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: be able to kind of go into Houston with just
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: this energy? And will they pitch to Jordan? And then
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: you've got a young team in Chicago.
• 56:10
  Speaker 3: That is.
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: Just, you know, there's a lot of just green behind
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: the ears, but that's scary, right? Like young guys and
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: nothing to lose. Both teams have limped into the postseason.
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: Both teams aren't playing their best baseball. But a refreshed
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: young group like the White Sox with, you know, I
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: feel like their young pitchers are starting to run out
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: of gas. There's a lot of swing and miss in
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: some of the young guys, some of the guys that
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: they have in the lineup. But they've got multiple guys
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: with 30-plus home runs. Vargas is a real middle-of-the-order bat
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: for the White Sox. You know, they've got the pieces.
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: They got them there. If they get hot with just
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: a little bit of energy the postseason, you never know
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: who's going to rise to the occasion when it matters
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: the most. I think that's the most exciting thing about
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: the postseason is who's going to get the moment. And
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: I wouldn't be shocked if some of these young guys
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: lock it in even more, getting through their first season
• 57:13
  Speaker 1: and getting into a playoff atmosphere in Houston where you
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: know how loud it is when that roof is closed.
• 57:18
  Speaker 3: No doubt. I think that honestly with the White Sox,
• 57:22
  Speaker 3: they're playing with house money. No one had them there.
• 57:26
  Speaker 3: They're in the playoffs. I think they would have liked
• 57:30
  Speaker 3: to buy, but for me personally, I like that they're
• 57:33
  Speaker 3: playing right away, that they could just keep going. In
• 57:38
  Speaker 3: this series, you're going to see the managers having to
• 57:41
  Speaker 3: manage big time. There's going to be a lot of offense,
• 57:46
  Speaker 3: I feel like. A lot of homers. Pitching around Jordan, strategy.
• 57:52
  Speaker 3: I mean, Morikama, Colson Montgomery, 30-plus homers, right? Who'd you
• 58:01
  Speaker 3: just say that I'm forgetting his name?
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: Vargas.
• 58:03
  Speaker 3: Vargas, playing third base, 30-plus homers, like their superstar, right?
• 58:10
  Speaker 3: I mean, the White Sox, bro, they can win a
• 58:13
  Speaker 3: three-game series. The thing is, the Astros now have an
• 58:16
  Speaker 3: elite back-end bullpen. So, you talk about a team in
• 58:20
  Speaker 3: a three-game series, they can They can throw these guys
• 58:22
  Speaker 3: three days in a row and get away with it.
• 58:24
  Speaker 3: I don't know how deep they can make it, but
• 58:28
  Speaker 3: this is going to be a fun series because, like
• 58:31
  Speaker 3: you said, it's like the veterans versus the rookies, right?
• 58:34
  Speaker 3: It's like, yeah, like JV playing varsity almost, but the
• 58:39
  Speaker 3: JV team is almost better than the varsity team, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: Well, the Astros were 10-13 in September.
• 58:45
  Speaker 3: The White Sox were 11-13.
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: So they came in kind of playing– Both not playing
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: great baseball, but I'm with you. It's going to be
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: high scoring. I'm going to go ahead and make a prediction.
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: As much as it hurts me to go against Will Venable,
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: I am going to go with the veterans who handle
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: the moment and who have one of the best players
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: in the game, Jordan Alvarez. He's going to come up
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: in a big moment that I think, uh, puts the
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: Astros over the top. And I think their, their backend, uh,
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: has been, you know, with Josh Hader, I love a
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: nice closure in the post season that you can go
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: to when it matters the most.
• 59:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I, I, uh, I love this, Rossi. I love
• 59:27
  Speaker 3: that we disagree so much because I'm going with the
• 59:29
  Speaker 3: Chicago White Sox. I think Chicago sports is officially back, right?
• 59:34
  Speaker 3: The Bears dodged a big break by not losing Caleb
• 59:38
  Speaker 3: Williams for, looked like six years he was going to
• 59:40
  Speaker 3: be out for with that injury. The Cubs are in
• 59:44
  Speaker 3: the playoffs. Patrick Kane's back with the Blackhawks. The Bulls
• 59:47
  Speaker 3: have to be good at some point again, right? The
• 59:51
  Speaker 3: White Sox, you got... I love it. So... The soccer teams,
• 59:57
  Speaker 3: I know you got the Chicago Sky are good. So
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 3: I think the White Sox are going to come in,
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 3: they're going to surprise some people, and they're going to
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 3: ride this team energy that they've had, this team camaraderie
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 3: that they've had from the get-go, and ride this into
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 3: a DS appearance. I really do. I don't know.
