NLDS preview: Buckle up, it's Phillies vs. Mets

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Chase Utley and this is the Phillies Show. Hi, everybody, Welcome to The Philly Show with Rubin Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd Zulki. It's Friday, October fourth, twenty twenty four. I got this little soundboard where I can play like the intros and today.

00:00:30
Speaker 2: I chose Chase Utley because he was.

00:00:32
Speaker 1: A Mets killer over the years, and the Phillies are gonna need to slay the Mets coming up. It's gonna be a tough series and a fun series and Nation League Division series. What was your reaction watching that that game last night? Guys, the Mets, the Mets kind of a they're hot. They got some good vibes going. I got some text messages last night for some friends going, oh man, I don't know. I don't about this series. I don't know about this series. I have good feelings about the series. Oh boy, talking me off a ledge here, you guys, get any of those texts last night?

00:01:08
Speaker 3: No, but I've been kind of talking about the Mets for weeks, saying, you know, if they get in, you know, go back a month ago. If they get in, I see them being a really tough out in the postseason, and they've proven to be that. You know, three outs away from going home. They rally in the ninth in Milwaukee, and Peter Alazzo really hadn't done much in weeks, hadn't homered in weeks, steps up and hits that three run home run. It just seems like they are sipping some magic potion here. You know, the Phillies are a hell of a team, right with star power up and down their roster, But the Mets see them a lot, and they've seen them a lot over the years. They're not going to be awed by anybody on that roster. I'm expecting a son of a gun of a series, a great series, and them to continue to be a tough out. I think the Phillies can get by them. I think Game one is huge. I think you got the right guy on the mound. But you know, Taylor, two seasons really for both teams. The Phillies build that great early record and hang on, and the Mets stumble out of the gate. They're like, twelve games under five hundred. Are they gonna sell off talent? And all of a sudden they go on a roll after June first, I have one of the best records in baseball. And you know, these two teams saw each other in London when the Phillies were really on the top of the top of the world in early June. Since then, the Phillies are three games over five hundred, the Mets are twenty six games over five hundred. That includes the dramatic victory last night in Milwaukee. And you know, you get the proximity, the history, the NL East, and now they're gonna meet in the for the first time. This just lines up for me as a really tough series for the Phillies, but a really really entertaining series for the fans.

00:03:10
Speaker 4: I think it should be a lot of fun.

00:03:12
Speaker 5: I mean, you're you're basically looking at two teams that one is sort of flatlining right now, which with the Phillies, and one is just skyrocketing and momentum means something, and they're going to continue to play. They get the one day off, they get the party, they get to hang out, get the one day off, and then they go right back into it. And you know, they've been on an amazing little road trip here. I mean, they bounced all over the place to Milwaukee, back to Milwaukee. I mean They've been all over the place and they've really handled things well. It's always when I was a coach there in in New York, there was a culture issue. They did not know how to win. They had some talented players, but they just didn't know how to win.

00:03:54
Speaker 4: Well.

00:03:55
Speaker 5: I think that Mendoza has done a phenomenal Carlos Mendoza, their amount of there's been done a spectacular job of changing that culture comes from a winning organization, comes from the Mets, excuse me, the the Yankees, and takes over and I think he's really helped change the culture there. And they have that really big meeting and listen, you know, people don't talk about this enough. Okay, culture matters and the attitude matters, and it just seems like when they had that team meeting, and I guess it was held by Francisco Lindor, they sort of they sort of made themselves accountable for each other. And when you're accountable to the guy next to you, and you're accountable to yourself and you're accountable to the organization, then that changes your whole mindset. Instead of being me me me, I me me, which is exactly how it was when I was there with the Mets.

00:04:48
Speaker 4: It was all about me.

