Cincinnati Reds ONE WIN From MLB Postseason! Reds End 13 Series Losing Streak To Brewers, Highlights

Cincinnati Reds ONE WIN From MLB Postseason! Reds End 13 Series Losing Streak To Brewers, Highlights

All right, Nick. There’s uh going to be some debate already on the decision that was made here in the ninth inning. Pagan coming in for the fourth straight day. Well, not the is it the fourth straight day? I I know he’s fourth straight. Fourth straight day through 26. uh and then threw 15 the last two days and then obviously whatever he throws tonight will be added to that total which would make him ultimately unavailable. Nick I would assume tomorrow which makes me think one thing. It makes me think that they plan on doing something maybe even outside of the normal tomorrow with some starters. Uh now that’s also to be debated. We’ll see. Let’s just hope uh we win this baseball game. We’ll talk about obviously on the show what what we can talk about for tomorrow. We don’t want to get too far down the beaten path here because we got to get three outs. Yeah. And Sal Frick pinch hitting pretty dangerous uh on base guy to to lead off the inning. You know what we say, Nick? There’s one thing that we can’t do here. Can’t walk him. Can’t walk guys. If if if they’re going to get four, five, six hits in the inning, whatever. You know, it’s part of the game, I guess, which I don’t want it to happen, but I’d rather that happen than watch my man walk a bunch of guys. I also know that I’m like way behind you, and that’s perfectly fine. Oh, yeah. Um Don’t don’t don’t worry about it. Seriously, I’m so far behind that quite literally that it we’re going to be talking about tomorrow’s show by the time I get to the end of this thing. I don’t know why I’m this far behind, but I am. I just saw a 2-1 count, too, Freick. I’m just I’m way I’m way behind and it’s okay. I’m actually watching on MLB TV. I’m one of the probably rare people that’s watching on MLB TV. I am watching on the national broadcast through a cable provider to go unnamed for free ad purposes, but I’m assuming maybe that’s part of the reason I’m significantly delayed. Craig, add that to the back half. Add uh add Fox drama to the back half of the run because I want to talk about that because they screwed this up massively tonight. Yeah, it’s kind of wild that there’s some people in Columbus right now that are not That’s nuts. Major League Baseball should be ashamed of themselves for that. Do you want me to spoil Do you want me to spoil it for you? I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do here. No, you can get excited, Nick. Do whatever you want. I I He struck him out. That’s great. I mean, that’s fine. I don’t know what to do. I’m only I I’m only watching just because if something crazy happens, I need to be able to see it. Not Not because I need to be in on the drama. You got two outs. That’s two. Six Six He might be available tomorrow. Fantastic, dude. He’s throwing He’s thrown 15 pitches, nine pitches, and whatever this is. I hopefully this is like another nine pitch uh situation. Come on, baby. Come on. Super chat galore already from Ralph says, “I love Chatterbox Sports.” Ralph, we love you, buddy. I I I I I uh I’m going off of your lead, Nick. I kind of love this. I was watching your Facebook reaction. One count 01 count to Jackson Cheerio. Cheerio one for four hit a solo home run earlier this evening. I can’t do the whole Craig play. This guy No, I I love it. This guy’s listened to radio broadcast before. That’s what I know. You if you’ve listened to a lot of radio broadcast, you can start to kind of emulate it relatively well. Um I uh I I made a massive screw-up tonight. So, I I assumed on MLB TV I couldn’t select the radio broadcast because I thought they were only going to let me do Fox. And I listened to the first five innings of AJ Presinski. And I could have been listening to a threeman radio booth tonight. That’s really been fantastic. At least for the last couple innings that I’ve I’ve tuned in. Here’s the O2. We got a ball outside. All right. You want to know what I’m watching? The 01 foul ball. the the rundown the the intro to this this whole show might be over by the time the game over for me catch up. All right. Foul again. Foul again. Foul again. Well, hopefully, you know, hopefully if the Reds can survive uh survive this week, we’ll be I think on equal we’d be on equal playing ground next week. I I hope so. I don’t know after this after this debacle with my cable provider. I’m not totally sure. at least on the uh on the app of the FanDuel network. Uh no free app, but I gave him one. Looks like he got a hit. Foul ball. Foul ball. Okay, I can live with foul balls. He Well, he he he barely got a piece of it. I I thought it was going to be the uh the strike out. All right, fair enough. Barely stayed alive. All right, we’re at what? 10 pitches now. 11. This is the 12th. I want They’re stacking up fast. Oh, he took it. He took it. Let’s just throw strikes. That’s what we’re looking for. 97 from Pagan. Bro, you guys, this dude’s running on absolute He’s full tank. Oh, I like I like the face. Bam. Bam. Bam. I’m not going to watch the postseason like this, but I will tell you right now that tonight I enjoyed watching you, Nick. It was a Jon. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m sure I’ll find out before this is all uh this this whole what people would say the longest intro in sports is. Here it comes. Because the Cincinnati Reds control their own destiny heading in to the final day of the season. Here we go. The bench change in the air to deep right field goes to the ch. Get out of here baseball. It’s gone. Oh my god, can you believe it? Johnny Banks has tied it up. The Cincinnati Reds win the World Series in fourth rate. It was a sweet in the dirt with the Lans won the game. That ball is fair. Cincinnati’s ahead. Two games to welcome Joe to Cincinnati. Adam Dunn has done it again. Benzinger backing and calling and the 1990 World Championship belongs to the Cincinnati Reds. Marty, yes, this is Adam from Milwaukee. Hey, Adam, how you doing? I’m good. How are you? Good. Do you think John Henber’s a good player? Done up there with the base loaded the outfield deep and around toward right in the 10 on the way to the plate. Swung on. Long drive right field and this one to their and a high drive. Get back into deep right field. Junior has just knocked the door down for the 500 block. Vincent scores to the run is a wonderful winner. They’re both a family. And Daylight Cruz is Oh my goodness. Look at this kid run. My oh my. That is a triple. Main first big league bomb. Spencer Steer’s first big league hit is a home run to straightaway center field. Tony Botto’s done it again. The pitch. Botto swings high in the air right field. Yes. He pointed to the dugout to say I told you. That is Joey B’s 315th career. Go ahead, Revy. Only Johnny Bench had more as a Red. And I can’t tell you how much it means to play in front of everyone here in Cincinnati as a Red. What a gift. What a tremendous gift. So, thank you. Thank you. I think I can speak for all of Red’s country. Joey Botto, thank you. High five. Left center feet. Racing back to the line, the round of National League Central Division Champions in the Air Champion Yeah. Heat. [Music] Can you find the right field line [Music] for a three run home day by Raone Hernandez strike away and out away is Homer Bing round ball to third. Frasier gloves slow to first for the second time in his major league career. [Music] Oh, are you kidding me? [Music] And the Reds win. What a dream beginning to the career of J. Bruce. All right, Nick. There was one final day remaining and your Cincinnati Reds have made this yet another winning edition of Chatterbox Reds. And here we are. We find ourselves with what seemingly many times this year feels like the most unlikeliest scenario that we could have ever found ourselves in. But here we go. September 28th, win or take all. You win, you’re in. And obviously we uh we we we wouldn’t be upset if the Mets were to lose, Nick. But uh another another time where they’ve they’ve taken care of business, Nick. There’s really nothing else to say outside of that. Yeah, I mean, look, you can say whatever you want about the the Mets and how bad they played down the stretch, but the Reds have won nine out of their last 12 games. So, uh even if they they back their way in tomorrow, they they played pretty incredible baseball. Um especially after getting swept by the A’s, they responded and uh they’re still alive. Final game of the season, they control their own destiny. Um, and not only do they control their own destiny, but they they also have just put enormous pressure on the Mets tomorrow. Yeah, I I think that that might go a little maybe under the radar is the pressure that has mounted for the New York Mets. They know now really they they have they have a not a lose-lose situation, but it kind of feels like on in their end they need they need two things that had to have to happen. Like how would we feel tonight, right, as Reds fans if we were to not win this game today and then know going in tomorrow that you had not only did you need the Marlins to lose, you also had to obviously win as well yourself. Just not likely um more or less most days, but let’s let’s obviously not not tempt fate. Um so still job not finished. I think that’s a post that probably will be made later today uh in the evening here. But um it’s just I don’t want to say I called it because I didn’t call it, Nick, but I this is what I was praying and hoping for because at some point we had to we had to win a game like this. Seven runs, you find a way to outscore your opponent. Uh pitching was fine. And I’m not here to say that it, you know, there was a slugfest or anything, but it was just nice to see us finally get a crooked number on the board and make us feel a little bit like a breathable situation. Even though at this point, I don’t know if we could have a big enough lead to feel fully comfortable with what’s at stake. Uh I don’t know how you felt, but I was incredibly nervous the whole time. Yeah, I was I was pretty nervous, especi load. I mean, I know I think Ashcraft was facing literally the worst hitter in Major League Baseball this year, but even still, it just felt like the way the Brewers do it. Like, the guy’s going to hit a grand slam. Like, somehow it’s going to happen. But, shout to the Reds. 13 straight. They lost 13 straight series to these guys and then they win the one that matters the most. Uh, yesterday they were facing a guy that had won 19 consecutive starts. I mean, there’s just all these like just brutal history things that they’ve just tore down the last two days. Yeah. And I mean, they ultimately some are going to say, “Well, the Brewers aren’t trying. They’re already in the place.” The Brewers I mean, the Brewers have the roster they have. I mean, they’re not going to like for for the folks that just think that the Brewers are just rolling over for for, you know, the reason that they’re already in. I I just I I don’t buy that totally. Now, listen, I’m not going to sit here and suggest that the Brewers are treating this like it’s the the playoffs, but I’m also not going to sit here and act like this isn’t a sizable feat that they just went up to Milwaukee, took the first two games in a series where you felt like you kind of felt like you needed to have for sure, too, but most likely needed a sweep. We had said how many times before the Pirates and the Brewers series that they were going to have to go four and two most likely. You’d feel really good if they went 4-2. Well, here we find ourselves, Nick, where if you go 4 and two, you make the postseason and ultimately we’ll see if they can do that tomorrow. Uh we always do a box school recap obviously by yourself followed by the DSC deep drive of the day and I can’t wait for that one along with obviously some Omaha Stakes. So Nick, let you jump right into it with the box recap presented by yourself. And if you’re in here right now, please do me a favor, hit the like button and we will get to those super chats here in just a moment. Go ahead, Nick. All right, as the Reds took the field in Milwaukee, they knew they’d have to win to continue to control their own destiny as the Mets beat the Marlins 5 nothing. It was Andrew Abbott on the mound for the Reds against a bullpin game for the Brewers. A bullpin game that featured all-star pitcher Jacob Miserowski as the Brewers bulk reliever. The Reds had two runners on base in both the first and second innings, but failed to score. Uh meanwhile, Andrew Abbott did retire six of the first seven Brewers batters. In the top of the third, Noel Marte let off by reaching on an air. Then Miguel Andrew crushed a double at 109 off the bat. Then after Spencer Sears struck out, Sal Stewart singled home the game’s first run. Tyler Stevenson walked to load the bases with two outs and the Reds were able to chase the Brewers opener Robert Gastner. And in came in, Jacob Misarowski. Gabrian Hayes got on on an infield hit on an excuse me swing to make it two nothing. Matt Mlan walked to make it three nothing. Then TJ Fredel singled home two more runs. A third run scored on an air. 6 nothing Cincinnati. In the bottom of the third, the Brewers got two back off Abbott. The second was on a double that went off left fielder Spencer Steers glove. 