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It's Sax and Kate's and AM on this Wednesday morning, October sixteenth, twenty twenty four. Thanks for being with us as you make your way to school to work, that commute back and forth wherever you may be. We appreciate you taking us with you here on A five to seventy LA Sports as the Dodgers and Met square off tonight at City Field in New York, Game three of the National League Championship Series, which is tied at one game a piece. Dodgers on deck will get started at
four pm. First pitch at five oh eight, powered by Zenci Sushi, Fast, Fresh and Easy. Walker Bueller and Luis Severino the pitching matchup in Game three. Walker Bueller going into Tonight's is the man and they need him to
be the Walker. Bueller of Old out on the mound tonight for Game three and sixteen starts in the postseason eighty four and two third innings, a three forty rray for the Dodger right hander who is looking to build on what he did in his start in San Diego outside of that one big inning then put up zeros afterwards, and looking to continue to do that tonight in New York. It's just thinking about this game, the series sacks, he the stage that it's on La versus New York. This
is what Shoho Tani wanted. He wanted to get out of baseball purgatory that was Anaheim for six years. He signs with the Dodgers. Wants to be with the biggest franchise on the West Coach, one of the biggest franchises in sports. He's here with the Dodgers on the biggest stage now in the NLCS with the chance to go to the World Series. It is time for the greatest player on Earth, the Goat, to be on full display tonight. This is his moment, this is the time he needs to shine.
Yes, there's no other way to put it. I mean expect it, and he's putting that on his shoulders. He's gladly accepting it. There's only one show, hey, Otani, and you know he can do this, There's no question about it. He's got Severino coming from the right side, which should really help Otani. I like the fact that they're facing the workhorse of the New York Mets that sever Reno was, because they're very familiar with what he's going to bring
to the table. He's pitching on an inordinate amount of rest, which I'm not so sure that's always great. But he's got nine in in nine days where he hasn't pitched, and I think it's gonna line up pretty good for the Dodgers Right now.
I just think this is it show, Hey, this is what you wanted. You wanted to be on the biggest stage. You wanted to be in the playoffs. You wanted to be on full display for the world to see you in a Dodger uniform, putting up numbers and being the best that there ever was. And now it's time to put that on display tonight in game three of this nldn LD NLC has excuse me, when they need him to be the biggest and to shine the brightest.
This is that night.
And if he can do that, the guys around him could just give him something. I mean, this team, look, look they did in game one. They put up nine runs against the New York Mets in that game one. But again, the top of the lineup, and it all starts with showeo Tani, the head of the snake, so to speak. If he doesn't perform, you go, oh for nineteen at the top of the lineup, and now you find yourself tied to the gamafiees.
And that's you know what. Look if that continues, if we get an over nineteen from the top the top five guy, well you know we know it's gonna happen. No matter how good of a pitching performance you have, you have to score runs. There's no getting around it. And so they know what they got to do. It's a two tier thing. Walker's got to come out and shove and you know, and the offense has got to put it out. But we can break that down the
keys of the games later on. That'll be more detailed than that, but that's basically the overall, you know, synopsis I have for this thing. They just got to play their game.
Joining us now from New York City, he is our Dodger inside of the best of the best, The one and only.
David Vasse joins us.
David, good morning, I Dodgers going a workout yesterday at City Field.
You were there for the entirety.
What was the mood of this Dodgers team anticipation for Game three to night?
Yeah, just about a lot of confidence from this team. Guys. They understand that they have an opportunity here to take two out of three. It starts tonight with Walker Buehler. And that's the one thing that Dave Roberts always talks about, the momentum of a series starts with your starting pitcher, and walk ker Bueller was really, as always Walker Bueller type of confident getting ready for this game.
Yeah. Hey, David, I wanted to ask you, certainly back in New York, another huge media capital, what is the what has the intensity been like? Has it been crazy more or is it has been just kind of more of the same, because as years go on, it seems to get more and more in depth and intense. And I can only imagine what it was like back there playing against the Mets.
Yeah, honestly, Steve, yesterday, while the workout was going on, the Yankees and Guardians were playing Game two in the Bronx, So that's where all the New York media was. And you know, here on the streets of New York that seems to be the focus of every fan that is a sports baseball fan. They're all in with the Yankees, and you know there are some Mets fans here, but it's all about the Yankees out here in New York.
Wow, David, I thought you had a great question.
We heard it earlier in Showyotan's press conference that we played for the listeners and asking him about his confidence and you know, you reference Mookie Betts needing reassurance and you know, you know, being up and down mentally, hitting wise, and does he ever get like that?