00:04:51
Speaker 5: Then, and you put it on the team, and you make it a team thing, and you're playing for your buddies and your boys. I think Alonso talked about it after he hit the home run, Yester, I'm so glad that I came through for the boys. I mean, even superstars like Alonso and Neimo and others who were so focused on themselves and getting themselves, you know, putting themselves in a position to make some money and to be really good player players for themselves. They have now learned through whatever osmosis, through whatever the leadership, whether it's Mendozo or lindor whatever the case may be, they've had a mind shift and that mind shift is creating wins. And now, I mean think about that, twenty six games over five hundred. Would you rather be the team that started off the season twenty six games over five hundred or the season twenty six games over five hundred. So that's where I know. The Phillies have a tremendously talented team. There's no question about it. It's the most talented team in the tournament. But it's all about for me, It's all about how are you playing today? And if they can play good baseball today, it's going to be a phenomenal series.

00:06:00
Speaker 1: So some nuts and bolts. Game one is on Saturday at four oh eight pm. Zach Wheeler, like you guys mentioned, is on the mound for the.

00:06:07
Speaker 2: Phillies, which is great.

00:06:09
Speaker 1: It sounds like Tyler McGill is going to be the game one star. That's not official, but Tony Decomo covers the Mets for MLB dot Com. He said that there's some strong indications in the clubhouse last night it's gonna be Tyler McGill. You look at Tyler McGill's overall numbers, he's eras in the fourst perfect, but in his last six starts since he got recalled two to zero two point three two ERA. He faced the Phillies at City Field at the end of the month in September, gave up one run in four innings. Oddly enough, coincidentally, that was the game the Phillies lost to to one with Zach Wheeler on the mound. Zach Wheeler pitched great in that game. The Phillies got no run support. So it's gonna be probably Tyler McGill in Game one. And what do we think about just kind of the x's and o's matchup of this series.

00:07:00
Speaker 2: Do we think.

00:07:02
Speaker 1: Is there concern with how the Phillies finished against the Mets. I think they went three and four. They won two out of three a Citizen Bank.

00:07:08
Speaker 4: Park, they lost three or four in New York.

00:07:11
Speaker 1: A lot of swing and miss in that Mets series it's at City Field, a lot of swing and miss, a lot of chase and not a lot of runs. I know they I know they hit some balls hard. Remember Schwarber in that Wheeler game hit one of the wall in center field. But you know, what do we think about just these two teams take the vibes out of it, and just if they can get a good performance from Wheeler and what's what's what it's going to take to win the series?

00:07:36
Speaker 3: You know, I think they're more evenly matched than people think. I mean, the Mets don't have the star power in their starting rotation that the Phillies have, you know the names, but they've certainly gotten the performance. You know, they lose Senga Maniyah Peterson whom I miss, and Miguel Quintana Cantona. They all step up. They're heavy left handed, and the rotation of the Phillies do hit lefties. That's a good thing. I think the offenses are more evenly matched than people think. Uh, you know, the Mets got they have an MVP type player in Lindor having a great year. He's gonna finish second in the MVP race. Iglesias has given this team, you know, the Mets, a huge, huge lift. I just think they are evenly matched in a lot of areas. In a lot of areas, I mean, you get two really great shortstops, but Lindor has probably delivered more down the stretch in the second half than Trey Turner has. But that doesn't mean Trey Turner can't be the best player in the series. He's got that type of ability. So I just think there's gonna a lot of little things are gonna be magnified. Defense, base running, all the little things, you know, contact that that are magnified in the postseason. But this is a much if you can get beyond the Phillies, I think have a better rotation, more star power in the rotation. I think that's that's one of the areas that really needs to deliver them. But you know, the Phillies need to avoid these long stretches of offensive inconsistency. But these Mets are a good ball club.

00:09:13
Speaker 4: I gotta say. I know.

00:09:14
Speaker 5: I know that as I look at the team, when you used to think about like the matchups of just talent. Okay, I got to have the Phillies ahead because pitching wise, their rotation slightly better.

00:09:24
Speaker 4: Even though the rotation for the Mets has been pretty good lately.

00:09:27
Speaker 5: They'd been throwing the ball well, Sobrino's thrown well, Manaia has been fantastic, and Kintana's really kind of stuck it up their rear ends last few times pitched against them. So but even though even with that, I really like, I do like the Phillies rotation slightly over over the Mets. The bullpens are not even close. I don't like the Mets bullpen. I know the closer ended up finishing off the game yesterday. He was very shaky. He's very vulnerable. He doesn't he doesn't look comfortable right now. He's not pitching all that well for the Mets, and I trust for me, I trust the bullpen of the Phillies much much more. As far as the lineups are concerned. If you go player for player, I do believe the Phillies have a better lineup star power.

