We continue on Fred Rogan and Jason Smith and today for Rodney on a five seventy LA Sports. Let's not delay. He was there. He is the authority. I don't know if he's at the stadium yet or driving. Let's get right out to David Vase. Dave, good afternoon to you.
Hey, good afternoon. Yeah, I'm here, Fred. I'm here on the reserve level at Dodgers Stadium as it is team photo day. The Dodgers are getting set for that with the great team photographer John Suhu before they get into their preparation for tonight's game.
And I can't think of a better day to take a picture because I know everybody wants to smile today.
Yeah, well that was yesterday, Fred, Today's a new day. That's what's great about baseball.
Dave, will you race Miguel Rojas today? We talked about that a few minutes ago. I think we need to see that.
Well, there is no need to race Miguel Rojas if you laid down a butt.
Okay, here we go, all right, So Dave, let's get into it. What did you think of the decision? Dave Roberts, Mate.
I didn't understand it. The bunt was on. He said the wheel play. He saw the Padres going into this wheel play defense. I watched Adrian Gonzalez from twenty twelve to twenty seventeen play first base, and nobody crashed on bunts better than Adrian Gonzalez, and the Padres were not
set up for the wheel play. The shortstop on the very first pitch to Rojas, Bogarts was going to second base and that bunt if it was laid down, And my understanding was that was a really good pitch for Rojas to lay down for a bunt and he pulled the bat back. If he was able to execute that bunt on the first pitch, we're not even having this debate because it took the Padres off guard and then
the element of surprise went away. But you're still able to execute a sacrifice bunt to get runners to second and third with one out, to have Otani come up to the representing the go ahead run.
Well, let me play Devil's Avocue with you, Dave, because that's that's a great point we haven't really gotten into as far as that bun play. Like Robert said, he saw the wheel you've said I didn't see that going.
But he used that.
Could he be protecting Rojas because, as you said, if he doesn't get that first bunt down on the pitch, he has the best chance of bunting. I can't blame him for taking the bunt sign off, Like, Okay, if you can't get a bunt down on that pitch, I'm not gonna have you butt down. We've lost the element of surprise and where you're gonna get a worse pitch to butnt And if you can't put that down, you're not gonna.
Put another one down.
Well, if you're concerned about that, there's a really good bunter on the bench named Kevin Kiermeyer. Uh, there's a reason why the Dodgers opted to keep Kiermeyer over Jason Hayward. If you're concerned about all that, you could have Kevin Kiermeyer come up to pinch it and execute a bun.
What was the clubhouse like after the game?
Not great?
Everybody left. Miguel Rojas was the only player available to the media. It was a quick exit from the Dodger clubhouse last night. Obviously very disappointed and frustrated, as was fifty thousand plus with a game ending triple play. But I know you guys have asked about that ninth inning. I obviously I disagree with what transpired in that Rojas at bat, but the game was not lost totally. In that ninth inning, Mookie Bets did not have a good
night last night at Dodger Stadium. He gets back doored and thrown out at third base on a non five beta capo play where Teoscar Hernandez, the runner at first base, is stealing second. You have to wait for the catcher to throw through if you're Mookie Bets. And what makes it worse is that during that entire at bat of Will Smith, you had Mookie Bets yucking it up with Manny Machado at third base, and then he gets thrown out on a play like that makes it look even worse.
Then in the second inning, base is loaded two outs, Mookie Bets versus Michael King, King was on the Ropes strikes out to end the inning. That was a golden opportunity. And then in the fourth inning, Mookie Bets gets a bad jump on a double by Jerks and Profar that should have been a ball he caught or at least cut off before it got to the warning track. So it was not a good night for Mookie Bets. It was not a good night for Freddie Freeman. And we have seen that movie before.
Against the Padres, it's been a five hundred September, David, Is this a team that looks like, okay, they're waiting for the playoffs? Are they running out of gas? Where would you say they are now? As far as what you're seeing on the field.
I see a team that does not look very inspired or understand the urgency that is needed to beat a team like the Padres. Did not see it. Sunday afternoon against the Rockies, that was a win they needed. Otani bailed the Dodgers out with that game tying home run. Mookie Bets bailed them out with a walk off home run, or things would be looking a lot different after last night, especially with the Padres holding the tiebreakers. So the Dodgers have got to come out and not try to play it so cool.
