September 26, 2024 • 26 mins
Ross and Gordy break down the Astros winning yet another AL West title, and how this team sets up for the postseason. Who do they throw in the Wild Card round? Who will they face in the Wild Card round? Can the Astros make yet another deep playoff run? It's the Crawford Boxcast presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans. Cheers Rocky Luckey, Welcome to the Crawford box Casts.
Proud leadbord for you by Crawford Bach from Carbak Brewing.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're getting that bear.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh my godness.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
The Crawford box Cast starts now. Here we go, Here's
Chris Gordy and Ross via Reel.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It is an all new edition of the Crawford box
Cast presented by Carbach Brewing and the Crawford Back. Welcome in, folks,
and it is a ALS Champion edition of the box cast.
As the Astros have done it again. They have won
the American League West for the fourth straight season. It
wasn't easy. It's like Ross, they just keep trying to
(00:57):
make this thing more difficult. On this. How can we
make this you're more interesting? Oh, I know, let's start
twelve and twenty four and have to dig out of
a double digit deficit to come back and win the division.
And they still did it with games to spare. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Even then, that's the thing is you have basically exhibition games.
This is now. It would have been more perfect probably
to end up with a number one or number two
seed as far as setting your rotations, getting guys rest
and all that type of stuff. Unfortunately, you're not going
to be able to catch either of the Guardians or
the Yankees, and who ends up at number one. But
outside of that, thankfully also that the Mariners weren't very good,
(01:35):
that the Rangers just had a horrible follow up season
to their championship, to where right now you have one
more win than the Royals or Target or Tigers. You
would be if the Mariners were any good or Rangers
were any good, you'd be in a dog fight for
a wild card spot. But you're not, so you're ending
up not having to worry about these last several games.
The Mariners officially eliminated from playoff contention. Now you can
(01:59):
rest your leverage, guys. You can afford, thankfully, a few
days extra of rest for Jordan Alvarez, and we'll talk
about that later. I'm sure about what's going on with
his knee. But all the trials and tribulations and fired
Joe Aspota and oh my god, Joey ol Berffedo was
traded away, and all the everyth himming and aweing we
(02:20):
did all year long.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Championships.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
They could be an All Star in two years, but
you're nine in one with yuse Ka Kuci. If you
say Kakuci was not on this team, the Astros do
not win the American League West.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Probably it's just to me. It it hurt.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It wasn't overpay, but it wasn't something that to create
a firestorm over and we didn't know. You say Kakucci
was gonna be this good, but he has been this good.
That's the bottom line. The Astros had confidence that he
would come here and pitch well, and he has. And
even the game you lost yesterday with him on the mound,
you shouldn't have because he pitched very well.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, I'm just preparing you that's gonna those takes will
not die. They will come back.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I'm not that worried about low Braffito, Will Wagner, we'll see.
And Jake Bloss has been terrible in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's the price of paying poker. You look, you got
an awesome player in exchange. Will he stay passed this year?
We'll see. But that was a move for twenty twenty
four and so far it has worked out with Roses
for Data Brown and we'll see what Cookouchie is in
the postseason. Some updates Ross as of this moment, as
of about an hour ago since we recorded this, the
(03:28):
Seattle Mariners have been eliminated from the postseason, the Royals
one and the I don't know who the other team's
Royals and Detroit won. So that so Kansas City has
clinched a playoff spot. Now it's all about will it
be Kansas City? Will it beat Detroit? I think still
an outside chance Minnesota if they sweep and they the
(03:48):
other teams lose out, But it feels like Minnesota is
probably out of this thing now too, feeling like it's
either going to be Kansas City or Detroit coming to Houston.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, and hopefully it comes down to the final day
on Sunday and Detroit needs Tarrek Scouble to clinch a
playoff spot because that would mean he This is the
the dream scenario I'm guessing is what we're gonna go with,
is that Detroit does clinch, it is Detroit and they
use Gooble on Sunday. That would be the perfect scenario.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Is that how it sets up? Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
At last I looked, I can go check the Tigers
schedule again, but I think he would be scheduled to
throw on Sunday, And of course if they're locked into
wherever they are. They're they're gonna save him for Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, it's yeah, because he just pitched this past Tuesday,
so it'd be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Yep. So
that's interesting. That's very interesting. So yeah, so you kind
of want to root Kansas City to win, you know,
I keep the pressure on. Yes, they make Sunday a
must win for them.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
That will be Tigers playing the White Sox this weekend though.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, probably know, probably gonna be clean sweep there.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
That's division. You know what I was talking about how
they have only one fewer win. That was that you
that was going through all the records that they have
against the White Sox. They're all like twelve and one
against the White Sox. Basically, Wow, somebody was doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah. I mean it's look, people have been talking about
how bad Astro's division is, and it's like, look, Oakland
got better this year. They were they they hit their
over on the wind total. They were supposed to be
their protected to have the worst wind total in baseball
them in the White Sox, and Oakland overachieved that. The Angels,
I want to say, probably were.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Under thirty eight and one whit white sock. What did
the Angels finish, Angels sixty three to ninety five. Yeah,
they all they have twenty five more wins and then
the A's have thirty more wins in the White Sax.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Look, it's the aos hasn't been great. But it's also
like I wish we had a White Sox in this division.
I mean that's Oakland was supposed to be a White Sox,
but they were awesome because of a freaking closer's what's
the guy's name for Mason Miller. He's awesome. So it's
like Oakland was better. They hit, you know, they got
they actually at one point they were one of the
better hitting teams. Post All Star Break, they were like
(06:01):
they were winning games that they weren't supposed to be winning.
So all that said, you know, I think the Astros
obviously you fight your butt off. You were in the
clubhouse the other night when they won the Al West.
I mean, somebody asked me, I did a hit one
of the an out of market show and they asked me,
you know, is this get old? And I said it
really doesn't. I mean, it's it's awesome to cover a winner.
(06:22):
And we were around for those twenty twelve, twenty thirteen,
twenty fourteen seasons. It sucked, you know, as much as
fun as twenty fifteen was. Would they hit? They hit
success ahead a schedule with Kolbe Rasmus and Chris Carter,
and they beat the Yankees in a wild card game,
and then they were on the cusp of beating the
Royals and the Alds. It sucked again in sixteen when
they just missed the playoffs. You're like, oh, I never
(06:43):
want to feel that again. And then seventeen they have
the World Series and it's been success every year since.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, I would say more, it doesn't get old. But
maybe we are a little bit spoiled. And you even yeah,
you even asked me. You know Gordy of course, who
runs things up here at Sports Talks. It's like, hey,
can you club clubhouse and Tuesday? I'm like, oh, man,
come on, can they just win on Monday so I
don't have to go on the field and go in
the clubhouse while champagne bottles are popping like And then
(07:09):
I was like, I'm why no, I'm so spoiled. So
but then when I was there on Tuesday and they clinched.
