WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:18.000 The city, Oh the creative, creative, creative. Welcome to another Space 2 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:24.359 City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety Dan Matthews Live and Local Beach Town breakdown 3 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:29.399 on the world that matters to you? Does Houston Sports World? All these 4 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:34.640 great Houston fans here, We love you all, So finish up on that 5 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:39.399 to do list, Load up the cooler, because you can't drink and talk 6 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:47.399 sports all day if you don't start now. This is Space City Saturday. 7 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:55.000 Here's seven nineties Dan Matthews. You know it's think big boys guy. I 8 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:58.240 am Dan Matthews. Gonna be with you here for the next couple of hours 9 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:03.959 Space City Saturday. Thanks some Doug Pike for getting us started today. You 10 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:07.959 know it's funny. I didn't even know that Doug was in studio as I 11 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.159 was driving in. I was listening to the show and I'm about to walk 12 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:12.920 in, and you gotta be careful with those outdoors guys. Man, they 13 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.040 got all the weapons. I mean, I'm lucky I didn't get a crossbow 14 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.120 or something, you know, pointed at me as I tried to walk into 15 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:23.159 the studio to start prepping for the show. But Doug's a nice man. 16 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.359 I think you would have let me have a pass. But anyway, thanks 17 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:32.159 to Doug for getting us going today, as we have got a lot for 18 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:36.879 you here. Of course, we are going to be massively astros loaded on 19 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:42.280 this show because these next couple of days the largest couple of days of the 20 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:47.840 season, and we have all of that for you. You can jump in 21 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.120 on the phone lines if you would like at seven one three two one two 22 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:56.879 five seven ninety seven one three, two, one two five seven ninety is 23 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:00.519 how we can get you in on the conversation. As I meant, we're 24 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:04.400 gonna have a lot of astro's talk. As a matter of fact, I'm 25 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:09.719 gonna go ahead and make a proclamation right now. I would probably say conservatively 26 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:14.759 eighty five percent of this show today is going to be astros because I mean, 27 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:19.560 that is the largest topic of conversation that we need to talk about on 28 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:23.360 the program today, so we will do that. Of course, recap last 29 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.840 night's two to one win over the Diamondbacks. WHOA, it got a little 30 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:30.240 hairy. They're late, didn't it. I mean it's one of those things 31 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:35.400 that you have the al twove air and then you have the moreno double, 32 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:39.400 which it's funny because I think like a lot of us now if you were 33 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:43.439 watching it on TV, which I was at the house in the Woodlands, 34 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:50.080 and I've got Direct TV stream as my viewing package, and so of course 35 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:53.080 when you stream, you're behind a little bit, and of course the atticipation 36 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:59.000 is killing you, right, So I then get on my MLB app and 37 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.879 I'm you know, I've got my girlfriend's brother, you know, he's watching 38 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:06.919 the game with me, and he's like, you're watching the head, aren't 39 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:07.840 you. And I was like, dude, I can't help myself, like 40 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:13.719 I've got to know what happens. And of course the moreno hit, you 41 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:16.719 see runs and I'm just thinking to myself, I'm like, no, no, 42 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.120 no, you didn't do this. You didn't just tie this ball game 43 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:23.800 up. And then I see a run scores and I'm like, okay, 44 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:28.800 well not great, but still you're still in position to be able to win 45 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:31.039 this game. You don't want to go the dreaded extra innings, which has 46 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:37.080 been exactly that, a dreadful situation for the Astros this season. I can't 47 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.599 remember exactly what the number is in terms of the record, but it ain't 48 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:45.719 good. And they were able to avoid that with Jose Altuve able to get 49 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:52.400 redemption for his error earlier in the inning with the Jace Peterson little rollover tapper 50 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.400 to the right side, nice little easy throw to jose A Bray. You 51 00:03:55.879 --> 00:04:00.439 in the Astros are able to line up for handshakes and high fives and be 52 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:06.240 able to inch even closer to a playoff spot. So it's gonna be a 53 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:11.479 huge one again tonight. You get another really good pitching matchup for this game 54 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:15.079 coming up a little bit later on on seven forty and also right here on 55 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:19.000 Sports Talk seven ninety. There's gonna be a lot of gymnastics today in a 56 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:25.759 good way if you will here on our great family of iHeart stations, because 57 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:30.399 I mean the listening pleasure that is going to be at your disposal for everything 58 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:35.519 today here across our great stations of us right here on Sports Talk seven ninety, 59 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:41.319 also to KPRC nine fifty, and also News Radio seven forty kt r 60 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:45.040 H. As a matter of fact, six o'clock on deck gonna get started 61 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:49.000 over on News Radio seven forty kt r H, as we will have that 62 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:53.759 starting for you over at six o'clock, and that's gonna lead you up to 63 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:59.120 the seven ten first pitch from the deserts of Justin Verlander against Merrill Kelly. 64 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:02.839 So we will have all of that for you right here on Sports Talks seven 65 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:06.079 ninety. Coming up at one thirty, you're gonna have the Long Warns and 66 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.920 Kansas. A matter of fact, with that game, I am going to 67 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.120 get into some college football today. I mean, that's gonna be in there 68 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.879 in that little fifteen percent if you will, like I said, like I 69 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:19.959 said, eighty five percent of this show today is going to be Astros. 70 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:25.800 And if you have some angst, if you have some happiness, if you 71 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:30.240 have any of those things, please again seven one two, one two five, 72 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.240 seven ninety, let's talk through it. Let's do it, all right, 73 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:36.319 That's what I'm here for for these next two hours. Let's do it. 74 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:41.240 Let's have some fun, and we will do all of that. But 75 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:45.360 of course, last night you can't talk about that game without talking about the 76 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.879 yeoman's work. And that's the second time this week that on Twitter, I 77 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:54.879 have thrown that out for the followers out there and anybody else that can see 78 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:58.720 me on I can't call it X by the way, it just sounds weird 79 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:01.639 and it just sounds kind of repeat. I don't know, like you know, 80 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:05.240 I understand. You know, it's Elon Musks. He can do whatever 81 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:10.920 he wants, and he's obsessed with the letter X, and he's obsessed with 82 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.560 space Balls and all those different things, which I didn't know until listened to 83 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.439 the Joe Rogan podcast when he was on of his obsession with the movie space 84 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:20.240 Balls, which I think is a great movie. I think it's hilarious movie. 85 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:26.279 And like all of his tesla's have like space Ball references, like ludicrous 86 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:30.879 speed and everything like that. So we you know, as you'll find out 87 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:34.240 here as I host this show in the coming weeks, you're gonna know that 88 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:39.279 sometimes I get a little sidetracked. That's just the add in me. And 89 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:42.040 if you can deal with it, then we can have some fun. But 90 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.560 jose Ra Katie last night unbelievable, And like I said, second time this 91 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:50.600 week, I've thrown out Yeoman's work because Wednesday nights, I threw out that 92 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:55.480 word for Brian a bray you because he did. I mean, you don't 93 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:59.920 win that game Wednesday night without Brian a bray You just coming in an absolutely 94 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:05.519 throwing just stellar work at the Seattle Mariners as he was able to put together 95 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.480 an effort. And then last night, you know, I was in on 96 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:13.800 the nightcap with Ross Villerial and I said, Ross, you know, here's 97 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.480 the thing that I think that we can rest on with Jose Rakeati. This 98 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:23.160 time of the year is Raketi time. How many times in the World Series 99 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:28.560 in twenty nineteen game five up in DC when you needed a huge start and 100 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:31.920 you're like, Jose Raketi, Oh, I mean, I hope just keep 101 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.720 us close and maybe the bats can get to work, which they did that 102 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:38.079 night, and you were able to get a win, and you were able 103 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:41.600 to put yourself in position to be able to clinch the World Series at home. 104 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.920 I don't want to go through bad times with us. Obviously that didn't 105 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:47.560 happen. Twenty twenty one. You were down one zero to the Braves in 106 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:53.560 that World Series. In game two, you give the ball to Jose Rakeati 107 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:58.959 goes out to the mound to El Karrido, the mazit Lan, and he 108 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:01.839 is able to put together a strong start and you even up the series at 109 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:07.160 one one. And then last night he's told early in the morning that there 110 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.519 is a family emergency with JP France, which, by the way, his 111 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:15.800 wife Jessica on Twitter said the kids are great, We're all good. Thank 112 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:20.759 you all for your support, and you know, just really appreciate everybody reaching 113 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:24.360 out that did so. Sounds like at least that things have calmed down on 114 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:30.759 the family emergency front with JP France. Definitely hope that everything is good there 115 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:35.120 and hopefully he is able to rejoin the team here very soon. Of course, 116 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.720 be keeping tabs on that. But or Katie last night, I mean, 117 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.399 I think that most of us probably could have looked at it and said, 118 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.200 let's get maybe three innings out of him, because i think once he 119 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:48.360 got through three scoreless, you were like, okay. And I'm saying to 120 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:54.240 myself as i am leaving a grocery store to pick up some much needed supplies 121 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.000 to be able to watch the late night game, and I'm listening to Robert 122 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:01.159 Ford and Steve Spark on the way back to the house, and I'm saying 123 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:03.919 to myself, you know, doesn't sound like he's sawing a ton of pitches. 124 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:07.080 Maybe you run him back out there for the fourth and they did. 125 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.919 Maybe you run him back out there for the fifth and they did. And 126 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:15.480 after that, I'm in front of the TV at the time, I can 127 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:18.279 see the pitch count and I'm like, you know, the sixth inning is 128 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:20.679 not necessarily out of the question for him, and he went out there and 129 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:26.039 he delivered. And we'll let you hear from Dusty up Baker next segment about 130 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:28.720 the walkouts in the mound and you're thinking, all right, that's gonna be 131 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:33.440 it for Jose Rakeati says he looked at Raketi and said, I gotta ride 132 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:37.600 with this guy. I'm gonna go with this guy. So credit to him 133 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:41.720 and credit to others last night who were able to step up for this team 134 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:46.120 as well. Again, you can get in on the phone lines at seven 135 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:48.600 one, three, two on two five, seven ninety. Let's go ahead 136 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.320 and start it off right now. Mark on the west side wants to away 137 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:56.360 in Mark, what's going on Sports Tucks seven ninety. How you doing there? 138 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.879 Are you? I'm awesome, buddy, I mean, especially after a 139 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.519 two one win, this show has a lot more energy when the Astros win. 140 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:07.200 Can you agree? I agree? Listen, let me go over some 141 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:13.720 stuff you know mine? Please? Last night I had the Astros on the 142 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:20.399 radio and I had the Rangers Seattle game on the TV. And I'll tell 143 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:24.240 you what that Seattle crowd was pumped, man, I have never seen a 144 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:30.200 crowd at last and they you know, they wont eight and nothing. But 145 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.759 we've got some history with was bad history with Seattle. If it comes down 146 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.000 to that, we end up playing them again, you know, with the 147 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:48.159 narrowest rod Reagan. Still we've had you know, we've had some problems with 148 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:50.360 them on the field. You know, they don't like it. We don't 149 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:56.960 like them and they don't like us. And the Rangers we had to do 150 00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:01.360 with Simeon you know, I believe it was it Fromer earlier in the year 151 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:05.279 and Maldonado. Yes, yes, So none of the three teams like each 152 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:15.919 other. But that being said, last night I was hoping as a Brave's 153 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.039 ball was out, but it wasn't. But we got two runs out of 154 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:22.279 it because they based it on where the runners would have been and I think 155 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:26.960 Tucker was the last runners, so he's fast and they figured he would have 156 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:33.240 scored on a double. So that's how we got the two runs. Two 157 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:35.120 runs is not enough. That's not gonna win me a lot of games. 