WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:23.920 Toby bell Ringer, Welcome to bat Flip and Nerds. Hello and welcome to 2 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:29.199 Backflips and Steve Facebook podcast with the British Twist. I am your lead jack 3 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:33.399 off this evening, Russell Easum, and I'm delighted to be joined by one 4 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:37.439 of my other co jack offs, Darius Austin. How are you doing today? 5 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.840 I'm doing very well. I'm glad you decided to take up the mantle 6 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:45.439 as lead jack off, the role you were born to play. To be 7 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:49.000 fair, I do believe lead to jack off of the Backflipt the Nerds is 8 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:55.840 Tom Pringle. I don't think anybody could take take that arguments from John certainly. 9 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:03.439 Obviously we are here to talk about Mincegate and nothing else. I think 10 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:04.879 we've made ourselves kind of like pretty good from what we tweet. Obviously, 11 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.359 Jake and Jordan have been both wonderful individuals to us, and I think we're 12 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:12.439 a wonderful part of Twitter. What everything has gone on in the last two 13 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.239 days has been kind of ridiculous and then completely nearly kind of thrown over the 14 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:22.159 board last night with what Alana Rizza said, She's apologize. Jake's taken that 15 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:25.799 apology and said please don't now abuse her based off the back of it. 16 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:30.519 So it's kind of all set. But it was definitely a an amusing moment 17 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.760 that kind of made baseball seem a little bit more like NBA and NFL for 18 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.799 a bit. I think this is something that we don't have in baseball too 19 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.480 much, a little bit of high drama when things are going on. We 20 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:48.599 don't have these moments between players as much in baseball, do you? Was 21 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:52.319 there a need, like, not only was the need for this, but 22 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:55.359 like, is this kind of come out the fact that because like this was 23 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.920 Atlanta versus Philly, Like, I feel like if this just wasn't any other 24 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.239 like rivalry with different fan bases, like even if like that comment had been 25 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:07.040 reported, it never would have been blown up the way it did. Yeah, 26 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:09.960 I guess we should clarify if anybody has for somehow, for some reason 27 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:15.639 like just not consumed any baseball media outside of maybe I don't know, going 28 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.960 on a highlights package for the last few days, we should clarify that. 29 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:23.719 Jake the podcast one half of Sis for This Family Barbecue, reported that Orlando 30 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:29.159 RCA, after Bryce Upper got thrown out on that incredible play to end the 31 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.759 second game of the ends was sort of marching around the clubhouse shouting at a 32 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.479 boy Harper apparently, which is, you know, quite strange, but all 33 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:39.960 the reporters are in there. He didn't seem to care. Jake reported it, 34 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:45.039 and then everybody got very mad at Jake thought reporting it, and so 35 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:49.759 that's that's the backstory here. But yeah, I I feel like it has 36 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.360 like I sort of have been reading these comments from fans complaining saying, you 37 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:55.159 know, reporters should be allowed in the clubhouse and they should just talk to 38 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:59.520 players and players want to and all this, and I'm thinking, like people 39 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:02.120 love the like if reporters didn't do their job properly in the NBA, it 40 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:07.280 would be so dull because there's like so much drama, and I feel like 41 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:09.360 there is. I'm the current here of like, oh, it's just reporter's 42 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.199 jobs to be nice to the players and printing whatever the players want and that's 43 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:16.159 it. And it's like, have you ever met a journalist, you know 44 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:21.240 what journalists do? Like, obviously there are people out there who think that's 45 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:23.400 their role. I'm just going to pal up with the players. Maybe I 46 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:25.319 get a better quote out of them every now and again, because I'm friendly 47 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:28.719 with them, but I'm not I'm not going to push the envelope here. 48 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.280 I'm not going to try and do serious reporting. I'm just going to do 49 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:35.000 whatever they want and I hope that that gets me some access that maybe somebody 50 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.960 else doesn't get. But they're not interested in breaking stories. I mean, 51 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:40.520 when you think about the Brandon Talburn incident, for example, when he was 52 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:46.199 shouting about I'm so effing glad we got sooner in the clubhouse, nobody was 53 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:47.719 like, tell off, step up, step out stein. I mean, 54 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:52.199 I'm sure there were some Twitter jokers who were complaining about it, but for 55 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:53.599 the most part, everybody's like, well steph, this is great reporting. 56 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:57.280 You know, thanks for brinis to our attention. Guy got fired, you 57 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.120 know, that was good work. Everything was and now it's like the most 58 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:04.080 innocuous. It's not even like he was saying anything particularly offensive, and this 59 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:06.599 is it. This is it like to me that I think we've had it 60 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:09.840 in a few discussions that we've had in a few of our check groups or 61 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.240 whatever. But to me, it's like this is sport down to a t. 62 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.079 Like when I play sport at a local level, Like if somebody kind 63 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.639 of like messes up or whatever that we don't like or whatever will kind of 64 00:04:20.680 --> 00:04:24.199 like, well, we'll probably say something about it. Don't know if that 65 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:27.199 person hears it or not, but if that person does or whatever, or 66 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.360 if somebody says something about me and I mess up when I play against that 67 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:32.480 team next time, I'm going to use that like I'm not a professional sports 68 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:35.600 to or whatever. But it very much just seems to like that's the way 69 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:40.240 sports works. Someone messes up, people take the piss out of them that 70 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:44.439 I thought Harper would have been using that mistake as fuel anyway. And I 71 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:46.920 don't think this actually like makes it made it any difference, Like, oh 72 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:50.240 yeah, we can say Harper then hit two home runs like the next game 73 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:54.480 that was happened, Like one of them was a meatball down the middle that 74 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:59.079 should have been punished no matter when it was in this season, but it 75 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:02.040 just managed to perfically escalate on top of that. But we'll leave that where 76 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:06.480 it is. Let's talk about the baseball. Let's talk about what happened in 77 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:12.519 that that Brave series. I think the thing that surprised me most in that 78 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:18.000 series is how bad the back of the Atlanta lineup was. But I thought 79 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:23.560 the big thing about Atlanta this year was, yes, obviously you've got a 80 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:26.040 Cunya who's amazing at the top, but they kind of have a one to 81 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:30.120 nine that was hitting above like league average, and that back of that lineup 82 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:34.000 did absolutely nothing. Then for this in the postseason, Acunia struggled. Hey, 83 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.800 it's four games, like he was, he was as good at getting 84 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:43.639 base hits as we were at predicting postseason victories. So well that was not 85 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:46.399 very good. Yes, we were one and seven and he was two to 86 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:49.560 fourteen, So yeah, we're as good as Ronald Acunia Junior are predicting as 87 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:54.759 he is playing baseball from this very short kind of like window of looking into 88 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.839 it. Take that what you will, but yeah, did that did that 89 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:00.560 shock you as much? Darius? Yeah? I mean, obviously, this 90 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:04.199 is arguably the greatest regular season offensive all the time. You know, that's 91 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:09.839 not hyperbole if you go by the adjusted stats that twenty twenty three Braves have 92 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:13.839 got a pretty decent claim to that. And yeah, the depth was insane. 