And he had an answer where.
Sounded very much like a confident showy Otani and almost like a robotic showy Otani and what he had to say to you tell us what he had to say and what the vibe you got from what he described as how he just is even keel all the time.
Yeah, and he really knows himself really well as a hitter, and that's what he was saying. He said he only doubts himself when he doesn't feel great at the plate. Even if he's not getting the result, and he feels good at the plate, he's not going to deviate from whatever he's doing. Remember earlier this season, when he wasn't feeling great at the plate, he started to swing a cricket bat, and that helped him keep his bat in the strike zone longer and maybe on an even plane.
So I'm wondering if he's gone back to that because he's had some mixed results so far in this postseason. And you can hear it in my voice and you could hear it in Showy's voice. There's a little cold going around the team these days, so everybody's fighting a little something, and you heard it in Showy's voice, and I felt like maybe he got a little bit of it too.
Yeah, Hey, David, in matching up against Luis Severino, you know he kind of pointed out some of the things about him. On the plus side, as far as the Mets outlook goes, he is well rested. He was their workhorse. He has a sub four ERA throughout the year. But I'll tell you what, this is a guy. I think that no matter what his numbers are, I think he's right in the target for the Dodgers. This this guy is a kind of a guy. A left handed team like the Dodgers could feast on.
What say you, Steve, I think the biggest thing the Dodgers are realizing is they can't give the opposing pitcher too much credit. A lot of them were talking to out how much credit they gave Sean and I a maybe through a fault.
I agree.
So I think the Dodgers have to recalibrate again like they did during the Padres series, and remember how good they are and not get the starting pitcher that much credit.
David Veasse is live in New York City ahead of Game three of this NLCS. First pitch right here in a FI seventy l A Sports is coming up at five. Oh A, David, you talked about Will Smith all season long. You talked about it in the series last week time against the padres As as a possible X factor and a guy if he gets going, look out, he hasn't got going yet. He's two for the postseason. What what is the what's the psyche around Will Smith right now?
Is he just gonna just fight his way through this? So what's the what's the fiber getting from him?
Yeah? You know, it's hard to really get a beat on Will He's really a stoic type of guy. But the facts are he hasn't hit fastball as well the last two years. Uh, he really hasn't made the adjustments to what pitch are doing to him now. So I think he's got to be a little less stubborn on what he's trying to accomplish at the plate and realize
that he does need to make adjustments. You know, this is not a small sample size now, and pitchers have figured out that he loves the fastball inside and he's getting hurt by fastballs away from him. So I think he has to realize that and be a little less stubborn.
Yeah, Dave, Basically, a team is going to come back to what makes them great, and this team is a built for slug ball club, but they have been relying on the seven, eight, and nine for this club to kind of give it a different flairity, hit the ball the other way, to steal the base and those type of things. How long can they ride that wave as opposed to getting back to what really makes this team great, and that's the ability to slug.
Well. You know, in the NLDS Steve they scored twenty four runs on sixteen home runs, So that's a big part of the identity of the Dodgers. And City Field is not really a great hitters ballpark. I was talking to JD. Martinez before Game two and he was just telling me how the ball really doesn't fly there, especially to the opposite field. So if you're going to hit a home run, you're going to have to pull it,
especially if you're a right handed hitter. So, you know, I don't know, you might know how to relate to this better, but if you're trying to hit a home run in a ballpark that it's hard to hit home runs, you're going to be in a bad spot. And I just feel like the Dodgers are going to have to rely on what they did in Game one to be successful offensively here.
All Right, Dan the big question for you is Deavante Adams goes from the Raiders to the Jets. How excited is New York right now? And how disappointed is a Raider fan? Are you to see DeVante leave?
Tim? I'm telling you again, last night was game two of the ALCS. It's all Yankees twenty four to seven year. I know it got a little bit of a solar flare of excitement, but everybody in New York is talking Yankees, especially since they're in the playoffs too. Wow.
Yeah, well, let me tell you how I feel about it. I think it sucks because the Raiders need so much. I mean, they lost their running back to free agency this year. They don't have a quarterback and now they don't have Davante Adams. Look at Thank God for.
The forty nine ersul knowledge right there from a great baseball.
Player, right, thank you? Well?
It is what it is, a games. Did you go to Sacks when you were in la?