You're like, oh my god, I'm such an idiot. This
is incredible, This is great, This is amazing, This is special.
This is also different because it's not aj Hanches, not
Dusty Baker. It's Joe A. Spot his first year. It
is everything that we talked about before, as far as
the getting down to twelve games below five hundred, fighting
(07:32):
back and scratching and clawing, and you know, the Hunter
Brown turning around his season, Spitzer Righetty turning around the
season fromber to an extent, turning around his season. You say,
coming here, every story and every year, I mean every
year is its own story. And the twenty twenty four
to one is interesting and it really isn't old. It
should be celebrated, it shouldn't be taken for granted. And
(07:56):
what a special year this was. And we'll see what
happens in October.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
And it really was. I mean, Joe Spot is really
a good dude. I mean we've been knowing him for years.
I've been out to spring training so many times, and
you know, a lot of times we would get to
spring training, he would just pull up on the golf
cart and just shoot the ball like yeah, you know,
Breggy looks really good. I mean he was just always
this down to earth dude and he's been largely the
same guy since he's taken over as a manager and
(08:20):
big family man, loves his family, his kids, and yeah,
just an easy dude to root for, like and not
to say and look, we've had great success of great
managers here. I mean, aj Hinch was a very relatable,
down to earth guy. Dusty Baker. I mean again, like,
who doesn't love Dusty? I know some fans, Yeah, they
had problems with some of his decision making times, but
you're rooted for dust right, I mean you wanted him
(08:42):
to win, especially because the guy had had such a tracker.
We forget he had a bad track record of postseason
runs before he got here. It was a perfect marriage.
The Astros needed the right person at the right time,
and Dusty won a lot of games here and everybody
loved rooting for him and seeing him win. And then
Joe kind of the same thing. He's been around a
while under several different regimes, very beloved the net Clubhouse
(09:04):
a player's manager through and through, and give him credit
man through the downs and the ups, he's been steady.
Eddy and that's what that's what a successful manager has
to be. You know, I think we were even at
one point in April, Sam, I wish you could just
show more fire, get get thrown out of a game,
but throw something, flip a chair. That's not how you
successfully manage. As much as fans want to see that,
(09:24):
that's not how you keep a team afloat. And to
his credit, man it worked out.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah, this is and I've been saying this even when
they were twelve and twenty four, Jos Bata and we
were taking the calls on postgame shows. He's costing us
the games and all this other stuff. And I want to,
like you said, flip some chairs over and get into
these guys. It's not nineteen eighty six and we're not
watching Major League like. This is not this is the reality.
(09:52):
This is twenty twenty four. If you want to lose
to if you want to lose players who are multimillionaires
and driving home in there Lamborghini's, then yeah, you could
start screaming and yelling and cussing them and flipping stuff over.
That's just not how it works. And that's also not
how you treat this team where you have the veterans
who have been there and done that and who have
(10:13):
had their backs against the wall as many times as
the Sashros team has and come through, and the leaders
and the Bregmans and the l two ves, and you're
on taking more of a leadership role this this year
as well. You just needed somebody, as he said in
the in spring training, just keep the train rolling. Just
don't upset the apple cart. Just let these players do
what they do and go out there and fill up
(10:35):
the lineup card. And of course it's not that easy,
but be that positive force, be somebody who works the
players want to play hard for and that's what Joe's
spot is. He goes out there and he's working. You know,
he's on the ground ball machine working with the I
R and d As trying to get his first base defense.
He's out there at batting practice and you know, doing
and getting out there with a bat, knocking grounders to
(10:56):
the guys in the infielders so they can get work.
And just being there every day for the players and
wanting to be there for them. That means they're going
to play hard for them. And I think it absolutely
paid off throughout this season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, it's it's very interesting, and you know, we're gonna
see what Joe is like as a manager, you know,
in the postseason. I think this is where this is
where you can make your paycheck. Yeah, and I think
it's I think it's the arrows pointed upward because we
got a glimpse last year at one of those games
in Arlington where Dusty got ejected and Joe what I
(11:28):
forget who he pinched his who worked a walk and
then the next guy got a big hit, and they
would not like Joe would not take credit for it.
But I think I do think it was his decision.
I think they tried to spin it. No, Dusty said
do that before he got ejected. Like, no, I don't
know if he's at that. But regardless, like I think
Joe is doubted. He's made a lot of good decisions
(11:50):
throughout this season. One or two may be backfire, but
for the most part, he's gone to the right guys
in the right spot times when it's time to pinch,
pinch hit Victor Carratini, pitch it this guy. Yeah. I
mean even last Sunday they didn't win the game because
Hater blew it, but they took a lead on a
Shay Whitcombe, who had had a bat in two weeks,
got in there, had a pinching opportunity, got a hit.
It's just there's been a lot of moments like that.
(12:12):
We don't talk about him when they work out. We
talk about him when they don't work out. Absolutely, but
he deserves a lot of credit how he's managed the
bullpen and in a lot of different spots.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, even in the clinching game, it was it was
the sixth inning and he went to Brian a bray
You like, he had to do what he had to do.
And I think he's going to be ready to do
that in the playoffs, and of course not not every
move he is gonna make is it doesn't work out.
If Brian a bray who doesn't get that third out
of that inning, then people were saying, why would you
go to Brian a bray You he's your eighth inning guy.
He's not used to pitching in the sixth inning. He's
(12:40):
not comfortable there. That was a horrible idea. It works
out up. Great move, Joe Aspota, And that's the nature
of being a manager. And then you're gonna be come
further under the microscope come playoff time. He knows that
I have trust in him. Like you said, he's had
the magic touch with the with the pinch hit situations,
and this pitching staff, the starting pitching staff, is good
(13:01):
enough that I don't think he's gonna have to make
a bunch of crazy decisions early in games. Obviously, we'll
see how it goes, and not everything is going to
go according to plan, but I have full confidence in
Joespota to play the right relievers at the right place.
He looks at the matchup data, he knows how his
players are feeling. He's in tune with this squad, and
he's going to make the right decisions. Will they always
(13:23):
work out, No, but he's at least going to have
a reason for them.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Let's get into some playoff conversation. I found this very interesting.