158 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.879 Unfortunately, your Keatie pitch great. Like you said, our bullpen did a 159 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.000 good job. Now I want to get to Presley Pressley, I like a 160 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:52.399 lot. I think he's a good closer. Thank god we had two runs 161 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:58.039 and not just one. That guy just worries me sometimes. I mean always 162 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.960 say, if we have a one or two run league with Presley coming in, 163 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:05.480 get the first guy out that's key, which he did, right, 164 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:11.440 and then another the next guy I believe got a hit, and no he 165 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:16.720 did now to be made an error. Yeah yeah, yeah, that was 166 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:20.120 the al Twove error. And then you get the next outs. I don't 167 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:22.559 have the ending breakdown in front of me. But then, of course the 168 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:28.679 fourth hitter of the ending was Marino and that was the double that chas McCormick 169 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.960 tried to make a play on in centerfield. I'll tell you what, Dan. 170 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.639 First of all, you can't make errors like that big games like this, 171 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:41.000 But it happened. And that ball I thought it was out, I 172 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:46.960 mean McCormick. I thought either McCormick was going to make one of those great 173 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:52.919 catches jumping up against the fence. That ball was within less than a foot 174 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:56.639 going out, which would have taed the game. It was just like a 175 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:03.159 bruise ball, a braves ball. Yeah, that ball was what less than 176 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:07.559 six inches from going out. It's a game of inches. You know that 177 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:13.559 game was nerve rectal, but we won. That's the main thing. Let 178 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:20.679 me answer yeah real quick. Okay, we got Verlander going today, which 179 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:24.399 is good. I hope he repeat his last performance, and I hope we 180 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:31.320 score at least five runs. Let's say we sweep this series, just hypothetically. 181 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.879 Okay, now, if the Rangers just win one game out of the 182 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:41.080 four they've already lost the first two. We had the tape breaker with the 183 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:46.279 Rangers where we win the division based on that scenario, and I'll let you 184 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:48.399 go, but thank you. Yeah, I appreciate Mark. So I'm glad 185 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:54.240 you brought that up. By the way, Corey Lighter on Twitter has done 186 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:58.919 a great job if any of you follow him, and he has put together 187 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:03.519 a little spreadsheet, if you will, of scenarios. So the only way 188 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:09.559 the Astros are going to win the Al West is going to be if they 189 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:13.600 sweep this series. So they win tonight, they win tomorrow, and here 190 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:18.240 are the scenarios that goes. So the Mariners have won two, say the 191 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:24.360 Rangers win these next couple of games. The Astros, if that's the case, 192 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:28.399 would finish in second and the Mariners would be in third ergo, the 193 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.000 Mariners would miss the postseason, and the Astros would get that third and final 194 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:37.159 wildcard spot. Now, if the Mariners win one or two more games in 195 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:41.519 the Astros sweep, then the Astros win the American League West. So say 196 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:46.440 tonight, if the Astros win and the Mariners win again, then it's going 197 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:50.080 to be a tie going into tomorrow, and that's going to be an all 198 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:54.600 important one for the Astros to be able to get that one. And if 199 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.080 say the Rangers are able to win tomorrow, but then you're Houston Astros able 200 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:03.879 to put together a another great effort, then that is going to mean that 201 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:09.000 your Astros are Aos champions, and that means that we all get a stress 202 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:15.159 free week. Everybody gets to take a deep breath and be able to have 203 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.840 that buy and go in to the Alds instead of having to try to sweat 204 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:24.279 it out in the wildcard round. I'll break all of those scenarios down and 205 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:28.039 everything more. Plus let you hear from manager Dusty Baker about some of the 206 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.960 things that Mark just brought up right there, and I've brought up so far 207 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.960 in the show today, John Stick and stay right there. I'll get to 208 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.559 you here in just a second. So we're also here on the show today. 209 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.639 I'm gonna get into a little bit of college football coming up bottom of 210 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.720 this hour Mike Craven from Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He is going to join 211 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.159 us as there is a lot of great college football action happening around the lone 212 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:54.879 Star state today. We will touch on all of that with Mike coming up 213 00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:58.559 bottom of next hour as well. My good buddy, you're a good buddy. 214 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:03.200 Everybody's good buddy or him every weekday morning here on Sports Talk seven ninety 215 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.159 with Sean Salisberry, Brian Lilima, gonna hop on and we're gonna chop up 216 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:11.919 some stros here coming up next hour. But all of that's in much more 217 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.399 tons of Astro's conversation. You want to line up, you can at seven 218 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.000 one three two one two five, seven ninety. We will also get into 219 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:22.279 some Texans talk a little bit today as well, because there are some things 220 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:25.559 that I do want to touch on. We will do all of that right 221 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:30.919 here Space City Saturday. Dan Matthews here with you until noon Sports Talk seven 222 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:48.440 ninety. Welcome back to Space City Saturday one Sports Talk seven ninety Ibby Astros 223 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:52.279 as they were able to pull off a huge win last night over the Arizona 224 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:59.440 Diamondbacks out in Arizona. I'm gonna get to my Dusty Baker topic here in 225 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.879 JA a few seconds. Coming up in about ten minutes, gonna be talking 226 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:07.480 some college football as we'll break away momentarily again and that fifteen percent right there. 227 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:11.039 We'll talk some college football with Mike Craven, senior writer for It, 228 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.000 Dave Campbell's at Texas Football. Can you get to the Dusty topic here in 229 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:18.079 just a second. First, let's go back out to the west side. 230 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.240 John wants to weigh in here on Sports Talk seven ninety John. How you 231 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:26.519 doing, Buddy? I am doing fine. Actually answered part of my question 232 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:32.119 just a minute ago. But about the playoffs, my understanding is that if 233 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:37.039 there's a tie between the Rangers, Astros, and Mariners, that the Rangers 234 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:41.920 and Mariners will go and knock the Astros. Where the Astros hold a series 235 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:48.279 city the series over the Rangers, the Mariners hold it over us, and 236 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.440 I guess the Rangers hold it over the Mariners, and so in case of 237 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.599 the three way tie, I wonder why they would go and the Astros would 238 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.960 not. And then secondly, if there's a four way tie with the Blue 239 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:04.240 Jays, who gets to go? And then my other question is who is 240 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.079 the backup catcher for the Astros this year? If you know, it's Yin 241 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:15.720 er Ds, no, the emergency catch Oh god, his name escapes me 242 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:18.880 right now. I'll look it up here in just a second, but the 243 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:23.640 primary is Jiner Ds. Yeah, because I you know, I always wondered 244 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:29.960 who it would be. And obviously you don't want to ever use your emergency 245 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.839 catcher, but there's a lot of times where I thought maybe you could pitch 246 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:40.119 hit DS for Malvinado, and you know, if DS got hurt, you 247 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.759 could bring in your emergency catcher. So I'll just hang up and listen. 248 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:48.039 Thank you all. I appreciate the call there, John saysar Salazar, And 249 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:52.400 that's on me that I didn't remember who the third catcher is, but been 250 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:56.400 in the minor leagues for much of this season. But yeah, I mean, 251 00:18:56.440 --> 00:19:00.359 anytime you have to go to the emergency part of the raw as you 252 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:03.759 don't want to do that. But last night it worked out. But here's 253 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:07.319 how it stands right now. Just to answer John's question even further, so, 254 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:11.519 Seattle is at eighty seven and seventy three. Astros are at eighty eight 255 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:15.920 and seventy two. So that would mean that the Astros they win one more, 256 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.559 that's two. If they win two, that locks them in they are 257 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:25.440 in the postseason. And in that case, that would mean that the Mariners 258 00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:30.119 need to make up another game on the Astros. So if that happened, 259 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.519 they would have the tiebreaker for the division. The Mariners would win the AL 260 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:38.839 West. So that means that in this scenario right here again you can find 261 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:45.720 Corey Lder on Twitter and he lays it out, that would mean that they 262 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:49.920 have won one more than the Astros. In this case right here, that 263 00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:55.079 means that they have won four. So the Mariners in that case would win 264 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:00.359 the AL West. In the Astros would be second place and they would have 265 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:04.599 that final wildcard spot and the Rangers would be missing out on the postseason. 266 00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:07.920 Which I know there's probably not a lot of tears being shed if that's the 267 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:12.759 case. That if in Arlington they are watching us in the postseason, and 268 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:15.799 in this case right here too, that would mean if the Astros made the 269 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.519 wildcard and say they go up to Minneapolis and take care of business against the 270 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:23.519 twins that would possibly set them up, not possibly, it would set them 271 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:29.799 up for an alds on the road against the Mariners. Kind of a rematch 272 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:33.160 of last year's alds in this case though instead of starting it off at Minute 273 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:37.160 Made Park, you're starting it up there at T Mobile Park in Seattle. 274 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:42.759 And I know that you know that is something that as Mark pointed out a 275 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:47.440 little bit earlier, that it is creating a hell of a rivalry. Now. 276 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:49.200 I mean, somebody pointed it out on Twitter last night, and I 277 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:52.240 can't remember exactly who it is, but they said, look, you know, 278 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:56.359 you've got the Dodgers and Giants. That's a hell of a Major League 279 00:20:56.440 --> 00:20:59.960 rivalry. Obviously the one that everybody looks to. That's kind of the Ohio 280 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.720 State, Michigan Army, Navy if you will, Texas O you is the 281 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:08.960 Yankees and the Red Sox. But I mean the way that the last few 282 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.160 years have gone, and of course to just the vitriol that we have for 283 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.279 the Mariners and their fans, and boy did they really show their backsides on 284 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:22.119 Monday night with that beanball of jose Al twove. See that's the funny thing 285 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.599 of all of this is the reaction to the hector nearest thing of just the 286 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:33.839 handwringing that is going on with that after you know, you've got people just 287 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:41.559 verbally cheering somebody getting hit in the game. Which if there's anything that's happened 288 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:45.119 with this entire situation of what happened in twenty seventeen, the guy that has 289 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:49.599 wore it and has never apologized for it and has never you know, said 290 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:53.559 why me or anything, it's been jose Al Tuove when it's been documented that 291 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.839 he did not benefit from said scheme. And this is something that has go 292 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.240 on for the last few years. And let's be honest here, most people 293 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:07.519 don't care about facts if it fits their narrative. And in this case right 294 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:11.200 here, it's Yankee fans channing fl TWOV and all of those different types of 295 00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:15.039 things, and people just glomb onto it and go with it because there's comfort 296 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:19.079 in a crowd. There's comfort in oh hey, everybody else is saying it, 297 00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:22.960 so I can say it too, right, And that's the way that 298 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:26.720 most people go about it. So anyway, that is how the brakes go. 299 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:30.359 Sometimes I get to my Dusty Baker topic. I think I'll do it 300 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:33.960 after we talk with Mike Craven here in a few minutes, but real quick, 301 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:37.119 let's squeeze in Ray and Memorial right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Ray, 302 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.759 what's going on, buddy, Hey, get good morning. I just 303 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:44.279 want to make a quick comment on hanging up in this an our coup question. 