62 Reds. Top of the six. South Stewart hit a solo home run to make it 72 Reds. Uh and then Andrew Abbott would come back out in the bottom of the six. He dig up a solo home run to Jackson Cheurio to make it 73. This is where the game got probably the most dicey. Connor Phillips came in, walked a batter, hit a batter. Graham Ashcraft came in, gave up a run, but did strand the bases loaded to hold a 74 Reds lead. Then Nick Martinez came in and threw two brilliant scoreless innings to get the Reds to the ninth and the Reds turn it over to Amelio Pagan pitching in a fourth straight day. Pagon 123 ninth inning. Cincinnati Reds win 74 over the Brewers. They end the Brewers 13 consecutive uh series win streak over the Reds. Reds improve to 83 and 78. And now going into the final day of the season, can clinch a playoff birth with either a win or a New York Mets loss. All right, the deep drive of the day, I can tell you right now, more than likely, is going to come off the bat of none other than Sal Stewart. I don’t know how many at bats he has off the top of my head, but I know it’s not a lot for his fifth home run of the year if he was on pace probably to double the home run lead for the Cincinnati Reds with the proper amount of at bats, but that’s here nor there. uh 102.3 off the bat. That would give the Reds a 7-2 lead, 95% chance win probability, as we all know, it would wind up being 100%. DSC is a leader in renewable commodities for bofuel production, specializing in used cooking, oil collection, aggregation, and sales. Visit www.deepsouthcommodities.com for more information. And thank you to John and his team at DSC. Uh, we also have the red hot sale event as always with Omaha Stakes. You can go to omahalstakes.com right now, get 50% off and also you can use the promo code chatterbox. That’s ch h a tt er b ox and get an extra $35 off. Once again, get an extra $35 off with the promo code chatterbox with the red hot sale event already at 50% off. All right. Uh, we have plenty to get to, Nick. On a night like tonight, there are um, you know, things I guess moving forward. It’s just a weird show to do because there’s just not a whole lot to change. I know that I’m in a spot where I’m ready to move on from some things, but I’m just I’m openly saying it’s the last game of the year. You’re not going to probably do anything out of the ordinary crazy to make it feel like anything’s desperate. I would love, Nick, I don’t know what inning the Reds would be in, but I would love nothing more than this thing to be already clenched up in like the second or third inning and not really even have to worry about trying to burn through bullpen guys or figure out a a matchup situation late in the game on what you want to do. I got to tell you, that would be nice if the Marlins could take care of business. But I don’t know. I mean, moving forward, I just got to say this. I need Sal Stewart to to get more opportunities and I and I need Andrew Hart to be in the lineup. And I get the rationale as to why you haven’t had them in the lineup to a certain extent, but tonight showcases what happens when you put guys in the lineup that are capable of of producing. And they were responsible, I think, at one time for like five of I think the the seven runs that were produced. I don’t totally know that off the top of my head, but it’s just it just takes so much pressure off of everything when you’re capable of getting some guys on base and producing a big hit. And they really had more opportunities, Nick, than I think that warranted more than seven runs. Now, ultimately, they I’ll take seven any day of the week. I’m not complaining, but I want to take it sound like I’m complaining with seven, but it’s like they’ve given themselves plenty of opportunities and they’ve not cashed in over the last week and tonight they finally did. Yeah. I mean, there was some some some big hits in this game. Miguel Andor just continues to. I mean, just I I so impressed with this guy. What an incredible pickup at the trade deadline. I just I don’t know how he does it. I really have no idea how he does it. Yeah, I mean at this point you have to ride him if he’s healthy. Uh he just he’s like the steadying presence in the lineup. It’s just kind of crazy. Like we just thought this guy was a nice little platoon bat that the Reds picked up that maybe would play in left field. And I mean yeah I agree. And South Stewart I mean he had been struggling. I think he had struck out in six of his 10 plate appearances before he hit the RBI single and then homer the next at at bat. Um, but yeah, I mean, he’s just he has so much more upside than than so many players that that that play often. And um, yeah, we’ll we’ll talk we’ll talk about that later. I don’t want to jump into like that kind of stuff and it’s slightly negative stuff right off the rip when we should be celebrating an incredible accomplishment that the Reds are still alive um, after being dead in the water uh, multiple times this year. I think the positive thing is what you just said. nine of their last 12. They given themselves a legitimate chance now. Um, and correct me if I’m wrong on the nine of last 12. I’m just trying to nine of the last and uh that is uh in Oliver’s lifetime. That that started the day that my my guy was born. There you go. So, shout out to shout out to Oliver. Shout out to Oliver. Well, what I was getting at was that, you know, the Mets have done what they’ve done. I I don’t think that anybody in their right mind could have ever assumed that the Mets were going to do what they did since the All-Star break, right? This is nearly almost impossible to look at that roster and think that they’re think to yourself that this is where you’re going to wind up. We had we had said countless times on this show that I think 86 wins was the bare minimum. I think at one time we put on the season that you had to get to the very very bare minimum and that’s if you’re lucky. Well, now you you look back at that and you’re obviously not totally accurate. But the truth is this, they did capitalize when they needed to to give themselves a legitimate chance. And you know, the the the credit for this team more or less has been they have they have answered the bell every time they’ve gotten knocked down or you think that they’ve been knocked out completely. And it started really back on the night where in a weird way the the Edwin Diaz cleat situation and the the whole nine yards of that whole entire ninth inning and then you think, all right, like that’s it. There’s just no way. That was so demoralizing that there’s no way you can bounce back from that. And then they take the next two which kind of gives you a little bit of a glimmer of hope and then all of a sudden you move forward and you find ourselves in a spot now where I don’t know. I mean you control your own destiny obviously tomorrow. So at this point uh it is what it is with the team as a whole and a collective. On a night like tonight though, I guess realistically speaking, you have an offensive output that I know that you know you’ve you’ve taken some jabs there. Even though Mlan has struggled mightily, he obviously got on base a significant amount tonight, but I really think four times. I know we’ll get it out of the way. I me and you were having a little fun banter before the before the show started about it. But nonetheless, hey, listen, I don’t really care how they do it as long as they find a way to do it and win. But the truth is is that I really really really would like to find ways to get more of these guys opportunities who I know have some pop. But um I don’t know. I kind of like would say that the the the biggest moment of the game was just the Brewers not being the Brewers. And I don’t mean a one collective situation, but the fact that they walk the nine-hole hitter, the fact that they make a couple errors, some costly errors, um it’s just not indicative of who they are. And we caught I I just want to say we caught a break and we took full advantage of it, which is what good teams do do. I don’t want to make it sound like they handed us the game. I just want to make it sound clear that they did give us opportunities and we completely were ready to answer the bell. Crazy thing is how many games in a row have the Reds outplayed the Brewers? Because that that series they lost to a three. They outplayed them all three games. I mean, it is crazy to think that. Um, and again, I’m not going I’m not saying the Reds are better than the Brewers or anything like that, but I’m just saying they they’ve played five consecutive games and I don’t know, maybe they won the last game of a series before that. I don’t even know, but they’ve legitimately outplayed this team. Um, which is which is crazy. Uh, and I don’t really know what the Brewers kind of motivation is this weekend. I’m I’m sure it’s a lot harder to um you know be fully invested this weekend, but uh Quinn Pester felt like he was fully invested. I’m sure Freddy Peralta uh who’s going to be trying to get a tuneup start for for his posting start is be, you know, pretty fully invested. Um and and they faced some tough relievers, too. So, uh and and the Brewers weren’t necess like Yelich just played both games like they didn’t catch some massive break. They weren’t playing the Colorado Rockies the last weekend of the year like the San Francisco Giants were. But you know what the San Francisco Giants did? They didn’t get here. They didn’t get here and give themselves a chance in the final weekend. Exactly. No, I I I 100% agree. There’s There’s It’s not like one thing happened specifically that gave all of these collective things that have happened a 100% chance. Like it’s just they have they they they’ve chipped away at this opportunity and they found ways to win in unique situations and like the pitching has been unbelievable. the bullpen yet again kind of comes through. I know it got dicey there. We’ll talk about that here in just a second. But the the the I I don’t know, man. I mean, I I really at this point, I get the sentiment that that that many Reds fans feel about this team. Like, it might not be the best team that’s ever made the postseason. I’m not going to sit here and debate that or argue it. I I I get the I get the idea, but like I guess my thing is like, who cares? Really? Who cares? Just give yourself a chance. Like, and and you know what? I do feel like, and maybe this is a losers mentality, but like I do feel like if they’re able to capitalize tomorrow and find themselves a chance to get into uh the Dodgers series, it’s like it is house money, man. It is it’s completely house money. You you you are you have no business as an organization probably sharing the same opportunity as the Los Angeles Dodgers based off of the things that have happened collectively within the two organizations. But that’s what you have, so who cares? You’re there. And I’m not gonna I’m not gonna apologize for it. I know some people are like, “Well, this is the worst Reds team that’s ever made the postseason possibly.” Like, okay, that’s fine. You win. You I lose. I don’t care. I still get to watch my favorite team play in the postseason. And you know what? For me, that’s a win. Um, so I’m not going to apologize for the way that all this whole thing has happened. And lastly, to your point, we’ve not caught a break. This whole idea that that oh my gosh, the Brewers are, you know, they’re pitching their guys. Yes, I understand that it’s not game seven of the World Series for them, but there’s no 40man rosters now. They’re playing their guys and they have a week to rest. They have a full week to rest. You know, the biggest break that I think that the Reds actually did get in a way that they didn’t take advantage of was the fact that Paul Ske could have probably thrown nine innings the other day and completely shut the Reds out and instead the Pirates who have nothing to play for decided they didn’t want to they didn’t want their, you know, their superstar to go out there and throw them throw more than whatever it was six innings. That was a break. But the Brewers series, I’m not going to sit here and apologize for the situation that we’re that we’re under or that we’re in. I don’t think that the Brewers are taking it easy on us or anything of that nature. They didn’t play clean baseball. But you know what, Nick, I’m going to say something that Milwaukee fans probably don’t want to hear. Did you think