After a soaking wet Tuesday night in The Bronx, the Orioles and manager Brandon Hyde will now attempt to get starters, bullpen and rested position players ready for a midweek battle at Camden Yards that will narrate their October destiny in a trying season of success.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, play, pitch, talked, game, team, win, bullpen, tuesday, camden yards, celebrate, burns, baltimore, week, year, series, tuesday night, fans, playoffs, yankees
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Music. Welcome home. We are W n s t, Towson, Baltimore, Baltimore, positive. We are positively into the special season I’ve owned w n s t, 26 years. We’ve been celebrating 26 years of 26 oysters and 26 ways and 26 days. It’s all brought to you by friends at the Maryland lottery. I have Raven scratch offs to give away. On Friday, we’re going to be at Costas, celebrating playoffs, and then, of course, two weeks from now, we’ll be at Pizza John’s on the 11th, celebrating my birthday and hopefully celebrating the Orioles in the American League Championship Series will be by. It happens quickly. Even the clinch kind of happened quickly. On You know, they got a clinch, are they not? Who’s going to win? What’s Kansas City doing? What’s Minnesota doing? Luke Jones was up late, as most Baltimoreans were, who loved the Orioles. I don’t know if you’re sad that you weren’t there to celebrate and get soaked like Melanie Newman and get champagne dumped in your head. I mean, you’ve been in a couple of those. I’ve been in several of those. Not a lot of them in Baltimore, I must say, over 33 years of doing this, but just observations, because it’s obviously anticlimactic, and I even sort of pissed on they’re not going to like sport champagne and go nuts about being a wildcard team, right? Well, you know, I guess if you’re Jackson holiday, they give you a binky in the corner and, you know, whatever clever stuff they came up with, but they better go win some baseball games next week.
Luke Jones 01:22
Well, sure, but they also deserve to celebrate. Now, I don’t want to hear reports about them being out at a club until 730 in the morning, which was something that ended up having one of the Nationals young players sent to the minor leagues when they were in Chicago last week. But it’s been a long season, and for as much as you sit back and you’ve watched a very trying second half of the season, it’s not as though these guys go out there and they’re on autopilot. I mean, they’re feeling it. They’re they’re struggling through it more than any media member, any fan. I mean, they’re living it right. So they deserve to celebrate and that again, like I said, within reason, but at the same time, you want them to be able to have this little bit of a release, right? I mean, it’s been a difficult second half, and we’ve all talked about it. They’ve gotten guys back healthy. They clinched on Tuesday night. They have a great chance to clinch as early as this evening, as far as the top wild card spot with a win, and it’s Detroit loss. I mean, they’re in excellent position for the
Nestor Aparicio 02:27
format for next week, because I’m not sure they’re, you know, people don’t know, because we haven’t played in this round, right? I
Luke Jones 02:33
mean, I think people know now, but yeah, it’s if the Orioles get home field advantage, they play all three games at Camden Yards. It’s the best of three, all three at the higher seed. And, you know, you win two, you move on. So, I mean, that’s what it’s going to be. You know, they’re
Nestor Aparicio 02:48
not getting the home game was at stake this week, though, right? Like, like, they still really, they stumble well, but okay, but they, they have really stumbled into this in a way that it’s just awkward. That’s all I’m saying. They’ve had the lead most of the year. Now you’ve given that away. Part of it is, you might want to play next week, but the good news is, it’s a Home Series. You don’t have to get on a plane. There’s no game three on there’s none of that, you know. And money to be spent, right? Like, you know, fans are now into a couple 100 bucks for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week as well, and getting motivated and saying, All right, do I have a sitter who’s what? Who’s got the dogs I have to pick my wife up at the airport at nine o’clock next Tuesday night might be the third inning, you know what I mean. So there’s all of that not being able to plan a crab cake tour for you and me next week. But nobody can have a if you’re a baseball fan. This is October, and I think that that’s sort of the fun of it. It’s sort of the mystery of, are we playing here? We playing there? Are we playing? The next couple of days will be fun for that, but I keep saying, dude, they better be ready for game one next week. And and I hope the celebration to your point was a little more subdued, because I don’t know that there’s much to celebrate here. They got a long way to go to get where they want to go. I