304 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:48.279 It looks like I've been pretty critical some of the moves Dust he's made 305 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.359 this season, but I was looking at just In verbend or going again tonight 306 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:55.480 if I'm if I'm not mistaken, it looks like which means it looks like 307 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:59.240 Wow may have gotten skipped into rotation, which is a good thing because he's 308 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:03.240 been downl terrible lately. And I just want to see if I can get 309 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.440 some cratification on there, because I'm no further under with you at at night. 310 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:10.279 I haven't seen Hunter Brown since he had a mild down a gift to 311 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.799 cancer the laws and gave up six runs in the first inning, and I 312 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:17.240 haven't seen him since I don't clare you on an eye up to listen all. 313 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:19.440 I appreciate the call. Ray. This would be the fifth day for 314 00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:23.079 Justin Verlanders, so it would have worked out for him to pitch today. 315 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:27.400 I think had the Astros already been in a clinch situation that you would not 316 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:33.480 have seen him pitch in this game. But because they are still very much 317 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:37.759 in the race to try to clinch a spot, you need one of your 318 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.400 best out there, and Justin has been that. With Hunter Brown, I 319 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:45.480 think that it's probably a little bit of a couple of things. Number One, 320 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.519 I think that probably it's overworked to this point, and that's not necessarily 321 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:55.000 anybody's fault. It's just that you've had him in the rotation and he's thrown 322 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:56.480 more innings than he's ever thrown, So I think there's a little bit of 323 00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:00.640 fatigue there. And I think also too, here's the thing is, sometimes 324 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:06.200 you have to put in the sweat equity and you have the tough results to 325 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:08.599 be able to learn in the future. I go back to my experience that 326 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:14.160 I had working in my previous market before coming back home, to coming back 327 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:18.680 home here to Houston in Atlanta, and I'm reminded so much of the Braves 328 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:25.720 rotation that they had when Max Freed was coming up, and also too when 329 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:29.599 you had Kyle Wright coming along, and Kyle Wright was one of those guys 330 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:32.559 in Atlanta that people were like, what is it with this guy, like, 331 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:36.400 come on, man, we've heard that you're supposed to be one of 332 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:41.400 the future greats in this rotation. And I remembered last year Brian Snicker when 333 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.519 I was in a press conference talking about Kyle Wright and saying, you know 334 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:48.799 what, I think last year in Triple A was so great for him. 335 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:52.319 And then, of course, unfortunately against the Astros, he kind of found 336 00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:55.799 his legs in Major League Baseball and he went out and had a hell of 337 00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:59.720 an outing in Game four of the World Series in twenty twenty one, and 338 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:03.480 that give him the confidence that he needed to be able to say, Okay, 339 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:06.599 I can get outs at this level. I think the good news is 340 00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:08.920 that Hunter Brown has I can get outs at this level. I think that 341 00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:14.000 for him, it's a all right, how do I space this thing out 342 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:18.000 to be able to make sure that I'm as fresh as I possibly can be 343 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:22.759 in August and September as I am in April and May at the beginning of 344 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:25.440 the season when the arm is a little bit fresher, all of those different 345 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:27.200 types of things. So I think that probably that's something that he's going to 346 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:30.119 get back in the lab and try to work on this offseason to make sure 347 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.920 that next year when he gets at this time of the year, that he 348 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:37.880 is a little bit more spaced out and he is able to throw some more 349 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:41.480 quality innings and put out some more quality work this time of the year when 350 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:44.920 you need him. But in the case of this, I mean, I 351 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:49.279 know Dusty Baker was asked in the postgame last night about what his pitching situation 352 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:52.240 is on Sunday, and he would not get off of it. And I 353 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:56.720 think it was a reporter from there in the Phoenix area. It did not 354 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.720 sound like Brian McTaggart or Chandler Rome or Julia Morales or anybody that was in 355 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:04.880 there talking with Dusty in the post game. But Dusty would not budge. 356 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.319 He just said, hey, look, I'm worried about Saturday, and when 357 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.640 we need to worry about Sunday, we'll worry about Sunday. But for right 358 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:17.559 now, we're worried about Saturday. So that's a huge one tonight again justin 359 00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:21.599 Verlander against Merrill Kelly, and you can hear it right here on your home 360 00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:26.480 of the Astros. Sports Talks seven ninety coming your way after Longhorns and Kansas 361 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.720 wrap up here on at Sports Talks seven ninety. The coverage will get started 362 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:36.240 over on our sister station at News Radio seven forty kat r H. All 363 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:38.319 right, let's get in some college football. We're gonna do that next with 364 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:42.119 my good buddy Mike Craven at Dave Campbell's Texas Football. We will do that. 365 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:47.200 We will get back into the Astros conversation because you know, Ray actually 366 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:48.880 just brought up something there that I did want to get to here, but 367 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:52.160 I kind of pinched myself on time a little bit. So I will get 368 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:56.599 to that with Dusty here coming up to close out hour one. But all 369 00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:59.960 of that and more still to come. Right here. It's Space City Saturday 370 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.000 eight, Dan Matthews here with you until noon on Sports Talk seven ninety. 371 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:17.559 This is Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety. All right, let's 372 00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:21.400 get right back to it's again you're home of the Astros and the Rocket Sports 373 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:26.000 Talks seven nineties. You just heard right there from Big Voice guy. It 374 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:32.400 is basically a Saturday on Dan Matthews with you here until noon, college football, 375 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:34.960 the conversation right here. Let's do it right now. Mike Craven from 376 00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:40.559 Dave Campbell's Texas Football joining us here for a few minutes, Mike, appreciate 377 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:42.200 the time a game you're gonna be at, a game we're gonna have here 378 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:47.720 on Sports Talk seven ninety. You're home with Longhorns here in Houston, Texas 379 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:52.359 against Kansas As. Texas a pretty sizeable favorite in this one. But what 380 00:27:52.559 --> 00:28:00.440 necessarily concerns you about this matchup today against the Kansas Jayhawks. I think the 381 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:03.240 thing that would concern Texas is just Jayleen Daniels, right. I mean, 382 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:06.759 he may arguably be the best quarterback, you know, not only in the 383 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:10.519 Big twelve, but just kind of in the Southwest region, probably have the 384 00:28:10.519 --> 00:28:14.599 advantage at quarterback over Texas today. And so when you have a quarterback that 385 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:17.559 can, you know, make make plays with his arm, but also with 386 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:21.039 his feet, I think that puts defenses in a bind. And if Kansas 387 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:23.920 has a chance today, it'll be because he has a big game. And 388 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:29.720 you know, part of this Texas offense I don't think has talked about enough 389 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:33.599 is the work of Jonathan Brooks so far this season. I know that was 390 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.480 a position of concern for some just because you just didn't know what necessarily what 391 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.839 you had with b Jehan Robinson and Roshawn Johnson moving on to the NFL. 392 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:45.799 But what can you say about the work that Brooks has done so far through 393 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:51.079 four games. Yeah, I think it's a testament to his character, right, 394 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:52.799 I mean, you know, he sits behind the John Robinson, he 395 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:56.720 sits behind Rushawn Johnson. You know, this is a former mister Texas football 396 00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:00.680 with a bunch of offers who broke you know, school records and came close 397 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:03.640 to breaking some state records, and you know, and then he finally gets 398 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:07.440 his opportunity, and then in the springing in the summer he gets beat out 399 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:11.480 by a five star true freshman, and instead of transferring or sulking, you 400 00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:14.200 know, he stays the course. He waits for his opportunity, and when 401 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:15.920 he got it, he took advantage to the point that I don't think he 402 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:18.720 can put him on the bench again, right. I mean, he's going 403 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:22.000 to be the start running back for Texas as long as he's healthy the rest 404 00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:25.640 of this year. And I think so so much in modern college football, 405 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:29.400 we get stuck talking about the poor conversation, like, you know, all 406 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.519 these kids never work hard, and they're always leaving and they're always looking for 407 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:36.119 great But there's plenty of stories like Jonathan Brooks around college football that fly the 408 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:38.440 opposite for it, and I'm happy that he's kind of getting his chance to 409 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.839 shine. You can find him on Twitter at craven Mike. He is Mike 410 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:45.440 Craven. Senior writer. Dave Campbell's Texas Football joined us here for a few 411 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:51.960 minutes on a Space City Saturday and one more on the Texas front. I 412 00:29:51.960 --> 00:29:55.359 mean, I think we can agree here, Mike that two parts of this 413 00:29:55.359 --> 00:30:00.519 team just looks so different than we've seen in past years. That's upfront offensive 414 00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:06.079 and defensive line. Is it because now they finally have depth, size, 415 00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:11.680 everything that you need at those positions, that there's real genuine buzz for people 416 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.880 to believe that this team can do some damage this year. I believe. 417 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:18.079 So, you know, I'm usually the guy and I grew up around this 418 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:21.759 program, so I'm usually the guy cautioning people from getting a little bit too 419 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:26.279 over the top with Texas love. But I think that's absolutely the difference. 420 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:29.359 You know, they usually have a pretty good seven on seventeen. Even in 421 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:32.440 their bad years in the odds, you know, they had good wide receivers, 422 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:34.480 they had decent quarterback play, they had you know, a decent secondary, 423 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:38.200 but they haven't had the toughness, and that toughness comes from the offensive 424 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:41.680 line. If you can be an offensive line led football team, they're gonna 425 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:45.079 be a tough, gritty football team because that's just what those guys up front 426 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:48.200 bring. And Texas hasn't had good offensive lineman. They haven't had a culture 427 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.480 established by the big, tough guys in a long time. It's been more 428 00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:55.720 you know of a wide receiver culture, a quarterback culture, a defensive back 429 00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:57.799 culture, and so I just think that they're tough for the first time in 430 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:02.240 a long time. I think the word soft is used for Texas. Even 431 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:04.880 back during the really good years of Matt Brown. I think the reputation across 432 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:08.519 the country and then the NFL was maybe it wasn't a tough program. I 433 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:12.480 feel like Bo Davis, Kyle Flood, just that sec influence and the guys 434 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:15.400 that they're bringing in has really made that locker room and that program tougher than 435 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:19.279 it used to be. And that gives me hope that maybe they avoid kind 436 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.440 of the collapse of the upsets that maybe they have in the past. Yeah, 437 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:25.920 no doubt about it. I mean you talked about Kyle Flood, he 438 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:29.559 is renowned. Bo Davis, I mean on the defensive line. When it 439 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:33.799 comes to programs trying to hire a top tier defensive line coach is a reason 440 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:37.759 why Bo Davis's name is thrown out there as much as it is a couple 441 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:41.640 more questions again, Mike Craven Dave Campbell's Texas football joined us for a few 442 00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:45.920 minutes here on a Space City's Saturday. Let's flip up to Arlington a game 443 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:48.200 that's I mean, I kind of had to do a double take here, 444 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:53.440 Mike when I saw eleven am kick for A and M and Arkansas. Usually, 445 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:59.119 if nothing else, that's an