You know.
I heard players say, oh, this is not more big of a game than any other game. Well, they've got to start thinking differently because that approach is not working. And they got their hands full tonight with Dylan Cees.
Dave when they think differently, because we heard this in the playoffs a couple of years ago, they just came out flat. Well, you know, every night they come out to win. But what is it that kind of kicks them into gear? How do they avoid this kind of lase a fare it's just another game attitude.
I feel like this is who they are. I mean, they pride themselves on being the steady emotional team when a lot of these teams that go all the way are not that steady. Do have a lot of emotion, do have a lot of fire, and we don't see that. We haven't seen that from the Dodgers consistently. And when things aren't going right for you, that's when you need it the most, you know. I'm asked about who's the team leader amongst the players in that clubhouse. I'm not
sure who that is. I mean, guys lead by example, yes, But do they have anybody with the with the energy or grit or fire that we have seen in years past. I'm not sure they have that.
Is this where is this where they miss a guy like Justin Turner or a player like that. At this point in the season where they're at, I.
Would say to a certain extent, but Justin wasn't really like that either. You know, Andre Ethier met Kemp. They showed a lot of emotion. Yasio Puig say what you will about him, he had a lot of emotion and he had a lot of edge. So you look at the pop the Astros with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, they have that, The Padres have that, with Tattoos, with Profar, with Machado. Those are the teams that have those type of players, and the Dodgers have constructed their team not
to have those type of players. And it's worked for the regular season. They've out talented teams the last you know, five years since it's been kind of a new composition of players. But when it comes down to crunch time in the postseason the last two years, we really haven't seen what other teams have showed.
Dave landon Nack last night, you assess him how.
Well, I mean at disappointing night. He only went four innings. That's been the story of the Dodgers starting staff for the last thirteen games, where they're not getting more than four or five innings from their starter. That's a product of so many guys being hurt so yeah, Landon Nac I would say that he was doing okay the first three innings where he only threw thirty nine pitches, but in that fourth inning, he threw thirty nine pitches in that fourth inning and force Dave Roberts hand.
Dave, if you were looking at pitching me to men mentioned the pitching here because we've talked about this a lot today too. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the first three games for the Dodgers would go out. Most likely Flarerty would line up to pitch Game one. Where would they go after that?
Oh, it would be Yamamoto and Walker Buehler. Those would be the first three. It could be Yamamoto game one. As we know he needs extra days of rest, so the Dodgers would have to look at that for the series and figure out how they could get him to pitch twice in a short series and go from there. But yeah, it would be right now, Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty are the top two starters for the Dodgers, and from there they would have to piece it together.
And if you if you look at the possibility of them finishing as a wild card, nobody wants to say it. I'm not saying it will happen. Let's say worst case it did. What does that do them pitching, because all of a sudden you need more pitching.
Yeah, that would put it to the extreme there Fred as far as how they would maneuver their pitching, you know, and not having that five days of rest to really line it up. The Dodgers basically have told us by the way they lined up Yamamoto's schedule since coming off the IL, they believe they were going to win this division, or they would have lined them up to pitch in this series against the Padres instead of Saturday in Denver
against the Rockies. And if the Dodgers playing a Wildcard series, Yamamoto would not be available to start in the first two games of that series unless they deviate from that Saturday scheduled start, which I don't see happening at this point in time. So, you know, the Dodgers believe they have this division, and even though it's getting a little bit closer than they would like, the way they laid out yamamoto schedule makes you believe they believe they have
this division. And quite frankly, a lot would have to go the Padres way to even steal this division from the Dodgers, even if they were to sweep, If they lose any one of these next two games, it is a huge mount Everest mountain for them to climb. Now, if there was another seven or ten more games left in this season, I would say there should have been real concern that the Dodgers were going to lose this
division with the way the Padres are playing. But keep in mind, as we sit right now, time is running out on the Padres. There's only five games left and they're down two games, and I know they hold the tiebreaker, But if the Dodgers can win at least one of these next two games, the chances of them winning the West are very high.
All right, Well, Dave, thanks for the insight and thanks for jumping on as allways, if they ask you'd be in the picture. Smile.