00:10:18
Speaker 4: Just just in general.

00:10:19
Speaker 5: But this is the thing when you play in the postseason, and I mean, I've been watching these postseason games. Man, there's so much swinging mits and so much strikeout and it just feels like these teams are exploiting and knowing that these each one of these players holes and they're foibles, and I do think that they get exploited. They get exploited a lot, and it's about execution, being being able to execute those pitches. But the Phillies are gonna have to figure out a way to pass the baton.

00:10:50
Speaker 4: They've got to figure out what figure out a way to swing.

00:10:52
Speaker 5: At strikes and to battle with two strikes and put the ball in play. Because when they were doing that consistently in the first part of the season, they were having a tremendous amount of success. They were producing runs by extra base hits, by walks, by stealing bases, by getting big bass hits, not necessarily the home run, and they cannot rely on the home run to get it done because there's just too much swing and miss at times when they do that. So I'll be fascinated to see whether or not the Phillies can actually.

00:11:22
Speaker 4: Put the ball in play enough to win the series.

00:11:26
Speaker 1: And this is where you hope, if you're a Phillies fan, that what happened to them in the NLCS really resonates as they begin this postseason journey. What they hope is a long journey that they will remember those moments of swinging out of their shoes and just say, all right, short numb a swing, two strike approach, let's put the ball in play.

00:11:48
Speaker 2: You know, we don't want to have happened.

00:11:50
Speaker 1: Not that do you want to have a negative thought, but you know what I'm saying, just have learned from that experience, like you said, Reuben, and just put the ball in play.

00:11:59
Speaker 2: I mean.

00:12:01
Speaker 1: He saw throughout the posting and anytime they put the ball in just touch your team. Something good happened, Something good can happen.

00:12:08
Speaker 5: One one little bluep bass hit can cause a whole lot of habit. A walk, I mean, you know your basic your basics. Walks and hit by pitches. I mean you looked at it yesterday. Devin Williams comes in and walks Frankie Lindor to start the inning.

00:12:24
Speaker 4: That is the kiss of death match.

00:12:26
Speaker 5: You just have to be able to You got to throw strikes, you got to catch the baseball, and you got to make contact.

00:12:31
Speaker 3: You want to hear stat So this is courtesy of Sarah Langs from MLB dot Com and ESPN, who is phenomenal. Devin Williams threw one hundred and seventy six change ups this season, gave up zero home runs. Last night, you know that change ups up. Peter Lonzo hits it over the wall for historic home run in Met's history. I mean, just amazing. I agree with you, guys. Put the ball in play, take the walk past the baton. But it's indisputable that this Phillies team is better when they are slugging, when they are hitting the ball in the gaps, off the wall, over the wall. That said you can't approach it as I'm gonna hit a home run. I'm gonna try to hit a home run. Try to square it up, hit it hard somewhere. If it goes over the wall, that's a good thing. If it bloops over the second basement's head, that could be a good thing too. But you have to put a premium on contact, and home runs will happen if you make good contact. But it's indisputable this is the better Phillies team. All teams are better when they slug, but gosh, particularly this Phillies team. You know, we saw it down the stretch. They were kind of teetering a little bit up and down. Then they had that run where they hit a bunch of doubles and home runs and they couldn't be beaten. So you're in search of like the perfect recipe, of the perfect way to win these ball games. And I think it's gonna be a little bit of an old school approach. I mean, we see managers go to the bullpen so early these days in the postseason. I'm riding my horses and hoping they're they're they're dealing Wheeler Sanchez, Nola. I'm trying to get them to take me deep into the game, and then I'm going to my five men. You know, he trusts five men in that bullpen, and you know, if they can get nine outs or even fewer, that could be a heck of a recipe to take down the Mets.