Oh? I love the Raiders. I mean they're my second favorite team and uh you know I I've gone to games in Oakland with a black hole was there? And let me tell you, I gotta I gotta, I gotta, I gotta knock out some of these, uh, some of these you know, bad things they say about the black Hole. Those people were so nice. There were no fights, there were no bad things. They get they look mean and they're ferocious looking, but they were some of the nicest people. I went down there. I was great. I had a
great time. So no problem with the black Hole there in Oakland.
As long as you're wearing silver and black, you're okay.
Oh yeah, No, Dodger or LA uniforms, you can't. You can't do that. That's that's dangerous territory.
But well, Dave, rest up, get the voice right, and we'll check with you in a couple hours and look forward to all your great coverage from New York later today.
All right, guys, thanks, all right, thanks Dave.
There he goes David Vasse or Dodger insider. Yeah, a cup of tea little chi tea latte, a little cup of coffee, something for Dave.
Get that throat right, yes, yeah, hey, can you see that. That's usually what happens coming down the stretch. I remember World Series year. Everybody on our team when the when the World Series is over, more than half of the team had the flu.
Bad.
We were on the we were on the parade, and everybody was sick. And that's generally what happens with the stress, the moment, the the travel, all that stuff. I man, every somebody's gonna get sick and then it's gonna go throughout the team.
So is that why it's better to keep riding momentum and keep playing and not have a long layoff, Because as soon as you do, as you mentioned, guys start getting sick, your body wears down, maybe the grind of a season. All of a sudden, you come to a holt even for a day, a day and a half, and then start to ramp it back up, and even a day and a half out and between between games two and three, you know, your body slows down, your
mind slows down. All of a sudden, though, those colds start catching up with you.
Defenses get down, and that's the thing is, it's so much intensity, it's so much that that you kind of override that and the defenses kind of kick in and hold that stuff off. But then when you let it down, you know, everybody's going to get sick. And that's no question that's going to happen with the team. Once this is all over.
Now, David didn't mention it, but when they flew from la to New York after Game two on Monday afternoon evening, there was two flights that went from lax to New York. One plane had the team on it and the other plane had the traveling party and family on that plane. This is a business train. Now, this is a business trip for this Dodgers team sexy going down to San Diego. Remember they had their own team bus. They didn't want
the distractions of the family. They want to make sure they were a cohesive unit together focus, no outside distractions. And the same as going in New York. There was two planes going in to New York. So the players on that flight can get rest. Most importantly get a little shut eye if andy'd be because they weren't getting ntil the middle of the night. Last thing you need is, you know, distractions.
Of a family screaming kids. Yeah.
Absolutely, so I thought that was a great idea. Hey, family, you're on that plane. Players, you're on this plane, and glad you know, when you land, you get to hotel, you're with the family, which is great. I mean, I think that's a plus. But on the way there, I don't want screaming kids. I don't want to have to watch movies. I don't want to watch I want to just go to sleep. And that's great, that's fantastic the organization does that. Yeah, no doubt, this is something that
they needed. Going to New York was rest and a little isolation from everybody and all the distractions of the out side world is certainly going to New York and all the distractions that you're gonna get there and all the media covers and now you're gonna have for for Game three tonight. There is no ALCS tonight, that's an off day as the series there goes to Cleveland for Games three, four, and five. So all eyes will be on Game three of the NLCS tonight from Queens, New York.
Will take a break, we'll come back. We'll get to more of your phone calls. How you feeling going into Game three? Walker Bueller on the mound, it's been a big game picture before. Does he have it in him again for Game three tonight, a pivotal game three to take a two to one series lead. He is Steve Sax, I'm Tim Kates. Thanks for being with us on this Wednesday morning on a FI seventy l.
A Sports.
Game three of the NLCS tonight right here on your home of show Otani and the Dodgers an five seventy LA Sports. It's Sax and Kate's and the Am Damn Patrick Show. You can listen to Dan and the Boys on the iHeart Radio from six am to nine AM. But during this Dodger run, we are live and local here in the mornings on your home at the Dodgers A five seventy LA Sports, Morocco Casino Dodgers on deck. We'll get our coverag started at a four PM. First
pitch from City Field is coming up at five. Oh wait, don't forget Tomorrow one lucky Dodger fan a chance to win a and autograph Steve Sax Dodger jersey. So we'll be listening for more details on that. And then on Friday when lucky Dodger fan's gonna win a two hundred and fifty dollars gift card to the Dodger Clubhouse store at Universal City Walks, So we'll be listening for more details on that. You'll see more details on an fi seventy la Sports is, Instagram and Twitter pages later on today.
