TRANSCRIPT: Ep. 16: Brewers in NYC, Cubs desert heat, Cardinals must be beat

Text Transcript of Ep. 16

00:00:00 – 00:05:01

Woah to. Welcome to the new best rivalry in baseball. Welcome back. Baseball fans. It’s the ninety miles podcast. You know, what that means? That means all cubs. All brewers a lot of crap talking back and forth between myself and Ryan who’s joining me on the other end this week. Oh, just talk over me. Why don’t you? It’s just the intro. Hey. Just hey, I’m here. Hey, what are the funds now? Anyway. Well, yeah, no fan. So that’s cool. That’s pretty cool. Does anybody that’s old enough to remember the funds? Even listen to podcasts is anybody going to get that maybe half the audience somebody. Yeah. Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. He’s a lawyer interested development. So oh, hey. He. Yeah. All right. Let’s move on. So what we are going to. We got coming up. What are we got coming up? This this episode took a trip to New York. They did some shopping got some pizza beat the crap out of degrom, and Syndergaard which was cool geo Gonzales made an appearance we’re gonna talk about that stuff. It says something in the outline about cubs magnificence. That’s gotta be a typo. Yeah. What? No. Yeah. It’s definitely a typo. It should say something about cubs. Tweet of the week. We got something a little quirky and fun. Just kind of an interesting way to process such a long season kind of a fun thing to talk about that we really hadn’t touched on or thought about we’re going to preview some next week. I gotta talk a little bit about everybody’s favorite player Christian yelich. Of course, you’ve got to cover a couple of things would you have in mind for you know, previewing this week. You know, a little bit about the the cubs Nair Zona. And and then we’ll we’ll look a little bit ahead about look at the Mariners couple of games. And and got cardinals coming up, you know. So we’ll talk about that. And and and we’ll probably serve we’re going to start talking a little bit about the cubs brewers series. Do they play each other again soon? I totally forgot he asked. Yeah. He did. Awesome. So we’ll be rampant up again next week’s going to be a big big episode. It’s gonna be the preview for the three dates. They have Friday Saturday Sunday in Chicago. Make sure you’re with us next week as well. It’s gonna be fun. We’re gonna have a good time making sure that the other person those the other person’s team sucks, obviously today. We’ll do some an L central breakdown. I’ve got in. In the notes here that says Jesse loves the cardinals and his jealous likes them a lot. I think that’s incorrect. I’m pretty sure somebody’s doing with our episode lines that we use Jesse hates the cardinals. And Ryan loves them. A lot is what it should have read. But we’ll definitely get into that. Because I’m pretty sure everybody hates the cardinals that listens to this program. Do believe they’re running out in I in the NL central which is a our fuel. Brewers rate there. So, but the cubs, you know, are going to be playing the cardinals you’re coming up. So you better be pulling for sweep there. Yeah. The cardinals. Yeah. You’ll be Paul for the cubs. We’ll let our series with the cardinals. We’ve already done. Can you believe the and cardinals have played ten games this year? What is with that? But yeah, I don’t think I can prove can’t pull for the cubs. Sweep the cardinals. I can’t pull for anybody in that series right now. It’s just it’s just disappointing. Yeah. I could almost be a big one. Yeah. It will be it will be. So that’s a big one. Obviously the Bruce cubs is the biggest one because that’s what this is all about. But yeah. So that kind of gives you the layout of the program stay with us for all of that. Where do you wanna start off today there, Mr. wraps? How do you want to jump into the? You did mention the bruiser. The cubs are playing the Mariners right now is that correct? Tonight. They they play two games starting tonight tonight and tomorrow. Okay. A little to game set in Seattle. So yeah, that’d be that’d be interesting. Will inter inter league play. I know they face Felix Hernandez tonight. So king Felix who’s actually having a fairly decent year. Abouts back your of sorts. He’s been struggling last couple previously. He was dominant for a good stretch years out in Seattle. So that’ll be adding. Yeah. And he’s he’s not doing doing too bad this year.