00:14:24
Speaker 1: So you say, horses. So we're recording this on Friday morning. The Phillies are gonna have a workout later Friday afternoon, Rob Thompson might announce his Game two starter, So we don't know who the game's two starter is.

00:14:37
Speaker 2: Going to be.

00:14:38
Speaker 4: Now.

00:14:38
Speaker 1: Rob hinted that it could be Christopher Sanchez based off these ridiculous home road splits.

00:14:45
Speaker 2: He's like over five.

00:14:46
Speaker 1: On on the road, He's just over to at home. He also said it's going to depend on who we play.

00:14:55
Speaker 2: So the Mets have.

00:14:56
Speaker 1: What they have two lefties in the lineup, Nemo Lindor is a switch hitter, and there's one other guy in that lineup that's.

00:15:06
Speaker 4: A left the winker Winker Winker. Yeah, okay, so I probably won't play.

00:15:10
Speaker 1: So knowing the Mets lineup, knowing the home road splits, knowing how these guys have pitched against the Mets this season Sanchez and seventeen and two thirds innings three point oh sixty ra A, Nolan thirteen and the third innings four point oh five e ra A. I don't know how much you want to put stock on that. Who's your Game two starter.

00:15:30
Speaker 5: I'll tell you who the game two starter is if we If Wheeler wins the first game, Sanchez is your Game two starter. If Wheeler loses the first game, Nola's your Game two starter because I think that I don't think that he wants to put I would That's my feeling, and that's how I would do it if I was managing.

00:15:49
Speaker 4: Again, I'm not a manager, and I'm glad I'm not in.

00:15:51
Speaker 5: This situation, but I will tell you that I don't think he wants to put Sanchez.

00:15:56
Speaker 4: The pressure on Sanchez.

00:15:57
Speaker 5: At home down oh one and having to try to get back into the series. I think he would rather have Nola be the guy to take the pressure on that one. That's where I That's that's my thought. So you may may have a different one, but that's how I feel. That's how I feel. It's good he gonna go after.

00:16:13
Speaker 1: That would make a lot of sense because one thing we know about Aaron Nola is you can never tell if he's happy, sad, angry, you know, depressed, you know anything.

00:16:21
Speaker 2: He is a total flatline on the mound.

00:16:24
Speaker 1: And so I feel like, yeah, any I don't you don't really know what would be going through Sanchez's mind into Game two down No One, So I can't. I can't disagree with you there, Ruben. That would be that that would be an interesting way to go.

00:16:37
Speaker 3: I'm I like you know, you know how you always talking about bullpens guys like their roles. I mean, I got to think coming into a series Christopher Sanchez, it would really do his psyche well to know exactly when he's pitching. And I think they're even the same for Aaron Nola. I mean, do you want Aaron Nola reporting to the ballpark one o'clock on Saturday not knowing when he's getting the ball? I mean, I'm sure he could handle it. He's a veteran guy's unflappable. But do you want Christopher Sanchez reporting not knowing when he's getting the ball?

00:17:10
Speaker 4: I don't know.

00:17:11
Speaker 3: I mean it's an interesting point, Rubin. There's a lot of pressure on Chris Sanchez if they lose Game one, but I feel like I'd prefer more of a roadmap going in.

00:17:24
Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's possible.

00:17:25
Speaker 5: I mean, these guys are again these guys, But I got to believe if either one they've auried their AO and they don't want to tip their hand, so the players already know or they're deciding, and if they are deciding which way to go, and if they are, they probably told both players, hey, listen, here's the scenarios bing bang boom, so at least mentally, they were prepared for that. And I got to believe the way they communicate and the way Rob Thompson communicates and Caleb Cotham, I got to believe that they know exactly what's going on.

00:17:53
Speaker 4: Either way, I agree with you.

00:17:55
Speaker 3: I think they probably know. And if you're going to kind of hedge a little bit, as you know, you're going to start if we're down a game, you're gonna start if we if if we're up a game, that shows a lack of trust in one guy.

00:18:09
Speaker 6: And I'm not sure that's Rob Thompson's style.

