Lance McCullers Goes Crazy For Six Innings, Astros Are Officially #1 In The Al West Winning 7 Out Of Their Last 10 games.

Lance McCullers Goes Crazy For Six Innings, Astros Are Officially #1 In The Al West Winning 7 Out Of Their Last 10 Games.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Ten oh one in htown. What's happening Houston? Yes, I
still get in the habit of saying what's happening lunch timers?
But no, we are ten to two here on Sports
Talk seven Idy. It is a Wednesday edition of The
man Thomas Show with Ross without man Thomas. He is
out today and tomorrow. I don't know if you heard, Dan,

(00:22):
He's on a darkness retreat with Aaron Rodgers. Is he
really yeah? Is he gonna get into the ayahuasca? Yeah?
I think he's gonna be doing that, any kind of halluca.
He's gonna be licking poisoned toads, any kind of hallucinogen
you can get into, he's gonna be doing for the
next two days. I was gonna say, I mean, there
are some people who believe that psychedelics are therapeutic, and
it would be kind of interested interesting to see Matt

(00:43):
get into Uh. I think there's a lot of there's
a lot of research backing that up with people with
medical people with brain injuries or anything like that. But
I didn't know we were gonna get into that less
than one minute into the show. But here we are, Dan, Dude,
I mean, why else do you bring me here. You
know that, you know me finding a way to either
with a movie quote in this case right here, getting
in the ayahuasca, of being able to find a way

(01:04):
to get you there. The official hallucinogen expert of Sports
Talk seven ninety Dan Matthews is here for an hour
or so. Uh, I'm gonna be honest. Is it Adam
Clanton today or Adam Wexler today? I don't know. It's
one of the Adams? Which one will it be? Check
it out one o'clock we have that coming up. Well,

(01:24):
chances are I mean wex is listening right now, so
I mean he probably would just show up. You still
need me? Yeah, I do still need you, Wex. I
appreciate you. Then I'm gonna fly solo for a little while.
We got the News at noon with Jonathan Allen. The
News at Noon with Jonathan Allen. Look at this. I
actually told him in time to have something ready. You ready, Jonathan?

(01:45):
You know I came prepared this morning because I know
you're gonna do this. Oh man, what's your spots? That
hilltopper education? This kid's this kid's going places. I appreciate
that you're a WK you guy. My cousin played football
at WKU. He ran discuss at Yeah, I know he
ran track.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
I just didn't.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I didn't know that you ran it because I've seen
you wear the Whack sweatshirt WAC not with a K
at the end.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
But the Conference USA and Whack one I was a
conference usay with When West Kentucky's done, then.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Okay, so we got an athlete in our mits.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
But your spots started him once like you basically like
he showed up to the ballpark and you just sold them, Hey,
you're getting the start that day. Yeah, it was basically
eleven fifteen and when Matt was out and I was like, oh,
by the way, you're doing the news at DO and
he's like, what excuse me? I had like ten seconds, yeah,
ten seconds to pull up all the top news headlines
of the day. Those will be coming up at noon.
It also is Wednesday. That means ain't no body got
time for that slash shut your bumb ass up coming

(02:34):
up at eleven thirty and anything you guys want to
get to. Seven one three two one two five seven
ninety is the phone number seven one three two one
two five seven ninety. You can send tweets to ad
Sports RV and you know what, Yes, shameless plugs for
my Instagram that I'm trying to build up all day
long at Sports RV. Help a brother out, you know
what I'm saying, Dan, influencer initiatives up at iHeartMedia. Get that.

(02:56):
If you could help me out with the Instagram at
Sports RV, I ou'd appreciate.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
It, dude anytime.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
I mean, that is something that you, you know, want
to be able to have because we all, you know,
want to be influencers. Like, what is it that the
number one career hopes that gen Z kids have now
is to be some sort of influencer. Yeah, it used
to be everybody wanted to be a support star. Now
everybody wants to be an influencer. And well, I'm looking

(03:20):
to get to Livy dun numbers. Well, hopefully you just
don't have people stalking you to your point, she said, which,
by the way, when I heard that story where she
was like, I'm being stalked by middle aged men, you
probably make more money than God. Now, like, how are
you not flying private at this point? I don't know
if she's making more money than God. It's not like
she's a billionaire. I mean, how much is a haircare

(03:41):
product Instagram ad paying you? I don't know. Well, I
mean there's so many different things that she has out there.
That's I mean this just how you dan. Just young, young,
pretty people get paid a lot of money, and she's
both of those things. Yeah, that's true. Well, she's an influencer.
Maybe I'm not going to get up to those levels.
But her boyfriend, Paul's took the l last night. How

(04:02):
about Paul Skiings? I mean, is it possible to feel
bad for a six foot six, two hundred and fifty
pound hoss who's one of the generational phenoms of pitching
in baseball, who's gonna make a half a billion dollars
when he gets his next contract and he's going home
to Livy Done. Is it possible to feel bad for him?

(04:23):
I did a little bit last night. That's how bad
the pirates are. The pirates are so bad that we're
talking about this guy who goes home to Livy Dune
and he's gonna make half a billion dollars, and I
feel bad for the guy.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
I wouldn't say I feel bad for him.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
I mean, there will never be any disparaging comments out
of my mouth about a guy that gave me one
of the greatest college baseball seasons that I've ever seen
in my entire life of being an LSU sports fan.
I mean it was pretty much equivalent to twenty nineteen
Joe Burrow, like, that's that's where I hold Paul Skeens.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
But to say I feel.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Bad, well, I don't wll poor guy eight innings pitched,
just one and run given up. It was the solo
shot off the bat of Christian Walker.

Speaker 4 (05:03):
Eight.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
K's ninety nine pitches ERA of two oh five on
the season and he's four and six win loss records
are so ridiculous in baseball. Now, this is gonna hurt
your heart seeing how you are the charter member of
the Jake Myers fan club, but one of our last
You're talking about Jake Myers with the extra base hit
off of Paul skin He did a guy, Yeah, he
did have that in his first at bat. But Rob Friedman,

(05:25):
the pitching ninja, Paul Skeens in a video attached disgusting
ninety nine mile an hour sinker movement. What are you
supposed to do with that? And our listener Kurt responded,
I wouldn't suggest asking Jake Myers because the yeah, I know, yeah,
but did you see that movement? I saw that last
last night too. I follow Pitching Ninja. It's always good

(05:45):
stuff there with pitches with nasty movement and stuff like that.
I mean, come on, nobody's hitting that thing. That's ridiculous, dude.
I mean, the guy was ninety pitches in and he
dots up ninety nine on the outside corner. It's just
like this guy's a horse man, like he's he's unbelievable.
It might not be right now because he's not even
into his first full season of his major league career,

(06:07):
but you talk about conversations next year. At this time,
I think those trade conversations do start to happen really
that early. I mean they how many I wonder how
many years how many years in was Juan Soto before
he got traded to the Padres. I think it was
his fourth year somewhere around there. It was like thirty
year with the Padres and then a year with the Yankees,
and then he hit free agency and then got three
quarters of a billion dollars. Well, but I mean it's

(06:28):
also to an organization that realized they weren't going anywhere
anytime fast, which the Pirates have been doing that for
the better part of our entire lifetime outside of the
early nineties there with Jimmy Leland. But I mean it
takes an organization to kind of have some awareness of, hey,
you know, we're kind of wasting this guy right now.
We could maybe make ourselves better. But it doesn't seem

(06:50):
like the Pirates ever are in that rush to be
able to reach that conclusion. Pirates, they're sad, They're going
to continue to be sad, and you almost feel bad.
It's like, Paul Skins, We're giving all these wonderful gifts
and you're gonna have this great Hall of Fame career
as long as your arm holds up. But the penance
you're gonna have to pay is going to be drafted

(07:12):
by the Pirates for the first four to six years
of your career. I think his last five starts, he's
given up no more than a single earn run, and
he's one and two in those starts. Well, was it
nineteen earned runs? I think I saw code of five
baseball put out earlier. Nineteen earned runs given up all
year Throughout his thirteen starts, he's got a losing record

(07:32):
and they've lost eight of those games. Oh gotta love
those Pittsburgh Pirates. Well, on the other side, it was
Lance mccullors junior. Since giving up that huge giving up
all those runs, what was it, seven earned runs and
a third of an inning against the Cincinnati Reds, he's
been nails. And we're also talking about, well, not nails

(07:54):
because he wasn't going to quality starts, but at least
back to back quality starts from him. And as we
talked about Dana Brown about half an hour ago, we'll
bring you guys a little bit of that conversation. Sprinkle
it in here and there. Much needed. I mean, you
were thinking coming into the season that you need Lance
mccullors junior, All right, Yeah, we got the one through
five Lance mccullor's junior, Luis Garcia. Then we're talking about six, seven,

(08:16):
we're depth and all that type of stuff. All these injuries,
you need him to step up and be your three guy.
And he's been that for back to back starts. It's
been huge.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
Oh, it's been massive for you.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
And you know, just saw the number of what he
has looked like in his last few starts since that
Reds blow up. A one point eighty eight e er
a good twenty four of his last innings. Yeah, that's
incredibly good, and especially too with what you mentioned about
you need him to be your number three right now
because you don't have a choice number one, but number two.

(08:48):
I mean, you lost a good one in Renel Blanco,
and you're trying to find somebody to be able to
at least match his production. And I would venture to
say the last few times that he's been out there, yeah,
he had that third of an inning, but four innings
scoreless ball against the Rangers, two runs given up against
Seattle in four and a third, and then the last
two quality outings he's been he's been better than what

(09:10):
you could have expected back from him when he hadn't
pitched in over two years. Yeah, it's it's crazy where
we are. But there there was a host who boldly
predicted that Lancepackullors Junior would be an important contributor to
the twenty twenty five season. I can't remember who. It was.
Very handsome and talented, that's the only thing I remember.
But anyways, it's got the best hair on staff. If

(09:31):
some have said that, not everybody's saying that, but some
have said that, So if it does happen, I mean,
it's crazy the journey that he's been through, and not
even even for the death threat stuff and all the
hate he gets on social media and all that, but
just for him as a person, I mean, think of
the mental fortitude it takes to have the setbacks and

(09:55):
the injuries that he has to keep on going out
there to keep on pushing three and now seeing it
paying dividends with these couple of good starts. I'm just
really happy for Lance Callers Junior the person, let alone
for the fact that he needs to step up on
the field for what they need if they want to
win the American League West Championship. It's a significant added bonus.
I mean for what I just laid out for one

(10:15):
of the guys that you just lost recently, but for
all of the guys that you have out and he
hadn't pitched it over two years, so to expect this
type of performance, I don't care if it's the Pirates,
I don't care if it's the athletics, I don't care
if it's the Savannah Bananas. But to be able to
go out there and do what he's done these last
couple of times. Well, at least the acrobatics are fun.
But to do what he's done these last couple of

(10:35):
starts and to hope that you're going to get that,
because here's the other shoe is can he make it
all the way through? I mean that's a legitimate question. No,
that's a legitimate question. And unfortunately, that is going to
be something that is going to be attached. I mean
it's implied, it's inherent. Anytime he goes out there, it's
gonna be kind of hanging. How much of it is
in the back of your head, how much of it

(10:56):
is in the front of your mind is up to you,
the person. I try to put it further back because
it's something that we can't control anyway, so why spend
time worrying about it. But that is something that will
hang over him, really, I mean unless he goes, you know,
back to back years of thirty five starts and then
maybe even then some that's going to be the question
mark and something that's going to be at least somewhat

(11:18):
in the back of your mind every time he goes
out there. Well, I mean there's a reason why I
kept throwing out bullpen with him. And I mean he
even was asked about that during spring training. He gave
his thoughts, again, you have a very diplomatic no. Those
guys work really hard. It's that easy, And that's not
even the issue. I mean, I think it's the issue
with him. It's, well, you've proven that you can't get
through an entire season as a starting pitcher. So when

(11:40):
does that thought creep into your mind of maybe I
do need to go that route because I do have
good stuff and I could get guys out. Well, usually
those guys are in the bullpen. As we know, he
has a bit of an ego on him. He wants
to be a starter. And as a practical matter, if
you're team building, you don't want to pay eighteen million
dollars a year to a reliever unless it's one of
the red best relievers in baseball. And as him on

(12:02):
the mound, as we've seen already, even in these starts,
it's Lancewa Colors. Junior baseball is high pitch counts, running
up a lot of walks, getting a lot of danger,
but also working out of that danger. And that's not
really what you want out of a reliever. You would
have guy to come in and throw strikes come in
unclean innings with a couple of guys on like LANCEA.

(12:22):
Collors junior can't really do that. He's got a workout
of his own jams. So him as a starter barring health,
of course, if we always talked about that's the big
you know, that's always the big cloud hanging over it.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
He's best suited to be a starter.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
And he's you know, already gotten over one hundred pitches,
ninety six pitches was it ninety six pitchers or something
like that.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Ninety last night against the Pirates.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
Yeah, he went one o two the last time out,
and I mean the walks have gone down at least
his last few times out. He had one against against
the A's, so you know, force a habit one last
night against the Pirates, and yeah, okramentto there you go.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
I liked it. I liked what Matt said.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Amost sounds like like a spreadable cheese for a cracker,
the guy that usually sits in here with you familiar. Yeah,
some people call him sports MT, you know, besides the point.
But I mean he hits a batter last night with
a backfoot breaking ball, but I mean those have gone
down too, So I mean, if you're able to get

(13:20):
him in and around the zone and you can get
some of those swings and misses, well, then you get
performances like you've gotten the last couple of times out
nineteen strikeouts in the last twelve innings that he's been
on the mound.

Speaker 4 (13:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
And I also will say I mentioned this earlier, and
I need to stop doing this. I keep thinking of
the A's as a bad offense. They're not a bad
offense this year. They've actually been pretty good. They're well
ahead of the Astros right now, team ops eighth. Now,
of course, the Pirates are twenty seventh out of thirty.
So that was a bad offense. But carving up the
Oakland A excuse me, the Sacramento A, the Ocremento A's,

(13:55):
the way that he did, It's not anything to sneeze at.
We're getting twelve k's in that game too.

Speaker 5 (14:00):
Well.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
I mean it's a game that he had to grind
through too. I mean, he gives up a couple of
runs in that one inning and then he gives up
the home run to Wilson there towards the end of
the start. But I mean that's what you were getting again.
You know, bringing up Renel Blanco, because the comparisons are
so there. Renel Blanco, his starts where five, maybe you
get six. Every once in a while you'll get that

(14:20):
you know, gym of an outing like he had the
time before he went out, where he gets you seven
plus innings or you know he can throw you a
no hitter. I'm not saying that Lance is going to
you know, fit that trend, but I mean still for
the most part, you were getting five, six innings, two
three runs given up in that start, like you get
that you're in a good position. Yeah. Also in the

(14:40):
last start, two starts throwing a lot of strikes, like
you mentioned, not getting those walk numbers up as much
as they were. Three walks apiece, well three out of
the first four starts just one walk apiece the last two.
Al Right, we are overdue for a break here on
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Matt Thomas is out
today and tomorrow. That means we're gonna still have some
fun though. Dan Matthews is here hanging out. You want

(15:03):
to get in, you can't seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Brian boga Sevic is coming up. We
have Shut Joe bum Ass up, slash Ain't nobody got
time for that. It is a fun show, The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross until two o'clock and we'll be
back right after this short break ten twenty two in

(15:23):
the am here on Sports Talk seven ninety, as the
Big Voice Man says, it is the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. The Matt Thomas part is out, Dan Matthews
is hanging out for a little bit. Do still have
a lot of stuff coming up? We got the news
at noon with Jonathan Allen. We got eight No bodygud
time for that? Slash Shut Joe bum Ass up coming
up at eleven thirty and at eleven o clock Brian Bogasvic.

(15:47):
Great conversation with him always week to week. Look forward
to that. So that's coming up here on The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. You guys can get in at
seven one three two one two five seven ninety and
I do have a question for you if you want
to get on the phone lines, and I'll pose it
to you as well. Dan. How close is Lance mccullor's

(16:07):
junior into getting a into the circle of trust for
you as a starter to where you see him in
the probable pictures and you're like, you know what, we're
gonna win this one today, or at least we're gonna
have a very good chance. Maybe not the Hunter Brown
level or from ber Valdez level, but feeling like we
got a pretty good shot. How close do you feel
like you are to saying that? Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety and Dan, I pose the

(16:30):
question to you coming up this weekend. Astro's got a
three game set and you see on Friday, Lance mccullor's junior.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
How are we feeling he's next in line?

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Like he's right up there, you know, like you go
to a place you order from a counter and you're
waiting for somebody to wave you over or you know,
shout out next in line or something like that. That's
where he's at. He's right, he's right there on the
hole getting there. Yeah, Yeah, he's he's in the hole.
He's maybe not quite on deck, but he's he's approaching it.
Because I mean, yeah, you got last night and you

(17:01):
got to start before that. You at least see the
longevity is there. You at least see that he's got
that ability. He can do that, and he keeps missing bats,
then he will be next in line. Yeah, I'm with you,
he's not quite there. We need to see a little
bit more. But it's crazy to where we are even from.
I mean, not even a month ago was that Cincinnati

(17:22):
start and he only got one out and he was
seven eard runs and it was a complete disaster. It
was just couldn't have been any worse. He had struggled
a little bit against the Chicago White Sox. He didn't
give it up any runs, but he was I mean,
he was striking guys out, but he was also running
up walks getting into trouble. And you're sitting there like, oh,
this is we would have liked to dis gone a

(17:43):
little bit better, but it also could have been a
lot worse. And then the other shoe dropped against Cincinnati,
and then you're just sitting there thinking this guy's about
to get DFA. Like I'm texting some of the people
that we have on weekly here on Sports Talk seven
ninety saying like, how long do you think he's gonna have?
And one person told me I think he gets three

(18:05):
more starts, and it's like that's how dire it was
looking to where a guy making eighteen million dollars could
have been off the team within three starts, and then
now it's been four since, all won by the Houston Astros. No,
I mean coming out of that red start, even though
you know you have Joe afterwards, it's gonna take time.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
All of those different things. You don't have time.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
You're in a division race, You're you're in the thick
of it against teams that in the Rangers' case, they've
been struggling, they continue to struggle, and against the Mariners
who pitched like nobody's business. And oh, by the way,
cal Rawley seems to get a home run every single night.
So I mean that's what you were running into. I
think that he probably bought himself some time once Renel

(18:48):
Blanco went down, because you already knew you weren't gonna
have Hayden was Nesky and you're already without four other
guys in the starting rotation at the moment. So that
helped him because the look at you know, at him
is well, we know he can get outs.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
We just need to see him be able to get outs.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
And then once you were short on numbers, now it's
to the point where you don't have a choice but
to have him run out there every fifth day. Yeah,
it's pretty crazy because you even think about this. Let's
say the unfortunate that we kind of feared happened. Let's
say at some point during his rehabs and he was
with god knows who Triple A or the Corpus Chrizzy
Hooks or whatever. If there was a minor setback and
it was like, Okay, it's gonna be a couple more weeks.