00:05:02 – 00:10:02

You know? So we’ll see we’ll see goes. But cubs. Fortunately had a day off yesterday after fifteen inning marathon in Arizona. That’s right. That’s right. I kept getting texts about that game like cared about. It or something I don’t it was getting pretty late. Yeah. Yeah. It was a long game. I mean, fifteen innings is long. But time wise it was long. It was like, oh God, I think it had to be around six hours. Wow. So that’s a ridiculous game. It’s yeah. That’s that’s the I wouldn’t even want to know if I could make it through a six hour baseball game. I mean. Yeah. What do I do when I run out of beer? Yeah. I don’t know. Yeah. But that was obviously a long one. The cubs were fortunate to come out ahead in that one. If I remember, right. The the Diamondbacks. Yeah. The Diamondbacks almost stole that one. They gave up what three runs top of the fifteenth to the Cubbies came back and still got two more almost snuck away with. Yes. Was that a warning track? Fly ball for the brew fans that didn’t see it. I think the there’s one. A guy on I it would have been a game winner. But the yes that was. Yeah. That was a little stressful. You know, you commit that much time to a game. And for to go to that point, it it it kind of stops the heart for a moment. Yeah. It’s all right for sure. Pull it off. Well, yeah. Review a little bit on the brewers side. The brewers actually had a day off. It’s unbelievable. The got one thirteen games straits between the dodgers. And the cardinals. They wore down. It looked like at least they weren’t on Saint Louis did indeed sweep Milwaukee in Saint Louis tied the season series at five piece Bruce took the day off. And then like I said in the open they went out to New York. They faced degrom the brewers had gone many innings without scoring any other way than the home run. They get to see degrom game one. There’s a rain delay. And they come out and they pounce. They actually score ten runs in the game. None of which came via the home run. So the scoring kind of comes to an end, which is which is great to jump out and get I got I’m not looking at the box score live. But I do believe they put five onto Graham himself. Which was excellent. Well, they got they got the gram and Syndergaard. You know, they’re not they’re not going to be perfect. Every single starting in the just really brewers really lucked out to to get him on off nights. So. Yeah. Because the cubs cubs. Lucky again, an Arizona at all. No. And especially to have an off day after fifteen inning game. Okay. Yeah. Well, anyway, degrom and Syndergaard were highly touted pitchers there. Obviously excellent degrom was damn near untouchable all of last season. Bruce, come out put up five against them. None of which by the home run. That was a great way to get rolling. Take two out of three in New York geo Gonzales makes his first appearance as a brewer he was released by the Yankees allowing Milwaukee to sign him. We talked about it last week’s episode actually happened live while we were recording. Which was really cool. I was very pumped about it. Gio looked pretty good. They capped him around eighty three eighty four pitches. He hadn’t thrown to live hitters in a couple of weeks held them to runs made it a game Bruce could win. Unfortunately, they didn’t couldn’t come through. But something that I did want to kind of talk about outside of GIO. The Burs defense has been very very very good this year. If you saw the catch Lorenzo Cain made New York on Friday night, his arm and head were all the way up above the wall, reaching back and robbed another home run. He makes it look smooth and easy when he does this. He glides to the ball and high points that like a wide receiver. It’s it’s a beautiful thing to watch. They’ve also been shifting a lot. I have a prediction we’re gonna cover more Orlando arsia made a diving stop basically behind first base. This is the brewers starting shortstop. So if you think the shift is stupid, I kinda understand what you’re talking about. Because when a shortstop makes a play behind first base. I think they still bring it up as a six three put out which is fear scoring along at home is how they punch that into the books. He was nowhere near the shortstop position. In fact, he was short right field. Almost it almost looked like he was playing. No doubles down the right field line behind. I base it was very odd. And then of course, Ben Gamla who came over from Seattle head to fill in a little bit on Sunday after Christian yelich came out with an injury.

00:10:02 – 00:15:05

We’ll talk about that. But he had an absolute rifle shot to get an assist on a put out this Milwaukee Brewers team right now is ranked very high defensively as far as feeling percentage. They’re second in the league rape behind Kansas City. They’ve committed nine arizo. Your Kansas City eight if you’re going to be a team like Milwaukee, and you’re not necessarily gonna have lights out pitching your guys putting balls and play. You gotta have great defense and thus far this year. They really really have. So that’s kind of the rap on things. That’s happened. OD st- and defensively. I in just thrilling. I’m just real. I’m sure the cubs fans are asleep or just annoyed as all get out. Right now has the most incredible five minutes of podcast. I’ve ever heard that. Yeah. I I rambled a little MC cited about the defense GIO. Everyone loves fielding percentage. It’s everyone’s favorite stat. I know. Yeah. Well, chicken Jesse likes winning baseball games with defense. So whatever. Right. Right. Yeah. So there there’s another stab there. But I’ll resist. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Defensive efficiency rating. They’re kind of middle the league. I don’t even know what that means. So if you wanna try and go into go for it but committing nine errors on the season. Only when you’re playing a bunch of guys out a position as much as they are because they’re in shifted all over the field. That’s actually very impressive Orlando arsia usually gets wrecked up with quite a few years. But that’s because he’s also getting to balls that he’s not supposed to get to get a glove on them has to make a really crooked throw. And it’s not going to be perfect every time. So his fielding percentage probably will be rather. Inaccurate. Compared to what you know. He’s he’s doing sometimes is that thing we’ve talked about it before. Sometimes great defenders get punished forgetting to balls that nobody else is gonna get to. So it’s just a. Yeah. We’re. True. Yeah. Feuding is is a difficult difficult thing to do any kind of metrics on I think ’cause there’s there’s a lot of nuance there. So for sure. But yeah. Well, it’s tricky to but fielding percentage. Well, that’s why did talk about the cane highlights. Gamble highlights. The things they are really really fun defensive crew to watch. And you know, you guys have got some defensive players that are fun to watch. Vy by Elmore. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. They do. They I mean. Now, the cubs are are down quite a bit further and feeling percentage rate. Now, they did have that that game earlier this year with a couple of years. If it was more like Sixers. You know, pretty sure it was six. Yeah. Walkie nine on the season. So. Yeah. So anyways, you know, the cubs are rated I don’t know progress progression to the mean. Yep. Sure. Sure. Bottom six and feeling percentage if you’re scoring along at home. So there you go. Okay. Anyways. Yeah. I think well, I know you wanna talk about. Yeah. Let’s just going to mention one other thing on that Arizona game. Yeah. Please. Do I kind of cut you off? Well, there’s a mixture of that. And then at ties to looking forward, and I a little bit well, which we’ll get to later, but David Bodey started the game. He wasn’t scheduled to Sirte. The a Joe man- this season has been doing something where he setting up the lineup for each series at a time. So guys, generally know even a couple of days ahead of time when they’re going to have a day off or at least not be starting. I guess say, and it was going to be Bodas day off on that that that day against Arizona and zobrist went in David Bodey. Of course, he’s been stellar. He’s been excellent. In fact, it’s really interesting because he’s been so good. He’s been in their lot in oftentimes when he’s in. He’s playing third base and Kris Bryant playing playing left. Sure. So it’s been. Is that because it interesting that because shorebridge been so good this year? What’s the deal there? That sounds like they’re kind of shoving short out of the outfield for that. Or what’s going on? Oh, I sidetrack you finish finish your boat. I honestly don’t know. How short anyways. Yeah. Anyways. You know? So so Zober is supposed to be in starting the game. And he he went to Joe Madden. I guess and and basically said look, I take me out put David Bodine is absolutely killing it right now.