The MLB did their MLB I'm sorry, ESPN did their
MLB Power rankings heading into the playoffs. They have the
astros at seventh and I wonder if like and it
says playoff ranking or power rankings, So maybe this is
(13:48):
just based off of regular season and where we are now.
But if like, the playoffs started tomorrow and you were
doing power rankings, wouldn't you have the astros top four,
like just in terms of track record alone.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Say, depending on what's gonna happen with or like if
Jordon's gone. I'll say it right now, if Jordon doesn't play,
they're not winning the World Series. They're not gonna get good.
They just don't. This offense isn't good enough. Maybe years
past the offense. My gut feeling is that he obviously
he's not playing in Cleveland this weekend, and he's gonna
DH the Wildcard Series and then come if they win
(14:20):
that and go on to a DS, then maybe we
see him in left field, but probably it'll be all DH,
which does hurt because if you're putting, if you're able,
especially at minute made where of course left field isn't
huge over there, if you're able to put Jordon in
left and then put your whoever your best matchup center
fielder is, it's probably gonna end up being Dubon or
something like that. Because Jake Myers has kind of played
(14:41):
himself out out of with how Bad is Bad has
been played himself out of a potential playoff lineup in
my opinion, So that hurts because let's say you're you're
facing a right hander and you want to put Singleton
at first as the lefty, and then you want to
have Diazer Karatini dhing. You're not going to be able
to do that with Jordon Alvarez taking up the dh
bot as a deal, as a default.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I'm glad at least you think he's gonna be back Tuesday,
because I do think he will be two. I just
I think he's gonna I think there's an outside chance
though that. Yeah, he doesn't play, and they say, ah,
the swelling, it's not really going to sprain you.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You slap a brace on, you inject it when you
inject him with something, and then you can around the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You get a double, we'll pinch your on for you.
But just do what you do with the bat in
your hand, and don't strain yourself. Look, if it's a
ground ball, don't leg it out. If you're trying to
go first at third, don't don't worry about that. Don't
re injure yourself. You can just hobble and hop and
skip over there. Let's talk. Obviously we don't know the opponent.
It's you know, probably at this point in Royals or
(15:39):
Tigers pitching matchup. You still feel good. I mean, we've
talked about each of the last few episodes, but you
still go from ber Valdez game on Tuesday, Hunter Brown
game two Wednesday, and then potentially a game three in
the wild Card on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Kakuchi, I think, so, I think that's what I would do.
I haven't really looked. I guess I can check the line.
I know that the the Yankees and Guardians are are
left handed heavy, so you definitely would go and you
say Kakuchi and not really think twice about it. I
would have to look. I guess a little bit further.
Bobby Witt is right handed, and as far as the
(16:13):
rest of the Royals line up, I can I can
pull that up.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I want to say, didn't we look this Upkuchi's only
he's got one postseason start and it was it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Was a couple of innings in relief last year.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
That's it for Toronto, And that's yeah, who would you
go with over him? No?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, I like, sorry, see you later Orlander.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Well, but here's the Stark reality game one of the
a l ds, either in Cleveland or New York next Saturday. Yeah,
a week from the Saturday. It's gonna be one of
those guys. It's gonna be Blanco, Arraghetti Orland. If you're
in New York. I'm just telling you it could be.
It's a possibility.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Verlander had his worst start of the season against New
York and because he's giving he gives up home runs
too easily. Yeah, he cannot pitch that. I'm sorry you
saying you need something. I would rather have Aarragedties gets
a ton of swinging miss. Now he's gonna walk guys.
And and that's the thing, you know, guys like Rizzo
and Judge and Soda, they're gonna they're gonna work a
ton of walk Blanco in that spot. Maybe we'll see,
(17:14):
But I think you're gonna want a guy who gets
a ton of swing and miss. And that's where Arragedtty
comes in. Verlander gets no swinging miss and he gives
up a ton of home runs. I would not think
for a second about starting Hi against that Yankees lineup.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
I'm with you. I could just hear data Brown though. Look, man,
you know back of the baseball card this guy'spin.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
If it happens, mark my words, they will be a disaster.
He will give up minimum one or two home runs.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They will lose that game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I don't know though. Yeah, maybe they can hit as well,
because I mean it works on both sides. You've got
a bandbox, you can hit your own home runs. But
not a good idea. See Salvey Perez right handed, Tommy
fam right handed. Oh, go back to uh dhing Yuli
right now, batting.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Him clean up. Yeah, and he's been hitting for the Royals.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
By the way, May ninth, we go back to Yankee Stadium,
right ol Blanco did pitch against He pitched once against
the Yankees this year because remember they played the series
right out of the gates, and then he threw the
no hitter in what was the fifth game of the
of the year because he didn't pitch the Yankee series
and they threw the no hitter in his first start
of the season. But anyway, in May ninth, he pitched
a Yankee Stadium five and two thirds innings, two runs off,
(18:17):
four hits, five strikeouts. Astra was one at four to three.
So right, o' blanco, I would feel pretty good about
And this is only a scenario. Look at a perfect scenario,
US they win Tuesday Wednesday, you sent Kakuchi to the
mound Saturday in New York.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Or yeah, against the left handed heavy lineup. Yeah, either way,
if it's Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Or New York. Yeah, I like how we went down
the whole road of New York. As of right now
is this record at Cleveland is half a game back
of the Yankees for best record in the American League.
The Yankees hold the tie breaker, so even if Cleveland
catches them, they're gonna have to surpass them. Now here's
where the astro is come in to play. They play Cleveland.
So the Astros, you'll be playing a lot of your scrubs,
but the same realm. You can kind of help decide
(18:58):
who you face in the DS, which I guess you realize.
You really say it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I mean it doesn't matter. I don't think. I mean,
maybe you would want to.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I think you'd rather play face Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
I think so too, probably be very interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
How much do you play the regular I mean, you're
not gonna entertain the whole all three games.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I don't know if you do it ever, all three games?
Maybe play them one. It's great Cassenger season. Let's go, baby,
shay Wickham. I'm sorry you're gonna have to let's go
ahead and just not have four error Shay, and we
go from there.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That was a little bit of a disaster, But still,
I mean, you got to play these these four games.
I looked at this note though, Ross is kind of interesting.
The ass finished this season at home forty six and
thirty five is really good. I need to go back
and look through years prior and see what they had done.