93 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.560 And then you look at who had a series and it was Austin Riley. 94 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:20.000 That was that was kind of it, really like Travisteino did, Okay, 95 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.920 but he didn't play that much. And I know it's a tiny sample, 96 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:26.920 but this this lineup is so good you just would not say, look 97 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.600 at them and think one of these guys is going to have a good series. 98 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:32.040 And this is this is just baseball. You know, it's four games 99 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:39.199 and anything can happen. Robert or a great piece of Bett perspectives talking about 100 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:43.639 how Philly actually attacked Atlanta with fast balls. You know, they've identified they 101 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:46.839 were pretty weak against high heat, especially up and away, and they just 102 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:49.199 went after them again and again and again and it really paid off. You 103 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:53.319 know, they had a good game plan. They were fired up offensively. 104 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:58.839 You know, Castianus and Turner and Harper were like forces. I just love 105 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:02.000 Brett playoff Bryce. It's fantastic to watch the guy. The guy was built 106 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.000 for this moment. And yeah that once they got back to Philly, I 107 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:09.560 just I felt like, you know, even though it was one one, 108 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.360 I'm like, the Philly are gonna win this because the fans are insane, 109 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:15.560 the team has hyped and it just felt like, yeah, they were, 110 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.959 they were all over them. You know, they seem to have a Strider's 111 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:21.120 number eiven. They were. They were just waiting for the slider it seemed 112 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:24.879 like, and then trying to catch up to the fast ball if they could. 113 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:28.439 And yeah, I think that the game planning was really really well done 114 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:32.519 by the Philadelphia Phillies. And it's second straight year that they've got the advantage 115 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.600 of Atlanta the one time that it mad. Yeah, and I think, 116 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:39.879 well, I'll talk specifically about Game four now, but we can kind of 117 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.079 go back into some of the other games if you want to talk about like 118 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:46.879 specific things that happening then. But to me, it is either goes to 119 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:48.839 Bob Thomson or it goes to like the front office who decided this, but 120 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:55.399 them going to the key men in like the sixth and the seventh from the 121 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:59.600 ballpen perspective, like that showed to me, like how much baseball has changed, 122 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:03.279 like years, Like there's no way that like those guys would have been 123 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:05.439 coming out for the sixth and the seventh in inc maybe even like five years 124 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.680 ago, like but they knew that, Like this is actually like the key 125 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:13.639 moment, like to get these outs now and then you you'll think about it 126 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.399 like if you actually do it, well, you don't see the top of 127 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:20.079 that lineup again, Like you get through the kind of like these moments, 128 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:22.480 and so yeah, you end up with like Strom coming in at the end, 129 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:26.079 do you'd be like, did you think he was gonna be the one 130 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:30.439 that was gonna like close out the win for for for the Phillies. No, 131 00:08:30.519 --> 00:08:33.840 I didn't, but he came out and like and did his job. 132 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.519 But they kind of really lined this up game this game. Well, whereas 133 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.720 I feel on the flip side Atlanta, like the pinching, I just don't 134 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:48.840 care, Like if you yeah, like Dana for Harris is like okay, 135 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:50.320 yeah, Donna was on a little bit. It was actually hit well in 136 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:54.519 a little bit during the tournament, But like, if you're actually believing that 137 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:58.840 enough that has happened there is going to make a difference. I don't mind 138 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:03.720 like some of the pinch running stuff, But then if it do you do 139 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:07.519 you think that Varn Grisham is a better hitter than Nicky Lopez? I don't 140 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.600 like. I mean, and he's also he's just not had these moments Like 141 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:13.200 I felt bad for the guy. It's like being sent up to bat in 142 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.600 like the most important moment of their season basically, and it's like, well, 143 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:20.159 what opportunity if you give him like that? He hasn't been in these 144 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:24.720 situations this year. Yeah, and it's always hard to quantify like how big 145 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:28.360 a difference that makes. But you know, Nicky Lopez has experience. He 146 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:31.519 has played a lot more in the majors than Vaughan Grissom has. And the 147 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:33.799 Atlanta you know said to vaugh Grismer the season, we don't trust you. 148 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:37.279 Basically we're going to go with us here, all yeah, and then it's 149 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.559 like, oh now, now we're going to send you up in this like 150 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:45.200 incredibly game moment. Yeah, And for me, just I just don't agree 151 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.559 with starting Plart, Like I don't think they were in a position where they 152 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:54.399 needed to improve defensively, they needed to score runs, So I'd be having 153 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:58.600 one of Rosario or Dono is that as the designated hitter and playing Gozuna in 154 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:05.000 the outfit, Like I just like it, like it baffles, Like I 155 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.720 guess there's some kind of like matchup dynamics kind of going on here, some 156 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:11.399 lefties and righties to kind of push it into like some perspective. But yeah, 157 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:15.000 and then if you don't hit, you don't win. Like well We'll 158 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:18.200 say this quite a few times like that, Like we can talk about all 159 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:22.679 the Strider choke again giving up three runs, like he was an out away 160 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.399 from a quality start, Like it was not the implosion that it was last 161 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:31.879 year. From the other kind of like starting pitching once again, It's like, 162 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:35.159 it's not like massive implosions. Yes, I think obviously the one game 163 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.720 they did get like obliterated, but like in your other regards, like these 164 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:45.919 are close games that could have gone like either way, and so you're sat 165 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:48.840 there being like, yeah, you can't. You need to score runs to 166 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.519 win baseball games, and remarkably, Philly did a good job at stopping Atlanta 167 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:56.600 doing that. Yeah, I suppose one thing with like the sort of pinching 168 00:10:56.679 --> 00:11:00.720 pinch running is that Atlanta clearly had the best regularly is in the lineup, 169 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.039 but they didn't change it, Like it was one of the most consistent lineups 170 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.720 all year. Rob Thompson didn't get put in these situations very much where he 171 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:09.679 had to go, oh, you know, what do I need to do 172 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:13.559 here? Do I need to pinch here? Or like this didn't happen to 173 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.000 