(19:24):
Where would the Astros be right now? Would be aj
blue Ball, Yeah, it'd be Aj Blueball, would be Brandon Walter,
it'd be any of those guys getting the start that
you're like, I don't know if I ever want to
live on a planet where this is happening. Although Walter,
the start he got, he was asist for you, you
said on that game. So it's just funny to me
because we have if we go back and look through

(19:44):
the years of this Astros run, it's happened a number
of times where and that's any team that has any success,
especially in baseball, you gotta get a little bit lucky.
I mean, I dare I even mention the name of
Mike Fires but was it like twenty seventeen, there was
a bunch of injuries and then he kind of held
the rotation together for a little bit. JP France a
couple of years ago came out of nowhere held the

(20:05):
rotation to Peacock. Yeah, Brad Peak like random guys now
lancec Color junior, guy winning Gage. This guy is just
like there are a bunch of injuries and this rotations
and shambles, and this guy, Brad Peacock is getting things going,
like Renel Blanco and what he did a couple of
years ago, I know last year. Actually, I mean, there

(20:26):
just seems to always, somehow be some guy who was like,
you're the Astros, your back's against the wall, you got
nowhere else to go with starting pitching. This guy's gotta
be it. And right now that guy is Lance mccullor junior,
and he's stepping up. Well, I mean, for the longest
time the credit was going to Brent Strom. Well, yes,
they're doing this because of what this guy's doing. You
can't get rid of Brad Strom. He's gotta go to

(20:48):
the Arizona Diamondbacks and it's gonna be all over. Well,
now he's one of the pitching coaches for the Pirates. Yeah, so,
I mean, you know, and he's got a pretty good
guy to work with, where it's basically, hey, you throw
ninety eight ninety nine, and yeah, keep doing that and
keep working in some of that sick off speed stuff
you've got. Yeah, I mean that's real coaching right there.
How's fire Josh M. Miller guy doing. I hasn't heard

(21:09):
from him in a while. It's sick I remember, it's
been pretty quiet. I took a call on that last year,
and I rarely am ever, you know, stunned, silent. I mean,
usually I have something to say. But when I heard that,
I was like, of all the things that could be
perceived as an issue with this team, that's your top
issue with this team right now? Yeah, fire the pitching coach.

(21:30):
What's his name, I don't know. You gotta fire him.
He's gotta go.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
He's not Brent Strom.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
I mean, yeah, I only been one of the best
pitching teams in the last decade.

Speaker 2 (21:39):
Basically they've been outstanding.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
Then, yes, since Brince Strom has left, you made the
playoffs last year because of how much your pitching staff overperformed.
You won the World Series in twenty twenty two because
of the pitching staff in the bullpen, and you're in
the position you're in right now because of how good
this pitching staff has been. Because the batting order has
not been awful. It's not been great, it's been right
there in the middle. I think they're like still like fifteenth,

(22:03):
But I mean that has not been the reason that
for the most part, you're winning games. Like me and
Sean talk about it all the time. Is there going
to be a show this year when we come in
and say, man, the bats carried this team, Like you
don't have those guys. You don't win that game yesterday.
I think it's been since twenty nineteen. But that's when
you had Verlander and Garrett Cole going for cy young seasons.

(22:24):
How did they not win the World Series that year?

Speaker 2 (22:26):
I'll never figure that out?

Speaker 6 (22:27):
All right?

Speaker 1 (22:28):
Quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross,
How close do you have Lance mccullors junior to the
circle of trust? Is he nowhere near it? Do you
need to see like ten more of these or maybe
even a full season or is he getting a little
close in your eyes? Seven one, three, two, one two
five seven ninety is the phone number seven one, three, two,
one two five, seven ninety Brian bogus Sevic with some

(22:50):
great stuff on the Astros coming up at eleven o'clock
on your Home for the Houston Astros ten thirty four
in the Am here on Sport Talk seven ninety on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross No Matt Thomas. Brian
Bogsepig is coming up though at eleven o'clock. Always good
stuff with Bogie. Make sure you stay tuned for that.
We have been talking about your Houston Astros and the

(23:13):
three to nothing win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Couple of
angles still to get to yet, and I'll go ahead
and start with who came out in the seventh inning
for the Houston Astros. That would be one Sean Dubin.
You asked Dana Brown about him the last hour when
we were able to have him on ten pitches, eight

(23:35):
strikes and another hold for him, Brian King. And now
it was a heavy right handed pocket of the line
up for the Pittsburgh Pirates. But Sean Duban getting the
nod in a one nothing game in a leverage spot,
that was that's pretty interesting and pretty happy that he
came through start the hashtag HLSD high Leverage Sean Dubin. Oh,

(23:55):
that is that is interesting one that could be seen.
I mean because you even talk about it. Right there,
he had a right handed pocket of the lineup. And
it's not about you know, going away from your confidence
in Brian King. If you got left handers in there,
Brian King's getting that spot right there. But it's pitching
yourself into that position. Because Dubin, before he gave up

(24:16):
the Urn run on Saturday, hadn't given up a single
Urn run nine to two thirds innings that he had
been flawless out there on the mound for you, a
couple of walks here and there, but nothing too crazy.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
So he pitched himself into that.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
Spot where I mean, I talked about it last night
on the tenth inning Ross. You're gonna get to a
day where Brian Abray, who's not available, somebody's got to
fill that inning. Josh Haters not available, so then Brian
a Bray's got to kick into that spot. So then
you need other guys that you can be able to
fill those spots, and Dubin's the guy's pitched himself in
that opportunity and he made good on it last night
and even the start, even the outing where he gave

(24:49):
up the one earned run, he still had a chance
to give up more and left the guys on first
and third with one out. Yeah, he's just been so good.
And it feels like maybe last year or was it
a couple of years ago, he started off the season
really hot and then he kind of started giving up runs,
but there had been times where it feels like he's
been pretty reliable, somebody you can count on for stretches,

(25:10):
and right now he has been that guy and it's
been great to see. And you mentioned Josh Hater sixteen
saves and sixteen opportunities. We talk about, you know, getting
lucky that the Lance Peckeller's junior is here to kind
of pick up the pieces with a rash of injuries
with the starting rotation. Where would they be without Lance
Pacler junior? Where would they be without Josh Hater. He's

(25:33):
got I believe one win and then of your thirty
three wins, he saved sixteen of those. Strategy has also
played a huge part of it. I mean, where last
year it was pretty much any high leverage spot there
in the ninth inning, you brought him in you're down
by one, well, then he's there. You need a couple
of innings, Yep, you're gonna go ahead and throw that

(25:55):
guy out there. A couple of innings, you're in a
tie ball game. Same deal. And even he had some
loan saves in there too, So I think that's probably
been a lesson learned from last year as be strategic
and when you use him. Yeah, so with the sixteen,
with the sixteen saves and the one win, that's seventeen
of your thirty three wins that he's been a factor in.

(26:15):
He's been massive for you. And I mean, and it's
the old saying, he's that guy, like he he looks
like that guy again. He he is that dude. Yeah,
he's got the I mean, he's got the confidence, he's
got the full flow, gets all angry out there. I mean,
he is just a well I mean, most picture picture
perfect closers aren't left handers. But Billy Wagner would disagree.
But it's just everything else. It's just it speaks closer.

(26:39):
He is like from Closer Central Casting. And he's been
nails we awesome. I mean, and that's you know, let's
not have you know too shallow a memory here, too
much of a short term memory when it came to
how he viewed Ryan Presley in that spot, I mean
twenty twenty two, Yeah, Ryan Presley was in that game
was over that you weren't going to score off Ryan Pressley,
especially in the playoffs and right, and I mean, and

(27:01):
that's that's the huge reason of why you know, he
became such a love figure here. And it sucks to
see the kind of the fall off. I mean twenty three,
he started to share some cracks there and then twenty
four you move him out of that spot because you
bring Josh Hater in and he struggles rough, he got hurt.
Right with the with the Cubs, he was struggling and
then got hurt. I don't know exactly what's going on.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
I'm not sure I've been paying much attention to.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
I just put Ryan Presley and Google and top stories
Cubs predicted to cut ties with Ryan Presley shows you
how things are going. I mean, I I don't wish
I wish YO will at them either. It's just that
things aren't going so hot. I guess with old Ryan
Presley with the Chicago Cubs appreciate and I think the

(27:44):
guy that they got back for him was like pitching
well in the miners. Dan Brown might be working a
little bit of magic with these. Uh yeah, it was
it one Bayo. I'll have to look that up. But
any em that Dana Brown knows how to evaluate talent weird. Yes,
especially it seems like pitching talent. He's a freaking wizard
with that. I mean definitely. All right, Seven one three,

(28:04):
seven ninety is the phone number. Let's go out to
Gary in Montgomery. Wanted to talk to some stros. What's
up Gary, everybody? How you doing doing great?

Speaker 7 (28:12):
Hey?

Speaker 8 (28:12):
I wanted to see if you guys caught something. In
the eighth inning, it was the Astros were pitching and
then the last few pitchers somebody blew an airhorn like
right when the when the pitcher was pitching. I thought
it was absolutely crazy. I don't know if that's allowed.
Did he get kicked out of game?

Speaker 1 (28:31):
Uh?

Speaker 8 (28:31):
You know, I don't know what happened there, but I
was that.

Speaker 1 (28:35):
Is definitely not allowed and definitely not an definitely an
injectable offense. But I didn't hear it. I'm gonna be honest.
I was watching the game then, but I did not
have the volume on at that point of the game
and snooze to me. Yeah, I have no idea about it.

Speaker 8 (28:49):
Okay, announced it didn't say anything, but I thought it
was just absolutely classless.

Speaker 6 (28:52):
Man, it was crazy.

Speaker 8 (28:53):
I've never heard that in a game.

Speaker 1 (28:55):
Maybe it was somebody down the street Gary, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (28:58):
Maybe so.

Speaker 8 (29:00):
Maybe so Well, thank you guys for the input. I'm
just curious about that.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
Thank you, yeah to tweet us. Like I said, I
didn't have the volume on in that part of the game.
I do know there were a lot of Astros fans
there last night. You could hear with air horns and
maybe not with air. I mean, that's that's one of
the trips you got to make throughout the season. I
feel like, I mean, P and C Park looks like
a gorgeous baseball Taj Mahal and I haven't been there yet, unfortunately,

(29:25):
but if if I'm ever going to knock Pittsburgh, which
is way down off the butt, way down on the
bucket list, it would be specifically to go to that ballpark. Yeah,
I mean, I've said that P and C is on
the list. Petco San Diego, I've been Peco's gorgeous. I
was gonna say I mean, and if I'm not mistaken,
imagine San Diego is not so bad either. Yeah, I mean,

(29:45):
you know, you mean I can go watch baseball and
sit in ideal weather where basically I'm sitting in pretty
much the you know, feeling of an air conditioned room
while watching baseball.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Oh weird that. I'm not sure that I would want
to be able to do that.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
But did? I also read that Petco has like the
best your selection in all of baseball? Is that true?

Speaker 6 (30:02):
I was?

Speaker 1 (30:03):
I don't know. I mean, I don't remember what I
drank there loa or something. I'm not trying to make
a blackout drunk drink joke either, but yeah, I don't.
I don't remember. But we did go to Gaslant before
and after, so maybe I maybe. I mean, you know,
who's who's the play? You're a young guy right field.

(30:27):
It was nice, it was a good time. San Diego
is gorgeous. Just don't be like a guy next to
me want to and then you head over to Tijuana
get a couple of street tacos and now I wouldn't
recommend that one. Why not? It's not that bad. I
had a good time. Maybe guys like me shouldn't ed.
You know, you're fine. You look like you could be
from uh yeah, from Argentina. I was gonna say, I'm Dan,
I'm Spanish. How much Spanish do you speak? None? He'd

(30:51):
be fine. Let's get some street tacos, just a threat
out of past so you can say that. Okay, fine,
that's easy. Yeah, so the best tacos and Tomali's all right. Anyways,
we're gonna take a break on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. Dan Matthews is here. Matt Thomas is on
a Darknesster treat with Aaron Rodgers. You want to get in,
you can seven one three two one two five seven

(31:13):
ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
Bryant Bogas seven coming up at eleven o'clock. That'll be
some great astros conversation. Don't go anywhere The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Dan Matthews here hanging
out for a little bit. Brian Bogo Sevic coming up.
You guys can get in at seven one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two one

(31:36):
two five seven Ninety've been talking a lot of astros,
but anything you want to get too. We can get
into Ota stuff with the Texans and uh, the off
season rumor mill continues to churn for the Houston Rockets,
mister Matthews, Yes it does. I mean I could get
into that in just a second. But here in the
studio we've got the US Open of Acts throwing it happening.

(31:59):
You got Sam against a guy named Mike Cump Kump.
Watch your language. Come on, now, this is a family show.
What did I say. I'm just kidding. Yes, so okay,
as one certain host of this show would say, peel
the curtain back. So this show, for many many years

(32:19):
was on twelve to three, and so we like to
watch sports here. It is Sports Talk seven ninety. So normally,
if you're gonna get live sports, especially during the summer,
it's MLB Network. Hopefully somebody's got a day game Wednesday
thirty Tuesday maybe, but Wednesday Thursday and the occasional Cubs
on a Friday. You're good. So we could always, for

(32:39):
the most part, watch some live sports going on. You'd
have the occasional European soccer or whatever. Now that it's
a ten to two show, I mean it's just talking
head shows are on right now with perhaps the occasional
European soccer or you gotta go to like ESPN Plus
and it's like the Ladies Lacrosse Whack Championships. That's basically

(33:01):
all we get. So yes, during the break, Dan and
I were just kind of searching for something to watch
and then it popped up on this guide. We've got
the direct TV stream here or marect MeV stream here,
and the OCHO is back. How long is the oacho back?
I guess, I mean I think they do it like
once a year. And then slippery Stairs. Yeah, there's a

(33:23):
slippery stairs competition, like who can keep their footing running
a who can run up slippery stairs the fastest. I'm
gonna be fascinating. I don't know if I'm gonna have
to have you handle the bogus Sevic interview because at
eleven o'clock I'm gonna be locked into slippery stairs. It's
kind of you know, you want to obviously humans don't
have web footing, but you want to like try to
give yourself as best like people footing as possible, so

(33:44):
you try to, you know, put your feet out to
the side right there, because you're going for width, not
for length. At that point, you've got bouldering championships coming up,
and yeah, more rock climbing. Oh yeah, it's about to
be a few and then spike which I don't know
what that is, but I'm gonna be locked into the show,
is what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
That the we the little trampoline on floor and they
spike it down with that yellow ball and they were
going a circle on a field.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
It's like a frat boy game. But like, but what's
the point? Like is it like? Is it like basketball?
Is there a goal? It's like a volleyball like ping
pong and tennis in the same volleyball, ping pong, tennis
and trampoline. Like, so you're supposed to hit it.

Speaker 3 (34:22):
So you have a teammate, okay, and you spike the
ball down to the little trampoline.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
Oh, you spike it into the trampoline, you bounce it
over and that other other team has to get that
before hits the ground.

Speaker 1 (34:31):
Yeah, that's that's drunken frat boy stuff.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
Yeah, it's like old four square. Yeah most.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
Hey, I was at the five build house last week. Man,
they're playing this thing called spike ball. That's what happens Okay, Yeah,
drunken frat people came up with that. There's no doubt
in my mind for sure, and then they all got
in fist fights. Anyways, after drinking, after chugging a bottle
of Boons Farm. So I'm locked into the show today.
As you mentioned it is, did you know the US

(34:58):
Open was on today? You didn't know? So that did you?

Speaker 8 (35:00):
Dan?

Speaker 1 (35:01):
It's the US Opened of AX throwing five thousand dollars
in the championship round. That's kind of low. What's air
fair to get over there?

Speaker 9 (35:08):
All right?

Speaker 1 (35:09):
Well, anyways, we're locked in on the AX Champion Acts
Throwing Championship. But I was talking to you about what
we were talking about Rockets trade rumors.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yeah, I mean the trade rumors are out there.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
Kelly Ico coming out with a piece yesterday of you
know what the Rockets could be involved in, and I
mean interested in gianness, but availability and also pricing are
a huge part of that. Brooks Lopez as a possible
Steven Adams replacement if you don't bring back Steven Adams,
an increased role for Reed Shepherd. But this was an
interesting one this morning from Mark Stein. The Knicks are

(35:42):
expected to show interest in EMA Udoka and Jason Kidd,
while Johnny Bryant, who has been an assistant, and Jay
Wright also considered presumed candidates we were talking about earlier
Me and Gordy were on the Sean Salisbury Show, which
you can catch every single weekday morning six to ten am.
But I May has two years left on his current deal,
making about seven and a half million dollars a season.

(36:04):
It was a four year, twenty eight and a half
million dollar deal that he signed when he joined the
team back in twenty twenty three. This to me, has
nothing more than it's ramping up to a week from now,
two weeks from now. Hey, guys, just we'll let you
know in this press release that Imay Dooka has agreed
to a new four year contract extension with the Rocket.

(36:25):
That's what this feels like. This feels like, uh huh, Yeah,
they have interest. Jason Kidd and Ema Doka are two
names who intrigue the Knicks. Okay, well, but Kid is
an interesting one. That is one that I might meet
you on because he did sign an extension this time
last year. Uh huh. But what also happened between this
time last year and right now he traded away as

(36:48):
best player, and then you made him awkwardly sit up
there with Nico Harrison trying to explain why you traded
Luca when you could clearly tell two things.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
A he didn't want to be there and two he
didn't agree.

Speaker 1 (36:58):
With the move. So wouldn't it be any better fu
to that organization for Jason Kidd to say, oh, the Knicks,
you're offering me this. I got a guy that I
used to have here that you also traded away in
Jalen Brunson. And I've got a team that just went
to the Eastern Conference finals, and I'm not in danger
of having my best player traded away anytime soon.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Yeah, guess what, see if Kyrie Irving, I don't.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
Know what the whole situation with him opting in and
coming back in the middle of the next season and
stuff like that, but every now and Anthony Davis and
Cooper Flagg. I mean, that's a pretty decent situation there
in Dallas for the Mavericks. But you can be intrigued
all you want. Emaodoka is not going anywhere. The Houston
Rockets organization is not going to have that. This is
this big market mentality and I'm not necessarily accusing mark

(37:45):
Stein of this because if he heard it from people,
he heard it from people like we're the big, bad
New York Knits, Knicks, who, by the way, haven't won
a championship since the early seventies. The Rockets have been
more relevant than the Knicks over the last ten plus
years or so. So no, it's not happening, Amo, Dook
ain't going anywhere. I think you're exactly right coming up
soon when we hear about some quart of sort of

(38:06):
multi year with a pay boost extension signed by Iman Doka.
If not, I mean I wouldn't be shocked it off
it happened in the next couple of months. Well, and
then also too, I mean talking about a place that
you could go to where they are irrational. They are
you know, reactionary in terms of making moves like this,
where yeah, you just lost to the Pacers, but you

(38:27):
weren't supposed to beat the Pacers. Anybody with half a
brain in their head knew that the Pacers were a
better basketball team than you were.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
I mean, you hadn't been.

Speaker 1 (38:34):
In this spot since two twenty five years, since that
team had reached that point of the NBA playoffs, and
you say, oh, well it's not enough.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
We're moving on at this point.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
I mean, I didn't know of any perceived you know,
riffs inside the locker room where you know, being annoyed
with his coaching style or anything like that. Even if
it's the case, work it out during the offseason and
if next season doesn't go the way you hope, then
that's when you make the move. Yeah, huh a, right, well,
I gotta get rid of Tibbs. Unfortunately, thank you for
taking them to heights they hadn't seen in years. Was

(39:06):
getting fired, But no, you can't have coach u Doka.
Now can do what? Now? Maybe he can finally get
rid of whatever hair he has, because man, he's been
fighting the struggle with that one where it's just like, dude,
just get rid of the hair. And if he does,
then he'll absolutely look like grew Yeah, his entirely Yeah,
his entire life has been basketball. He's sixty seven years old,

(39:26):
probably doesn't get another head coaching job anywhere else, and
well for somebody who lives and breathes basketball, and it'd
be interesting to see what happens with him all right,
Time for another break here on The Matt Thomas Show.
With Ross.

