215 Sports Podcast with Andrew Glover & Tyler Lutgen
A weekly podcast created by two friends who like talking about sports, primarily Philly sports, covering recaps of all our favorite teams, as well as all other sports and giving our opinions about everything.
215 Sports Podcast with Andrew Glover & Tyler Lutgen
Eagles are 1-0 - Ep.18
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An unlikely comeback victory, a player ejection, and a lengthy lightning delay marked the Eagles' chaotic season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the bizarre circumstances, Philadelphia managed to pull off a 24-20 win to start the season 1-0, though the game left more questions than answers about their Super Bowl aspirations.
The drama began early when defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, crippling the Eagles' pass rush for the remainder of the game. Without Carter, the defensive line struggled mightily, failing to record a single sack while allowing CeeDee Lamb to repeatedly beat cornerback Adoree' Jackson in coverage.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts emerged as the true hero, carrying the offense through his decisive running and timely throws, primarily targeting tight end Dallas Goedert who hauled in seven receptions. The ground game proved effective with both Hurts and Saquon Barkley making significant contributions, while kicker Jake Elliott impressed with a booming 58-yard field goal.
The game's momentum completely shifted following an hour-long lightning delay, after which both offenses struggled to move the ball effectively. Though the Eagles defense missed several potential interceptions, they tightened up when it mattered most, securing a division victory despite committing nine penalties for 109 yards.
Looking ahead, Philadelphia faces a challenging Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. For the Eagles to have any chance against Patrick Mahomes and company, they'll need to dramatically clean up their penalties, generate more pressure on the quarterback, and get healthy after injuries to Ben VanSumeren (out for season), Will Shipley, and Landon Dickerson.
How do you think the Eagles will fare against the Chiefs next week? Share your thoughts and join us for more analysis as we break down this wild start to the Philadelphia sports season.
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Outro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUYR6NW9r0k&list=RDdUYR6NW9r0k&start_radio=1
Eagles' Chaotic Win Against Cowboys
Speaker 1All right. So after a pretty chaotic week one, the Eagles are 1-0. And I mean, how are we feeling they're 1-0. It was very sloppy. I would say Nice week one football you know, yeah, it was really good. I mean, obviously you want to see them start 1-0.
Speaker 2Exactly, so. They get the win, which is all that really matters in the end it was really sloppy. But yeah, it would be nice to see them actually look a little bit better than they did, as it was a very weird and strange game.
Speaker 2I think for the most part, and yeah and that um, that started even before the first snap was taken yeah, with the ben van sumeren injury on the opening kickoff, and then, right after he gets carted off the field, there's this incident where Dak Prescott spits and then Jalen Carter views that as I don't know, I guess disrespectful or something. So he spits literally on Dak Prescott.
Speaker 1Yeah, which is just such a childish move by Jalen Carter Just a very boneheaded move, dak Prescott saw that he's a cocky player.
Speaker 1He's young, this stuff has happened to him at Georgia before and he decided to bait him out. I mean, it worked, it worked. He got ejected for the rest of the game and clearly the defensive line needed him out. I mean it worked, it worked. He got ejected for the rest of the game and clearly the defensive line needed him out there. Because they were yeah, they did not look good, they were terrible the whole night.
Speaker 2The entire first half. Really, they looked really really bad and they did get better in the second half.
Speaker 1I feel like they were never able to get to.
Speaker 2Dak no, no sacks, no sacks, no sacks.
Speaker 1They got lucky with the one fumble. Yeah, that the one fumble. Before the delay yep, and then you have.
Speaker 2That was basically it. After that fumble, with the delay, they get the field goal because of the short field and then there was no points that scored after that.
Speaker 1But we talk about the opening drives Dallas going down and scoring to start the season and then the Eagles tying it right back up.
Speaker 2I mean Dallas seemed to move pretty easy down the field, Targeting one man seemed like all night.
Speaker 1Yep, because Adory Jackson, he fucking sucks.
Speaker 2Adory Jackson. He fucking sucks Well, Adory Jackson, definitely seems like he has lost.
Speaker 1You know lost a step in the old speed department. It definitely showed last night because he was getting cooked up by CeeDee Lamb.
Speaker 2He just could not stick with his man, you know, and not only did he have all the receptions that you know, he was targeted with CeeDee Lamb, he also had the pass interference in the end zone, basically with George Pickens which ended up getting them a touchdown.
Speaker 1Yeah, that was a touchdown right there too, and all the touchdowns were from Javante Williams.
Speaker 2Right, which was very surprising that they used giovante williams. I thought as much as they did and I feel like not really anyone else in the backfield got a ton of carries, so I guess giovante williams just has giovante williams starting spot got those two touchdowns as a starter.
Speaker 1Then sanders got that big run.
Speaker 2Yeah, sanders did have the one big run. Yeah, that was yeah because he had, like what?
Speaker 1five attempts, I think, on the night he had the big run that had to be stopped by Zach Vaughn Yep, because that would have been a touchdown Yep. And then you have the fumble, because that was from Sanders as well.
Speaker 2I thought that was Williams that fumbled.
Speaker 1No, that was Williams that fumbled.
Speaker 2No, that was Sanders that was Sanders who fumbled and that was Mitchell that picked it up right, yeah, then Quinion picked that up. And he returned it for what like an extra 20-something yards, I believe.
Speaker 1Because that's how they got down to the field goal range, obviously.
Speaker 2Exactly because after that happened, literally neither offense could move the ball anymore, like at all. Yeah, I guess all the life had just been sucked out of the game.
Speaker 1I can't believe that delay it's crazy. I don't think I've ever like. It's very rare for a lightning delay to happen mid-game. Yeah, I would say.
Speaker 2I only remember seeing it one time, I think, and it was maybe like two or three years ago. There was a lightning delay during a chargers game. I forget who they were playing, but it was at sofi stadium and that's weird because it's a dome, but they have the open window they have lots those things and because those are open, they had. They still had to issue a delay, but I don't think it was like an hour long, I think it was maybe like 25 or like a half hour.