All right, Saxy, A lot of Dodger fans. You've been patient. You're on hold, and I appreciate that. Saxy appreciates that. Let's go out to the phones, Ish in Riverside.
You are next up.
Keep things rolling here on this Wednesday morning.
Ish.
How are you feeling, hey, man, I'm doing pretty good.
Tim good, good, all right on, right on. Well, hey, listen, I gotta give you shout out whoever signed up that Rick Dempsey interviewed. Man, that was such a breath of fresh air. Just the baseball knowledge, the IQ, the acumen. Amazing, man, amazing, especially you know, with what's going on the game.
I totally agree with that he says.
You know, but in terms of our chances, man, honestly, I just want to let everybody know I'm putting on my Istra Domas Hatter.
Domas has nothing to be worried about. You guys, We are going to the World Series. Keep your PTO, get your vacation time, whatever you gotta do. We are going to the World Series. Thank you, fellas.
All right.
I love the confidence somehow, some way, I don't know how they get there, but it's just confident they will. It'll start with the Walkerbealer tonight in this game three starts, Richard and the OC down in Orange County.
Richard, good morning, Good morning, sir.
I'm not a Dodger fan.
I'm just a baseball fan. If the Doctors don't win the World Series, would you consider this a a loss or just a wash or would you consider this a good year?
Appreciate it?
Rich I would consider it a good year, but a failed year, because anytime you don't win a championship, it's the ultimate goal that every team sets out for in spring training. Saxee, that's what you guys gather around the clubhouse and hear the managers raw rob beginning of the year's speech about how we're gonna come together as one and go win a World Series championship.
And if you don't, only one team.
Gets to do it, it's a failure. But you can still have a good season, right Yeah.
Well said, well said. And you know there's some internal parts that they're gonna come and they're gonna pay dividends for your team later, like getting maybe signed up healthy Walker Bueller and free agency. Maybe that'll help you. Maybe you know, you got guys like Pajes that are coming along and his career starting, and you got a lot of good things coming up through the pipeline that are gonna be great for years to come. But the goal
is to win that World Series. And nothing better than the team that was plus one point fifty seven in the run differential throughout the course of the EUAR. This is an offensive juggernaut that has to be put out there and on display starting tonight. We haven't seen the most of it yet, but I think we're going to.
Whether you want to call it luck, good fortune, whatever you want to describe it as, there is some part of that that comes into the equation of winning. In October, it turns into a tournament. It's the first team to win eleven games in the divisional round, the CS in the World Series combined wins that World Series trophy. And again you mentioned injuries are a big part of it.
Who's healthy, who's hot again, Whether it's luck or you call it whatever you want to describe it as fortune, fortune, yeah, it's a big part of it.
Right Listen, If anybody out there thinks that luck isn't part of this, you got another thing coming it is. You have to have stalwarts have their great years. You have to have a couple surprises. You gotta be really mitigate as much as you possibly can the injuries, and you've got to have some luck. If all those components don't come together, you're probably not going to win the World Series. And that's why it's so hard to repeat.
Danny in La is next up on Saxon Kates and the am Hi Danny.
Hey, good morning guys. I wanted to actually just jump on top of that Rick Dempsey. I love that you guys got him on. I've had such great times with a lot of the old school Dodgers. I used to play golf with them at tournaments. My old boss, Ike Sanders was the chief of radiology at one of the hospitals here in Boil Heights, and he was a Brooklyn guy. Knew mister Merritt Willie. And when Merritt Willie passed away, he started this golf tournament. And I mean I was
playing with like Don Nukea, you know, Tommy David. I was playing with these guys before I even knew how to play golf. Amazing guys. But mister Dempsey, why did we not mention that he decked Lenny Dykstra in his accolades.
Yeah, that could have been a good feather in his cap that he had put out there, right. Yeah, I remember that. There was the Lenny front row was what was he doing? He was cadillacing around around the home run or something like that, and he came to home plate and Dempsey thought about it. Yeah, at a home plate and then there it went.
Yeah, yeah, oh my gosh, I love that.
I was sitting in front row and I just thought, oh my god, look at this guy just taking him out.
That's right. Loved it. Awesome, Danny. Appreciate that.
I loved it, man, I mean amazing. Mister Tommy Davis came to visit the hospital I work at now, and I'll never forget telling him. I'm like, you need me, mister Davis. I was in your force and when you had that hole in one at Spanish Hills, well.