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: I hope you're right. I root for Will Venable and
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: that group.
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 3: The crazy, bro, the crazy part is, Rossi, is that.
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: You know, DeNorfia's on that staff.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. DeNorfia.
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 3: Sorry. Played with both of them. The crazy part about
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 3: this is that you're going to have a combination of
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 3: the Cleveland Guardians, the Houston Astros, or the Chicago White
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 3: Sox in the American League Championship Series.
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 3: Over the three, arguably three best teams in all the sport, right?
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 3: So, yeah.
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: Well, and a really tough division. And, you know, we
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: hadn't even talked about the raise or all that. I
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: think Cleveland's good. I just watched him. They, they, they're, they're,
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: they're pitching and defense and the way they, they play
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: the game. They're, they're good, but I'm, I'm with you.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: It shouldn't, it feels like they should. It's just weird
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: seeing an 81 and 81 team.
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 3: Right. Isn't that great? I just, I think that whoever
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 3: the guardian, the guardians are built for a five game series.
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 3: And like I said, With the off days, their bullpen
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 3: is going to be a problem. When they get to
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 3: the championship series and they have to play a seven
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 3: game and you have to stretch out guys, you have
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 3: to be more strategic, it's going to be a lot
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 3: harder for the Guardians. But that's why I love the Yankees, man.
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 3: Their pitching is set up. They get through the Red Sox,
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 3: which they're the favorites. They should get through them, right?
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 3: They're going to give a raise a run for their
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 3: money because with that game-off format... The Yankees could unload
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 3: these dudes in the bullpen. Unload with elite starting pitchers.
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 3: You could have Carlos Rodon as your damn near fireman
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 3: until the American League changes. There's so many things that
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 3: Aaron Boone can do, and I'm really excited for that
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 3: team to see how it all comes together. It's going
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 3: to be, bro, this is going to be... Let's go.
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 3: Best time of the year, Rossi.
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 1: By far. This is when I miss playing the most.
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: When these guys, and it's a packed house, and like
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: you said, the crowds on their feet, the first home
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: run at any of these home stadiums from the home
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: team is going to just be absolutely bonkers. And watching
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: the starting pitching and how every pitch matters, we've got
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: the challenge system for the first time, the balls and strikes.
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: You know, last year, the Cubs game against the Padres
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: ended with that ball that was borderline down. and weren't
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: able to challenge. We've got that. There's no umpires going
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: to do something stupid. Hopefully, there's no challenges. I would
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: hate for a team to run out of challenges in
• 1:02:55
  Speaker 1: the eighth.
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 3: Or ninth, and it matter. Imagine that.
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 4: Wow.
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 1: Imagine that. So there's a whole other strategic part of it.
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: This is going to be nuts. This is going to
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: be nuts. I can't wait. I can't wait.
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 3: And we're covering it.
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: We are media experts.
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 3: Locked in, recovering, postseason.
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: In our opinion, it's the only one that matters as
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: far as this show goes.
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 3: That's it. Fuck everyone else.
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: That's right. It's us or no one.
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 3: Rossi, let's make our full predictions here. First predictions we've
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 3: come out with. So I have the Yankees beating the
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 3: Red Sox, going to Tampa Bay, beating the Rays. And
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 3: advancing to the CS. I have the White Sox going
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 3: to the Guardians. Advancing to the Guardians. The Guardians versus
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 3: the Yankees in the ALCS. And I have the Yankees
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 3: winning the American League pennant again. Going to the World
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 3: Series on the American League side.
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: That's a homework call. Okay, go ahead.
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 3: No, it's yours. It's yours. All right.
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: I've got, we're talking about AL first, right? I've got
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: the Sox beating the Yankees. and playing Tampa Bay. I've
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: got Houston beating the White Sox and playing Cleveland. I've
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 1: got Cleveland moving on. I've got Tampa Bay beating the
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: Red Sox. So we've got a Cleveland-Tampa Bay ALCS with
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: Tampa Bay going to the World Series from the AL.
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 3: Wow. All right. I mean, bro, it's just you can't
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 3: look at any team in the American League and not
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 3: look at the Yankees and their pitching. They're too good.
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: No, you're right. No, I'm just messing with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: You put it perfectly earlier. Like, they are set up
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: to make a run with how deep their pitching is.
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: Excuse me.