Speaker 1It was nowhere close to as long as the delay was because obviously that's like a dome stadium You're able to just probably retract the windows. Obviously there's no dome at Lincoln Financial Field, so you have to wait for the lighting to pass through sadly.
Speaker 2Finally, they did start the game again at like 11.30 at night.
Speaker 1And that's when, I'd say, the defense actually came alive a little bit.
Speaker 2Well, I don't know if it was more.
Speaker 1The defense came alive or just both?
Speaker 2offenses went to sleep or if it was cd lamb.
Jalen Carter Ejection and Defensive Struggles
Speaker 1Well, yeah, because cd lamb cd lamb cost the cowboys pretty much huge scoring opportunities in that fourth quarter.
Speaker 2Yeah and not only did cd lamb cost them, but I also think the fact that they really just stopped trying to like run the ball as much really just kind of I don't know made it so that dac was definitely thrown a lot and the eagles missed a lot of opportunities.
Speaker 1four interceptions that they could have had and well, you and none of them successful.
Speaker 2Where Mitchell should have caught it. That went right through his hands. He had the other one that could have been on the Dory Jackson deflection, where he swatted the ball and fired. Young Could have potentially got it, and then Mitchell had the ball go right through his hands. I think blanket ship had one blanket ship did head of an opportunity for one, and I want to who.
Speaker 1And then there was one batted up where the defensive lineman couldn't get it yeah, yeah, I think that was.
Speaker 2Was that campbell that batted it away?
Speaker 1yeah, I'm not. I'm not even sure who batted it away, but I remember someone on the defensive line could not get that.
Speaker 2I think that's the Byron Young one.
Speaker 1That's what it was, yeah. But, they had some opportunities, john.
Speaker 2Campbell had a pretty good game. Yeah, he did have a pretty good introductory game. He had that big pass breakup on what third down with Jake Ferguson and staying with him just streaking across the field. That was really good. He I think he had a couple of solo tackles, I remember, throughout the night, maybe like three or four of them, and he seemed to be, you know, whenever he was actually like in there which I'm not entirely sure how many snaps he was actually playing for, but they were talking about him an awful lot on the broadcast and he was definitely around the football a decent amount. Yeah, he was definitely in the action for most of it.
Speaker 1Yeah, and one thing now about the offense is they definitely capitalized on Michael Parsons' last pass rush because Jalen Hurts and Saquon well, mainly Hurts was just running all over the field.
Speaker 2Dude Hurts carried that game, the entire offense, that entire first half that entire first half of the offense.
Speaker 1That was all Jalen, basically Pretty much. Brown only got one catch, he only got one target. Brown only got one catch. He only got one target, he only got one target. Davante got, I think, two catches, two or three. So it's mainly dallas. Goddard got seven though yeah, dallas goddard was getting a lot, john dotson got a uh pretty good deep ball yeah, johan dotson had what I think it was a 26 yard reception it was basically just him and, uh, dallas goddard just getting most of the saquon had a couple of catches yeah backfield.
Speaker 2He did drop one, unfortunately. Yeah, he also had a couple catches lined up as a wide receiver yeah, as well so not only was he catching stuff out of the backfield coming out the back, he was also catching stuff lined up actually on the line, and then you had him get the touchdown and then you had Hurts obviously get a couple, I mean.
Speaker 1so that run game by them was just absolutely fantastic. Yeah, successful touch push, obviously Two for two, which is nice, and then Jake Elliott making a 58-yard field goal, which is Back to his Jake Elliott ways. Yeah, back to his Jake Elliott ways. Basically, that was fantastic.
Speaker 2Yeah, that was awesome seeing him hit a 58-yarder. Yeah, he's definitely improved. Put everyone at ease on the first kick that you have 58 yards boom.
Speaker 1He's definitely improved, yes, on his time during the preseason. Improved, yes, on his time during the the preseason. He was working a lot on trying to get more field goals from longer distances and clearly it showed in week one.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, that was. 58 yards is no. You know, it's no cakewalk right there. 58 yards is a pretty substantial amount of yardage for any kicker in the NFL. So anytime you're able to hit anything, I feel like that's 56 and up, it's like all right, that's pretty damn impressive.
Speaker 1Yeah, I agree. So much too. Also another thing there's some obvious, there's major cleanups that obviously the Eagles got to fix for week two, I mean you got to. Apparently, jalen Carter isn't going to be suspended, so at least you're getting your best defensive lineman back for a crucial game against Kansas City.
Speaker 2And that should help in all facets, because Jalen Carter really affects this defense.
Speaker 1On every level, especially when it's football field, especially when it's Jordan Davis. Yeah, more Ojomo and Uche yeah again, those are your three defensive. Those are your three defensive linemen against pretty good Cowboys offensive line I'd say yeah, cowboys do have a pretty good offensive line and I mean they were getting, they were getting cooked all night, man. Somehow Hurts only got sacked once, which is nice. So yeah, but they were never able to get to dac now they weren't able to get to dac at all.
Speaker 2I mean jaylex hunt, I feel like could have had one that he ended up missing. Jordan davis had that big one that was like the second quarter that he missed that too.
Speaker 1I don't know how to the ground get dac prescott.
Speaker 2He was slipping and sliding all over the place and then there was I forget who was the second guy on the back end of that. Afterward that could have gotten potentially, I don't yeah, they missed smith they missed a couple of sacks on Dak.
Speaker 1I think it was.
Speaker 2Jomo. That could have potentially gotten him right after Jordan Davis got him and they both missed. So they did have some opportunities. They did have a decent amount of pressure, I feel like in the game. It's just they never were able to actually get home?
Speaker 1Yeah, pretty much. And then another thing they got to address is the penalties, because yeah, dude, a hundred and nine yards off the penalties. That can't happen.
Speaker 2That cannot happen, like it doesn't matter what team you're going against A hundred and nine yards in penalties and you're putting yourself like you're setting yourself up for failure. Basically, quinn Young had a pass interference.
Speaker 1Adore Jackson had a pass interference. Adori jackson had a pass interference. You have blankenship. When he went up to uh, when he hit, I think it was jake ferguson and yeah, the old yeah, and then you had roughing the passer, and then you had nolan smith taunting myles sanders, which I thought that was ridiculous.