Atlanta. You know, they were blowing people out, they scored any six 174 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:18.600 runs a game like this just wasn't the situation that he had to be in 175 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:22.440 because their lineup was so good, And yeah, I wonder, like, 176 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:26.039 you know, on sort of on the face of it, if you're in 177 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:28.120 the series and you're you're getting ahead, then fine, But in the way 178 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.639 the games ended up playing out, it actually ended up being I think games 179 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.600 that he probably was not used to managing in that way very much. Yeah, 180 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.679 I think Sticker didn't have basically have. But yeah, I think I 181 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:45.879 think what positives do we think we take from this Philadelphia team going into the 182 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:50.600 match with the Dinadbacks, And what are your concerns going into kind of that 183 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.159 series after we've seen for a couple of days, or is there really any 184 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.399 concerns? I think you still remain concerned about some of the control in this 185 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.120 bullpen. You know, Craig King was going to give people for a heart 186 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:05.799 attack sometimes. Jeff Hoffman kind of you know that that game too, which 187 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:09.600 Philly probably should have won as well, and given how good Wheeler looks for 188 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:11.480 most of it, you know, he kind of coughed that one up as 189 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:16.159 well. And yeah, there are control issues in the ballpen. You know, 190 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.519 it's a lot better than it has been in recent years. They can 191 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:20.960 strike anybody out, They want to, but you could you could see it 192 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.080 meltdown happening. I think the other thing is defensively, they can be questionable. 193 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:26.360 You know, Bryce is making a great go of it at first base 194 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:31.639 for somebody who's never played first base, but it is questionable sometimes, and 195 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:33.600 that's kind of the only way. They cannot play Schwarber in the outfield. 196 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:37.679 So if they do end up playing Schwarmer in the outfield, then they've got 197 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:41.279 a problem there instead. So you know that that was like maybe a bit 198 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:46.399 of a worry. But with Wheeler with Nola, you know, that's that's 199 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:50.039 a one two that can arrival anybody, and you you know, if those 200 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:52.759 guys win their games, then you're going to win the series. So I 201 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:56.639 think they're looking pretty formidable playoff. Nick castianis turned up the last couple of 202 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.240 games, which is a big boon for the Philly lineup because he's had some 203 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:05.440 rough stretches this season. And yeah, when you look at Harper and Turner 204 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.960 and real Muto and just the depth they've got here, I think it's very 205 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:13.240 promising for Philly really, and the atmosphere as well. I just think it 206 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:18.440 must be so difficult to play in Philadelphia it's really wild. It's been fun 207 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.159 to see the last couple of years how loud it gets there. So, 208 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:26.639 yeah, you know, Diamondbacks. I believe the Phillies commit the Diamondbacks for 209 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.480 sure, and then it's yeah, can they knock off one of the al 210 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:35.000 teams in the World Series? But yeah, I think so far they've played 211 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:37.240 a pretty much perfect postseason, so I wouldn't bet against them. Yeah, 212 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.759 it's a really interesting one because I've not looked too much at like the batting 213 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:46.039 lineup or like the batting order for like this Phillies team, But obviously I 214 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:50.279 looked towards the end of the season they did switch to having like bum and 215 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.279 stop being like four and five and having like Real Muto and Casiana like behind 216 00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:00.440 them, because yeah's not been hitting as well. Like do you feel do 217 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:05.480 you think we might see that change coming into the next season, I mean, 218 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:07.080 next next series or do you think they'll probably stick with it and just 219 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.159 be like, hey, you know what, this is what we've kind of 220 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:15.159 gone into this postseason thinking is the best way it was playing out. Berman 221 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:18.879 Stott did not have great series, and even Schwaba didn't like these things they've 222 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:24.399 they've they've beaten up, the beating up the braves here and one, four 223 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.000 and five from the hitting lineup have had pretty poor go at it. Yeah, 224 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:31.159 I mean I feel like it's a very vibes team, you know, 225 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:37.000 and Thompson did go is Schwab the leadoff basically or season. I think there 226 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:41.960 was a certainly over the second half he was just locked into that leadoff spot. 227 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:45.600 So yeah, I don't know whether one series is going to make him 228 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:50.320 change his mind about that, but I think yeah, it's yeah, it's 229 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:54.759 a real vibe team and at the moment they're just all they're all hyped. 230 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.200 You know. I don't rate Alec Bom particularly highly as a hitter, I 231 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:03.080 have to say, but all of these guys, you know, capable on 232 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.960 their days, Harper Turner, you know, they can all turn a game. 233 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.519 And I feel like, you know, once you've got past those guys, 234 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:15.200 it's, yeah, Brad Marshall, that a good year. But it 235 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:16.559 is I think, you know, you know what the top of the lineup 236 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:22.279 isually look like and whatever order. Yeah, so that takes us onto the 237 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:28.720 team that they will face, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in who won relatively simply 238 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:33.720 like an a fairly kind of like shocking endeavor. Like the bats that me 239 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.720 and Ben talked and Robert talked about of being like they're going to be good 240 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:43.360 for the Dodgers come into this postseason. None of them appeared in but they 241 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:46.799 say it's only three games. But the pitching, starting pitching was also bad 242 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.919 for LA. That's something that we thought was going to happen. So I 243 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:54.919 think Magic Johnson put it best too, is one of the Dodgers co owners. 244 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:58.120 It's like, we're all disappointed that our Dodgers didn't hit or pitch. 245 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:00.840 Well, that's the reason why we lost the series to the Diamondbacks, which 246 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:04.720 is like, yeah, like there's nothing, there's no individual thing to point 247 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.759 out here. Yeah, you can say Kershaw got blown up. Yeah, 248 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:11.519 you can say that lanceln got absolutely Mollard in one inning. But you can't 249 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.759 pin the blame on anybody because it was just a collective failure. Is that 250 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:19.159 is that harsh to say to the Diamondbacks that they did like the Dinmonbacks actually 251 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.879 did very well. Yeah, I mean they played well. I mean some 252 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:27.279 weird, weird defeats. I mean you know that the four homers in one 253 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:32.960 inning and then no offense the rest of the game basically is pretty strange. 