I have never been asked, and I don't have any desire.
All right. There you go, David vs On a Dodger stadium. You don't remind Jason, I'm sure you heard about this. Oh w and Otani when it was the Angel team picture. Otani didn't show up, but somebody a big guy in number seventeen Jersey did stood where Otani was going to be, and then they just put his face in.
Yeah, I don't know why they still actually do take pictures. Well, I'm just gonna photoshop everybody in. Well it looks like a great team pack. Well, we'll get everything we want. We have the lighting, the way we want to do it, we have we already that we can put it, and we can put anybody you want it. Do you want to be in the Dodgers picture? Here's ninety nine bucks, just like the dirt.
You could buy it now now you're talking, Yeah, ninety nine bucks. I'd pay for that. Yeah, there's there's Fred Rogan in the front row right right right next to Max Munsey.
Yeah, he's between Muncie and Will Smith. Look at that, there's Fred. I assume he's wearing the suit and tie, just like, oh this is all look at friends on that picture.
Yeah, one hundred percent. No, that I'd pay for that. That'd be worth the money. Do you hear about the guy that lost his bonus? Well, the guys you and no, have you heard the story about the guy that lost his bonus?
Yeah?
The Pirates player?
Yeah, yeah, we'll talk about it all right. Jason Smith and today for Rodney boy, there's low and there's low. There is low. This is really low.
I don't know, walk off triple play Fred, that's pretty low. That's pretty tough, man.
Yeah, but you know what, they can come back and play again tonight, all.
Right, they need to. This is the low point of the season. Got to get off the mat tonight. Well, you know what, you can't get any lower than this.
So so uh Roddy tells or Tayez however you pronounced it, you know, the big, big first basement. He's playing for the Pirates now. He's been around forever anyway. All he needed is four at bats. He's been there all year. He just needs four more at bats and he gets a two hundred thousand dollars bonus for plate appearances. It needs four at bats. All right, we're on Wednesday, season end Sunday. Guy's been there all year. He needs four
more at bats. They released him. They released him. The general manager said, well, you understand, you know, we have to, you know, make decisions and look at what what do you have to look at? Well, he's got to start making decisions for what. There's no decisions made in four days. What are you doing They just cut them so they didn't have to pay him. That's pretty low.
You know when you say this, Oh, where's this story coming out of? And you say Pittsburgh, and I go, of course is Pittsburgh.
They've been nickel and diming for the better part of thirty years.
Fred, I mean four plate appearances, so one game just had to play one more game, one more game. Yeah, those are four played appearances. You are gonna.
See right, It's what could you be thinking? The guy's been there all year long and your explanation is, well, you know if we could have expanded the rosters. You're not going anywhere. You're not doing anything. What do you mean, We've got to get rid of him so we can bring someone up for four days. Well, you know what, We're gonna call this guy up and I'll tell you something. This guy is gonna get a real good look from
us in four days. They cut him because they didn't want to pay him, and then they come up with some story about why they made the decision. That is awful. Anybody that would consider playing for that organization should think twice. But then again, since they have a bunch of players you've never heard of, anyway, who would think about it?
Do you think there was a meeting and you know, like last week, and you know, with front office, and they're like, all right, another year, we're not contending. Does anybody have any good news? And some intern in the Jonah Hill Marketing Department of Baseball Strategies and Numbers says, I got a way to save.
Us two hundred thousand dollars. Wait, how could you save us that?
Hey?
If we df Fay Rowdy.
He's getting really close to getting two hundred grand from us because we got that bonus in his contract for blade appearances. How many more does he need? Well, he needs about twelve. Oh, so we can keep him for another couple of days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but make sure when he gets close, that's when we gotta let him go. All right, now he's at four, Okay, let's let him go. Congratulations kid, you're going somewhere in this business.
You just saved us two hundred grand. Here's a cupcake. You know what, though, you know, we need a different perspective nowadayson.
Don't you think we need We need positivity, all right, We need positivity to provide that there is only one man.
It is Victor Brigg with the daily haikup at two and Vic Good afternoon.
He says, Meggi Roe, Meggie, no, Fred Rogan, Hello, Vick. He's in for Rodney. He hates the bunts, Jason Smith.