Speaker 10 (39:40):
Dan.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Appreciate you hanging out man. Thank you, Yeah, buddy, it's
great filling those shoes expertly. With Matt Thomas out, he'll
be out today and tomorrow. I am with you now.
We got Brian Bogasavic coming up at eleven o'clock eight.
No body got time for that slast shut yo bum
ass up coming up at eleven thirty as well, with
you until two o'clock. It is the Matt Thomas Show
with back with Brian Bogacevic. Power number two of the

(40:04):
Matt Thomas Show with Ross here on a Sports Talk
seven ninety Ros Viriel with you. Matt Thomas out today
and tomorrow. We've got the News at noon coming up.
We have ain't nobody got time for that slast chef
joebomass up coming up at eleven thirty. But right now
please to be joined by one of my favorite guests
on the week of the Whole Station, Brian Bogacevic. Space

(40:27):
City Home Network joins us Wednesdays at eleven o'clock. Brian,
let's just start with what we saw last night on
the hill, not the Paul skiing side, poor guy. Eight innings,
a one run ball, and you can pick up the
l But Lanceer Coullors Junior back to back quality starts.
How about that from a guy who's been through such
a long journey.

Speaker 10 (40:48):
Yeah, it's been a It's been a ride, hasn't it.
I think it's you know, very important to remember that
once a guy is deemed healthy and active, that that's
not necessarily he's the guy who is going to be
you know, that's kind of the last step in the process.

(41:08):
There's still a lot of progress to me to be
made once somebody returns to action, because I mean we've
seen lance you know over whatever, it's six starts now. However,
many continue to get better and better and incrementally, right, Like,
sometimes it'll be a little bit of the velocity either
being up a tick or just maintaining velocity a little

(41:29):
bit deeper into an outing, or you know, having a
little bit more sharpness to a breaking ball, or having
both versions of the breaking ball working at the same time.
So there are steps to take even after your you know,
quote unquote healthy and back into the rotation. But no,
it's it's been great. I mean he continues to get better.
He's really got a feel for the off speed stuff,

(41:51):
and you know, he had to be fairly certain that,
you know, given health, eventually that feel for the breaking pitch,
to feel for spin and varying the shape so the
breaking ball will come back, because that's kind of always
what he's been a master at. And it's you know,
it's been a lot of fun to watch, you know,
a guy who's just able to go out there and

(42:12):
compete because that's what he does, you know, at his best,
what Lance mccullor does is he goes out there and
he figures out a way to compete. And it's and
it's enjoyable to watch.

Speaker 1 (42:21):
Yes, it is. And it's just to me, it's such
a fascinating story. I mean, just it feels like you
get to like write a book or a movie or
both about this. It's just so fascinating and intriguing to me.
The where he goes to rehab to miss those two years.
Can you just i mean speak to to what it
takes internally from Lance mcullor's junior, it's impressive to me,

(42:45):
the mental fortitude to battle back, the way that he
has to fight off. I mean, in the back of
his mind it's always got to be when's the next
you're gonna drop when am I in next gonna feel
some discomfort, and he keeps pushing through that and now
he's being on the mound getting out at the major
league level.

Speaker 10 (43:03):
No, it's it's crazy. I mean, just the right determination
and the willingness to stick to it and to keep
trying and keep coming back and have set backs and restarts.
You know, that says a lot about him personally, right.
It also says a lot about how much the guy
loves baseball and loves the team, right. You know, there's

(43:23):
a lot of people in his situation who would say,
you know what, I've had my success, I've made my money.
I guess that's just over. But it's a guy who
just wants to go out there and play. I think
one thing that people don't realize about players when they
are rehabbing is it is a completely different experience from

(43:44):
a player who is playing in terms of you are
very often removed from the team. Not not that you're
not welcome around the team, but you know your work
is going on early before the rest of the team
is out there doing their work. You know, sometimes you're
staying behind at a spring training complex to do your
rehab and once the seasons start and the affiliates start,
those places are cleared out, and there's a lot of

(44:06):
time in an empty clubhouse by yourself. And when you're
in an empty clubhouse and you're sitting there with with
you know, an ice pack on your elbow, and you're
just there with your thoughts about, man, I've got another injury.
You know, another six months, another throwing program started again.
You know, you can start having some thoughts that you

(44:26):
don't want to have about where you stand in the game.
And to be able to fight through that, along with
the physical stuff of trying to just get your arm
back healthy and get your body back healthy to be
able to go out there and get out at the
major league level, it is a long, long journey. And
you know, that's why you'll see it throughout baseball is
when guys come back from long sets, from long injuries,

(44:49):
right Tommy John stuff, Nie things, you know, where they
miss a year, everybody across the game is happy to
see them back, and there'll be guys giving them a
little nod and a little you know, hey, you know,
good for you, because they really lies would it takes.

Speaker 1 (45:01):
Last bit on Lansmacullors one hundred and two pitches two
starts ago, ninety six pitches in a last star. Do
you think that's a function of there has been some
starting pitching injuries and we maybe need to push him
a little bit, or do you think independent of all
that this is where he would be.

Speaker 10 (45:18):
I don't think they would push him to a place
that they that they weren't comfortable doing just because you know,
all of a sudden, there's another injury and we're going
to throw you to one hundred pitches instead of eighty pitches.
That that wouldn't be that wouldn't be a safe thing
to do for him. I do think they're willing to
take him to his limit a little more and maybe

(45:39):
expose him to a lineup, you know, a third or
fourth time, or expose him to a matchup that maybe
they would they would fire on into the bullpen given
full strength in the rotation, just because that's what they need.
I mean, they absolutely not only do they need a
quality pitcher to go out there and get out for that,

(46:00):
they need people to eat innings and you know what
you're going to get from Hunter and fromber that in
that sense, but at the back end of the bullpen,
back into the rotation. You don't really know what you're
going to get. So when you've got a veteran like Lance,
who you know, he can go out there and he'll
figure out how to get through an inning and he'll
figure out how to maybe you know, he'll give guys
a different look the third time through then maybe he

(46:20):
gave him the first time. So there's probably just a
little bit more trust in if we've got to push somebody,
he's going to be the guy that we're going to
do it, versus, you know, the rookies who are just
trying to figure out how to get out in the
big leagues for the first time.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
Former Astro and Space City Home Networks Brian Bogasvic with
us here on Sports Talk seven ninety Josh Hater sixteen
saves also has a win. The Astros have thirty three wins.
He has factored in that way in seventeen of them.
Obviously huge. And what do you think has been the

(46:53):
difference for him this year?

Speaker 10 (46:56):
You know, I don't I don't think there's any difference
in his stuff.

Speaker 6 (46:59):
Right.

Speaker 10 (47:00):
His pitches look pretty much the same. He is executing
them very well that you know, that's needless to say
there's probably just a little bit more comfort. You know,
obviously second year with the team, you'll be a little
bit more comfortable, even even for a guy who's coming
back to an organization, So you hit the ground running
day one. I will say this, there's there's a little

(47:21):
bit of a different pitch mix. He last year got
very fastball heavy, and for good reason. You know, it's
one of the best pitches in baseball, and he's batting
average against on it was you know, one sixty something.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
But there's a little bit more of a.

Speaker 10 (47:37):
Fifty to fifty split between the fastball and the slider.
And you know, if if you're facing Josh Hader as
a hitter, you almost have.

Speaker 6 (47:47):
To guess right.

Speaker 10 (47:47):
If you're going to give yourself a chance, you've got
a guess. And if he can, you know, tip the
scales just a little bit more to where you know
it's not seventy thirty and it's fifty to fifty, and
you're going to guess wrong a little bit more often.
He's going to be that much more effective because you know,
both of those pitches are as good an individual pitch
as there is in baseball. You put them both together

(48:08):
and you don't know what you're getting an any given situation.
Good luck, and you know, Hitters haven't had a whole
lot of it against him this year.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
I'm interested on your perspective in the whole Jordon Alvarez saga,
the way that it played out, and it seemed like
they weren't forthcoming with a lot of information. Then it
sounds like he's coming back, and then of course now
it's a fracture. How much do you feel that this
is possibly on the Astros Dana Brown admitting that they
may have rushed him back from from the initial hand soreness.

(48:39):
How much of this is kind of a freak accident
thing that could happen to any team, and especially with
the context that we kind of went through something similar
with Kyle Tucker last year.

Speaker 10 (48:49):
Yeah, I think I think all of those things put
together makes for you know, a lot of people who
are unhappy with the situation all around. I'll say this.

Speaker 6 (49:01):
I'll start by.

Speaker 10 (49:01):
Saying I had an injury at one point in my
career where an X ray showed no fracture, and then
two weeks later an MRI showed a fracture. So I've
been down that road and I know that that happens.
I think probably from the outside looking in fan standpoint,
you're probably most frustrated with the communication. But I mean,

(49:24):
the fact of the matter is is besides designating an injury,
when a team puts somebody on the injured list, teams
don't owe anybody anything to say. And I know that's frustrating,
but that's just kind of the way it is. I
think from a player standpoint, from what I would think
Jordan is feeling. The worst thing to have from an

(49:45):
injury standpoint as a player is not knowing right, feeling
that something is wrong, but not having a diagnosis, not
having a definitive timeline, and at least now that it's
been found and they know, then you know, he can
kind of be at ease with where this process is because,
you know, going out there and saying, man, it just
doesn't feel right, and then hearing from the training staff that, well,

(50:08):
we think it is right is really frustrating. But you know,
hopefully we've moved past all the ambiguity and it's defined
and because I mean, we just need the guy back
and that's the bottom line, and he wants to be back,
the team wants him back. The fans want him back,
and once he is back, hopefully we can just put
it all the rest.

Speaker 9 (50:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
Now, I was also intrigued by the angle I saw
in the Channel of Rome article about Jordan getting a
second opinion through through his agent. Is is that something
that is that is very common or is that something
that we should we should raise an eyebrow on.

Speaker 10 (50:41):
No, it's very common. I mean a lot of a
lot of times when players get second opinions, it's because
their first opinion they didn't like it.

Speaker 2 (50:49):
You know, you see it all the.

Speaker 10 (50:50):
Time when when guys are having Tommy John, they're getting
a second opinion because the first one said they needed
Tommy John.

Speaker 6 (50:55):
Right. That's but players do.

Speaker 10 (50:57):
That just because again, you want to know and if
and if things are coming back inconclusive or you know,
you're you're hearing it might be this, or it might
be that. You know, there's a lot of really good
doctors out there, and the more people you can have
looking at things, the more different sets of eyes and
kind of different experiences that you can have looking at it,
the better because the end of the day is we

(51:18):
want to get it figured out so that we can
figure out how to fix it. And so no, I
don't I don't really take a whole lot away from
from players getting second opinions because until until you know
something definitively you you want to have you know, as
many people looking at it as possible.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
Very short sample size so far with Jacob Melton, but
a couple of good AB's last night, including working that
walk against Paul Schemes.

Speaker 10 (51:43):
No, absolutely, and that's and that's the you know, from
an offensive standpoint with him, everybody's always talked about the
tools and just you know, controlling the strike zone more
to allow the tools to play. And again, like you said,
very small sample size. But but if he can do that,
I mean, if he puts the ball in play, he

(52:03):
can really run, so he's gonna get on base. He's
a he's a strong, kind of explosive athletic guy, so
there's gonna be popping that bat. And if you can,
you know, not chase pitches out of the zone. He's
got some tools that will play in the zone. And
you know, having another left handed option is huge for
this team.

Speaker 2 (52:23):
Having a guy who.

Speaker 10 (52:24):
Can really go out and run him down in the outfield.
You put put him out there with Jake Myers, and
Cam Smith to other guys who can.

Speaker 1 (52:31):
Really go get it.

Speaker 10 (52:32):
Yeah, it's a it's a really good addition to the roster.

Speaker 1 (52:35):
Brian bogas Sevic appreciate the time as always Space Sin
City Home Networks own and a weekly guest eleven o'clock
Wednesdays here on a Sports Talk seven ninety. Brian appreciate it.
We'll talk to you down the road.

Speaker 10 (52:47):
All right, thanks e.

Speaker 1 (52:48):
All right, there you go. Great stuff with Brian boga
Sevic as always, you want to wrack to anything he
had to say. Good stuff on LASTMA Colors Junior, Josh
Hader jord on injury as well. You can get in
seven one three two one two five seven ninety. Is
your phone number? Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety Coming up at noon. We'll have the News
at noon with Jonathan Allen. We also have coming up

(53:12):
at eleven o'clock. It will be excuse me coming up
at eleven thirty. It will be Ain't no body got
time for that? Slash shut Joe bomb ass up. It's
all here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross What
do you on? Two two with you until two o'clock
here on Sports Talk seven ninety coming up in the
next segment. If there's something you gotta get off your chest,

(53:33):
there's somebody that has been bothering you, there's something someone
said that no, you just don't agree with and they
need to shut their bomb ass up. If there's something
happening that you just ain't got time for, that's coming
up the best segment of the week at eleven thirty
here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross phone lines
open now it's seven one three two one two five

(53:55):
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven
ninety thanks to Briangus seven great conversation with him talking
to Astros as well, and did spend a lot of
the time talking about Lance Collis Junior. But I just
continue to be fascinated with the track that he is on,
and the story is not written. It will continue to
He'll continue to go out on the mounta and will

(54:17):
continue to get gather more data as it were, and
get more of a sample size and figure out where
he is and where he's gonna be and all those things.
But to get back to where he was and all
the hate and I'm not even talking about the death
threat stuff. If you if you haven't heard that was
uncovered that it was. It was somebody, it was a

(54:38):
foreigner who was inebriated, and of course gambling related with
the death threats that he received.

Speaker 2 (54:47):
Uh, I'm not even talking about that.

Speaker 1 (54:49):
I'm just talking about like everybody making him becoming the
butt of every joke anytime you heard anything that he
was doing, whether he was rehabbing or whether I mean
he was literally at like he had that with the
coffee shop that he was doing coffee and cocktails. It
was called Maven or something like now and I think
it's it's been bought out or he's in a partnership
with someone else. I don't know about the busy dealing

(55:09):
side of that, but it would be some puff piece
written by the Chronicle or someone else. And it's like
Lance mccullor's junior showing off his coffee and like, oh
did he hurt his elbow? Oh, he's on the il
for his coffee shop. And it's just all that type
of stuff, which it's fine, it's fair game. It doesn't
hurt anybody, but it's also something that's out of Lance

(55:33):
mccullor's junior control. He's not out there trying to rip
up his elbow and be out for multiple years. So
he's been on this long journey. He's back out there.
I mean, bury me in the age, all that type
of stuff he's been. He's just a fiery guy out
of the mound. A competitor loves baseball. As Brian bogus

(55:54):
Sevik said, you don't paddle back through Tommy John and
then this two year Fletcher strain injury with surgery and
setbacks if you do not love baseball. He's been making
sitting on the sideline seventeen and a half eighteen million
dollars a year, so he should be financially set for life.
And as I mentioned, got the business stuff with the coffee.
Like if Lann Speilers Junior didn't care about baseball, he

(56:15):
wouldn't have to be out there. But clearly he has
something to prove to himself, something to prove to others.
And it's great to see to him have back to
back quality starts. Forgiving that the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup isn't
very good, but the A's lineup is pretty good and
the walk numbers have been down. He's been throwing strikes.
Good to see him at this point lower ends ERA

(56:37):
to four point four to four on the season, and
since he had that disastrous start against the Cincinnati Reds
where he only went a third of an inning and
he gave up seven earned runs, you are here talking
about a vast improvement ERA of two point two one
in that time. So yeah, he's been rounding into form,

(56:58):
has been Lance. Pick seven seven ninety is the phone
number of Philip in Pairland is on the phones. What's up,
Philip Ross, Hey.

Speaker 7 (57:09):
Buddy, Yeah, with Lance. It's so encouraging to see him.
He must have been frustrated for years to see him
come back in the pitch so well, it's really I mean,
I feel that he's got he's really relieved, and I'm
sure he's feeling super great right now, and I'm glad
for it.

Speaker 6 (57:28):
Of course.

Speaker 8 (57:29):
Uh, Ross, you faked me out there.

Speaker 7 (57:32):
I was all ready for a shut your butt ass
up line. You know, I want the Knicks to shut
up about hunting down our Rockets. Coach Emadoka, please please
stop that immediately. And the other thing was last night
I listened to the the Pittsburgh radio broadcast of the game,

(57:53):
and I heard a lot of.

Speaker 1 (57:55):
Buy that Philip Sports Talk seven ninety user home for
you Houston Astros for free on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 7 (58:04):
Yeah, I do, but I like to hear what the
other team is talking, how they're talking about us too.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
Do the Pirates even bother to broadcast the games? Yes?
Of course, Okay, I'm sorry, go ahead, go ahead. What
was was? What was the HAPs on the of the
Pirates broadcast?

Speaker 7 (58:27):
Oh? The like when Tommy fam struck out in the
ninth they bowed heavily. There there was another I think
right before him, when the guy I think when the
guy got caught uh at second stealing.

Speaker 1 (58:38):
Yeah, cruise and his an came off the bag.

Speaker 7 (58:43):
Yeah, yeah, I think they bowed then. They were not
happy crowd. No, man, where's the TV? The Space City?
But I did watch the Space City TV?

Speaker 9 (58:55):
And I did.

Speaker 10 (58:55):
I did watch the post.

Speaker 7 (58:57):
Game on on the rate on you guys seven ninety.
Oh yeah great, but I was tired by then. And yeah,
I don't know.

Speaker 8 (59:05):
It was somebody else. It wasn't you Ross, so I no.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Yeah, oh if it was me, I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 (59:11):
Phillip. Yeah, thank yeah, Yeah, I love you ros.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
Philip Later never heard of him, never heard of him,
all right, appreciate you, Philip, thanks for getting in seven
one three two one two five seventh ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. Yes, we on
Sports Talk seven ninety are your home for Houston Astros baseball.
You can also use it on the iHeartRadio app. It's
not gonna cost you a penny. It is like a geofence,

(59:37):
as they call it. You got to be in the
Houston area to make sure you're gonna listen to it.
But we appreciate you folks listening to your home for
your Houston Astros Sports Talk seven ninety. But yeah, I mean,
if you're a Pirates fan, should you even be allowed
to boo? I mean you're supposed to boo when someone
falls short of your expectations. Can you boo when it's
the Pirates? Like in Colorado even though actually I think

(01:00:01):
they won a series. The don't look now, folks, Colorado Rockies,
they've won two in a row. They're going streaking, folks,
They've won eleven now won a series going for the
sweep against the Miami Marlins. But anyways, if your expectations
are that low, like, why would you even bother bo
why would you pay money to go see the Pittsburgh

(01:00:24):
Pirates and expect them to win and then boo no.
It's almost kind of like in the background, it's like
you're watching for a fun time. You're watching for like
I don't know, player development, and I guess it is
Paul Skins, and they're expecting, at least if you're gonna
spend money, your hard earned money in Pittsburgh to see
one Pittsburgh Pirates game, it's probably gonna be to see

(01:00:46):
Paul skeens and then you're hoping he's gonna go out
there and win. They're like, this guy hadn't pitched in
two years and he's shutting us down. Even then, the
attendance was very poor. I know it's midweek and I
don't know when schools get out in Pittsburgh, but fifteen thousand,

(01:01:06):
eight hundred and ninety one at P and C Park,
you've got Paul Skimes versus Lance mccullors Junior in one
of the most beautiful settings in baseball. I don't even
know what the weather was in Pittsburgh, but I gonna
imagine it's pretty pleasant for summer. And let's see today,
it's eighty two degrees, all right, that's a little warm,

(01:01:27):
but it's still an evening game. It was a six
forty local time first pitch. You can't even draw sixteen
thousand to a Paul Skiing start. It's Pittsburgh. And then,
like I said, how can they disappoint you when your
expectations should be so low. You should not be booing
Paul Skiings or the or the Pittsburgh Pirates. That just

(01:01:51):
ain't right. That's that's like booing the sixth grade band
because they're off time. That's just how it's gonna go.
You should you should basically just expect it. At that point,
Robert and Katie go ahead.