But last year, we know they went thirty nine and
forty two at home. They struggled at home. Last year
(19:47):
despite winning ninety games, they won more games than this
team did, but they struck. They were below five hundred
at home and in the postseason. I guess I just
didn't think about this. They went five and zero on
the road last year, one in five at home. In
the postseason, they couldn't win a playoff game at home,
but they were awesome on the road.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So go fig baseball randomness, That's what I'm gonna go with.
But uh, the new batter's eye.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, we were all over the batter's eye. And then
even in the spring training we were talking about it. Hey, Joe,
do you think this team was struggling at home? Like
it was a real discussion.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, it was a real discussion. But they bounced back.
Did they just all of a sudden figure out there's
basically the same team, and all of a sudden they
figured out how people are like, oh, they got babies
at home and they're they're standing up all night taking
care of their babies. Like, okay, shut.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Up, give me an X factor for this team. What
do you if they're gonna win this wild card and
they're gonna go into the DS and start putting their
foot in people's throats, give me somebody you think could
be an X factor for.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
This I will say I think Jeremy Penny needs to
come up huge and maybe just toss in the back
of the lineup as a whole, especially if ord On
is ailing and not doing what he's doing. I just
think it would be I'm gonna put it mostly on
on the bats. I feel really good, even though Okay,
sure Presley hater a Bray who have all been shaky
(21:06):
at some points of this season. But you know what,
maybe I could toss Presley out of there. I'd rather
see Brian a braid. And if it's a clutch situation,
I mean, who would you rather I would ten times
out of ten take Bray you over Presley.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
But anyways, if Presley is pitching in a one run
game of them, and you should be.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
He's just been allowing too many base runners. He slipped
to where he was dominant to now he's just kind
of a good reliever, and sometimes good relievers can give
up runs. But anyways, I'm gonna say the good other
guys in the lineup, do.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
You think postse is an experience though? I mean, Presley's
pitched in a lot of postseason games.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Here if Brian A. Brady has been very good too,
and you're going to both of them, and yeah, I'm
not necessarily extremely worried about that. That the guys can
lock in. So I'll go with back part of the lineup.
Keyed on Jeremy Pania, who I mean started off the
season great like Gangbusters, then he kind of fell and
(22:03):
then now he had he had a five game win,
a hitting streak for a little bit.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
There.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
He's gonna get a couple of days off so he
can get off his legs, be rested, ready to go,
and maybe clear his head a little bit and then
get hot in the playoffs, which we know he can do.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Yeah, guy, I'm gonna throw in there. And I'm only
putting him in because he's kind of had some moments
here lately. I think the Jason Hayward signing is something
that might come back to help this postseason. Now. I
don't think he's going to be a hot hitter and
go three for four every behind and all that. I mean,
you take that, but I think he's gonna have a
clutch home run, a clutch at bat where he delivered
(22:36):
drives in some runs. Because I'm just looking at it.
He's played forty three career playoff games at this time
in Atlanta, one season at Saint Louis, four seasons with
the Cubs, and one year with the Dodgers last year Ross.
He's a career one forty eight postseason hitter. He's got
two home runs, seven runs batted in with forty career
strikeouts in the playoffs, so a two h seven on
(22:58):
base percentage a four forty four OPS. It's not been great.
He's not been a good postseason player by any means.
But I think this is a spot that he could
play very well and come up with some clutch hit bats.
Don't need to do it every time, but just one
or two.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Okay, that sounds good. I'm all in on Jay. He's
a great guy. He was speaking to the meeting like
he was in the clubhouse, talking to everybody. I think
he is happy. He's drinking it in.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I think this is a little bit of a redemption
for him. It was obviously a bad day for him
getting let go by the Dodgers, but a good day
to be picked up back over here and on a
team that's winning and now contributing it. Now, with as
we mentioned, Jordan probably not playing left field, I think
you put Jason Hayward out there. I think game one
it is probably gonna be Hayward, Dubon, Tucker, Okay, No,
(23:44):
Jake Myers. I think he has just slipped so far
as far as the bat. I mean, it's telling to
me that in the last game he batted ninth behind Dubon,
who's been the nine guy recently, so and deserved less. Oh,
Jake has just been terrible at the to play in
all September.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And in that scenario, you're on dhing yann Air catching
Singleton at first, so you got Keratini's first man off.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
I think it would be depend on matchups. I guess
as far as well. Kartini and Singleton both better against
That's what sex.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
About you if you can't play him in the left,
because I'd like to do some games where I start
Kartini d You know.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
If you or even put Singleton at first, you can
DH Caratini or yeah, like a DH Kartini or d
DS and then have YOURD on the left. That to me,
I think would be you're getting all your squeezing all
of your best bets.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, well, we will see. It's gonna be a lot
of fun to uh see how this thing plays out.
Of course, we'll have you covered with all of our
coverage presented by Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bach and
Excider Ross started booking some travel plans and all this
we had neither Cleveland or there we go New York again.
Poncho season gotta be. You gotta be whoever you play
in the walk card. I don't want to, you know what.
(24:54):
I hope it's not the Tigers. I just don't. I
don't want the drama of a J. Hinch coming a
minute may Park.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Just don't okay, I think mean fun, don't be scared.
Don't be scared, bab I just said, the Tigers, to
me objectively, are worse than the Royals. So I would
take the Tigers, although especially if if Scooba pitches on Sunday,
let's go, baby, give me them Tagers.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah, give me that. That's that's what we want. Royals
are sneaky, man. I just what if hundred Brown gets
on the mound has flashbacks to he runs.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
No, he already did he he pitched it again. Yeah,
and he did very well.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
He got his he got his, he got his revenge. Yeah.
So it's gonna be a lot of fun. But yeah,
you guys, load up on the Crawford box throughout this postseason.
It's a home run every time with the Crawford back.
And get it out there to Carbock Brewing. Check out
the new pizza pints if you haven't been over there yet.
Really awesome tasty delights they got going on there right
on the grounds of Carbock Brewing. You got the restaurant,
you got the beer garden, you get the shop, and
(25:45):
right next to the shop is the new pizza and pints.
TV's in there. They got all kinds of great events
going on right now. Car october Fest, plenty of stuff,
and I'm sure they're going to be doing watch parties
out there in the beer gardens. Hey, Ross TIMPs this
weekend start off in the sixties. Finally what Yeah, now
it's gonna go that's gonna get up to eighty nine.
But I'm just telling you starting to get a little
bit cooler. So it's way nicer to go sit out
(26:07):
there car Bock and watch the games on the big screen.
