Sax and Cates In The AM (Hour 1) 10/18/24

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This is Sax and Cakes in the A app Go with Broway. Dodger legend Steve Sacks is joined by your favorite Dodger pregame host, Tim Kates. If you want to talk Dodgers, get in on the show on eighty six six nine eighty seven two five seven now while the Dan Patrick Show streams on the Ihearts radio app.

We've been banished to the Internet until this Dodgers playoff run concludes. Here they are broadcasting live on AM five to seven e LA Sports. It's Tim Kates and Steve Sacks one one.

The Dodgers are one win away from going back to the World Series. Hi everybody, and welcome to Scam on this Friday and morning, October eighteenth. Thanks for being with us, Steve Sacks, Tim Katson, you on this Friday morning, reacting to the Dodgers Game four win in the NLCS last night in New York and getting ready for a potentially clenching Game five of the NLCS later on this afternoon. Eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy is

Good to be with you, my brother. How are you.

I'm doing great. I slept like a baby last night. The ulcer or stomach issues, acid reflex. It is all in my rear view mirror right now as I feel good about the Dodgers of three games to one in a potential close out game today.

Yeah, classic beatdown last night. You know the bad thing about it for the Mets is there actually you know, if you can put this in perspective, they're catching the Dodgers at the wrong time. You know, this is a you know, every team, he's going to go through little you know, times where you're not at your optimal best. But boy, this team is really clicking on everything. If it's not the bottom of the order, it's what it was last night, the top of the order, very lopsided,

You very seldom see.

You know, more run score than the actually at bats that are printed on there, of course because of his walks, but it's it's just a lopsided SmackDown. When you follow that up with Mookie Betts and what he did, he was able to print for you know, four hits, four RBI scored, three runs. This was a classic Dodgers what they did all through twenty twenty four.

Yeah, the top of the lineup when they go, so go the Dodgers. And as you mentioned, Mookie Betts four for six with a home run, four ribbies, showe Aotani got the party started the first batter of the game and leadoff home run. He walked three times, scored four times. Maximunsky got on base for his first four times up to the plate. Ty Reggie Jackson's record for twelve consecutive plate appearances twelve straight times. It's unbelievable. And if you look at what they were, it's not like it's a

You got you got that guy doing that.

Yeah, he can hit it out, he can go deep, he can play different positions. Then you got the best two players, maybe the best two players on the planet, with Betts and Otani just scaring the hell out of everybody.

Oh.

Then you got the bottom of the order, guys like Tommy Edmond that's hit and run, bunt, good defense. Oh and then you got like one of the best postseason players and Key k Hernandez doing his thing. Oh and then I mean it just goes on and on.

It doesn't stop. They're like a bull restrictor. They just suffocate you with this lineup. When they're all clicking certainly when they're all passing that baton and when they're all getting a hit and passing it to Will Smith, who's passing it to Chris Taylor, who even found a base hit last night and ran into one. Then show hey Otani in the top of the lineup, flips over and the Dodgers just pounce on you. Ten runs last night

Last night.

They were zero for ten with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Dodgers were six of fifteen with runners of scoring position. And this is the number that really stands out to me, how scary this offenses. They scored ten runs last night, Saxy, and they stranded twelve base runners, twelve guys left on base, yet they already have scored ten.

Crazy.

And another good thing, too, is if you want to talk about how you're able to mitigate what the Mets can do, the Mets went down swinging twelve times. And you know what that is a a just a great thing. When you cannot even put the ball in play, you don't put any pressure on the defense. There's no advantages at all, as we know when striking out and it's a crusher, the crusher, and that's what.

It was last night. Twelve strikeouts.

I know the Dodgers struck out there if I share amount too, but you know what, you really limited the Mets that are in dire straits to score runs and you k twelve times. That's a big, big problem for them.

It's amazing to see the amount of walks the Dodgers took us well last night. Nine more walks for the Dodgers. They have walked over thirty times. Listen, in the first four games.

You walk nine times in a game, you're gonna the other team's got no shot. Seriously, I mean, I can remember having conversations when I was playing. It would say, you know, we got to really limit those walks. I mean, you walked four, we walked four or three or four players. If you walk three or four players, I mean, what do you think is gonna happen?