or did we collectively think that this team was going to be able to play 130 plus wins regular season type baseball all year long? Like I mean there I’m not saying that they’re they’re a bad team or anything like that. I don’t want I don’t want it to come off that way. But like the idea that it was unfathomable that the the Cincinnati Reds could go into Milwaukee and win a series is one ludicrous. And I would even add into that sweeping them might have sounded ludicrous to us Reds fans because we know the history of it. But this Reds team is a good enough team to beat anybody in a three-game fivegame set. Now a sevename set I’m not going to go that far, Nick. But I think on a shorter set with our pitching with the chance of getting a couple guys hot, I I’m not saying that we’re World Series favorites. I don’t want to come off that way. We still got to win tomorrow to be clear. But we’re not we’re not some philanthropy team, you know? I I I’m I’m just tired of that notion. Yeah. And I’ve heard for the last two years about how the Reds screwed up the 2023 trade deadline uh because the Arizona Diamondbacks went to the World Series winning 84 games. Well, the Reds are playing tomorrow for their 84th win. So, and you know what? They acquired three players at the trade deadline that helped them get here. So, they say it was Cardinal won a World Series winning 83 games. Like, it is what it is. You know what? This franchise got screwed in 2020. You want to talk about something that they put all their chips in for once and they got a 60game season. They didn’t get a chance to. They built an incredible rotation that would have been built for 162 games. cuz they didn’t get a chance for that to play out and then they ended up playing in a three-game series and it obviously went poorly. Um, you know what? Look, we’re due for one. Um, so yeah, I I again and and I’ll say this right now so it’s out of the way. If the Reds lose tomorrow and the Marlins win and the Reds make the playoffs, get out of here. Don’t hit me with this whole, oh, they’re so lucky. No, they they’ve won nine out of 12. That’s stupid. Get out of here with that. And I’ll tell you what’s l what’s not lucky is that they they hold the tiebreaker for a reason. The Mets had a chance to beat us. We had a chance to beat the Mets. And guess who won more games? The Reds beat the the Mets more times than the Mets beat the Reds. That’s simple math. And I’m just I don’t know how many fans are like that right now. And I I I really don’t really want to get into the weeds of all that because I don’t think many people even care. It is what it is. Let’s move on. The Reds are got a chance to to win tomorrow for the whole entire thing to get themselves in the postseason. And you know what, Nick? I didn’t know how long it was going to take maybe to to get to these guys, but God bless. I am staring at him and I’ve been staring at him all night and I was watching the Mets. Uh I was watching the Mets intently hoping that we could that we could do this thing. Um but you know what, as we got a lot of people in here, I do want to remind everybody that tomorrow, just as we can kind of get this out of the way really quickly, tomorrow the plan is to watch the game in its entirety together. Um because it will mean everything. Now, obviously, if the Mets uh were to find themselves in a spot where they lose in the third or fourth inning, I’m I am going to reserve the right possibly to to take a short break with Nick and come back and do the postgame show at the regular time if if if we are in the postseason. Okay, that’s that’s a big if. So, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But, let’s talk about Andrew Abbott. Um, well, what do you say? Are you saying are you saying if if things go well, we’re going to end the stream? Yes. Yes. if they go. No, I’ll just sit there and smile for for two hours. That’s fair. That That’s fair. No. Well, I’m saying personally myself, if you want to sit there and smile for I’ll sit here and smile. I’m not saying that I want to leave. I’m saying that I’m reserving the right to be able to go and maybe get a snack, uh, some things like that. I’m not going to intently watch the Mets with everybody. With all due respect, uh, and then and then and then watch them lose. Smoke some cigars. Maybe I’ll let the couple innings go by. I You know what? I’ll It’s a kid show, so I’m gonna I’ll watch the whole game. You know what? To make this clean, I’ll just watch the whole game. I’ll be here tomorrow. Okay. Um, let’s talk about Andrew Abbott really quickly. You on paper when you look at the the matchup itself, you’ve seen him going up against an opener and immediately, Nick, you probably think, “Hey, we got the advantage.” But I just want to say one thing about Andrew Abbott really quickly because if he would have come out today and struggled uh and didn’t pitch all that well and everybody’s like, “Oh my gosh, there goes Andrew Abbott again. it’s late in the season and he’s not producing and or is he hurt? You know, we can’t trust this guy, etc., etc. And thankfully, how many times have we said for years, Nick, that we really need to get these starting pitchers in a position where they can pitch into this, not in not just into late into the season, but into the postseason. And uh Andrew Abbott’s starting to look that way. Now, to be fair to you, there’s a chance that maybe there’s a bullpen type of situation and usage with him. We’ll get into that maybe later in the back end of the show, but nonetheless, he gave them a chance to win. Yeah, Adrien Abbott’s pitched four really pretty good games in a row and and I’ll I’ll maybe get I’ll give him a pass on I think two of the runs today because the one Steer should have made the catch if if Will Benson or any left fielders out there, they make that catch. And the second one, he was only still out in the sixth inning because the Reds had a big lead. He w there was not that I guarantee the calculation going into this game was if the Reds were at a tie game or up one run, they would not have had him face I think hitters the third time through. So I think he was only out there because I don’t think he faces Cheerio again for sure right-handed batter. Um, so yeah, I mean, but yeah, I think you know, eight eight innings of one-run ball against the Padres’s, four and two/3run ball against the Cardinals, four and two/3 zero run ball against the Cubs, and then tonight another another quality start. I mean, yeah, he’s pitched very well on the stretch. And if you do advance, like he it’s either him or Latell has to pitch game three, so he probably actually still does get another hopefully gets another start. Let’s Yeah, I mean, listen, we feel really really good right now. The way that this team has been playing as of late, I’d like for us just to go do the damn thing tomorrow on our own. But the truth is is that we have more more than one way to get in, which I think gives us almost gives us maybe I don’t want to say a false sense of security right now. But I’m and I’m hopeful, listen, I’m very hopeful that if if if if anything that that Tito has done all year long and he’s gotten he’s gotten ridiculed on this show, he’s gotten ridiculed in the public for the way that he’s managed certain situations and the lineup cards that he puts out and is maybe his lack of of intel when it comes to analytics in certain spots of the game and all these things that he’s done. The one thing that I that I think we all collectively have to do whether you are on the Tito bandwagon or you think that he’s well past his prime and he’s not a good manager anymore and he should get fired as soon as the as soon as the Reds end the regular season even if they make the postseason because I think there’s some people that feel that way which is obviously ridiculous. He has always done a very good job of managing people. I think he’s done a very good job of being able to keep this team uh focused on the task at hand which is the next day mentality. And I think I’m going to lean on that, Nick, in the sense that I think that the main message probably coming from Tito and the rest of the clubhouse is this. We’re going to go in tomorrow. I you we are not going to sit here and watch the scoreboard that is the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins. Yeah, we’ll let you know what the final is, but our main focus is to go out and take care of business. We’re not going to hopefully get into the postseason. And I think that that’s probably um the I don’t think I know that’s probably the mentality that they’re going to go out there with. And I give him all the credit in the world because the one thing that this team has done that no other team that I’ve watched personally done is literally get off the mat. Every single time it feels like they’ve been sucker punched and you got to give them credit for that. And Tito deserves credit for that. I’m also going to say in the same breath that I don’t think it’s s I don’t think it’s fair to give Tito all the credit either. I mean, listen, at some point we’ve got to give credit to the pitching staff and also thank the God for the for the New York Mets of having the worst record in the National League since the All-Star break to get us in the spot. Both things can be true and I think that’s where we should probably always stand somewhere in the middle here. But Nick, um it’ll be interesting to see how they manage uh I guess more or less tomorrow. But more importantly, the bullpen tonight biggest spot. I I just want to say this, Connor Phillips, I hope he doesn’t lose his confidence because I think he got screwed. I don’t I’m not the one that usually comes on the show and says the umpires are the deal, but I think you have a young kid who’s feeling himself, throws some quality pitches, doesn’t get the benefit of the call, and then all of a sudden I think it got to his head a little bit and he started to try to he started trying to like maybe be too fine detailed instead of just throwing it again. And ultimately, it led to a little bit of a shaky start or a shady shaky outing, I should say. But thank the Lord that Graham Ashcraft, who’s been called other names this year by a lot of people, even despite the idea that I think he’s thrown the ball really well and he’s had some bad luck, he got out of a major major jam, Nick. And I think that that was the, as you said earlier, the play of the game. Yeah, Graham Masscraft expected stats. I I didn’t realize he was he’s should have been as good as he is. I was looking that up the other day. I Yeah, when when they brought in Connor Phillips, I was like, are we really going to Connor Phillips with a big lead? like Phillips’s one flaw has been that he walks guys and it it was like you have a big lead this I I kind of want to use Phillips a little bit more in uh you know situations where it’s maybe a little more I don’t want to say always dire but it just like a four-run lead just doesn’t feel like the spot where I’m going to pitch a guy that that his biggest flaw is walking and getting a team back into a game. So yeah, I didn’t really love that move to be honest. It all ultimately worked out really thanks to Graham Ashcraft. I mean, if Graham Ashcraft gives up a base hit to to Ortiz there, it’s a whole different game. We’re doing a we might be doing a whole different show right now. 100%. And I mean, that’s just one of those things that gets glossed over in the middle of a game that people probably that that aren’t watching it intently just miss. I mean, like, I get that Ashcraft wasn’t facing a great hitter when he got the final out. I don’t care what he was facing. He had to throw the ball over the plate. I mean, that was the biggest kind of misnomer that I was worried about the whole entire back half of this game was that if you just if you can just pitch the ball over the plate and make the Brewers put the ball in play, good things are more likely going to happen. And unfortunately there for a minute, it kind of got away from Phillips. And uh Ashgraph was one swing away from from making this whole thing completely different. And fortunately for him, he got the outs. I think far too many times this year he’s gotten undue criticism because he’s given up flare hits and broken bat singles. And I’d also say, you know what, some of that came back and and and helped us out tonight. I’m not going to sit here and act like we didn’t get some very, very fortunate base hits that allowed us to to find ourselves in the predicament we’re in. We got a ball bouncing off second base yesterday. We got some swinging bunts today. We got some ground balls that singing eye singles. At the end of the day, Nick, it kind of feels like, and I don’t want to jinx it, but you start to feel like as a Reds fan, if you think that everything goes against you, you can’t feel that way this this past week for the most part. We’ve had some very fortunate