SEC Saturday night game for Tom Hart Cole 446 00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:01.079 Cublick in the through to be able to call that one. But we're gonna 447 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:05.880 get it earlier in the day. The Max Johnson time is here. Connor 448 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:09.200 Wegman done for the season with a foot injury. What does this offense look 449 00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:15.480 like differently with Max Johnson now at the helm? I'm not sure, you 450 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:17.319 know, honestly, I think we're still starting to are still trying to figure 451 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:21.759 out kind of you know, what is a Bobby influence here? What's the 452 00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:25.000 Jimbo influence still at quarterback? Does that change now? You know that Connor 453 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.480 Wigman's out. All I can go buy is the second half against Auburn, 454 00:32:29.559 --> 00:32:31.039 and Max looked better than Connor, and they threw the ball around. He 455 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:35.400 had a couple of touchdown passes. He threw it eleven times and the second 456 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:38.359 half completed seven of them. So now Matt Johnson's had double digit starts in 457 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.680 the SEC. He started for A and M, he started against SEC or 458 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:46.440 against OR four LSU last year. He started in this game against Arkansas and 459 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:50.839 led Texas A and M to a victory. So now I think that their 460 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:54.160 position pretty well at the backup quarterback position. I just think it takes away 461 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:58.839 a little bit of their upside. I think with Connor they had an opportunity 462 00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:02.359 to maybe upset l maybe push Alabama to be the best team in the SEC 463 00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:07.000 West. I think with Max Johnson there, they're probably back firmly into an 464 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:08.400 eight and four seven to five team. But for me, you know, 465 00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:10.480 I don't think it's about the offense. I think the offense is going to 466 00:33:10.519 --> 00:33:13.559 be fine for A and M. For me, it's just about that defense 467 00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:16.599 and if they've really turned a corner. Final one for you, Mike again, 468 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:21.079 Mike Craven Dave Campbell's Texas Football joined us for a few minutes, and 469 00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:23.759 that is a game that we're gonna have over on our sister station, the 470 00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:30.079 home of the Houston Cougar's AM nine fifty KPRC them going out to Lubbock and 471 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:35.799 taking on Texas Tech. Is this a winnable game for Dana Holgerson's team today 472 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.599 or is it just kind of like what we saw a couple of weeks ago. 473 00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:42.599 It's a roster trying to find their way in the Big twelve. They're 474 00:33:42.599 --> 00:33:45.759 not quite to where TC was at the time, and maybe where Texas Tech 475 00:33:45.880 --> 00:33:50.680 is right now. I think there's still a little bit behind. But I 476 00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:54.000 mean this Texas Tech team has been so bad and they don't have their starting 477 00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:59.680 quarterback. The offensive line plays been really poor. So they're a team that's 478 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:01.200 beat up obviously. I mean, you lose to West Virginia on the road. 479 00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:04.680 I mean, I'm not going to bet on Houston not having a chance 480 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:07.360 to come in there. I will say the advantage for Tech is they've been 481 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:10.159 kind of Jekyl and hide home versus away. I mean, they've been as 482 00:34:10.199 --> 00:34:14.639 good at home as they've been bad on the road, and so I think 483 00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:16.840 being at home, being in front of a sold out crowd, based knowing 484 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:20.599 that this one needs to be a win. It's Hall of Fame weekend, 485 00:34:20.679 --> 00:34:23.000 so you know a lot of the big spaces and names are back in Lubbock, 486 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:27.920 you know, for this game. I think Tech is gonna be ready 487 00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:30.599 to prove that, you know, they're better than what the start is. 488 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:34.639 Baron Morton's a pretty solid backup quarterback also, so I'll take Texas Tech in 489 00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:37.719 this one. But I think with how poor they played and with the questions 490 00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:40.039 they have up front, you know, anybody's beat able when you have a 491 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:44.639 poor offensive line. Again, you can find them on Twitter at Craven Mike. 492 00:34:44.760 --> 00:34:47.159 He is Mike Craven, senior writer for Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He 493 00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:52.320 will be in the building today at dk our Memorial Stadium. They're in Austin 494 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:57.239 for the two thirty kick of Texas and Kansas. Mike, appreciate the time, 495 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:00.280 buddy, Always great to catch up with You will do so again here 496 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:04.440 very soon as so we move along in the college football season. Absolutely, 497 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:07.760 sir, any time. I appreciate it. Mike Craven Again, great work 498 00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:09.880 that he does over there. Dave Campbell's Texas Football. I mean, look, 499 00:35:09.960 --> 00:35:14.559 you know, when you're talking about covering football in this state, is 500 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:19.320 there anybody that does it better than that magazine? I mean, I remind 501 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:23.360 you all that I'm coming back home from Atlanta, where college football is king 502 00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:27.719 in that market and in that state, and obviously the last couple of years 503 00:35:28.039 --> 00:35:31.280 the Georgia Bulldogs doing what they've done on the field, and every single year, 504 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:36.719 right around Memorial Day, you go to the grocery store and you see 505 00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:40.320 the Athlon is there, You see that the Lendis is there, Lindy's Magazine, 506 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:43.960 which I don't think is as huge here even though we have the Lindy's 507 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:47.039 Report here on Sports Talk seven ninety. But you see those magazines. Of 508 00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:51.800 course here in the Lone Star state. When you see Dave Campbell's Texas Football 509 00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:57.280 is on the magazine racks, you say, let's go. Football season is 510 00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:00.519 here. We're ready to go. And Mike helps contribute to that great publication. 511 00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:04.639 By the way, speaking of football in this state, got to give 512 00:36:04.679 --> 00:36:08.280 a shout out to the high school alma mater as the Saint Thomas Eagles going 513 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:14.119 over to Kincaid last night taking down those Falcons twenty eight to thirteen, So 514 00:36:14.519 --> 00:36:20.039 huge shout out to coach Rick McGuire and the Saint Thomas Eagles going in there 515 00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:22.119 and getting a huge win Class of O four. What's up? Eagle fight 516 00:36:22.199 --> 00:36:25.400 never dies. Men of Saint Thomas stand for all to see, honor, 517 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:29.760 truth and understanding. Our motto will always be these days we spend together, 518 00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:32.039 We'll cherish till we die because the world must know that we are the Men 519 00:36:32.719 --> 00:36:37.079 of Saint Thomas High. Anytime I can built that out, I absolutely do 520 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:42.840 love forty five hundred Memorial Drive forty five hundred forever. All Right, that's 521 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:45.000 enough of that. Let's get back into the Astros conversation. We will do 522 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:49.920 that coming up next. Plus you're gonna hear from Dusty Baker, because I 523 00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:53.840 think that Dusty gets a lot of grief, but it's what he didn't do 524 00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:58.679 that might have been his best move yet. We'll talk about that and much 525 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.000 more to close out hour one of the show right here on Space City Saturday. 526 00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:07.440 I am Dan Matthews. We are Sports Talk seven ninety, your home 527 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:17.800 the Astros and the Rockets. Space City Saturday continues live Sports Talk seven nineties. 528 00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:27.440 Oh yeah, we are on an island in the sun, and the 529 00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:31.360 sun is shining a lot brighter today. Two to one Astros last night over 530 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:37.800 the Diamondbacks. As the playoff hopes still very much in play. We will 531 00:37:37.800 --> 00:37:40.360 talk about that in much more here on the show. If you want to 532 00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:45.639 weigh in, you can see three two and two five seven nineties. We 533 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:49.880 get back into the Astros conversation. I know a lot of you definitely want 534 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:52.360 to be able to talk that. So last night in the game sixth inning, 535 00:37:52.760 --> 00:37:55.719 Dusty Baker goes out to the mound, and you're thinking to yourself, 536 00:37:55.840 --> 00:37:59.960 all right, hey, look, jose or Katy has given us much more 537 00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:02.800 more than we could have ever asked for in this outing, and if that's 538 00:38:02.840 --> 00:38:07.000 the end of the line for him, then that's it, and that's the 539 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:10.559 way it's going to be. But then you had Dusty Baker turning around and 540 00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:14.559 leaving the mound. He didn't lift up his right arm, he didn't lift 541 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:17.199 up his left arm to signal for somebody to run out of the bullpen. 542 00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:22.159 Very rare. You see that if the pitching coach comes out there, then 543 00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:23.639 you know there's no threat that the pitcher is going to be pulled from the 544 00:38:23.639 --> 00:38:27.679 game unless there's an injury or something like that which the manager would still be 545 00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:31.159 out there, but ergo, he left him out there. And Dusty talked 546 00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:36.719 about that after the game of the decision to not pull him, and he 547 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:40.760 said that it was actions that he saw that told him maybe this isn't the 548 00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:45.559 move to make just yet. All right, we'll get to that audio here 549 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:49.639 in just a second, but it was Dusty Baker going out to the mound 550 00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:52.920 in saying that you know, he saw something in jose or Keaty's eyes that 551 00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:58.599 told him that this wasn't the move to make, and that he said, 552 00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:01.599 okay, look for us, that this guy can be able to get some 553 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:06.079 outs and that he can find his way out of this inning. And he 554 00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:10.159 did. He found his way and he was able to work his way through 555 00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:13.840 the rest of the inning. The other part that I liked, and we'll 556 00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:17.519 let you hear from Dusty a little bit later on in the show, is 557 00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:23.320 that he talked about a lesson that he learned from Bo Schembeckler that in terms 558 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:29.039 of handling your players and just kind of getting a little bit of a feel 559 00:39:29.280 --> 00:39:31.760 of should I make this move or should I not? And in the case 560 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:35.400 right there, he said, now, this guy's still got the competitor in 561 00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:37.920 him. He's not ready to come off this mound just yet. I mean, 562 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:43.199 we've seen we've seen other, you know, demonstrative ways that pictures tell 563 00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:46.159 managers know, I'm good, leave me out here. I mean Max Scherz 564 00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:49.719 or years ago. I think it was Davy Johnson at the time, who 565 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:53.320 was the manager of the Nationals. I don't believe that it was Dave Martinez 566 00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:59.599 just yet, but I believe it was Davy Johnson going out there and you 567 00:39:59.639 --> 00:40:01.760 know you Scherzer basically yelling at him, telling him, no, you're not 568 00:40:01.800 --> 00:40:07.159 pulling me off his mound, get back to the dugout and leave me out 569 00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:08.880 here. And he did, and Scherzer was able to work his way out 570 00:40:08.920 --> 00:40:13.199 of it. And I've talked about it before the back of the baseball card, 571 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:15.639 and some people, I know they gloss over with that's saying, but 572 00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:21.239 it's so true. In this case, certain guys have proven that they deserve 573 00:40:21.320 --> 00:40:23.400 the benefit of the doubt of if you go out there and they let you 574 00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:27.880 know, no, I'm good, let me work my way out of this. 575 00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:31.079 And I think that Hosier Katy for the reasons that I mentioned earlier in 576 00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:35.360 the show has shown you that this time of the year, he deserves that 577 00:40:35.440 --> 00:40:39.119 benefit of the doubt because for the resume that I've given you, at this 578 00:40:39.159 --> 00:40:44.239 time of the year, he's been able to get some really strong outs for 579 00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:46.719 you and been able to put you in position to win some very crucial games. 