Luke Jones 04:03
hear you, but again, you’re talking about a bunch of 20 year old guys that okay, they they’ve struggled the second half of the season. They also made the playoffs for the second time in two years. First time the Orioles have made the playoffs in back to back years since 96 and 97 I mean talking about my entire lifetime. You know, since 1983 they’ve been to the playoffs back to back years only one other time. So I hear what you’re saying, and I don’t disagree, but at the same time, they deserve to celebrate. I mean, these guys don’t, don’t need to deliberately walk around with a frown on their face because they’ve played poor, you know, not so well in the second half of the season, but they the first half still counts, right? I mean, those games still counted. That’s why they’re in the playoffs now. And we’ve been saying over and over and over, it’s a new season come October and and frankly, I mean, let’s talk about Tuesday night’s game a little bit. The way they won that game is how October games are going to look if Corbin burns or Zach Eflin aren’t. Starting, and it might look that way even with those guys starting, because this is how it is. I mean, they had six relievers back up, Dean Kramer, who pitched well over five innings, but they didn’t really want to see Dean Kramer face the top of the Yankees lineup a third time, so they went to the bullpen, and it was a slog. It was a three plus hour game, but they got the job done, and the bullpen for the most part. CNL Perez aside, I suppose. And it’s not like he got leveled, you know, some some contact that didn’t go their way. And they were fortunate, I guess, that they held up labor. Torres at third base. For some reason, I even with Aaron judge coming up, I still don’t get that hold there. But they came right back. They added an insurance run with a Colton cowser home run and but the fact that Gregory Soto pitching late in the game high leverage and issued a walk rather not see that, but he’s still got three outs for them, so I still
Nestor Aparicio 05:54
think he’s going to want to go to veteran guys that have pitched in October before, because it’s one thing to allow Soto to let the season fall away. I think it’s different to have Burt Smith doing that. You know what I mean, right? But, but I’m saying we are at not cut time here, right? I mean, we are at what will this look like next week? And it is fascinating to see how he managed it on Tuesday night, because Gabe may have to manage it that way next Saturday night in New York, right?
Luke Jones 06:21
Well, and I think you look at the chain that they use now, Danny coulomb did not pitch. I don’t know if that was the case where they wanted to give him two days off after he pitched two out of three games over the weekend. It hasn’t
Nestor Aparicio 06:32
looked bad. I mean, he’s curbing sure he’s looked okay, but also coming back
Luke Jones 06:37
from elbow surgery in a three month absence. So you’re still trying to manage those elements. I mean, we’ve talked about it. I mean, with this week, once they get the number one, the top wild card spot locked up, hopefully tonight, if you’re the Orioles, then you have a position. You have a opportunity to manage, you know, and balance getting guys enough work to keep them fresh, but also giving guys a breather, like gunner Henderson, for example, you’d love to be able to get him off his feet for at least one of these final few games, you know, as they get closer to the weekend, and hopefully have that top wild card spot locked up. But at the same time, you also have individuals like Jordan westburg or Ramona Reus and hey Arias at a home run on Tuesday night. And westburg, we’ve seen him get some hits. So by the way, pronouncing his name wrong?
Nestor Aparicio 07:23
Is it urius? Because I’ve heard, yeah, I heard the I heard Brandon. Hi, call him urius. Said I’m like, Am I pronouncing it like? I don’t know. We went wrong with Santander for a little while before we didn’t now, we got namdi, not John. I just want to make sure I’m saying his name, right. That’s all.
Luke Jones 07:43
I think. What would that be called? Anglicizing a name, or something like that? I mean, there’s still some of that into today. I mean, I think we’re collectively way better about that.
Nestor Aparicio 07:53
Melanie Newman thinks she’s the Hispanic woman. I listen to her on the radio. It’s hilarious, but nonetheless.