breaks go our way, and we’ll see if we can capitalize obviously tomorrow. But, um, Pagan, I guess final thing to to to mention is he goes out there for the fourth straight day. We were discussing it privately before the show started, like what do you do? Does Martinez try to go out there and get all nine outs? Santion was up in the bullpen, which I thought, okay, if he’s up in the bullpen, he’s going to come in in the ninth. I don’t know why we got him up thinking I I just It is what it is. The Reds won, but I was just confused on what the plan was there at the end of the game. Yeah, Ailio Pagan is definitely feeling his best self right now. Uh because he’s not looked great when he’s had to go three straight days in a row, but he was pumping in some gas tonight. Um shout out to Amelia Pagan. Uh he’s every time it’s felt like all right here here it is Emilio Emilio Pagan might be the best example of the 2025 Cincinnati Reds because there’s been times where he blows a save and you’re like all right yeah he he’s not he’s not this good he’s not this good he’s going to have and the next time out he writes the ship and he goes on a nice stretch again he’s these are your Cincinnati Reds but how about Nick Martinez last 12 and a3 innings, one run allowed. He is a weapon in the bullpen. He is a much better pitcher inning for inning as a reliever than as a starter. Um, and it’ll be interesting to see how he would be used in a situation going forward. Um, because he can be a weapon that a lot of teams don’t have. Yeah. I don’t know if you’re considering him maybe to be um an an opener in a situation where maybe you’re short staffed or you’re you’re I don’t know, but ultimately at the end of the day, Nick Martinez got to paid a handsome amount of money for this franchise. And to be fair to you and to everybody that has defended that decision at times, these are the types of spots that we got to rely on Nick Martinez to do some things that this team probably didn’t fully expect him to maybe be in somewhere at point during this year because he was obviously kind of the fifth starter for this rotation. He gets moved when the tel comes in and now he’s obviously produced. So, we’ll see ultimately what his role is moving forward. And the million-dollar question is is what does Amaro look like? because you have to balance, I guess, now this notion that the Reds have all hands on deck that we’ll get into in just a second, but I don’t know if Martinez and and those guys, if they feel good enough, do you go to your traditional relievers or do you go with guys that you think actually have better stuff? I don’t know. It’s going to be an interesting move that Dito is going to have to manage tomorrow if the Mets were to find a way to win and you had a winner or take all situation to get in the postseason. But anything left from this game, I guess, before we move forward? Uh, no. Oh, I think we’re ready to to do some super chats and talk strategy for tomorrow. Let’s do it. All right. Uh, as always, just a reminder, you can text and or call 988. It is anonymous hotline 247. It’s okay to not be okay. You can also visit manap.org to get help. Again, that is mantherapy.org to get help. Some are saying that a guy named Frank in New York might need some man therapy here soon. Hopefully we can provide that for Frank if that becomes a thing. I’m very hopeful to to get that reaction if the Reds get on it. I don’t know. That guy’s incoherent. I can’t really make out what he says half the time and I would probably just sit there and laugh the whole entire time. But nonetheless, I just DM a link to our live stream tomorrow. Yeah, that would be actually a good idea. Um, but as a reminder, you can text or call 988 day or night anytime. It is okay to not be okay. Um, all right. We got super chats and we got them coming in in the dozens. Okay, let’s get to them. We’ll get to them right now. But before we do that, please, if you are new to the channel and or you maybe you’re just coming back because the Reds are finding a way to get us excited again. Do me a favor. Actually, I always say hit the like button. If you don’t mind, we uh I think we’re at 19,000 subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber to the channel, please hit the subscribe button. That would be fantastic. We’d love to get to 20,000. Maybe we’ll get to 20,000 before the uh the end of this magical postseason ride the Reds might take us on. I don’t want to jinx it. So that’s why I’m saying might and I’m knocking on wood for those that are very superstitious. But let’s jump into it. Future Talent says, “I bet I’m farther behind Trace.” I think he’s talking about the fact that I was watching about two outs behind you guys when we were doing the live stream. Rough with the I love Chatterbox Sports with a 50 bomb as always. Rough coming in hot. Future talent once again says no love for Toledo. Laugh out loud. Columbus. He’s talking about something that we will get to in just a second, which is the crazy news about Fox having blackouts in certain cities that perhaps had plenty of Reds fans scrambling. I know we had a couple people that we know that were scrambling around and it’s just wild to think of that with two games left in the season, they had to go do that. Uh Nick says, “Two outs on YouTube and I haven’t even s I haven’t even since the first out.” Laugh out loud. Future talent. Not totally sure. Trying to make that out. Maybe my brain had seen the first out. He hadn’t seen the first out yet. Got it. Yeah. So, so we were all behind. Sounds good, Peter. They they were just on they were basically at the game. They had a live feed into the game and we were out here watching on the the old stringing can as they used to have back in the day. Justin Edgel says, “I’m experiencing an extreme blood rush.” Yeah, this is this is well, this is the thing is we asked for this. You got to remember you got to remind yourself when Graham Ashcraft’s trying to get an out with two outs with the bases loaded. You got to remind yourself sometimes you’re like, you know what? This is what I wish for. This is what I want. This is fun. You got to tell yourself, “This is fun.” Even though it probably doesn’t feel like it at the time. Flat Rock 79 says, “Yes.” I think he’s just talking about the game in general. So, shout out to Flat Rock. Um, we are now at a point where we are going to run into RD711 says, “Win and that is the case.” Noah Downing says, “I think we might end the curse this year. Too much craziness for it not to be fate. Now, you need to knock on wood right now, Noah. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Job’s not finished, but it does feel when that ball bounced off of second base the other night and skipped into left field, I thought, you know what? We might be on to something. We might be on to something. When my guy Noah saw Matt Mlan reach base for the fourth time there, that’s when he started to really believe. I tell you what, that might be that might be a bigger that might be a bigger sign of things to come. I don’t know what’s what’s the higher probability getting on base four times for Matt Mlan or the ball randomly bouncing off second and kicking into left field and going first to third. I don’t know. That’s a tough debate. That’s one we should probably have maybe. I’m kidding. Of course, having a little bit of fun here. Vandy 81 says one more to go. One more to go. Vandy 81 says that and we move on to Roth again with a 50 bomb. This guy is just loading up the super chats. He said at ottr shirt is off. Flex is on. Let’s go, baby. All stops are pulled tomorrow. Bat green third. Bat bat green third. I’m trying. I’m trying to do so many things at once right now. It’s ridiculous. Bat green third. I don’t give a damn. Let’s go to Los Angeles. Come on. I got a situation I got to get to here, too, before we get through the rest of these super chats. For those that don’t know, that don’t watch a show a ton, I am a Georgia fan. I also I got a there’s a football game that’s over in my righthand corner. I am doing my best to be a professional, but if I baseball season, it’s baseball season. If it feels like maybe I might be on drugs, there’s a there’s a really strong urge to look over and see what the hell’s going on at times. But I move on because I’m trying to be the pro that I am. And it is baseball season, Nick. I’m not taking that away. It is baseball season. And I am very thankful that the Reds are getting me excited on September 27th and moving on to September 28th. But I just got to be honest. Okay. All right. Uh All right. Moving on here. Next super chat. Ned Flanders says, “Did any team have a better trade deadline than the Cincinnati Reds? I’m starting to think no.” Jonathan Y1 with a 30 bomb said it’s almost fitting to come down to tomorrow. Kick the door open. I don’t know if it’s fitting or not, but boy oh boy, it’s been one ridiculous roller coaster of a season. Incredible season from Harrow. He says, “Incredible season for Abbott. I hope I’m saying the same thing about Singer tomorrow.” Go Bearcats from Harrow. Michael Roth says, “Uh, you uh live the whole show tomorrow. Postgame show still at 900 PM since it’s a Sunday. Banana phone calls on the show. Share the details for tomorrow, Jens.” No, we are going to go live tomorrow during the game. We will do the obviously the show, you know, directly after the game like we always have done for the vast majority of the regular season. Sunday, I know is traditionally a Sunday night, nine o’clock thing, but obviously we have a special situation. Nick is also going to probably share details on whether or not we do the banana phone or whatever else he wants to share. Now, I don’t know do a banana phone. I maybe if it goes really south and we’re we’re just near mope, maybe we’ll open it up. Uh if you’re not able to watch the the live watch along, what we’ll do is we’ll do the same thing that Chatterbox Bengals does is uh we’ll uh record just the postgame show and I’ll upload that as a second video. So that that way you’re not trying to find where in a 5 hour stream is just the normal postgame show talking about the game. So uh we you’ll see a graphic that just probably looks like a Reds and a Brewers logo. That’s going to be our full game live stream. And then when you see the traditional thumbnail that has the score on it, that’s just the postgame show if you’re watching after the fact. Fair enough. All right. Uh more supers on the way. Mike Dean says Phillips got squeezed early then panicked a bit. I agree completely, Mike Dean. I think that’s exactly what happened. And I wasn’t a huge fan of the fact that he didn’t get the calls he deserved. But you know what? ABS is on the way in 2026, so we can hold out hope for that. Uh John Thompson says, “The baseball gods want us to make it to the postseason. Mlan got on base four times and had an RBI tonight. That proves it. That’s what I’m talking about from John Thompson.” That’s a good sense of humor. Good sense of humor. And you know what? Who knows? Maybe Mlan tomorrow will get the big hit that gives the Reds a clinching opportunity to get into the postseason. Who knows? this this season will not surprise me no matter how that how how it goes tomorrow. I don’t know. Uh Flat Rock79 says a thousand watching. Let’s get to 500 likes and also hit the subscription button. That would be big time. Thank you Flat Rock for supporting the channel and also letting us do our job by telling everybody to hit the like button. Uh I’m Quaid said, “Birthday shout out to my wife Amy. Huge fan. She listens to you guys every day this season. Will be at tomorrow’s game to help bring this one home.” Look at that. A loyal, committed Chatterbox Reds fan that’s going to be there tomorrow to hopefully get the job done in Milwaukee. Always liked Milwaukee Stadium. Always thought that that was a nice, beautiful ballpark to watch a game in. And you know what? You don’t have to worry about the uh the weather and the inclement uh situations that could that could pop up perhaps in Milwaukee from time to time. So, A+ for myself to what I think is uh some insurance field now. used to be obviously Miller Park, but it’s your Northern I think it’s American Family Field, but I don’t really want to give out free ads. Scott said, “FYI, all ML all MLB games start at the same time tomorrow, so we don’t know the Mets outcome ahead of time, unfortunately.” That’s the thing, though. Here’s the thing, though, Mike. You don’t totally know, but there’s always the chance that if it’s 12, and I know, I know it sounds crazy, but if it’s 12 to one in the eighth inning, you know, you might actually not try to burn up some guys that you might think that you might need the following day. Not suggesting that that’s going to happen, but there’s a chance that you get a pretty good inclination one way or the other of the way the the games are going. Probably not likely to be fair, but we’ll see. Uh Joshua Birfield just throws in a buck. Didn’t have anything to say, but you know what? We appreciate it. Scott, uh I already told I already told you I reminded you about the game starting at the same time. And Quill the Great said, “Didn’t feel like the Fox crew wanted a Reds win.” You know what’s funny about that? Inquill the Great. seen multiple Mets fans on my feed complaining that they thought that the they thought the announcers were rooting for the Reds openly. So, I don’t know. It’s I think that’s just a brain thing if we’re being honest. That’s just a that’s a fundamental practice of thinking that you uh you have someone out to get you. I don’t want to say that that’s what it is for sure, but that’s probably what it is. All right. Um, super chat from Tony Coder says, “Hash by the team Bob.” Uh, that is funny. Yeah, listen. Who knows if he finds a way to get in uh that that that mantra might be gone. Who knows? Shout out to by the team Bob from Tony Coder. Michael Roth says, “Is our is our dude in Quilla the great trace pronunciation?” I don’t know how to say it. Okay. What are you coming at me for? Rough. He says, “Uh, here tonight.” Yeah, Rough he is. I just gave him a super chat. He said the blood rush that Justin was referencing uh was referring to went right over Trace’s head. Listen, guys. All right, I know I I got a lot going on right now. When I tell you I got a 24 to 21 game that I care heavily about. I love the Cincinnati Reds. We got a lot of people watching. I’m trying to do it all right now. And I’m not maybe doing a very good job of pronunciations and also any jokes they go they go over my head half the time anyway. So, I’m not a very good culture joke type of guy. Uh, Nick, what else do we miss? Scott, C. Nick, I we got so many damn super chats. Nick’s gonna have to take over because I’m running out of breath. My Atlanta, I’m happy to. I’m happy. Do you want me to take over? Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. All right. All right. You watch some some football. Well, I need water. Scott C says, “How about them Castellinis?” Thank you, Scott C, for your super chat. Akila the Great. I think I said it worse. What’s there to be happy about? Job’s not finished. I’m not a happy guy. All right. I mean, that Kobe Bryant, I like that. Uh, Stuck in a Bucket says, “After all their crazy ups and downs, it’s really come down to the final game of the season.” Talk about a crazy finale. It almost feels scripted. I Whoever is scripted this season, uh, they can, uh, they can take a slap in the face. Yeah, they can go kick rocks or something, as they say. Whatever they say. I don’t know, man. I this has been one absurd baseball season and I got to tell you there were I I’ve never been more wrong about a team to be honest with my gut. They’ve always hung around and every time that you were completely out they did bring you back a little bit. But the truth is like I just never really totally believe they could do it. I mean I held out hope but I never thought they could do it. Now to be clear they didn’t do it yet. Okay. They didn’t do it yet, but I will say they’ve already exceeded my expectations in regards what I thought they were capable of is what I’m getting at. So, um, let’s jump into more some baseball talk. We have, you have on the rundown confusing defense. I’ll let you run from there. It is at times kind of a unique spot that we find ourselves in with this whole situation. Yeah, I’m I’m glad it didn’t come wreck around and bite them, but man, South Stewart, it’s a home run and you have to pull him from the game. Like, I get it. steers, we think a better first baseman defensively, but it’s just like when when you prioritize first baseman defense in like what the seven sixth inning, but you’re not prioritizing left field defense in back-to-back games in Milwaukee. That’s where I just you lose me a little bit. I just I I fully understand like Cabrian Hayes at third, Matt McClean at second, but have we seen anything from South Sewart at first base that makes us think he’s some big liability there? I think it was more the notion of making sure that you could keep Steer in the game and moving him to first base and and that was a that was a that was that honest, you want to hear something? The reason that South Stewart came out of the game is because Spencer Seir was incapable of making a play in left field. Yeah, that’s that’s what happened. Yeah, to Sears credit, he did make another nice catch up against the uh the the netting, but I mean that other ball is just a ball that you expect your left fielder to catch. You can’t sugarcoat that. So, I just I don’t know. I it just I I love the Red’s emphasis on defense this year. I’m one of the few that I think really believes in that and they’ve made massive strides, but it just feels like you pick and choose where and it feels like maybe there might be some favoritism into who you’re picking and choosing in terms of of when you decide to prioritize defense. Nick, we don’t need to get into the favoritism thing. We’ve seen that on full display, my friend. I mean, we’re not doing that on this show because ultimately it just winds up everybody getting pissed off and there’s really no reason to be pissed off on a night like tonight. The Reds have a chance to to control their own destiny in the final day of that. I’ll say that a hundred times because it sounds so great. I’m going to say it one more time. The Reds control their own destiny heading into the final day of the regular season tomorrow. And uh at the end of the day, Tito has guys he trusts. Like it or not, argue it. You can go argue to a wall because it doesn’t really matter. Tito’s going to do what he wants to do. and Nick uh uh not Spencer Steer is a guy that he trusts and he wants him to get at bats to for all intents and purposes that Gavin Lux is probably going to be hitting in the three hole tomorrow and that’s because he trusts Gavin Lux there. And you already had seen today when you have a left-handed opener, TJ Fedel is going to hit lead off no matter what. Doesn’t matter the situation and uh that’s just the way it’s going to go. You can get upset about it all you want, but this point doesn’t matter. It’s over with. It is what it is. Um I I would just say this, like you’re taking a risk no matter what you decide to do. And I know you can prioritize this over that and uh say that well these guys don’t play these positions. It it the reason it’s confusing is because half the time we play guys out of position to try to make sure we get a marginal or a slightly again people are gonna get mad at what I’m saying. I’m just we’re we’re not getting Barry Bonds type of production offensively from anybody. So when I say we’re playing guys out of position to get their bats in the lineup, it’s kind of like yeah, they’re better than the other guy, but by how much we don’t totally know. If we’re going to do that, Nick, what I’m getting at is like we’ve not done that with certain players on this team. And one of them is Matt Mlan. And I know he got on base four times, but I’m just saying like if you’re going to just shove out guys into left field that ultimately you think you can hide out there and tonight showcases that you can’t always do that. And it’s shown it’s shown that multiple times this season to be clear. It’s not like it was a one-time thing. I still vividly remember Gavin Lux playing left field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and that kind of bit us in the tail a little bit and the next thing you know the next day we went out and got Kabrian Hayes at third base and we said that pitching and defense was going to carry us through. Then all of a sudden we still throw Lux at second base from time to time. We put Steer in left field, you know, we put Sal Stewart, I guess, at first first base, which I guess to Tito’s mindset. That’s a risk based off the decisions he’s made. But you know what? The Reds won. That’s all that matters. We move on to tomorrow, Nick. And I think at this point, it is what it is. We’ll worry about all that stuff in the offseason because at this point, they’re going to roll with what they’ve done all year. Yeah. Yeah. I I Yeah, we’ll move on. I I still don’t like it. I’m not going to act like I’m just fine with it. And I I do think that this could there’s been multiple times where the Reds have pulled a a player for a defensive replacement. Um and uh it it bit them and they they lost the game and didn’t have that batting later. It’s just like when South Stewart has two hits and a home run and he’s playing first base, like do you really need to pull him out of the game? Probably not. But I’m just not doing that. I’m just not going to go there on this show. I get it. I I I’m not Nick. The results dictate the way that people feel about certain situations. And I’ve learned that on this show. I’ve learned that we can sit here and we can say that these are not the appropriate moves to be made right now, but the reality is we’re getting away with it because we’re getting good results, but it’s not going to it’s not going to showcase itself well at some point. People don’t care. They don’t care. And the point the point that I’m going to prove is this is that if the Mets would have went out and won 90 games, Nick, guess what? We would have been a horrible franchise. People would have been telling me about how they have no chance of ever making the postseason and all of this stuff. But the reality is that’s not what happened. And the Reds have a chance to sneak into the postseason and we’re fired up and we should be. So I just at this point, let’s go win tomorrow. That’s all that matters. Uh bullpen tomorrow. You have it on the rundown. All hands are on deck supposedly. I don’t know what that totally means and I really don’t want to get in a spot where we’re trying to bring Hunter Green into a baseball game tomorrow. I know that people have like supposedly suggested this. I I know that Tito said it was brought up, whatever that means. No. No. Like if if we can’t find a way to win tomorrow with all of the collective guys that we have available to us, then we just don’t make the postseason. I want to have a chance, Nick, to win when we get to the postseason. With all due respect, and if we were already going to have this mindset of trying to use Hunter Green tomorrow in this all hands-on deck situation, then guess what? It’s something that we’ve already discussed. I know we don’t want to get into it into the weeds right now, but let’s face it, he could have thrown on Tuesday against the Pirates. And guess what? If they would have won that game, guess what? Wouldn’t have had to win tomorrow at all. And on top of that, if he would have thrown on Tuesday and lost, well, he’s in line to pitch tomorrow and you have Singer that could come out of the bullpen as well. So, if you didn’t want to if you didn’t want to move him up to give him a chance to pitch on normal rest for tomorrow already, then you already kind of blew the opportunity to use him tomorrow in my opinion. Maybe I’m wrong for thinking that way, but that’s how I feel about the bullpen tomorrow before we get into any other topics. Yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel, too. And I’m I’m a guy that says, “Look, you you you have to do everything you can to win the game to keep playing.” But I mean, if you go into a series with the Dodgers without Brady Singer and without Hunter Green and Nicolola left his last game injured, I mean, like at some point, what are we doing here? Now, the only caveat I would say with Green is this, and I don’t know this about Green, is he a guy that they feel could come in and throw maybe an inning, two innings as sort of like on a throw day and maybe make him still be available for like game two of the next series to where it’s not tanking him. That’s what I think I could get behind. having him just come in and try to throw four innings on three days rest, something he’s never done before. That to me, you you you should have moved him around. Like moving him up a start is easier than him pitching like a almost a starter workload on three days rest an inning, two innings. If they feel like he’s capable doing that and still be available for the next series, I can get a lot more uh behind that. I I know it sounds like I’m being a little maybe overly black and white about this. I I He’s not pitching tomorrow for me. Just not doing it because ultimately I don’t want him to have anything that is out of the ordinary when he goes and tries to pitch the biggest game of his career for the Cincinnati Reds in my opinion, which would be going on the road against the Dodgers in game one and or two. Don’t care in in a three-game set. They’re all obviously extremely important. It’s not like you can to be I guess what I’m getting at is not like you can hide one starter in a in a in a in a postseason series like you