And hey, if you're gonna drink the krawfer Bok, why
do not drink it on tap? They got it on
tap out there at Carbock Berwing. But for us via Real,
I'm Chris Gordy. This has been an all new edition
of Crawford box Cast, presented by Carbock Brewing
Astros fans. Cheers Rocky Luckey, Welcome to the Crawford box Casts.
Proud leadbord for you by Crawford Bach from Carbak Brewing.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're getting that bear.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Oh my godness.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
The Crawford box Cast starts now. Here we go, Here's
Chris Gordy and Ross via Reel.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It is an all new edition of the Crawford box
Cast presented by Carbach Brewing and the Crawford Back. Welcome in, folks,
and it is a ALS Champion edition of the box cast.
As the Astros have done it again. They have won
the American League West for the fourth straight season. It
wasn't easy. It's like Ross, they just keep trying to
(00:57):
make this thing more difficult. On this. How can we
make this you're more interesting? Oh, I know, let's start
twelve and twenty four and have to dig out of
a double digit deficit to come back and win the division.
And they still did it with games to spare. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Even then, that's the thing is you have basically exhibition games.
This is now. It would have been more perfect probably
to end up with a number one or number two
seed as far as setting your rotations, getting guys rest
and all that type of stuff. Unfortunately, you're not going
to be able to catch either of the Guardians or
the Yankees, and who ends up at number one. But
outside of that, thankfully also that the Mariners weren't very good,
(01:35):
that the Rangers just had a horrible follow up season
to their championship, to where right now you have one
more win than the Royals or Target or Tigers. You
would be if the Mariners were any good or Rangers
were any good, you'd be in a dog fight for
a wild card spot. But you're not, so you're ending
up not having to worry about these last several games.
The Mariners officially eliminated from playoff contention. Now you can
(01:59):
rest your leverage, guys. You can afford, thankfully, a few
days extra of rest for Jordan Alvarez, and we'll talk
about that later. I'm sure about what's going on with
his knee. But all the trials and tribulations and fired
Joe Aspota and oh my god, Joey ol Berffedo was
traded away, and all the everyth himming and aweing we
(02:20):
did all year long.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Championships.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
They could be an All Star in two years, but
you're nine in one with yuse Ka Kuci. If you
say Kakuci was not on this team, the Astros do
not win the American League West.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Probably it's just to me. It it hurt.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It wasn't overpay, but it wasn't something that to create
a firestorm over and we didn't know. You say Kakucci
was gonna be this good, but he has been this good.
That's the bottom line. The Astros had confidence that he
would come here and pitch well, and he has. And
even the game you lost yesterday with him on the mound,
you shouldn't have because he pitched very well.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, I'm just preparing you that's gonna those takes will
not die. They will come back.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I'm not that worried about low Braffito, Will Wagner, we'll see.
And Jake Bloss has been terrible in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's the price of paying poker. You look, you got
an awesome player in exchange. Will he stay passed this year?
We'll see. But that was a move for twenty twenty
four and so far it has worked out with Roses
for Data Brown and we'll see what Cookouchie is in
the postseason. Some updates Ross as of this moment, as
of about an hour ago since we recorded this, the
(03:28):
Seattle Mariners have been eliminated from the postseason, the Royals
one and the I don't know who the other team's
Royals and Detroit won. So that so Kansas City has
clinched a playoff spot. Now it's all about will it
be Kansas City? Will it beat Detroit? I think still
an outside chance Minnesota if they sweep and they the
(03:48):
other teams lose out, But it feels like Minnesota is
probably out of this thing now too, feeling like it's
either going to be Kansas City or Detroit coming to Houston.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, and hopefully it comes down to the final day
on Sunday and Detroit needs Tarrek Scouble to clinch a
playoff spot because that would mean he This is the
the dream scenario I'm guessing is what we're gonna go with,
is that Detroit does clinch, it is Detroit and they
use Gooble on Sunday. That would be the perfect scenario.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Is that how it sets up? Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
At last I looked, I can go check the Tigers
schedule again, but I think he would be scheduled to
throw on Sunday, And of course if they're locked into
wherever they are. They're they're gonna save him for Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, it's yeah, because he just pitched this past Tuesday,
so it'd be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Yep. So
that's interesting. That's very interesting. So yeah, so you kind
of want to root Kansas City to win, you know,
I keep the pressure on. Yes, they make Sunday a
must win for them.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
That will be Tigers playing the White Sox this weekend though.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, probably know, probably gonna be clean sweep there.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
That's division. You know what I was talking about how
they have only one fewer win. That was that you
that was going through all the records that they have
against the White Sox. They're all like twelve and one
against the White Sox. Basically, Wow, somebody was doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah. I mean it's look, people have been talking about
how bad Astro's division is, and it's like, look, Oakland
got better this year. They were they they hit their
over on the wind total. They were supposed to be
their protected to have the worst wind total in baseball
them in the White Sox, and Oakland overachieved that. The Angels,
I want to say, probably were.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Under thirty eight and one whit white sock. What did
the Angels finish, Angels sixty three to ninety five. Yeah,
they all they have twenty five more wins and then
the A's have thirty more wins in the White Sax.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Look, it's the aos hasn't been great. But it's also
like I wish we had a White Sox in this division.
I mean that's Oakland was supposed to be a White Sox,
but they were awesome because of a freaking closer's what's
the guy's name for Mason Miller. He's awesome. So it's
like Oakland was better. They hit, you know, they got
they actually at one point they were one of the
better hitting teams. Post All Star Break, they were like
(06:01):
they were winning games that they weren't supposed to be winning.
So all that said, you know, I think the Astros
obviously you fight your butt off. You were in the
clubhouse the other night when they won the Al West.
I mean, somebody asked me, I did a hit one
of the an out of market show and they asked me,
you know, is this get old? And I said it
really doesn't. I mean, it's it's awesome to cover a winner.
(06:22):
And we were around for those twenty twelve, twenty thirteen,
twenty fourteen seasons. It sucked, you know, as much as
fun as twenty fifteen was. Would they hit? They hit
success ahead a schedule with Kolbe Rasmus and Chris Carter,
and they beat the Yankees in a wild card game,
and then they were on the cusp of beating the
Royals and the Alds. It sucked again in sixteen when
they just missed the playoffs. You're like, oh, I never
(06:43):
want to feel that again. And then seventeen they have
the World Series and it's been success every year since.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, I would say more, it doesn't get old. But
maybe we are a little bit spoiled. And you even yeah,
you even asked me. You know Gordy of course, who
runs things up here at Sports Talks. It's like, hey,
can you club clubhouse and Tuesday? I'm like, oh, man,
come on, can they just win on Monday so I
don't have to go on the field and go in
the clubhouse while champagne bottles are popping like And then
(07:09):
I was like, I'm why no, I'm so spoiled. So
but then when I was there on Tuesday and they clinched.