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 3: They just got to score some runs. And they will.
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 3: And they will.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: That's right. I think that's why, to me, and I
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 1: know you got to get there, and so this goes
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: against everything I believe sometimes, but, like, if Judge, if
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: he'll be a little bit better in the second round
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: in the D.S., If they could get by with now
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: him playing and risking injury, I just think that's just
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: such a boost for them winning the whole thing. But
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: right now I'm going with the Tampa Bay Rays out
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: of the AO. All right.
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 3: And the National League, drumroll please. I have the Chicago Cubs,
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 3: like I stated, beating the San Diego Padres, advancing to
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 3: the Brewers. I have them redeeming last year's DS loss.
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 3: The Brewers have dominated the Cubs this year. To the
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 3: point where it was like in 2015 when we dominated
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 3: the Mets and then we went in and got swept.
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 3: So I have the Cubs moving on to the CS. Okay.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 3: I have the Braves beating the Phillies. I have the
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 3: Braves in five beating the Dodgers.
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: Let's go.
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 3: Defending World Series champions. And then I know I said
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 3: that I wanted the Cubs to play the Braves in
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 3: the first round, but I do not want them to
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 3: play the Braves in the American League Championship Series because
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 3: I have the Braves going to the World Series and
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 3: it being Yankees-Braves in the World Series this year.
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: Oh, I like that. I like that. All right. I'm
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: going with San Diego, as I mentioned. I feel like
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: they're so hot playing the Milwaukee Brewers and then the
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: Brewers cooling them off really fast and the Brewers going
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: to the NLCS. And then Atlanta beating Philly. I've got L.A.
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: beating Atlanta. So we've got a Milwaukee L.A. NLCS. And
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: I am going with the Milwaukee Brewers.
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 3: Save baseball.
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: To beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. And we've got Rays
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: Brewers World Series with the Tampa Bay Bears. Rays winning
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: the World Series.
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen, if David Ross' predictions come to fruition,
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 3: if you're a baseball fan, you have to say thank
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 3: you for the small market teams for saving baseball, right?
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 3: We gotta slay the juggernauts. That's right.
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: Who you got winning the whole thing?
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 3: Who you got winning the whole thing?
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 1: You've got Yankees Braves who is our 2026 world series
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: champion drum roll. If you had it already, if.
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 3: Aaron judge comes back healthy, the Yankees are the world
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 3: series champions.
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: Nice.
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 3: That's my prediction.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: And that's our first post-season prediction. from Ross and Rizzo unfiltered.
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 3: I love it. We need to make sure that the
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 3: fans submit their questions for us, uh, throughout the post season.
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 3: We'll answer questions on your team on hot takes on
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 3: what managers do, because that's our favorite part. And we'll
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 3: get into that our last regular season, going into the
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 3: post season, Tim boss, ball bag questions of the week,
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 3: our daily, our mailbag, um, Remember, you can email us
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 3: at rossandrizzo at gmail.com or leave a comment on YouTube
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 3: or leave a comment on Instagram or through our socials.
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 3: Our first email is from Lorraine. Lorraine, I think. Lorraine,
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 3: all right. Did the Cubs do enough at the deadline
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 3: to acquire pitching? They got Gosman and Holmes to win
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 3: a World Series. As do you think they will be
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 3: aggressive in the offseason to continue to acquire pitching?
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: Well, I mean, my take on that is I think
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: they did what they could, you know, I would have
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 1: liked to them see an ad in the bullpen, but, um,
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: you know, they were so short on pitching. They went
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: out and got two dudes. Um, so you definitely got
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: to get them, give them credit there. Um, and make
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: it some small, small moves in the bullpen. But, uh, I,
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: this off season, like I I'm hoping they would bank
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: on Justin Steele coming back. Uh, Cam, I know who
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: am I? Uh, Cade Horton. those are two guys to
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 1: add that you can put on your radar for next year.
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: To be honest with you, if those two guys were
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: in this rotation, Chicago Cubs would be my World Series favorite,
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: to be honest. They're the version of what they were
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 1: before they got hurt. Those two guys are horses. I
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: know they'll be aggressive in the offseason. This is a window.
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: They've got so many guys locked up under contract with
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: Dansby and Nico and Bregge and Bush is there. I mean,
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: they've got uh, you know, PCA, all you're going to
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: do is build around him with pitching. I don't know
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: if it's bullpen or starters, how they're going to do it. Uh,
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: we'll see if they bring hat back. Uh, I think
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: say it may be on the back end of his contract,
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: but yeah, I do think, uh, they, I think they
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: did what they could at the deadline. Uh, you can't
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: give up your whole, your, your whole team, but they
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: knew they needed pitching. They went out and tried to
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: fill that void.