Good luck on the golf course. Appreciate it, Danny, thanks for checking in.
It was.
I'm looking at the video right now. August twentieth, nineteen ninety Lenny Dykscher and the Phillies in town taking on the Dodgers at the Ravine. Lenny Dyscher didn't like a call from the homeplate umpire and steps out of the box and starts barking back at the home plate umpire. Now, in doing so, it looks like he ticked off R. Dempsey, who must have said something like, hey, shut up, get in the box. It was the seventh inning of the game. Him and the umpire going back and forth. Demsey looks
up and says something. Dyksher says something back to him. Dempsey then gets his glove with his left hand, hits him in the face with his glove, and the two of them are on the ground wrestling around until the bench is cleared. And then there's a big dog pile there right at home play.
That's what guys do. Love it. They weren't making plans for dinner. I can tell you that they were that. That didn't happen that day and probably not the next. Yeah.
Rick and Wittiers next up with Steve Sacks Tim Kates here on a FI seventy l A Sports leading up to Game three of the NLCS.
Hi, Rick, what happen you guys? Saxy good?
Let me talk to you guys. Hey, big game, big game tonight. Dodgers should pull it off four to one games? Hey, s actually I just want to ask a question. In the World Series, when Tommy pulled pulled Mickey Hatcher for a pinch hitter, Mickey Hatcher was yelling and Tommy lasorda. I think it was forgive me. But what was he telling me, Tommy?
Do you know? Uh?
No, I don't. I think I was. You mean the time when Gibby came up.
To hit, I think yeah, I think yeah. He said, you're.
About to make huge, huge, monumental history. Gibby's gonna hit a home run. That's what happened. No, I don't actually don't know what he says.
Favorite ballplayer. I want to tell you that, Taxy.
What's that?
My buddy Carmona, you always win?
His favorite?
Oh?
Thank you? Tell him? I said, hello, thanks, Bud, right, I appreciate it. I'll be honest with you.
I'm I'm a little hesitant about this nonchalant kind of flipping attitude amongst Dodger fans right now. But well, we got the game that I have four to one, four to two win. We got this in the bag. This isn't going to be an easy series. I think this flippant attitude Dodger fans had after the game one win is so more to what I'm hearing this morning. I don't like it, Saxy. Yeah, this is a series tied one one. The Mets are a good team.
Yeah. The thing is you've got some You've got some play here because it's a seven you know, it's a seven game series. So you know, the intensity really hasn't it's not pinching him yet, but you know, you know, you wait until you get the game after today, you'll you'll start to see that thing ramp up a little bit. But this is a big game. And you know I mentioned it before, almost seven to seven out of ten go on to win the World go go on to the World Series after they win game three. So this
is a very pivotal game. Get off to a good start, get some get some shutdown with with Walker Bueler, and things will look a lot better. But this is an extremely important game tonight.
I don't like that attitude either, Saxy, about this is a long seven game series. We can start cranking it up. Game two is important, just like a Game five or Game six is important. That's why I'm still ticked off about the pitching performance in game two and the plan that they had with the bullpen game, because that, to me was a pivotal game. You go up to nothing
in a series and you put the pressure. You're on a Mets team that was the red hot New York Mets in the postseason until they ran into the Dodgers, and now they're in an O two deficit. All the pressure in the world is on them to win at home, and you've you've just got to go in there and win one to get it back to Dodger Stadium.
I don't I don't know.
I'm not liking this Dodgers fans flipping attitude, right, I don't know.
You know what, I don't know how good of a professional athlete that you would beat tim because professional athletes got to have the biggest amount of amnesia. They have to certainly at one point remember all the things and learn from each loss, because you know, failure is the fastest way of learning as far as I'm concerned. But you got to look forward. You gotta not dwell on that what just happened, because it'll get in the way of what's going on right now. So you got to
really have some amnesia in some respect. And so you know what that's uh, I know, we got to point it out here. But those guys in the locker room mark, well, I'm very reactionary.
I'm very overreactionary, I guess, and sometimes.
Yeah, ask me.
This is Kate's Oh yeah, well she knows, she knows I overreact on everything. Sleep last night anyway, well, thanks to some medication, I slept very well last night, Thank you, sa.
I slept very well, which is concerned about your health because I know you you work a lot.
Well, I know, and somebody, it's funny, somebody called yesterday in the Petrol some Money show off air and said, hey, I heard you're not feeling well, a little anxiety about this series, and started giving me tips off the air for some homemade recipes and remedies as far as start burn and you know, some acid reflex maybe or whatever has happened to me right now.