You're like, oh my god, I'm such an idiot. This
is incredible, This is great, This is amazing, This is special.
This is also different because it's not aj Hanches, not
Dusty Baker. It's Joe A. Spot his first year. It
is everything that we talked about before, as far as
the getting down to twelve games below five hundred, fighting
(07:32):
back and scratching and clawing, and you know, the Hunter
Brown turning around his season, Spitzer Righetty turning around the
season fromber to an extent, turning around his season. You say,
coming here, every story and every year, I mean every
year is its own story. And the twenty twenty four
to one is interesting and it really isn't old. It
should be celebrated, it shouldn't be taken for granted. And
(07:56):
what a special year this was. And we'll see what
happens in October.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
And it really was. I mean, Joe Spot is really
a good dude. I mean we've been knowing him for years.
I've been out to spring training so many times, and
you know, a lot of times we would get to
spring training, he would just pull up on the golf
cart and just shoot the ball like yeah, you know,
Breggy looks really good. I mean he was just always
this down to earth dude and he's been largely the
same guy since he's taken over as a manager and
(08:20):
big family man, loves his family, his kids, and yeah,
just an easy dude to root for, like and not
to say and look, we've had great success of great
managers here. I mean, aj Hinch was a very relatable,
down to earth guy. Dusty Baker. I mean again, like,
who doesn't love Dusty? I know some fans, Yeah, they
had problems with some of his decision making times, but
you're rooted for dust right, I mean you wanted him
(08:42):
to win, especially because the guy had had such a tracker.
We forget he had a bad track record of postseason
runs before he got here. It was a perfect marriage.
The Astros needed the right person at the right time,
and Dusty won a lot of games here and everybody
loved rooting for him and seeing him win. And then
Joe kind of the same thing. He's been around a
while under several different regimes, very beloved the net Clubhouse
(09:04):
a player's manager through and through, and give him credit
man through the downs and the ups, he's been steady.
Eddy and that's what that's what a successful manager has
to be. You know, I think we were even at
one point in April, Sam, I wish you could just
show more fire, get get thrown out of a game,
but throw something, flip a chair. That's not how you
successfully manage. As much as fans want to see that,
(09:24):
that's not how you keep a team afloat. And to
his credit, man it worked out.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah, this is and I've been saying this even when
they were twelve and twenty four, Jos Bata and we
were taking the calls on postgame shows. He's costing us
the games and all this other stuff. And I want to,
like you said, flip some chairs over and get into
these guys. It's not nineteen eighty six and we're not
watching Major League like. This is not this is the reality.
(09:52):
This is twenty twenty four. If you want to lose
to if you want to lose players who are multimillionaires
and driving home in there Lamborghini's, then yeah, you could
start screaming and yelling and cussing them and flipping stuff over.
That's just not how it works. And that's also not
how you treat this team where you have the veterans
who have been there and done that and who have
(10:13):
had their backs against the wall as many times as
the Sashros team has and come through, and the leaders
and the Bregmans and the l two ves, and you're
on taking more of a leadership role this this year
as well. You just needed somebody, as he said in
the in spring training, just keep the train rolling. Just
don't upset the apple cart. Just let these players do
what they do and go out there and fill up
(10:35):
the lineup card. And of course it's not that easy,
but be that positive force, be somebody who works the
players want to play hard for and that's what Joe's
spot is. He goes out there and he's working. You know,
he's on the ground ball machine working with the I
R and d As trying to get his first base defense.
He's out there at batting practice and you know, doing
and getting out there with a bat, knocking grounders to
(10:56):
the guys in the infielders so they can get work.
And just being there every day for the players and
wanting to be there for them. That means they're going
to play hard for them. And I think it absolutely
paid off throughout this season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, it's it's very interesting, and you know, we're gonna
see what Joe is like as a manager, you know,
in the postseason. I think this is where this is
where you can make your paycheck. Yeah, and I think
it's I think it's the arrows pointed upward because we
got a glimpse last year at one of those games
in Arlington where Dusty got ejected and Joe what I
(11:28):
forget who he pinched his who worked a walk and
then the next guy got a big hit, and they
would not like Joe would not take credit for it.
But I think I do think it was his decision.
I think they tried to spin it. No, Dusty said
do that before he got ejected. Like, no, I don't
know if he's at that. But regardless, like I think
Joe is doubted. He's made a lot of good decisions
(11:50):
throughout this season. One or two may be backfire, but
for the most part, he's gone to the right guys
in the right spot times when it's time to pinch,
pinch hit Victor Carratini, pitch it this guy. Yeah. I
mean even last Sunday they didn't win the game because
Hater blew it, but they took a lead on a
Shay Whitcombe, who had had a bat in two weeks,
got in there, had a pinching opportunity, got a hit.
It's just there's been a lot of moments like that.
(12:12):
We don't talk about him when they work out. We
talk about him when they don't work out. Absolutely, but
he deserves a lot of credit how he's managed the
bullpen and in a lot of different spots.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, even in the clinching game, it was it was
the sixth inning and he went to Brian a bray
You like, he had to do what he had to do.
And I think he's going to be ready to do
that in the playoffs, and of course not not every
move he is gonna make is it doesn't work out.
If Brian a bray who doesn't get that third out
of that inning, then people were saying, why would you
go to Brian a bray You he's your eighth inning guy.
He's not used to pitching in the sixth inning. He's
(12:40):
not comfortable there. That was a horrible idea. It works
out up. Great move, Joe Aspota, And that's the nature
of being a manager. And then you're gonna be come
further under the microscope come playoff time. He knows that
I have trust in him. Like you said, he's had
the magic touch with the with the pinch hit situations,
and this pitching staff, the starting pitching staff, is good
(13:01):
enough that I don't think he's gonna have to make
a bunch of crazy decisions early in games. Obviously, we'll
see how it goes, and not everything is going to
go according to plan, but I have full confidence in
Joespota to play the right relievers at the right place.
He looks at the matchup data, he knows how his
players are feeling. He's in tune with this squad, and
he's going to make the right decisions. Will they always
(13:23):
work out, No, but he's at least going to have
a reason for them.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Let's get into some playoff conversation. I found this very interesting.