Those guys are gonna score nine walks? Come on?

This is this is you walk nine times and able to squeeze that plate like they were last night.

It's it's not gonna be good. News for the opposition.

The problem is when you make a guy like Quintana come in the strike zone and the Dodgers are able to really kind of drag him out to the deep water and counts. This guy's got no opportunity because this stuff's not great. I mean, he's got a really good change up his fastball. You know, you don't respect it enough to say, well, you know what, he's gonna get

Yeah, that was the game plan for Quintana last night, and the Dodger player sort of talked about it afterwards, was that it was gonna be a battle who was gonna last longer, the hitter or the pitcher in in it back because they knew he loves to get guys to chase, and this is a Dodgers team that doesn't chase. They're a team that will just lead you to death by walking and passing that paton and then getting you singles and they're just gonna payper cut you to death.

Well, listen, when you have a pitcher that's got great stuff, like I remember battles against guys like Nolan Ryan or Clemens or whatever, you never want to go deep in counts because they'll wipe you out. I mean, they've got pitches and they've got an amazing fastball that can you know, they kind of would have you eating out of their hands. They would dictate. So you never want to get behind

Dodgers up three games to one in this best of seven NLCS with a ten to win over the New York Mets. Last night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch well. They took him out in the fifth inning. The Dodgers bullpen did it the rest of the way. Otanian Betts led the way offensively in the blowout win. Showyotani last night was fantastic with the leadoff home run again. He scored the four times. He had walked three times last night and

Show Hey, how does that feel? How does that sound? One away from the World Series?

You know, Donald about.

Played really good games the last two days and the hope is to be able to play another good game tomorrow and just finish it.

Show Hey, when you hit your lead off home run. Could you feel the momentum immediately on your side tonight?

I just got a game you yeah, you know it brought momentum, yes, on our side. Obviously they scored two, but we were able to continue our momentum. And I think you should know who pitched great and pitched into the fifth.

How big was that for Yamamoto to pitch the way he did tonight.

It's never easy to be, you know, pitching away in a pressure packed environment, but I think he was able to really battle through and keep the momentum on our side. He had to fight his own battles and just really minimize the damage.

Before I let you go. How much fun are you having?

Just ship.

This kit? Funly?

Don't know, Nikki got it's been.

It's been very refreshing just being able to enjoy with the teammates and also being able to play in front of away stadiums. The fans are amazing and it's been really fun.

A thank you, thank you, all right, David Say with Will Ireton the translator there and show Hey Otani. Factually we've talked about it for the last week and a half. The fun that show Hey o Tani seems to be you have and he hits the home run last night, immediately flips the bat, looks over at the third base dugout of the Dodgers, and screams at the dugout, a primal scream, before running the bases to give him a

Yeah.

Yeah, the the LA team's gonna loosen him up a little bit, right, and they're finding their way to do that. But no, he's such an inspiration. I mean, he comes at it from such a pure standpoint. He loves the game, you can tell, and he doesn't let things bother him. It's amazing how much he's able to compartmentalize every single pitch. I mean, he's very stoic at the plate. You don't see any reactions either way, so you don't know what

When he entered free agency last fall, he made it known that he wanted to be on a contender. He wanted to be able to play for championships. He spent six years doing nothing in baseball purgatory that is known as the Anaheim Angels, and he had options. The Toronto Blue Jays were knocking on his door trying to get him to sign there. There was speculation back in December that he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

Yeah, it's perfect, very unselfish, Uh the way the way they did that, and uh, just the whole city is just thrilled. Uh what they're coming upon right now. They've got one more win to go. Uh, and you can't get you know, above yourself right now. You got to say, Okay, that's very good, keep it business like. We got one more And the Dodgers do not want to bring this back to La as much as they want to come back to La they want they kill they want to

One final thing on show Hey. It's funny to see the national analysts now talking about Show Hey on this stage and the NLCS and what he's doing, the crazy numbers he's put up and about to go to the World Series and be on the biggest of stage across the world, and to hear a Rod and Jeter and Big Poppy and these guys talk about, well, yeah, he put up numbers. And one of the guys said, yeah, but he did it on a team that never went to the postseason, so nobody saw him really do it.