254 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.480 I saw people complaining, you know that Lynn didn't get taken out, but 255 00:16:36.519 --> 00:16:37.799 I think after like you'd given up a couple of homes. But I think 256 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:41.600 it was at like thirty five pitches and it's like there's nobody on base, 257 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:45.159 so like they don't have anybody. There's not like massive depth here. So 258 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.360 what they do if they take Lad's lit out. You know, if a 259 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.960 guy gives up for solo homers in an inning, you kind of just have 260 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:55.440 to live with it. I think that early in the game. So, 261 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:59.080 yeah, all credit to the Diamondbacks. You know they played well, they 262 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.919 hit well, but yeah, you know the Dodgers just didn't hit at all. 263 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.359 And you say, yeah, gosh, or the first game was gone. 264 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.920 I think after the first inning more or less. But that game even, 265 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.200 you know, the last night, the last game of four to two, 266 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.920 you know, the Dodgers, you would expect the Dodgers to score more 267 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:18.400 than four runs in a game, being the Dodgers, you know, that's 268 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:22.759 not an insurmountable offense. And you know, Brandon Fart has not been great 269 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:25.400 this season. You know, he's had his ups and downs. That's a 270 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.359 game you would expect them to win, and they just didn't. They just 271 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:30.599 didn't hit you know, nothing, nothing from Betts, pretty much nothing from 272 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.920 Freeman, and you know, these are the guys who've carried them all year, 273 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:38.079 and that's that's what happens in three games. Sometimes. I don't know 274 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:42.039 that there's like a massive takeaway from this other than that, Yeah, the 275 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:48.079 Dodgers have once again run into the inexorable facts of the postseason, which is 276 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.960 that anybody can beat anybody in over a five game series. And you know, 277 00:17:52.359 --> 00:17:56.920 Oakland beat Atlanta in a serious this season Like that kind of tells you 278 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:00.720 everything really doesn't so that it is what it is. So don't think it 279 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:03.799 helps Dodgers fans a great deal. I'm going to be interested to see what 280 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:07.400 this Dodgers team looks like next year with Kershel. You know, this might 281 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.799 be it. He obviously wasn't healthy. You know, there's a lot on 282 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:15.759 that rotation that is uncertain. I think some of the rookies you know, 283 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.079 did their best this year, but there's not a lot of established talent anymore. 284 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:23.200 So it'll be very interesting to see how Friedman goes about this offseas now 285 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:26.640 and whether they do try and get you know, I don't know how they're 286 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:30.839 going to do it, but you want that Nola Wheeler start to your rotation 287 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.839 in the playoffs and they don't have that right now. That's not Clayton Kershel's 288 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.680 fault that he's injured, but I think it would if he'd come out and 289 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:41.160 had a gem in Game one, that would have put a different complexion of 290 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.799 the series. Yeah, it's an interesting one to think about, at least 291 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:48.039 future because obviously the talk for the whole entire last twenty four months has been 292 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:52.960 show yo tourney will be a Dodger. They show you tiny com pitch next 293 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:56.799 year. That doesn't really solve a lot of the Dodgers problems. Do they 294 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:02.559 eat obviously the thirty or forty million for that year knowing that actually they've got 295 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:06.400 to solve that other problem in a completely different way. But that is a 296 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:11.680 future discussion about the Dodgers. What we did see was a lot of power 297 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:15.000 from the Diamondbacks. It was. It was home run City. It was 298 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:21.440 I was luckily enough to need to wake up and go to the toilet in 299 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:23.119 the middle of the night and I literally just looked at my phone and saw 300 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:26.640 that just like, oh, like, oh, this game's going on, 301 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.599 like I'm just gonna quickly look at it, like I'll quickly look at the 302 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.599 school watch in it. And I saw the second, third, and fourth 303 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:37.680 home runs. Well I saw the fourth one twice because Marino hit one in 304 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.799 a foul, trotted around the whole entire way, then got told to go 305 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:44.039 back up, and then spank the next one over the defense as well, 306 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:47.480 which is like if you I don't know like how that feels for like a 307 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:49.400 professional player, but that it's just got to be such an amazing moment to 308 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:52.680 be like thinking that you had it, had it taken away and then getting 309 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:56.799 it back. Like they looked phenomenal. They looked like the Diamondbacks at the 310 00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:00.440 start of the season, not the Diamondbacks of like towards the end of the 311 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:03.839 season. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, yeah, they're tied with the 312 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.920 Phillies for most home runs so far this postseason with thirteen. The Dodgers hit 313 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:11.400 one, by the way, And yeah, they do have guys up and 314 00:20:11.400 --> 00:20:18.240 down this lineup with power. You know, it's they've got some questionable that's 315 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:21.319 towards the bottom, I think, But you know, Tommy fam has been 316 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:25.559 good since he went over and yeah, Marte has been great all season. 317 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:29.319 Moreno's really coming into his own. We don't need to tell anybody about Corbyn 318 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:32.720 Carroll, I don't think. But yeah, it's, you know, not 319 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:37.440 a team of megastars, but there is offensive potential there with with most of 320 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:41.880 that lineup. You know, they can all hit a dinner. So yeah, 321 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:44.519 it was it was a good series for you know, they've played really 322 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:48.720 well. And Gallon and Kellyer, you know they're not they're not Noda and 323 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:53.279 Wheeler as a duo, but I think Gallon can can certainly hang with one 324 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:56.440 of those two, and then we'll we'll see how it goes. The ball 325 00:20:56.519 --> 00:20:59.920 pen still scares me a bit. Poorsy Wall has been a good addition, 326 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:03.359 but I think if you're worried about the Phillies ballpen, you should also be 327 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:07.000 worried about the fallen Yeah, I feel like we're we're in a position where 328 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:11.880 we're going to see two well, yeah, Gallon versus wherever he goes against 329 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:14.799 School will be a strong day, like Kelly, a little bit less sense, 330 00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:17.759 but it still feels like that's like two strong pitching days, and then 331 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:22.039 we're going to have like a Suarez versus part day where it's like, hmmm, 332 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:26.279 like basically both teams are like, can we get five innings from you 333 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:33.160 please, like before we have to go to a semi questionable bullpen. It's 334 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:34.839 not even like you say, like not even like these some like the ways 335 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:37.839 some of the Dodgers have maybe done it in the past, or even like 336 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.519 that have the Asteris have done it in the past, which is, yeah, 337 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:42.400 we'll get to five innings and then we'll just throw out the bullpen and 338 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:45.240 it will just be shut down, shut down and shut down. So we 339 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:47.920 only need you to get three and a half four innings or whatever and then 340 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.599 we can go to the bullpen. This is really much like no, like 341 00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:53.319 we really need you to kind of pitch as many innings as possible here, 342 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:59.960 mate. Yeah, it's I mean Andrew sal Frank is in this dimond band 343 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.160 back small pen and like this is a reliever that even I'm not very familiar 344 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.880 with. What has he got ten the third regular season innings and he's pitch 345 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:11.599 