Luke Jones 07:57
But, I mean, you just look at that game. I mean, Danny cool, you probably swap in Danny cool for, I’m guessing, if that were a playoff game on Tuesday, maybe you see Soto pitch when Keegan akin pitched, because, you know, you’re looking at pockets of lefties in the Yankees lineup. And maybe cool on then pitches when Soto Did you know? I mean, who knows? Again, they’re not gonna be facing the Yankees in the wild card round, and it’s all dependent on the matchups and righty lefty and you’re gonna see that. I mean, Brandon Hyde does that in the regular season. He sure as heck is gonna do it in the postseason. So, you know, but, but at the same time, with this lineup, with this bullpen, you’re you’re trying to balance over these last few games, once everything is sealed up. And I’m making the assumption here that the Yankees aren’t going to lose out and the Orioles aren’t going to win out, right? I mean, that’s still mathematically alive, but we know that that’s a near statistical impossibility at this point. But you’re trying to get ready and keep guys fresh. You don’t want anyone to sit too long. But at the same time, if there are individuals that you’d like to get a little bit of a breather for your looks like you’re gonna have a chance to do that. That’s why I think it’s all the more important for them to try to seal up the number one wild card spot. I mean, they’re in great, great shape there. I mean, four up with five to play. The Tigers, they don’t have the tiebreaker, obviously, because the Tigers won the season series. But Kansas City, they do have the tiebreaker, and Kansas City’s just about done in terms of trying to be the top wild card. So, you know, it’s very clear what they have still have to play for. You know that I have no problem seeing them celebrate, like I said, within reason, you know, I don’t want to hear reports that they were out till 7am because, yeah, you want to try to take advantage and try to close this thing out in game two, especially with one of your top two pitchers on the mound. So, well,
Nestor Aparicio 09:54
yeah, by the way, they say New York’s open all night. That’s not really true. I’ve been in New York late it there’s nothing going on there after. You know. Mean, places might be over it, but I hope they go to bed. Yeah. I mean, our hotel is down by Grand Central. You could probably find some trouble around there. I mean, you know, I have, I
Luke Jones 10:09
would say this much, and you’ve been to New York many more times than me. I’m sure there are places open in New York, but you’ve got to know the right people. Probably, that’s probably, I mean, that’s, that’s probably what it is, am I right? I mean, every City’s like that to some degree, 10
Nestor Aparicio 10:22
million people there, so, you know, you know. But to your point, like and I’m, I listen. I’m not against them celebrating in young people or whatever, but my 50, almost six year wisdom will tell me that their destiny and how good or bad they’re going to feel when it’s all over with. And I don’t mean to hang over a Wednesday morning if they had too much champagne. I mean, what this next month represents, and the guys who lost last year and couldn’t get out of their own way for three games, the last thing you want is to be losing five to one in the third inning on Tuesday. Somehow, some way, because you kick the ball around, Burns is no good. You know, you get the hot team, whatever that is. But there is something very gratifying about home games next week. I think there’s something very gratifying about seeing an upright westburg Mount cast. Just go through the names, right? I mean, you know, we talked about cool home, you know, being available next week, and a bunch of names that were not a part of whatever’s happened here since, let’s say august 1. Let’s, let’s just write off the last seven or eight weeks and say this was a completely different team. When Eloy Jimenez is taking at bats and Burch Smith and I’m going through, you know, Rivera, I just go through Slater, I just go through the names of all these guys that had nothing to do with playing 620 ball. They weren’t on the team, and they don’t need to play 620 ball next week. They need to play they need to win every other day for a month. That’s what I I was with Brian eater, by the way, I want to give a shout out to the Chaucer, one of my friends. I had some fried oysters and some they had, like Chesapeake Bay aioli sauce. It was too Gucci for me, for island town, but I was in Highland town, watching the game. By the way, when Judge put that ball in orbit, you know, it’s Chaucer, there’s young, sexy people, people like you, young people, and there’s music, and it’s loud, the game’s on. We did not have the broadcast on, and we’re watching it. And it was like, just watching that in silence, like the ball went into orbit. We’re like, oh, that’s gone. It didn’t take much, but for me being out, watching people watch the Orioles, and watching people be engaged in all of it, I think this is going to be fun next week, and I think that there’s a second year of expectation for them. And I think despite the rock. Listen, if they played 640 bomb 112 games and they clinched a week and a half ago, I’d be nervous as hell sitting here. What you for four days not playing? We’d be talking about that. I like that they can set their rotation. There’s not a whole lot of this I don’t like I they need to go play baseball. And I guess my point with Brian lesson is I’m like, you know, you win the World Series by winning every other day. You don’t have to win three in a row. You don’t have to, you know, like you just need to make game two right. If you don’t make game one right, and have your head about you in that way, even when you’re down three, one or two, one, wherever you are in a series, you can battle back into that. That didn’t happen last year. I want to see some battle. I want to see him win a game. I want to see them get up, fall down, get back wherever they need to be next week. But these games at home, being able to set up the pitching, getting the original players back for the most part. I mean, I don’t want to say Bradish and means and those guys weren’t wells. They were a part of this, but they weren’t the anyway, the primary part of this, and they’ve added effluent, they’ve got better. They could be better next week than they were at the All Star break. If you consider who their game two starter is,