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I think they did a great job with the deadline. Um,
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 3: especially getting the guy from the angels. I have a
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 3: hard time pronouncing his name. Uh, The Z? Zephyr John.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 3: Zephyr John. Yeah, he's a stud. I mean, he may
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 3: be the closer in the playoffs.
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. I forgot about him, actually. That was a booth. Yeah, exactly.
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 3: Gossman and Holmes, I love. I loved them going there
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 3: because the Chicago Cubs can play defense. They're infield's elite.
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 3: They're outfield's elite. And you get two guys that are
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 3: ground ball pitchers that can go deep into games. So,
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 3: for how banged up and how much adversity the pitching
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 3: staff has gone through this year, I do give credit
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 3: to Jed for going out and getting two starting pitchers
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 3: to help because, I mean, Gosman Holmes and, and Matthew Boyd,
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 3: you know, you're looking at a team that can, to
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 3: make a run. You have Javier Assad that can start
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 3: a game for you. Who's a, who's a swing man.
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 3: So he's.
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: Imanaga had pitched great, but he might be good in
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: a short, in a short stint. He might be great.
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: And you know, who held down that rotation when everybody's
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: banged up, like Colin Ray and, did a great job.
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: I know he's in the bullpen now and not getting
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: as much, many looks. And I'm, I'm not saying he
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: would be a world series, you know, starter, but like
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: you get guys to give you some, an ending here
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: and there, and you can piece it together. Like, can
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: you imagine if I remember in the post season, um,
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: I was with the Red Sox, and Joe Maddon rolled
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: out nine different pitchers in a nine-inning game. Just went
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: the whole thing.
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 3: It's not easy as a hitter.
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: It's not easy to time those guys up. And if
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: everybody just knows they're emptying the tank for one inning,
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: you could do something special. So who knows? Next email
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: from Brian Tanner. It's me again.
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 3: Hey, thanks, Brian. Repeat of the show.
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: First time, long time. Thanks for watching. You're the man, Mr. Tanner.
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: Thank you for answering my question from last week, and
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: I want to know what you guys think is going
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: to happen with the Braves after their one-two punch of
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: Sale and Maley. Do we start Grant Holmes or maybe
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: throw a bullpen game if it goes to game three?
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: You got a take on that, Riz? I definitely think
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: it's going to be Johnny Holstaff after Sale and Maley.
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 3: I think you start Grant Holmes. He's had a pretty,
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 3: I mean, he's had an ERA in the threes. You
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 3: ride him with a leash of, you double bullpen, you're
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 3: double barreling in the first.
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he's going to have a short leash.
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 3: He had a mid three, three, four ERA. I mean,
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 3: that's a solid pitcher, bro. You know what I mean?
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 3: And he's got good stuff. So I think you ride
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 3: that and then you immediately hit the audible button as
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 3: soon as needed.
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 3: But if he can get you through, the lineup one
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 3: to two times, and then you move it on to
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 3: your bullpen.
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I like that.
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 3: And then you could have also, too, you could have
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 3: Chris Sale down there for an inning, right?
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: He's done it before, did it with the Red Sox
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: to win a World Series.
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I mean, they're deep. The Braves, the Braves
• 1:13:17
  Speaker 3: are very underrated. They're the most underrated team going to
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 3: the playoffs, in my opinion. Just, they've been good all year.
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 3: They haven't been talked about a lot all year. They
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 3: win this first series versus the Phillies. They get some
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 3: real momentum, and I think they're going to be really
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 3: dangerous as I have them going to the World Series.
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: All right. Last one. This is our YouTube comment from
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: at MegaMacBack.
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 3: MegaMacBack. MegaMacBack. What a name. I love that.
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: In your guys' experience, how hard is it to deal
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 1: with the nerves of playoff baseball compared to the regular season?
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: Do you think the Cubs' playoff experience last year helps
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: with playing on the road?
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 3: I think that experience is everything. I've told this to
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 3: a lot of young hitters. When in doubt in the postseason, take.
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 3: That's been my experience. Because guys go to their best
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 3: stuff right away from the first pitch of the game,
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 3: from the first at-bat to the last at-bat. It does
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 3: not matter the scenario. The team will tell you what
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 3: they're about to do to you right away. So, Sometimes
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 3: in the bigger the situation, you got to really weigh
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 3: all the numbers. But usually the strike zone gets a
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 3: lot tighter, which I don't think it matters as much
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 3: anymore because of the challenge system. But when in doubt, take.