00:18:10
Speaker 3: And you might be right, you might be right, that might be the way they're going to go. I just think all that uncertainty shows a lack of trust in one guy and knowing Rob and how meticulous he is and planning everything out. My guess, and I could be totally wrong. We'll we'll find out Friday afternoon, two thirty, you know, maybe some more information when Rob talks to the media. Uh, my guess is this roadmap has been established at least starting pitching wise, and these guys already know. Again, I offered, I could be wrong, we don't know, but we'll see.

00:18:45
Speaker 4: Hey, Todd, what do you think? You know?

00:18:48
Speaker 1: I would I personally think I would go with with Sanchez in game two only because we and we talked about this, Jimmy, right, I said, you don't want to open yourself up for criticism, and you said you can't. You can't manage based off of potential criticism. But man, I like the idea of putting a guy in a position their best position to succeed, you know, And I feel like Sanchez. Whatever the reason is, if it's it might be ninety five percent coincidence that Christopher Sanchez has been unbelievable at home and maybe he's just had some random bad games on the road and that's made these drastic splits. But Rob has allowed the possibility that there is something there. It might not be totally explainable, but the numbers are the numbers, and it's real.

00:19:33
Speaker 2: And for that reason, I think.

00:19:37
Speaker 1: You start him on the road and say he gets his brains beat in, and you know, something happens to Nola again. I know you can't really think in those hypotheticals, I guess, but I like the idea of putting Sanchez in the best position to succeed. But I do see he's saying Rubin, like, if you're down one, if you're down oh one, man, Aaron Nola as cool as a cucumber, and he's got all that, He's got lot of experience, and he's got a lot of early postseason success, pro early round postseason success, and so you'd feel pretty comfortable with him in game two.

00:20:10
Speaker 4: I think, yeah, I think, I think. I think it's just that's the beauty of this game.

00:20:14
Speaker 5: Many about opinions and and and these are decisions.

00:20:17
Speaker 4: That are that are very relevant and very important. But it's a good position to.

00:20:21
Speaker 3: Be in if you're worried about going down oh one and saying, Aaron Nola is going to pitch game two, and that's the way you need to go out of the gate Wheeler Nola, Sanchez.

00:20:33
Speaker 4: And in my feel, my gut feeling all along with it, they're gonna do. That's the way they're going to go. But who knows.

00:20:37
Speaker 3: Listening to Rob the other day, if I'm parsing his words and knowing that he doesn't offer a lot, but sometimes he offers a little when he offers that he might split up the righties that Sanchi is better at home, and it's undeniable. When he offers that stuff. I get the I get the vibe that that's the way he's going to go. And these guys might all already know it. But look, it's a good problem to have. If they all pitch, it's a really good problem to have.

00:21:06
Speaker 1: So Jimmy mentioned words said what a segue. Jim thank you so much. It's time for them to fighting words. Them's fighting words is presented by Shibe Vintage Sports. Get unique throwback phillies, te's hats and sweatshirts from local artists at their shops in Center City, Wayne and Westchester and at Shibe sports dot com.

00:21:34
Speaker 4: Let's fill this place up with uppercuts exactly.

00:21:38
Speaker 3: You know, you know, in a hockey fight, rubin, the uppercut is a it's it's an underutilized weapon.

00:21:48
Speaker 4: Yes, a lot you gotta work underneath, but.

00:21:52
Speaker 3: It's when you come with that one uppercut that you win. Because there's not a lot of uppercuts.

00:21:57
Speaker 4: Because they have those, they have those those masks and the helmet. Man you got to work underneath.

00:22:01
Speaker 5: And Opper ask comer and operant to talk to Paul Holmgan about that, and Uppercut.

00:22:07
Speaker 3: Can be a a.

00:22:12
Speaker 1: I lost to Jim, Well, we lost Jim. Jim's Jim's internets went out, Ruben, I'm still with you. I'm all right, all right, So let's let's we'll come back if Jim hops back in them's fighting words. Here's a quote that Dave Dombrowski gave this week, Rubin, I want to get your feeling on this. This is from Dave Dombrowski at the workout on Tuesday. I don't feel like our window is closing. I keep hearing that, but I think what happens is that sometimes it closes with current players that that you have, but it doesn't mean that it closes. Overall, the lot of talk about the window for this team and is it closing and is it limited? And I guess I can't disagree with Dave Dombrowski said, you were you've been in this spot. Yeah, twenty ten, twenty eleven.