Speaker 11 (01:02:03):
Hey, well that was a good competison with the sixth grade.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
I like that, Thank you.

Speaker 7 (01:02:07):
I wanted to talk.

Speaker 11 (01:02:08):
I wanted to talk about how Tuba playing second base
last night and how sharp he looked, and I was
wondering to be what his position back in The new
guy out in left field was doing pretty good. I
was just wondering, maybe our current second baseman might be replaced.

Speaker 6 (01:02:24):
What are you thinking about that?

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
Yeah, that's interesting to me, and I noticed that too.
It makes a lot of logical sense, and it is
a complicated thing to kind of parse through with the
Astros and what they're going to try to do. If
you made it this big, long off season story where

(01:02:47):
it was the story of spring training was jose Al Tuvey,
who is thirty five years old now, and I mean,
let's just be honest, he's on the downhill side of
his career. He's given us great moments, one of the
all time great astros, all that type of stuff. Best
postseason astro not even close. If you made it this big,

(01:03:08):
this offseason story. You talked about how you wanted to
have him out there every day, and then do you
do feel a little pressure within yourself to continue to
put him back out there in left field because you've
invested all this time and having him go out there
and learn the position. But then the way that things broke,
you were hoping Brendan Rodgers would win the second base spot.

(01:03:29):
He hasn't. You can throw Mauricio Dubon out there occasionally,
but you also like to use him in a utility
role and give other guy's days off. You want to
pigeon hole him in to just being the everyday second baseman,
even though he's been pretty good. Now you do have
Jacob Melton up because of a couple of injuries to
Zach Decenzo, Chas McCormick, Jordan Alvarez. So you do have

(01:03:50):
the flexibility at the DH spot. I don't know. My
answer to your question is, I don't know. It makes
sense to me to put al Tuove at second base
and then have the outfield that you had last night
Melton and left Myers and center camp Smith and right field.
But the reason you moved al Tuove off there because
he's simply not viable defensively as a second baseman. He's

(01:04:12):
just not I mean, how many times this year do
you feel like you've seen a play made by Brendan
Rodgers or Mariso Debon and thought to yourself, jose al
Tuve has no chance at thirty five years old of
making that play. Twenty five year old Hoseel Tuove perhaps
thirty five year old Josel Tuove not so much. So
there is a lot of defensive value lost up the middle.

(01:04:34):
But if it allows you to put that outfield out
that you had last night, do you think of making
it long term or are you gonna mix and match stuff?
Guys are gonna go down with injuries anyways. So he
kind of just ride that train as it goes along.
That's what I figured the Astros will do. The ladder
of the two seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number, Dwayne. I see you

(01:04:56):
on hold. We'll get to you also, have you if
you want to get in? Is there something you you
ain't got time for? I do you want to tell
like Philip, do you want to tell the Knicks to
shut their bomb ass up for coming after coach Udoka?
Anything you would like to talk about? Seven one three
two one two five a seven ninety seven one three
two one two five seven ninety Ain't no body got
time for that? Slash shit? Joe bomb ass up is

(01:05:18):
next here on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 5 (01:05:19):
Ninety can again here, let me again?

Speaker 2 (01:05:22):
Carebut again, tamfid it here?

Speaker 1 (01:05:24):
Let again, tamfid care again, camfidd care we again?

Speaker 11 (01:05:29):
Tamp here?

Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
Let me again here, let again camfid Yes, that's coming
up in a moment you want to get in. That's
called what the folks call a teaser. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven one three two
one two five seven ninety Ain't no body got time

(01:05:50):
for that? Coming up? In just a second. But Dwayne
has been holding. We're gonna get to him really quick,
but you can get in seven one three, two one
two five seven ninety. What's up Dwayne? Hey, guys, Uh, yeah,
that was a cool tool intro.

Speaker 6 (01:06:02):
I dig that.

Speaker 4 (01:06:02):
I dug that.

Speaker 5 (01:06:03):
But no, seriously, my daughters in basketball and all this
stuff about Caitlyn Clark and all the other nonsense that's
going on. Seriously, she likes them both. But I have
a question for you guys of the Astros, who's the
All Star?

Speaker 4 (01:06:22):
That's all I got.

Speaker 1 (01:06:23):
Who's going to make the All Star team? All right?

Speaker 6 (01:06:25):
Thanks?

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Thank all right, appreciate Hunter Brown is a lock. Certainly
Josh Hater feels like a lot. I mean no, Josh
Hater is a lock. As well as far as guys
in the lineup, I think possibly you could see Jeremy
Pana as an All Star. I don't think Jake Myers
is gonna make it, even though that was fun to

(01:06:48):
kind of I want.

Speaker 2 (01:06:50):
To say joke about. But to talk about eastac.

Speaker 1 (01:06:53):
Paradus at third base, let me think Jose Ramirez, well,
Alex Bregman's hurt. Now, I don't think he's gonna make it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:01):
He probably will.

Speaker 1 (01:07:03):
Be on the outside looking in there. But uh, well
Frommer with his last start, it's crazy how I mean
we are sixty games into the season, but still like
one really good start from a starter, or a couple
of hot days as we saw from jose Al Twov
at the plate can really turn things around for you.

Speaker 10 (01:07:22):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
His era is three twelve, so maybe he has a spot.
But I would say for sure, Hunter Brown, for sure,
Josh Hater, probably Jeremy Paanya, although I'd have to look
around at shortstops. Obviously Bobby wit Junior will be the starter,
but if he can make it in there, I mean
ops eight to fifty and playing great shortstop, He's been great,
has been. Jeremy Painey deserving of an All Star nod

(01:07:45):
this season. That's where I would go right now for
Astros All Stars. All right now, it is time for
you to say, ain't nobody got time for that last shit?
Joe bum Ass up here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross seven to one to three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five

(01:08:08):
seven ninety If you would like to get in, phone
lines open right now, JK Allen and I.

Speaker 2 (01:08:15):
We'll start I'll go first.

Speaker 1 (01:08:17):
You have it yesterday with the story coming out that
an astro excuse me, a Houston Police Department spokesperson describing
a better who lives overseas found as the man who
threatened the life of Lance mccullors junior and his family.
I understand it's fun to get down a parlay. I

(01:08:41):
understand it makes a little bit more interesting watching baseball.
But if you go online and I don't even care,
I know the anonymity of social media has really ruined
basically our day to day lives when we go on
to social media. But you owe it to the overseas
better who was frustrated and inebriated, although it has been
apologetic since for threatening Lance mccullor's junior's family. Shut Jo

(01:09:05):
bumb ass up, I mean, grow up people. Is probably crazy,
Perhaps schizophrenic has a screw loose. I don't know what,
but to go on to social media type those words
and then hit send and then you get found out. Anyways,
you didn't have the anonymity you thought you had. Dumb

(01:09:27):
ass shit, Jo bum ass up? Yeah, shut Jo bomass up.
All right, Jonathan Allen, you can go all right. I
gott feeling today, got feeling sorry? Whoa hey, shut jo
bum ass up? Hit yourself for bumb ass up man.

Speaker 3 (01:09:43):
But for everybody that goes into these drive through lines,
and this is one of my biggest pit pet peeas
ever and you get your food, ain't nobody has time
for you to sit there and check every single follow
If you got it right, there's no point You're so
in siderate is to just drive them drive in the
front of the restaurant maybe if you need to get

(01:10:04):
out and get new food. But you sitting there and
waiting for how many people behind you and sitting there,
ain't nobody got time for it. You know, people come
after me like, oh, I got to check my food,
but who cares? Just go be considerate people behind you
and I'm hungry, Hey, nobody.

Speaker 1 (01:10:18):
Get Hey, you gotta check your food for I would say,
you get like a like a thirty second grace period.
I would say, I would say seventeen second time, and
I'm hun I say it depends on how big the
order is, Like, Okay, let's say you get like five
burgers and ones would like is you don't need to
check and make sure this one doesn't have onions. This
one has tomatoes. No, if you got five burgers, just

(01:10:39):
take them home. I'm with you. Like I was at
the I was at taco place that rhymes with MACHOs,
and I got told I got four different I got
four different tacos breakfast tacos for the peeps, and I
just count four tacos. Hey, Whenever I get home with
it's a mixed bag from that point. As long as
I get the right amount of food, you can figure

(01:11:00):
it out from there.

Speaker 3 (01:11:01):
The only time I get mad is when it's something
I can't eat, Like the other time I was talking
about mcronald's and they gave me that that disgusting cheese.

Speaker 1 (01:11:10):
Whatever did that was gross? But anything else I don't
just eat it was it?

Speaker 3 (01:11:13):
It was a sausage, mcbiddle, Oh like egg And then.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
That's what you wanted. But you ordered a I just
wanted to But you got a biscuit, right, I gotta yes,
I got a bisk The biscuits are delicious. You're still
wrong on that. That's disgusting. Now, come on, man, Honestly,
for breakfast biscuits. To me, it's Rick Lay and Rick Ronalds.
Those are the best biscuits for breakfast and fast food?
What about water burger and popeye'es? Oh yeah, you know what,

(01:11:38):
those are pretty good. Dang, you got me, You got
me on that one's a little overcooked and it's like
it's like a hockey puck. It canna be a little tough.
You know. That actually happened on got a little honey butter.
See yeah, see all right, it can happen anyways. All right,
ain't nobody got time for that? You know what else
I say, Ain't nobody got time for that? I just
did the lancemer Colors Junior when I saw this earlier

(01:11:59):
as well, Fan Duel had to ban somebody for heckling
Gabby Thomas at a track event. Are you serious? All right?
Look now, I'm sure this person because they posted on
X and they were doing it for clicks and they're
like posting a video of them heckling. First of all,
all you cloud chasers need to shut your bum ass up.

(01:12:22):
Chemical Lamar would say, JK, cloud chasing hell of a disease. Brother.

Speaker 3 (01:12:25):
But for those who don't know, Gabby Thomas is a
track runners truck runner and now we got gambling in
track too.

Speaker 6 (01:12:33):
That's great.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
If you are a gambler and you're putting together a
US Women's Olympic Trial track parlay. It's time to seriously
re examine your life. The number you need to go
with one eight hundred gambler. Seriously, I mean, you're you're
out of control. What what is going on with you?

(01:12:57):
And then by tickets to go and sit and then
that it's crazy. I couldn't. I can't believe that.

Speaker 3 (01:13:02):
And you know how it must be at these track
mates to go do that, you must be filled with hate.

Speaker 1 (01:13:07):
Yeah, I don't even know. I don't even know.

Speaker 6 (01:13:10):
That.

Speaker 1 (01:13:10):
That doesn't make any sense. I mean, look, yeah, hey,
hey folks, hi o tross Vireo, and we need to
have a serious discussion about a lot of you folks
out there. Now. I love gambling. I love going to Vegas.
I love playing blackjack, the occasional craps. I might even

(01:13:33):
get inebrated and toss a quick Hunter bucks into a
slot machine and lose it in five seconds. So I'm
with you when it comes to gambling and sports gambling.
What I love it, MLS, unders, w NBA first misshots
now signing really convincing, not gambleedew No, I'm Like I said,
I'm on board with gambling. And even if you want

(01:13:56):
to make a women's track partly, you know what, whatever
tickles your fancy. I'm not gonna kink shame your gambling habits.
But if you're gonna film yourself heckling a gold medalist
track runner because you missed your degenerate track parlay, you

(01:14:20):
need to grow up. So you can always gamble, you
always gamble responsibly and with your mean, within your means.
But to stoop so low as to heckle a track runner,
that's a bridge too far. Stay inside, folks. Stop cloud

(01:14:40):
chasing with Gabby. And if you're going to cloud chase,
you're you're cloud chasing women's track Figure it out, folks,
grow up in these trying times. Thank you for listening
to Sports Talk seven ninety. Thank you.

Speaker 6 (01:14:59):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:14:59):
We would have hit right there, but I got to
tell you something very important. Actually, welcome back to the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas, He'll be
back on a Friday with us here on Sports Talk
seven ninety. In the meantime, you have me Dan Matthews
hung out a little bit earlier. Great guest Brian Boga Sevic.

(01:15:24):
You have Adam Wexer joining us as well, and I
should yeah, Sean Dubit going to join at one thirty
as well. Very good outing for him, ten pitches, eight
strikes in that seventh inning role. So it'd be good
to talk to Sean Dubin. He has been an important part.

(01:15:45):
It's funny I was kind of talking about this earlier
how every year there are some unsung heroes, whether it
be for a couple of weeks, a couple of months
of the season, or the entire season. Like last year
we're now Blanco. It wasn't unsung, but I mean just
kind of coming out of nowhere help holding the glue
together for the Astros. Where would they have been without him,

(01:16:06):
especially down the stretch when they won the American League
West and after the trade for use Kakuchi and battling
and fighting off the Seattle Mariners for the division crown.
You know you've had JP France as well, be a
guy who factors in and holding the glue together for
a rotation for a couple of months here and there.
Brad Peacock like just random guys and random things that

(01:16:26):
happened on any given year. Last year, he was Taylor Scott,
who unfortunately has been DFA this year and right now
the hot hand and a guy who's really been helping
out Sean Dubin for the Stros point seven seven er
on the season. He will join us coming up at
one thirty. Phone lines open at seven one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two, one

(01:16:49):
two five seven ninety Astros bullpen took a hit after
giving up a lot of runs over the last weekend
to the Tampa Bay Rays. I think going into yesterday
it'll be today because what it was through three innings
of shutout ball from the bullpen yesterday, but they were
like ninth in Era all season long, they've been around
first or second in that neighborhood. But the bullpen has

(01:17:11):
been great, and that's one of the question marks that
we had sitting in spring training in West Palm Beach
with myself and Matt Thomas talking about, you know, storylines
for the season, expectations, question marks and bullpen depth. After
Brian Abray, you and Josh Hater with Ryan Presley being

(01:17:32):
dealt away, I was one of the question marks. Dubin's
been good, of course, as we know, for the most part,
Brian King has been very good as well. Other guys
in that bullpen for the Shows have stepped up and
it's been, despite a bad weekend, one of the better
bullpens in baseball. So it has just been fantastic to

(01:17:54):
see how effective a lot of these guys have been,
including a guy like Brian King who did have a
bat outing you give up five and runs, but still
has a pretty good era on the season, Steven Okert,
other guys stepping up and doing well for the Stros.
This bullpen has been really good and an important part
where the Astros are, and that just kind of begs

(01:18:16):
the question. Now, sixty games into one hundred and sixty
two game season, where you do have right now, By
the way, the Astros with the weakest schedule remaining in
baseball in terms of opponents win percentage for sixty six
is their opponent's win percentage. Now that does factor in
six games against the Colorado Rockies. It's funny when you

(01:18:38):
go through this list of teams with the worst schedule
remainings or or weakest schedule remaining, everybody's got at least
six to ten games remaining against the Colorado Rockies. That's
obviously weighing down the opponent win percentage greatly. But they've
got a series left with the White Sox, a couple
more left with the Pirates, eleven games left with the

(01:19:01):
horrible A's. This Astros team, which right now is in
first place, right now, has the best run differential in
the division. They they're in the lead right now, They're
in the cat bird seat. As far as the Mariners
remaining schedule, they only have three games left with the Rockies.

(01:19:22):
They are twentieth in terms of remaining schedule strength for
the opponents. Now, that's all's gonna factor in that the
Angels aren't very good, the A's aren't very good. That's
gonna bog down your opponent's win percentage. But hey, you
got a lot of games left against those teams. Do
the Astros. You have to take care of business. You
have to keep this pitching glued together with lancemc color's
junior coming up huge with back to back quality starts,

(01:19:45):
and then Hunter Brown and Farberval does have to continue
to be great.

Speaker 2 (01:19:47):
I mean, you're at the point where you don't need them.

Speaker 1 (01:19:50):
It's not a not a must win situation for them
every single time they go out. But it's important. You
need to have it because Lance is a provisional member
of a of a circle of trust. Back to back
quality starts looking good, but you know it's always going
to be hanging over his head. That will be the
injury question. Bullpen's been good jord On Alvarez TVD and

(01:20:15):
the Bats have been middle of the pack fourteenth out
of thirty right now in team ops and that's fine.
They could stick around ten to ten to twelve, hopefully
maybe even creep into the top ten. And the pitching
continues to do his thing. They're gonna win this division.
And I'm really not too concerned about the other team's
long term as long as everything holds together, especially as

(01:20:40):
it relates to health and starting pitching.

Speaker 2 (01:20:43):
Health.

Speaker 1 (01:20:43):
All right, Seven one three two point two five seven
ninety is the phone number here on The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross. Seven to one to three two one
two five seven ninety two twelve oh one in ah down,
What's happened to lunch timers? Hello and welcome into our
number three of them Thomas Show with Ross. We've got
Adam Wexer coming up at one o'clock thanks to Dan Matthews,

(01:21:07):
Brian Bogosvik joining us earlier, might have a little conversation
for you there as well. From that some good stuff
with Bogie. But right now it is Jonathan Allen. What's
another edition of all the top sports news items of
the day. We call it the News at noon. Thankross,

(01:21:28):
My name is Jonathan Allen. And sum call music. You
get them to turn the music down a little bit, John, Sorry,
thank you, Okay, turn sorry, I'm making the nervous guys
is okay.

Speaker 3 (01:21:38):
I just want to start off, and of course we
have to talk about Lance mccullis and his amazing six
inning stress getting in and out of jams and just
working his way.

Speaker 1 (01:21:47):
Out and it is just amazing to see.

Speaker 12 (01:21:49):
All Right, get zales on first, there's two outs. Here's
the three to two to Henry Davis. Break the pitch,
gott it strike three, ticked it just barely and Caroten
he's able to hold on. That's the fourth strikeout for mccollers.
And we'll go to the fifth inning now at Pittsburgh Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:22:05):
Nothing in the Pirates, nothing, just a little highlight from
him and Ross I've been hearing and I've been here
for a couple of months now, everybody that calls in.
Are you guys talking about it? It sounded like he
was never gonna get back to he was And I'm
seeing an athlete go defend his bag that helped a team, Yeah,
struggling bullpen that you know has been an eye injury

(01:22:26):
right now with Blanco and of an escape.

Speaker 1 (01:22:28):
Well, uh, Jonathan, I hope if you remember, there was
a certain host on this show who said they're staying
on Lance McCool Colors Junior Island, and he was going
to be an important contributor. Now he could go out
there and his next start and get hurt. So we'll
see what happens there. But just like with the Jake
Myers fan Club when he's sitting three hundred and May,
we got to take credit where it's there. We got

(01:22:49):
to take credit when it's here. Two with Lance mccaullor's
Junior Yeah, I look, and I understand a lot of it
was hate and a lot it's just it's just the
nature of fandom is to complain and to make jokes,
especially on social media. You know, if we see ten
positive remarks and one negative, we're like, oh, everybody's so
negative in social media, and it's not really as much

(01:23:10):
as we think. But yeah, a lot of callers and
rightfully so, with the major injuries at Landspeth Collers Junior
has suffered over the last couple of years, very very
pessimistic that he would continue, he would be able to
be even in the lineup and be effective and be
on the mound for the Astros. So is he injury prone?