00:15:05 – 00:20:00

He’s on fire. You know, all set, you know, he basically went in and said that an and Joe Madden. Listen to him and started Bodey. And of course, it went fifteen innings. So sure enough Zober did end up playing later in the game extra innings, and in fact. Yeah, he he had an excellent clutch hit in the fifteenth, which you know. Kinda kinda sparked kind of won the game. And yeah, he even end up being the one catch in that last out at the warning track. You you were mentioning before as well. So kind of interesting in fact, it was Obras the he hit a double that. Finally got the cubs some runs, and and it was his first extra-base hit of the season because he had been a little slow to start. But but yeah. So anyways, that’s I guess that’s karma zobrist was being selfless and saying that the kid play I’ll sit and then sober sends up being the hero anyways. So it’s karma or it’s a fifteen inning game where he empty your bench. But yeah, sure that. Come on. No, no. It’s it’s a good story. I’m not I’m not I’m not raining on the store. You’re right. It’s that is good. I mean, it’s it’s cool to have teammates that are that selfless guys that want to win. That’s what builds a clubhouse makes makes a team capable of going a lot farther rates. If you’ve got some selfish guys on the team. I wanna get there at bats. And really don’t care about the team’s struggles or who’s hot who’s not. You’re going to have a harder time building that clubhouse presence, and you know, really chemistry. The other thing. I was thinking mentioning that to with Madden stretching out and saying you here’s your two three game setup. Does that give the guys that know there have the day off the opportunity to have some cheeseburgers and beers because maybe that’s gonna bring the clubhouse back together to because that got kind of got cut out. Well, yeah. I mean as far as I know that still the case, but. Okay. I guess that wasn’t as funny as I thought it was when I said it that’s cool. It wouldn’t be the first time. But yeah. So anyway, that kind of wraps up most of what’s been going on. I did want to mention to last night. The brewers did have game. They did open their series against Colorado. Hey, suze healer has been absolutely dreadful at the plate thus far this year. He broke out last night. He’s been working on holding back on his swing. He actually had two home runs in his first two at bats yesterday. Those would be as I two of the season mind, you this is a guy that would have been arguably the in National League MVP in the first half of the season last year. He was up over well over three hundred with a lot of clutch hits and home runs. The Burs if they can get him going and keep things kind of going. Maybe it turns into a platoon where you’re getting good production from first base. It just continues to lengthen the lineup. That’s good. Actually, the one home run that he hit to right field. The first one was the center of the second one is right field. I believe it was a change up on the second. According to the Bruce broadcast if he hit a change up out of the park to right field. His definitely sitting back on the ball the way he was closer to last year. He did go the other way a lot. So that’s exciting for Bruce fans. But I think I’ve talked enough about the brewers right now. No, did we want to get to something a little different. We kinda saw tweeden entreated the week. Yeah. I’ve got it pulled up if you want to read through it, and you can kind of react this is from at ghost runner on second base. So at ghost runner on to be just kind of an interesting take on something. I was watching the brewers game watching the feed on Twitter as I did. So here’s the tweet and along baseball season often root for very specific things that aren’t wins or losses. I’ve decided that I am now rooting for Doney heart to maintain zero point zero E R A as long as possible without striking out a batter currently has a four to zero walk to strikeout ratio. Hashtag bruise. So Donnie hearts kind of kind of nice stories a left handed reliever for the brewers. He’s up for the series because Colorado is a very heavy left handed lineup last night came into the game. Got some outs has zero point zero Yari within five minutes of this happening. Of course, he strikes out the last batter of the game to end it. A Bruce win five to one. But it was really kind of cool weird thing. Thing to watch for and cheer for in a season. That’s one hundred sixty two games on it gets boring when she say. Parts of it. Well, I was bored. You know? Ken if you don’t do things like this. And that’s what what’s fun about it.