maybe could in a seven game series, which I’m not saying that you even can do it then, but it’s certainly much different in a three-game set. If you felt so strongly, Nick, that you didn’t want to go outside of the, I guess, ordinary by moving him up in his spot to pitch on Tuesday of last week, then you don’t do it tomorrow. You’ve already decided that it’s not worth it or you don’t like the strategy of pitching a guy out of the ordinary. Now, I will openly admit that if you find yourself in some unique spot tomorrow and you go to extra innings or you get something to where you are completely exhausted out of the guys that you can trust in the bullpen, okay, I can live with that. But I’m not going to be in a spot where the Reds are up by two runs in the fourth inning or fifth inning and you decide that you’re going to try to go through Hunter Green for three or four innings to preserve the lead and get yourself to a spot where you can use Santion to get you through the ninth. And I don’t know if they’ll do Pagan five days in a row. At this point, he seems like he can because he’s he’s throwing the ball as well as he ever has from a velocity standpoint. And I know damn well knowing Pagan, he’s gonna say he’s available tomorrow. But that’s where I’m at with it. And maybe that’s being overly cruel, but Hunter Green has the day off tomorrow. No ifs, and buts about it unless it gets absolutely haywire and you go into extra innings. And I think you have to have some pulse on the Marlin score like the the Red I don’t really want the Reds players scoreboard watching, but I want Derek Johnson scoreboard watching. I mean, everybody that has to play some sort of factor because if the Marlins are up a couple runs, yeah, you’re you’re definitely not pitching Hunter Green. would be crazy to to me. Um but yeah, I mean Chase Burns hasn’t pitched since Wednesday, so I mean the the training wheels almost should be off for him. Um but let’s hope let’s just hope that that Brady Siger, who’s absolutely capable of it, he’s pitched incredibly well. Uh his but last start was maybe his worst start. He gave up four runs in one inning and then other than that pitched really good the rest of the game. Um, let’s hope Singer can just go out and give you seven innings and none of this matters. Exactly. Um, because I wouldn’t put that past Brady Singer tomorrow. That’s the best case scenario for the Reds. That it is. And I think that’s the they got to go into this game with the mindset that it’s, you know, that it’s a situation like, you know, they have more games to play if they win. I I I don’t I get the idea that if you don’t win, you don’t have any more games to play. But if you do win, you have the three most important games you played all season right around the corner. And I guess you could say we can hang a banner because we made the postseason. But again, I I’d like to at least, you know, I’d like to at least feel like we gave ourselves a legitimate chance to beat the Dodgers with with guys that, you know, we’ve touted about on this show for years. I mean, we’ve talked about Hunter Green. If we could just get him in the postseason. Are you trying to tell me that the one time we’ve get this dude to the postseason, he’s going to be trying to pitch on what is a unique spot after he threw three or four innings to get us into the postseason and then two or three days later he’s asked to take the ball again. I just I I can’t get behind that. So, find a way to win tomorrow and uh if if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. We shall find out. Um, Fox drama, Nick. Uh, we have that on the rundown. And it is a unique spot today with the Cincinnati Reds playing on national broadcast. And there was some friends to my north into your south that got the kind of short end of the stick. What a travesty from Major League Baseball. I mean, I I don’t know who didn’t think this one through, but I I clearly think someone did not think this all the way through or they’re just complete It’s one of the two. like they’re like, “Yeah, we care about the ratings and that’s it.” Um, why not put both American League games on Fox and so you’d have the Guardians and the Tigers both playing at the same time and I feel like that would be kind of cool drama or do the Reds and the Mets and have them both playing at the same time and kind of have that drama like it was just nuts. But then you decide, oh, we’ll do one Ohio team and the other Ohio team and then that’s going to black it out and the MLB blackout rules, which I understand the blackout rules more than I think a lot of other people. I think a lot of people say it’s, you know, just they hate baseball I Well, they also have to pay these providers and and there’s a whole thing, but like the blackout rules were not designed to black people out of this game today. So, like there’s some massive screw up that that people in Columbus, an hour and a half away from the Cincinnati Reds who’ve been able to watch every single game all year on their cable provider or with a FanDuel subscription, can’t watch the second to last game of the year. Um, and could have been a clincher. Um, the only the only positive about the Marlins winning today was that I don’t have to uh if I ever go back and watch this game, I have to have AJ Presinski on the call for a clincher because that would also be a travesty. Yeah, listen, I I get it. It’s uh business gets in the way sometimes of what makes the most sense and it felt like that’s what happened. And Major League Baseball are they have an issue when it comes to the blackouts in general, Nick. I I understand why it has to be that way at times, but the way in which Major League Baseball operates from a content strategy standpoint in general outside of the digital space to be fair has been completely inept for years and they they they’ll they’ll get it fixed, I think. And I know unfortunately it’s probably going to come at the hands of the next CBA a little bit. Um because ultimately they’re gonna have to figure out some kind of revenue sharing system probably based off of the the market share and all the providers and each team has their own individual deal and it’s just it’s a mess. It’s kind of like it kind of honestly feels like the internet when it first came out. It’s like and maybe even still today, right? It’s like it’s just the wild wild west, man. It’s just like, not that anything goes, but there’s there’s there’s a set of rules for this and there’s not a set of rules for that. And I don’t know, I feel bad for the folks that obviously didn’t get a chance to watch the game. So, uh hopefully you don’t have to worry about that again, but we’ll we’ll obviously uh we won’t hold our breath with Major League Baseball. All right. Uh we have obviously a humongous stream tomorrow and it is surrounded around the who, what, when, where, and why. Many folks obviously that are watching right now know, but I like keeping the traditions of this show the same because that’s just what they are. They are very, very good traditions that we keep here. Nick, it’s the last one, my friend. And hopefully it’s not the last one of the season, but just the regular season. Yeah, hopefully I have to do some Dodgers previewing. Uh that would be uh certainly nice. Uh the Reds will go with Brady Singer in the season finale. Um last start out give up four runs. That was all in one inning against the Pirates. Um, but his last 11 starts, he’s 7 and3 with a 2.53 erra. Career 4.11 RA in three starts against the Brewers. Active Brewers, 23 for 91. That’s a 253 average and sub 700 OPS. Yelich is two for eight with a homer. Andrew Vaughn’s the guy seen the most from both players time in the AL Central. 9 for 35 with a homer, but then no one else really seen him a ton. trio two for six contraras two for I now the Brewers are going with Freddy Peralta manager um what’s his name I don’t remember what the manager’s name is what Rob whatever um said that uh Peralta will be on a limited pitch count now he would pitch in game one of the NLDS on Saturday so my guess is three innings four innings if he has a great pitch count now I think that’s going to be like oh that’s that sounds really I wouldn’t be so excited about that because the Brewers do have a lot of really good relievers that have not pitched at all in this series. Uh their current closer Urebe has not pitched in the series. Uh their next two guys at least in terms of fan graphs Jared Koig and Aaron Ashby have also not pitched and their uh closer um McIll is supposed to come back tomorrow and they’re going to want him to pitch. Now he hasn’t pitched in a while. Um, but I don’t I think the Reds are probably going to face pretty good pitchers for nine innings tomorrow. Um, so, um, now when you face a multitude of pitchers, you have the chance of one guy having a bad day. Um, which is kind of what you’re hoping, but I would not expect that you’re going to see a whole lot of weak links because the Brewers use most of those guys already in the series and they’re going to want to get those guys unless they’re not healthy and we just don’t know about it. they’re going to want to get them an inning tomorrow because they don’t play again till Saturday. Um on the uh the Marlins side, uh they’re going with Edward Cabrera who’s had a really really good year. Um definitely the pitching matchup favors the uh the Fish tomorrow. Um Shawn Maniah going for the Mets. Um he’s been a starter, he’s been a reliever, he has not been good at all as a starter. Uh I would expect that he will not be in there very long if it doesn’t go well. Although Klay Holmes, I didn’t expect that today and he ended up absolutely shoving. So, um yeah, I mean the the Reds definitely have an advantage in the Marlins game pitching wise. Um we’ll see how that that ultimately plays out. Um but it’ll be a interesting afternoon. Hopefully both games start off good and we’re not sweating as much. Trace. Yeah. And I’m I’m a little sick right now because ultimately they don’t have the lines out currently for either game tomorrow between uh the Cincinnati Reds um game and also the New York Mets game. And I am actively refreshing to try and see if we can’t find a way to get that to pop up and it’s just not going to be there. So I’ll be looking for that as you well know. Uh I just curious what Vegas thinks. I I’d like to think that if you if you were to parlay the combination that we do not want to have happened, I’m I’m likely to think that it’s I’m hoping at least, if nothing less, is around the the plus 200 mark. Uh we’ll see. I don’t know what it’ll ultimately end up being, Nick. But I uh it is what it is, man. This is what we asked for. I mean, it genuinely is. It’s it’s it’s going to be nerve-wracking, of course. I’m a little worried about it, but the at the end of the day, uh it’s just one more opportunity to find a way to uh to do something special for a fan base that hasn’t had a whole lot of special things happen for it in a long long time. So, tomorrow I I know it sounds sick in a way, but just enjoy it. Enjoy the the the the the gut-wrenching feeling that you’re going to have in your stomach for most of the game. Uh, and you factor in not only do you have the Reds, Nick, but you factor in that you also have another game that you could be just equally kind of uh gut-wrenched for one way or the other. Uh, it it it all adds up to being an exhilarating day of baseball and we’ll be here live for the whole entire thing. So, come join us and you can either celebrate with us or hopefully uh we won’t even talk about the other alternative. So, uh Nick, you got something to add? We do have a line for the Reds game uh from a couple books that is coming out. What is it? Uh Milwaukee’s minus 128. Okay. Red’s coming in at plus 135 plus 124 one other place. No line yet at all on the uh the Marlins Mets. So maybe Vegas having a hard time figuring out what to give that. Um I I I’ll say this and maybe a lot of people won’t like this. I almost think the Reds better chance is the Marlins winning. And I don’t that’s not a slight to the Reds played really good baseball all weekend, but the the best pitcher going that’s not having training wheels. Prol is the best pitcher going, but Cabrera is the best pitcher going tomorrow. That How long is it going to go? I would assume full on out. I mean, they the the Marlins uh they had Alcantara go into the seventh inning. um their guy today, Yuri Perez, that I was kind of shocked. He came back out in the uh the sixth inning uh over 85 pitches. That was a guy that had been hurt a lot. So, the Marlins have not have not. Now, maybe tomorrow they prove me wrong with um uh with with with Cabrera. But yeah, I don’t I don’t think that that they’ll they’ll hold him back at all tomorrow. So, um I would say trace like th this is maybe the my opinion the best way of looking at it is that um I think you have at least a 75% chance of advancing of