580 00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:51.039 Talked about the World Series starts and this one. Now, I mean, 581 00:40:51.159 --> 00:40:54.079 he finds out yesterday morning out there in Arizona. Hey, JP's not 582 00:40:54.079 --> 00:40:58.360 gonna go today. It's gonna be you. And he talked about in the 583 00:40:58.400 --> 00:41:00.679 post game as I was listening to his comments where he said, I was 584 00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:06.280 prepared, I mentally prepare myself that I'm going to be out there on the 585 00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:08.559 mound. And it's the old saying you don't have to get ready if you 586 00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:13.280 stay ready, And in baseball that's so true, I mean, because you 587 00:41:13.360 --> 00:41:15.559 never know how the complexion of the game is going to change. Who's to 588 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:20.199 say that Archidi wasn't going to be needed in the second inning of this game 589 00:41:20.280 --> 00:41:24.039 yesterday because the Astros are very much in postseason mode. There is not going 590 00:41:24.119 --> 00:41:28.559 to be a ton of Hey, let's let him work his way out of 591 00:41:28.599 --> 00:41:31.840 this. There is over these next couple of days until the Astros had that 592 00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:37.800 spot clenched up, they will be playing postseason baseball, and they will handle 593 00:41:37.840 --> 00:41:42.440 it as postseason baseball. Now, again, certain guys earned a benefit of 594 00:41:42.480 --> 00:41:45.239 the doubt. I think that Justin Verlander, if he's in a little bit 595 00:41:45.280 --> 00:41:49.320 of a tight spot tonight, probably will have a little bit more of a 596 00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:52.519 leash to be able to work with, as opposed to say, if you 597 00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:55.760 had Christian Javier out there tonight, or maybe even Hunter Brown or somebody else 598 00:41:55.920 --> 00:42:00.039 starting this game, that you very much need Because for the scenarios that I 599 00:42:00.079 --> 00:42:05.840 threw out that the Astros if they win this game tonight, are pretty much 600 00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:07.559 in the postseason. If I'm not mistaken, I think they are in the 601 00:42:07.559 --> 00:42:13.480 postseason if they win this one tonight, and the scenarios that have been laid 602 00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:17.280 out with the graph that is out there that yes, the Astros are locked 603 00:42:17.320 --> 00:42:22.880 into second place if they win this game tonight, because let's see what happens 604 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:28.159 in terms of they win this one and the Mariners only win three games, 605 00:42:28.199 --> 00:42:30.920 that would put the Mariners at eighty eight wins, and that would put the 606 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:36.320 Astros at eighty nine. So the Astros are in the postseason. So you 607 00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:39.360 only need one more to be able to find your way to October. And 608 00:42:39.599 --> 00:42:43.800 if they win this one, and I'll get to you here in just a 609 00:42:43.800 --> 00:42:50.000 second queue, if they win this one, then you are into the postseason 610 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:52.159 no matter what. But I talked about this deal a night with Ross ross 611 00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:55.719 Villereal in the nightcap, and that is, if you have an opportunity to 612 00:42:55.760 --> 00:43:00.440 go for the division on Sunday, go for the division because that shows your 613 00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:05.400 team, Hey, we're not just going for this thing. We're going for 614 00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:08.719 this thing. And I think that everybody to a man will absolutely be on 615 00:43:08.760 --> 00:43:15.480 board with that of do we want to guarantee ourselves at least a chance to 616 00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:17.440 be able to have the week off and be able to give us give ourselves 617 00:43:17.440 --> 00:43:22.519 some serious rest or do we want to just get into the postseason? Because 618 00:43:22.559 --> 00:43:25.280 I think the Astros, judging from the results the last few years, they're 619 00:43:25.320 --> 00:43:29.800 not about just getting in. They want to be able to not only get 620 00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:32.480 in, but give themselves every single opportunity to be able to make a run 621 00:43:32.519 --> 00:43:37.320 at this thing. So we'll see if indeed that is the case. You 622 00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:39.880 can jump in on the phone lines if you would like at seven two two 623 00:43:40.119 --> 00:43:45.840 five seven ninety as promise Q in humble, He joins us now on Sports 624 00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:50.599 Talk seven ninety Q, how you doing, Buddy Good? Yes, there's 625 00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:55.400 desipline it out there. Hannah Brown has been atrocious. Verlanda has had one 626 00:43:55.480 --> 00:44:04.760 or two good games since he returned from about the JP franch Hannah Brown, 627 00:44:04.800 --> 00:44:08.400 they all have been atrocious. So him not putting Hannah Brown and that man, 628 00:44:08.440 --> 00:44:12.639 I was like, please don't put this guy in the game. The 629 00:44:12.719 --> 00:44:16.039 game is too close. We know he's as Oh, he's gonna give up 630 00:44:16.039 --> 00:44:21.119 a home run, maybe a two runshine three run shotting and we lose the 631 00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:25.079 game. What it didn't moved by Dusty. Dusty does not deserve to take 632 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:30.320 the flat that he gets. I only believe they give Dusty flat is because 633 00:44:30.400 --> 00:44:35.679 he's a black manager and they want to make sure that they get these shots 634 00:44:35.719 --> 00:44:38.960 in on him when something goes awry. It is not Dusty's fault. The 635 00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:45.920 pitching has been a troaches just like Matt Thomas. All right, appreciate the 636 00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:47.320 call to you. I mean with Dusty, I think that a lot of 637 00:44:47.320 --> 00:44:51.880 the grief that he gets is because the result doesn't work out. And I 638 00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:54.679 think we do that a lot as sports fans. Is we focus so much 639 00:44:54.760 --> 00:44:59.039 on the result and we say, oh, that was a failure. How 640 00:44:59.079 --> 00:45:02.000 could you not know that. I understand the yiner Das situation. I've been 641 00:45:02.039 --> 00:45:07.760 on record of the yiner Das situation that yiner Diaz deserves more playing time. 642 00:45:07.360 --> 00:45:13.079 Dusty has come around on Chas McCormick. Chas McCormick's an everyday player now, 643 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:15.239 and he's earned the right to be an everyday player. And I think that 644 00:45:15.320 --> 00:45:21.119 probably there was a little bit of you know, meeting, Maybe there was 645 00:45:21.159 --> 00:45:24.039 that with Dana Brown the front office, or maybe even just kind of looking 646 00:45:24.039 --> 00:45:27.679 at things and kind of taking a step back. If you're Dusty insane, 647 00:45:27.719 --> 00:45:30.119 you know what, Maybe I am holding him too too high of a standard 648 00:45:30.199 --> 00:45:35.280 in terms of what I'm asking out of him. And he deserves to be 649 00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:37.679 an everyday guy, and he is, and credit needs to be given in 650 00:45:37.719 --> 00:45:43.079 that regard. With Raphael Montero, and I understand the other night that was 651 00:45:43.119 --> 00:45:46.119 incredibly frustrating. I shared that same frustration with you. But I go back 652 00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:50.639 to a couple of things that Dusty has done incredibly well this season. Remember 653 00:45:50.679 --> 00:45:53.719 at the beginning of the year, when he was being asked about having Mauricio 654 00:45:53.840 --> 00:46:00.039 Dubon and also Jake Myers in the lineup almost on a daily basis. I 655 00:46:00.199 --> 00:46:04.079 appreciated what Dusty said when he was asked about that. He said, I 656 00:46:04.159 --> 00:46:07.679 got about six months. I forget however many months he had, but it 657 00:46:07.079 --> 00:46:10.519 equated to the entire season. I've got to be able to count on all 658 00:46:10.559 --> 00:46:15.280 twenty six of these guys, so I've got to give confidence to these guys. 659 00:46:15.800 --> 00:46:20.559 And I understand that that's going to annoy some people in terms of certain 660 00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:24.719 guys getting opportunities, but that is very much an old school approach of you're 661 00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:29.639 in there, you're not going anywhere. You're gonna have your opportunity. With 662 00:46:29.719 --> 00:46:34.519 Rafael Montero. While the results as of late have not been great, I 663 00:46:34.599 --> 00:46:38.920 think we can all agree that Dusty's handling of Rafael Montero has been pretty expert 664 00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:44.639 level this year in terms of he had that bad stretch there. I'm trying 665 00:46:44.639 --> 00:46:46.880 to remember when the Dodgers series was. I think that was in June where 666 00:46:46.960 --> 00:46:51.880 Dusty then said, maybe high leverage is not your spot right now. Let's 667 00:46:51.960 --> 00:46:55.360 kick you back to middle relief and let's have you try to find your legs 668 00:46:55.440 --> 00:47:00.559 per se. And he did, and Rafael Montero for a stretch here later 669 00:47:00.639 --> 00:47:04.800 on the season had been really good, and lately that has not necessarily been 670 00:47:04.840 --> 00:47:07.639 the case. But all in all, I think that a lot of the 671 00:47:07.679 --> 00:47:12.719 things that Dusty gets a lot of grief for are again the results not necessarily 672 00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:16.800 working out. I'm giving him credit for what he did last night because in 673 00:47:16.840 --> 00:47:21.239 the age of analytics and the binders are out and all of those different types 674 00:47:21.280 --> 00:47:24.519 of things, there would have been a situation where a manager goes out there 675 00:47:24.559 --> 00:47:28.119 and says, well, the book says to pull you, I gotta pull 676 00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:30.559 you. You don't play blackjack that way. I understand some of you have 677 00:47:30.639 --> 00:47:34.679 the cards out there in Vegas and you're saying, well, the book says 678 00:47:34.679 --> 00:47:37.119 to hit on this if the dealers showing a five, so I need to 679 00:47:37.159 --> 00:47:38.719 hit on this. And of course the table gets mad at you if you're 680 00:47:38.719 --> 00:47:43.559 sitting at third base and they say you just took the bus card, whatever 681 00:47:43.599 --> 00:47:45.400 it might be, you screw the table. Well, in this case right 682 00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:49.880 here, Dusty was sitting at third base and he did not screw over the 683 00:47:49.880 --> 00:47:53.159 table. And that is something we can absolutely be very thankful for. All 684 00:47:53.239 --> 00:47:55.639 Right, so we'll get some more of your phone calls if you would like 685 00:47:55.840 --> 00:48:00.079 at seven, one, three, two and two five at seven ninety. 686 00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:02.480 I do want to continue the Astro's conversation as we get in an hour two 687 00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:09.000 because are you prepared for the HLPM? What is the HLPM? I'll explain 688 00:48:09.039 --> 00:48:14.239 that right here in Sports Talk seven ninety Space City Saturday, Dan Matthews here 689 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:27.480 on your home, the Astros and the Rockets City. Oh what the coach 690 00:48:27.559 --> 00:48:34.719 and you pay sit grated? Didon grated? Did crated? Welcome to another 691 00:48:34.920 --> 00:48:40.599 Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety Dan Matthews Live and local Htown breakdown 692 00:48:40.880 --> 00:48:45.639 of the world that matters to you? Does Houston Storms World? All these 693 00:48:45.719 --> 00:48:51.960 great Houston fans here, We love you all, So finish up on that 694 00:48:52.000 --> 00:48:57.119 to do list. Load up the cooler because you can't drink and talk sports 695 00:48:57.159 --> 00:49:04.599 all day if you don't start now. This is face City. Saturday's insane. 696 00:49:05.159 --> 00:49:10.480 Here's seven nineties Dan Matthews. That's all true and exactly what you heard. 697 00:49:10.679 --> 00:49:15.639 Lance McCullers. Stay there in that production Htown, born and bred Htown 698 00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:20.800 till I'm dead. Appreciate you all out there. You can join in on 699 00:49:20.840 --> 00:49:22.239 the phone lines if you would like. Seven one, three, two and 700 00:49:22.360 --> 00:49:30.599 two five seven ninety. Gonna get into more of the astros conversation because before 701 00:49:30.599 --> 00:49:36.079 I get to Terrence here in just a second, what is the HLPM high 702 00:49:36.440 --> 00:49:40.280 leverage Phil Maton? Are we aware of how good film Maton's been in the 703 00:49:40.320 --> 00:49:45.199 month of September? Because I think there's a couple of different things that I'll 704 00:49:45.239 --> 00:49:49.039 get to here in just a second with film Maton that people hold against him, 705 00:49:49.119 --> 00:49:52.320 and I'm being one of those people. But he has a point eight 706 00:49:52.440 --> 00:49:57.679 four er a only one earned run given up in ten appearances here in the 707 00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:00.000 month of September. He's been somebody they've been able to count on, and 708 00:50:00.039 --> 00:50:04.719 he's been somebody that's been able to get results. And I think that the 709 00:50:04.719 --> 00:50:08.320 two things are Number one. Filmmates on. Everybody fills a role on a 710 00:50:08.360 --> 00:50:13.519 major league roster of twenty six guys, And in terms of pitching in the 711 00:50:13.559 --> 00:50:19.400 bullpen, there's always a guy that is the here eat this guy, and 712 00:50:19.480 --> 00:50:22.440 Phil is that guy. He is usually when he's given the ball by Dusty 713 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:25.559 Baker, or if it's to start the inning, to run out of the 714 00:50:25.599 --> 00:50:30.280 bullpen, pick it up and start doing his warm up pitches. It's here 715 00:50:30.599 --> 00:50:34.360 eat this in terms of worked down by a lot, and I don't really 716 00:50:34.360 --> 00:50:37.199 want to get into more of my high leverage guys. So you're going to 717 00:50:37.239 --> 00:50:42.360 eat this and do your best to try to keep us here. But you're 718 00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:46.519 going to be pitching into this situation or he comes into a pretty unenviable spot 719 00:50:46.880 --> 00:50:51.639 where it's hey, man, do your best to hold us, and maybe 720 00:50:51.639 --> 00:50:53.639 he gives up a run or two. And you know, he also had 721 00:50:53.639 --> 00:50:59.039 had some bad outings early on in the season where he had really struggled, 722 00:50:59.079 --> 00:51:01.159 and a lot of that is fatigue. When on the I l for a 723 00:51:01.239 --> 00:51:05.960 second, came back and it looks like kind of like what I talked about 724 00:51:05.960 --> 00:51:08.440 a little bit earlier with Hunter Brown, that Maton was a guy that probably 725 00:51:08.480 --> 00:51:12.519 ran into a rough spot in the season and over a course of one sixty 726 00:51:12.519 --> 00:51:15.559 two when it comes to relievers, that's going to happen. You're going to 727 00:51:15.599 --> 00:51:21.880 have a bad stretch. You're going to have adjustments made against you where you're 728 00:51:21.920 --> 00:51:23.920 just like, the hell is happening, man, Like I'm making the pitches, 729 00:51:24.320 --> 00:51:29.480 they're just hitting the ball, and that's just baseball. And sometimes the 730 00:51:29.559 --> 00:51:32.960 unperfect science of the game happens to you and it's unfortunate and it's not fun. 731 00:51:34.440 --> 00:51:37.800 But Maton has been a guy that all of a sudden you look at 732 00:51:37.079 --> 00:51:44.039 and are you putting the initials HLPM next to film Maton of high leverage film 733 00:51:44.039 --> 00:51:46.480 Maton, because it does seem like we're doing that right now. We did 734 00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:51.440 it last night in the seventh inning, philm Maton gets the seventh comes out 735 00:51:51.480 --> 00:51:53.960 there, works a clean inning and was fantastic, hands it off to Hector 736 00:51:54.039 --> 00:52:00.320 Nerris Nerris with a little bit of the walk bug there in the it's but 737 00:52:00.360 --> 00:52:04.480 still able to find his way out of it. And a two nothing game 738 00:52:04.519 --> 00:52:07.519 in the seventh inning. Yeah, that's high leverage film Matson. And then 739 00:52:07.519 --> 00:52:10.880 of course the ninth inning, Ryan Pressley. I understand. I'll get to 740 00:52:10.920 --> 00:52:13.840 that a little bit later on, but first I want to get to a 741 00:52:13.960 --> 00:52:17.039 Terrence N. Galeria join us here on Sports Talks seven ninety Terrence, what's 742 00:52:17.079 --> 00:52:22.719 going on, Buddy and the man? It's awesome to hear your voice on 743 00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:29.119 a Saturday, Space City Saturday. Love hearing you talk, love the show 744 00:52:29.440 --> 00:52:34.840 so far, and honestly just want to get your take on, Well, 745 00:52:34.880 --> 00:52:38.440 first, are they gonna start Verlander tonight? Verlander is tonight? Against Meryl 746 00:52:38.519 --> 00:52:44.880 Kelly. Yes, was that that's not a schedule start though, so Verlander 747 00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:47.119 is very much a guy that likes to stick to his every fifth day, 748 00:52:47.400 --> 00:52:54.000 and since he pitched on Monday, this would be his fifth day. Oh 749 00:52:54.000 --> 00:52:59.559 so perfect, It is pretty much scheduled. Well, anyways, the other 750 00:52:59.599 --> 00:53:01.800 thing, you've got some stuff to go through it. But can you explain, 751 00:53:02.039 --> 00:53:05.920 like what the scenarios are, because I heard them talking about it the 752 00:53:05.920 --> 00:53:12.639 other day of like us winning, Mariners losing, Rangers winning. That'll you 753 00:53:12.679 --> 00:53:15.639 know what the math is there on what the Astros need to do to just 754 00:53:15.760 --> 00:53:20.440 kind of clench this. Yeah, for sure, Terence appreciate the call, 755 00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:22.679 buddy, and I know who that is. What's up, buddy, how 756 00:53:22.760 --> 00:53:27.639 you doing? Shout out to t Mac out there? All right, So 757 00:53:27.760 --> 00:53:30.320 let's just go through it the worst case scenarios. So the Astros took care 758 00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:35.480 of the first part last night. They won one. Now, if say 759 00:53:35.519 --> 00:53:38.559 tonight doesn't go their way, and God forbid, say tomorrow does not go 760 00:53:38.639 --> 00:53:44.000 their way, then you need the Rangers to win these next couple of nights 761 00:53:44.079 --> 00:53:49.679 and keep the Mariners there at that eighty eight win plateau. Because if that's 762 00:53:49.719 --> 00:53:53.199 the case, then the Astros get that wild card spot and are able to 763 00:53:53.239 --> 00:53:58.360 find their way into the postseason. Now, the doomsday scenario we here. 764 00:53:58.519 --> 00:54:02.920 If those things that I just talked about happen and the Mariners win tonight or 765 00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:07.239 even tomorrow, and they win three out of four against the Rangers in this 766 00:54:07.320 --> 00:54:10.840 series, then that has the Astros on the outside looking in to the postseason, 767 00:54:12.119 --> 00:54:15.360 and it has the Mariners finishing second and the Rangers winning the AL West. 768 00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:20.679 Now, over the next couple of days, if the Astros are able 769 00:54:20.760 --> 00:54:25.719 to win tonight, every single scenario has them finishing no worse than second. 