on the third displayoffs. I mean it's, yeah, struck out a bunch 346 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:15.640 of guys in the miners, but again questionable command. And this is a 347 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:19.400 guy who's you know, ended up on their postseason rosters, so that's kind 348 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:23.519 of kind of where they're at. I think we might be looking at a 349 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:27.440 short short rest start or two in this NLCS if it gets that far. 350 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:30.519 You know, I think the Diamondbacks is definitely going to look at their options 351 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:33.640 and go, well, Gallon on the short rest is better than anything else 352 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:37.680 we have to offer right now. That's that's very possible to me. So 353 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:41.200 yeah, it could be. You know, Game three, Game four could 354 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:45.119 be some rough pitching games. But you know, Ifart did well against the 355 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:51.400 Dodgers and anything can happen in the post. So on that note, Darius, 356 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:56.480 what's your prediction then? Are you taking the Diamondbacks or are you all 357 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:03.200 on the Philadelphia Philly hype trained baby Phillies feel like the team of destiny to 358 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.200 me this post season, So give me the Phillies. Okay, Darius is 359 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:11.759 taking the Phillies. I am inclined to agree with you. I think the 360 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:17.400 we're having a very tight kind of moment between these two teams. But I 361 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:22.240 think Philadelphia just they just edge it like in every category, not saying like 362 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:27.079 this like this will be a like phillion five, phillion six sort of thing. 363 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:30.720 I don't imagine a sweep, but you are very much in these games 364 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:36.279 where you're like, I don't know what's going to happen come like those final 365 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.680 games, whether people are going to try and go on short rest or and 366 00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:42.519 how they how the teams will respond with that. But yep, so that's 367 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:48.720 a backinton these predictions of the Philadelphia Phillies making the World Series again. So 368 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:56.160 congrats to the Diamondbacks. Well, yes, and so after all of the 369 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:00.079 war I think which has occurred on the NL side, the AL has been 370 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:04.319 just a little bit a little bit calmer, Like we'll start off, we 371 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:12.839 have an all Texas showdown. I feel like a showdown at the OK Corral 372 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:18.680 or something like that is what we've got. We have the Astros versus the 373 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:23.079 Rangers. So let's start off with the Rangers, who continued their winning ways 374 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:27.480 and kind of I don't think brushed aside Baltimore is is the right way because 375 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:33.160 they were the first two games were entertaining. I think the score slightly flat 376 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.039 as Baltimore in the ended like it in the second game, but that first 377 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:41.200 game really could have gone anywhere. And then obviously from then onwards it just 378 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:45.279 just went into the Texas favorite. I think what's again, hitting like this 379 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.559 is what's shown to be the difference in postseasons so far. Some power, 380 00:24:49.160 --> 00:24:53.039 Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I watched a pretty decent chunk of that first 381 00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:56.480 game and Carl Bradish, you know, it looked pretty good most of the 382 00:24:56.519 --> 00:25:00.839 time and sort of didn't quite break his way, but he you know, 383 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:03.960 I think he struck out nine and was with a good start, and the 384 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:07.680 Orias just couldn't really get the bats going. And then set the second game, 385 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:10.720 I just felt like, you know, they both sort of had difficult 386 00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:14.400 first innings and Grayson Rodriguez kind of got out of it without giving up a 387 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:18.079 run and Montgomery didn't, and they wrap it up to nothing, and I 388 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:19.960 just thought, you know, you just got to come out here just to 389 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.559 come out get a couple of outs, you know, just settle everything down, 390 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:26.839 established that lead, and instead he's walking guys, that's you know, 391 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.039 he's not finding the zone. You know, a couple of unlucky there was 392 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.640 an infield hit in there, and it was just like exactly what you didn't 393 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:36.440 need. I sort of felt like the Oriols just needed that, like can 394 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:38.440 we just hold this lead for a and just to kind of get ourselves into 395 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:41.880 this game, and it didn't happen, and I felt up the series went 396 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.319 went away from them from there. So yeah, you know that we're going 397 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:48.839 to see this Orios team in the playoffs a lot over the next few years. 398 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.920 I'm sure they'll be fine. And I think people have not had to 399 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:55.799 talk about it that much this week because Atlanta and Philly have just kind of 400 00:25:55.839 --> 00:26:00.839 overshadowed everything. But it was, yeah, a disappointing playoff performance for a 401 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:03.279 one hundred and one win team. But you know, I don't think we 402 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:07.880 believed that they were one hundred and one win quality, and we saw that 403 00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:11.519 the pitching is maybe not quite there yet. So yeah, I expect that 404 00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:14.880 the areas will be back here next season, and I expect they'll be back 405 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:17.559 here with a better pitching stuff than they had this. Yeah, and that's 406 00:26:17.559 --> 00:26:19.400 a thing I think I think in the In the previous podcast, I talked 407 00:26:19.400 --> 00:26:23.440 to whether whether it might be a little bit of experience might make a difference 408 00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:27.160 in this this sort of torn the sort of series. I don't know if 409 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:30.279 it did or not, but obviously, like the two out of the three 410 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:34.160 youngsters did not really show themselves up in a particularly good light when it came 411 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:38.200 to the start of pitching line, whereas you look at Evaldi looking like he's 412 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:45.359 a freaking postseason masterpiece again like makes the yeah, makes the freaking makes the 413 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:48.000 good old double deed contract kind of actually look like it was worth the money 414 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:52.519 or whatever. Or yeah, I don't I don't know what happened because if 415 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:56.559 the veloscy was down and he looks really rough, and then he came out 416 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:00.119 against the Rays and I was like, what who is this is? Like 417 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:03.400 good ev Oldie again, like he just looked. I was chatting to Robin 418 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.720 the What's happened? I was like, yeah, he did look bad, 419 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:11.720 but it doesn't now it's really really good. So god knows what they did, 420 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:15.240 whether he's you know, just had a bit of rest or you know, 421 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.440 had an injection or something to help him sort of throw a bit harder 422 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:22.039 and get that stuff back. But he has looked fantastic. And I've got 423 00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:26.759 to be honest, you know, if Max Scheza comes back, I'm I'm 424 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:30.160 going to be rooting for the Rangers pretty hard because I love Max and the 425 00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:34.119 intensity of that guy is made for the postseason and yeah, I mean viral 426 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:38.400 rights this season should be over given the injuries had, but he's not having 427 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:42.720 it. So if he does come back and pitch in the ALCS, then 428 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.400 you know, we get a vintage Max start out of it, because I 429 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:49.640 just love to watch that guy in big spots really, But yeah, it's 430 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:53.640 interesting because I'd almost think that, like, they almost don't want him back 431 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:59.079 as a starter. They need him as a reliever. Would you take like 432 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:04.279 three one inning outings from sus throwing absolute gas? Because I watched a fair 433 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:07.839 few of these games in every single time that a rold As Chapman took them 434 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:11.359 ound, I was going like, why is a Rolder Chapman taking the mount? 