The whole world saw it. He plays in the biggest market on the planet. Of course they saw it. Yeah, well, you know what, just that's fine. I mean, you know what, let his his talking will be done with that big bat that he carries up there, and then we'll we'll see what happens then. But you know what, I really like to in yesterday's game, they were able to kind of show a show hey on his own when he was running the bases, when he scored from first man,

It looked like he was jogging. It looked like he was in second gear running around the bases, and especially when he hit third, it looked like he was in a home run trot the way he was running. But then he just turned it back on again halfway between third and home. He wasn't jogging, clearly, but it just looked like it. Yeah, because of this, Yeah, the gear that he can get to and as how fast he can.

Get I I just marvel of watching how you know easy he runs, and I remember how hard the game was and if I had to run from third first to third, people in the third rose kind of grunting it out. This guy's just not It looks like he was way gonna wave at somebody in the stands. As he went past third, Oh, I haven't appointment with you next week, you know, And she just kind of blew out there to home plate. But yeah, fascinating to watch him.

Eight sixty six nine eight seven two five seventy. How you feeling, Dodger fans? One win away from going back to the World Series for the fourth time in the past eight years. Dodgers take care of business last night with they tended to win over the New York Mets. They silenced that City Field crowd, They sent them packing early.

Yeah, it's not it's not completely insurmountable, you know that. But it's tough. I mean, odds really really are against you. And you know, I don't envy the Mets situation right now because they're up against the juggernaut. This team just doesn't relent. So you know, Dodger are going to try to close this thing out. You don't want to get complacent and say, hey, well you know what, Well we can always go back to LA We're going back anyway. We can throw a game out there and wrap this

Yoshinobu Yamamoto last night, pitching into the fifth inning, Dave Roberts came and got him with a runner on one out and decided to go to Evan Phillips to face Marciento's and then get Alonzo to ground into a fielder's choice.

But I was at the time.

I actually sent a text to David Vasse and I got about three text from buddies who were asking me, why are they taking Yamamoto out of the game. There it's the fifth inning, and I said, well, let me look at his pitch count. Seventy three pitches, fifty two for strikes. He had eight punchouts at the time it was one out in the fifth inning. He has allowed two runs on four hits. He seemed to be pitching Willie really well in that fifth inning. A little bit

Yeah, he's gonna be way rested out. I you know, I was a little surprised about that, but Dave Roberts knows what he's doing. Uh, and you know the pitchers are going to go through times where you're gonna have some stress. Oh my stress, you know, let him pitch through it.

Yeah.

I mean the thing is, you don't want to come and rescue him when you really don't need to, right, you don't need to rescue the guy right there.

Yeah, I mean he's been through enough.

I mean when he was back in you know, in Japan he won the what's the equivalent to the the cy Young three years in a row.

I don't know how much stress.

You know, he's been having to go through and fix certain situations because he just dominates everybody over there. It's not gonna be the same way over here as he is. He's already found out. But let him fix some things, of course, That's how he's gonna get a little bit better, you know, bone them up a little bit.

Absolutely, you paid them the most money for a right handed pitcher in the history of baseball. You know, take the gloves off a little bit, especially in the NLCS.

On rest.

It's not like he's nursing an injury. It's not like he was, you know, walking the tightrope there and the bases were loaded, and okay, next time do the lineup. I get it, bringing the reliever of fresh arm. I mean, it was a five to two game, Dodgers were winning, there was an out, there was runner on base, and you're facing Viento's. Okay, let's say Vento's hits two run home run. It's still a five to four Dodgers lead. At that point, you can say, hey, y, I'm a modo,

Yeah, let him out.

You know what I liked about what I see about Yamamoto now pitching as opposed to the first start against San Diego, where everything was breaking, uh, you know, from the letter to the belt. Now we see everything breaking from the thigh to the ground. And that's where he's effective. When he's got tilt to his pitches. When he pitches the fastball up in the zone with with some with some hop to it, that's fine, but his breaking stuff has got to be from around the thigh level to

You know what he can do.