The new version of Zantech is good. I believe they've really fixed that issue that they had, that cancer issue whatever. And yeah, Zan Tack will do it.
Bro.
I mean, you take a little tiny pill and you'd be good.
I'm gonna I'm gonna probably start taking some of it because this is OK. This Dodgers team has giving me the.
I think you're gonna I think you're gonna have no heartburn and sleep well after what you see tonight. And it's what a five oweight start, right, So five aways going to be good. I think you're gonna be good.
Bro Anthony and Burbank keep things rolling here on this Wednesday day morning leading up to Game three.
Anthony, how you doing?
Yeah, I'm a first time caller. I'm two quick questions and number one Tony Gonsolin. He was supposed to be back in Colorado the last series. Obviously avoid for that fourth starter. The guy's forty one and fourteen lifetime and he had four gift starts in Triple A. I believe he can you know, for about two or three innings. I would prefer him over landon NAC. What's the status on him? My first question? Number two, Yamamoto, he should be pitching today on normal days rest, four days rest.
That's really giving the Dodgers another bullpen games. So yeah, I'm a moto pitch today, you have dueler the next day, then you possibly avoid the bullpen game in this series.
Thanks a lot, all right, Anthony, appreciate it. You need five days rest for Yamamoto. That's what his normal rest is in between starts, not the traditional four days rest. So he is going on quote unquote normal normal Yama Moto rest by going in Game four tomorrow. As far as Tony Gonsol was concerned, Gonsolin had the elbow surgery last year and wasn't expected to pitch in twenty twenty four recovering from the surgery. Now, he started to ramp things up in early September, and by ramping it up,
meaning his bullpens saxy. He started getting up to throwing sim games and he even went to Triple A Oklahoma City and pitched in a couple of minor league rehabit assignment outings out there and went two three. I think he got to four innings. I know he got to three innings in a minor league rehabit signment. It's sort
of like what happened a year ago Walker Bueller. We started to see him go to Oklahoma City and Triple A. Oh, maybe there's a chance, maybe he's gonna help out this team in the National League Divisional Series against the Diamondbacks, and then they shut him down and said no, we're gonna wait TI twenty twenty four. I don't know what
they're gonna do with Tony Gonsolan. I'm kind of with Anthony in that you kind of got the feeling Tony Gonsolon himself was going into warp speed and trying to come back to help out this team because he saw the injuries happening one after another to this rotation.
Saxon and I know Gonsolin.
Is kind of I do on the outside looking in, you kind of got the feeling like he looks saw what was happening and said, I can help this team, even if it's two or three innings. Let's go get me ramped up. But he hasn't been on the roster yet in the postseason, so we'll see if they make it to the World Series if he's available, But I mean, I think he's kind of ramped up to give you a couple innings.
Yeah, And we get a little bit spoiled because we want to see what the same guy that we saw in twenty twenty two, right sixteen and one with a two fourteen making the All Star Game and just sho Oven. It was amazing, but uh, you know, look all these guys that have these surgeries, all these all, they're all a little different. They're all on their own program. Like I said, some guys are going to be really quick. Oh my god, he's already back. You know. Another guy's
what the heck has taken so long? Walker Bieler was an example of that, right, taking a long time, and I mean, I mean it was the second one, but gosh, whenn't they gonna be ready? And so all these guys are different. It's very nuanced, it's very intricate, and they're all different, and so you can't ever put them all on the same time timeline. It is tempting. Same thing with Otani. I mean, Otani's had some stints down there where he's been throwing and people are saying, wow, could
we maybe see him is a part in here? No, I don't think. So. You gotta really be careful. You got to air on this side of caution because it's too long and there's too much at stake to bring them back just a little bit too soon.
He was ramped up to fifty pitches Tony Gonsolin in September, but Dave Roberts about a week and a half ago, maybe it was right before the NLDS was asked about Gonsolin's availability in the postseason. His quote was, something really unforeseen would need to happen in order for Tony Gonsolin to pitch for the Dodgers this year in the postseason. Now, certainly a lot of injuries happened. Those are unforeseen things that have hurt this Dodgers team. But I don't think
that he gets at this point. He's not going to get added to the NLCS roster, right. It would have to take an injury for another pitcher for that to happen, and I would not expect that.
I think what he was saying, for the most part, something unforeseen, not necessarily with another pitcher that was really heard in injuries there. I think it's with the surge that you might see with the Gonsolin like, for instance, oh my god, there's no restrictions at all, and then why is he up to seventy five pitches now? And something like that that could shoot him forward. But I think they're going to air on the side of caution.