00:20:00 – 00:25:02

And about you know, other kind of idiosyncrasies and weird ways you can angle looking at different stats and different players and different performances. That’s why it’s not boring. But you know, that’s well. Yeah. And that’s I misspoke the wounded that for sure, and that’s kind of one of the no one of the things we do in the prediction segment. You’ve got a you’ve got a prediction come here. That’s a weird and wacky one. That’ll end today. Actually, we both do. Yes. What’s the one? You. We will find out. Yeah. What’s a couple of them? I mean, we’re not going to jump ahead to predictions. But we’ll definitely cover we can cover a couple of the predictions. We’ve made because these are things we’ve been rooting for funny. Yeah. Let’s let’s go ahead. And and talk about the ones we made that we had a few that ran through April. So tonight the cubs play last game. In april. So I have a couple you know, that are gonna come to be one one of them was prediction, I made quite a few minutes ago. Now my predicted that Rizzo would be hit by pitches. Seven times by the end of a and he’s he’s at six with the game yet to be played tonight games. Yeah. By the way, we are recording Tuesday, April thirtieth. We’re we’re pitching on short rest. Here we had to squeeze the episode in a day earlier than normal. We had some scheduling conflict. So this is coming at ya earlier than it normally would so tonight’s a big night for the for the Resonator big time. Yeah. I mean, I guess we’ll see we’ll see how it goes. But I mean same time not I certainly hope he doesn’t get hurt. But he sees pretty good at taking them. You know, he’s he’s done. It a lot in his career. So right. You know, if if Hernandez loses his own a little bit and risi’s in their crowd and crown the plate like does, you know? Maybe we’ll we’ll Na’Abba a win on that prediction. We’ll see number seven hundred your belt that would be. That would be pretty good to made that prediction on the money to I I said seven or more, so yeah. But then you did some research and didn’t have he got hit by seven pitches last, April two. So it wasn’t like it was far fetched, right? It wasn’t extremely far fetched. But it’s a little it’s still odd an odd prediction to make. It was well, it’s definitely odd. Because we also broke it down over the year. And it was like twenty twenty two something like that pitches for the season and last year April as well when he took the majority of them. So I don’t know what happens in theory. My theory is just pitchers still getting kind of going for the season. And maybe more pitchers are likely to not quite have the zone down as much earlier in the season versus later. That’s my theory. But sure sure absolutely, you know, otherwise, it could just be random random lock. It was rand. It wouldn’t happen to April in a row. I think you’re onto something either. That or yeah. Okay. You’re on something right to borrow a phrase from a radio broadcaster near here. So to get the weird prediction I made. And it’s not that weird. It’s definitely not as weird as rooting for Donnie heart not to strike people out and still not allow runs. That’s that’s actually really funny. I wanna find more things like that root for the predict. Yeah. One of the ones that I did go for the end of April Bruce have one more game tonight. So it’s not set in stone. But I did predict they’d be in the top three in shifting especially based on the pickup of Mike moussaka the way the us Orlando arsia and here, we are an I’m at baseball, sevent- dot MLB dot com. Baseball savant. I can’t even say anything today. Baseball, savant dot MLB dot com. That’s where I found the statistic. The brewers have shifted a total of four hundred eighty five times in eleven hundred forty two plate appearances that ranks them. Exactly third in major league baseball. The astros. Orioles are the only two teams to have shifted more. If you’re curious cubs fans. I am looking for you. You’re a ranked twenty fourth. So just as we talked about in the beginning of the season, the cubs don’t tend to shift much still have pretty good success, pitching wise. The Bruce shift a ton. Maybe that’s part of why they do have success pitching wise when they don’t have the names that the cubs. Do it’s arguable back and forth, but between that defensive percentage that talked about earlier and the amount of shifting to do the bruise. Do. That’s how they’re going to be successful without all that big time pitching. So right now as it stands today if the month were to end today, well, which it does. But if the month ended before the game tonight, I would get my prediction. Correct. As it stands. Okay. So the twins are forty one point nine percent. The bruiser forty two point five percent.

00:25:02 – 00:30:05

I doubt that that changes tonight. You never know. But it does look like my prediction of the Bruce shifting in the top three for the month of April will come come through for me. I do believe they finished the season around seven last year. So well, hopefully, hopefully, they don’t I don’t know whether to root for Rizzuto get hit or not I don’t know how you feel about it. I don’t know, man. I don’t want a weird one. I don’t like the color. Yeah. Yeah. I you know, I had that other the other prediction it wasn’t technically April. But it was through the game tonight. Was I had predicted in the next eleven games. Cubs would win eight. Eight eight and three that finishes tonight. And they’re right now, they’re seven and three. So if they win tonight, I I will have correctly predicted that again right on the money, actually. Yeah. The only thing that was interesting about that prediction got through the dodgers a little better than I thought. They would that’s outside of that. You know, you’re supposed supposed to have just like that against weaker teams. Come on. Now. The brewers went into New York. Well, the Mets the Mets are supposed to be good. According to everybody on TV. I don’t really specifically believe it. They were sub five hundred last year from not mistaken. But yeah, it would be it would be pretty impressive to say. Yeah. They’re gonna go eight and three over eleven I guess the other predictions. We might as well put a wrap on win. Jeremy Jeffress was in. When Jeremy Jeffress was in the minors. Rehabbing his shoulder. I did predict that when he came back up. The brewers would improve their ER a out of the bullpen by a run didn’t happen. They had a couple of blow now Jeremy Jeffers himself has contributed nicely thing. He’s got like a two point four five hundred on average is only given up believe the one running something like eight innings. I don’t exactly the stats, but that one ain’t going to happen. But the good news is over is pitching is. I think starting to settle in something I’ll talk about maybe in the next segment to is what’s going to happen with this rotation now that Geos there Jimmy Nelson appears the beginning a healthy something interesting to look at but that’s kind of tweet of the week. So the it’s all started with, you know, goofy kind of not prediction, but something to root for. So if you ever have any ideas like that tweet at us come at us. I’m at Brooker winning at Brooker winning Ryan where you at the app. At at wraps cubs. Win the up and don’t forget you can see these predictions at the website at ninety miles podcasts dot com ninety miles podcast com. Where you can find all of this stuff. We’re starting to keep score. Things are starting to trickle through at this point. I’m hitting three thirty three Ryan’s at two. Fifty. That’s about to change tonight. We are going to have some finals it’ll be fun to see him Zahn top at the end of April. And more importantly, we’re going to start ramping up for this next. Bruce cub series as well. We like having a lot of predictions on the line for that. We’ll get to that. After this next little bit of a segment, we were gonna talk just little bit more about previewing the next few games. Like, I said earlier the brewers. Yeah. Up last night against Colorado. You said the cubs have the Mariners tonight and tomorrow, then what’s going on with them. Well, I got a day off. Then they got the cardinals. This weekend. Seriously. No, it’s it’s a lot. Well, you know, what that’s going to bite them later. You know? So we’ll the brewers I have played more games than the cubs in April. And I’m not even sure the cubs have had a rain out, which is mind boggling, so. Yeah. Well, they played. Well, I think they played to row on the road played two home openers and then their own home opener. And so they they always cushion those, correct? So as part of it, but yeah, it’s you know, it is what it is. But yeah, they got. So the cardinals that’ll be a big series. I’m I’m excited to see you rooting for the cubs for that series. Given that the cardinals in I and I I don’t know. I I hate the cubs a lot. I hate the cardinals a lot of lot. Remember the cardinals? The cardinals the team the Burs lost in the eighty two World Series. I may have only been a couple of years old. But it doesn’t mean I don’t still have some bitterness about it. You know that game went that series went seven and then in twenty eleven when the Bruce won the division the freakin cardinals back door their way in and knocked the brewers out and see us championship series. So no, I you know as much as I hate the cubs. I’m still bitter about the cardinals. I don’t know what to do this week. I seriously have no idea what I’m gonna do. Yeah. It’s well, you’ll be you’ll be pulling for the cubs. So that’s fine. Probably just. These teams why am I watching this game stupid? You know? Yeah.