(01:23:32):
Of course he has that label. But if he can
keep this up one hundred and two pitches, two starts
to go, ninety six pitches yesterday against the Pittsburgh Pirates,
hopefully he will be able to keep this up and
be an effective starter because it's much needed for the
Astros right now with this rotation and the state of
it is, with Wesnsky and Renal Blanco going down, with

(01:23:53):
Tommy John surgery. What else you got, Jonathan, And.

Speaker 3 (01:23:56):
You know, just before we leave, the Local nine, just
want everybody look at.

Speaker 1 (01:24:00):
You, look at you with the peppering and the baseball
terminology with a Local nine.

Speaker 3 (01:24:04):
You know, I said, I take those, I take those
back as I'm talking about and go. So just even
American League with all the bullpen issues, injuries and you know,
the back and forth on what's going on with the Astros.
A couple months ago they couldn't get a win back
to back. Now we're getting three wins back to back,
back to back. And then they're sitting third in the
American the American League, and of course now sitting first

(01:24:27):
as you've heard, in the American League West. And just
to move on and we'll be done with local nine goal.

Speaker 1 (01:24:32):
I will come in real quick on the Yeah, being
first in the West, it's good. Sixty games into the
season now, I agree with I think Matt was to
tell the truth on Monday. He had the opinion that
it's going to be probably the Mariners and the Astros
battling out. I mean, it is still early. I don't
think Angels are going to be in there. The Rangers
could become a factor at some point, but they just
continue not to hit, even though they're fartan in coach

(01:24:54):
Fared and coach and yeah, the Angels are going to
continue to be bad. But the bats, I mean, they've
had some good moments for the Rangers since firing their
hitting coaches, but it's also been a bag of men
for their bats as well. So it's not just fire
the hitting coaches. And everything's gonna turn around. That's just

(01:25:15):
quite frankly low hanging fruit from some of the fan base.
But I digress. We'll see where the Rangers are. But
the Astros right now in first place. Go ahead, job
and you know, just moving on to the NBA.

Speaker 3 (01:25:26):
That's not too much about except for rocket rumors and
trade rumors with you know everything else. But if you
guys haven't heard from yesterday, the head coach of the
Knicks got fired right after they lost, and he brought
that team to the Eastern Carr Finals for the first
appearance in twenty five years. Ross, you tell me more
about that. I don't understand what's up with the NBA
as a culture, as with these the management all that stuff.

(01:25:46):
It's kind of weird because as I was when I
was like thirteen or so, like, it wasn't like this.
It wasn't like you know, you and TVNC coaches get
fired like that.

Speaker 1 (01:25:53):
Well, the funny thing is it's almost a death knell
for you. If you win NBA Coach of the Year,
which Tom Thibodeau did win I believe in twenty twenty one,
All go and look it up. You're about to be
fired like within the next few years.

Speaker 3 (01:26:11):
Let's go back to some of the that went to Suns. Right,
that's what it started.

Speaker 1 (01:26:16):
Let's see Mike Okay, let's go start with twenty eighteen.
Dwayne Casey won Coach of the Year with the Raptors,
and I believe he was fired that season. Right was
this Mike Budenholtzer with the Bucks then one Coach of
the year. These are the last several coaches since twenty eighteen.
Budenholtzer Coach of the Year with Bucks, He's been fired twice.
Nick Nurse Coach of the Year with the Raptors, He's

(01:26:38):
been fired. He's with the Sixers now. Tom Thibodeau with
the Knicks fired, Monty Williams with the Sons fired, Mike
Brown with the Kings fired. Then the last two are
two of the best teams in basketball. Mark Dignolt with
the Thunder and then Kenny Atkinson won it with a
huge season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But by the way,

(01:26:58):
he was fired by the Was it the New York
Jersey Nets or were they Brooklyn still by then? Yeah,
the Brooklyn Nets, And it was a horrible coach. All
of a sudden, he's coach of the Year. It's just
kind of funny to me. I feel like there is
the biggest difference to me and in NBA coaching is
the playoffs, when you're making in game and in series adjustments.

(01:27:20):
But regular season, for the most part, to me, it
largely comes down to the players. And it's just funny
that all those guys that I ran through, every coach
who won Coach of the Year from seventeen to twenty three,
that's not ancient history. It's back to like eight years ago.
They've all been fired. That's just pretty insane to me.

(01:27:43):
But so that's what it is, and it's almost come
to the point where it's like in European soccer. I
don't know how much you follow that, Jacob Okay, they
fire coaches like they go through them, like you go
through rolls of toilet paper. It's like anytime unless it's
one of the heritage all time great coaches like Pep Guardiola,
Manchester City, well even Carla Agclotte and Celati from Real

(01:28:04):
Madrid was let go after this year after winning the
Champions League basically every season, but they finished second this
year and it's like, all right, you're out. It's insane.
Not quite to that level with NBA, but they just
they just shift. It's like a shift change in hockey.
They're shift changing coaches all the time. It's ridiculous. But
also on the other side of the coin, I do

(01:28:26):
think that Tom Thibodeau act can wear thin as a
sixty seven year old cantankerous, grumpy dude. Yeah, that that
runs his starters into the ground, and his act can
wear thin his very serious basketball. Unfortunately this day and age,
for whatever, I don't have to say unfortunately, you you

(01:28:47):
have for the most part coaches who are buddy buddy
with the players. Now you Menodoka isn't like that here
in Houston. But also you don't have a bunch of
superstar players. It's like, uh, Jalen Green, you want to
act like you're a superstar, and I listen to coach
you Doka, shut your bump mass up. Like you don't
have guys. You do have to have guys that buy in.
But you also, you know, James Harden and Nima Medoka

(01:29:08):
probably would have been like oil and water. But James
hard has been like oil and water with many of
his coaches. But you get what I'm saying. It's a
star driven league coach you dooka thankfully one of the
outliers right now. Hopefully he can stay that way. He
does have the respect of his players. But sometimes that
kind of act, hard nosed task masters, task master act
can wear thin on NBA players. And I think that

(01:29:30):
happened in New York.

Speaker 3 (01:29:31):
Yeah, and just last thing for NBA because I just
saw this thank you for dance suiting me this headline.
But Adam Silver came out today saying that next year's
All Star Game he wants to future a Team USA
versus Team World. And I feel like that's not gonna
do much for the All Star if you asked me

(01:29:52):
of my opinion, but that's what he's saying to doing
just to get more viewerships and all that stuff. And
I don't know, man, you tell me, Ross, I don't.
I don't think the the All Star Game is anything
how it used to be when Kobe and all of
them were playing it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:06):
And they yeah, well, also even back to the day,
like in the eighties and stuff, the guys played hard.
But now they make you know, if you're making fifty
million dollars a year, why do you have to go
in an exhibition game. That means nothing. Why are you
going to go out there and risk injury, even turning
an ankle and missing a couple of weeks and stuff
like that, and you're you're trying to focus on the playoffs.
And in the NBA, it's all about ring culture, is
what it's become. Rings, rings, rings, rings, rings. You don't

(01:30:29):
want a ring, you suck. Oh you don't have a ring.
Oh you suck. Oh you only have two rings, You're
the worst.

Speaker 2 (01:30:33):
Like it's just also ring culture.

Speaker 1 (01:30:34):
So everybody's focused on staying healthy for the playoffs, and
that's what it's become. DraftKings put out a potential starting
five for USA versus the World. They got Anthony Davis, Lebron,
James Aunt Edwards, Donovan Mitchell, and Steph Curry versus Wimby,
Jannis Nikola, Jokic, Luka Duncic and Shake Gilga Alexander I.

(01:30:58):
I got Team World.

Speaker 3 (01:30:59):
That That's exactly what I'm gonna say that.

Speaker 1 (01:31:03):
And by the way, Joelle Embiid was playing for Team
USA in the Olympics. But uh, he is born Was
he born in Cameroon or Embiid? Yeah, Maroon? He was
born Cameroon. Yeah, yeah, so would he be USA or
would it be the world, or he would have a
flexed choice. Remember he picked the Olympics, like he yeah,
because he's a United States citizens. So I think that's

(01:31:24):
a lame He's it's like a chemologia when I believe
played for Team USA in nineteen ninety six, even though
he was Nigerian, he was a United States citizens.

Speaker 2 (01:31:31):
So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:31:32):
How about this. You had a three team tournament, you
got the flex guys, dual citizens versus the world versus
the United States. Round robin tournament round. I'm just kidding. Now,
put them all in the back. Now, put two, three,
four baskets on the floor. No, I don't know. They're
gonna have to come up with some kind of gimmick.
I think initially my interest will be high in something

(01:31:53):
like this, but then this is what's gonna happen. I'd
be like, oh, yeah, usavers the world. This sounds great.
The Sunday comes around, excuse me. Then Sunday comes around
and I'm gonna forget about it and not even turn it.

Speaker 3 (01:32:05):
On unless and I think, I think what Adam Silvers
trying to do is showcase the world skill and across
the world and say, Hi, the NBA has all this
world talent, you know, because the world is catching up
in basketball. But I feel like, I don't know, I
don't know. I just I don't really like that idea.
But I'm not gonna get sit too much. I'll have
too much around. Yeah, yeah, we'll see. It looks like

(01:32:25):
the world would be a favorite right now. All right,
we are going to take a break here on the match.
I'm a show with Ross.

Speaker 1 (01:32:31):
Thank you for the news. Yeah, I'm sorry, go ahead,
go ahead and lock it out. Jonathan is JK and
that's your news. Oh yeah, I look at this red
the budding radio professional folks. Jonathan Allen with the news
at noon. We got Adam Wexer coming up at one o'clock.
We also have Sean Dubin coming up at one thirty.
You guys want to get in, you can seven one

(01:32:52):
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three
two one two five seven ninety Dana Brown earlier today
with an update out update on YRD, on Alvarez, Lance, Pacculors, Arraghetti,
Luis Garcia and more. Will bring you a little bit
of that when we come back here on the Matt
Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk seven ninety Adam
watch they're coming up at one o'clock helping me out.

(01:33:14):
Matt Thomas is out on the Matt Thomas Show with
Ross Ross. I'm with you find solo until then. So
if you want to get in and that be the
co host for a couple of minutes, we can go
back and forth talk some sports. We're talking astros, we've
been talking well, we haven't talked much about the Texans OTAs,
but they have some stuff going on over there.

Speaker 2 (01:33:32):
If you want to get in on that as well.

Speaker 1 (01:33:35):
Phone lines open seven one three, two one two five,
seven ninety if you have not heard. Also Mark Stein,
NBA reporter, floating out that the Nicks are quote intrigued
end quote by the idea of Jason Kidd or Ema
a Doka, Like you can be intrigued all you want,
I mean, unless you're really just gonna send a massive

(01:33:57):
draft package or something. He's under contract for two more years,
and it's not like draft picks are gonna be very
good from the next with with how good they are
and how good they would be with Emia a Doka
at the helm, it just it seems like a non starter.
It seems like a beginning of June Nothing story. You
can be intrigued all you want by Emia Doka. I
think raffel Stone's gonna pick up the phone because he

(01:34:19):
says he'll He always says, I'll always pick up the phone.
He might pick up the phone on that, but then
he's gonna hang up rather quickly on the New York
Knicks if they try to call with all that bs.
But Gerson Roses is the gem over there and does
have a history with raffel Stone and the Houston Rockets.
But who is the something Rose? The Knicks president of
Team Upper Leon Rose sounds like an R and B

(01:34:42):
singer from the eighties. Leon Rose gonna play the hits
and then he's also gonna try to trade for emy
U dooka seven one three two one two five seven
nine of the phone number. As I said, if you
want to get to anything mentioned that earlier. Today, we
had Dana Brown on every Wednesday nine thirty. Look, we
are lucky to the home of your astros. We do
really appreciate having them, and we're lucky the access that

(01:35:04):
they give us with great interviews with guys who are
our pretty forthcoming for the most part unless it comes
to injuries. But anyways, we get Joe a spot at
twelve thirty Tuesdays here on Sports Talk seven ninety Dana
Brown nine to thirty on Wednesdays. So wanted to bring
you guys some of the answers from Dana Brown and
everything going on with the Astros as they got the

(01:35:26):
victory yesterday three nothing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Of course,
we have been talking a lot about the yord On saga.
If somehow you've been living under a rock. It was
a muscle strain. Then apparently he was trying to build
back from that reinjured it during BP. Turns out there
as a fracture. Fracture is sixty percent heeled according to

(01:35:47):
Dana Brown from over the weekend. But where do we
go from here? An update on jord On Alvarez and
his injury.

Speaker 9 (01:35:56):
Yeah, so he just couldn't continue to rest. You know,
he'll he's not going to hit and he's not going
to throw, but he'll continue to rest there. But he'll
he'll be he'll run. He can do baseball activities in
terms of shagging fly balls, but no ticking up the
bat let. The hand rest and it should he'll it

(01:36:19):
was at sixty percent healed, and so you know he's progressive.

Speaker 1 (01:36:25):
Okay, so he's still going with the Uh so the update,
we're wondering, like we've been talking about this, if it's
been a month and he's at sixty percent, what percent
is he going to be at in a week? And
really it feels like with injuries, like going from twenty
percent to eighty percent is easier than going from eighty
percent to one hundred percent. It's the last percent that

(01:36:46):
you have to build up to where you're feeling one
hundred percent. So he's going with sixty percent, and he
said it a few days ago. Obviously, it's not like
he's well, he is the general manager and talking to
players and he's around the team and all that type
of stuff. It's not like he's getting minute by minute updates. So, uh,

(01:37:08):
maybe we can take that with a grain of salt
and hope that things are progressing for yord On Alvarez
and he can get back in the lineup. I've taken
the position like, okay, just kind of wake me up
when he's back in the lineup. It's been such a
saga we've been dealing with the astros. We did it
last year, and I said as much last year as well.
It's like every it's the everyday Kyle Tucker update. Is
it a bruise? Is it a fracture? Turns out it's

(01:37:30):
a fracture, and they didn't want to release that until
Chandler Roome was going to go public with it after
talking to multiple league sources. It just became a whole fiasco.

Speaker 3 (01:37:38):
I really think that it was a hand fracture of
the entire time, either Jordan was trying to push through
it and not really trying to get a doctor scene. Yeah,
Dana Brown coming out and saying it's sixty percent.

Speaker 1 (01:37:50):
Yeah, right for him. For him to say that means
that maybe they knew about it before. I can believe that.
But we also we did have Brian Bogasavicon and he
talked about the same thing that he had He had
a hand injury and then imaging X rays with the
swelling kind of puffing everything up and distorting the picture
a little bit tougher to find the fracture, and then
a couple of weeks so it could be true. At

(01:38:10):
the end of the day, it's like, why would you
lie if you just say hand soreness and a muscle
string rather than a fracture. Who cares? Just go out
there and rip the band aid off. It's like, you
know what, Just come clean and then go from there.
It's like when you get an F on your report
card with your parents, you're gonna make it worse if

(01:38:32):
you lie, you try to cheat, you try to like
turn the F into a B. Or if you say, oh,
the dog ate my report card. Eventually parent's gonna find out. Eventually,
because there's a lot of good beat reporters in this town.
The truth will come out. The truth well set you free,
Houston Astros. So it's like, that's why I'm trying. I'm

(01:38:55):
trying my damnedest to believe that they're not out and
out lying because it doesn't make sense. Doesn't make sense
for an organization to say, oh, girl, guys, he's got
a fracture. Let's just tell him muscle strain and hope
for the best. No, then it becomes a longer story,
and then you just get egg on your face when
it does become public. It's ridiculous, doesn't make sense. Dana Brown,

(01:39:18):
have you learned anything from this? Would you handle in
your injuries any different going forward.

Speaker 9 (01:39:24):
I think one of the things that you know we're
gonna do here more is get more imaging. You know,
sometimes we get this imaging early in the injury, and
you know there's so much inflammation and fluid and some
of these injuries, and so you know, the thing here
is if we could continue to do multiple imaging and

(01:39:45):
then maybe you get a better look and a little
more clear view of what the actual injury is. And
I think that's one of the things that we're gonna
do more of going forward.

Speaker 2 (01:39:57):
So there you go.

Speaker 1 (01:39:58):
They're they're learning. That's good. I like they're kind of
coming clean. They were more forthcoming with details when it
comes to the Zach Dezenzo injury. If you had not heard,
it's like a capsule strain and he will go under
They're gonna rest him for two weeks and then undergo
further imaging from there. I'm sorry, capsule sprain, I should say,

(01:40:21):
in his left hand. So he's gonna rest and going
to go reimaging like that. That's more forthcoming than the
Astros have been about an injury recently. And so yeah,
they're learning, maybe not about rushing guys, maybe about getting
imaging at the right time.

Speaker 2 (01:40:35):
So that's good.

Speaker 1 (01:40:35):
I mean, you just don't want a situation where players
are getting frustrated. And we haven't heard anything like that,
and I'm just kind of thinking out loud on that,
but it would be nice if there would just be
a little bit more transparency. And I agree with something
that Brian Bogosovic had said and something that we've brought
up a couple of times.

Speaker 2 (01:40:55):
We're not necessarily owed anything.

Speaker 1 (01:40:57):
It's not like we demand to know those specific injury
and timeline down to the hour right now, tell us
right now. No, we're not really that. But it is
a baseball team, and injuries have been part of the
sport and part of public knowledge for basically as long
as it's been around. And you can do you can
either not be forthcoming and not say much, or you

(01:41:19):
can be. But when things turn out to be completely false,
that's that's when I take issue. When when you're lying
about a spring or a bruise for Kyle Tucker, and
the only reason you make it public that it's a fracture,
it's because it's about to be reported publicly. Yeah, that's
and I just don't get it for me, all right,

(01:41:40):
quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
You guys want to get in you can't. Where do
you stand on all this injury stuff? It is it
not any of our business anyways, or the Astros fumbling
this one. We also have to get updates from Dana
talking about starting pitching. Depth asked him about trademarket right
now it's June. Obviously things will heat up more in

(01:42:00):
July and later with teams that decide to become sellers.
But with this third wild card, more teams want to
beat buyers, so we'll hear that from Dana Brown. We
also have Adam Wetxer coming up at one o'clock, and
we have you as well. Seven one three, two, one
two five seven ninety seven one three two, one two
five seven ninety Matt Thomas Show with Ross rolls along

(01:42:22):
middle of our number three will be joined by Sean
Dubin in our number four as he was very efficient
last night for the Houston Astros. Ten pitches, eight of
them for strikes, one inning of pitched, no runs given up.