Speaker 2I know that was stupid. That was stupid nolan smith.
Speaker 1I mean no, Miles Sanders wasn't even looking at Nolan Smith when he did his little celebration. Yeah, I know, and then they still gave him the penalty.
Speaker 2I guess just because he stood over top of him while he did it. I guess, yeah, but he didn't even see.
Speaker 1He just it's like he was just on the ground when he did it and walked off the field like as if nothing happened I guess.
Speaker 2I guess it's more just like a message, you know, like that's like, I guess, because you know the entire league is probably watching opening night. So, yeah, I think everyone's watching opening night.
Speaker 1But another thing that could have been is like what if the ref overheard something that Nolan Smith might have said to Miles Sanders? Miles Sanders could have just shrugged it off but the ref could have been like yeah, we can't allow that, so the flag there. But I mean just overall, that was just a just so wacky with the with the ejection and the flags and the delay and it was wacky and sloppy and really it just I don't know.
Speaker 2It just did not. It wasn't a good game.
Speaker 1It wasn't. I mean, they were sloppy last year in Brazil too. I mean, I feel like they're always like a little sketchy, up until like week five or something.
Speaker 2Well, week one, you always kind of expect there to be some you know some hiccups or some wackiness, like it was all, just because it's the first, you know first game of the season, and especially by the fact you got Kevin Petullo calling plays now yeah, you got a new offensive coordinator. You got a whole bunch of new guys in here on defense. It's not gonna be.
Speaker 1It's not gonna.
Speaker 2It's not gonna be the same, obviously right, but you did want it to look at least a little bit more cleaned up, I'm gonna say, than it did last night.
Offensive Performance and Lightning Delay
Speaker 1You know you want it to look more yeah, I'm sure they're gonna be actively improving on fixing their act, especially since next week's opponent isn't any easier.
Speaker 2No, next week is a much better opponent in Kansas City. Coming off of losing the Sao Paulo game, they're not going to want to start the season 0-2.
Speaker 1No, especially that's going to be technically their home opener and it's the Super Bowl rematch. Super Bowl rematch. I mean, no one, the Chiefs are not going into that game thinking that they're going to be 0-2. Yeah, it's going to be a very tough game for the Eagles. It is going to be a tough game for the Eagles and I mean I don't think the Chiefs really didn't look that good last night either.
Speaker 2They looked good when they went to the quick offense, which is something that I feel like they always look good when they go the quick hurry up, no huddle like their four-minute drill offense.
Speaker 1Patrick Mahomes is really good at setting things up in that way, but I feel like when they've got all the time in the world, they lack the urgency that they show yeah, when they first started the game by going three straight three and out, so then that allowed the chargers to open up the scoring, they had a 10 point lead already, right and then you end up getting to the end of the first half, the Chargers get the ball what with like a minute and 39 seconds, and they go down the field and they score.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Like. So I mean not the Chargers, the Chiefs went down the field and they scored.
Speaker 1The Chiefs are good at that. Yeah, they're good at getting quick points. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2Yeah, and whenever they get to that quick hurry up offense where they don't let you substitute and they keep the same guys out on the field, eventually they catch someone that's tired or someone that miscommunicated or something that you know along those lines, and they're able to capitalize on it, usually with a very big play that's the same thing that happened in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1You know the chiefs were down by.
Speaker 1I think it was a touchdown or something yeah and calci on the wheel route, yeah, and then it was fourth down and then mahomes just tossed up a deep ball and found hollywood brown. Yep was able to get first and goal and they did not end up getting the touchdown, so they did settle for a field goal and then at that point the chargers were at third and 13 I think it was just after the two minute warning or just before the two minute warning and justin herbert pulled off like an incredible run to end up getting the ceiling that game and getting the first down, which then they just kneeled it after that yeah, they kneeled
Speaker 2it and got the win so, but they're the chiefs are definitely going to be not wanting to start their season. Oh, and two oh, for sure so you're going to get the chiefs best thing that they have to offer next week and you're going to get it in kansas city which is going to be obviously a completely different atmosphere than philadelphia right, so you're going to have to really not have 109 penalty yards on nine penalties if you're gonna win that game you gotta clean up the penalties it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 1No, definitely not gonna be easy. They gotta go in and jaylen carter can't.
Speaker 2Yeah, jaylen carter can't do nothing stupid.
Speaker 1I mean jaylen carter. You're like, I can't defend Jalen Carter on this.
Speaker 2No, I can't. He's a clown. You can't defend spitting on another human being in a professional setting. No, really in any setting.
Speaker 1I mean you're a grown man, you're a football player making millions of dollars and you're spitting on opposing quarterback. I mean this isn't, like you know, seventh grade recess football opposing quarterback. I mean, this isn't like you know, seventh grade recess football this is.
Speaker 1I mean, even if it was like seventh grade football, you'd probably get kicked out of playing like the rest of the people there would be like dude, you're fucking gross yeah, like you're not playing with us, you just spit on me, bro like but yeah, hopefully if the eagles somehow do start 2-0, that's gonna be super impressive if they start off 2-0, they've got a pretty good chance of starting off 3-1, because they always lose in tampa bay. They ain't winning. They always lose in tampa bay. They ain't winning in tampa bay.
Speaker 2But they got a good chance to start off 3-1. If they're able to, no, yeah, I think they have a chance to beat the chiefs 3-1 if they're able to win against the Chiefs, I think they have a chance to beat the Chiefs.
Speaker 1If they're able to just get to Mahomes early and then just limit the penalty yards, they have a real shot and they need to start throwing the football more.
Speaker 2But in order to do that, jalen Carter needs to be on the field. Yeah.
Speaker 1Jalen Carter can't be doing anything stupid and apparently he's not gonna get suspended, so well, definitely gonna get a big ass.
Speaker 2Fine, oh for sure, like probably like seventy five thousand dollars, yeah, I would say he's gonna be getting a lot fine.