00:30:06 – 00:35:02

It’s it’s the standings are kind of shaken out, you know, we’ll get in and out central breakdown. But but it’s yeah. I mean, it’s going to be that’s going to be big time cubs in cardinals playing this season. So that’ll be big. Fortunately after that the cubs. Do get four-game sat against the Marlins before then playing the brewers. So the Marlins again. Well, you know, it’s. You guys will get the Marlins Tudo or someday. But you know, we play guys OB we’ll be done with the struggling, and and the Marlins sweep you, and and you know, it’ll be that’d be totally baseball thing to happen. It would be it would be. I don’t think that’s how it’s going to go. Yeah. It’s it’s just been. It’s been kind of funky thing to watch your September is going to be terrible Milwaukee September is going to be light. It’s gonna be the same thing last year. Cubs fans crying the whole way finish line while the brewers get hot and roll like you’ve you’ve been been crying too. So, you know, according to the my fan shies fantasy podcast guys and dizzle who’s the produce over there who I’m totally gunning for this week. This is the second time we faced each other. You’re going down hill. She is going to get crushed and fantasy. But yeah, according to them, we cry a lot on this podcast. And you know, they’re probably right. So you do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Have anything to complain in? Yeah. Well, I mean given your fan of the brewers. That’s that’s yeah. Oh, yeah. All I heard was crying and Nope. It’s not gonna happen. Crying. And. Nope. It’s not gonna happen. Then it happened. And then it was nothing. But crying, I can’t even watch the playoffs. Dude. Whatever. ES gonna have to come on. We’ve got a podcast you gotta watch. Of course, they could that could work the other way for me to I suppose. Oh, it could very easily work their worst case scenario the cardinals get in, and we both have to watch it and cubs cubs and bruiser at home that would be that would be a nightmare. Yeah. No. Well, the cubs are going to take care of business against the cardinals. That that is a big big must that that is. Especially huge series for the cubs coming up. Tell me why. I mean, the cubs ber ber ber series is big. But you know, the cardinals are are the bigger threat right now to the cubs. So whatever I’m just looking at the cardinals the brewers, you know, at least they’ve improved a run differential. It’s just negative three. Now four and six last ten, you know, they’re there. Car. They got a three game winning streak and they got a plus thirty one win run differential. I’m concerned about the cardinals not concerned about the brewer. Well, then you’re a fool and in idiot. The verse have had on baseball. The cardinals haven’t had an easy schedule. Either. Oh, yeah. We talked about it. It’s true. The truth hurts sometimes in the schedule hurt this club. We talked about it way way back when if the Burs get out of this month a game or two over five hundred which they are going to do. Now, they’ve got one more game tonight there two games over perfect. That’s fine. Get into the next part of the schedule move on. I’m happy with where the bruiser at. And I look at the cardinals. The cardinals are eighteen and ten. The brewers are five and five against them. Cardinals thirteen and five against the rest of baseball. So the brewers of more than held their own. They’re they’re three and four against the dodgers. Are the next best team in the National League? I’m not worried about where the bruiser at right now. They went into New York two out of three. I feel good. The only thing I don’t feel good about is the L A Chantrey yelich tweaked his back running the basis the other night in in New York. We haven’t heard a whole lot. It’s a lower back type of thing which can scary because those types of things can linger for a long time back injuries are funky. And there’s been not a lot said that I have been able to get my hands on about it mind. You you know, they’ve only played one game sense. They’re going to give them the night off regardless once that happens, Ben gambles filled in nicely defensively. But you don’t replace fourteen home runs. You just don’t end three fifty plus batting average all of that business for that last fourteen days stretch. Well, I yeah, I’m not a fan of injuries whatsoever. So that that’s not.