Vick would have beat Rojas down the line if he was just hopping on one leg.
King flavor.
In the house for you, the flavor that you crave of, the vibe that cannot be denied. Listen. He's into Kevin's figures and still dazed by the ultra rare Padre's triple play walk off, double a animalstly.
Not just triple play right here, y'all.
That's the attitude.
Double a yeah, work great.
His musica will inspire the azul Oh. Rodney Fossa's got a click connection.
It's Vic, Yeah, Hi, Vic.
Dodger fans. Seven deep breaths, breathe in with me and then breathe out. Obviously an insane sequence, one of the most mind blowing sequences I've ever seen. We're watching baseball all these many years when Nikki ro Last that shot down third base and Machado turned it into the triple play. Obviously, the bunt was a move because you have to get Otani and Moki up. Okay, that's that's blaringly evident. So it's freaky Tuesday. I mean, he hit it well in retrospect.
I mean, Niggi's Niggi and fred You've pointed this out. Niggie Rose had a sensational year offensively, you know, he's the spirit of the ball club. And it's just it was Potres time to make, you know, a freaky play, and they pulled it off him. Machado's an excellent defender, there's no doubt. And the Buds, the buds was called off. And of course in every every fan's mind, that baseball Officionando's mind, you gotta lay down the buds And how
thinks any excuse for not laying it down. You must get Otani and Mookie up, and Freddy up and Ti Oscar. I mean, you've got four guys just foaming at the mouth to get up in the ninth and for buy some more heroics. And when it can't get to them, it makes it more exasperating, more frustrating. And that's why we were in the state today. And then you know, the Padres were just Champagna shower in the visiting locker room. You know, you know, just rubbing it. It's rubbing it
in there. It's stinging because the time has come today. Listen. It took a triple play in the Knife to beat the azul and they did him. Play a very good baseball game, the Dodgers, and there were still within you know, a couple of a couple of pitches, I mean first and second, No, out four to two. They had three straight hits, and you just felt the electricity your blood. You know, you go and iyere going crazy in the zendo. There's there's there's a palpable buzz, you know, throughout you know,
Los Angeles. Things are turning around in the ninth inning, but look at me, I'm still a wreck.
Yes, yes, but I'm just angry over.
The whole nine innings. It wasn't just the ninth enning. If I say, uh pointed it out brilliantly. The ninth inning did not bury the Dodgers. It was the nine innings that bury the Dodgers. After the first inning, okay, oh Tani, the first pitcher, you know, smokes it down the line for the double. Then the wild throw and suddenly it's one nothing. They gave us a run. The part was just gave the Dodgers a run, but then
you have more opportunities to cash in. And again Mooki strikes out with the bases loaded in the second inning. Then Mooki gets picked off at third base. I mean it was not clean hardball. You want to beat the Padres right now, the best record of baseballs and seal Stu break, you must play clean hardball. That was not a clean, clean game for the Dodgers landon knock obviously, Fredd Is who pointed out, you can't get behind. He can't give up four runs. He gives up four runs.
You know, that didn't help the situation. But there were there were there were some positives. There was some There was some sunshine. The bullpen was locked in.
Yeah, we don't want to We don't want to ruin the sunshine. We went to to get to think about what the sunshine could be and then we'll shine it next a right, Jason Smith is in today for Rodney, and uh Vic was about to tell us how the sun is shining. So Vic, why don't you rejoin us and pick up this sunshiny tail?
You mock me, Fred, But there was sunshine amidst the darkness of the of the stunning loss. And it's not devastating, DJA fans. It's not devastating. It was just a freaky, freaky, crazy last play. But again, they could have to play some clean hardballs tonight and they will.
Yeah, but Dick, I think people were devastated.