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 3: And that was from my experience. And you gain experience.
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 3: The Cubs last year are a better team this year
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 3: because they made the playoffs and they made a little
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 3: bit of a run. So I do think that them
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 3: going into this season and them going into the playoffs
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 3: going into a really hostile environment in san diego they're
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 3: going to be ready for it they're they're a veteran
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 3: group and i think that they have what it takes
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 3: to beat that team.
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: Quick story i got i got to catch him one
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: of the first ever i got to start a wild
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: card game in atlanta we were playing st louis you
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: know win or go home when they first started the
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: wild card series and i was so nervous leading up
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: to that game that um I don't think I ate
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: much at the bullpen. I was a mess. And then
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: the first pitch was thrown and my nerves went fine
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: back to normal.
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 3: Right.
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: It was just the lead up to that. Well, I
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: feel like that helped me the following year I was
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 1: in Boston and I got to start game one of
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: the world series. And I was so much more calm
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: in that moment, just from going through that. Brian McCann
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: was hurt in Atlanta. He was an everyday starter, but
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: going through that, that experience gave me moments on deck
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: of learning, like how to slow your heart rate, how
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: to think through the problem. things that you do during
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: the regular season, sometimes you want it so bad in
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: the postseason and you're so amped up to do well,
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: it's hard to control the strike zone, not swing at everything,
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: try to throw harder, try to make more plays, try
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: to be the hero with somebody in scoring position and
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: swing outside of the zone. We talk about this all
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: the time on the show, but talking about one pitch
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: at a time, one at bat at a time and
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: try to win the small battles that you look up and,
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: you know, you're in the ninth inning with the lead
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: and good things happen. But that's kind of my take
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: on experience definitely helps. But there are outliers that step
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: on the scene as we've seen. I feel like the
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: young players in our game are so much more poised
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: than I was when I was coming up and the
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: at-bats they have and the way they handle their emotions
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: are so much more mature than than I think when
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: I was coming up. So you never know. Some guys
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: are just built for moments and lock in in big moments,
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 1: and we may see some of that this postseason.
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 3: Bro, with the experience part too, great question, Mega Macback
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 3: from YouTube. Thank you. When I was in Chicago, right,
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 3: I was player number one or two on the offensive side, right,
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 3: me and KB.
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were the dude.
• 1:17:08
  Speaker 3: But I was one of the main guys, right? So
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 3: the pressure you put on yourself to perform was so much...
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 3: It weighed so much more on me than when I
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 3: was with the Yankees. Because I got to sit back
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 3: and it was Judge and Stanton who had to answer
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 3: the questions. DJ LeMay was here for a while. I
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 3: was just a piece to that puzzle so I could
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 3: just go and play with not a lot of pressure
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 3: on me and a lot of experience individually. So I
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 3: just always remember... feeling that pressure in Chicago because of
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 3: not winning, because of the 100 plus year drought in
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 3: 15 and 108 years in 16 and 17, 18 and
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 3: so on. I need to carry the team at points
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 3: where you don't. You just, like you said, don't be
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 3: the hero. Let the next guy be the hero. The
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 3: biggest home runs come when Miguel Rojas, the guy no
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 3: one thought was going to hit the home run last year,
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 3: won the World Series, right? So you're getting the superstars
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 3: in the playoffs. have superstar moments, but it's usually the
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 3: role players that get hot for a while.
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: Sure, sure.
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 3: That's been my experience.
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: That's a really good story.
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 3: I love these questions.
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: From you and me too. It wasn't from your perspective
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: of being the dude and then going that like, yeah,
• 1:18:26
  Speaker 1: that makes a ton of sense. And the less pressure
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: you can put on yourself, the better. What a great show.
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir. Thank you everyone for watching, listening. Remember to
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 3: submit your comments to YouTube, on our socials. Instagram, xrossandrizzo
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 3: at gmail.com. Send us your emails. We will be back
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 3: on Wednesday morning with our reactions to all four wildcard games.
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 3: We'll be doing reactions every morning to the wildcard games,
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 3: to the DS, to the CS leading up to the
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 3: World Series. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 3: how these managers manage. I can't wait to see these
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 3: players shine, all the big moments, all the low moments.
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 3: We'll be bringing to you Ross and Rizzo unfiltered.
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: Peace.