00:35:02 – 00:40:06

That’s why I don’t that’s not good. Would. It’s such a weird prediction for you to root for that Rizzo. Hit by pitch thing is like Di Awan it. Or don’t you? The good news is you can just kind of let it happen. Whatever happens happens. But. Yeah. Well, and that’s what it is. And it in it’s just the nature of his his game. I mean, he he crowds plate. So it just happens. And that’s part of his his thing. He that’s you know. Absolutely. So I yeah. I don’t want him to get hurt. But he is gonna get hit. He is going to. It’s just gonna happen is he the way he positions himself in the box. But. Yeah. You know, yell it though that that’s not so cool. Hopefully, it’s not serious. And I I never wanna see other other teams get hurt. No. I wanna you wanna beat the cubs straight up with bios on the field. I wanna beat the cardinal straight up with Goldschmidt on the field. I think that’s how it. That’s kind of baseball as much as you root against those players. You don’t root for that? So, and if you do you’re just a you’re, you know, he’s the quick quick turn kind of look get a glance at, you know, see what signs were stolen and getting that information quickly. I mean that that might be a weird angle the turn maybe that had some impact on his back. I don’t know. But in any case speaking of returns that Syria speaking returns, isn’t there a return coming for the cubs potentially to shake field a little bit. I yeah. I guess we gotta talk about that. So. Yeah. Russell Addison Russell’s going to be returning here soon. And of course, everyone’s looking like while what? Why where what what rights, you know? So I you know by as his is one of the when he plays shortstop. He’s one of the top shortstops defensively when he plays second base c he very likely is the top second basement defensively. No, you know, we can get into we’ve talked about that you mentioned it even before. Yes, there’s plays. Sometimes he gets to that that most wouldn’t even get to. And then maybe you know in trying to make the play trying to pull something off. He he makes throwing error something like that. So you know, you can look at fielding percentage and look at that. But I don’t think it tells the story about Harvey bias. But in any case, he can really takes that. Oh, yeah. That was I think it wasn’t that the big argument for him for MVP between him and yelich when the numbers were before the numbers got completely skewed and at bloom out of the water. He’s really he’s really good tagger. Anyway. Yeah. Well, well, yes. No, look tags or something special. I guess anyway. Yeah. So so with that as Russell coming back. There’s you know, David Bodey another piece that who’s who’s been solid. And and, you know, my, my guess, I think Russell may actually not necessarily come back full-time and may actually kind of be along with discuss. Oh, and zobrist kind of a utility player who you know, and they may play him at second base. I thought I saw something on Twitter. I couldn’t I couldn’t find it. And I’m not I couldn’t confirm it. But all that. Yeah. I’ve seen that Addison Rossa was going to be playing tonight and would be playing second base. Now. I don’t know. I I can’t confirm that no type seen a lot of cubs fans. Saying if you’re going to bring ’em back put them at second. I haven’t seen anything where the cubs have committed to that. And I don’t I’m not even sure the last time I saw he and he was useful playing short in the minors. So I don’t know if that’s just rumors stuff. We’re seeing on the Twitter feed because. Twitter. But yeah, I don’t know. I wouldn’t. As a cubs fan. I’m not sure I’d even want the guy in the ball club in the first place, but we’ve already discussed all of that business. So it is what it is based quality level. It’s a money sport as well. It is going to happen. Eventually he’s going to be in the big leagues again. Well, we’ll Jordan Jordan bash in who’s the beat writer for the cubs. He’s at m L bastion on Twitter. He mentioned about you know, that that it is possible. Like what I said that. Addison? Russell might be kind of a you utility player kind of thing in that.