(01:42:43):
He was a part of a good pitching performance. Now, okay,
we do have to qualify. It's the Pittsburgh Pirates, but hey,
they're major leaguers too. They might be twenty seven in
tem ops, but Astros with back two back shutouts against
the Rays and the Pirates. This pitching has obviously been
the backbone of their success this year. Thirty three and

(01:43:05):
twenty seven on the year, and now a half game
in front of the Seattle Mariners in first place in
the American League West. So one hint given up but
still very efficient from Sean dubin a point seven to
seven era on the year. He will be joining us
here on the Matt Thomas Show. It with Ross, but
without Matt Thomas, but with Adam Wexer coming up at

(01:43:26):
one thirty. Speaking of wex he'll be coming on at
one o clock. Phone line is open for you at
seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety Lace McCullers
Junior had the start. We've been talking a lot about
him today and it is because I mean to me
and maybe it's just me, but I just find it

(01:43:48):
such a fascinating story to miss all this time, to
fight his way back, to get on the mound, and
in the last hurdle, all these hurdles that he's cleared,
right my arm, I can, you know, lift a coffee cup.
Now I can grip a ball and throw now and
play catch. But now I'm throwing off of a mount.
Now I'm throwing BP. Now I'm throwing live BP. And

(01:44:12):
it's to this all the way to rehabbing. And the
last hurdle that he has to get over and will
have to consistently be over, is getting out at the
major league level. Despite a bit of dip in velocity
from the last time that he was out, still running
some sinkers up at about ninety three miles an hour,
but for the most part sitting around ninety one ninety,

(01:44:36):
but getting outs, getting swings and missus. And if he
can do that consistently, that's it. Like he's back. He's
not there yet. It's been back to back quality starts.
It's been four good starts that the Astros have won
in all of those games. We're not good, but solid enough.
After the disaster, speaking of bumps in the road and
hurdles a climb, the disaster against the Cincinnati Reds not

(01:44:59):
even a month ag go to where we were thinking,
like how much longer is this guy gonna even be
on the team, and he is where he is now,
feels good. Now he can very well go out and
get Sheldon his next start, and then we're kind of
back to the drawing bird board and down from scratch
as far as our confidence level in him. But nineteen
strikeouts in two starts, both of them quality, pretty good stuff.

(01:45:24):
Not like he was like, you know, wheeling and dealing
and completely shutting down the A's. He did give up
three runs, but that also is the Sacramento a Sorry,
the Ocramento A's one of the better offenses in baseball
top ten in terms of tem ops. But really looking
good in the last start. One hundred and two pitches
and ninety six pitches in his last start, So that
begs the question is something we've been kind of wondering

(01:45:45):
about talking about starting pitching depth. Where are the Astros now?
As I mentioned the last segment we played a little
bit of Dana Brown joins the Sean Salisbury Show Wednesdays
at nine point thirty, asked him about that with mccullor's
doing what he is doing, how that helps, But still
down the road, especially if you get closer to the
trade deadline, where are you gonna be Are you gonna

(01:46:07):
keep going with coldon Gordon and Ryan Gusto, Spencer Arraghedty
sounds like he's ways away as far as starting pitching.
Can you just rely on those guys to hold the
glue together the rest of the season until Arrogeddy gets back,
and then it's no guarantee that everybody's just gonna stay healthy.

Speaker 2 (01:46:23):
It's it's tough.

Speaker 1 (01:46:25):
So here's Dana Brown on Lansbeclors Junior and the starting
pitching death and possibly looking externally via trade in the
starting pitching market.

Speaker 9 (01:46:33):
Yeah's been outstanding. You know, over the last five starts
we've won, you know four, he's with four and oh
in his last five starts, he's been thrown the ball
very well, twenty nine strikeouts in the over twenty innings,
right at twenty innings, and so he's been really good.
On my more on record always saying that we're always

(01:46:54):
in the market for pitching. We know, one hundred and
sixty two games, it's some very long seasons. So you
always have to have some open mind to acquire pitching
because you know the fact that the matter is the season,
so long things happen, guys get hurt, and so you're
always in the market. It's very difficult, very early right now,
not many teams or sellers. It's still early in the process,

(01:47:18):
you know. But we won't miss any stone on term,
you know, we won't leave any stone or in turn
because you know, we're always in the market for pitching.
So if there's something out there that makes sense for us,
we'll definitely be active.

Speaker 1 (01:47:31):
All right, there you go, something makes sense, we will
definitely be active. And that makes sense. That's the right
response from from from the Ashros general managers, like Data's
gonna come on here and be like, yeah, we're good,
Gustall Gordon and my color should be fine whatever. I'm
kicking my feet up, I'm seating the bag of Dorito's
calling it a day. We're gonna go ahead and take
a half day to day, go get a liquid lunch. No,

(01:47:52):
he's not gonna do that. He's gonna be somebody who's
gonna be active in having conversations and looking at other
teams and trying to figure things out. But it's the
reality is June fourth, and we are basically almost two months,
a little short of two months away from the trade deadline.
So the astros have to hold this glue together as

(01:48:14):
is right now, and that would be until Arraghetti and
to a lesser extent Luis Garcia could come back. But
right now alas Piccolis Junior last four starts two point
two to one r A and he has been looking good.
Six walks, that's fine, twenty nine strikeouts in the last

(01:48:36):
twenty and third innings. His strikeouts per nine, very good.
Walk numbers getting lower since the first two starts that
he came a walk three in the first start, first
two starts that he had, including that disaster against Cincinnati
when it was seven earned runs given up. And there's
also a I've talked about this a little bit on

(01:48:57):
the Matt Thomas Show. It it's a metric called fe
field independent pitching. For example, let's just say one guy
goes out there and he gives up ten rockets, hard
hit balls, but they happen to hit the gloves of
all the fielders. Well, he got ten outs, but still
at the end of the day, if you keep giving
up a bunch of hardy contact, eventually you're gonna be
giving up runs. So field independent pitching it takes out

(01:49:21):
that and it just looks at like hard hit, contact, walks,
all that type of stuff. And his number's still been
very good there two point six to eight, which it
kind of correlates to ERA, so that'd be a really
good era. That's a really good field independent pitching. So
I say all that say this, it's not like he's
been getting lucky, not like he's been given up dozens
of rockets and the other team is just having bad
luck and he should have given up like twenty earned

(01:49:42):
runs according to that field independent pitching metric. He's been good.
It's legit, and hopefully it can keep happening for the
Ashtros because they do have to hold the glue until
Arragetty and Luis Garcia come back. Here's Dana Brown on
updates on both of those guys.

Speaker 9 (01:50:00):
Yes, and first on Arraghetty. You know, Arraghetty feels really good.

Speaker 6 (01:50:05):
He's you know, he's.

Speaker 9 (01:50:06):
Throwing flat ground right now. He's also biting at the bit.
I mean, we have to slow him down because he's
ready to cut it loose, and so he's got to
go through a full spring training, so we have to gradually, uh,
you know, bring him back because you don't want to,
you know, see any other injury, you know, other than
the thumb, because guys start to come back too fast,

(01:50:28):
you know, they could hurt their bleak. There's other things
that you have to worry about. So you have to
go through a full spring training. And yeah, Garcia, he's uh,
he's going to be throwing live vps at the end
of June, and so we do expect him to get
back sometime in August.

Speaker 1 (01:50:47):
Okay, so a full spring training on the way for Arraghetty,
who is basically throwing off of flat ground. And that's
one of the things. It's kind of a blessing and
a curse in a way, but overall it's more of
a blessing. These Astros players who want to rush back,
who are competitors, they want to a play through pain
and then be when they get injured. They want to
rush back because their competitives. They live and breathe baseball.

(01:51:10):
This is their life. That's where they want to be.
I think that starting with Jeff Luno and the culture
that he built with this Astros team, that's been one
of their greatest feathers in the cap is that all
these players, and it's no accident they've had this winning
culture that they've had with all these guys, the Alex Spregman's,
the jose L Tuves, the Justin Verlanders now, the Spencer Arraghetti's,

(01:51:30):
the Jordan Alvarez is whoever, of guys who are just
basically born ball players and they want to be out there.
And Alance Piaculo Junior. I'll throw into that as well.
It's like, if he didn't love baseball, he wouldn't be here.
He made a lot of money. He's got a you know,
coffee business and does whatever else he does. He didn't

(01:51:50):
have to be out there throwing a baseball, but he's
got something to prove and he loves baseball, and these
guys out there do. And Aarraghetty is like that too.
He's he's of that ilk and that's great. But also, yeah,
when you're in a situation where he's rushing himself back
from injury, Yeah, hey man, you gotta slow things down here.
Alex Bregman was always like that as well, and other guys.

(01:52:12):
So good thing to have, good quality to have overall
a positive, but when you're talking about them kind of
coming back from injury can be a little bit of
a negative. But Raghetti having to go through a full
spring training. Sounds like August is the target for Luis Garcia,
who will be throwing live VP by the end of
the month of the month. According to Astro's general manager

(01:52:33):
Dana Brown, all right, quick break here on The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. I am the Ross part of it.
You can get in as well if you'd like. Seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety Adam WA's are
coming up at one o'clock. Sean Duban at one to
thirty here on Sports Talk seven out of your home
for the shows. Welcome back The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

(01:52:56):
Matt out today and tomorrow Ros Viria with you got
Sean Dubin coming up at one thirty. We have one
oh clock. Adam Weis are going to join for the hour.
Appreciate him hanging out. You guys can get in real
quick if you'd like. Seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five

(01:53:17):
seven ninety mentioned Tom Thibodeau as a possible candidate for
the head coach of the New York Tom Thibodaux out
and then Mark Stein floating out that they would be
interested in Jason Kidd and or Emai Audoka Jonathan Did
you see also who has volunteered? A former NBA All

(01:53:39):
Star has volunteered to be the next coach of the
New York Knicks. Volunteered. Wait wait, let me guess former NBA,
former NBA All Star. He also is a New York native. Okay,
is it? Is it a part of it? Would I know?
I think you know who? This is NBA All Star
and he's played on the Knicks.

Speaker 10 (01:53:58):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (01:53:58):
He also told the story about when he was He
also was uh yet nah did he play?

Speaker 5 (01:54:03):
I think?

Speaker 1 (01:54:03):
I don't think he played for the next but he's
from New York And he also famously told a story
about how where he was playing pickup ball as a
youth and there was an argument in the middle of
the pickup game, somebody broke off a table leg wooden
table leg, stabbed the other guy in the chest and
killed him. I speak of Meta world Peace. Also now

(01:54:32):
he's known as Meta sandafford our test what is this?
He changed his name again? He changed his name again.
Ronald William Artest Junior, also known as Meta world Peace,
also apparently known as meta sandiford Our test one of
the craziest human beings, but it seems like an actually
really nice guy is almost like a precursor to Draymond,

(01:54:55):
Like he would get out on the court and crazy
stuff would happen, but in off the court he was
like a reserved like, yeah, how's ever you know, I'm
a metaworld Peace guys. So he was Yeah, but Kawhi
Leonard at least isn't like a dirty player. He's just
really quiet and has an awkward f he.

Speaker 2 (01:55:12):
Think. All right, Kawhi, so, uh, what do you think
meta world Peace?

Speaker 1 (01:55:17):
As the New York Knicks coach, I'm on board the culture.
You get your filthy mits off of ema Udoka Knicks. No,
you don't get to come up here and be like,
oh yeah, we're big, bad North. We are the New
York Knicks and we're gonna take your coach Houston. No,
first of all, we beat you in the ninety four finals.
You haven't won a championship since nineteen seventy two or
whatever it was when when Clyde Fraser actually had hair,

(01:55:39):
and then you've been irrelevant for like fifty years. Yeah
you're built up. Yeah, you're a big brand. Yes, ABCNESPN
were wishing that you would be in the finals because
you bring the big market. But no, get off, you
get gig Ruphels Stone's gonna hang up on you shut
your bumbass.

Speaker 2 (01:55:57):
Up, New York Knicks. You don't get to get it.

Speaker 1 (01:56:00):
The crown jewel of this Rockets comeback, and that would
be I would say, Ema a Doka. It all starts
with him, because look, I mean, yeah, al Brnchingden was
an All Star player this year, but also his field
coal percentages have gone down three straight years, and he
was very good in the playoffs, but the efficiency of

(01:56:22):
offensive efficiency was lacking to a degree, and so outside
of him there there's no current All Star players. But
you had a really good team fifty two wins. Ema
a Doka, I would imagine even with this story getting
floated out, you know you'll probably hear very soon some
sort of agreement to an extension, and then who knows
what will happen, because it's crazy. In the NBA. We

(01:56:45):
went through the list earlier of NBA Coaches of the Year. Basically,
if you end up NBA Coach of the Year, you
might as well start like planning your retirement because you're
gonna get fired. It's just unbelievable standards for yeah, unless
your name is is Steve Kerr. And even then, I
mean Rick Carlisle, by the way, what he's doing leading

(01:57:06):
this Indiana Pacers team to the to the finals. What
a job he's done. Of course, we know you predicted that, Jonathan,
you had you said it was gonna happen, So we do.
You believed in Rick Carlole the entire time I saw
him last year.

Speaker 3 (01:57:18):
Celtics knew they were in trouble even though they swept them,
and I just because Haliburton got hurt in that series
last year. Right now, that's the season one of those
few seasons actually watched like every game.

Speaker 1 (01:57:26):
Okay, that's good. I like watching every NBA playoff gamer
as much as like as much as you can now
into the NBA Finals, which starts tomorrow. But we kind
of ran through. The list is like Tom Thibodeau, Monty Williams,
Mike Brown, Nick Nurse, a couple of others like the
last several outside of the last two, Kenny Atkins and
Mark Diagnoll of the you know, the Cavaliers and the
Thunder and who knows Cavaliers falls short another year, Kenny

(01:57:48):
Atkinson could very well be out on it. Seriously. That's
that's where it is, like we didn't win a championship. Uh, well,
time to go. That's that's the ring culture of the NBA.
You're the New York Knicks. You've got a guy who's
won Coach of the Year, who I mean was backed
by the president, Leon Rose, backed by Jaln Brunston, at
least publicly, perhaps privately, we don't know, could have been

(01:58:09):
something else. But two time Coach of the Year were
twice twice in your career, Tom Thibodeau. They said, this
guy is the best coach in the NBA. Let's give
him this honor and this huge award that did that
honors him and puts him down in history as one
of the one of the best coaches of that year.
He's done it twice, and well both places fired him,

(01:58:35):
Chicago Bulls and then he was with the Timberwolves. Somebody
else tweeted that I was funny, like Karl Anthony Towns
got Thibodeau fired twice. Oh hey, come on, come on, cat,
what's going on? So I don't know what's gonna happen
on with the New York next, but keep your mits
off the Rockets. Of course, there have been stories floated
about them and possibly things heating up with Kevin Durant.

(01:58:55):
We'll see what happens there. I saw somebody mentioning this
on Twitter and I agree unfortuate. I don't remember the
source of it, but basically, if Kevin Durant came to Houston,
it would be in all likelihood not costing you an
arm and a leg because the market is apparently cooling
on him. But then it also wouldn't be long term.

(01:59:17):
Now you're not going to be tied or married to
Kevin Durant for like five years. Just somebody who can
come in and close games and be that alpha dog
and take over at the end, especially as a bucket getter.
And could it also be the business side they just
need to bring more tickets in. Yeah, I mean I
would stay like James. Then you could bring that angle

(01:59:40):
to it, but I don't. I don't think that they
would make the decis I think if the if Raphael
Stone and the Rockets organization makes the move for Kevin Durant,
it will be for on court success, and I think
they know that on court success brings ticket sales. I
don't know. I'd have to go look at the Rockets

(02:00:01):
average attendants the last couple of years, but it's been
way up at least from last year than it was
the previous years. I have to go look that up.
But we can take a break in a little bit.
But yeah, average attendants way up for the Rockets. Let's
see two. Oh no, oh, this is no I need average.
This ESPN thing is broken. It says everybody's average attendance

(02:00:24):
is zero. That is not accurate. ESPN. Give me some
better attendance numbers. All right, I'll have to go look
that up at some point, but the average home attendance
year by year, certainly it feels like it went up
last year and upticked after Okay, now this no, I'm
not paying for you full access accounts Statista. Never mind,

(02:00:44):
all right, I would figure this out, this disaster. You
know what. I want to apologize left, this is what happens.
This is why I let Matt Thomas talk and then
I'll google something and then we'll go from there. But
that's all right, so we'll figure it out. I'm sure
it's a in upticking attendance for the Rockets in the
last couple of years, and that will continue to happen
as long as you win games, and that's it. Idiot.
Star power would be nice as well with Kevin Durant,

(02:01:05):
but I don't I do wouldn't think that'd be factoring
in their decision. They're looking to improve on the court
more than anything else because they were a two seed.
I know they're on the first round, but by definition,
you're contender if you're the two seed in your conference,
even if Steph Curry kills you in a seven game
series like he's been doing basically the last decade, and
he gets hurt and then he gets hurt from the

(02:01:26):
next year. So you could have been in the Western
Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder because I think they
would have been the Temper Wolves. And I'm sad again.
All right, thank you, time for a break. Appreciate that.
You know who's gonna lift our spirits, Adam Wixler. He
is coming up next. Also will have Sean Duban coming
up at one point thirty. It is the Matt Thomas
Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Guys want to get in.
Phone lines are open seven to one three two, one

(02:01:47):
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Yes, it is the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. Yes it is our number four of the program.
And yes it is without Matt Thomas. Rosby Rea with
you for another hour ahead of I mean, just a
fantastic smashing program. They call it the A Team. It's

(02:02:11):
with Adam Klanton. The other half of that is Adam Wexler,
who is graciously joining me for this hour. Wex thank
you for coming in. I appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (02:02:20):
What's good?

Speaker 1 (02:02:21):
You got a little five o'clock shadow going on these days?
Is this that a laziness or you going full beard
on us? Not pure laziness? And that I'm actually you know,
trimming up it a little bit, keep it looking all right,
Just one of those things. How does your agent feel
about this?

Speaker 13 (02:02:34):
My agent feels great about He's got me a TV
gig each and every weekday afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:02:38):
Everything's all good, all right, you're doing great? All right?
What's is here hanging out? We got Sean Dubin coming
up at one thirty. You can get in at seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety, So a lot
of stuff to get to. We've been talking, of course,
a lot of Astros. Lance mccullor's junior last night, six

(02:02:59):
innings of shutout ball. It's easy to say to me,
I mean judging by one guy got the loss. One
guy got to win. Lance mcullors junior better than Paul Skeins.
What's up?

Speaker 6 (02:03:10):
Yep?

Speaker 1 (02:03:10):
Just like when Pat Mahomes and c J.

Speaker 13 (02:03:13):
Stroud face each other, I mean they're not ever on
the field together. Much like Lance mccullor's junior and Paul Skeens.
The Chiefs defense is what CJ's up against. The Pirates
offense is what Lance mccullor's junior is up against. You know,
Paul Skeins got to face an Astros offense that has
now gone five consecutive games of scoring three runs.

Speaker 1 (02:03:33):
Are fewer? Three runs is their max?

Speaker 13 (02:03:35):
Yeah, In the previous two games they scored three runs,
they lost. The two wins came when they scored two
and one. But now in each of their last two games,
if not allowed the other team to score at all.
So you win one hundred percent of those games. In
Major League Baseball lance, regardless of the magnitude of the matchup,
which he even acknowledged after the game. He's trying to

(02:03:56):
get guys out, and for the second consecutive start, his
stuff was better than the opposition could measure up with
another seven k's at nine more whiffs, got twenty called strikes,
and to me, that's kind of what stood out about
this game. In two strike counts, even on some full
count pitches, a guys thought his movement was going to

(02:04:17):
take pitches out of the zone and they were taking
called third strikes that were painting black.

Speaker 1 (02:04:22):
Yeah, very good. Yeah, So the six shutout innings in
the bullpen, which we'll get to Sean Duban a part
of that coming up at one point thirty. But I
was asking this of Dan Matthews in the first hour.
So it's back to back quality starts. It's encouraging. I
think it's like a two point two one in the
last four starts since the disaster outing, not even a
month ago. It's so funny, like a month ago, we're like,

(02:04:43):
all right, this guy's gonna be off the team in
three starts, like he can't do anything. Now we're talking
about back to back quality starts, and then it kind
of begs. The question that I was asking is how
are we feeling? You look at the probable pitchers. Let's
just say, you know, upcoming next weekend doesn't even matter
really who the opponent is. I mean, let's see, let's
look at the old Astros upcoming schedule, which, by the way,

(02:05:05):
is the weakest in baseball in terms of opponent winning percentage.
Let's not go with Chicago. Let's go to like a
middling team next week against the Minnesota Twins home series.
At some point you see probable pictures. Oh, Lance mccullors Junior,
how are we feeling?