00:23:04
Speaker 5: Yeah, we were a difficult position in After twenty eleven, we still felt like we were going to be okay. And Ryan Howard had that obviously had the achilles issue, but he was well on track to get back early, and people a lot of people don't know this, but he ended up getting an infection and that pushed him back even more time. And then and then it started to affected the rest of his body, his knee, et cetera, et cetera, and we lost those started to lose, you know, we lost Halliday and we ended up putting ourselves in a position where you know, you have started having the breakdowns. I don't think that this team, I mean, we're talking about guys who are thirty one, thirty two years old, and I think they're going to be really productive players like the big boys in this in this lineup that you spent a lot of money on. There, they're going to be in like there, you know, thirty age, thirty two, thirty three, that's.

00:23:51
Speaker 4: I mean to me.

00:23:52
Speaker 5: And with the way these guys take care of themselves and their body types. I mean you see even a guy like Schwarber who's put himself in an unbelievable position body type wise, I mean, he's in great shape now and as a DH I don't think this windows that's you know, that tiny.

00:24:08
Speaker 4: I think they've got some time still.

00:24:10
Speaker 5: I think that the prime years of these guys still are probably two or three years away.

00:24:16
Speaker 4: But I mean that's when you reload. I want you start reloading.

00:24:18
Speaker 5: And I think that's exactly what John Milton wants to do, and I'm sure that's what David den Browski wants to do with some young players and some free agents that you'll bring in.

00:24:27
Speaker 1: And they also have you know, they're really really high on Aiden Miller their top position player prospect.

00:24:33
Speaker 2: You know, you have Justin Crawford.

00:24:34
Speaker 1: Both of those guys were in double A reading this year. So man, they're getting close. They're getting very very close. And depending on how guys do Johann Rojas and center field, Justin Crawford could be pushing.

00:24:45
Speaker 2: Him next season.

00:24:46
Speaker 1: You know, I think Jim mentioned this, so maybe a month or so ago, Aiden Miller and Bryce and Stott. You know, Aiden Miller, they'll find a position for him to play if they think that he's ready, and one of the infielders is struggling.

00:24:56
Speaker 2: And of course you have Andrew Paynter, so rubin a couple more things.

00:25:02
Speaker 1: Left field and center field, platoon situations. Rob's been asked a lot about this, a lot about this. How do you set it up? Austin Hayes is now back. He's had a sore back. He missed the last weekend in DC. How do you set up left field? How do you set up center field? Is there a particular matchup they like? Do you go all defense to go? I'm putting Marsh and left. I'm putting Rojas and center. That would make a lot of sense with the flyball pitcher on the mound. Do you go just pure matchups against left? Do you put Hayes and left and you know, Rojas and right?

00:25:36
Speaker 2: Whatever?

00:25:37
Speaker 4: What do you like?

00:25:38
Speaker 5: You may see a little bit of a difference depending on where they play, But I like having Rojas and center field period. I want to stick them in center field. I want the defense. I've watched these games. At one play that one line drive in the gap that he would get to that I know that Marsh could not.

00:25:53
Speaker 4: I think that's big.

00:25:54
Speaker 5: I don't think Marsh played very well in centerfield in the last couple of weeks. I just feel like, not that he's a lie ability out there, but I mean there's a lot of plays that were made or not made out there in center field, and I think.

00:26:05
Speaker 4: That's just too important.

00:26:07
Speaker 5: I would put him in center field, and I would platoon those two guys in left field. If it was this left handed starter, I would I would go ahead and let Austin Hayes play left. If it was a right handed starter, I'd go ahead and play marsh and left. I'm not beholden to that. I really feel like I'm not beholden to either one of those players having to play every day. I really believe that you know your best defense obviously, and Hayes is pretty good outfielder, but your best defense is with Johann Roawson center and h and Marshian left. Who's an outstanding left fielder. I mean it, arguably it could be a gold Glove type left fielder. So and and when you have a guy who's limited as far as his overall range is concerned in right field and Castillanos, especially in New York where there's a much bigger gap to gap area, I think you've got I think you absolutely have to play Rojas in center.