Terry and Ventura next up here on Saxon Kates and the AA, and thanks for being patient this morning.
Terry, Hey, welcome. HOI you doing.
I'm fine. Number one, Steve, I think I loved your animation when we were talking about sabermetrics and you went crazy on some of the concepts that they go by. Now the ball did hard and his heart was over the fence. Who cares about all that crap? Number two, when we're done talking right now, could you relive I remember when you hit a trip off of Bruce Souter, which was an amazing hit, if you can relive that situation.
Number three. I met Dave robertson they have these things in Beverly Hilton every year to raise money for the Baseball Scouts, and I asked him why he took out Rich Hill that game years ago. And if you remember, Rich Hill just walked off the mountain and Dave Roberts wasn't going to take him out. And every time Roberts goes out there, the feeling is from Hill's point of view, he was taking me out. And so Dave Roberts is the best guy ever, the way he deals with the
press and his players and everything. I disagreed that he put in land and neck. You know, he does make some mirrors, but he's such a superior person and I think he's a great manager. And lastly, if you could answer me this question. I played high school baseball a little bit of college, and the strike zone was the letters to the knees and now it's two inches above the belt button and two inches below the knees. Can you tell me when that changed, because I think it's a bunch of crap.
All right, Terry appreciate it. So I got nine questions from Terry. All right there, Okay, So first of all, the land and Knack thing. You know, you're not a swami. You don't know that land and Knack's not going to go out there and hit the fringes of the plate and strike everybody out. You gotta go with what's the obvious thing. And he had to get some innings in. So it is what it is at that one out.
The next one about the strike zone that changed, I think probably when they started doing the automatic balls and strikes. Its changed a bit. But you know, really, the strike zone is the letters to the top of the knees. That's that's what the strike zone is supposed to be. Yeah, but lots of times you don't get that Bruce Souter triple. I probably got real lucky on that guy because he
was devastating. The approach to him real quick was, you know, get him an account where you have to throw the fastball because probably not going to hit the splitter and make him get the ball up. Always got to make him get at least belt high if it's not. If it's not at the belt, don't even offer at it because it's probably going to be in the ground. And yeah, that's what I got.
I was gonna look up on Baseball Reference a triple Steve Sacks against Bruce Sooter. So I went to your your baseball reference and why even bother asking you had forty seven triples in your career Sacks.
That's a lot of triples. Is it feels like him We.
Don't see the triple part of the game very much anymore, Yeah nowadays. And I don't remember he getting.
Seven people off off a Bruce suiter though I don't remember that, but if it happened, it was, uh, you know, it's you can't ever plan a triple, you know, it's got to be something weird happened, Like it hits hits the wall and goes to the right and then nobody's over there, and you know it doesn't happen that much because they they're positioned so well, it's hard to hit a triple.
You hit ten home runs in nineteen ninety one. What were in your weedies that year? What's going on in New York that you're hitting ten home runs?
I want to know, was a grown man by then?
You are thirty one in a grown ass man?
Yeah?
Grown right, It's about time you got in double digits with home runs, right.
He and Steve sacks On, Tim Kates and Saxon Kates today and when we come back, we're gonna get Sax's keys to a game three win. Tonight it's Game three the NLCS Dodgers and Mets. That's coming out next Ry your NI seventy Leaning up to Game three of the NLCS tonight from City Field in New York. It's the Dodgers in New York, Mets. First pitch at five oh eight Morogo Casino, Dodgers on deck. We'll get it all started at four o'clock, Walker Bueller and Luis Severino the pitching match out.
Thanks to Rick Dempsey. You joined us in the second hour of the show.
David Veasse joined us from New York about forty five minutes ago. You can podcast Saxon and Kates and Am on AM five seventy LA Sports on the iHeartRadio app. You can find that as soon as the show is over. We're gonna get to Steve's keys in just a couple of minutes. But Mitch is in New Jersey. Mitch, I'm assuming the area of New York and New Jersey buzzing right now. What's the vibe li where you're at?
Hey?
Hi, you there in Tim, Steve. Thanks for all as we recall one, but I hope our bats can heat up. Keep the time you best played for now leading off and I'm looking forward to you know, Walker, I think he's leave down there hopefully. And thanks taking a course all right.