Oh well, in the moments it was. It was stunning. It was very hard to digest the dynamic of a game ending triptball play. We've never seen it before. What it happened like what twenty eight times in baseball history. I mean, they played the game with a like two hundred years escape. This is a it's an ancient game. Baseball is an ancient game, but still solamente sunshine. In this loss, the bullpen was locked in again. And that's a hard ball harbinger of good times for the playoffs,
because it's going to be a bullpen playoffs. It has been the last few years. You know, major League Baseball has evolved. The starting pitchers are not essential anymore to win the World Series has been proven. You know, you start, it goes five in the playoff game, you're happy. He goes six, You're ecstatic. So it's a bullpen and the
Dodger bullpen is crazy good. Bruce Starr Hudson shutdown last night, shutdown flavor, and you gotta love the rookie in his major league debut, twenty two year old Venezuelan flamethrower ed Gardo Enriquez. Enriquez look tremendous. I mean, the fast ball is up like one hundred and one miles an hour. The Eli Gantes strike out of Tatis with a pottery at second, I mean, Huko and I are going nuts. Wouldn't it be one of Edgardo Enriquez makes it? Makes the playoff the playoff roster as possible.
You're in the biggest game of the year and the guy makes his major league debut. That's all you need to hear about the Dodger pitching situation.
But they knew he had electric stuff, Fred, he was sensational. You strike out Tatis is one of the best players in baseball with a pottery on second. Unfortunately, I thought the momentum was going to carry into the Dodger half. It didn't, and that you know, and now you know that also was another bummer. But let's say said runers and scoring position was not a strike last night but there was a buzz in the zendo with the momentum shift with Enriquez with the big k of tatis, another
good vibe. Anthony Bonda is back tonight from breaking his left hand. Bonda's back fellas well.
That's great. Hopefully didn't punched the wall again.
Vic iwan kofax from shout of the pen tonight.
Cool depends fine, it depends fine, But again it's you know, the starting pitching has evolved, and as a Dodger fan, we can't freak out that we don't have, you know, three excellent starters going. I mean, I'm good with Jack Yobo. I'm good, You're good, and you know I'm Beulah. I'm good because let's say, say you get five good innings in the playoffs, you're happy, Like I said, you get six, you're ecstatic.
Let's hope you can get four.
The Dodgers is the upshots. I'll love the Japanese Dollar medal. The Azula will get knocked down seven times, but don't get up the eighth. Jack Flowerty takes the ball from the sense. Dave Roberts Dylan Cease for San Diego Tonight, Morongo Casino Dodgers on deck with Tim Kates rocking it from the Morongo Casino Resortant SPA at six as PMS goes live from Molongo today, Jack Flowery's first pitch at seven ish. Listen right here, am five to seventy LA
Sports and listen. The Doggers have a two game lead with five to play. That's a good position, all right.
I think it's a question of it's a good position. It really is. But which way is momentum carrying you?
This is the biggest thing.
To the next starting picture. Momentum. You know, this is the hock Nye hard Bull saying, momentum rise until your next starting pitcher, and that's Jack Flaherty. And Jack's gonna bring it. The kid from Burbank, He's going to bring it tonight. I have total confidence in Jack and the offense to get get moving early. Give Jack some runs, give him a cushion, and crush the Padres. I hope the Padres enjoyed their Champire. Well, the hangover is going to be a loss tonight to the Dodgers. Yeah, let's
say it. Padres made the plays last night. They made some excellent defensive plays. Profilos making plays and everybody who was making plays. They had a good game tonight, the Dodges. I'm going to play some azoul baseball man, the way, the Way of the Dodgers, the Way of the azul tonight with Jack Flaherty. I'm confident. I'm confident that leads us, leads us right to the source. Yes, I composed it, Fred for the Dodgers, because they need all the vibes
and all the love. This high coup for you. On this Wednesday, September the twenty fifth, wrote it.
Podres, Well, listen, vict you wrote yesterday's that worked well, you wrote yesterday that didn't. That didn't work.
It's gaining momentum, Fred, Okay, Dodger's Padres, the Oz who will immerse yourselves in the ways of the Warrior Bushito, live through death, show no fear, ultimate self sacrifice, and Jack Flaherty a feeling you Dodger fans, turn on your love light tonight.
All right, this is good, Vic, And if they win tonight, it's good you wrote that. And if they lose, you're going back to one of the masters tomorrow because last night's didn't help very much. So let's let's hope tonight it makes a difference.
Ronnie can stop a freaky triple play, fred I can't stop.
That's true. Amen to that, Vic, Ronnie, Thank you, Adam, great job billing in Jason. Thanks for hanging today. You got him and see tomorrow. Got it.
M