The MLB did their MLB I'm sorry, ESPN did their
MLB Power rankings heading into the playoffs. They have the
astros at seventh and I wonder if like and it
says playoff ranking or power rankings, So maybe this is
(13:48):
just based off of regular season and where we are now.
But if like, the playoffs started tomorrow and you were
doing power rankings, wouldn't you have the astros top four,
like just in terms of track record alone.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Say, depending on what's gonna happen with or like if
Jordon's gone. I'll say it right now, if Jordon doesn't play,
they're not winning the World Series. They're not gonna get good.
They just don't. This offense isn't good enough. Maybe years
past the offense. My gut feeling is that he obviously
he's not playing in Cleveland this weekend, and he's gonna
DH the Wildcard Series and then come if they win
(14:20):
that and go on to a DS, then maybe we
see him in left field, but probably it'll be all DH,
which does hurt because if you're putting, if you're able,
especially at minute made where of course left field isn't
huge over there, if you're able to put Jordon in
left and then put your whoever your best matchup center
fielder is, it's probably gonna end up being Dubon or
something like that. Because Jake Myers has kind of played
(14:41):
himself out out of with how Bad is Bad has
been played himself out of a potential playoff lineup in
my opinion, So that hurts because let's say you're you're
facing a right hander and you want to put Singleton
at first as the lefty, and then you want to
have Diazer Karatini dhing. You're not going to be able
to do that with Jordon Alvarez taking up the dh
bot as a deal, as a default.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I'm glad at least you think he's gonna be back Tuesday,
because I do think he will be two. I just
I think he's gonna I think there's an outside chance
though that. Yeah, he doesn't play, and they say, ah,
the swelling, it's not really going to sprain you.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You slap a brace on, you inject it when you
inject him with something, and then you can around the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You get a double, we'll pinch your on for you.
But just do what you do with the bat in
your hand, and don't strain yourself. Look, if it's a
ground ball, don't leg it out. If you're trying to
go first at third, don't don't worry about that. Don't
re injure yourself. You can just hobble and hop and
skip over there. Let's talk. Obviously we don't know the opponent.
It's you know, probably at this point in Royals or
(15:39):
Tigers pitching matchup. You still feel good. I mean, we've
talked about each of the last few episodes, but you
still go from ber Valdez game on Tuesday, Hunter Brown
game two Wednesday, and then potentially a game three in
the wild Card on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Kakuchi, I think, so, I think that's what I would do.
I haven't really looked. I guess I can check the line.
I know that the the Yankees and Guardians are are
left handed heavy, so you definitely would go and you
say Kakuchi and not really think twice about it. I
would have to look. I guess a little bit further.
Bobby Witt is right handed, and as far as the
(16:13):
rest of the Royals line up, I can I can
pull that up.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I want to say, didn't we look this Upkuchi's only
he's got one postseason start and it was it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Was a couple of innings in relief last year.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
That's it for Toronto, And that's yeah, who would you
go with over him? No?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, I like, sorry, see you later Orlander.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Well, but here's the Stark reality game one of the
a l ds, either in Cleveland or New York next Saturday. Yeah,
a week from the Saturday. It's gonna be one of
those guys. It's gonna be Blanco, Arraghetti Orland. If you're
in New York. I'm just telling you it could be.
It's a possibility.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Verlander had his worst start of the season against New
York and because he's giving he gives up home runs
too easily. Yeah, he cannot pitch that. I'm sorry you
saying you need something. I would rather have Aarragedties gets
a ton of swinging miss. Now he's gonna walk guys.
And and that's the thing, you know, guys like Rizzo
and Judge and Soda, they're gonna they're gonna work a
ton of walk Blanco in that spot. Maybe we'll see,
(17:14):
But I think you're gonna want a guy who gets
a ton of swing and miss. And that's where Arragedtty
comes in. Verlander gets no swinging miss and he gives
up a ton of home runs. I would not think
for a second about starting Hi against that Yankees lineup.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
I'm with you. I could just hear data Brown though. Look, man,
you know back of the baseball card this guy'spin.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
If it happens, mark my words, they will be a disaster.
He will give up minimum one or two home runs.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
They will lose that game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I don't know though. Yeah, maybe they can hit as well,
because I mean it works on both sides. You've got
a bandbox, you can hit your own home runs. But
not a good idea. See Salvey Perez right handed, Tommy
fam right handed. Oh, go back to uh dhing Yuli
right now, batting.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Him clean up. Yeah, and he's been hitting for the Royals.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
By the way, May ninth, we go back to Yankee Stadium,
right ol Blanco did pitch against He pitched once against
the Yankees this year because remember they played the series
right out of the gates, and then he threw the
no hitter in what was the fifth game of the
of the year because he didn't pitch the Yankee series
and they threw the no hitter in his first start
of the season. But anyway, in May ninth, he pitched
a Yankee Stadium five and two thirds innings, two runs off,
(18:17):
four hits, five strikeouts. Astra was one at four to three.
So right, o' blanco, I would feel pretty good about
And this is only a scenario. Look at a perfect scenario,
US they win Tuesday Wednesday, you sent Kakuchi to the
mound Saturday in New York.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Or yeah, against the left handed heavy lineup. Yeah, either way,
if it's Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Or New York. Yeah, I like how we went down
the whole road of New York. As of right now
is this record at Cleveland is half a game back
of the Yankees for best record in the American League.
The Yankees hold the tie breaker, so even if Cleveland
catches them, they're gonna have to surpass them. Now here's
where the astro is come in to play. They play Cleveland.
So the Astros, you'll be playing a lot of your scrubs,
but the same realm. You can kind of help decide
(18:58):
who you face in the DS, which I guess you realize.
You really say it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I mean it doesn't matter. I don't think. I mean,
maybe you would want to.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I think you'd rather play face Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
I think so too, probably be very interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
How much do you play the regular I mean, you're
not gonna entertain the whole all three games.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I don't know if you do it ever, all three games?
Maybe play them one. It's great Cassenger season. Let's go, baby,
shay Wickham. I'm sorry you're gonna have to let's go
ahead and just not have four error Shay, and we
go from there.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That was a little bit of a disaster, But still,
I mean, you got to play these these four games.
I looked at this note though, Ross is kind of interesting.
The ass finished this season at home forty six and
thirty five is really good. I need to go back
and look through years prior and see what they had done.
But last year, we know they went thirty nine and
forty two at home. They struggled at home. Last year
(19:47):
despite winning ninety games, they won more games than this
team did, but they struck. They were below five hundred
at home and in the postseason. I guess I just
didn't think about this. They went five and zero on
the road last year, one in five at home. In
the postseason, they couldn't win a playoff game at home,
but they were awesome on the road.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So go fig baseball randomness, That's what I'm gonna go with.