Mitch, appreciate it. Thanks for checking in this morning. Yeah, it's gonna be uh, it's gonna be the first inning again. You can't say it enough. Is so pivotal for this Dodgers team either to put up a zero if you're a Walker Bueller, or for the Dodgers to jump on Severino and another guy who, like Walker Bueller, has dealt with injuries, has gotten you know, some up and down starts over the last year, but has become a really
good pitcher. When he was with the Yankees Sacks, he was a guy who threw hard, more of a young thrower per se. But now, like Walker Bueller, because of injuries, has turned into a pretty all round good pitcher with a really good sweeper that he throws.
Yeah, eleven and seven with a sub for e r A three nine one, I believe something like that. That's good. That's that's all finding dandy. He's he's not pitching on normal rests. He's pitching on abnormal amount of rests with nine days, which not necessarily is good. But look, the Dodgers got an opportunity, like you talk about the first inning show, Hey, Otan, he's got an opportunity to really really kind of be aggressive in his zone and really
tighten up that zone a bit. He's got the ball coming at him now instead of away from him like he did with Manaia. He's got the fastest he's got all those pitches coming toward him, so he's got a comfort zone in there where he's not going to have to go out and reach for the ball. So this is the advantage to have the lefty on righty combination. So he's gonna be able to sit right there in his zone keyhole a lot of these pitches, and I mean, really put it on this guy. Put it on him often,
and put it on him early. But just make sure that you try to try to try to try to tighten say that five times, try to tighten up that zone where you're not, you know, fishing out of there and giving the advantage to the pitcher. Be aggressive in your zone, and thrive on the fact that you got the righty and lefty combination going tonight.
Yeah, I think the guy who I'm really going to zero in tonight is Will Smith. If he can get going, if he can get extend innings, if he can come up in situations with runners on base. Guys before him are getting on base, and maybe they're not driving in runs, but Mookie's on, Freddie's on, tay Oscar Hernandez can get on base. If if Will Smith can get it going and be a threat in that lineup and get it to the second half of the lineup behind him and
let those guys do the work. He's a catalyst. I mean, the guys at the top can do their thing. The big three can put up numbers. Yeah, but Will Smith has got to be that X factor for this Dodgers team.
In the middle of that lineup. He's big tim You hit the nail on the head. And here's another thing too. If Alvarez, who's I don't think he's the greatest throwing catcher back there. A lot of it has to do with the pitchers and what's the time going to be, you know, delivering to the plate if it's a if it's a one to three and above to home plate. I want to see those guys burning on the bass pass including third base. This guy's also on his knee. I mean, run on this guy all the time.
Run.
Now.
We saw the ball, you know, leaving the Bronx yesterday in New York and cold weather, cold weather in the fifties. But the ball was flying last night. I'll be in from Aaron Judge who could make the ball fly anywhere.
Yeah, that he plays, that don't matter with him again exactly, But same thing with Otani didn't matter.
Yeah, you know, but I just don't want these guys to get so locked into launch angle. You know, this is just gonna be a perfect time to find the gap, you know, play smart ball. I like I was described not small ball, it's smart ball.
I get so sick of launch angle. Let me tell you something. If you hit a ball at a thirty seven degree launch angle whatever, and you don't hit it on the meat of the bat, you know it's gonna be it's gonna be a perfect launch angle.
Out.
It doesn't matter. Barrel up the ball, that's all you gotta do. Let it go in the gap, let it go over the let it go over the fence, let it go through right through the middle of the endfield. I don't care. Just barrel it up. That's what matters. Feeling good about tonight game for you. I'm feeling really good about it. Bring it on. There comes a time where players like I'm getting right now, you bring back the old kind of feelings that they do, they get
kind of ticked off. They said, just bring it, man, Let's let's get it on and find out. That's what they're gonna get to.
We'll get it on at four o'clock with Morongo Casino Dodgers on deck, first pitcher, City Field at five oh eight. Sacks he will do it again tomorrow morning, looking forward to it all right, there he goes, Steve Sacks. Thanks to Zach, thanks to Michelle. Thanks to Dodger fans for being a part of the show during this Dodger postseason run. We love doing it, love talking Dodger baseball and getting you ready for all the games right here on a
five seventy LA Sports. Coming up next, it's The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Rogan and Rodney and Noon Petrol Some Money Flex back until two o'clock this afternoon again Morongo Casino Dodgers on deck at four, first pitch at five oh eight, Walker Buehler, Luis Savarino, the pitching matchup, and it's all coming up on You're a Home of show. Hey Otani and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a five seventy LA Sports