770 00:54:25.960 --> 00:54:30.960 They are locked into the second spot. They clinch a playoff spot they are 771 00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:35.159 going if they win one of these next couple of games. Now Here is 772 00:54:35.159 --> 00:54:38.360 where things kind of change a little bit. Say the Mariners only win one 773 00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:44.119 more game, then the Rangers win the West. If they don't win any 774 00:54:44.159 --> 00:54:49.280 more games, the Rangers win the West. If the Mariners win all four, 775 00:54:49.960 --> 00:54:53.880 then the Mariners leap frog the Astros to win the AL West. In 776 00:54:53.960 --> 00:54:59.480 the Astros again locked into that second spot, they would play in the Wildcard 777 00:54:59.559 --> 00:55:04.559 round against the Minnesota Twins, and then you would move on to face the 778 00:55:04.599 --> 00:55:07.519 Mariners. If You're able to beat the Twins in that best of three Wildcards 779 00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:13.920 series and face them in the ALDS. So that is how that breaks down. 780 00:55:14.039 --> 00:55:17.920 Now here's where it gets really good for the Astros. They win tonight, 781 00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:24.519 they win tomorrow, they are in two out of three scenarios. You're 782 00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:30.760 AOS champion. The only way they are not the AOS champion is if the 783 00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:34.960 Rangers are able to bounce back these next couple of nights and beat the Mariners. 784 00:55:35.039 --> 00:55:37.119 If that's the case, they have a game lead on you, they 785 00:55:37.159 --> 00:55:42.280 will win the AOST. Now, if the Mariners win one of these next 786 00:55:40.719 --> 00:55:45.159 two games in the Astros win these next two games, your Houston Astros are 787 00:55:45.159 --> 00:55:49.760 AOST champions, and they get this next week off and they are able to 788 00:55:49.800 --> 00:55:53.519 find their way into the postseason as champs of the AOST and able to have 789 00:55:53.639 --> 00:55:58.840 that second spot in the buy in the American League playoffs. And then if 790 00:55:58.880 --> 00:56:01.880 the Rangers lose these next two games and the Astros have won all three, 791 00:56:02.239 --> 00:56:07.400 same thing. The Astros are going to go into the postseason and the Mariners 792 00:56:07.440 --> 00:56:12.400 will finish in third place because the Astros have that tiebreaker over the Rangers. 793 00:56:12.719 --> 00:56:16.599 I understand a lot of mental gymnastics to be able to go through. It's 794 00:56:16.639 --> 00:56:22.679 just a scenario that you're just looking at and it's really just pretty simple, 795 00:56:22.960 --> 00:56:25.920 you know. Here when it comes to the Astros, the simple scenario is 796 00:56:27.719 --> 00:56:30.800 exactly what Al Davis said years ago after they won the Super Bowl with the 797 00:56:30.880 --> 00:56:34.800 Raiders. Just win, baby, that's it, Just win. I said 798 00:56:34.800 --> 00:56:38.000 it last night on Twitter. I said, there's no passing grades. There's 799 00:56:38.039 --> 00:56:42.480 no letter grades this time of the year. Like it's one of those things 800 00:56:42.480 --> 00:56:45.119 that I heard Dusty Bakers say when he was on with the Matt Thomas Show. 801 00:56:45.159 --> 00:56:47.360 And it's so true. Nobody asks you how you won the division. 802 00:56:47.639 --> 00:56:51.239 They just look back and say, hey, you won the division. There's 803 00:56:51.239 --> 00:56:53.039 not gonna be people out there. Yeah, the Astros won the AO West, 804 00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:57.039 but god, that two in seventh stretch against the Royals and the A's 805 00:56:57.639 --> 00:56:59.639 man, I mean, you know, how do we look at this thing. 806 00:56:59.639 --> 00:57:01.840 There's no asterisk, there's no any of those things. It's Hey, 807 00:57:01.880 --> 00:57:07.480 the Astros won the AOST. That's exactly what that has said. So it's 808 00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:09.239 past fail this time of the year. That's the way you look at it, 809 00:57:09.679 --> 00:57:15.000 and you are trying very much to pass in the Astros for all the 810 00:57:15.039 --> 00:57:19.280 things that we've lamented that they had not done to this point, ie not 811 00:57:19.400 --> 00:57:22.639 beating the A's in the Royals. In those series, it can be washed 812 00:57:22.679 --> 00:57:27.679 away if you win and take care of your business. And if you do 813 00:57:27.760 --> 00:57:31.679 that, then you're in, and if you don't, then you're the ones. 814 00:57:31.760 --> 00:57:35.159 Kind of like what Alex Bregman said after one of those games, if 815 00:57:35.159 --> 00:57:37.559 you don't take care of your business, you're sitting on your hindside at home 816 00:57:38.079 --> 00:57:42.199 for the postseason. And the Astros don't want to be sitting on their couches 817 00:57:42.280 --> 00:57:45.480 for the postseason. They want to be in the postseason, and we all 818 00:57:45.480 --> 00:57:51.400 want that to be the case, so we will hopefully make sure that happens. 819 00:57:51.440 --> 00:57:52.880 All right, we'll get some more of your phone calls. Carl and 820 00:57:52.920 --> 00:57:57.039 Debbie, stay right where you are. You want to join in, We 821 00:57:57.119 --> 00:58:00.199 got a couple of lines open if you would like to hop on as well. 822 00:58:00.320 --> 00:58:05.400 At seven one three, two one two five seven ninety a caller brought 823 00:58:05.480 --> 00:58:07.480 up a good point that I had in my notes that I did want to 824 00:58:07.480 --> 00:58:10.119 get to in the show today. As we'll continue the Astros conversation, I 825 00:58:10.159 --> 00:58:15.239 will sprinkle in some Texans in as well, so as a matter of fact, 826 00:58:15.239 --> 00:58:19.679 we'll try to do all of that here as we continue on in this 827 00:58:19.760 --> 00:58:24.039 final hour of Space City Saturday. I'm Dan Matthews here with you until noon 828 00:58:24.320 --> 00:58:29.079 on Sports Talk seven ninety, your home of the Astros and the Rockets. 829 00:58:30.079 --> 00:58:39.119 It's Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety. Here, it's understands kind 830 00:58:39.800 --> 00:58:45.559 o case, Sports Talks seven ninety, Space City Saturday. What's going on 831 00:58:45.599 --> 00:58:51.920 everybody? Dan Matthews here with you for about another forty five minutes one thirty 832 00:58:52.000 --> 00:58:54.880 here on at your home of the Astros and the Rockets. It's being a 833 00:58:55.000 --> 00:59:00.800 College of Football Saturday. You're gonna get the Texas Longhorns taken on the Kansas 834 00:59:00.960 --> 00:59:04.880 Jayhawks. I know Lex is up there in Austin, so WEX will be 835 00:59:04.920 --> 00:59:12.119 there inside DKR Memorial Stadium taking that one in today. Also two one thirty 836 00:59:12.280 --> 00:59:15.679 on KPRC nine fifty, You're gonna get You're gonna get to you of h 837 00:59:15.719 --> 00:59:21.800 and Texas Tech two thirty kick there in Lubbock for that one. Also on 838 00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:24.119 KPRC nine fifty to night. I know there's a ton of us here in 839 00:59:24.199 --> 00:59:28.239 town that don the Purple and the gold Well. You're gonna be able to 840 00:59:28.280 --> 00:59:30.960 get LSU at ole miss that's a huge one there in Oxford, and you 841 00:59:31.039 --> 00:59:37.320 will have Chris Blair and the crew on the LSU Sports Radio network for that 842 00:59:37.360 --> 00:59:43.159 one at five o'clock over on KPRC, so that likely will come and being 843 00:59:43.320 --> 00:59:49.159 joined in progress over there after the U of H and Texas Tech game wrap 844 00:59:49.239 --> 00:59:53.119 up and a lot of stuff happening here on our family of stations here at 845 00:59:53.280 --> 00:59:57.920 iHeart Houston and the cluster of stations we've got here. Of course, you're 846 00:59:57.960 --> 01:00:01.400 home of the Astros and the Rockets Sports seven ninety Astros coming your way tonight, 847 01:00:01.880 --> 01:00:07.159 seven ten. First pitch from out there in Phoenix between the Astros and 848 01:00:07.199 --> 01:00:12.159 the Diamondbacks. Justin Verlander getting the start against Merrill. Kelly had a tough 849 01:00:12.199 --> 01:00:17.360 one last night against Zach Gallen as he was able to hockey terms here stand 850 01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:21.639 on his head for the most part, but you were able to get a 851 01:00:21.679 --> 01:00:24.960 puck into the net behind him. If we stay on the hockey parlance of 852 01:00:25.039 --> 01:00:30.800 this and the Josea brayu At double that just missed being a home run. 853 01:00:31.239 --> 01:00:34.880 As it was funny, you know, as I was watching it last night 854 01:00:35.119 --> 01:00:39.480 with TK and Blummer on at and t and they made the joke about stat 855 01:00:39.519 --> 01:00:45.360 cast saying that's a home run in all thirty ballparks of it going four hundred 856 01:00:45.360 --> 01:00:47.320 and I guess what thirty two feet or something like that. He smoked it 857 01:00:47.519 --> 01:00:52.920 and you were able to get both of those runs home, which ended up 858 01:00:52.920 --> 01:00:55.800 being a huge one of getting Kyle Tucker home because once you got him home, 859 01:00:57.039 --> 01:01:00.679 that was the go ahead and eventual winning run, so huge for him 860 01:01:00.840 --> 01:01:04.320 in that regard. Carl, I hope you don't mind, because I need 861 01:01:04.320 --> 01:01:07.400 to let the ladies get to the front of the line. Debbie joining us 862 01:01:07.440 --> 01:01:09.840 here on at Sports Talks seven ninety Debbie, appreciate the call. How you 863 01:01:09.840 --> 01:01:13.760 doing the day? I'm great? How are you doing very well? I 864 01:01:13.760 --> 01:01:19.599 appreciate you asking. Okay, I haven't heard anybody comment about this. There's 865 01:01:19.639 --> 01:01:27.800 a documentary that's coming out Tuesday on Frontline about the Astros cheating scandal. Yeah, 866 01:01:28.039 --> 01:01:29.679 go ahead and go ahead. No, no, no, please, 867 01:01:30.599 --> 01:01:32.760 no. I was just gonna say, I just wanted to see your comments 868 01:01:32.800 --> 01:01:37.880 on it and how you think it might impact the Astros and how convenient it 869 01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:40.119 is it is coming out the day that the playoffs start, just to get 870 01:01:40.159 --> 01:01:44.599 into the Astro's head. Yeah, I appreciate the call. No. So 871 01:01:44.639 --> 01:01:47.519 this is something that we covered, believe about a couple of weeks ago when 872 01:01:47.519 --> 01:01:52.320 I was in with Matt Thomas while Ross was on vacation. And I mean, 873 01:01:52.360 --> 01:01:54.960 I think at this point with the Astros, it's just kind of like 874 01:01:55.079 --> 01:02:00.119 there's nothing new, There's nothing to necessarily be a distraction because the distraction is 875 01:02:00.159 --> 01:02:04.440 on a nightly basis. When they go on the road. You don't have 876 01:02:04.519 --> 01:02:07.519 as much of people making a side show of themselves and fans who think that 877 01:02:07.559 --> 01:02:12.239 they are more important than they really are. Of I'm gonna wear a jersey 878 01:02:12.280 --> 01:02:15.239 with an asterisk going it, I'm gonna come through the game as a trash 879 01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:19.360 can, all these different things where it's just like you're one of forty two 880 01:02:19.400 --> 01:02:22.000 thousand in the stands. You're not important. So I really appreciate that you 881 01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:27.480 think you are, but you're not. And in this case right here, 882 01:02:27.519 --> 01:02:30.400 I mean, is there necessarily going to be anything that's new information? Probably 883 01:02:30.440 --> 01:02:35.159 not. I think this is honestly a topic of conversation where books have been 884 01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:39.159 written, you've had stories written about this, and you've had everything pretty much 885 01:02:39.199 --> 01:02:44.519 said. So I think it's going to be interesting to some. I don't 886 01:02:44.519 --> 01:02:49.039 necessarily think it's going to be interesting to anyone here because again, we've talked 887 01:02:49.079 --> 01:02:53.280 about everything that has gone on with this, and we know what has gone 888 01:02:53.320 --> 01:02:58.320 on with this, and there's not necessarily anything other than I think Mike Fires 889 01:02:58.360 --> 01:03:00.559 is out of the game. I'm sure he's going to be part of this, 890 01:03:00.679 --> 01:03:01.920 and I'm sure he's going to sit down and say, oh is the 891 01:03:02.400 --> 01:03:06.679 integrity of the game. That's why I had to speak up, and we 892 01:03:06.760 --> 01:03:09.840 all feel the way we do about Mike Fires. So to answer your question, 893 01:03:09.880 --> 01:03:13.599 Debbi, no, I it's not going to have any effect on the 894 01:03:13.639 --> 01:03:16.760 team. I mean, they've been dealing with this ever since it came out, 895 01:03:17.360 --> 01:03:21.039 and I think that for the most part, here's the way that I 896 01:03:21.079 --> 01:03:23.920 read it now when it comes to the Astros with all of this, the 897 01:03:24.000 --> 01:03:29.760 read I get from opposing players is they're over it. And last year was 898 01:03:29.840 --> 01:03:35.480 absolutely vindication for the Astros, kind of like the Patriots after Spygate. When 899 01:03:35.480 --> 01:03:38.840 the Patriots went out and won another Super Bowl or two after Spygate, it 900 01:03:38.880 --> 01:03:43.599 was people saying, Okay, they're good. And I think that for the 901 01:03:43.639 --> 01:03:46.039 most part, across Major League Baseball, you still have some loudmouths out there 902 01:03:46.119 --> 01:03:49.800 that I want to try to make themselves feel important. I mean, you 903 01:03:49.840 --> 01:03:52.079 had a few years ago, Carlos Rodan seeing what he said, which I 904 01:03:52.079 --> 01:03:55.320 hate to tell you, Carlos, the reason why the Astros didn't get punished 905 01:03:55.400 --> 01:04:00.320 is because of the group that you're part of, the Players Association. That 906 01:04:00.440 --> 01:04:04.639 is a huge reason why they did not get punished, and they were not 907 01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:10.880 punished by Major League Baseball for their cooperation in trying to get to the bottom 908 01:04:10.920 --> 01:04:14.119 of all of this. And for the most part, like I said, 909 01:04:14.280 --> 01:04:19.000 I think that most players now look at jose Al two. I'm just putting 910 01:04:19.000 --> 01:04:23.039 a name, you know, just to kind of personalize this thing even more. 911 01:04:23.519 --> 01:04:27.360 Jose Al Two va Alex Bregman, who, if I'm not mistaken, 912 01:04:27.480 --> 01:04:31.800 are the only last two players from that twenty seventeen team that remain on this 913 01:04:31.880 --> 01:04:34.920 roster. And I think they look at those guys and they have respect for 914 01:04:34.920 --> 01:04:40.800 those players because they say, still proven they can do it, still showing 915 01:04:40.840 --> 01:04:44.000 they can do it, and still winning. And I think for the most 916 01:04:44.000 --> 01:04:45.480 part, players are just like, hey, you know what it happened, 917 01:04:45.519 --> 01:04:48.880 It's done. They're good guys in that clubhouse. They've proven that they're good 918 01:04:48.880 --> 01:04:54.000 guys in that clubhouse, and I just don't necessarily think it's anything other than 919 01:04:54.480 --> 01:04:58.559 it's something nice for PBS to be able to put on the air. Carl 920 01:04:58.559 --> 01:05:00.679 and Dickinson wants to weigh in here on Sports Talk seven ninety Carl, what's 921 01:05:00.679 --> 01:05:04.599 going on, buddy, Yeah, tell the gentleman a little while ago, 922 01:05:04.719 --> 01:05:08.599 get the anger out of his heart. Okay, I'm a white dude. 923 01:05:08.639 --> 01:05:13.679 I'll call in your show all the time giving phrase and support for Dusty Baker. 924 01:05:14.079 --> 01:05:16.239 It ain't about color. Demands of a winner. You know, you 925 01:05:16.280 --> 01:05:20.079 can't listen to people out there, you know, naysayers all the time. 926 01:05:20.840 --> 01:05:25.639 They're out there no matter what you do. The guy's a gentleman and he's 927 01:05:25.679 --> 01:05:28.800 a great coach. I told you all that just the other day. Ain't 928 01:05:28.840 --> 01:05:30.679 got nothing about color. I'm like I said, I'm a white dude. 929 01:05:30.960 --> 01:05:33.719 I love him. Then we need more love in our hearts. And that's 930 01:05:33.760 --> 01:05:38.679 it. Another thing I on is found on real quick Menaldo. I'm tired 931 01:05:38.719 --> 01:05:42.400 of hearing about y'all, you know, the enterdeas and Minaldo. I'm telling 932 01:05:42.440 --> 01:05:45.360 you what. Minaldo has been hitting a lot of home runs this year, 933 01:05:45.800 --> 01:05:50.239 a lot of doubles and Cutch. I mean situations the other night enteredeas lost 934 01:05:50.320 --> 01:05:55.199 the ball underneath them, the crucial run got in. Okay, So you 935 01:05:55.199 --> 01:05:59.199 know that's another argument that doesn't have much weight to it, you know. 936 01:05:59.280 --> 01:06:01.880 I mean, that's the man play. The other guy gets to play his 937 01:06:02.039 --> 01:06:05.840 share. Everything's cool. You know, we gotta win. That's the number 938 01:06:05.880 --> 01:06:11.199 one thing. We gotta win. And that's it. And about coloring about 939 01:06:11.239 --> 01:06:15.280 none. And the guy that called him was very intelligent gentlemen, but he 940 01:06:15.320 --> 01:06:18.199 shouldn't have thrown that thing. That's old nowadays, you know that that old 941 01:06:18.280 --> 01:06:21.960 thing don't work no more. You know, just like Kaepernick. He you 942 01:06:21.960 --> 01:06:26.679 know, he's sitting down, not because what he did about color. He 943 01:06:26.800 --> 01:06:30.000 got set down because he said something about America. You know, we got 944 01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:33.559 a great nation here. You can't do that. So anyway, thank you 945 01:06:33.639 --> 01:06:36.679 for letting me give him a two cents. Thank you, sir. I 946 01:06:36.719 --> 01:06:40.360 love your show. By bye. I appreciate the call, Carl. And 947 01:06:40.360 --> 01:06:45.199 when it comes to Dusty, here's the thing. There are some very unenviable 948 01:06:45.320 --> 01:06:50.400 positions in sports, and I think that major league manager is definitely one of 949 01:06:50.440 --> 01:06:56.719 them. Let's go to a previous example that I think could fits of a 950 01:06:56.880 --> 01:07:01.840 beloved manager here in town, a J. Hinch who not to open up 951 01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:04.679 old wounds here. But the twenty ninth yeah, it was twenty nine, 952 01:07:05.079 --> 01:07:09.679 twenty nineteen World Series. You got Garrett Cole out in the bullpen, and 953 01:07:09.719 --> 01:07:13.559 you decide to go with overworked Will Harris. Will Harris gives up the home 954 01:07:13.639 --> 01:07:17.920 run to Howie Kendrick and that kicks off the Nationals able to go on a 955 01:07:18.000 --> 01:07:21.079 run there and able to close out Game seven and win the World Series. 