435 00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:14.279 He isn't the same picture like he used to be. This is like, 436 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:18.200 this is one of those like terrifying relief performances that like, honestly from 437 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:22.519 from from watching Class A a bit this year where it's just it's like two 438 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:27.400 walks and three strikeouts. It's like, ah, please, don't breaking like 439 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:32.680 load the bases or walk like the walk like the eighth and ninth hitter, 440 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:36.599 and then some have to strike out like the top three, but somehow managed 441 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:40.759 to kind of get through it. It's it's it's terrifying obviously, I think 442 00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:45.640 the Clerk has looked looked pretty good for them so far, and a few 443 00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:48.640 of the others who have kind of like have shown that they can do what 444 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:52.359 they need to do. But this is the third team in the championship Series, 445 00:28:52.359 --> 00:28:56.559 which I'm good to say the bullpen is an issue, and maybe the 446 00:28:56.599 --> 00:29:00.319 last four or five years of postseason baseball we've really said the bullpens have been 447 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:07.000 key to like winning postseason baseball. And yeah, that doesn't look it's gonna 448 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:11.559 want what's gonna win win them this season? No it doesn't. And yeah, 449 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:18.000 anything goes I suppose, especially with relievers. But yeah, I just 450 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:19.640 I don't if I'm a Ranger fan, I do not want to see Chapman 451 00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:25.119 coming out to the mountain anything remotely approaching a close game. It's good. 452 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:27.200 I've been as a Clerk fan for a long time, so it's it's fun 453 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:30.759 to see him coming out and pitching some good, solid, high leverage innings, 454 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:33.759 you know, and you know, looking pretty comfortable and some pretty big 455 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.000 spots so far. So that's been fun. But yeah, you do feel 456 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:40.920 like this is a team where, yeah, if they could just say, 457 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:42.440 hey, Max, will you just come out and finish this one off for 458 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:48.480 us because we don't trust anybody else. I could believe that, but yeah, 459 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:52.039 then again, then again, do you want him over some of their 460 00:29:52.039 --> 00:29:56.200 other starting options at this point because Andrew he and has been up and down. 461 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.960 Maybe John Gray's back, maybe he hasn't, but he's not the best 462 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:03.200 of seasons. So I wonder after EVOLDI and Montgomery whether they're just going to 463 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:07.000 say, yeah, let's let's go to Max because we hope that he's all 464 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:11.960 right and we don't love our other options and starting situations either. Yeah, 465 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.440 So is there anything else that kind of jumps out has been good or bad 466 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:21.039 from the Texas team from that? Obviously, they're now five and zero in 467 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:25.079 the postseason, so there's got to be some more good out there. I 468 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:27.279 think. I think the thing that's stood out that you know, I wasn't 469 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:33.119 like super expecting is Evan Carter. And I know he sort of he had 470 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:36.960 some impressive stats when he came up, but he was also striking out a 471 00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:41.599 bunch in his little cameo in September, and I just wasn't expecting this from 472 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.079 him. But he looks super disciplined at the plate. Is uh, you 473 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:48.880 know, he's taking walks in really big spots. He has at times. 474 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:52.000 You know, I felt like every time I've turned on the game with the 475 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:53.839 Rangers and nurreals, it was like his Evan Carter in a big spot and 476 00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:57.559 he's getting on base again. And not that the Rangers need it, because 477 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:02.599 you know, they got See and Semi and and Mitch Garver's hitting like a 478 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:07.400 madman and a donnas Garcia. You know, there's there's talent up and down 479 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:11.319 this lineup. They certainly don't like need Evan Carter to be a superstar, 480 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:14.920 but right now he looks like one of the most formidable parts of this lineup. 481 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:17.799 So that's that's been the surprise for me. But other than that, 482 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:21.000 I just I just think every time I watched that secret the player, I'm 483 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:23.079 just like, why you guys throwing him in pitching the strike zone because like 484 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:26.720 it's just like crushed every single time if you can reach that ball at is 485 00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:32.160 getting just like, just don't do it. I deal with somebody else. 486 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:36.720 Stop pitching to Corey Seger in big moments. Yes, I think that's that's 487 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:41.119 been like that key one. Segar has absolutely like done what is needed for 488 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:42.960 the team. I think obviously, I think Simeon has been a little bit 489 00:31:44.359 --> 00:31:47.920 not off the boil, but just not coming up to the same standard as 490 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:49.839 maybe some of the other guys around him. But Garva's done his stuff. 491 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:55.960 I do. I don't want to hear how young Carter is again. I 492 00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:59.200 feel like I heard it too many times in the series against the Rays, 493 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:00.759 but hearing it every single time that he comes up the bat, it's like, 494 00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:04.279 you know what, you can mention that he's twenty one once, you 495 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:07.440 dont need to imagine that he's twenty one every single bat multiple times. It's 496 00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:10.839 like, cool, I got it. I know it's on your little statue 497 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:14.759 in front of you that you're kind of like you're talking from, but like, 498 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:17.559 yeah, let's not just recaut the same fact again and again and again. 499 00:32:17.799 --> 00:32:25.400 But hey, so they just already kind of teased or even said brazenantly 500 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:31.279 out loud. There is a Texas battle because the Houston Astros, once again, 501 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:37.400 for the seventh season in a row, have made the Alcs and Darius 502 00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:42.680 I talked to Rob the other week about looking at that pitcheam line up and 503 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:50.599 going like, yeah, what like a Kidi have like Valdez Verlander and like 504 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:54.079 look beyond that, and Rob rightly pointed out, like they've not been all 505 00:32:54.119 --> 00:32:58.440 been at that level this season. They've not all been like the pictures that 506 00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:02.200 they were in in twenty two only to which made them seem like unbeatable last 507 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:07.200 postseason. But they pretty much all showed up for this postseason, didn't they 508 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:10.440 know? They did? Yeah? I mean something, Christian Haavier is like 509 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:15.640 the nick castis the pitching side. I feel like it's just like postseason start. 