Luke Jones 13:52
oh, maybe, I think I would say this much. They have certainly upgraded in terms of experience when you look at the postseason rotation now, as opposed to where it was a year ago, which was Kyle Bradish, who was fantastic, let’s be clear. Kyle Kyle Bradish was a top five pitcher in the American League last year, but had never thrown in the postseason. Grace and Rodriguez had never thrown in the postseason. They didn’t, you know, they didn’t hit in game one, they didn’t pitch in game two, they didn’t hit, hit pitch or hit in game three, and that’s why they got swept. So look, we can sit here and try to rationalize why things will be different, why you hope things will be different, why they could. It’s baseball, it’s October baseball, and it’s a best of three. It’s a best of three series right now, if you’ve suddenly decided I’m not going to use the White Sox, because they’re a historical exception to the rule, having lost 120 games, but if you randomly, out of the goodness of your heart, decided we’re going to drop the Oakland Athletics and the LA angels into the postseason, just because, you know, just. A new a new lottery element that Major League Baseball is going to add to the postseason, and you put them in a best of three series, either one of those teams would have a very legitimate chance to advance to the Division Series. I mean, that’s just, that’s the nature of baseball, right? So I hear everyone lost two out of three a lot lately. Yeah. I mean, every team loses two out of three, a lot, right? I mean that that’s, that’s, that’s why I’ve said to you over and over and over, I hear everything about the first round by and how that’s so anti baseball and so different than these guys, the creatures of habit that they are. But you just want to avoid that now. I mean, you, you want to avoid a best of three, because everyone loses series with ease. I mean, that’s there’s nothing you have. You can have a bad 27 hours. You can have a bad 24 hours, depending on the timing of game one and Game two, and then you’re done. And it might not even be that you played all that poorly. I mean, for the Orioles right now, it’s looking like, based on how everything looks, right? Now, it’s looking like the Detroit Tigers could be coming to Camden Yards, and there’s a hottest in two reasons, right? So even if the Orioles have been better over the course of 162 I don’t think you’d find anyone that say, would say the Orioles are the better team than Detroit over the last two weeks or in the month of September now, adding the players back into the mix that they’ve they have, and that’s what, six guys they’ve added back since, what, two Sundays ago, you know, with Webb and cool on Mount Castle, westberger, Reus and Heston kerstadt. But it’s still a team that to your point, when you mention bradsh and means and Felix Batista being gone all year, the idea of what Craig Kimbrel was supposed to be. I mean, that’s, that’s a lot, that’s a lot of attrition that they’ve dealt with. Now, to your point, they added effluent. Major win there, right? Major net gain from at least the all star break with where the rotation was, but Grayson Rodriguez, again, even as of Tuesday, you know, he’s not on the trip, hasn’t thrown a lot to live hitters, hasn’t thrown batting practice yet even. So, you know, I’m starting to wonder more and more if we’re going to see Grayson Rodriguez at all. He, even if they, you know, even if they can get to the Division Series, is even going to be ready for then. So at this point until we hear otherwise it’s burn, ethlin at burns, ethn and Kramer. And Tuesday night, we kind of saw how that worked with Kramer two times through the order, and then open your bullpen can get it done. So that again, I have my doubts that that chain is going to hold up the number of times it needs to hold up in the month of October to get where you want to go. But look, there are a lot of teams that you’d ask that about. You know, there are very Doubting
Nestor Aparicio 17:45
Thomas was it wasn’t that the doubting Thomas in the biblical right? It’s not doubting Lucas, is it? You’re doubting,
Luke Jones 17:53
I’m I’m trying to be objective here. You know, if you want to hear me, just say, hey, they’re going to the World Series and, well, you know, then we could just play that every day. You know. Well, I mean, getting
Nestor Aparicio 18:03
through the Tigers will be hard enough, right? I mean, like, they will be favored because they’re home, but the Tigers would not be a bad bet based on the way they play couple weeks. I
Luke Jones 18:13
mean, they played their butts off. I mean, think I actually had the chance because, I mean, I have the MLB package with my satellite provider, and I saw Terek school pitch Tuesday afternoon, and you’re gonna have to go up against that guy. Good luck. I mean, whoever, Orioles, Yankees, Astros, anyone facing that guy? Good luck. And he’s really, really, it’s gonna be the Cy Young Award winner. So you know, where’s
Nestor Aparicio 18:38
he matching? Would he be Tuesday? Because they still have work to do.
Luke Jones 18:44
They don’t have but, but there’s not going to be it if they keep winning. I mean, I think they’re going to be able to avoid having to use him most likely. I mean, it’s look, it’s possible that he would pitch, what Sunday. But no, no, they’re not going to want to do that. I mean, they’re going to want to going to want, they’re going to want him for game one, you know, in the same way we’re talking about whether it’s going to
Nestor Aparicio 19:08
be burns or ethlin or Kansas City, in your mind, we’re pulling for Kansas City right now, right quickly.