Speaker 1Well, if he got suspension, it would have been suspension, a smaller, fine, but now it's gonna be, oh yeah it's gonna be a huge fine because there's no suspension, because he already missed the entirety of that game. Yeah, so I mean technically, he already served a suspension if it was only one game.
Speaker 2Right he didn't even play a single snap, unless they want to give him a two-game suspension to suspend him from next week. But I don't really think the NFL wants to take the. That would subtract from the product that they're putting on the field. Yeah, For you know, Sunday night it's 425. Oh, so the midday game? Okay.
Speaker 1But it's the Fox midday game, so you got the.
Speaker 2Tom Brady on the call. Oh gosh. So you know he's gonna be hating the Eagles, as he always does.
Speaker 1Yep, oh, that's his fault that he lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. To Nick Foles.
Speaker 2And he will never get over it.
Speaker 1Yeah, I know he's a little baby over there.
Speaker 2He will never get over it.
Speaker 1He will never get over that he lost to a backup. I mean, I'd never get over it too if I was Tom Brady losing to a damn backup All the other people.
Speaker 2He's beat like all the other guys.
Speaker 1He All the other guys, he probably still hasn't gotten over Eli Manning.
Speaker 2Yeah, especially because Eli did it to him twice.
Speaker 1Yeah, At least like Brady beat the Eagles like back in the Stone Ages or whatever. Well, back when they had McNabb.
Speaker 2Yeah, that was what. 2004? Yeah, 2004. The 2004-05 season.
Speaker 1And then losing the Foles obviously just so hilarious. Can't believe it's been seven years since that happened.
Speaker 2So moving on to the Phillies here, or actually hang on, before we move on to the Phillies, you want to mention just the injuries. Real quick that came up. Yeah, other than Van Sumeren, mm-hmm. So other than Van Sumeren, who is probably I think they already announced he's expected to miss the entire season, right, they announced out for the season because that's why they signed Zedarius Smith Right so he's going to be out Wait actually, how do you feel about the Zedarius Smith move?
Speaker 2I mean, I'm fine with it. It's not like it costed them anything other than money. Yeah.
Speaker 1I mean how he saw the concern with the defensive line. Opening night he saw that there was a player available with talent and experience. He jumped on that opportunity. That's what good general managers do.
Speaker 2So you know it's, it's not really a move that you can criticize, because it's not really a move that it's not really hurting your team, right, it's not doing any. It's not, you know, restricting you in any way making this move so and it's a very low risk but a decently high reward.
Speaker 1Yeah, low risk, high reward. If it doesn't work out, then it's not like you spent $50 million on him.
Second Half Defensive Adjustments
Speaker 2Right. If it doesn't work out, you can realistically just cut him and pay him out the rest of his contract. It's only what like $2 million or something like that.
Speaker 1Yeah, then you could find someone from the practice squad or whatever, right.
Speaker 2So I'm fine with that move. Someone from the practice squad or whatever, right. So I'm fine with that move. You know, can't really say anything too bad about it. Hopefully he still has a couple of sacks in him, you know.
Speaker 2Hopefully he had nine sacks last season right hopefully he still got a couple in him and you know he can come over and get a couple sacks for the eagles. But other than van sumeren you also had, will shipley get hurt, which is why you saw aj dillon towards the later stages of the game and I believe he got hurt on a kick return or a punt return.
Speaker 1Yeah, Will Shipley ended up getting injured, and then I think they just put him as questionable. And then Landon Dickerson also got injured. Yep, the back flared up again.
Speaker 2So that happened in the third quarter, I believe right.
Speaker 1I think he did end up still playing some snaps after that, but obviously—.
Speaker 2Toth was getting the most of the snaps after that, yeah obviously after the surgery.
Speaker 1You don't want to see that happening.
Speaker 2So Toth ended up coming in and getting most of those snaps. Aj Brown came in to fill in for Will Shipley. I mean not AJ Brown, AJ Dillon. Most of those snaps. Aj brown came in to fill in for will shipley. And I mean not aj brown, aj dylan. Aj dylan came in to fill in for will shipley and he had what like three or four carries. Didn't really do too much. Yeah, it didn't really do anything, obviously, and john mechi was the guy that took over on the oh yeah, he did return the punts and he actually had a decent like 20 yard return.
Speaker 1I want to say they didn't activate Britton Covey, so it had to be John Mechian, and he actually had a pretty good return. Yeah, so not bad for someone they can use on special teams too.
Speaker 2And I believe that you did see Adoree Jackson come out for a couple of plays and Ja'Cory and Bennett came in. But once Jackson was deemed good to go, he went back in there. So I'm not entirely sure if that means that they really just prefer him over Bennett. It definitely means Kaley Ringo's not the first guy off the bench, oh for sure. So he's kind of locked in, I guess as a special teamer.
Speaker 1I mean Adory Jackson's going to have to get his shit together before they play Kansas City.
Speaker 2But I probably anticipate seeing a little bit more of Ja'Cory and Bennett next week, just because the way Jackson played.
Speaker 1If you're going to have Quinion Mitchell on Xavier Worthy, you're probably going to have Jackson on Hollywood.
Speaker 2Brown yeah.
Speaker 1Do they still have Juju?
Speaker 2Yes, they do still have Juju, so Cooper will be on Juju. Yeah, I'd assume so, but you're going to need someone probably. And, like Hollywood, brown had 10 catches, 99 yards last night. He had a really good night. He had a really good night.
Speaker 1So if that's what he's, going to cook Adory Jackson. If that's what Adory Jackson's guarding, he might get four touchdowns.
Speaker 2Right, so it's going to be probably a little bit more Ja'Corian Bennett and Adory Jackson. I wouldn't anticipate Jackson being out there the entire game, even though he might still start. And there was something else about I sydney brown had some type of yeah, sydney brown was down.
Speaker 1Well, I think well.
Speaker 2Makuba got most of the the reps because he was starting safety, though but if brown goes down, I have no idea who the guy is after brown yeah, I have no clue either so no, I haven't really heard anything on whether or not Brown is going to be able to suit up next week.