00:27:02
Speaker 4: I can see. I don't agree with this.

00:27:04
Speaker 5: I can see them playing Marsh in center against the right hander and having Austin Hages play left.

00:27:11
Speaker 4: I don't like it. There's my defense out that I want my centerfielder making plays.

00:27:15
Speaker 1: And I know a lot of people are concerned about Rojas's offense, but he's had some better at bats recently, and he you know, he's bunted, he's he's put the ball in play. And Rojas last year, of course, he was like, what four for forty three in the postseason.

00:27:32
Speaker 2: And I looked this up.

00:27:33
Speaker 1: I wrote about this yesterday. The Phillies only pinch hit for Rojas twice all postseason. Last year, they pinch hit for him, and I think it was Game seven with Jake Cave and then in Game five they pinch hit with Christian Pace or vice versa. That's not going to be an issue this year because I think they have better bench options. So I think you're gonna you're gonna see Rob Thompson be way more aggressive. There's a basis loaded situation in the sixth in and there's a tough right hander on the mound and Cody Clemens is on the bench. Cody, They're gonna go to Cody Clemens, no doubt. I don't know who's going to be the last man on the bench. It could be Cal Stevenson, it could be Weston Wilson, but whoever, it is the same thing. Seventh, seventh inning, tough at bat for Johann Rojas.

00:28:20
Speaker 2: He's out of there.

00:28:21
Speaker 1: Rob's gonna go to the bench. They did not have that option last year. Uh with with the bench. Uh just didn't have a great bench last year. And I think I think that's.

00:28:31
Speaker 4: Absolutely absolutely did not.

00:28:34
Speaker 5: I totally agree with you, Jake Cave, Okay, I mean he was sort of dangerous, not a great hitter. I mean Cody Clemens, he's a much more accomplished guy. I think he will handle it much better. I think he's a better hitter overall. He's got better options. I think that you're gonna see maybe maybe two switches. I mean you'll see maybe they'll have Clemens come in and they'll have to burn him. They'll might burn him, and then that will go to because he'll go to a left hander out of the pen, and then we'll have to be used Western Wilson or whomever is sitting on the bed, whether it's maybe it's Hazy sitting on the bench at the time, whatever the case may be. I just feel like that's why you have to in my mind, you absolutely have to have you have to have our our man rohas in center field. It's just too important.

00:29:19
Speaker 3: Jim I apologize. I lost my internet back. It's you know, the people who are against hockey fights. They got me. I was talking about hockey. What did did you guys? I'm sorry you might have covered this. Do you see platoons in left field and second base?

00:29:38
Speaker 1: Well, we talked, I was I was just gonna ask you about second base. We talked about left field, But what do you.

00:29:43
Speaker 2: Think about there?

00:29:46
Speaker 4: I do believe. I think they're gonna platoon there myself? Why not?

00:29:49
Speaker 3: I think it makes the most sense. You need to win eleven ball games. You put the best lineup on the field, left, right, whatever, So I would do the same at second base. I would platoon at second base. I really would. We've seen a large box do your work this year from Stadt. He's a heck of a player. He just hasn't had the year or that he had last year. Hasn't handled fast balls, hasn't hit uh left handers. Sosa hits left handers. You need eleven wins. I think I would sacrifice a little defense there, and because Sosa is not not bad, it's not a huge drop off, and I would play. I would use a platoon there. I think that's the where we go, right.

00:30:21
Speaker 4: I would too. And you know we did it in ninety three.

00:30:23
Speaker 5: We had three platoons, we had left, right and second base. And I know they did it all year long, and they haven't done it necessarily all year long this this season. But I got no problem taking taking a start out of that lineup, putting ed Mundo Sosa against Saramonya. I don't have any problem with them pitching against playing against Kitana.

00:30:40
Speaker 4: Why not Manaya is nasty against left handers.

00:30:43
Speaker 5: Get his ass out of there and put Mundo Sosa in there and see if he can do some damage.