Luke Jones 19:15
And I guess I, I don’t know. I mean, I think Kansas City is struggling big time right now. I mean, they had, they had, they needed extra innings just to beat the NATs, one nothing on Tuesday night. I mean, they had lost, what, six in a row before that, seven in a row, whatever it was so but we’ve talked about Kansas City. I mean, at times they’ve looked really good. I mean, there’s no when you’ve been as mediocre as the Orioles have been since the all star break. I have a tough time look playing that game and saying, Oh, well, that guy, that team, looks way easier to play. No. I mean, the Orioles have lost series to losing teams here, to your point,
Nestor Aparicio 19:48
you don’t want to see the picture. You don’t. I mean, if you Yeah, you don’t want to see screwball in three game series, right? I mean, you just don’t,
Luke Jones 19:56
yeah. I mean, you look at that, although Kansas City’s got some starters, you don’t want to face. Either. So look, they’ve gotten in. The next step is securing the number one wild card spot. You know, I’m not, I certainly don’t have any visions whatsoever of the Orioles winning out, the Yankees losing out, for that scenario to play out. So they’re going to be the top wild card, they need to win one more game in Detroit to lose one more game. I mean, that’s, that’s as simple as it is, you know, with five to play. So, you know, they’re going to be the top wild card. I feel quite confident in saying that at this point in time. It’s not 100% but I feel that they’re going to do that. And then at that point, it’s again, aligning everything. Will they flip burns and eh? Because right now it’s Eflin burns. As far as the you know, they’d be able to do that if they want to start burns in game one, or do you want effluent in game one and burns in game two? I mean, either way, they’re both going to pitch. So, you know what? What do you want there? So Burns has been a better version of burns. In fact, he talked about it last start. And, you know, we never mentioned it because there was so much going on with the ravens and all that. But burns talked about it. He’s actually, he’s gotten his cutter back on track. I mean, that pitch that made him what he was in Milwaukee, he kind of, he’s talked about this recently. Kind of had lost his way with that pitch a little bit over the summer, and certainly that came to a head in August, when he was just getting knocked around like crazy, but he says he feels like he’s got it back to a point where it was in Milwaukee, and it’s reflected in more swing and miss and more strikeouts and a better, more dominant version of burns. So you hope that holds up, because that’s why they got him, right. They got him to pitch game one or Game Two, however, however you want to, he’s gonna pitch postseason games. That’s the point, right? So,
Nestor Aparicio 21:42
must win games, as we call them, must win,
21:44
yeah. So, I
Nestor Aparicio 21:46
mean, we can just a must win game dude. I, you know, I keep going back to this. In each short series, got to win game one, man, you just whatever it is, game one is game seven. You got to win.
Luke Jones 21:59
Sure, sure. I mean, if, but if you don’t, then it’s you got to win game two and game three. And if you don’t, your season’s over. I mean, it’s that simple. And look, we can sit here and say that it’s going to be different this time around than it was last year, and we’ll see. We’ll see. I mean, we talked about that narrative with the Ravens for the last five, six years, right? I mean, as good as they’ve been in the regular season for a long time, it hasn’t translated to January. And doesn’t always mean that there’s some fatal flaw. There’s also just the other team tries to and
Nestor Aparicio 22:30
seasons over on your birthday, the Ravens better damn well beat the winless Bengals the following week. That’s all I’m saying, because it’s been a topsy turvy couple of weeks. I just think, in a general sense, with how the Ravens have looked, where the Orioles have been. But I am, as I sat at the Chaucer on Tuesday night, having my 19th oyster in a row. They were fried. They were delicious. I am, you know, I’m a little more bullish on the Orioles than maybe I’m a little bit more optimistic than you. If you had $1 and I had $1 I think my dollar would stretch a little further in belief, because I think when the lights come on, they they have enough to win. I wasn’t, you know, even last year, with experience and where they were in pitching and matchups, and looking across to me, I look at these players, and I’ve seen enough from all of them, including, you know, cows are hitting an insurance home, Ron and and, you know, I’m not the biggest cows or guy, and he’s going to win rookie of the year or whatever. I don’t think he’s going to be. I think he’s, I love Gary renicky. I think he’s Gary renicky. You know what I mean? I think he’s a good player, but I think westburg might be different, and I think having him back, and I I want to see Richmond on that stage next week after struggling. Because I think he’s I think he’s a dude. I just think whatever the injury was in the foul tip back at the end of June. And I want to see Henderson a year later. I I want to see big moments, big at bats. They’re all going to have eight to 10 at bats on Tuesday and Wednesday. I want to see who’s hitting the doubles, who’s hitting the home runs, who’s going over and striking out four times, and I having watched the body of work, having watched Hyde manage through this, and seeing the lineup, and what the lineup is going to look a