Speaker 2I mean, I think I did see him out there for a couple of plays after he went down on the field with whatever injury. It looked like it was a shoulder, but you know just something to something to keep your eye on where you know, coming off of a very deep playoff run last year, you gotta wonder if this team's gonna get hit with maybe the injury bug a little bit. In fact they had shorter off season than any other team. You know, yeah, they better not. So they've had deep playoff runs the past couple of years. They've been relatively injury-free for those runs. Eventually it's going to start catching up to them at some point. You would assume, yeah, that ain't happening.
Speaker 2But, just something to keep an eye out for. Yeah, and I believe that's all the notable injury news for the Eagles.
Speaker 1All right, so you want to move on to the Phillies. Now you want to talk about baseball.
Speaker 2Yeah, now let's move, press our All right. So you want to move on to the Phillies? Now you want to talk about baseball? Yeah, now let's move, press our hats forward here for the Phillies. And first thing that you want to go over, or I think, first thing I want to go over real quick.
Speaker 1Castellanos man.
Speaker 2Castellanos is maybe not playing in the playoffs.
Speaker 1Oh, I don't know. So he hasn't played for like what? The third time in the last four games.
Speaker 2And there should be a lineup probably coming out before we wrap this up so we can check and see if he's in the lineup, but it's another right-handed pitcher.
Speaker 1It's Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins on today, Saturday, which which? We're recording this so right. And kepler hit a home run last night. I mean he also had an rbi single nick costellanos is not playing for the third time in four games. The phillies are paying him, you know, 20 million dollars, and this is not even the final year of his contract. He's got one more One more year. So he provides offense which is definitely not worth $20 million.
Speaker 2No, he has the most mediocre defense in the league One of the worst defensive metrics center I mean right fielders for past what three years?
Speaker 1now Pretty much yeah, Ever since he took over that starting right field job and a war of 0.9 minus 0.9 yeah, so he's actually costing you my name he based pretty much he's losing you again.
Speaker 1He's losing you a game. So I I don't know if his time with the phillies is up. I don't know if the offseason comes and they see his contract and they just pull the trigger and just eat that 20 million dollars that's left of him yeah, because I don't know why any other team would take him no, I mean no team is going to see that for 20 million dollars and be like yes, look at that power hitter.
Speaker 1He's not a power hitter. The strikeouts have been up consistently. Nothing has been hit hard. The defense is not there At this stage of his career. He's.
Speaker 2He's a dh only on a team like colorado yeah, or a team that you know maybe has a bit better of hitting ballpark, not to say that citizens bank isn't a great hitting ballpark, because it is hey, cincinnati's a good hitting ballpark right and he had success before in cincinnati, before in cincinnati. Te Texas is a pretty good hitter's ball park.
Speaker 1But he'd be nothing but a D8. He would not be able to. If he played for like Colorado or something, he would not be able to track down fly balls in that ginormous outfield. He'd be like a snail going around there.
Speaker 2No there's no way you could defensively put him in a gigantic outfield like that. You could maybe put him in right field Yankees, because Yankees got the short right field. Yeah, they got the short porch but even that so maybe you could put him there and he would be marginally better. Or you definitely couldn't put him in Boston, because Boston's right field's got the pesky pole that's over there yeah, but still, even that outfield is pretty big.
Speaker 1Besides, like the green monster, you have center field which is pretty deep, and then right field's, even still like besides the pole, it's kind of like an odd shape. It's a very odd shape where it ends up going all the way to the bullpens, but it's going to.
Speaker 2The only way you're going to be able to trade him or get rid of him in a way where you don't pay out his contract would be if you were to basically take back nothing in return.
Speaker 1Yeah, no team is going to trade any top prospects.
Speaker 2No, I mean you could get maybe just some guys to fill the minor league squad.
Speaker 1Yeah, you might be able to get like two prospects in double A, but that's about it.
Speaker 2Yeah, like other than that you're not going to get anything for Castellanos, and even with him trading him away, other teams might still be asking you hey, cover some of this contract. So if that's the case, you might be still having to pay, you know. Right, pay him $10 million to play on another team.
Speaker 1When you could have used that $10 million on a free agent, so maybe just cut him.
Speaker 2I'm not entirely sure how this goes, but I do think after this season, whenever the Phillies play their last game this year, it will be the last game for Nick Castellanos in a Phillies uniform.
Speaker 1Yeah, and we always say how he does good in the playoffs or whatever, but that doesn't matter if they're not going to win anything.
Speaker 2I mean we've seen with Castellanos that he can get hot for stretches so, but it's never consistent exactly thing it never is more than I want to say, like two weeks at a time, and those two weeks will be tearing the cover off the ball, but then when it's over, it's, it's really over I mean when you're getting paid 20 million dollars and struggling to keep your, when you're struggling to maintain a 700 ops well, I think I saw his batting average over like the last 15 or like 30 games is like 196.
Speaker 2Yeah, he's been something like that.
Speaker 1It's not very good I think he has like anPS in the low 500 since the All-Star break. And that's just since the All-Star break.
Speaker 2Yeah, so he's been going through one of his more down stretches, but I don't know if he's going to be given the run to even get hot for the playoffs potentially, If he's not in the lineup again today and it's four out of five days that's saying that's sandy alcantara on the mound for the marlins. Right you're trusting max kepler against him over nick castellanos, which is a guy that we were all clamoring for, for them everyone everyone was saying like ever get rid of max kepler.
Speaker 1Oh, and then, look what look, the look look look how the tables have turned.
Speaker 2yeah, look where we are now. Like, how did we get here? Are we in some alternate reality, some paradox, where now we're all saying that, well, not that we're all saying, but now that max kepler is having more faith in him, put by Rob Thompson, than Nick Castellanos is, I mean, if Never thought I'd say that that's a $20 million platoon in right field, so that's just yeah. And you thought that maybe paying $12 million in a platoon is expensive for Kepler. Well, you're paying an extra $8 million for Castellanos.
Speaker 1Yeah, so.
Speaker 2Those two guys alone if part of a platoon. Those two guys make up $32 million, so they got to just $32 million platoon.
Speaker 1Pull the plug and just end it. They just got to end the regime with Nick Castellanos.
Speaker 2Why not just pay one player $32 million per year to play every day? Why not do that?