He did against the Brewers, He certainly did it against the Phillies. The Dodgers, as you mentioned, absolutely have done a great job. And last night Yamamoto mixed in the slider. And the slider is a pitch that when he got his shoulder soreness was a lot of the people were pointing.

To the slider was the reason. Why.

Was a pitch he would have developed And really the Dodgers wanted him to use more. And because he threw it, it puts some different pressure on his shoulder. He wasn't used to throwing it. They they think that's what led to the shoulder injury, and so when he comes back, he had stayed away from throwing the slider. He was sticking with the fastball, the cutter and the split finger, which is absolutely nasty that he throws. And last night he threw the most sliders that he had all seas.

And you know, he's got tremendous action on that splitter. He buries it as well. It's splitter he almost uses as a change up at times because it runs away from the left hander and down and barrels into the right hander's back foot, and that's a great pitch for him. It's it kind of more from a splitter kind of. I think he changes speeds on it and it works more like a like a change up that has action

I liked the composure of Yamamoto on the mound last night. I felt like after that first Padre game in which he was spiking the offspeed pitches, and maybe the moment was too big for him at the time and he had to settle in. You mentioned the second start against the Padres, he was fantastic, and last night, I'll be honest with you, I had to take some tums. I was a little nervous about which Yamamoto was gonna show up. Was it gonna be the first start against the Padre

Hey you put you try to put yourself in his position, if you could for a minute and think about the luxury you have where the pressure is not all on him. He got this enormous, enormous amount of money, which he completely deserves, I believe, and he yet at the same time, the pressure isn't on him nearly as much. You've got guys in that bullpen that can come and throw you a lifeline at any second. You've got an offense that can explode for runs and have you spit out the

Case all season long, with the pressure not being on him because of Otani being there. I mean, you know, let's face it, the two of them both signed as free agents this past offseason. Otani got all the media attention. I mean, there was a press conference for Yamamoto, but there was like a thirty media there because it's not Otani going into spring training, certainly Otani. Everybody's focusing on Otani. Oh, the big three, Otani, Betts, Freeman, Wow, look how good

Yeah, dealing with injury too.

I don't know how much he had to deal with back in Japan, but you know that throws another a big wrinkle into it, of course, But yeah, Culturally, it's a big I mean I remember going down to you know, South America and playing in Venezuela. The baseball part was when you felt most comfortable. The tough part is culturally and living to you know, learning to live a new life in a different world. That's really the hard part. I bet he feels most comfortable when he's on the diamond.

Well, Mookie Bets felt pretty comfortable last night in the plate, four for six with the home run, he had a double, He scored three times. Mookie Bets continues to deliver, and the one two punch of Otanian Bets is something pretty special. Mookie Bets last night in Sho Hey o Tani combined five for nine with five ribbies, a couple of home runs,

Felt pretty good.

You know, it's good to feel good. It's good to help the teaming. Pitching did amazing keeping them off the board, really, so, you know, it was fun and.

Mookie, the lineup has changed so much behind show hey and you what was it like to see a guy like Tommy have such a big night in the cleanup spot tonight.

You know, I think that's the beauty of our our team. It can change, but whoever's in the lineup is good, and they're gonna follow the plan and they're gonna they want to win, and so that's why we're that's why we are up three to one right now.

LOOKI after a tiny hit that home run to start the game, did you kind of figure you know it'd be the type of game where okay, now they're gonna start avoiding him and that you know you're gonna get chances to have good swings.

No, no, no, no, no, By no means, I just know there was a stretch there for like two or three at bats. I don't even think he saw a pitch remotely close, which I understand. But it's gonna be tough to just walk them all the time, especially with the lineup and the and the guys. Freddie been in play as well, so.

We'll see.

Hey, Mookie, can you just talk about the way the offense has been able to work the Mets pitching staff drawing walks, keeping the line moving.

I think just following the plan our coaches do a really good job in preparing us and the guys. We all believe in them, We believe in each other, and we know, like I said, whether the plan is right or wrong doesn't really matter. It's just at least we follow the plan no matter what, and it's been right so far.