lot different than it did on August 27 just when it’s penciled in on Tuesday, the names that are in there, My wife’s not gonna be saying, Who’s that guy? I feel good about. I I feel good that they had their boat rocked a little bit. You know, I think going to 115 wins this year, and you’re even 102 wins this year, and scooting and skating and not having to play next week. I don’t know that that would have, I think the adversity for young people, they know how important this is next week, and they and I don’t think at home, the stage will be too big for them next week. I you know, I expect them to be playing past your birthday, which is the middle of next week. I expect that. And I would bet $1 on that, no matter who they’re playing, scuba, tigers, whatever, lions, tigers, bears, whoever. They play. I think they’re I think they’ll be playing next weekend. I think they’ll survive. I
Luke Jones 25:04
don’t think that’s, you know, I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I think look, when I say I I’m a little more skeptical, or, I mean, you said I’m more skeptical. I look at it through. I’m trying to present arguments for and against. I think when you have burns and E Wild Card Series division round sold, right? I mean that put that puts you in a good spot. When you get to ALCS World Series, you’re talking about four starters. Then, okay, so now you’re talking Kramer and Suarez. If Grayson Rodriguez isn’t coming back and again at this point, I think it’s best to assume he’s not until we at least hear that he’s facing hitters and throwing live BP and has graduated because he’s been throwing bullpen sessions for a couple weeks now. I mean, that’s not a new development. So it’s kind of like, okay, how long is he at this stage? Or is it a case where he’s not really progressing to the degree that they need him to? I mean, again, that’s speculation he was progressing pitching. But the point is, with this, that chain that we saw Tuesday night, it’s one thing to do that once or twice. It’s another thing to do that three or four times, when you’re now getting it to the period of time where you’re into the ALCS or, yes, the World Series. I do have my questions as far as whether that group’s going to hold up for that long, to that degree, to make that kind of run. But again, they could be sitting there in of all the teams that are going to make the playoffs. You know, you’re talking 12 different teams ultimately going to be in the playoffs. Similar questions are being asked of, well, I don’t know what eight or nine of those teams? I mean, okay, the Phillies are probably the team on paper that is best constructed when you consider rotation back into the bullpen and their lineup. I mean, the Dodgers major questions about their starting pitching at this point in time and the health of their pitching. You know, their lineups probably better than it’s been. The Astros, they’re the team that has all the experience Dodgers do as well, but they’ve certainly been through it and up and down this year and dealing with their own injuries. The Yankees, their lineup has gotten, gotten deeper than it was when we were talking about it just being judge and Soto but you know, still some questions about their bullpen, uh, Cleveland, questions about their starting rotation, and whether their bullpen, which has just been so massive for them, is going to hold up so, you know, just rattled off, just off the top of my head, without even doing any serious research about it, you know. Ha, some of the even, some of the favorites, even the most highly regarded teams, have some questions about them. So when I simply point that out about the Orioles, it’s not to say that they can’t do it. It’s just recognizing that, yeah, there there’s some, definitely some flaws about this team, and you know that. And that’s not even excluding just the reality of they haven’t hit the ball very well over the last two months. And yes, I think you’re right adding westburg and arias back into the mix, and we’ll see about Mount Castle, who had a nice hit coming off the bench on Tuesday night. And we’ll see about Heston kerstad. And I hope you’re right about Adley rutschman. I’ve been waiting for Adley rutschman to snap out of it since July 1, though, and it hasn’t happened beyond a couple games here or there, and then he’s back to not looking like Adley rutman again, three
Nestor Aparicio 28:20
hits on Tuesday, a walk and double on Wednesday, and great New York, we go or wherever, Cleveland, wherever we’re going
Luke Jones 28:28
to go. Great, great. But, you know, they’ve, they’ve, they’ve got to go out and do it so but, but I’m in agreement with you, when you have efflin and burns, burns and eh, best of three or a best of five, that plays pretty well. You know that that certainly plays well. So they should have a great chance once they get beyond if they get beyond that point, then, yeah, it becomes a little more dicey, because Kramer and and Suarez, if they’re both starting games, then you don’t have one of them in the bullpen to help bridge that gap, and then you’re relying on Keegan Aiken, or probably not Bert Smith, because, you know he’s on the IL but you know someone like Bowman, you know. So it’s, we’ll see. We’ll see. I mean, I ultimately, and this goes back to your point about Adley rutschman and mentioning gunner Henderson. You need your stars to play like stars, you know. And hope that you get a Rick Dempsey type, you know, whether it’s remote areas or who knows? I mean, Emmanuel Rivera might come off the bench and get get you a big hit, because we’ve seen him do that a couple times for them. That’s been one of the silver linings of the last month, has been what he’s done for them. So you never really know. But they’re in they still have a little bit of work to do here to secure the top wild card spot, but they’re in great shape in that regard, four up with five to play. Get that secured, get that locked down. Get guys some rest if they need rest, get guys at bats if they need at bats, set up your pitching the best way you possibly can, knowing that you still have to cover innings on. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, even if you had that top wild card spot locked down, but it’s go time. And yeah, they’re not going to have that rest. But I’m in full agreement with you. And if you recall, I’ve been saying this at different points over the last couple months, whether it was going to be this October or even just in the future, if, if they turn back into a pumpkin, right? And they don’t make a deep October run. I do think the second half of this season is going to serve them well at some point down the line again, whether it’s in October or whether it’s next year or the year after that, teams go through adversity. We’ve talked about it. So the 2011 and 12 ravens were such a great example of that, that 2011 team was clearly better than the 2012 team, but which team won the Super Bowl the latter? And I can’t help but think a lot of it had to do with what they went through the year before, and experiencing fail failure, and dealing with failure and getting up off the mat, and when you’re in that position again, remembering that and not wanting to be in that position again. You know your hope the Ravens of today are gonna are dealing with that right, and hoping that they get back to that stage that they were on last January and learn from that experience. You know players and coaches. You know that that applies to everyone. So we’re gonna see, I mean, it’s but at the same time, and this is why, again, I had no problem seeing them celebrate. It’s a long season. It’s really difficult to do this, baby. It’s not as difficult as it was 40 years ago, let alone 60 years ago, but they deserved a chance to celebrate. And hey, the Orioles have been to the playoffs back to back seasons one other time in my lifetime. So they deserve to celebrate, and fans deserve to be happy about this. You know, there’s no need to have a frown on your face because of how the second half went, because to come Tuesday afternoon, and I’m guessing it’ll be a Tuesday afternoon game if it’s Baltimore and Kansas City or Baltimore and Detroit, because that’s not a big market attractive kind of match up. But who knows. We’ll see. But at that point you’re zero and zero. I mean, it really as cliche as that sound, it’s true. So get yourself the top wildcard, get that secured, and then use the rest of this week to do what you need to do to get yourself ready for Tuesday. And yeah, I’m in even if I’m not envisioning them winning the World Series, I think they certainly are in a position with their top two starting pitchers to have a great chance to at least advance to the Division Series and then see what happens after that. But to your point, you’ve said it over and over, and I agree. It starts with game one next Tuesday. All right,
Nestor Aparicio 32:46
so matchups for timing, you know, Houston’s going to play Kansas City or Detroit. We’re going to play Kansas City Detroit. Phillies are going to get a buy, and I guess the Dodgers are going to get a buy, although the padres, my cousin was wearing her she had an L, F, G, S, D thing going on. She was at the game because my cousin’s a Padre fan, so she showed up at the top of my timeline, I guess because we’re related, so I you know my padres, I guess I have to bust out my Tony Gwynn gear as well. So the Padres would be one of the teams, and I guess the Mets and the Braves would be the other teams, and the Brewers would be a team. So you have San Diego, I guess the Cubs and the Mets would trump everything, right? They’re going to play in prime time, right? Like, I guess, right, not the Cubs, excuse me, the Mets. Yeah, I would think so. Mets, Padres and Braves are, I mean, the Mets and they’re huge teams, so that, yeah, they’re prime time games, right?
Luke Jones 33:43
Yeah, that’s why I was saying. I would expect the Orioles probably going to be playing in the afternoon. But hey, just so you’re playing, right? I mean, they could play at 10am if it needed to be, if you’re, if that’s what it takes to be in the place,
Nestor Aparicio 33:58
just trying to give people Wednesday, that’s all you know?
Luke Jones 34:03
I mean, I think, I, I think the, the general rule of thumb, Baltimore did not a big TV market. We all know that it’s nothing new, so prepare for day games. I mean, that that would be my, you know, especially if you’ve got a, a pretty flexible employer in terms of personal leave put in for it now, because that’s probably when it’s going
Nestor Aparicio 34:23
to be the game on Wednesday. How about that? Because next week, you know? Because if they play an afternoon game on Tuesday, go play an afternoon game on Wednesday, I guess, right?
Luke Jones 34:34
Yeah. I mean, I would think so. Then, then it becomes Thursday. If it goes to a game three, how many game threes are there? Then, then it might be at nighttime. Then,
Nestor Aparicio 34:43
can I bring the chainsaw and cut you in half, and then have half of you go to Camden Yards, and half of you go to only, no, can we not do that?
Luke Jones 34:52
I’ll be at Camden Yards.