Speaker 1You're spending $32 million on the position already $32 million on platoon players.
Speaker 2You're already spending $32 million on the position already.
Injury Updates and Roster Moves
Speaker 1You might as well just it's not one of Dave Dombrowski's greatest signings. I mean everyone thought that the move was going to be good at first. Yeah, I was excited by it. I think everyone was excited and it just never turned out to be Well. He was an all-star that year. He had a really good season I think he was a silver slugger. He had a really good season with Cincinnati before that move to the.
Speaker 2Phillies, and then he had, I want to say, decently modest production productivity years in Detroit. For what?
Speaker 1three or four years before that I mean he showed he has potential, he showed he has power. Age catches up with everybody. Age catches up and just I don't know. It's just a really bad contract overall.
Speaker 2Yeah, and you can't be paying him $20 million next year if you're not going to be having him playing every day. So whether or not they trade him away or cut him, I do not see him being there.
Speaker 1You've got to be making sure he's playing every single day If he's getting $20 million. I think last year he played all 162 games, yeah, exactly, and now this year he's definitely not playing all 162 games.
Speaker 2Getting subbed out.
Speaker 1Come playoff time. If Kepler's getting a start over him, come playoff time he's going to be done for his Phillies career.
Speaker 2Yeah, and it's absolutely insane that we're sitting here on September 5th or September 6th. On September 6th and we're sitting here saying that Cassianos might not be starting in the playoffs and Max Kepler is still on the team oh, that's his fault? That's his fault that he sucks. Would you have thought that on June 1st we would have said oh yeah, by the way, max Kepler is still gonna be here and's going to be your starting right fielder instead of Nick.
Speaker 1Castellanos, I would have never believed you.
Speaker 2Look, how did we get to this point so quickly?
Speaker 1I feel like it all just happened so fast. Kepler caught fire in the month of August. I feel like he's been having some pretty good games.
Speaker 2I mean his past 30 games or 15 games. I think he's got four home runs, he's got four or five doubles, 10 RBIs or like 10 or 11.
Speaker 1RBIs. He's been hitting the ball pretty well recently, so you can't argue If he just keeps that up.
Speaker 2He's going to be starting versus righties, which is absolutely insane that we're sitting here going Start Marsh in left field over Kepler, but start Kepler in right field over Castellanos. Oh my goodness, it is pretty funny, though, how quickly things change, dude.
Speaker 1Speaking of Phillies outfielders.
Speaker 2Harrison.
Speaker 1Bader's been a fantastic pick-up. He has been To the Phillies.
Speaker 2Dude. He has been selling out for power ever since he got here.
Speaker 1He's been hitting the ball. Well, he's been providing some fantastic defense.
Speaker 2Yeah, he's got think what four home runs since joining the phillies?
Speaker 1yeah, because he hit a home run last night, right, and then you saw the. Did you see the moment with the karen?
Speaker 2oh yes, with the kid, with the ball yeah, which they ended up giving.
Speaker 1Like harrison they did. Harrison, bader, ended up giving the kid like a, like a bunch of stuff yeah, so that's pretty cool which we gotta just say.
Speaker 2if you're a parent that's out there that's stealing balls from kids or freaking, knocking kids over to catch some type of home run or foul ball, you need to look yourself in the mirror and just ask yourself what you're doing with your life.
Speaker 1Yeah, what the hell is wrong with you?
Speaker 2You need to really evaluate the choices that got you to the decision that you're going to barrel over some nine-year-old kid to catch some foul ball Knocking over a child for a $10 baseball. Lady, you're a 45-year-old woman. I'm sorry, but your childlike days are over.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2I know you want to continue to look like you're in your 20s, but that doesn't mean that you get to act like you're 10. Like, let's grow up here, people, and let's not barrel over children to get balls please, yeah, come on, you got to give the balls to the kids. Obviously, every kid wants a baseball from a game Like if you want a ball, so bad, go there for batting practice and maybe you'll get lucky.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's Marlins batting practice. There's going to be no one in the stadium. I've gotten a couple of balls tossed up to me.
Speaker 2Yeah, Like, go to batting practice and maybe you'll get lucky.
Speaker 1I've gotten the Cubs third base coach tossed up to me. Then Anibal Sanchez tossed one up to me when I was like 12.
Speaker 2I'm not going to lie. Last year I had an opportunity to catch a ball in center field after Marsh was warming up. You know, threw the ball into the stands, had the opportunity to catch it. It literally hit me right in the hand, bounced out and, you know, some other kid got it and I was like that's frustrating. I was like damn. But then I was like would I have even kept it, if I caught it anywhere?
Speaker 1would I have just given it to the kid it's like, or?
Speaker 2would I have just given it to that kid, like probably I would have just given it to that kid, yeah, but still I had the opportunity. Yeah, but still, I had the opportunity to catch it and it just hit me right in the hand and I couldn't secure it.
Speaker 1Nah, but back to Harrison Bader. I mean, he's been Got a little off topic there yeah no, but he's been fantastic at the deadline.
Speaker 2He's been more than I think any Phillies fan really thought he was going to be, and he's provided a lot more than I can at least say I expected, yeah, I didn't realize how good of a hitter he was.
Speaker 2He was average with Minnesota and then comes over here and starts hitting bombs. I mean he was below average for most of his career. I mean he was with the Mets last year and I wasn't. I wasn't really hearing a lot of harrison bader. Yeah, exactly like there was no one. That was like no mets fans were loving harrison bader last year? I don't think so. You know, they let him walk. He goes to minnesota. He actually had a better year with his bat in minnesota than anywhere else. He comes to the phillies and now he's it's just improving Hitting 300. Now he's hitting 300. He's heading over to 300.
Speaker 1I feel like. No, I wouldn't be upset if he left, but I would reconsider resigning Harrison Bader for maybe a one-year two-year deal.
Speaker 2I mean, I would take the money that you're going to save by the fact that you're not going to bring Max Kepler back and definitely reinvest that $12 million into Harrison Bader.