956 01:07:21.440 --> 01:07:25.679 And of course, what were a lot of the phone calls because I wasn't 957 01:07:25.719 --> 01:07:28.679 here at this time, but I gotta believe a lot of the phone calls 958 01:07:28.719 --> 01:07:30.760 were, how can you do that? How can you leave Garrett Cole out 959 01:07:30.800 --> 01:07:34.280 in the bullpen? And you saw Garrett Cole kind of like when I first 960 01:07:34.320 --> 01:07:39.960 got to Atlanta years ago where the Braves played against the Dodgers in a postseason 961 01:07:40.000 --> 01:07:45.159 series, and you could see the TBS cameras at the time after David Carpenter, 962 01:07:45.280 --> 01:07:48.000 former astro who was pitching for the Braves at the time, gave up 963 01:07:48.039 --> 01:07:53.599 the go ahead and eventual winning home run to Jose your Rebra to a wan 964 01:07:55.920 --> 01:08:00.199 Wan your Rebay for the Dodgers for them to be able to win Game four 965 01:08:00.440 --> 01:08:04.599 of the NLDS and move on to the NLCS over the Braves. And you 966 01:08:04.639 --> 01:08:09.719 can see clear as day that Craig Kimbrell was standing in the bullpen. He's 967 01:08:09.719 --> 01:08:13.440 got Eddie Perez right next to him. He's Gout's arms crossed and Eddie Perez 968 01:08:13.519 --> 01:08:15.560 saying something to him to the effect. And you know you didn't need John 969 01:08:15.600 --> 01:08:20.119 Boy to read lips here where he said I'm mad because I told him I 970 01:08:20.159 --> 01:08:24.840 had two innings if it was available. And Garrett Cole, I think, 971 01:08:24.880 --> 01:08:28.359 kind of felt the same way of I want that ring man, and I 972 01:08:28.439 --> 01:08:30.560 told you that I was available if you needed me, And of course you 973 01:08:30.600 --> 01:08:33.600 know it was if we needed him in the ninth. We were going to 974 01:08:33.720 --> 01:08:36.920 use them in the ninth. But aside from that, it was not going 975 01:08:36.960 --> 01:08:41.760 to be a situation that we went to Garrett Cole. And that's the thing 976 01:08:41.800 --> 01:08:44.760 with manager kind of like what I talked about earlier, is that like it 977 01:08:44.840 --> 01:08:47.319 or not, when you take on that position, if your moves don't work, 978 01:08:47.840 --> 01:08:50.520 people are going to criticize you for it. That's what comes with the 979 01:08:50.640 --> 01:08:55.840 territory and the other nights. Like I said, you bring in Montero, 980 01:08:56.640 --> 01:09:00.439 it backfires on you just tremendously. And of course people, how could you 981 01:09:00.479 --> 01:09:05.479 put Montero in in that spot. He's been awful, He's been just terrible, 982 01:09:05.600 --> 01:09:10.359 and you cannot count on him in that spot. That's again the result. 983 01:09:10.840 --> 01:09:13.640 It didn't work out, So of course people are going to get upset, 984 01:09:14.000 --> 01:09:16.199 and of course you have surprises like Bennett Susa who have come up, 985 01:09:16.239 --> 01:09:19.600 and of course, hindsight being twenty twenty, everybody's saying, why didn't you 986 01:09:19.640 --> 01:09:25.840 put Susa in in that spot? Because Montero, even with him going into 987 01:09:25.880 --> 01:09:29.520 a little bit of a struggle here recently, is still a guy that you 988 01:09:29.560 --> 01:09:31.000 believe you can still count on. He's still a guy kind of like I 989 01:09:31.039 --> 01:09:35.039 talked about high leverage film Maton, that's kind of been a thing of necessity 990 01:09:35.119 --> 01:09:40.720 as of late, and Maton has been able to reward Dusty for his confidence. 991 01:09:41.279 --> 01:09:45.079 But in terms of Montero, it's a guy that you feel like has 992 01:09:45.119 --> 01:09:48.640 earned enough of the benefit of the doubt. Of yeah, he's been struggling, 993 01:09:49.079 --> 01:09:51.880 but I think he's a guy that has good enough stuff and can find 994 01:09:51.920 --> 01:09:57.720 his way. And Montero's problem has been of course accuracy, not throwing strikes 995 01:09:58.079 --> 01:10:00.119 and not being able to get outs. That's been a problem, and it 996 01:10:00.119 --> 01:10:03.359 seems like the strikes he is throwing right now are going the other way for 997 01:10:03.399 --> 01:10:08.880 base hits, and that's not necessarily something you want to see. So whenever 998 01:10:08.920 --> 01:10:12.640 things go right, it's the player. Whenever things go wrong, it's the 999 01:10:12.680 --> 01:10:15.479 manager. And I don't care as we go on throughout the years if it's 1000 01:10:15.520 --> 01:10:19.560 Dusty Baker who is in that spot, or whoever it is that might be 1001 01:10:19.600 --> 01:10:23.960 the manager in years to come for the Astros, because it is a year 1002 01:10:24.000 --> 01:10:27.439 to year thing with Dusty. But in terms of the moves that he's made, 1003 01:10:27.920 --> 01:10:30.039 I mean, I think, if nothing else, a lot of praise 1004 01:10:30.119 --> 01:10:31.680 needs to be given to him for one of the things that I talked about 1005 01:10:31.720 --> 01:10:34.960 earlier on in the show, the move he didn't make, because, like 1006 01:10:35.079 --> 01:10:39.720 I said, in this age of analytics, you'd have a lot of managers 1007 01:10:39.720 --> 01:10:43.520 who would go out there and like I said, the blackjack example, kind 1008 01:10:43.520 --> 01:10:45.079 of like people say, well the card tells me to hit, or card 1009 01:10:45.079 --> 01:10:48.159 tells me to stay on this play. A lot of them live and die 1010 01:10:48.239 --> 01:10:54.439 by the binder and it doesn't work out for them, or it does Baseball 1011 01:10:54.600 --> 01:11:00.319 is a perfectly imperfect sport that the results sometimes you look at it you just 1012 01:11:00.359 --> 01:11:03.560 say, how did that happen? That's so weird? Like last night the 1013 01:11:03.600 --> 01:11:09.439 play made by by Jeremy Painia that saved the season. That is a goal 1014 01:11:09.520 --> 01:11:13.960 glove play. That is an amazing play that when things aren't going your way, 1015 01:11:14.000 --> 01:11:17.560 that ball might be two or three inches to the right of his glove 1016 01:11:17.680 --> 01:11:20.000 and gets out in the center field. We've got a tie ball game at 1017 01:11:20.000 --> 01:11:26.760 that point, but luckily it didn't. And sometimes, hey, Ron Washington 1018 01:11:26.800 --> 01:11:30.319 has a saying that's how baseball goes. Well, sometimes that's how baseball goes, 1019 01:11:30.600 --> 01:11:35.920 and sometimes the other way is how baseball goes and the results sometimes are 1020 01:11:35.960 --> 01:11:39.920 not what you like. But I think more than anything with Dusty, that's 1021 01:11:39.920 --> 01:11:44.159 what it is. Is that sometimes he is the victim of just the results 1022 01:11:44.439 --> 01:11:47.039 and that sucks. But if there's a guy that has been doing this long 1023 01:11:47.159 --> 01:11:51.239 enough and can handle it, it's Dusty Baker, and he's not worried about 1024 01:11:51.279 --> 01:11:54.760 it. I mean, as I talked about a little bit earlier on in 1025 01:11:54.800 --> 01:11:58.359 the post game, I was listening to it before the show today where somebody 1026 01:11:58.399 --> 01:12:00.039 was trying to hammer him on who's going to be Sunday starter. And he 1027 01:12:00.119 --> 01:12:04.479 just said in so many words, we're in postseason baseball. Man, I'm 1028 01:12:04.520 --> 01:12:08.880 worried about tomorrow, and I'll worry about the next day after that, and 1029 01:12:09.279 --> 01:12:12.479 if we need to worry about games after that, and then we'll worry about 1030 01:12:12.479 --> 01:12:15.720 games after that. But for the Astros, the magic number is one. 1031 01:12:15.000 --> 01:12:17.479 Just win one more game. It doesn't matter how you do it, it 1032 01:12:17.560 --> 01:12:20.800 doesn't matter when you do it again. Like I said, just pass one 1033 01:12:20.800 --> 01:12:25.560 more test. And if you do that, then we're talking postseason baseball next 1034 01:12:25.600 --> 01:12:29.359 week. And if you do it two more times, then we're talking postseason 1035 01:12:29.399 --> 01:12:33.680 baseball next week. But we're getting you ready for an NLDS. So either 1036 01:12:33.720 --> 01:12:38.399 way, let's have one more to be able to open the door for other 1037 01:12:38.439 --> 01:12:42.000 things. Let's hope all of that is the case. We'll continue the Astros 1038 01:12:42.000 --> 01:12:45.600 conversation coming up next, my good buddy Brian Alima Sean Salisbury Show, gonna 1039 01:12:45.640 --> 01:12:48.920 hop on with us for a few minutes on Space City Saturday. Dan Matthews 1040 01:12:49.199 --> 01:12:53.520 here with you for about another thirty minutes on a Sports Talk seven ninety, 1041 01:12:53.520 --> 01:13:01.239 your home of the Astros and the Rockets, Space Saturday on Sports Talk seven 1042 01:13:01.359 --> 01:13:13.680 ninety Sports Stalks seven ninety and Matthews here with you for about another thirty minutes 1043 01:13:13.760 --> 01:13:15.680 or so. Let's get right to the phone lines. Let's talk with a 1044 01:13:15.720 --> 01:13:19.520 man who you can hear every single morning as part of the Sean Salisberry Show. 1045 01:13:19.600 --> 01:13:25.000 He is Brian Lima joins us for a few minutes. Talk some Astros 1046 01:13:25.000 --> 01:13:29.760 baseball, of course, Brian also doing some great work with Apollo Media as 1047 01:13:29.840 --> 01:13:34.079 well, and former ballplayer himself, as me and Brian talked about on the 1048 01:13:34.119 --> 01:13:40.439 text machine yesterday. But let's talk to stuff happening on the field, Lilima, 1049 01:13:40.800 --> 01:13:45.000 and that is where we gotta start with jose er Keaty in the start 1050 01:13:45.039 --> 01:13:47.239 we got from him last night. I mean, just how much of a 1051 01:13:47.359 --> 01:13:53.159 nail's performance was that by him? Big Dan? What's up man? First 1052 01:13:53.159 --> 01:13:56.760 of all, glad to hear you on the air waves. Thanks Buddy. 1053 01:13:57.079 --> 01:14:00.600 I would say what jose or Keati did last night is no surprise if you've 1054 01:14:00.600 --> 01:14:03.880 been following this team, especially over the golden age of baseball, if you 1055 01:14:03.920 --> 01:14:09.079 want to call it for the Houston Astros, he seems to, for the 1056 01:14:09.079 --> 01:14:13.000 most part, step up in big moments. There was a really big pitching 1057 01:14:13.039 --> 01:14:17.359 performance for him back in twenty nineteen in the National's Ballpark where he came out. 1058 01:14:17.359 --> 01:14:20.920 I believe he was a rookie and pitched his ass off. Obviously, 1059 01:14:20.960 --> 01:14:25.800 you saw last night JP Franz getting the scratch. They gave him a couple 1060 01:14:26.039 --> 01:14:30.039 they gave Josier Kid a couple of hours notice, and he goes six innings, 1061 01:14:30.239 --> 01:14:32.359 six innings and only gives up two hits. I mean, come on, 1062 01:14:32.439 --> 01:14:35.359 you couldn't ask for more for a guy that's missed a big part of 1063 01:14:35.359 --> 01:14:40.199 the season. They missed him in this rotation and they needed that outing more 1064 01:14:40.239 --> 01:14:44.239 than anything last night. Yeah, it was a monster outing from him. 1065 01:14:44.279 --> 01:14:46.640 And I mean, you know you're able to get just enough offense. But 1066 01:14:46.720 --> 01:14:49.640 another thing too, you know I brought up earlier on in the show, 1067 01:14:49.640 --> 01:14:54.119 and I want to get your thoughts on this. How surprised are we by 1068 01:14:54.560 --> 01:15:02.000 HLPM high leverage film maton? Now? For me, last year we saw 1069 01:15:02.119 --> 01:15:10.399 a filmmate Todd that was extremely consistent, and then this year it was consistent, 1070 01:15:10.720 --> 01:15:14.399 and then he had some rough outings, and then he'd go back consistent, 1071 01:15:14.520 --> 01:15:16.680 and then he'd have a couple of rough outings. But then here over 1072 01:15:16.720 --> 01:15:19.880 the last I don't know, a couple of weeks, he's been nails, 1073 01:15:19.920 --> 01:15:26.039 man, And you can't say enough about this bullpen being taxed early in the 1074 01:15:26.039 --> 01:15:30.359 season, coming around and pitching better down the stretch, and then here lately, 1075 01:15:30.439 --> 01:15:33.199 man just like he fits right in with those guys, and he's a 1076 01:15:33.239 --> 01:15:36.399 serial killer, dude the dude and literally never smiles, which I want that 1077 01:15:36.399 --> 01:15:39.359 out on one of my bullpen guys. So yeah, you can't. You 1078 01:15:39.359 --> 01:15:43.479 can't really say enough about what he's done here lately, especially again. Brian 1079 01:15:43.600 --> 01:15:46.560 Lima joined us here co host de Sean Salisbury Show Monday the Friday, six 1080 01:15:46.680 --> 01:15:51.159 to ten in the morning right here Sports Talk seven ninety Also too, you 1081 01:15:51.159 --> 01:15:56.920 can see some of his work as a senior contributor over at Apollo and Media. 1082 01:15:57.960 --> 01:16:00.359 You know the lineup last nights, I mean, you know, it's 1083 01:16:00.439 --> 01:16:01.880 kind of an up and down performance, but you're going against one of the 1084 01:16:01.880 --> 01:16:05.640 best in baseball, the guy that started the All Star Game for the National 1085 01:16:05.680 --> 01:16:10.439 League and Zach Gallen. You're gonna get another tough test again tonight with Merrill 1086 01:16:10.560 --> 01:16:14.880 Kelly. But this lineup with Michael Brandley in it, I mean, the 1087 01:16:14.920 --> 01:16:18.319 complexion completely changes. How much pressure does he take off the rest of the 1088 01:16:18.319 --> 01:16:21.039 lineup. When you've got a guy like him in the bottom of the order. 1089 01:16:23.159 --> 01:16:26.359 I mean, Michael Brandley, dude, like you could he could miss. 1090 01:16:26.920 --> 01:16:29.439 I think it was Chandela Rome of The Athletic that tweeted it out a 1091 01:16:29.479 --> 01:16:32.640 couple of weeks ago, like you could freeze him and then unfreeze him like 1092 01:16:32.720 --> 01:16:35.600 ten years later. And he's gonna get three hits for you. And I've 1093 01:16:35.600 --> 01:16:39.079 always said about Michael Brandley, he's gonna roll out of bed and if he's 1094 01:16:39.119 --> 01:16:42.039 healthy, he's gonna hit three hundred for you. And if you look at 1095 01:16:42.039 --> 01:16:44.359 the lineup last night, he was hitting in the sixth hole. I mean, 1096 01:16:44.359 --> 01:16:47.279 we're talking about a career hitter that's that's damn near near three hundred and 1097 01:16:47.319 --> 01:16:51.760 he's hitting six for you. It extends this lineup tremendously. You know, 1098 01:16:51.920 --> 01:16:56.840 he's not gonna strike out a lot, He's gonna put the ball in play, 1099 01:16:56.960 --> 01:17:00.760 and it just it makes this lineup so much d for and so much 1100 01:17:00.800 --> 01:17:05.520 more deadly because you have a guy that just knows how to hit. I 1101 01:17:05.520 --> 01:17:11.119 think a lot of people say professional hitter a little bit too much, But 1102 01:17:11.199 --> 01:17:14.800 if you look at the definition of professional hitter like Michael Brandley's gonna come up. 1103 01:17:14.960 --> 01:17:17.960 I just I have to have Michael Brandley in the lineup every single day 1104 01:17:18.000 --> 01:17:20.680 if he's healthy, there's no questions. I don't care. Maybe he's playing 1105 01:17:20.760 --> 01:17:25.560 left field, d damn, I can't. I don't care if he's even 1106 01:17:25.560 --> 01:17:28.359 playing first base, which I know is not gonna happen. He's just got 1107 01:17:28.359 --> 01:17:30.720 to be in the lineup somehow, some way. No, I agree with 1108 01:17:30.720 --> 01:17:32.039 you on that, and I think we're kind of seeing that bear out too, 1109 01:17:32.079 --> 01:17:34.479 Brian. I mean, you know, it kind of looked like it 1110 01:17:34.560 --> 01:17:39.800 was these two days on maybe a day or two off. But I mean 1111 01:17:39.800 --> 01:17:41.920 I almost kind of wonder, and I would love to, you know, 1112 01:17:42.000 --> 01:17:45.680 hear it from Dusty as well. Off. There may be a scenario now 1113 01:17:45.720 --> 01:17:47.359 that Brantley came to him and said, hey, look, I'm good like 1114 01:17:47.479 --> 01:17:50.640 you gotta let me go here and you gotta let me do this thing. 1115 01:17:51.359 --> 01:17:54.800 And I guess the only time will tell. We'll see what the lineup looks 1116 01:17:54.800 --> 01:17:59.680 like tonight. But you know, I can't believe I'm even asking this, 1117 01:17:59.800 --> 01:18:04.119 because I hope, you know, Lil Mom'm coming from a genuine place when 1118 01:18:04.159 --> 01:18:10.359 I asked this, But any concerns about jose Al TV because the Batsmen a 1119 01:18:10.520 --> 01:18:14.760 little shaky this past week, and then the defense kind of as well. 1120 01:18:14.800 --> 01:18:17.560 We kind of saw this in the twenty twenty ALCS where he kind of went 1121 01:18:17.600 --> 01:18:20.159 through a little bit of a funk. Is that kind of what he's doing 1122 01:18:20.239 --> 01:18:26.039 or is it just baseball's happening to him right now? Yeah, I think 1123 01:18:26.039 --> 01:18:28.880 it's kind of funny you bring up twenty twenty. There are people that were 1124 01:18:28.880 --> 01:18:30.520 like, oh, jose Al Tub has the yips, Like, look, 1125 01:18:30.840 --> 01:18:34.119 do I have concerns about jose Al Tube. No, if you ask me, 1126 01:18:34.119 --> 01:18:38.199 if I had concerns about jose Al Tubi and his base running, I 1127 01:18:38.199 --> 01:18:41.560 would probably be more concerned about his base running than his defense. I just 1128 01:18:41.680 --> 01:18:45.520 think that this game of baseball is so damn hard. Even the best players 1129 01:18:45.640 --> 01:18:49.760 in the world are gonna have off days. They're gonna make errors. You're 1130 01:18:49.760 --> 01:18:53.920 gonna see balls thrown away, You're gonna see bonehead mistakes from him, like 1131 01:18:53.960 --> 01:18:57.319 we saw the other day where he's trying to do too much, airmailed Alex 1132 01:18:57.359 --> 01:19:00.000 Bregman. It goes into the stands and they cost him a raw and things 1133 01:19:00.079 --> 01:19:04.239 like that. I don't really have concerns about josel two bay. Dude, 1134 01:19:04.399 --> 01:19:09.119 He's been in so many big time games, He's had so many big time 1135 01:19:09.159 --> 01:19:12.119 moments. So I think it just comes down to baseball's happening, right, 1136 01:19:12.199 --> 01:19:15.159 so, so and again, like, if you're succeeding thirty percent of the 1137 01:19:15.159 --> 01:19:18.880 time in this game, then you're a Hall of Famer essentially with how you 1138 01:19:18.960 --> 01:19:23.359 hit it the plate. And then if you've got a building percentage of like 1139 01:19:24.239 --> 01:19:27.199 I don't know, nine fifty, you know you're doing pretty damn good. 1140 01:19:27.239 --> 01:19:29.319 So I don't don't have any concerns about joseal two bad. I think, 1141 01:19:29.359 --> 01:19:32.359 like you said, it's just baseball. So we know, Lalima, how 1142 01:19:32.399 --> 01:19:36.520 this shakes out. If the Astros get any combination of a win over these 1143 01:19:36.520 --> 01:19:41.000 next couple of days, they're in. It's it's done, it's over with. 1144 01:19:41.159 --> 01:19:45.960 They are in. The only way they are getting in for sure in 1145 01:19:45.119 --> 01:19:49.800 terms of getting that buy is they win these next couple of games and there 1146 01:19:50.039 --> 01:19:56.039 is a combination of either the Mariners losing one or losing both of these next 1147 01:19:56.399 --> 01:20:01.439 couple of games are actually yeah, yeah, of that happening for the Astros 1148 01:20:01.479 --> 01:20:05.760 to find their way in. I mean, just you know, if it 1149 01:20:05.800 --> 01:20:11.000 all shakes out in the Astros have the chance tomorrow to go for the division. 