Speaker 13 (02:05:18):
Yeah, twenty two twenty one ERA over four starts, when
each of the last two have been six inning appearances.
I think it's a pretty nice little package of games
to look over. He's throwing pitches that hitters aren't hitting.
He's got twenty nine strikeouts over those twenty and a
third innings, which puts him first in the majors while

(02:05:40):
last nineteen days in terms of strikeouts per nine inning.

Speaker 1 (02:05:43):
Wait, so he is better than Paul Skeens. Paul Skeen's
since Skeens, you're terrible.

Speaker 13 (02:05:48):
Skean's is sitting at ten point h five strikeouts per
nine in the same time period four starts.

Speaker 1 (02:05:53):
Lance is at fourteen plus.

Speaker 13 (02:05:56):
He's been incredible, and it was against the A's and
now against the Pirates for these two starts, but it
also precedes those two starts. He's he's not. I wouldn't
say he's figured anything out. What he's done is the
execution is now there. He's throwing more strikes. It's kind
of the story of most of his career. I don't
know if any pitcher the Asters have had for the

(02:06:16):
last ten years, from the elite of elite to nasty,
unhittable relievers, I still think he might have more movement
than any of them. His pitches don't go straight, and
I think at the beginning of this season, and I
think for much of his struggles during any of the
previous seasons, hitters are just being patient because well, we're

(02:06:37):
not going to hit it anyway, and the odds of
it staying in the zone aren't very good because there
is so much movement and harnessing. Getting the movement to
keep it a strike versus sending it way out of
the zone. I think that's difficult for someone with that
much movement. We've seen it with the other pitchers here
and there, Like Valdez will go out there and it's
clear he has really good stuff, but he can't get
it in the zone. It's just rareer for him because

(02:06:58):
he's been able to to that elite level and we've
seen it in stretches. For Lance, we've seen it now
for the last two games, they can't hit his stuff
very well. He gave up two singles.

Speaker 1 (02:07:07):
Yeah, that's the funny you bring that up. And the
funny thing is, and yeah, with with pitchers with great stuff,
it can be kind of a situation where almost they
kind of don't know where it's going. So they're gonna
throw out there and hope they get whiffs, and if not,
they're gonna give rack up a lot of walks and
they're also going to rack up a lot of strikeouts.
And that brings me to who you were talking about,
like best stuff of the last decade. Also a guy

(02:07:28):
with that type of issues and long hair, Spencer Arraghetti
comes to mind for me.

Speaker 13 (02:07:33):
Yeah, so young in his career. You never know how
it plays out. But there were games during last season
for sure where guys were just.

Speaker 1 (02:07:41):
I'm gonna spin it as hard as possible see where
it goes. I'm gonna see where it goes. And the
hitters eventually were.

Speaker 13 (02:07:45):
Like, so am I I'm gonna see where it goes
rather than swinging at it because it's nasty. And you know,
give the Astros credit all the way through the developmental system.
And for Lance, we're talking about ten years plus as
an Astros pitcher in the organization. There's some things that
they clearly do to help augment that. But they find
pitchers also that have the ability to spin. It's why

(02:08:06):
they add so many pitchers who may or may not
have found their role in other teams rotations or other
team's bullpen. Ryan Presley always comes to mind there, film
Ayton to a lesser degree. There are things that you
find in pitchers, you meaning the Astros organizational pitching system.
This pitcher has this asset. Let's go out and harness.

Speaker 1 (02:08:27):
It, you say.

Speaker 13 (02:08:27):
Kakuchi similarly, Yeah, and he's actually pitched pretty well this year.
I think we're paying the least amount of attention to
him among the five Astros players that left this offseason, Kakuchie, Verlander, Presley, Bregman,
and Tucker. He plays for the Angels, I think we
pay the least amount of attention to him. He's actually
pitched very well this season for a team that's not

(02:08:49):
even out of it completely yet, and better than many have.

Speaker 1 (02:08:53):
Thought there will be. I think they'll eventually be well.
But I'll go another one for you that popped up
in my head. How about for a deep cut Bud Norris.
He had really good stuff, but he just couldn't throw strikes. Yeah,
and then they made him a closer. Was that in
somewhere else we Baltimore.

Speaker 13 (02:09:08):
It means you have to throw strikes or you cannot succeed.
Hopefully they can't hit him. The Astros took care of
it two games in a row. They got starts of
six innings and were able to keep the shutout going
over the final three. A similar combination of pitchers to
get them there. Sean Dubin, who you mentioned we'll talk
to shortly got the call in the seventh inning, braw

(02:09:28):
and Hater able to finish things off again. And it's
talking about stuff. I think it's probably pretty clear, and
I think you guys discussed it a little earlier over
the course of the day. Josh Hater's stuff quite clearly,
at least the execution of it seems a tick up
at least from last year.

Speaker 1 (02:09:46):
I think if you're talking like Astros MVPs this year,
Hunter brown one, I might put Josh Hater to maybe
Estoc Paratis gets in there, who or somebody else, Jamie
Panya for sure, but Josh Hater needs to be up there.
They've got thirty three wins. He he's got sixteen saves
in a win.

Speaker 13 (02:10:02):
I think it's so vital and I would agree I
would have a hard time not putting Josh Hater at
the top of that list. For a team that's trying
to get a few games over five hundred, trying to
claim every win they can get. When they give the
ball to Josh Hater and it's winning time meeting, he's
in a save situation, meaning they need three outs and
they have the lead and he's got the ball, he's
one hundred percent. Those are the games that Those are

(02:10:23):
stomach punch losses, those are gut punch those are killers.
Those are momentum killers. They're bad, you know, post game,
unhappy flight games when you don't come through and he
just keeps doing it. That They've got thirty three wins
this year, almost half of them are games that they
should have won that he's personally closed out.

Speaker 1 (02:10:40):
That's huge.

Speaker 13 (02:10:42):
If they were, you know, twenty games over five hundred,
it might not seem so large, but they're probably going
to be in this situation a race for the wild
card or a race for the division title, which they
now lead, and they need them. The games you've outplayed
the other team for eight innings, you'd like to figure
those as wins, and he's made sure that those have been.

Speaker 1 (02:11:00):
And can we say kind of it's been almost quiet
in a way. Sixteen holds for Brian A Bray, youw.
And really the start of the season, he was definitely
going on the track of where he's been the last
couple of years of basically pitching every other game for
the Astros twenty seven appearances in sixty games now, so
he's still not far off that pace. But it's almost
like you take that guy for granted at this point,

(02:11:20):
he's gonna go out there in the eighth inning. Yeah,
maybe he'll give the straight hit or a hard hit
contact and he does give up some runs here and there,
but he just goes If an eighth inning guy can
be an innings eater like that's what he is.

Speaker 13 (02:11:32):
Yeah, they I don't think they've had to overuse him. Again,
the games versus how many games the Astros have played
seems a bit high with those twenty seven and sixty,
but even with a one sixty seventy RA, which sounds phenomenal,
that's great. I think the best way to describe his
season is he's come out of the bullpen twenty seven times,
and twenty five of those twenty seven times he's not

(02:11:55):
been scored on.

Speaker 1 (02:11:55):
Wow.

Speaker 13 (02:11:56):
The only two times he's given up runs are the
unfortunate two games they lost to Seattle. They blow up
game where they had the five to nothing lead and
then the six to four lead, and he came in
the in the ninth inning, gave up those three runs
on that walk off Mariner's victory. And then when they
were here at home the loan game that the Mariners won,
when he came in gave up the triple and then
the homer. That's his whole negative season. I just summed

(02:12:19):
it all up in about twenty seconds. And we've been
playing there for about two and a half months.

Speaker 10 (02:12:23):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (02:12:23):
Every other appearance has been a shutout appearance. That's that's crazy.
That's why they pay you the big bucks, Adam wix
Sert to uncover stuff like that. I appreciate you. Wow. Yeah,
I didn't realize that. That's that's pretty insane and well.
Sounds like the Mariners have hacked his PitchCom.

Speaker 13 (02:12:36):
You mean like the Rays hacked the astros bullpen pitch
com this last home series.

Speaker 1 (02:12:40):
Yeah, they definitely were. They just throwing up signals like
Zach Grinkey just straight to the catcher because it doesn't
certainly wasn't working.

Speaker 2 (02:12:46):
For the bullpen for the Astros over the weekend.

Speaker 1 (02:12:48):
All Right, we're gonna take quick break here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas, with Adam Waxser.
We've got Sean Duban coming up at one thirty. You
guys can get in if you want. We've been talking
shrows heavily this show. Seven one three two one two
five seven ninety is the phone number seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Don't go anywhere, because
we've got Sean Dubin coming up at one thirty one

(02:13:11):
a to the PM. Here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Rosby Real with you. We've got Sean Dubin coming up
in about ten minutes, and we were talking about the bullpen,
and we mentioned kind of the eras, which still, of
course can be wonky for relievers. As you mentioned Bray,
you even better than one point sixty seven, will tell
you because he's only given up runs twice in twenty

(02:13:33):
seven outings. But you see Landskolder Junior. We know that
he's had a two point two one in the last
four outings. Sean Duban point seven seven, Brian A. Bray
one point six seven, Josh Haterer one point three. That
feels good. It feels good that you can go to
those guys and uh not Brian King, who had been
the normal seventh inning guy, was a pocket arritys in

(02:13:55):
the lineup for the Pirates. But Sean Dubin out there
in the seventh Was there a little bit of a
surprise level for you there?

Speaker 13 (02:14:03):
I don't think so, because he had gone back to
Brian King since the Rays blow up game already. He
had the seventh inning of the shutout on Sunday, Phase
three hitters got two of them out, left with a
runner on, and Bray got out of that non jam.
So I don't think there's any a sign of that.
I think it's more a sign of confidence in Dubin
versus a lack of confidence in King, because all you

(02:14:25):
can go with is what you've seen. You've got eleven
games out of Dubin this year, and he's given up
a run one time. He's been very good. He's throwing
more strikes this year. That was probably the biggest problem
he had last year. It still could be a little better.
He's walked five guys, but not nearly the high pitch
count at bats that he was pretty constantly putting together ultimately,

(02:14:46):
you know, finishing some off and walking others. Brian Kings
also got a little bit of that reliever er. It's
kind of not what you see, huh. I mean Ryan
Presley had the same thing when he gave up nine
runs in extra inn the other day. I mean, He's
been scored upon only a handful of times all year
in Chicago, but one of those games he gave up
eight runs, and in Brian King's case, in one of

(02:15:08):
his games, the game against Tampa, almost all the runs
he's allowed all season came in one afternoon. Five of
the nine he's allowed in his twenty seven appearances, well,
they came in one game. Am I worried that he
can't get guys out?

Speaker 1 (02:15:22):
Not at all.

Speaker 13 (02:15:22):
He had one day. I mean even Dubin had a
game in the very same series. He gave up four
hits and was scored upon. And that's his whole season
of negativity. I have tons of confidence in the bullpen.
I like how Joe Spot has used them. Is it's
easier when you have confidence in many more pitchers because
there's five guys right now. We could say that about

(02:15:42):
from Okurt, King, Hater, Abreu, and Dubin. Well, if your
starter's giving you six, you got five guys to choose from,
based on rest and health and matchups, that you should
be able to get to the end of the game
with four guys to choose from, to get to Hater
if you will. And that's what you face two of
the next three days. Are you getting six innings from
the starter goes today and Gordon goes in the second

(02:16:04):
game against the Guardian.

Speaker 1 (02:16:05):
Yeah, that brings me to what I was gonna kind
of bring it up and talk about, is is this
rotation you lance the Colors junior back to back quality
starts very good And I don't think that is an accident.
When you look at Era, I've talked about field independent pitching,
that number very good for him as well. Valdez and Brown,
you're feeling pretty good there. What about Gusto and Gordon
and kind of the long term if you, I think, well,

(02:16:29):
the seventeen games in a row is the longest stretch
all season long. But I think they after these couple
of days off, at some point they're going to have
a stretch where there would be the potential to them
for them to go to a six man if they
would do that. And how we're feeling about the back
end the bullpend. Can they back back into the back
end of the rotation. Can they continue to kind of

(02:16:50):
hold that glue until arrag Getty gets back, who's now apparently,
according to Dana Brown, throwing off flat ground, but still,
according to Dana Brown, has to go basically through a
full spring training build up.

Speaker 13 (02:17:01):
Yeah, I think the schedule's you know, pretty good to them.
After this road trip is the one other current or
close tough stretch because they want to have an off
day from the tenth until the twenty second. They've got
four consecutive series without an off day there, So how
do you manage your way through there. Clearly Arraghetti is
not going to be a part of that in any way.
Brandon Walters probably due for another start. He's pitched on

(02:17:25):
the same schedule aj Bluebaugh. Both of them are healthy
and taking their regular turns in the rotation with the
Space Cowboys. I would assume just because of the schedule,
they need to mix them in there, because they obviously
have to be concerned with Brown and Valdez. They won't
if they can get them an extra day when the
schedule doesn't give them the extra day. I think that
they would like to do that, and you need to

(02:17:45):
get something from these guys. It's not just putting them
out there, because it still puts your team in a
bad spot if they're giving you eleven outs, if they're
getting you know, you got to go get them in
the fourth inning. And that's what we've seen from you know,
Gusto for the most part, he just hasn't been able
to get them length. I think he stretched out enough
to do a little bit more than that. We certainly
haven't seen it, and I think the numbers are pretty

(02:18:08):
clear for both of them. For a team that has
been incredible, they're in the top five and have been
all year in batting average against. You know, Gusto and
Gordon among pitchers on the roster period, they're just at
the complete other end of the spectrum. Hitters are batting
two eighty or two sixty eight against Gusto, They're hitting
two eighty nine against Gordon. Both of them have given

(02:18:29):
up many more hits than innings pitched, and Gusto's numbers
are even worse if you toss out his reliever numbers,
where he was actually very successful. They give up too
many hits, they throw too many hit able pitches. They
probably flat out throw too many strikes. They're not throwing
enough of their pitches when they're ahead in the count.

Speaker 1 (02:18:45):
Well, you know what to help you with that? Facing
the Pirates, maybe hopefully Pirates hit under two thirty is
a team. Yeah, so you're telling me there's a chance.
I was kind of I mean, I would say a
little surprised. I mean, Mike Burrows is I think he's
only got a couple of starts. He's been given up
a bunch of runs, which means, by the way, the
Astros are gonna get no hit for six innings against him. Yeah,

(02:19:06):
he's he's made three major league appearances to this year.
Uh so the yeah Astros favorite in this one. Well
minus won twenty five. For those of you who don't know,
that means you win one hundred bucks, you got to
give up one twenty five. So a little slight favorite.
Ryan Gusto, the favorite in Pittsburgh for the Stros. Would
imagine he's not taken the hill as a starter as

(02:19:28):
a favorite on the road yet.

Speaker 2 (02:19:30):
Is probably probably not today's day.

Speaker 1 (02:19:33):
He also probably doesn't know that.

Speaker 2 (02:19:35):
It's gonna it's yeah, it's fine.

Speaker 13 (02:19:37):
Well, do I think Joe or anythink he's not checking
the coach mentioned that to him.

Speaker 1 (02:19:41):
Not breaking it down like the Maybe he is like
that trainer. Did you see that story there's some NBA
trainer who puts the players. I saw the story. Yeah,
I can't remember that guy's name, but he's he trains
players in the offseason or whatever, and if they're playing
against each other, he puts them in a group chat
so they can talk trash. I saw that Josh Miller

(02:20:01):
doing that for Ryan Gusto.

Speaker 13 (02:20:03):
Ryan and Colton got these guys out the last time
he faced them. What are you gonna do today?

Speaker 1 (02:20:07):
You see what Lance McCullers junior, did guy and pitch
for two years. Come on, Gusto, let's see what you got.

Speaker 13 (02:20:12):
Maybe he'll just send Lance out for the mound visit
instead of going himself, and Lance can say, look, dude,
I haven't pitched in two plus years. I set these
guys down like it was nothing yesterday. Yeah, get it.

Speaker 1 (02:20:22):
Together, get it together, you suck by the way yesterday.
I also in the lineup in theory, if there wasn't
this whole off season talk, and then of course it
being employed about Altuve being in left field, it kind
of felt right just to read the lineup card with
Altuve at second and then your outfield being Melton left, Myers, center,

(02:20:44):
Smith right.

Speaker 13 (02:20:46):
Smith essentially is the everyday player in right now, Myers
if he's not getting a day off, is the everyday
player in center. And with Alvarez out and McCormick out
and Descenzo out, Yeah, if Jacob Melton is here, he
should play as a left handed hitter. Most of the
time they're facing right handed starters and Willigan today, so yeah,

(02:21:07):
that makes it fairly easy to get two left handed
bats in the lineup. Krotini in there, whether he's catching
as he did yesterday, or the designated hitter. You slide
ALT twove to second base, and there's Melton, your three outfielders.
He gets the open spot in left field.

Speaker 1 (02:21:23):
Dh DHL twove as well. But I understand one of
especially Kartini in there as your switch hitter and trying
to get him here.

Speaker 13 (02:21:32):
If you're gonna put those three in the outfield, I
mean you can DHL two ve if Carottini is catching,
and you are okay with Jiner being your bat off
the bench. That's the other thing I don't think I've
talked about it all all year. This year, Carottini getting
so much work in the lineup, which is clearly good
for the innings one through seven or one through eight.
He's your best pinch hitter, and he's in the lineup

(02:21:53):
so much, and he's the left handed pinch hitter. He's
a switch hitter, and there for their team, he's their
left handed pinch He's not been much of an option
as a pinch hitter for Joe a spot of this
year because he's already in the lineup. If Jordon's back, well,
you play many more games where Kerotini is on the bench.
I'm not trying to limit the kids, the poor young kids,

(02:22:15):
Victor Carrottini's playing time, but you do. It's nice every
once in a while in a close game to know
that you have someone who's thrived in that role before
and does it from the left side a team that
has very few of them.

Speaker 1 (02:22:26):
It feels like a couple of the offseason stories have
kind of limited. When everybody's healthy, A spot is flexibility
to where you if you want to put LTV out
and left a bunch, if you want to keep your
on a d H A bunch that limits the lineup flexibility.

Speaker 13 (02:22:40):
One hundred percent. It does, and with who they have
and what they do. The only late inning considerations that
Joe really has this year is when do I want
to take my subpar fielder at wherever position I have
him today out of the game Because he always had,
always has good gloves on the bench, whether it's dubond
for any position, McCormick plus outfielder, they have options in

(02:23:02):
numerous places, and he's pulled the trigger on those most
of the year, even when it's Al two Bay's bat
coming out of the lineup for a late ining defensive replacement.

Speaker 2 (02:23:10):
All right, we got to take a break.

Speaker 1 (02:23:11):
When we come back, Sean Dubin, Astro's Reliever, will be
joining us here on Sports Talk seven ninety. But before
we take that break, I need to ask you how
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(02:23:32):
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That's fixmilow t dot com. Welcome back to the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. Matt Thomas is out, Ross, that's me.
I'm here. Adam Wexler here as well, and also Sean

(02:24:37):
Dubin is here, pitching a stellar seventh inning for the
Astros last night in route to a three nothing win.
A lot to get to with Sean, but we'll start
off with an easy one. Shawn, is is that one
of the most beautiful parks in baseball that you've ever
pitched in out there PNC and Pittsburgh.