Speaker 1Yeah, $12 million for Harrison Bader is a good contract, and especially if they end up getting rid of Nick Castellanos, you could have Brandon Marsh, harrison Bader and Justin Crawford in that outfield.
Speaker 2Right, I think that's a pretty good outfield for 2026. Now the only thing is, if they do that I don't know if they move Bader to right field, potentially because they want to have Crawford be the center fielder yeah, they could have Marsh and Bader left and right field.
Speaker 1Yeah, which?
Speaker 2I would probably be more inclined to think that's. What they would do would be to slot Harrison over to right field, especially if he's going to continue giving you this power that he's shown you that he has since he's got here. You can get away with playing him in right field as long as he's going to continue to hit those home runs. So if he's going to be able to hit those home runs and provide you stellar defense in right field while also giving justin crawford an opportunity to flourish in his natural position, I would do that. Yeah, 100, because crawford's going to be here for the next six, seven years.
Speaker 1Bader's probably not you know, so you're not gonna. If they re-sign bader, he's here for one to two years.
Speaker 2Right now crawford has you're not gonna not call the potential, yeah because Harrison Bader is taking his spot in center field. That's not gonna happen, and I don't think that the Phillies want to move him off of center field to right or left either.
Speaker 1They want to keep him in center yeah, I don't think the there's no shot that they end up moving them.
Speaker 2So the amount of ground balls that he hits and the fact that he doesn't have lift or the power numbers. You can't put him in the corner outfield position. You need to have him play center field. Unless they maybe try in spring training with him in the corner outfields, I mean unless you're able to get some more home run production from left and center, because you're going to need some more home run production from left and center, because you're going to need slug from somewhere in the outfield.
Speaker 2You can't have all your outfielders be guys that are just rinky-dink singles guys Pretty much, and I mean Marsh and Bader hit the home runs last night but they're not exactly, you know, home run threats. Marsh has got nine. Bader's got what nine? Bader's got what? 15. Bader's got, yeah, 15. So, like Bader might reach 20 by the end of the year but Marsh might get to 15.
Speaker 1Yeah, I doubt it Maybe like 12.
Speaker 2Right, and if Crawford is going to be up here, he's not going to get you 20 home runs a year.
Speaker 1He's going to get you like 10. He might give you a 5, so he's a true contact hitter right.
Speaker 2So at that point you're getting what 30 to 35 home runs from your outfield that's it.
Speaker 1Yeah, you kind of need like 50 more than that you need like a little 15 more home runs from the outfield.
Speaker 2Like you need a little bit more than that to get Bader back on Bader.
Speaker 1If they do resign him, he he's going to be probably the leading home run man on the outfield.
Speaker 2With maybe 20 home runs.
Phillies' Castellanos Benched for Kepler
Speaker 1Yeah, maybe that's the only thing Unless if they're getting on base and they're allowing the power hitters to drive him in, then yeah.
Speaker 2Well, the only way that that can continue to work is if you continue to get slugging and power out of your infield, which which they haven't really shown. You got slugging and power out of bryce. You're getting slugging and power out of the dh spot and kyle schwarber but you're really not getting anything from bryce and stott.
Speaker 1I mean trey turner is really only hitting singles and then I mean he's hit a couple home runs now recently, but he's not going to be someone that he's not going to be someone to rely on that.
Speaker 2You need a home run for right, he's another guy that profiles is more of the justin crawford type of player.
Speaker 2He's gonna hit alec, alec boom is gonna be alec boom's, not a home run guy yeah, he's been in a slump as of recently getting demoted all the way to the eighth spot so you're gonna be relying on basically two guys in your lineup, then if that's the case, for all of your slugging which is not something that you can really have as a world series contending team you need to have more than just two players that are capable of providing some run production for your team, you know.
Speaker 2so I would like to be able to bring Harrison Bader back. It's just, if you bring him back, I don't know what that does with. Justin Crawford, because they're going to want to call him up.
Speaker 1Yeah, I don't know what they're going to do with Nick Castellanos.
Speaker 2Yeah and there's no guarantee that maybe, especially if they don't win it, they don't win the World Series or anything like that. I don't even think there's a guarantee that Alec Boone is here.
Speaker 1He was involved in trade talks last year.
Speaker 2He'll be on the final year of arbitration.
Speaker 1Here's your lineup, with no Nick Castellanos again.
Speaker 2Lineup is out and no Nicky C? Nope, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1Yeah, dude, I'm starting to think that Nick Castellanos might not be the starting right fielder by the time we get to the playoffs Kyle Schwarber, alec Boehm, bryce Harper, jt Marsh, bader Kepler, sosa and Stott.
Speaker 2Dude, he's not going to be a starter for, yeah, he's not going to be a starter in the playoffs. That's absolutely insane.
Speaker 1You're going to have a $20 million bench bat in the playoffs.
Speaker 2Crazy, ridiculous dude, absolutely ridiculous. All right, well, let's save Nick Castellano.
Speaker 1Maybe he goes on a hot streak when we're gone or whatever. But man, Talk about beating the Brewers.
Speaker 2Yeah, beating the best team in baseball.
Speaker 1I expected them to go in there and win maybe one game, maybe one game, and they ended up winning this series.
Speaker 2Yeah, and they looked convincingly better in both of the games that they won.
Speaker 1Oh for sure. I mean Monday's game was a bit sloppy. Had some errors here and there. Bryson Stott really didn't get to that one ball properly. Trey Turner had another error, but the offense was able to bounce back. Yes, they were able to get that first win.
Speaker 2They were able to get over the fact that taiwan walker was not yeah, fantastic and then the next game nola got shelled yeah, which that's going to turn into probably a whole talking point of itself next week. Yeah, like we just have cassianos if he has another bad outing, you know coming up in what it's going to be. It's going to be against the mets yeah, so if he has another rough I mean nola had that- five run first, and after that he was still able to pitch four more.
Speaker 2Four more innings with only one run, like you could say he settled in, but you're getting to the point where it's especially if it happens again in the first inning against the mets, like if you pitch him in a playoff scenario you're gonna have to have someone, someone else, pitch the first inning yeah, you can't.