510 00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:20.079 Man, I'm I'm there, I'm all over like five walks, nine 511 00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:22.799 strikeouts. Yeah yeah, yeah, like yeah he was. He was walking 512 00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:25.799 a lot, but they could not hit him, you know. And some 513 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:29.039 of them I was just like, just don't swing, guys, just let 514 00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:32.599 let him pitch and see what happens, because they were just hacks being taken 515 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:37.599 at the slider that were just nowhere near. And yeah, I was like, 516 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:40.079 just just leave it alone. But I think he's got he's got some 517 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:45.039 ludicrous record, isn't he now in terms of postseason starts without a run giving 518 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:49.039 up in a row. I can't remember exactly what it is, but yeah, 519 00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:53.440 it's it's pretty impressive. So yeah, I think Valveez is the one 520 00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:58.960 who looked vulnerable weirdly, but Jose he's come up in these big spots before, 521 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:02.440 and pitch well Erlander has kind of got that you know, postseason monkey 522 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:07.360 off his back and he's looking pretty impressive. And then the one team I 523 00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:12.079 think that I'm not worried about the bullpen is the Astros. You know, 524 00:34:12.119 --> 00:34:15.280 they look they are great. You're pressed at the back end, but I 525 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:21.320 love a film with Tom Briana Bray has been great this year. Just yeah, 526 00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:22.159 guys, you're like, yeah, we get to the fifth, we 527 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:27.119 can turn the ball over to them, no problem. So and then then 528 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:30.079 you have the order problem, right Whi's just like I get like, if 529 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:32.960 you don't if I'm saying, don't pitch to Cory Seger, like just don't 530 00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:37.320 just do the intention of walk. At this point, I think dude is 531 00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:42.639 absolutely terrifying. And yeah, if I was a team, you know, 532 00:34:42.679 --> 00:34:45.000 with a high leverage spot, I would send him to first place without thinking 533 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:50.159 about it. It's not worth it. Yeah, obviously, Alvarez being phenomenal 534 00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:53.719 is so much to be inspected. There was a really interesting point on the 535 00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:59.639 Barbercast podcast, like today or maybe yesterday, they're like, if you just 536 00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:04.440 say Tommy like March that the Astros are making like the NLCS. It'd be 537 00:35:04.440 --> 00:35:07.159 like, oh, yeah, so they like Alvarez has had a good season, 538 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:09.159 bloody body blar, like jsier Breer was coming and being like a power 539 00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:13.880 hitter for them and done his stuff, and well, if you ignore the 540 00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:19.639 first four and a half months of the season, he'd then just be like, 541 00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:22.480 oh wait, yeah, this is the Joseia Brawer that they signed for 542 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:24.639 like a three year deal or whatever it was, and you're just being like 543 00:35:24.679 --> 00:35:28.440 he was actually going to be like then, like a good hitter, power 544 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:30.679 hitter for them, But he's come a lot in the posts. Yeah, 545 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:35.440 it's weird, like I don't know if he has been hurt, you know 546 00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:38.800 and not really let on or what even you know, even over yeah, 547 00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:43.199 most of the second half he still wasn't any like much good. He got 548 00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:46.559 better compared to his terrible start, but yeah, it wasn't until September that 549 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:50.519 he started to come alive a bit more. And now yeah, he's you 550 00:35:50.559 --> 00:35:54.559 know, hitting four hundred and forty foot bombs and kind of looking like regular 551 00:35:54.599 --> 00:36:00.800 old Josea Brow which is a bit terrifying for the opposition. So yeah, 552 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:07.280 it's it's not maybe quite the lineup that it was once, but you know, 553 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:12.000 when you've still got Altuve and Tacker and Bregman backing up those guys. 554 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.679 You know, Jeremy Pane was watching his EVP last year. He's not had 555 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:20.840 the best defensive season, but they're all they're all capable. And then Chad 556 00:36:20.960 --> 00:36:23.639 McCormick's mega breakout year. You know, the lineup is deep. It's it's 557 00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:29.679 not Texas. I don't think it's necessarily going to be able to quite you 558 00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:31.599 know, compete with that on paper. But at the same time, over 559 00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:37.760 seven games and given their pitching advantage, I think is obvious that, yeah, 560 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:39.559 you do still feel like the Estros are the team to beat, don't 561 00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:44.159 you. That's that's how I feel about it. Yeah, we quickly talked 562 00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:49.840 about it, but like Presley just has looked phenomenal in his couple of games. 563 00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:54.519 I was watched that last inning and it was like just people like they 564 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:58.719 didn't if they swung at anything, they missed, like they were leaving the 565 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:00.920 pitchers that were just like out of the zone, not by much, and 566 00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:05.679 it was I think it was like he took two three one counts and struck 567 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:08.559 guys out with them, and so you're just like, it's just it's unbelievable, 568 00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:12.320 Like how how good he is? I was they're talking. I think 569 00:37:12.360 --> 00:37:15.840 this thing. It's like it's now sixteen postseason games in a row that he 570 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:19.880 he's pitched in without giving up a run, and he only gave up like 571 00:37:19.960 --> 00:37:22.360 one run in that outing to Boston. And if you go back that was 572 00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:25.800 in like twenty twenty one, If you go back into twenty twenty, like 573 00:37:27.079 --> 00:37:30.920 there's still like another six or seven. They only gave up two runs in 574 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:35.960 one game in twenty twenty as well. So if you think basically he's pitched 575 00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:39.320 at least, so he pitched what seven games in twenty twenty, he pitched 576 00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:45.079 nine games in twenty twenty one, he pitched ten games in twenty twenty two. 577 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:49.199 When he's pitched two games in twenty twenty three, he's given up runs 578 00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:52.159 in two of those appearances so far as a reliever, which is like how 579 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:57.079 I think about relievers in clutch moments. It's not like how many runs they 580 00:37:57.119 --> 00:37:59.679 give up, but just do they give up any runs? Yes or no? 581 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:02.679 Like giving up one run is probably blowing it in most regards. The 582 00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:08.239 more it is trivial. It's just unbelievable that he seems to do this because 583 00:38:08.280 --> 00:38:13.679 I think each year we don't talk about him being the best reliever in baseball 584 00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:16.440 like it's been Liam Hendrix, it's been i would say Class A last season, 585 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:21.199 it's been Josh Hader. He's always just but he's actually been the one 586 00:38:21.199 --> 00:38:24.480 that's spanished just to be like third or fourth best reliever in baseball for five 587 00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:28.639 years now. Yeah, he's kind of Harvard, just just below that top 588 00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:32.280 tier for a really long time. But I mean when you look at is 589 00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:37.320 that's in Houston, you know, sixty seven the Razo point nine to six 590 00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:43.000 whip is just unbelievable. Yeah, three hundred and fifty three strikeouts in two 591 00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:46.679 hundred and seventy six innings. Yeah, it's it's all elite, it's all 592 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:52.519 a leap production, and arguably he's maintained that better than anybody else in that 593 00:38:52.599 --> 00:38:55.000 span. You know, Hayds had had his blips obviously, Class A. 594 00:38:55.360 --> 00:39:01.920 You've you've talked before this season about about those difficulties this year. Hendrix obviously 595 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:07.159 the circumstances out of his control. But when you look at the past five 596 00:39:07.239 --> 00:39:09.960 years, who has been the most consistent elite believer in baseball that probably is 597 00:39:10.039 --> 00:39:14.760 Ryan Presley, right, Yeah, and so I feel that I'm not if 598 00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:19.840 I'm reading the room correctly here, Darius, you are you are steering towards 599 00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:25.880 a repeat of the last World Series. I am very dull. I am 600 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:30.280 steering towards that. Yeah. As much as I want a mad Max postseason 601 00:39:30.320 --> 00:39:35.079 come back, I'm going to go with the Astros, mainly because of yours, 602 00:39:35.239 --> 00:39:37.360 to be honest, But that's how I feel. Yes, And it's 603 00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:40.280 kind of interesting. I think this is the only point of the season where 604 00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:45.400 saying a repeat of this World Series would be like the boring take. Like 605 00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:47.480 anything, if you've said at any point during the season, you're going to 606 00:39:47.480 --> 00:39:52.000 saying that, like Houston versus Phillias is the World Series again, a lot 607 00:39:52.039 --> 00:39:55.280 