All right, there's Mookie Bets postgame last night. Doesn't doesn't sound like Mookie Bets realizes they're one went away from it a rule series of period.

I think he's aware.

I mean he's either just really calm or locked in right now.

Yeah, get locked in. You know, you put this one in the bank, Okay, then now you go onto the next one. Very this is where you got to be business like.

You got to be very business professional like.

And don't you can't get you can't get you know, enveloped in all that hype because it'll take you off course. You gotta stay central and just look at what's in front of you right now. And so that's what they're doing. They're doing it very well. This is very professional team love it.

I mean, imagine being Mookie Bets. I mean kind of leading to movie that would be wonderful, but the kind of leading on your experience. To have a show, Hey Otani in front of you, and to know that he if there's nobody on base, Mokie mentioned like there's he saw very few pitches in the strike zone, show Heyo Tani did when when there wasn't anybody on base, and after he hit that lead off home run, Mookie knows like they're pitching around Otani to get to him. And

Yeah, and why not?

I mean That's what it's all about. And you know another thing that we hadn't talked about much. With all those numbers that they threw up yesterday, the five hits, the five RBI, all that whatever, seven runs scored, seven runs between two guys, Otani and Betts, that is just elected. That just cripples the other team right there. Forget about all the other guys, but the top of that lineup just we knew this was gonna happen sometime. Remember we

The two of them combined for twelve at bats last night. Not so many times they turn the lineup over. And that tells you right there, those nine walks, extending innings, turning the lineup over and getting Otani. This is the reason why Dave Roberts wants them in the top spot. Because Showy Otani gets six at bats in the game. Mookie Betts gets six at bats in the game. You'll take that all day.

Heck yeah. And like I said, there's so many different ways. There's there's everybody has a different role. It seems all wrapped into one common goal, you know, and that's just to thwart this other team. But they've got all these different ways of doing it, the power, the speed, and I just think you can't. You know, we all see the big glitzy things that the big stars do, but I tell you, you gotta, you gotta keep your eye on what's happening internally with this team, kind of like the

Imagine being Tommy Edmond. You get into the park yesterday and Dave Roberts maybe comes over to your locker there and maybe kicks you in the leg, and Hey, Tommy, how you feeling.

I'm doing good? Good?

Hey, I'm batting you clean up today? You're batting forth in Game four the NLCS. How do you feel about that?

Tommy?

I mean, like, that's gotta be gotta be a shock to him. I don't know how many times he's bad clean up in his life, let alone clean up in a postseason game. But that shows you how much confidence they have in him. And it's probably more or the case that he can get on base, right, Saxone. They're not looking for him to drive the ball and hit a three run home running that cleanup spot, but more of a guy that, all right, the top of the line's gonna do their thing. We need a bridge between

And you know what, he was back in Clint and he drove in three runs, right, nothing wrong with that. You know, you don't have to do it in a prolific fashion. It just you know, the deal is to make contact and put the ball in play and let those guys run. And that hit that he had the left center field was just at the right time. So you know, there's there's something just great about not striking out. I mean, I just love that part of the game and I want to see it come back where Hey,

He does him and Downey. Welcome to Saxon, Katese and the am Dodgers, twenty seven ounce away from going to a World Series yet again. Let me do the math for you. That's one game. They're one game away.

Himie, good morning, gentlemen. Yes, that's that's exciting. But I was just hearing Mookie right now. I was thinking about I think they've put this quote in the locker room and just thinking about the Mamba, the great Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant quote where he's like, job's not done, Job's not finished. So I think it's that mentality, and I think they're excited, and hopefully after today's game they'll show

Yeah, no doubt about it.

And they've been leaning hard on the Kobe Bryant quote, Job's not finished, and it's been up inside the Dodger Clubhouse since the NLDS and the good series against the Padres, even though were down two games to one, and even when that Game five happened on Friday even into this NLCS that has really been the mantras, jobs not finish, and you're seeing all these guys buy into that. And again that takes something special for these guys with the star power that they have, all the way down to

And tim what what We're obviously not in the locker room, but I promise you there is conversations going on in that locker room at the at the lockers, private one on ones about about guys making it go in the right way, about guys setting their mindset properly, about guys not getting too ahead of themselves, and you will you won't see a lot of these things in the headlines or whatever, but those conversations you're getting with the professional team.