00:40:06 – 00:45:00

They they may keep keep by as short. But. Yeah, that it is a little weird that you know in the minors that Russell was playing short. So I given if that was part of the plan, but that’s the odd part. But I didn’t confirm any of that. Because I’m not a cubs fan. That’s not my main thing. But that’s what I my understanding. He hasn’t. He’s done nothing. But short, that’s all I know. I’m not I’m not positive on that even so. Yeah. I mean, I I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be able to play second that shouldn’t be any. He’s he’s defensively quite talented. He’s he’s real real good shortstop. I you know, it’s a little bit of a transit is. But I think sucking base is not sure. But his you know, if Mike Mushtaq is can do it. I think Addison Russell can probably do it too. Well, yeah. Yeah. If you wanna look at it that way. So that kind of previews a couple of those things anything else you wanted to wrap up in the preview section. I think I wanted to get just a gun. The brewers probables the next three nights they’ve got. So they had three in New York four game set with Colorado and then three against New York and Miller park. So the nice part is they’re getting a a homestand. You know, that’s just you know, the one day off again, I they’ve really had very few days off. But it looks like it’s going to be she seen Anderson Woodruff, and then I would guess the first games with the first game with the Mets is probably gonna be geo Gonzales again, there’s been talk. What are the bruise gonna do once Jimmy Nelson’s ready who gets moved to the bullpen? What happens? When Peralta gets healthy. My feeling is the way it’s been going Chaschina Anderson Woodruff. You know, Gonzalo is. And then Nelson Peralta may be goes to the Penn since he’s a to pitch kid Corbin burns probably stays in the minors. The thing about it is Bruce fans remember last year. They used eleven different guys start games ten of them are actually started. There was one game. Of course. We’re reliever opened. We’re early in the year. There’s going to be injuries. There’s gonna be things we’re guys just don’t perform see things like chase Anderson spring training see things like, you know, Corbin burns this season. Nothing’s going to be set in stone. But I don’t see how you pull Chaschina out. I don’t see how you pull Woodrow vote. I don’t see how he pulled Zala out, you know, and then it’s kind of a battle with couple three other guys. But I my suspicion is. Adding GIO Gonzalez. Getting Jimmy Nelson up if Jimmy’s healthy that allows you to put a guy like Peralta in the pen who can bring some gas throws the hi four seamer. It improves the depth of the entire staff. It was such a good pickup going out and getting GIO Gonzalez at looks small on paper when you look at just straight numbers, but the depth that it adds is huge. So I think we’ve already beaten that horse to death them. So there you go. Yeah. It’s a pretty pretty dismal outlook. But. Yeah. That’s okay. All right. All right predictions. Then so the brewers dismal pitch. Start unless you’ve got something you wanna drop on me. I. I actually I I am still determining so go ahead. Okay. Syria been thinking about it. I like what I’m seeing with the rotation. The staff in general, I think the brewers pitching staff, and that three-game set is going to hold the cubs to eleven runs or fewer total the between the defense and the pitching the cubs won’t score more than a low. So that puts you at what does that three point five per game. Something like that. I think the cubs are averaging a full runner more than that per game. The Burs you’re gonna shut down that oftens. But is it bold enough is eleven runs or fewer for the cubs. Bold enough free. You I don’t I’m not sure that that’s bold enough really a three-game set against your offensively. Yeah. But that you’re pitching staff is weak. That’s why eleven runs or fewers strong. All right. I was going to do ten. All right. I’ll go down to ten that gives it three runs per game. Fine. I’ll accept I’ll accept ten runs or less for the cubs series that that should mean a, Bruce when the cubs scored I made that prediction over fifteen they easily did that right last series. No, I like it. Yeah. I I like it because you don’t think it’s going to happen will I think the bruiser and get their staff straightened out. They’ve they’ve started delimit some runs. We’ll get GIO Gonzalez settled in this pitching staff going to calm down, and it’s going to become a strength again. Just like last year.

00:45:02 – 00:50:00

Maybe not as strong. I’m gonna make a little go ahead. I think. I’m gonna make a weird one. Yeah. Have some fun with it. It’s kind of a weird one not really a weird one. But a little more of a stat nerd one. I guess. I think over just within the series three game series that Kris Bryant is going to have a higher Opie s then. How about how about? Aguilar. No, that’s no Aguilar’s hit two home runs. All season is is worse than most of the pitching staff for the brewers. Chris Bryant’s been struggling not to mention that. I thought Aguilar’s each he’s turned around. Progression. To the mean, he may not even play. He may not even play two of the three games in the series. I mean, I would suspect he would. Left handed pitchers all the time for the bruise, which I’m sure you’ll find a way to do again. But so he’ll play probably too. Well, but pick it. All right. All right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know I okay fine. I was trying to pull something, but. Okay. Well, different guy. There’s a lot of guys you want to do grand doll. You wanna do yelling? No. I know let’s pick. Let’s pick a different guy. Well, yellow we there’s a potentially a question, Mark. Hopefully, otherwise, sure, I mean, I I would do something with yelich. But I don’t wanna take you know, if injury is a little worse. I don’t I don’t wanna do yelich and then have a backup. If yellowish only plays Bryant Bryant is. Although I think he may be turning it around. He’s he’s been struggling a little bit. Well, I thought he’s he’s I thought he was headed back to MVP form. That’s what we talked about all spring. What about progression do as mean? Yeah. Well, did he set a new me has spring? Look good. Did he set a lower mean for himself is that what’s going on? Okay. Well, then who do you think? Okay. How about? Well, it looks like right now, I mean, other than yelich Mushtaq has has highest Opie s okay? Nine thirty eight on the season. So far. Let’s let’s go with miss dacas K Kris Bryant is going to have a higher opium in just over the Seaver of the series only. Okay. So here’s only this series. Only meeting. We we may have to calculate it ourselves. Not a hard one. Yeah. No, no. We just you know, gotta look at their. Here’s something to keep in mind too. And I’m okay with this. I think that’s all right. I don’t think it’s a particularly bold one. I think is more like a fifty fifty one especially when brewers batters like miss dacas are going to be facing probably quite a few left probably one or two at least left handed pitchers through the series. That’s fine. Though. This is more of a fifty fifty one. You know, what I’m saying to me to my I it’s okay. I’m okay with it. I like it. You said, you know, what’s what’s Brian Opie for the season? Was he kind of hanging? He’s not in the nine hundred not very good. So you’re predicting a bounceback that makes it more of a stretch. I’m okay with that. Yeah. That’s good one. He’s he’s at he’s at seven seventy. Okay. So by now, see if I take if I buy as you know, or something like that. Well, yeah. Now, I would have I if it was for sure gonna be playing those games. I would put by as against maybe I will do that next week. Once we hear more about yellow possibility his situation. Yeah. And you know, so that’s why this is a little weird. Yeah. Yelich well on the season. He’s what one point. I think he’s in the one point four one point. It’s it’s gross. It’s way up there. One point two six four. He was sitting in the one point four is at one on the season one point two six four. And so and then. Yeah. By as is at nine ninety six. Okay. Well, then. Yeah. It’s kind of a shares is just over a thousand. Yeah. Wilson’s had a nice year behind the plate him. In grand doll have believed. Hayward’s Hayward nine fifty regress to the mean. He’s setting a new means he’s banned three twelve Jason Heyward. Batting three twelve this too. See april. We’ll see in September. Check it out again. Then get to the NL central breakdown. I think we’ve rambled on today, you know, pitching on short rest as we are might not been as Jabbie. But next week we’re gonna get after each other. If you didn’t think this week was aggressive enough. Believe me. Oh, yeah. It’s gonna get really really really brutal. I’m dropping a bombshell next week. Oh, you’re saving it for next week. Whatever that cell is.