one of the two happening. If you had lost tonight, I think it’s like 15 20% chance of advancing. Yep. I agree. I mean, tonight was monumental and and and really it felt like as well, I mean, let’s let’s face it, like game one of the Brewers series as well where you have uh Latell going and you ultimately are up against it with the Brewers and not knowing totally what they’re going to do from the bullpen perspective. Nick, I would have thought that and maybe that maybe they’re going to do it. That’s why I say, hey, you can say whatever you want, but I I just don’t know how long Peralta will throw because they got to get some guys innings at some point. Even if he’s throwing the ball well, you don’t I guess my point is like even if he’s throwing the ball unbelievable, him going seven innings doesn’t seem like the smart move for the Brewers regardless. No way. Because they’re going to because they’re going to want to get other guys opportunities and all we need hopefully is just one or those one of one or two of those guys to have a tough outing and you find a way to to to put up some crooked numbers and you win. So Nick’s counting with his fingers. So this ought to be interesting. Eight, seventh, sixth, fifth. Yeah, I can’t see him going more than four. I I count at least four guys that I think the Brewers absolutely want to pitch unless someone’s hurt that we don’t know about because Urebe Koenig Ashb have not pitched this whole series. They’re activating their closer tomorrow literally for him to pitch and there’s a chance we don’t want to say it that the Brewers win and don’t have to they have to pitch ninth inning. I’m I’m losing it. No, there’s a chance the Reds win and they don’t I don’t know. I’m losing it. My brain’s fried. What you’re trying to say is is that there’s a chance that the Brewers weren’t going to have to hit in the ninth inning, but they do have to. Yeah. My my That’s okay. That’s okay. I’m fried. I’m sorry. So, I guess five maybe. I just I I don’t I I think four is the max. I don’t see them going more than four. Yeah. And I also I I I’m maybe I’m wishful thinking here. Is there anybody from a from a position player standpoint that they certainly don’t want to take the chances on that have played a significant amount of the season that has not had a day off? Yellowish has not had a day off since last Sunday. There we go. Cheerio hasn’t had a day off at least in the last seven days, right? Uh they do get a week off though. Like that’s the thing. Yeah. Yeah. My guess I think you’re more I think it’s more likely they from a position player standpoint you could see them spring training this where Yelich gets two at bats and they pull him from the game but Lil Yell is a DH so there’s not as much risk but I could see them pulling Cheerio after he gets a couple at bats. Um I could see them pulling Terra after he gets a couple at bats. That maybe is maybe the thing. I would imagine they’re going to put out their game one postseason lineup, but they may not have those guys play all nine innings. We’ll find out together tomorrow. I mean, ultimately we can we can guess, hope, wish, pray, all the things that you might do when trying to get something to happen for you. But the reality is is that we get to wake up tomorrow and we’re gonna watch it and it’s gonna be right in front of us. And it’s going to be a thrilling day to be a Reds fan. One way or the other, it’s going to be absolute pain or it’s going to be just an unbelievable celebration of of what seemed like unfathomable unfathomable at the vast majority of times of this season. I mean, this this team was dead and gone so many times. So many times by reasonable fans, by the way, reasonable people. Reasonable people could have thought to themselves, there’s just no way. There’s just no way, folks. The team that we were trying to catch to get into the postseason was the San Diego Padres’s. Folks, we aren’t even close to them. We aren’t even close to them. And yes, I’m not going to apologize that the New York Mets have absolutely been a dumpster fire. I’m not going to do it. I I don’t care. I mean, it is what it is. So, I’ll say I was wrong. I’m glad to be wrong. I’m I’m I’m thrilled to death we’re in this spot. and I can’t wait. I hope people clip me up from all the things I said previous in the year about this team not being good enough to do it and I don’t give a damn. So, I am very thankful. We got some more super chats before we get out of here, Nick. But, anything you want to add before we jump? Yeah, this is um I I got this confirmed uh from from Joel Luck because I was looking this up earlier. Uh, this is only the third time in the history of the Cincinnati Reds franchise that it comes down to the final day of the season, 2025, 1999, and 1964. And the Reds have never in franchise history clinched a playoff spot on the final day of the season. So, this team, this team, this team could be the one to do it. They’d be knocking off two at that point benchmarks that you have laid out. One is no team has come from behind to make the postseason after I think you said September. September 10th. September 10th. September 10th. And now they would be the only team in franchise history to clinch a postseason on the final day of the regular season. So why not us? As they say sometimes in sports, why not? That’s right. And uh all I got to say is job not finished. Is job finished? No, job’s not finished. So, we wait. Come back here tomorrow. We try to do it all over again. I hope many of you will join us. Thank you so much for making the last few days like very, very, very positive and memorable. For all the people that have super chatted, thank you very much. We have some more to get to in just a second. But before we do go, please, please, please hit the subscribe button, hit the like button, and uh that would mean a lot to us. So, uh before we jump out of here, I’m going to read some super chats, and we’re going to go on our way to tomorrow, and we can’t wait to see you. Jacob Schulz says, “If the Reds clinch tomorrow, will you remove the 12 straight wins off your ex, Nick?” That’s It’s a fair question. Wow, that’s such a banger. It’s so good. Okay, maybe so. All right, maybe so. The answer is maybe. The answer is maybe. Um, moving on to the next super. Uh, we have Molly. She’s saying it’s past Reed Mouse’s bedtime. Man, oh man. Reed Mouse probably never thought in a million years the Cincinnati Reds might be joining him joining him in the wild card round. His Chicago Cubbies and the Cincinnati Reds standing there ne just just holding hands together walking right into the postseason. Who would have thought it? Who would have thought it? I just I’m gonna say I certainly didn’t at times, but I’m sure Reed did. Reed didn’t either. Roth chiming in once again. He’s he’s had more super chats than MLAN got on base tonight. Isn’t that right, Nick? Anyway, he said, “I want to know what is going through the minds of new viewers when they hear these super chats read uh read segment.” Haha. Like the stream plus follow Cabox Sports equals Reds win tomorrow. Simple math tonight equals at OBP uh A to Obtr. I think what’s going on is that we have collectively, you know, more people that watch this show intermittently at times probably tuning in because you know what, we got some meaningful baseball games and I very much appreciate it. Um, we have now a super chat that uh I’m not going to lie, I had to look this up. Uh, he said, “You guys have been my catharsis.” Now, I’m not a big- time word guy. I had the vocabulary books back in the day, those orange ones I had. I don’t know if I’m giving away my age or if people are saying they don’t know what I’m talking about, but yeah, we had these orange vocabulary books that uh you know, I quickly found out through my uh through my workload at school that my friends also filled these uh vocabulary books out. And I would probably more times than not just fill them out with theirs already being finished. Some call it cheating. I just call it being resourceful. I don’t condone that, by the way. But yeah, katharsis was not on the bingo card for me. So, I looked it up and you know what, Nick? If you don’t know what katharsis is, it is the act of purging, cleansing, or releasing repressed emotions leading to a feeling of relief or renewal. That is catharsis. He said, “You guys have been my catharsis through this wild ride this year. Thank you for all the time and commitment you put into this show and team. Thank you to you, Logan, for the super chat and we very much appreciate it.” And yeah, there’s a lot of time that goes into it. Nick does a significant amount of it and also Craig has been the scenes. Shout out to my wife. Shout out to my wife, not me. Well, yeah, shout out to your wife. Yeah, you guys have like 12 kids. She’s handling all 12 of them at once. And the truth is is Nick. You guys maybe maybe I know the postseason probably going to get very exciting, but I got to tell you, five kids is a lot, Nick. So, let’s think through this one. All right. Uh, moving on to the next super chat. I’m not even give you a chance to respond to that. Uh, Flat Rock said, uh, much more of this and I’m cancelling my FanDuel. Remember all those guys saying they were canceling their FanDuel subscription back in like uh, June? I remember that. It was like, ah, we’re done with that app. I’m canceling it. Thank god I Thank God I did the monthtomonth. Jokes’s on you, brother, because I got news for you. This damn team has been more of an amusement park than Kings Island has. No free ads, but that Sunday ticket was worth it. Yeah, no doubt. Uh, John Cumins says, “Win one more game and you get in.” Simple. Let’s go Reds. Thank you, John. That is true. And Anquila the Great. I don’t know if we’re saying that. It’s Why do I say and I’ve just now noticed there’s no N in there. Is that what everyone’s making fun of me for? Aquila. Aquala. Aquila. I don’t know how you say it. But nonetheless, are great. I know he’s I know he’s great. Uh, he said, or she said at this point, I don’t know. For the record, it’s Kea. Aila. Aila. Achila. Aquila. That’s a Akila. Aquila the Great. I think I got it. Akila the Great. Thank you. Akila the Great. K. Brian Hayes. That’s right. Yes. Uh, you know what they say about our show that they make? You know why they say that? You know why people say it’s the best show? It’s because the pronunciations on the show are top-notch, elite. In fact, of all the reviews that we’ve gotten, people have always said on this show that we really study the pronunciation, guys, before we go on air. That’s the one thing that you can take away from this show, Nick, is that we always get the pronunciation right. Isn’t that right? And Noelv Marte has been fantastic, too, by the way. Uh, nonetheless, moving on to some more super chats here before we jump. Uh, Nick, I think I’m gonna wait for Craig to pop it up here so I can stay on track. We’ll skip that one. We’ll come back to that. I’m working on it. Uh Daniel Meyers, member for 20 months, says uh he’s only needing one more win to make the playoffs feel like a dream compared to how many times the Reds have been dead this year. Boy, oh boy. They’ve been dead. They’ve been dead. I mean, they they’ve been they’ve been really dead to be quite frank. But you know what? We are here. And uh Nick now is wanting me to wait, but I’m not waiting any longer. He says, “Trace Nick, if you are the Red’s manager, what is your lineup tomorrow? You’re making me think through after all these super chats and put a lineup together right now. I don’t think it’s wise.” Um, I don’t know splits. I don’t know anything. Nick, I’m going to let you kind of take your stab at this and I’ll interject. I do know one thing though. Tyler Stevenson and plays. Start there. Um, I think you have a hard difficult big decision to make at third base because I feel like Spencer Steer will probably play first. Am I wrong, Nick, or where where are you going with this? Spencer Steer is not in my lineup. My My question is, do you uh um Yeah, it’s tough. Um some there’s gonna be one guy that’s it’s kind of the odd man out that that that would be kind of surprising here. Well, I mean, either you gota play Ryan Hayes or Sal Stewart, and then you got to make a decision on Matt Mlan or or Gavin Lux, you got to make a decision on Andrew Har dhing or Spencer Steer playing first base or South. Yeah, there’s there’s multiple options to make here, but yeah, that’s why he’s asking the question, I guess, huh? Yeah, I I I think there’s a I think there’s a chance this might shock people that Morte is the odd man out tomorrow. Wow. Okay. Who plays right field? Benson. Okay. Lux plays left field. Fredel in center. DH Andar. First base Stewart. Catcher Stevenson. Third base Cabrian. Second base Mlan. Or you could go Lux at second base. You would put Lux at second base and you’d put uh um Yeah, I I tell you what, Martson