Nestor Aparicio 34:53
I know you will. Yeah, I know I see. I see Sports Director here at wnst, Luke Jones. Is, is can be found at Baltimore. Of Baltimore, positive as well as Baltimore. Luke, everywhere things travel. He and I really do like each other in the real world. Even though we’re gonna fight about baseball the next couple of weeks, we have plenty of opportunity to talk about football this week as well. Anything you want to say about the bills at all, just how they’re playing, right? I mean, this is, this is something. I mean, we’re gonna talk baseball all week, but Sunday night, huge game, Monday hangover celebration, tailgate, free game. We’re into it next I mean, literally next couple days is build up and what’s going to happen in downtown Baltimore, at that complex that we all paid for? Um, it’s, it’s going to be an exciting week next week. And I think the bills game. I don’t want to say I don’t want to play the bill I mean, we would want to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night, but there is something about there’s going to be a lot of juice in this town this week for sports. The way, it’s going to be as much fun as we thought it was going to be, at least for a little while if they
Luke Jones 35:55
win. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the bills are coming off of a really impressive win, and in turn, Jacksonville, awful, just awful. But the bills look fantastic. Josh Allen through three weeks, for what that’s worth, which is nothing is the MVP of the league. I mean, he’s been that terrific through three weeks. So great test for both teams. I think if you’re the ravens, obviously one and two, you don’t want to fall to one and three, but bills are playing really good football right now, so this is going to be a heck of a match up, and certainly a game that you could in the same way we talked about it with Kansas City in week one, and another game that you could see having a rematch come January, at some point in time, I think for my money, two of the best three quarterbacks in Football facing off on Sunday night, you know, with Allen against Lamar Jackson and this ravens defense. Hey, you better be ready. I mean, Josh Allen was carving up Jacksonville, which, again, I Jaguars have stunk, but it’s going to be a great game. And, you know, lots of juice, probably a good, number of buffalo fans making the trip, I’m guessing, because they travel in the same way that Ravens fans
Nestor Aparicio 37:05
right now. Hang on a second, just based on Seat Geek, how they’re doing and coming down here, because, like, yeah, they travel. And this is big. And if you weren’t planning on coming this week, and tickets are 150 bucks, you can get in the car and come down make a big this is an opportunity for Bills fans to come down. It really is. And I know the locals don’t love Sunday night games here, either. You know what I mean? Like, there’s a part of the older crowd. And this in Baltimore, and it’s, you know, I went to Highland town the other night. I’m a tough guy. On Tuesday night, I ran into, you know, Sam cavares from Jacksonville. I ran into one of his neighbor’s kids at the bar in Highland town, guys from Jacksonville. He’s Jaguar fan. He’s a Mets fan. I’m BSN with him. And I sent Sam a note. And the thing that Sam sends me back being a good Woodlawn kid is, you’re in Highland town. Be careful. And I’m like, been going to Highland town for 50 years. I mean, it’s fine. All things are good, all things are safe. So I don’t think that Bill said tickets are 125 bucks. Bills fans will be buying them at that price more quicker than Raven fans will.
Luke Jones 38:12
I’m guessing Bills fans have probably already bought tickets. There’s
Nestor Aparicio 38:15
a lot of seats available, according to my Seat Geek, see, those are all tickets. And I would think that 75% of them will wind up in the hands of Bills fans at this point, because the Ravens fans one of them, they’d already have them, but I would say their tickets available all over my timeline. If you want to go down and wear the purple and support John Harbaugh and the troops, what are you doing? Football? I have Steve Tasker coming on. I have Vic Carucci coming off from Buffalo this week. We have John Sarbanes here from last week, as well as lots and lots of oyster conversations. I use this week to plant some really cool conversations. I was a podcast guest on He’s holy I’m not really long form conversation about our history and the things we do here and the things we aspire to be at Baltimore. Positive. Also great chat about the 40th anniversary of the folding of my first newspaper, the news, American and sports first. Any of you young, old timers will remember that had a fun conversation about that. So lots of stuff out on the website. Friday we’re going to be a Costas. Thursday night, we’re going to be at the bno Railroad Museum. I’m very appreciative of the Orioles for clinching all of this stuff so that I don’t have to be married to that I can concentrate on oyster farmers on Thursday night. All are brought to you by friends at the Maryland lottery as well as Liberty pure solutions, one 800 clean water. They keep my well water clean. They can keep your well water clean as well. Also great plumbers at Liberty, pure solutions dug in the crew there. One 800 clean water, Jiffy Lube, multi care powers Luke up back and forth to the ballpark and the Camden Yards. You can do them both. Even though I have made jokes about chainsawing him in half, we will just allow him to go to baseball, and I’ll wave at Chad Steele and watch the press conference online and wonder what would it be like to ask John Harbaugh questions. He’s Luke I’m Nestor. We are wnst. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, we never stop talking playoffs and Baltimore. Posit. Stay with us. Bye.