00:50:00 – 00:55:00

He told me on the phone conversation. Oh him too. Yeah. No, I ain’t telling you. But now, you’re just making me mad do the Brigham. It’s going to become it’s going to become very personal. What’s? Personal. Yes. Baseball going to have to make fun on its own. Well, it’s gonna it’s gonna get. It’s gonna touchy. It’s gonna get dramatic. So tune in next week. Oh, am I going to be mad setting to piss me off is that what’s happening here? No, no. You won’t be mad woken bad. Okay. Well, now, I’m really well. I’m already annoyed. So that’s that’s halfway there. All right. So. All right. So the NL central breakdown this week we’ve talked about at the whole episode. Absolutely disgusting. Cardinals are out to an eighteen ten start. They have the best record and the National League the brewers did what damage they could. But you know, they’re a good team the cubs and the brewers are both three games back of these disgusting and gross cardinals. The brewers have two more wins in two more houses than the cubs because they’ve played four more games, which I still don’t know what MLB doing with their scheduling, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati of tailed off just a little bit. If you haven’t been paying, well, especially Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati actually has they’re they’re actually very similar at this point. They are in the aren’t it’s a little ahead of the reds. Yes. Yep. Pittsburgh’s a couple basically a game ahead. Cincinnati. The one thing. Remember, we talked about how Pittsburgh has a very good staff. They do last week. I think there seventy three runs scored seventy three runs against they’ve only managed to scrape. Together, eleven run since her last episode and the pitching is falling apart of it. So Pittsburgh is now a negative one and run differential. Cincinnati is surprisingly plus eleven but therefore games under five hundred. That’s maybe. Yeah. Did part of their dynamic in the club. I don’t know. I haven’t watched much Cincinnati outside of. Yes. Yelp. We trying to charge people, which is still great. It’s actually still fun video to watch. Trevor Barnhart trying to get in the way, you don’t playing right. Tackle can’t slow down that guy. It’s good. It’s good stuff. We did that as a tweet of the week here a couple of weeks back. So that’s something. What are you reading? When you look at the the overall in central breakdown, any thoughts that you’ve had that we didn’t cover in the previous portion of the episode. Oh, you know. I I don’t know not not too much. I guess I mean it is. I mean, I think it’s just big the cubs cardinal series. That’s gonna be an important one given their their spots in the standings. And you know, I think I think the reds still have a chance. You know, have some fire, and and we’ll see and and you know, ’cause I know I predicted Cincinnati finish above the pirates. So. Actually, I did a I did an entire league one. If you wanna go back and check it out. It’s a few weeks old now, but you can kinda check out after the first month of the season. See where my prediction kinda lies. I did in a tweet of anger and dismay after I set off a little bit of fire for one Matt Snyder on CBS sports. So I had to do basically an entire blog prediction segment, and you can check that out at out website. Of course, I think based on what we’ve talked about the divisions laying out exactly how we thought it would so far Pittsburgh Cincinnati are interchangeable. I had Cincinnati at the bottom. You had Pittsburgh at the bottom. Whatever the top three dogs are doing what we expected to Saint Louis has gotten off to probably a better start than I would have expected. But you know, like, I’ve talked about before I knew Milwaukee had toughened Chicago struggled early. So it takes a while to recoup from a six game losing streak early in the year, which they’ve done their couple over five hundred. Now this division, folks. Yep. Basically. How he thought it would, you know, Saint Louis eight games over is a little more than I thought there. Eight and two over the last ten with a three game win streak. I hate the cardinals. That’s about it. So yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I at this point I would would have been predicting or hoping for the basically the cubs and cardinals swap places, and that would be you know, in had the cubs had that so start even if they just played five hundred ball there that may be more the case, although they can they can flip that script here with the series against the cardinals. Yeah. I could do that all day to anyway. I’m pretty sure all the teams in the National League would swap records with the cardinals right now since they have the best record.

00:55:00 – 00:56:29

But yeah, it’s yeah. I’m just I’m excited Milwaukee’s making it through the month. They’re gonna come out looking good. Even if it sixteen in fifteen if they went today seventeen and fourteen three games over five hundred coming out, April. I warned everybody that listens to the program watch out if they get it through that. Well, and think about how poorly they’ve pitched at times the run differential, isn’t where you want it. But the offense is solid. Yeah. This is this is fun. This is Ray where we thought it would be I think that really wraps up everything I wanted to say today unless you got something I think we’re good. Stuck cups? Schedule makers. Right. All right. Well, good good times. And I guess we’ll catch this weekend on. Around for the stretch talking about. Yeah. About wins. Yeah. Pitching statistics wins. Specifically just a little bit of a stats episode. But something to just kind of ponder as you look at the way. Baseball’s changed keep in mind. That’s coming and we will be dropping that Saturday night Sunday morning. This one’s coming out a day early. I hope you enjoyed it. Got a couple of chuckles out of it. Anyway, next week look for the big preview episode. It’s going to be a lot of abuse. Cub suck lots and we’re gonna talk about much. Yes. And how about you? Cardinals.