But uh, the new batter's eye.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, we were all over the batter's eye. And then
even in the spring training we were talking about it. Hey, Joe,
do you think this team was struggling at home? Like
it was a real discussion.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, it was a real discussion. But they bounced back.
Did they just all of a sudden figure out there's
basically the same team, and all of a sudden they
figured out how people are like, oh, they got babies
at home and they're they're standing up all night taking
care of their babies. Like, okay, shut.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Up, give me an X factor for this team. What
do you if they're gonna win this wild card and
they're gonna go into the DS and start putting their
foot in people's throats, give me somebody you think could
be an X factor for.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
This I will say I think Jeremy Penny needs to
come up huge and maybe just toss in the back
of the lineup as a whole, especially if ord On
is ailing and not doing what he's doing. I just
think it would be I'm gonna put it mostly on
on the bats. I feel really good, even though Okay,
sure Presley hater a Bray who have all been shaky
(21:06):
at some points of this season. But you know what,
maybe I could toss Presley out of there. I'd rather
see Brian a braid. And if it's a clutch situation,
I mean, who would you rather I would ten times
out of ten take Bray you over Presley.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
But anyways, if Presley is pitching in a one run
game of them, and you should be.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
He's just been allowing too many base runners. He slipped
to where he was dominant to now he's just kind
of a good reliever, and sometimes good relievers can give
up runs. But anyways, I'm gonna say the good other
guys in the lineup, do.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
You think postse is an experience though? I mean, Presley's
pitched in a lot of postseason games.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Here if Brian A. Brady has been very good too,
and you're going to both of them, and yeah, I'm
not necessarily extremely worried about that. That the guys can
lock in. So I'll go with back part of the lineup.
Keyed on Jeremy Pania, who I mean started off the
season great like Gangbusters, then he kind of fell and
(22:03):
then now he had he had a five game win,
a hitting streak for a little bit.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
There.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
He's gonna get a couple of days off so he
can get off his legs, be rested, ready to go,
and maybe clear his head a little bit and then
get hot in the playoffs, which we know he can do.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Yeah, guy, I'm gonna throw in there. And I'm only
putting him in because he's kind of had some moments
here lately. I think the Jason Hayward signing is something
that might come back to help this postseason. Now. I
don't think he's going to be a hot hitter and
go three for four every behind and all that. I mean,
you take that, but I think he's gonna have a
clutch home run, a clutch at bat where he delivered
(22:36):
drives in some runs. Because I'm just looking at it.
He's played forty three career playoff games at this time
in Atlanta, one season at Saint Louis, four seasons with
the Cubs, and one year with the Dodgers last year Ross.
He's a career one forty eight postseason hitter. He's got
two home runs, seven runs batted in with forty career
strikeouts in the playoffs, so a two h seven on
(22:58):
base percentage a four forty four OPS. It's not been great.
He's not been a good postseason player by any means.
But I think this is a spot that he could
play very well and come up with some clutch hit bats.
Don't need to do it every time, but just one
or two.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Okay, that sounds good. I'm all in on Jay. He's
a great guy. He was speaking to the meeting like
he was in the clubhouse, talking to everybody. I think
he is happy. He's drinking it in.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I think this is a little bit of a redemption
for him. It was obviously a bad day for him
getting let go by the Dodgers, but a good day
to be picked up back over here and on a
team that's winning and now contributing it. Now, with as
we mentioned, Jordan probably not playing left field, I think
you put Jason Hayward out there. I think game one
it is probably gonna be Hayward, Dubon, Tucker, Okay, No,
(23:44):
Jake Myers. I think he has just slipped so far
as far as the bat. I mean, it's telling to
me that in the last game he batted ninth behind Dubon,
who's been the nine guy recently, so and deserved less. Oh,
Jake has just been terrible at the to play in
all September.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And in that scenario, you're on dhing yann Air catching
Singleton at first, so you got Keratini's first man off.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
I think it would be depend on matchups. I guess
as far as well. Kartini and Singleton both better against
That's what sex.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
About you if you can't play him in the left,
because I'd like to do some games where I start
Kartini d You know.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
If you or even put Singleton at first, you can
DH Caratini or yeah, like a DH Kartini or d
DS and then have YOURD on the left. That to me,
I think would be you're getting all your squeezing all
of your best bets.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, well, we will see. It's gonna be a lot
of fun to uh see how this thing plays out.
Of course, we'll have you covered with all of our
coverage presented by Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bach and
Excider Ross started booking some travel plans and all this
we had neither Cleveland or there we go New York again.
Poncho season gotta be. You gotta be whoever you play
in the walk card. I don't want to, you know what.
(24:54):
I hope it's not the Tigers. I just don't. I
don't want the drama of a J. Hinch coming a
minute may Park.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Just don't okay, I think mean fun, don't be scared.
Don't be scared, bab I just said, the Tigers, to
me objectively, are worse than the Royals. So I would
take the Tigers, although especially if if Scooba pitches on Sunday,
let's go, baby, give me them Tagers.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah, give me that. That's that's what we want. Royals
are sneaky, man. I just what if hundred Brown gets
on the mound has flashbacks to he runs.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
No, he already did he he pitched it again. Yeah,
and he did very well.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
He got his he got his, he got his revenge. Yeah.
So it's gonna be a lot of fun. But yeah,
you guys, load up on the Crawford box throughout this postseason.
It's a home run every time with the Crawford back.
And get it out there to Carbock Brewing. Check out
the new pizza pints if you haven't been over there yet.
Really awesome tasty delights they got going on there right
on the grounds of Carbock Brewing. You got the restaurant,
you got the beer garden, you get the shop, and
(25:45):
right next to the shop is the new pizza and pints.
TV's in there. They got all kinds of great events
going on right now. Car october Fest, plenty of stuff,
and I'm sure they're going to be doing watch parties
out there in the beer gardens. Hey, Ross TIMPs this
weekend start off in the sixties. Finally what Yeah, now
it's gonna go that's gonna get up to eighty nine.
But I'm just telling you starting to get a little
bit cooler. So it's way nicer to go sit out
(26:07):
there car Bock and watch the games on the big screen.
And hey, if you're gonna drink the krawfer Bok, why
do not drink it on tap? They got it on
tap out there at Carbock Berwing. But for us via Real,
I'm Chris Gordy. This has been an all new edition
of Crawford box Cast, presented by Carbock Brewing
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