of people would have been like, that's a spicy take there, like you're 608 00:39:55.320 --> 00:40:00.519 really discarding some other people. But we're two we away now from this being 609 00:40:00.760 --> 00:40:07.920 a possibility again, and to lay any doubt, I'm agreeing with this again, 610 00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:10.039 given that Houston are the end period pick I've managed to get right so 611 00:40:10.159 --> 00:40:15.960 far this postseason, I've now got to jump on that for the rest of 612 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:19.960 the postseason. But yeah, given that not that long ago, there was 613 00:40:19.960 --> 00:40:22.880 a real possiblity that they wouldn't be in this postseason, I think, you 614 00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:27.519 know, saying Astrois Phillies would Yeah, I actually have qualified as something of 615 00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:30.639 a hot take, and you know, maybe a month ago. So yes, 616 00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:36.280 So we do are now predicting a Houston Philly final, And as we've 617 00:40:36.320 --> 00:40:39.519 done for the last couple of postseason podcasts, I will ask you, Darius 618 00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:43.599 Well, to predict the World Series winner from the two of these. Obviously 619 00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:50.039 we will be discussing what's gone on in the Championships between them and the World 620 00:40:50.159 --> 00:40:52.320 Series. But Darius, do you have are you going to go out and 621 00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:59.039 say are you on Vibes or are you on the first World Series repeat in 622 00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:04.840 twenty two years on team Vibes? Here, Phy's are the team of destiny, 623 00:41:05.159 --> 00:41:08.320 Bryce Harper all the way, I'm going for Yep. I'll stick with 624 00:41:08.360 --> 00:41:14.079 Houston just to give because the only team that have proven you right. So 625 00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:21.559 yeah, got back my horse. Like my initial thinking of the Dodgers made 626 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:27.559 winning the World Series was yeah, not quite. More bad news out of 627 00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:31.039 Milwaukee, by the way, Brandon Woodruff has gone undergone shoulder surgery expected to 628 00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:34.679 miss most of, if not all, the next season. Yes, we're 629 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:37.639 kind of in that time frame of hearing about all the different surgeries that have 630 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:40.920 happened to people, and you're kind of like, I saw like that Lindora 631 00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:45.039 had had something taken up his elbow. When you're like, have you managed 632 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:49.519 to have like a sixth season? Take a moment, Francisco Lindoor goes thirty 633 00:41:49.639 --> 00:41:52.480 thirty six war season and this wasn't like, oh I felt this like halfway 634 00:41:52.519 --> 00:41:55.199 through. It was like, oh, in spring training, my elbow was 635 00:41:55.239 --> 00:42:00.639 bad and he had a six war season like insane. Let's have you know. 636 00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:06.079 We do the underappreciated thing too much, probably, but I don't think 637 00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:08.559 that we can do it too much with Francisco Lindor, who samonth No, 638 00:42:08.800 --> 00:42:15.039 remains underappreciated in New York and is just an unbelievable baseble player who apparently with 639 00:42:15.199 --> 00:42:17.519 bone chips in his elbow, is still one of the very best in baseball. 640 00:42:17.840 --> 00:42:22.280 Yes, like you're going to get nothing but praise given to Lindorf from 641 00:42:22.440 --> 00:42:29.320 me being a Cleveland baseball fan and all of the stuff that he did with 642 00:42:29.400 --> 00:42:31.480 us. I think he has potentially taken that Mantle from her mirrors as the 643 00:42:31.480 --> 00:42:36.519 most underrated player in baseball, which is ridiculous thinking that he's in the New 644 00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:38.679 York market, but he had a bad three weeks to start his career there 645 00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:43.920 and then everybody's thought that's been the same. But so here we are. 646 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:47.519 We do believe that it is going to be a Philly versus Houston final, 647 00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:52.679 but we disagree on who will win. Obviously that's going to play out over 648 00:42:52.880 --> 00:42:57.440 the next few days of weeks. We now get to the point where MLB 649 00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:01.599 decides to schedule as little out of baseball as possible. So I don't think 650 00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:06.199 we have many days where we will have two games being played at the same 651 00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:09.679 time. I think, is it just like Monday? I think we get 652 00:43:09.719 --> 00:43:14.719 two games one basically. I think we only have like the odd game now, 653 00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:19.719 which is actually at a reasonable time for a British audience, which is 654 00:43:19.719 --> 00:43:22.559 effectively when there are two games on at the same time, they pull one 655 00:43:22.599 --> 00:43:25.880 slightly earlier so we can actually watch one. I think Thursday, yeah, 656 00:43:25.960 --> 00:43:30.079 game three to four, going three the NLCS Game four of the ALCS will 657 00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:35.800 be then and then we get the same on Friday if we need it, 658 00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:38.800 obviously, but yeah, we are. We are starting to run out obviously 659 00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:44.000 of the UK, even even semi friendly UK. The you know, I'll 660 00:43:44.039 --> 00:43:49.880 watch the first few innings u GA, and then obviously we'll get to the 661 00:43:49.920 --> 00:43:52.239 World Series where it's so, yeah, time to stay up late or wake 662 00:43:52.360 --> 00:43:57.519 up early. I suppose yes, And who knows obviously what will continue. 663 00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:01.039 I imagine that if the Philadelphia team make the postseason, I mean, makes 664 00:44:01.079 --> 00:44:05.760 the World Series, I do believe the Passy Youngs and Waterloo will probably be 665 00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:09.360 open till six am every single day off the series. So as someone who 666 00:44:09.800 --> 00:44:13.920 did that for the first game of the season last year, it was definitely 667 00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:20.800 a worthwhile experience and would thoroughly recommend people getting down to do that sort of 668 00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:24.400 thing if you can. Watching games of baseball into the wee hours of the 669 00:44:24.440 --> 00:44:30.639 morning with people is a phenomenal experience and it's one of the fun one of 670 00:44:30.679 --> 00:44:34.920 the fun sides of British baseball that we don't get to actually kind of have 671 00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:37.119 that often. Yeah, and you know the fact that it's a bit a 672 00:44:37.199 --> 00:44:42.360 Phitty's bar I suppose ready adds to that element of it, doesn't it, 673 00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:45.239 Because yeah, we don't have many team specific things here in the UK. 674 00:44:45.559 --> 00:44:50.280 But having them congregate, I imagine it must be quite a lot of fun. 675 00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:52.280 Oh yes, oh yes. And I imagine with their new one in 676 00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:54.719 the nine Elms, which is right next to the US Embassy, I could 677 00:44:54.760 --> 00:45:00.159 imagine that that will get a few people in a little bit late. I 678 00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:01.440 don't know what the late licensings they'll have on that one would be like, 679 00:45:01.480 --> 00:45:05.679 but if they they'll probably be trying their best. But yes, we are 680 00:45:05.760 --> 00:45:10.280 digressing. This round of the postseason Baseball is done. I do feel that 681 00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:15.360 we have now forgot what it was? Was it the Was it the Booking 682 00:45:15.400 --> 00:45:20.719 dot Com after falling back on completely saying every single one in the previous bracket, 683 00:45:20.760 --> 00:45:24.039 I think it was the thedivisional Booking dot Com series. We now have 684 00:45:24.199 --> 00:45:29.159 our lone Depot Championship series. Have to get the they have to get the 685 00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:32.960 plugs in Darytes. I hope paying you for this, Oh yes, of 686 00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:38.679 course, because in the postseason a picture by Adobe I can I can never 687 00:45:38.719 --> 00:45:43.079 get over the little L in Lone Depot. Literally every time I see it 688 00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:45.280 for the Marlins Stadium, it really bothers me. Yeah, I just think 689 00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:51.760 it's a capital ie and then I'm like eowen Ewen depot. No, that's 690 00:45:51.800 --> 00:45:57.880 not right. Yeah, it's very offensive and on that bombshell. I will 691 00:45:57.880 --> 00:46:04.159 obviously tell you find listeners that you can find us on Twitter at Backflips Underscore 692 00:46:04.199 --> 00:46:07.559 Nerds. You can find our website at backflips and nerds dot com. We've 693 00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:12.199 had some great articles about some reviews off the season out there from the teams 694 00:46:12.199 --> 00:46:15.559 that have kind of their seasons are no longer with us. I do thoroughly 695 00:46:15.599 --> 00:46:19.559 recommend that you give a few of them a good read because it's a great 696 00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.960 great viewing onto teams you may have not watched too much that have actually come 697 00:46:23.039 --> 00:46:28.000 on with them season and understanding what's happened to them. So thoroughly recommend to 698 00:46:28.039 --> 00:46:32.079 that. Obviously, we will be back in the short term. We will 699 00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:37.000 continue to be jack offs. You have been listening to the Backflips and Nerd 700 00:46:37.000 --> 00:46:39.679 podcast. I hope you all have a glorious few days with our baseball and 701 00:46:39.719 --> 00:46:45.440 get to the Championship Series to watch some more glorious baseball.