That is a great point. He is Steve Sachs. I'm Tim Kates at Sax and Kates in the AM. Dodgers beat the Mats in Game four the NLCS last night in convincing fashion, tended to the final coming up next to your phone calls coming up between now and nine o'clock a two hundred and fifty dollars gift card to

Yes, a great move by Dave. Dave roberts Enriquez and Riquez has got really good stuff, man. This guy was an a ball earlier. Just amazing great stuff too. In needs that he gobbled up yesterday that you don't have to put on somebody else. They're going to be available today. But I got to tell you something.

You know, it's really you.

Know, it's really filthy trying, Blake trying, and oh his stuff is wicked. You're talking ninety seven with wicked sink into a right handed hit her man. No, thank you. I don't want to deal with that stuff. Here's this stuff is nasty. He's thirty six years old. He's thirty seven and isn't he he's uh, he might be. Yes, he's been around. I mean he's been in the big leagues for a decad. When he was with Opes for a long time, remember that. Yeah, he was banished over there.

He was one of the best relievers in baseball. He had thirty eight saves back in twenty eighteen. He was really good and then got hurt and missed all of twenty twenty three. I mean, he missed most of twenty twenty two, all of twenty twenty three and finally got right and the Dodgers brought him back and one of those older veterans in the bullpen and fifty appearances during the regular season. He can be a high leverage guy in the middle of a game. Late in the game,

I'll go out there and.

Hey about him. He can get whatever part of the plate he wants. There's so much action on the ball that he throws. I don't even know if he knows exactly what part of the plate it's going to. But he can throw a sinker, believe it or not. He can throw a sinker up at the letters, and that sucker's diving down to about your thigh.

I mean, just whoop.

It's like, where is this coming from? This is nasty sink man. You don't see that much. Who is the left hand of the pitch for the the Orioles And he went over to the Yankees. The lefty that had the tremendous sink on his fastball, he got hurt. His name escapes me, but that's what his fastball looks like to me, only on the other side, on the right side. This is a doomsday for guys wanting a big hit

That stuff's so wicked.

Let's go to Jared in Boise, Idaho. Joins us from God's country up there, and boys, you Jared.

Good morning, guys. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna turn out the fanboy too much. But Steve Sachs, I'm forty nine years old and you're my idol growing up.

Thank you, love your.

Grit, your hustle, lead off second base man. You are the reason I'm still a Dodger fan.

So thank you.

Thanks for all you did and all.

You're doing now. Love listen to you, guys.

But I have a.

Comment this team and how they have bought in from the top from.

Freeman Domes, how.

Dave Roberts has got this team to buy in and completely play as a full team, the way he's innovated this bullpen, and how he's throwing them because they don't have enough starters. And and then the batters, how they they're they're walking, they're walking for each other. They are they are not giving in and passing that baton. It is truly remarkable to see them play really as a team. It is the epitome of the team in my opinion. What do you guys think?

Yeah, Jerry, thanks for the nice words towards me. I really appreciate that. No, he's gone, he's gone.

Hey, nice guy, thank you you want to take that to him?

No, just a buy in, Saxie. I mean you're huge, You're a guy in that clubhouse, you were, you were there. I mean it takes a lot to get everybody to buy in.

Yeah.

Well let's remember too, it all starts with pitching and that boom, there's my there's my boom. No, it all starts with pitching, and suddenly suddenly the guys that are out there starting or are getting to be now a big plus for the team. Now it's a plus who they've got starting, and it should be because all these guys are in the infirmary list right, all these as I've hurt. But Tim, when we come back, can I can? I I've got a marketing thing for you. I think

Love it that's coming up. He is Steve Sacks. I'm Tim Kates and sax and Kates and am on your home and the Dodgers, who are one win away from going back to the World Series right here at an FI seventy ice Sports