Speaker 4 (02:24:55):
Yeah, for sure. I think I think it might be
my one of my favorite parts that I've.

Speaker 6 (02:24:59):
Done to you so far.

Speaker 4 (02:25:00):
You know, I went to a couple of Steelers games
when I was younger, so I always got to see
the stadium from outside of you.

Speaker 6 (02:25:07):
But you didn't do it any justice on the inside.

Speaker 13 (02:25:10):
Are you down with taking us to the other end
of the spectrum. What's the worst one you fintioned?

Speaker 6 (02:25:17):
Of mind, you can't call anyone out about it. It
is what it is. But yeah, maybe a couple of
the Triple Life Park.

Speaker 13 (02:25:24):
We'll probably take that as a Yeah, I think the
West Sacramento Minor League ballpark that we've yet to play
and will be on that list.

Speaker 1 (02:25:30):
But we don't have to say that. We'll say it
for you obviously.

Speaker 13 (02:25:33):
It's nice to pitch in a beautiful place like that
when your team is able to twirl a second consecutive
shutout and you're a part of this obviously, and even
bigger deal. What's life been like out in the bullpen
for you this year with the amount of success that
you and so many others have found.

Speaker 6 (02:25:48):
Yeah, it's been great.

Speaker 8 (02:25:49):
You know.

Speaker 4 (02:25:49):
The camaraderie or camaraderie is you know through the roofs
great group of guys, you know, all the way through
from the position players and all the way starting pitchers
to the ball everyone jelous pretty well, and you know
we're all there to pick each other up whenever we
need it.

Speaker 1 (02:26:06):
Who's got better hair, Brian King or Josh Hater?

Speaker 6 (02:26:09):
Oh that's excellent. I'm gonna have to give it to
King right now, hater recently just.

Speaker 4 (02:26:15):
Got a hair cut, if you still had that long,
if it was still long like last year, I probably
gives him.

Speaker 6 (02:26:20):
But Keith got that mullet going.

Speaker 1 (02:26:22):
He's very good. Would Steven Okert answer with the same
or say what about me?

Speaker 12 (02:26:27):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (02:26:27):
He probably say what about me? Honestly, probably could throw
him in the mix too. I'd probably go go King
Okre Hater.

Speaker 1 (02:26:35):
Sean Duban with us here on a Sports Talk seven
ninety h what's it been like for you this season?
Obviously it's been very successful in the early going, had
the shoulder injury as well. Uh, just kind of the
story of the season for you. Where you are right
now and where you started with that right shoulder inflammation
slowing you down in spring training.

Speaker 4 (02:26:55):
Yeah, you know, it's been a little bit of a
roller coaster. Definitely not how I wanted to start the year.
But you know, you just got to roll with the punches,
you know, and just show up and you know, be
ready to produce for the team whenever they.

Speaker 6 (02:27:07):
Call your name.

Speaker 4 (02:27:08):
But yeah, just going from the shoulders to stepping on
the baseball in Vegas and then send me back like
two weeks. So I'm just happy to finally be up
here and produce them. With the team that.

Speaker 13 (02:27:20):
Was stepping on the ball in Vegas. We've had a
pitcher get hit in the head during BP, but he
protected his head by hurting his thumb and all the
other unfortunate but typical pitching injuries. This does seem not
even halfway through the season, like the Astros have seen.

Speaker 1 (02:27:36):
More than their share of injuries. Weird or otherwise, would
you agree?

Speaker 4 (02:27:41):
Yeah, you know a lot of a lot of tough
luck around this year, you know myself sent you know,
just some weird stuff happenings. But we're a resilient bunch,
and you know, I think it just only makes stronger,
you know, as a whole out.

Speaker 13 (02:27:55):
There in the bullpen, with the the way the group
obviously you mentioned the camaraderie out there, specifically to the
guys you're spending most of the game out there with,
some with a lot more experience, some with similar experience
to you. Are there some guys maybe for a similar
role that they have with this year's team like yours,
that you have had a chance to, you know, pick
their brain, talk to a lot or your spend time
out in the bullpend that's helped you.

Speaker 4 (02:28:17):
Yeah, you know, there's a sort a couple of guys
down the bolt from especially.

Speaker 6 (02:28:20):
You know, like Hater over Brad.

Speaker 4 (02:28:22):
You guys who have you been around for a while
and you know, had all the experience just being able
to pick their brain as much as possible. You know,
it's been really cool and you just try to take
little things that they say and you know, apply it
to your game to see if it works. But just
having now outlet and having that ability to do that
with some of the guys you have on the team

(02:28:43):
has been a good blessing.

Speaker 1 (02:28:45):
What's that like for you? Kind of building those relationships,
especially you know, starting a couple of years ago in
your major league career, were you a guy that was
kind of like, I don't know if I'm going to ask,
I don't want to bother anybody, or if you've always
been somebody that that's going to go after everybody and
try to pick their brain.

Speaker 4 (02:29:01):
Definitely the first one little little shy at first, you know,
especially younger in the in the career. You know, you're
not trying to step on any toes or you know,
anything like that. But but no, Yeah, as the years
go on, you know, you you get a.

Speaker 6 (02:29:16):
Little bit more comfortable, you start to.

Speaker 4 (02:29:19):
Build these relationships with other teammates and stuff, and now
it's you know, it can ask you guys anything, and
you know, vice versa, and we're always there for each other.

Speaker 1 (02:29:27):
What are some of the things you have been learning
or at least like the last couple of years as well,
and and picking people's brain and getting good advice. What's
some of the best advice you think you've gotten.

Speaker 4 (02:29:37):
I remember a couple that stand out was like two
years ago, Ryan Stanek coming out to ride the roller coaster.

Speaker 6 (02:29:45):
He goes, it's going to be up and.

Speaker 4 (02:29:46):
Down the whole year, and just try to stay as
even keeled as you can. I still remember that, and
I still try to remind myself of that a lot.
And then Presley last year always has some good advice,
so too much even really try to pick one out.
But but yeah, you know, like I said, like the
veteran leadership guys make hater oker guys who got the time,

(02:30:09):
you know, they've been.

Speaker 6 (02:30:10):
Great at that.

Speaker 13 (02:30:11):
I'm talking with Sean Dubin here on Sports Talk seven
ninety Sean, is there a difference as you make your
major league debut in twenty three. You obviously pitch again
last year and you're back here this year. Is there
a different mindset for you or maybe any pitcher early
in their career, like in terms of pitching to prove
I belong here versus pitching like I know I belong.

Speaker 2 (02:30:32):
Here at first.

Speaker 4 (02:30:34):
Yeah, I would say for sure twenty three especially, you know,
it's being new to the guys in that clubhouse environment,
you know, out side of screen training. It's it's a lot,
you know, and just being able to relax, you know,
and just remind yourself.

Speaker 6 (02:30:50):
That you are here for a reason, you know.

Speaker 4 (02:30:53):
But yeah, early on, it's definitely it was definitely tough
to get used to. But I'm happy with where we're
at now.

Speaker 13 (02:30:59):
You think you're stuff is better this year, Your execution
is better, quite clearly, your results are outstanding.

Speaker 4 (02:31:05):
Yeah, you know, put a lot of work into the
change up and the curve all this offseason and those
have been two of my better pitches this year. So,
you know, I'm happy with the way things are going. Obviously,
there's always room for improvement, but you know, just gonna
keep building and keep working every day and continuing to
shout out and get better, such.

Speaker 2 (02:31:25):
As life as a reliever.

Speaker 1 (02:31:26):
You've been very good, and you know when there is
the occasion, well you'll give up a run. You don't
want to beat up yourself too much. What is like
for you, like mentally is trying to stay the course.
And and like you said, I guess for like Ryan
standing said, try to not ride the roller coaster.

Speaker 4 (02:31:40):
Yeah, you know, there's gonna be up and down. You're
gonna have big games and bad games. You know, obviously
the goal is to not let one out.

Speaker 6 (02:31:48):
Weigh the other.

Speaker 4 (02:31:48):
But you know, if you do give up a run,
you know, live the fin another day tomorrow, you know,
come back on a mission, kind of use it as
fuel to make sure it doesn't happen again. And a
lot of reinforcement has been basically like the common theme
this year.

Speaker 13 (02:32:04):
For me, pardon me for my childish thoughts here, but
it strikes me is that if you and Ryan Stanek
and everybody in the bullpen when y'all were together had
an off day in a city that had an amusement park,
he would absolutely be first in line and say, let's
ride this roller coaster.

Speaker 6 (02:32:19):
I think you might be right on that.

Speaker 4 (02:32:20):
Yeah, the off days are a good time, you know,
and especially when you get to spend it with the
group of guys.

Speaker 6 (02:32:25):
You know, that's what it's all about, and that would
be a fun crew to go to an amusement park.
List for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:32:31):
You came out in the seventh inning last night, and
you know, for a lot of the season it's been
Brian Kinge. Of course some rities were coming up as well.
Is there any conversations with Joe or anybody about your
role or it's just a situation where hey, I'm going
to go out there and when my number is called,
I'm going to get up and get ready.

Speaker 4 (02:32:46):
Yeah, that second part, you know, obviously, you know the
guys have their thoughts, but basically, anytime your name gets
called and you got to be ready and no matter
the situation, you know, I try to keep the same
mindset going in and you know, just keeping the score
exactly where it is right there and doing everything I
can to help the team.

Speaker 6 (02:33:03):
One.

Speaker 2 (02:33:04):
Okay, so you weren't luk at me, Okay, I'll get up.

Speaker 6 (02:33:09):
Yeah it was.

Speaker 4 (02:33:10):
It was cool because I have a lot of family
and friends and don for this week this series and
then in Cleveland, especially so any opportunity that I get
to put you in front of them, which it is
pretty awesome. All right, I'm excited.

Speaker 1 (02:33:22):
Yeah, thank you. What's going on back there, Shawn? I
think I heard is there a four clifts golf car? Okay,
don't get run over? Man, watch out back there. We
need you safe and healthy. All right, Well, we need
you for the rest of the series as well. Congratulations
on your great success this season, Sean, and we hope
you keep it up.

Speaker 6 (02:33:42):
Awesome. Thank you guys for having me on. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (02:33:44):
All right, There you go, Sean dubin, Houston Astros reliever
here on a Sports Talk seven. I you appreciate his time.
Going to take a quick break. One more segment of
the Man Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas, with
Adam Wexer. We'll be back with after this short break
here on Sports Talks seven. Thanks to Sean Duban joining
the program the last segment, thanks to Brian boga Sevic.

(02:34:08):
Thanks for Dan Matthews for hanging out. Thanks to Adam
Weser for hanging out. What kind of great wonderful things
are planned for two to six here on Sports Talks Well,
not two to six, two to four thirty, that is five.

Speaker 13 (02:34:20):
I'll be with you until five oh five. Last thirty
five minutes of that will be the astros on deck show.
Client's going to duck out, well, I do want to
at least, oh he's out. I want to give a
hat tip to the people that you mentioned, Dan Matthews,
I'll give a hat tip to you and uh myself.
Congratulations for each show producing one host's worth of work today.

(02:34:41):
Sean Salisbury off today, Yes, Yes, Matt Thomas off today.

Speaker 10 (02:34:45):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (02:34:45):
Adam Clanton is also off today. It's that time of year, folks.

Speaker 13 (02:34:49):
I mean these aren't you know? Real vacations will come
and go. And no, I'm not telling people not to
take vacation. I'm actually saying the opposite. I just am
congratulating those that are that are here because I'll be
taking vacation around the holiday for America, and so will
a see.

Speaker 1 (02:35:03):
So I'm sure there'll be people filling it for me
just as well. Well. Nobody's informed me or asked me yet,
so I guess we'll figure out what happens there.

Speaker 13 (02:35:10):
It'll all be good. But yeah, we've got a couple
hours of the eighteen for you. Aaron Wilson's gonna join
us at four o'clock with the I don't know what
to I don't know what words to use. Quite is
it panic button?

Speaker 4 (02:35:24):
Is?

Speaker 13 (02:35:24):
What's your concern level? What's your freakout meter? In early June?
For the health of a football player? Now it's not
just any football player, it is the football player. I mean,
the Texans can have the best fifty two man roster
in the NFL, but if the quarterback isn't top flight
and healthy, it really doesn't matter. I think we know
that after all these years in the NFL. There's no

(02:35:46):
way around it. So I recognize it's a pretty big story.
Wrap up their last voluntary mini camp tomorrow and then
they have I keep saying it voluntary OTAs tomorrow. Then
mandatory mini camp comes next week for two days. I
don't expect him to throw on those two days next.

Speaker 1 (02:36:07):
Week any side. On the underhand, I how about shovel pass.
You're taking the last two weeks off from throwing.

Speaker 13 (02:36:15):
Why to take one whole other two days off from
throwing and then take the next six weeks off of
whatever program it is that they'll have him on. So
when it gets to training, camp. They have no concerns.
I'll give you this right now. If there's general soreness
and there's concerns about it there, whether it's ten tonight
is whatever it is. I I actually expect CJ. Throut

(02:36:38):
Stroud to be limited throughout training camp.

Speaker 1 (02:36:44):
Did we get a confirmation on how this happened? Do
you have a baseball toss at the pleasure peer or something.
We don't know how it happened.

Speaker 13 (02:36:50):
We know it's a minor shoulder injury, a package issue,
and it was called specifically general soreness.

Speaker 1 (02:36:56):
That boxing punching game that you do. You try, We're
back to the amusement p I just hurt. Well, you
were actually doing it the way c J. Stroud should
do it with his off arm, his left shoulder. Yes,
for you. You also can go to work every day
with only one working shoulder. That's true. I've been hearing
a sling.

Speaker 13 (02:37:15):
To his credit, he also goes to work with one
working shoulder, but he can't perform all of the tasks
of his off season work.

Speaker 1 (02:37:23):
Okay, Well, as you were saying, I shouldn't let the
Astros in the way that they mishandle injuries or reporting
of injuries cloud my mind when it comes to the
Houston texts, and don't.

Speaker 13 (02:37:31):
You think those two things are separate? Y mishandling and reporting.
The Texans are under no obligation to tell anybody again
anything true for that matter, neither of the astros. If
a player gets hurt and they got to put them
on the eel, then they make an announcement other than that,
you don't have to tell people anything. Now you're putting
the people that now have to answer those questions every
single day in a bad spot. And the mishandling of

(02:37:52):
totally different scenario.

Speaker 1 (02:37:54):
And then you say it's a muscle strain or a
bruise and then it ends up being fractures.

Speaker 2 (02:37:58):
You you brought up.

Speaker 13 (02:38:00):
Dana Brown made his appearance earlier today and we'll hear
a little bit of that also during the during the
eighteen this afternoon should have some of what Dana had
to say. Right at three o'clock. He did acknowledge, as
he did with Robert Ford on Sunday. Yeah, we probably
do things differently, and he said made it very simple today,
said more imaging. It's the same thing we all said

(02:38:20):
when we found out about how the timeline went yeah,
just get more imaging.

Speaker 1 (02:38:24):
It doesn't seem that difficult.

Speaker 2 (02:38:25):
Let's go fire up to MRI machine.

Speaker 1 (02:38:27):
Get one. You know what, you should get one in
the ballpark every team they visit, every major league pro
sports city, any most cities in America. You can get
it done. It's not a lack of it. They at
having access to it. They have X ray machines at ballparks, right,

(02:38:47):
but not MRI machines. Is that what my understanding? That's
a reasonable general statement. Yes, okay, all right, well you
get an MRI machine, twenty four hour operator. It doesn't
even matter.

Speaker 13 (02:38:58):
It wasn't for they didn't make the disc based on man.
This is going to be a nightmare trying to find
an MRI machine.

Speaker 1 (02:39:03):
For those beers are seventeen dollars. You can afford to
get it. Get in on my machine, get a guy
operating in twenty four hours.

Speaker 13 (02:39:10):
So maybe in Phoenix, where they played basketball, they might
have one since they have such pleasant consumer friendly concession
prices on some items, so they can't afford it.

Speaker 1 (02:39:20):
Or Atlanta, yeah, Arthur Blank can't afford one either. So yeah,
but in Houston, Texas they should be fine. It's one
of the finest medical centers in the country, in the planet.

Speaker 13 (02:39:30):
Or in Chicago or Milwaukee, where most of this basically
took place. He went on the IL while they left
Chicago and went to Milwaukee, got the MRI, and they
had their answer.

Speaker 2 (02:39:39):
So you're saying Milwaukee and what was Chicago.

Speaker 13 (02:39:42):
They went from their White Sox series to the Brewers series,
and that's when this all kind of came to a head.
If we need to hold him out and then ultimately
we need to get imaging whatever it's, Yeah, I.

Speaker 1 (02:39:53):
Guess we can. Just that's the thing there too. If
you just give us a timeline, Oh, it would be
a real like with Zach Dezenzo. We're not gonna have
nobody's gonna ask about zax Zenzo weeks. They said he's
got a capsule string or sprain. He's going to be
reevaluated in two weeks and get some reimaging.

Speaker 13 (02:40:06):
And I tend to believe the announcement, the release of
that information from the Astros on both Renault Blanco having
surgery Friday and what they found from the imaging with
Zach Decenzo. This wasn't at a press briefing. That wasn't
because they were asked. It's because they put it out
on their own as a team that doesn't have to.

(02:40:26):
But I think we might see a change in how
they publicly operate with some of these things.

Speaker 1 (02:40:31):
The lasson he'll dit to learn here, folks, is that
bullying works. I don't know who bullied them, Chandler Rome,
he's doing his job. He's been bullying them for years.
He's been retweeting other organizations that are forthcoming about their
injuries and stuff like that. And then that's okay, I
like Chandler roam on a crusade. Well, think about what
I just said and what you're talking about. Okay, So

(02:40:54):
they put the information out. So guess who's you said
we don't have to ask about it? Yeah, well guess
who doesn't have to talk about it. Dana Brown doesn't
have to talk about it. And now Joe Spott it
doesn't have to get those questions. But we already have
the answer. Nope, since I Sleeves told us by the
team crazy how that works. I'm glad that they're figuring
out well whether or not, I mean, no out how

(02:41:14):
long it's gonna be till you're on. Alvarez is back
a little bit of lineup flexibility. I haven't seen the
lineup posted for today yet. Oh, we'll have that on
the A team as well. A lineup.

Speaker 13 (02:41:25):
Hey, A five to forty first pitch will afford us
the opportunity to the lineup fore.

Speaker 1 (02:41:29):
I guarantee you they're going to put it out on
at Astros and there will be over reactions in the
replies from Astros fans.

Speaker 2 (02:41:35):
That's what we love to do for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:41:38):
All right. Well, on that note, that's gonna do it
for the Matt Thomas Show with Ross, without Matt Thomas
and with various guests. Adam Wexer, thank you for hanging out.

Speaker 6 (02:41:49):
You got it.

Speaker 1 (02:41:49):
He'll be with you from two to until five oh five.
We get Astros first pitch taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates
game number two of that series at five point forty
here on Sports Talk seven. I'd like to extend my
thank you to Dan Matthews for joining the show. Thank
you to Brian Boga Sevic and Sean Duban as well
in all of you for listening, and of course JK

(02:42:11):
Allen producing doing a great job as he always does.
I'll talk to you folks next tomorrow ten am. No
Matt Thomas tomorrow as well. Right now, don't go anywhere.
It's just one Adam for the A team coming up here.
On Sports Talk seven ninety