1150 01:20:11.439 --> 01:20:15.000 I talked about this earlier in the week with Sports RV. Talk about 1151 01:20:15.039 --> 01:20:17.439 it here with you right now. I kind of feel like Dusty, if 1152 01:20:17.479 --> 01:20:21.399 he's in that situation, has to signal to his guys, Hey, we're 1153 01:20:21.399 --> 01:20:25.000 going for this. I'm gonna try to get you those days off. I 1154 01:20:25.039 --> 01:20:30.039 mean, am I wrong in thinking that? No, I don't think so. 1155 01:20:30.119 --> 01:20:31.319 I mean, if you can so the whole whole. Now, I 1156 01:20:31.319 --> 01:20:35.439 wouldn't say it's the problem. But if you look at the wildcard situation and 1157 01:20:35.439 --> 01:20:39.319 if they get into the let's say they get the sixth spot, that means 1158 01:20:39.359 --> 01:20:42.920 they're gonna take on They're gonna take on the Minnesota Twins first, which I 1159 01:20:42.920 --> 01:20:45.479 don't fear two nuns with you, Dan, I don't fear anybody in the 1160 01:20:45.479 --> 01:20:48.680 AL. When the Astros get into October, it's a completely different story. 1161 01:20:49.239 --> 01:20:51.960 If they go through Minnesota, I think they'll win that series. And then 1162 01:20:53.119 --> 01:20:57.000 let's say that the Rangers somehow hang onto the division will probably go and play. 1163 01:20:58.319 --> 01:21:00.880 They'll play up in Arlington against the Rangers. So that would mean that 1164 01:21:00.880 --> 01:21:04.960 your pitching lineup is a little bit is a little bit different because of how 1165 01:21:05.000 --> 01:21:09.479 the rotation is kind of set up. So your starters like JB and Fromber, 1166 01:21:09.640 --> 01:21:11.600 I don't know how it would look. I believe that they would be 1167 01:21:11.640 --> 01:21:13.920 ready to go for like games two or three of the Wildcard series, and 1168 01:21:13.920 --> 01:21:15.520 they would be ready for the Alds, so on and so on. If 1169 01:21:15.560 --> 01:21:18.880 you get the division and you get a couple of days off, that means 1170 01:21:18.880 --> 01:21:23.039 everybody gets the rest. All your bullepin is going to be fresh, and 1171 01:21:23.079 --> 01:21:25.640 all your starters will be lined up ready to go. So if you can 1172 01:21:25.640 --> 01:21:29.960 go get the division, damn go get it now. I feel the exact 1173 01:21:29.960 --> 01:21:31.239 same way. I mean, I think if nothing else, you know, 1174 01:21:31.279 --> 01:21:33.800 you're telling your guys, hey, look we're gonna roll the dice here. 1175 01:21:34.079 --> 01:21:38.960 We've got a safety net if it doesn't work out. Yes, pitching wise, 1176 01:21:39.000 --> 01:21:42.520 we probably would be a little bit up against it in terms of going 1177 01:21:42.560 --> 01:21:45.279 into that series. But I mean, I'm with you, Brian. I 1178 01:21:45.600 --> 01:21:49.079 feel like that this is a team that this has been weighing on them so 1179 01:21:49.199 --> 01:21:54.520 much to be able to try to just get to the postseason that I feel 1180 01:21:54.520 --> 01:21:59.039 like if they get a combination of these next two games and get a win 1181 01:21:59.159 --> 01:22:01.000 in these next two games that they kind of look at it and say, 1182 01:22:02.000 --> 01:22:05.560 all right, we can breathe. Now we're to a familiar place. I 1183 01:22:05.600 --> 01:22:09.439 mean, I just I got I kind of have that trust in this team, 1184 01:22:09.479 --> 01:22:13.000 don't you. Yeah, that's I mean, you said it perfectly. 1185 01:22:13.199 --> 01:22:15.359 I feel like with everything that they've dealt with this year, all of the 1186 01:22:15.399 --> 01:22:19.960 injuries, all of the nonsense about, you know, questioning Dusty Baker's lineups 1187 01:22:20.000 --> 01:22:25.159 and inconsistent lineups and things like that, struggling at home, going thirty nine 1188 01:22:25.199 --> 01:22:28.720 and forty two at home, which is ridiculous in my opinion, all of 1189 01:22:28.720 --> 01:22:31.720 that being said, and yet here we are with a really good chance to 1190 01:22:32.000 --> 01:22:35.399 get into the playoffs, and you still have a chance of winning the division. 1191 01:22:35.800 --> 01:22:40.920 Just get into October, and it's like it's like it's like when you 1192 01:22:40.920 --> 01:22:44.199 look at March Madness the big instead of a tournament. Just get into the 1193 01:22:44.199 --> 01:22:47.439 tournament and anything else can happen. So I think when you get to October 1194 01:22:47.479 --> 01:22:53.000 for this team, it's like a switch flips on a completely different season everyone's 1195 01:22:53.000 --> 01:22:55.680 own. Oh, and it's just a super familiar territory. They've been in 1196 01:22:55.840 --> 01:23:00.600 so many big games over the last what sense, I mean, dam they 1197 01:23:00.680 --> 01:23:02.039 won the wild card game back in twenty fifteen. They missed out on the 1198 01:23:02.039 --> 01:23:04.960 playoff in twenty sixteen. Then obviously we saw the run from twenty seventeen to 1199 01:23:05.039 --> 01:23:10.039 hear on out with all the alcs's four World Series appearances, two championships, 1200 01:23:10.319 --> 01:23:12.840 World Series titles. So yeah, just get in, Just get in, 1201 01:23:13.000 --> 01:23:15.119 Just get in somehow, someway, that's it. Just when you win, 1202 01:23:15.359 --> 01:23:20.239 everything else takes care of itself. As I threw out last night on Twitter, 1203 01:23:20.760 --> 01:23:27.159 Brian Alima again every morning six to ten Sean Salisbury show is how you 1204 01:23:27.199 --> 01:23:30.880 can find him at Belima seven ninety is how you can find him on Twitter. 1205 01:23:31.000 --> 01:23:36.479 Also to senior contributor to Apollo Media as well. He is a busy 1206 01:23:36.520 --> 01:23:42.079 man and I appreciate Tim carving out a few minutes on his much deserved weekend 1207 01:23:42.319 --> 01:23:45.159 rest. Brian, You're the best, buddy. We'll catch up soon. 1208 01:23:45.680 --> 01:23:49.199 I gotta believe what is Salisbury having you boys over the house tonight for the 1209 01:23:49.239 --> 01:23:55.079 games? No, Salisbury's out in Phoenix. He was actually at that game 1210 01:23:55.520 --> 01:23:59.560 night he was watching. Yeah, he was at the Diamondbacks and Astro's game. 1211 01:23:59.560 --> 01:24:02.479 I'm act just finished up at the gym. My fourteen you Bandito's Black 1212 01:24:02.479 --> 01:24:06.520 Team place to night at six and eight, first fall tournament of the fall 1213 01:24:06.560 --> 01:24:10.119 season. So we're gonna go try to get two doubs man all right for 1214 01:24:10.239 --> 01:24:13.520 it? All right, you know hey, helping out the youth as well, 1215 01:24:13.680 --> 01:24:15.760 trying to show him the winning ways. Gotta love that. Brian Alima 1216 01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:19.439 again, join us here. Appreciate it, buddy. Good luck tonights and 1217 01:24:19.760 --> 01:24:26.039 hopefully Monday. It's a happy show for you and Sean. Let's hope. 1218 01:24:26.079 --> 01:24:29.119 So let's let's hope the Rangers miss the playoffs completely. What a choke job 1219 01:24:29.159 --> 01:24:31.720 that would be, yours, your lips to God's ears. Appreciate again, 1220 01:24:31.760 --> 01:24:35.399 Brian Lima carving out a few minutes for us here again. You can hear 1221 01:24:35.439 --> 01:24:40.000 him every morning six to ten right here, Sports Talk seven ninety. All 1222 01:24:40.079 --> 01:24:44.199 right, let's wrap it up here in the final segment of a Space City 1223 01:24:44.239 --> 01:24:47.319 Saturday this edition. It's been a lot of fun with you all here for 1224 01:24:47.359 --> 01:24:53.079 these couple of hours, because coming up next a victim of his own success, 1225 01:24:53.359 --> 01:24:57.920 still very good, but maybe just not as good in some people's eyes. 1226 01:24:58.319 --> 01:25:01.079 I'll talk about that also too. Dive into a little bit of Texans 1227 01:25:01.079 --> 01:25:06.159 conversation as we close things out here on this Saturday to Space City Saturday. 1228 01:25:06.359 --> 01:25:11.079 Right here, Sports Talk seven ninety, your home of the Astros and the 1229 01:25:11.199 --> 01:25:23.199 Rockets. We now return to Space City Saturday, Sports Talk seven ninety. 1230 01:25:23.319 --> 01:25:27.439 Yeah, what an amazing Saturday it is. I mean, you heard Doug 1231 01:25:27.439 --> 01:25:30.039 Pike say it a little bit earlier. But whether if you can believe it 1232 01:25:30.119 --> 01:25:33.239 or not, starting to cool down a little bit, starting to cool down 1233 01:25:33.239 --> 01:25:35.920 a little bit, kind of went Jimmy Conway on you now that you no, 1234 01:25:36.399 --> 01:25:40.520 no, Now, you insulted him a little bit. You insulted him 1235 01:25:40.520 --> 01:25:43.720 a little. Now. I didn't insult him. I didn't insult him a 1236 01:25:43.760 --> 01:25:47.279 little Good fellas for you right there. I'm sure somewhere Clanton is smiling ear 1237 01:25:47.359 --> 01:25:51.880 to year if he is indeed listening. But still great Saturday. I mean 1238 01:25:51.880 --> 01:25:57.439 we're getting into the meat of the really fun time of year here in Houston, 1239 01:25:57.880 --> 01:26:01.039 and it becomes even more fun if indeed the Stros can find their way 1240 01:26:01.119 --> 01:26:05.119 into the postseason. As like giving you the scenarios, I mean, you 1241 01:26:05.159 --> 01:26:09.800 get one more, then you're in no matter what. You get two more, 1242 01:26:10.399 --> 01:26:14.640 you need a little bit of help, but then you are division champs. 1243 01:26:14.720 --> 01:26:17.439 And I think we can all agree that's what the Astros want. Because 1244 01:26:17.479 --> 01:26:21.720 I looked at it at first and immediate first glance, I say, if 1245 01:26:21.760 --> 01:26:25.600 the Astros play against the Twins, they beat the Twins, they find their 1246 01:26:25.640 --> 01:26:28.840 way to the DS, and if they take on the Rangers in the DS, 1247 01:26:29.800 --> 01:26:31.560 I think that you've got a mental edge over the Rangers from what we've 1248 01:26:31.560 --> 01:26:36.640 seen so far this season that they look at it and it's, oh, 1249 01:26:36.720 --> 01:26:41.199 man, I really want to beat those guys. I don't necessarily know if 1250 01:26:41.199 --> 01:26:44.399 they believe they can beat the Astros at this point. I think the Astros 1251 01:26:44.439 --> 01:26:46.920 no, they can go into that building and have it half full with Astros 1252 01:26:46.920 --> 01:26:50.680 fans and be able to win. So I think if nothing else to burden 1253 01:26:50.720 --> 01:26:55.560 approof is on the Rangers, not necessarily on you to this point. So 1254 01:26:55.920 --> 01:27:00.000 look, win one more, you unlock a door. Win two more, 1255 01:26:59.840 --> 01:27:03.399 you unlock a door behind that, which is where even more of the nice 1256 01:27:03.560 --> 01:27:09.760 golden treasure is. So that's what the Astros are trying to do. This 1257 01:27:09.880 --> 01:27:14.199 was talked about a little bit earlier on in the show Ryan Presley and just 1258 01:27:14.520 --> 01:27:17.680 the way he is looked at as the closer of this team, and it 1259 01:27:17.760 --> 01:27:20.760 kind of came to me this morning, especially after last night's game where you 1260 01:27:20.800 --> 01:27:26.600 have a little bit of a shaky ninth inning, and sure he was the 1261 01:27:27.159 --> 01:27:31.640 I guess you could say, you know, not a beneficiary, but he 1262 01:27:31.720 --> 01:27:35.920 definitely had some tough luck in that inning of L two Va booting a ball 1263 01:27:36.000 --> 01:27:39.960 that is a routine bouncer that he should have had and should have been an 1264 01:27:39.960 --> 01:27:43.399 ounce. And then you look at a situation where you don't even get to 1265 01:27:43.439 --> 01:27:46.439 Moreno, if the inning goes the way that it did, where you would 1266 01:27:46.479 --> 01:27:49.239 hopefully be able to go three up, three down right there and it's a 1267 01:27:49.279 --> 01:27:56.920 clean ninth inning. Closer is kind of like manager is a similar situation where 1268 01:27:57.640 --> 01:28:02.319 your margin of error is in probably thin because there is no margin of error. 1269 01:28:02.359 --> 01:28:05.600 You don't have the benefit of the doubt if it doesn't go your way 1270 01:28:05.640 --> 01:28:11.439 because everybody looks at the closer, and even if a runner gets on base, 1271 01:28:12.039 --> 01:28:15.399 it's a situation where, oh, that's weird, how did you allow 1272 01:28:15.479 --> 01:28:17.680 that to happen? That you can't be doing that. You gotta come in, 1273 01:28:17.800 --> 01:28:23.319 strike out the side and get out seven twenty eight, excuse me, 1274 01:28:23.760 --> 01:28:27.079 twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven. Math was never my thing, 1275 01:28:27.079 --> 01:28:30.800 I apologize, but in this case, right here getting those important outs in 1276 01:28:30.840 --> 01:28:32.640 either the top or in this case, bottom of the ninth inning to be 1277 01:28:32.680 --> 01:28:36.039 able to close out the game. And I know that Ross has given you 1278 01:28:36.680 --> 01:28:42.840 the save numbers this year for even the best in baseball. And you know 1279 01:28:43.079 --> 01:28:46.000 everybody looks at the closer spot and they want Marianna Rovera. There's a reason 1280 01:28:46.039 --> 01:28:50.439 why Marianna Rovera is only one guy is because he probably was the best to 1281 01:28:50.560 --> 01:28:55.399 ever do it. It's going to happen. You're going to have rough patches, 1282 01:28:55.479 --> 01:29:00.000 You're going to have blown saves, You're going to have situations where maybe 1283 01:29:00.039 --> 01:29:02.279 he comes into a tie game and he gives up a couple of hits, 1284 01:29:02.279 --> 01:29:06.600 gives up a run, and it is a game that does not go your 1285 01:29:06.640 --> 01:29:11.039 direction. Well, this case right here with Ryan Pressley, I think, 1286 01:29:11.039 --> 01:29:15.880 if nothing else, he's kind of working against himself. To the college football 1287 01:29:15.920 --> 01:29:19.359 example, here, team wins the national title of the year previous, they 1288 01:29:19.399 --> 01:29:24.000 have all of their players coming back for the following year. They go ten 1289 01:29:24.039 --> 01:29:27.560 and two people immediately go to the coach and say, coach, what's wrong? 1290 01:29:27.840 --> 01:29:30.159 What happened? You had everybody back? You had him all back from 1291 01:29:30.159 --> 01:29:34.760 a national championship team. How did you not finish this off? Championships be 1292 01:29:34.840 --> 01:29:39.319 hard, folks, and a lot of luck does have to go your way, 1293 01:29:39.399 --> 01:29:42.880 but also too, a lot of good things have to go your way 1294 01:29:42.920 --> 01:29:45.720 from you making them happen. And in the case of Pressley, I think 1295 01:29:45.760 --> 01:29:49.359 sometimes he probably to his own admission, has not been great. I mean 1296 01:29:49.520 --> 01:29:56.000 remember after the blown save against the Baltimore Orioles, somebody asked him about being 1297 01:29:56.039 --> 01:29:59.000 fresh, and he said, it's my job to stay fresh. And ever 1298 01:29:59.079 --> 01:30:02.039 since then we've seen Ryan Pressley get back to being the Ryan Pressley that we 1299 01:30:02.119 --> 01:30:08.159 have known. But in terms of him moving off that closer spot, it's 1300 01:30:08.199 --> 01:30:13.000 the old saying wishing one hand and in the other, and you're not going 1301 01:30:13.039 --> 01:30:15.319 to have Brian to bray you in that spot now. Now I think down 1302 01:30:15.359 --> 01:30:17.720 the road that is a possible spot for him. But for right now, 1303 01:30:18.279 --> 01:30:20.800 you got Ryan Pressley in that spot, and you got a really good one 1304 01:30:20.960 --> 01:30:25.119 in that spot. Real quick. We got about a couple of minutes Martin 1305 01:30:25.159 --> 01:30:28.079 and Engleton wants to weigh in here on Space City Saturday. Martin, what's 1306 01:30:28.119 --> 01:30:34.920 going on, buddy, Go get your shuine bucks, keep them here, 1307 01:30:35.039 --> 01:30:39.520 keep them here. He locked the door and locked the door and they did 1308 01:30:40.119 --> 01:30:45.479 and they sure did. Hey, yeah all of the day. Oh man, 1309 01:30:45.600 --> 01:30:48.720 if the Astros could win a division, it would be it would be 1310 01:30:48.800 --> 01:30:53.399 really hilarious, especially over the Rangers. You know. I mean, after 1311 01:30:53.479 --> 01:30:59.479 all, the Astros was struggled three September and really the whole year, and 1312 01:30:59.520 --> 01:31:04.920 it would be hilarious if they could win a divisions Sunday and yeah, so 1313 01:31:05.560 --> 01:31:12.840 we win tonight and win Sunday, Astros and hopefully we can win a division 1314 01:31:12.880 --> 01:31:16.439 and that would be just hilarious. Appreciate Yeah, no, I appreciate the 1315 01:31:16.479 --> 01:31:20.359 call. Thanks to Martin and Angleton for way and end. Hey doesn't that 1316 01:31:20.399 --> 01:31:26.079 look like somebody we know? Oh? It does. More good fellows for 1317 01:31:26.119 --> 01:31:29.439 you there if you wanted that here on a Saturday with just a couple of 1318 01:31:29.439 --> 01:31:31.560 minutes to go. But now, look, I feel like this team needs 1319 01:31:31.560 --> 01:31:35.039 the division and the worst way. And like I said at first when I 1320 01:31:35.039 --> 01:31:40.560 looked at it, and I said that the wild card would be an outstanding 1321 01:31:40.600 --> 01:31:44.319 scenario for the Astros for the way that it would line up for you to 1322 01:31:44.359 --> 01:31:47.680 be able to go into the DS and face a team that you know you 1323 01:31:47.680 --> 01:31:51.960 can beat, then that would be a good situation for you. But in 1324 01:31:51.960 --> 01:31:56.239 this case, now, I think that you look at this team from a 1325 01:31:56.279 --> 01:32:00.439 pitching perspective, and he also too from some of the guys in this lineup 1326 01:32:00.560 --> 01:32:03.920 that I think, frankly right now need a day or two off to be 1327 01:32:04.000 --> 01:32:08.439 able to kind of recalibrate and kind of take a deep breath, and you 1328 01:32:08.520 --> 01:32:11.479 in the division. That puts you in a great spot where this can be 1329 01:32:11.479 --> 01:32:14.159 a team that has been banged up at times this year. I know the 1330 01:32:14.239 --> 01:32:17.680 Chandler of Rome on Twitter yesterday shared that the Astros I believe had some of 1331 01:32:17.720 --> 01:32:21.359 the fewest or the fewest amount of players on the IL this season. But 1332 01:32:21.479 --> 01:32:26.520 still it's also the guys that you've put on the I l at times jose 1333 01:32:26.640 --> 01:32:30.520 Al Tuove. This lineup moves with jose Al Tuove. If he is swinging 1334 01:32:30.520 --> 01:32:33.079 the bat and he is being jose Al Twove that we know in terms of 1335 01:32:33.119 --> 01:32:40.359 being an absolute elite hitter, then that is a huge part of this lineup. 1336 01:32:40.920 --> 01:32:44.920 If it is a situation where he's not going, then you probably have 1337 01:32:44.920 --> 01:32:46.800 to be a little bit more creative. I think even two, we've seen 1338 01:32:46.880 --> 01:32:53.199 kind of Kyle Tucker struggle a little bit. We've also seen at times you 1339 01:32:53.239 --> 01:32:57.479 know, seen Jordan Alvarez struggle. I mean, he takes another strike three 1340 01:32:57.560 --> 01:33:00.439 last night, and kind of like what I was just talking about with Ryan 1341 01:33:00.479 --> 01:33:02.960 Pressley, it's kind of the same deal a little bit with Alvarez and also 1342 01:33:03.039 --> 01:33:06.520 too a little bit with Kyle Tucker, kind of the victim of their own 1343 01:33:06.560 --> 01:33:11.680 success in certain ways. So all right, that's gonna do it for Space 1344 01:33:11.720 --> 01:33:14.800 City a Saturday. I'm Dan Matthews. It's been a lot of fun. 1345 01:33:14.960 --> 01:33:15.039 We'll talk to y'all next week.