00:30:48
Speaker 3: I could see Rob doing it.

00:30:49
Speaker 6: I could see right.

00:30:50
Speaker 3: I think you know they had that game plan, kind of the roadmap to go to uh Jose Alvarado against Jordan Alvarez in Game six in the World. There's a couple of years ago, he stuck with Kimberle, He's stuck with Rojas last year, and some of those decisions blew up on him. I think he's going to be more flexible this year and to make those calls that he ordinarily wouldn't have because he's very committed to his guys, and he's gonna be more flexible and and and I also think he has the personnel that, you know, like you mentioned deeper bench that's going to allow him to do that type of stuff.

00:31:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean people remember don't remember that, but there were talk last last postseason about they got to start Christian.

00:31:30
Speaker 4: Pace in centerfield.

00:31:31
Speaker 1: I'm like Christian Pace, his guys hit one to eighty one in the Big leagues. His entire life as ops is five hundred. You're kind of splitting hairs there when you're talking about Christian.

00:31:40
Speaker 2: Pace or Johann Rojas.

00:31:41
Speaker 1: But now you have Clemens and Wilson and and and you know, all these other guys that you can move in there. So a couple other things before we wrap up. This doesn't shouldn't really come into play, but doesn't sound like Spencer Turnbull is going to make the postseason roster that at least in the NLDS. It sounds like he was pretty erratic on WEDNESDA in the Inner Squad game, and Rob basically said the guy needs more time. So if anybody was wondering about Spencer, term a lot of talk about him. Does not sound like he's gonna be on the NLDS roster. I don't know who the last man is gonna be maybe Max Lazar, maybe Colby Allard. I don't know if if you're seeing either of those two guys, it's probably not good for the Phillies, So you know, let's yeah. I don't think we need to focus too much on the last man in the bullbmen unless it's an extra ending game or they're getting their brains beat in and something horrible has gone on and you're going, Max Lazar, Colby Allard is in the game. So do we have any predictions before we wrap this up?

00:32:41
Speaker 2: Who do we got?

00:32:41
Speaker 1: Phillies, Mets, nlds.

00:32:44
Speaker 2: What are we thinking?

00:32:46
Speaker 6: I'm going hard, hard fought, intense, entertaining, must see TV riveting series, gonna go to distance with the Phillies advancing in five.

00:33:03
Speaker 2: People are gonna die, They're gonna be so nervous.

00:33:06
Speaker 4: I love it. I love the nerves. I love it.

00:33:08
Speaker 5: I think it's going. I think it's going five games. But it's this team, the New York Mets, have some mojo going. I believe in in the Phillies. I believe in Rob Thompson. I think he's gonna make some adjustments with the way he manages this this series as opposed to what he's done in the past.

00:33:25
Speaker 4: I think he's learned for some things, and I think I're going win in five.

00:33:28
Speaker 1: I'm gonna say Phillies in four, I'm gonna say they cool all the Mets vibes.

00:33:32
Speaker 2: This is a team on a mission.

00:33:34
Speaker 1: They've had a good work week from what you know, we've heard and seen, and I think their intent on doing what they did not do last year. So I think they they they lose one, they win in four, and then they go on and play the Potters or the Dodgers in the NLCS. So we'll be back throughout the postseason. We're gonna try to wrap up games as we go along here. So Rubin Jim, thanks.

00:33:59
Speaker 7: Smelling later boy, Saya Jimmy.

00:34:07
Speaker 2: This is The Phillies Show.

00:34:09
Speaker 1: If you haven't already, please subscribe to The Phillies Show wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch us on our YouTube channel. If you like what we do, give us a review, tell a friend. Catch Rubenjim and Me on Phillies Nation TV, presented by Valley Forge Tourism. New episodes air an hour before every Saturday Phillies game on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Replays air throughout the week. And on Philliesnation dot com. Get more of Ruben's analysis during before and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network Rejim at the Allcity Network at allphl y dot com. Find more of me at MLB dot com, the Philliesbewsletter, and occasionally on MLB Network

00:35:00
Speaker 5: Four