Speaker 2You're gonna have to either use him as an opener or what like like you're gonna have to have someone come in pitch the first inning and then nola will come in and pitch innings two through six and that'll be his five.
Speaker 1I mean walker buehler as an opener.
Speaker 2I don't know. Maybe Potentially Is that what they signed him for secretly.
Speaker 1Yeah, they just don't want to tell us. I don't know. I mean, he does have a good playoff record.
Speaker 2I would say, and it wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility for this to happen on a Dave Dombrowski team, it wouldn't be the first time that a Dave Dombrowski team Wouldn't be the first time that Dave Dombrowski team has signed someone you know coming off of not great performance in other locations and had them have a pretty prominent role.
Speaker 1Yeah, so it's all just. It's all just like a, a guessing game. Who knows what's going to happen? Pretty much yeah.
Speaker 2And with the fact that you have the mets coming up, you kind of need to get this arenola thing, yeah, figured out. You're gonna need arenola to have a quality start against the mets because if he has a bad start against the mets, dude and people in this city are they already love looking for reasons to hate arenola. I feel, especially now that he's got the big contract and he's pitching like dog shit and he goes and loses to the Mets at home.
Speaker 1Dude, they're going to have him in flames.
Speaker 2People are going to be done with Aaron Nola. They're going to be like you can't pitch him in the playoffs. We're going to hear how he's unpitchable and put in Taiwan Walker for the playoff rotation over Aaron Nola. You're going to hear a whole bunch of crazy shit like that.
Speaker 1Yeah, just a bunch of bullshit.
Speaker 2So hopefully he can get that together. We're going to need.
Speaker 1Aaron Nola to get locked in for this last month and for playoffs. And then the third game, it was the pitching, yeah third game. They looked fantastic, I mean ranger suarez looked fantastic six innings worked his way out of a couple of jams yeah, I think he had what like six hits over the yeah, six hits, but obviously no runs coming across.
Speaker 2And then the bullpen holding it down yeah, and the bullpen pitched really quickly, I feel like for the most part.
Speaker 1Those bullpen innings went really quick. It was just a really quick game in general 2-0.
Speaker 2So great series against the team with the best record in baseball and it just seems like every team that's not named the new york mets. They go out there and they just beat them.
Speaker 1Dude, I swear yeah hopefully like that's just like city field and we can take care of business against the mets at citizens bank park.
Speaker 2I think at citizens bank park it will be much better. Like they're all, I don't think they're gonna to split. I think they're going to win three out of four while the Mets are here. But I wouldn't honestly I can say I wouldn't be surprised if they were to potentially have it go three out of four for the Mets the other way.
Speaker 1Yeah, so it's going to be a real tough series for the Mets, I mean for the Phillies, not the Mets. Well, it's going to be a tough series for both teams.
Speaker 2And it's getting down to the home stretch here. Now there's I think there's only about 21 games left yeah. After today, by the time you guys hear this, tomorrow there will only be 20 games left. You got four against the Mets.
Speaker 1We're only, yeah, four against the Mets, you got seven out West, you got, I think, three against the Royals. And then the Marlins, and then you got the Twins, and then that's basically yeah, the Twins is who they end their season with right. Yeah, that's basically the end of the season pretty much.
Speaker 2Now is that going to be in?
Speaker 1Minnesota, it's going to be at home.
Speaker 2Okay, so I was going to be like hmm, I wonder if it's a chance for Duran and Bader to go back to Minnesota real quick before the playoffs. But it's getting down to. You know, this is the final stretch. If they're able to win three out of four games with the Mets up here, I'm going to say that they officially have won the NL East.
Speaker 1Yeah, because the magic number for the division is only 16 games. So that would be a huge stepping stone into getting the division locked up.
Speaker 2And if you win three out of four, then that's six games that you're gaining in the magic number column.
Speaker 1Because, not only are they games that you are winning they're also games the Mets are losing, which adds up to the National League East lead.
Speaker 2Yes, so, if they're able to get that, and because that would bring their magic number from what 14 down to eight, all they would have to do is win eight more games throughout the rest of the year.
Speaker 1Yeah, four more games technically if the Mets lose four, right and you're going to have a whole other series with the.
Speaker 2Marlins, and you're not going to get swept by the Royals?
Speaker 1Yeah, and then same with the Twins. You should be able to beat up on the Twins. Yeah, exactly they have the division locked up by the final series of the season.
Speaker 2I think that they're probably going to have it locked up after the Royals series, because I think they're going to go into Kansas City and they're going to sweep the Royals.
Speaker 1Because they're at home against Kansas City.
Speaker 2Oh wait, they're at home against.
Speaker 1Kansas City yeah, they're at home.
Speaker 2I think they're sweeping the Royals too, wow.
Speaker 1I mean, the Royals are a tough team but we'll have to see.
Speaker 2And if they're able to, you know, get this comfortable lead maybe. I guess number one seed isn't fully out of the realm of possibility it's fully out of reach.
Speaker 1But if the Brewers keep winning still, I'm fine with the number two seed Right, but they're only three games behind the Brewers now.
Speaker 2Yeah, I know. Or no, four games behind the Brewers now, or no, four games behind the Brewers now yeah. So that's not, you know, impossible to make up in the 21 games that are left. You know, so if the Brewers slip up, a little bit.
Speaker 1If the Brewers go on a slide then there's still a chance for that one seed Right, but first you got to get the division, yeah.
Speaker 2You definitely got to get the division, and if they get the division I'll definitely be happy with it. But if they could get that first round by and set up the rotation nicely for the rest of the postseason, that's a lot better than having to play wild card weekend, oh for sure.
Speaker 1So I'm going to wrap this up here. Yeah, and we'll be back next. We should be back next Friday. Obviously, there will be no Eagles football to talk about, because of course they don't got to play until Sunday. We can do a little pre.
Speaker 2Yeah, we'll do a little warm-up to the game, A little warm-up yeah.
Speaker 1And then that's when the Philly series versus the Mets will be over.
Speaker 2Yep, we're definitely going to be reacting to that.
Speaker 1We'll definitely be reacting to that and hopefully we're coming back here on Friday with