in the corners. No, I’ve given Mlan I’ve given Mlan a lot of grief. I would do one of two things. They can’t do both. Okay. I I I guess I would I would live with either or. You either got to put Lux at second base or you put Sal Stewart at third base. One of the two. And And you know what? I would openly say I trust Cabrian Hayes more than I trust Matt Mlan despite the fact that he hit two 70 mph balls and got walked a couple times tonight which again Nick all due respect I very much appreciate if he gets on base four times tomorrow I’m cool with that I’m just openly saying that I really don’t want I just can’t do it I can’t live with the concept of having Mlan and Hayes back to back it just feels like I can’t live with the concept of of not playing them and they’re being an air costing the Reds. Okay. And if they hit a ball to left field, Nick, then guess what? You’re already opening up Pandora’s box there. And Sal Stewart to me has showcased the ability to make plays one way or the other. Like he’s going to play third base for you tomorrow. Kabrian Hayes is going to sit the bench. And you know what? I’ll live with Matt Mlan in the nine hole is my only I’m going to say it because I think what it’ll do is it’ll give me a chance for Matt Mlan to prove me wrong. So I’m openly saying this with a little bit of cander here. I don’t want to be overly rude. I’m okay with having one automatic out in the in in the in the in the end of the lineup. Okay. I’m not okay with having two automatic outs at the end of the lineup. And heaven forbid we put Trevinho and have three of them because we’ve done that at times, too. And so I Spencer Steer is going to play first base. Sal Stewart’s going to play third base. I’m okay with with having Mlan at second base because the one thing I will say about Mlan that I think that you have also said is that there is like there is a random chance of power there over Cabrien Hayes. I just don’t think Cabrian Hayes is probably going to be accidentally hitting a ball over the fence. But he might. I mean, he’s been just as good as since he’s gotten here. He’s been better than Mlan. But I don’t know. I don’t really want to debate it or fight about it because I don’t think it’s worth fighting over. It’s probably not that big of a difference one way or the other, but I do want to see Sal Stewart in the lineup if we’re being completely honest. Largely because I also trust this guy moving forward as well. No one wants to talk about those types of things, but you know what the reality is is that if this team wants to be competitive and be a good baseball team moving forward, Sal Stewart is going to be a part of that. And I really would like to send the message to him that we trust you. We want to put you in at game 162. Go make some plays. And knock on wood, I think Sal Stewart has looked good defensively personally. I mean, I know he didn’t make the play for Hunter Green. It went under his glove. That ball wasn’t like a routine play either, to be fair to South Stewart. Anyway, yeah. Um, Craig, if you’re uh if you’re there, he is. I have it in. Put it uh the last page in the dock. I’m going to put in my He has my lineup. So, this is not me. This is me. If I’m throwing everything out there, this is what I would I tell you the odd man out would be Gavin Lux and sue me for that. Uh Lux is 0 for 10 in his career against Freddy Peralta. I like Lux off the bench. I think you could find a spot that you could pick and choose Gavin Lux in a pitch and opportunity and that way I think you’re running out your best defense. Yeah. And I think I think you have the most upside with the lineup that I have. I don’t know if Craig can find it or not. I don’t want to try to get into singular and and mess it all up. Oh, he’s got it. I I see the copying. I see the copying in front of my eyes. Yeah, he’s dig. People are going to hate me. People are going to hate me for this one. Well, they’re going to hate me. I I would just say at the end of the day, no matter what Tito does or doesn’t do, there’s going to be room for criticism because this team doesn’t have enough solid everyday players to say this is exactly what the lineup should be. And like it doesn’t take long uh to look at the the lineups posted by atreds.com or whatever you want to call them at reds that uh the reality is just half the fan base hates it no matter what. But here you go. Nick’s game 162 lineup. Oh gosh. Go ahead Nick. I’m not going to read it for you. I’d have Ellie batting lead off. I’m not not letting anyone get more played appearances than Ellie de la Cruz. I’d have Andrew Hart batting second. Why not? Stewart batting third playing first base. Marte in right field. Bat in fourth. Benson in left. Stevenson catching. Hayes at third. My face comes on there. Fredel in center. In second base, Matt Mlan. There you go. Uh give me give me uh you know what? The more I think about it, I’ll tell you what. I’ll take Gavin Lux playing playing uh playing second base. Uh or give me Spencer Steer playing I’ll tell you. I I to be clear, I’ll take Spencer Steer playing first base, move Stewart to to third base and I can live with that. And Kabrian Hayes will be going into the game as a defensive replacement probably in the fourth inning after South Stewart hits a home run to put the Reds up by three. All right. I mean, I’m just saying he that’s how this goes. I mean, the the good news is is for for uh for Sal Stewart is that there’s a very good chance that he if he’s on the same uh I guess train that Marte was on, he’s he’s going to he’s going to do well for himself because there for a while Marte, you know, he he played for three or four innings, hit hit two home runs, and then he’d get taken out of the game, too. So, S Stewart, that’s just the way it goes for good players, man. You just got to hang in there for a little bit longer, and you will also get an opportunity to play every day. So, just got to just got to wait your turn, my friend. Um, all right. On the way out the door, folks. Uh, hit the like button. We’ll be here all day tomorrow. I’m going to give us a chance to kind of regroup, recoup, and hopefully get our wits about us so we can focus on the fact that we can make some, uh, at least intelligent takes tomorrow as Nick and myself are probably fried. Craig’s on the back end, so shout out to him. But, if Nick’s going to sit here and try to suggest that the that the Brewers might not have to pitch somebody in the ninth inning tomorrow, it’s time to go. My man needs a little bit of rest. You know what I’m saying? But nonetheless, uh Matt Willis, uh he said, “Andrew needs to be in the lineup every day.” I completely agree. Mike Dean says, “If the Reds make the playoffs, they will have lost two series to two last place teams and swept the Cubs and the Brewers. This is the season in a nutshell.” It’s the truth. Isn’t that the truth? You get sweep get swept by the A’s and then you come back and you take a fourame set against the Cubs. You then drop the first two games against the Pirates and you sneak by. You sneak by by the skin of your teeth on getaway day against the Pirates and then you head in to Chicago or excuse me, then you head in to Milwaukee, a team that you have not won a series against in 13 straight tries and you go into their house as they try to they try to conquer their most winning team in franchise history and you might go up there and sweep them. That makes no sense. And that is your 2025 Cincinnati Reds. I tra I think the the Reds have won a postseason series against or won a series against almost every team that’s in the postseason. They they won Dodgers series against the Padres’s. They didn’t against the Dodgers which uh some are saying it’s time Padres’s Cubs Brewers Phillies Yankees. We won a series of series against the Red Sox. Did we lose that one? I don’t know. Yeah, you’re asking me. I know we we won two series against the Guardians. We won a series against the Tigers. I think we lost a series against the Blue Jays. I have no idea if we won the Mariners or not, but most of the teams the Reds have won a series against. Crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Listen, I I also think it’s insane that people think Andrew Har is not good against right-handed pitching. I don’t give a damn what the stats say over his career. Have you seen what he’s done lately? The guy has absolutely hit balls hard time and time again, no matter who’s pitching. So, he’s been one of the be he’s been the Red’s best offensive player, I guess, in my opinion, collectively over the sample size he’s been provided. Let’s not forget this guy went weeks on weeks without even getting a chance. Nick, uh, coming into tonight, he was hitting .292 with a 333 on base percentage, 767 OPS against right-handed pitching, the side that he had significantly less against. Um, that is significantly better than Gavin Lux whose side is supposed to be hitting right-handed pitching. Yeah. Well, also, I know this sounds I don’t want to I’m trying to be so positive. I am being positive. I’m just bringing up things that really make my brain really scramble. Um, are we just going to play for a man down forever or are we gonna come out and say that? No, I get it. I get it. You don’t want to put him on the IIL because of probably the implications and you think he might be ready for the Dodger series. But I guess here’s what I’m at, Nick. I don’t want to do this tonight. We’ll do it tomorrow. But my thing is this is like, are we really going to go this long without playing and then all of a sudden just magically you pop him in the lineup when it’s the most meaningful three games of the season and he hasn’t hit in how long? like that that that to me seems more crazy than anything. It just seems like you can’t against a right-handed pitcher, Austin Hayes has no business starting. And I know I’ve said it like a hundred times this year, but like where he’s at now, I don’t think you can. Against a lefty, though, I think I’m probably going to take my chances still, Trace. I mean, because this team just doesn’t have enough good hitters against lefties. And if you were facing the Dodgers, I think they’re starting a lefty, right? I don’t know. Is he available tomorrow? That’d be cool if he could pinch hit in a big spot. That’d be nice. I mean that they’re starting they would start Snell who’s a lefty. I think Kershaw is officially he’s in the bullpen. Yeah. So like I would take my chances of Austin Hayes not playing in two weeks and starting against Blake Snell just because I don’t think there’s enough guys that can hit lefties. And that’s why like he you don’t put him on the IIL because then he wouldn’t be eligible, right? Um and once you get to the po once you get to the postseason, you’re not worried about the whole wasting roster spots because you’re going to cut at least three pitchers out. So, you’re gonna like literally I don’t think people realize Blake Dunn is probably on would probably be on the res postseason roster. Like there’s some of these guys that you haven’t seen in forever. They’re going to be on a postseason roster because you don’t carry that many pitchers. Yeah. And you need you need obviously Blake Dun’s a guy that could steal a base for you and probably be a pretty solid defensive replacement, like it or not, for for guys in the ninth inning if you have a lead. So, uh we shall see. Like, subscribe if you haven’t already, please. And thank you. you. I know we’ve said that five, six, seven, eight times on this show, but it means a lot to us. Uh, very helpful for our small business as we continue to progress and and hopefully continue to grow the show and trying to find obviously more and more partners is a very very big thing and the more and more people that watch the the easier obviously that becomes. So, it is uh very meaningful us that you guys all watch and we very much thank you for it. Uh, per Joel Luckup, Cincinnati played game 162 in Milwaukee one other time in 1999. They won 7 to1. Cincinnati has played game 162 verse one other time besides that in 2010 they won three to2 Aaron Herang’s final start in a red’s uniform fun fact off the top of the head that’s big time that’s Nick Kirbyesque right there some are saying that that puts you right back into the game of being able to do a show for another 30 minutes but that’s not me saying that of course neither game was the Red’s last game of that season wow Oh, all right. Positive vibes heading in tomorrow, folks. Positive vibes. Uh we got some big big things to accomplish tomorrow and hopefully you’ll join us for it. We will be going live for the entirety of the baseball game tomorrow. Reds vrewers tomorrow. That game is start at 310. Is that is that am I right on that? Yeah, I think I think it’ll go live at like right at three on the nose. Sure. Yep, that’s fine by me. So, um, you 10 10-minute pregame show. You better you better get it while you get it while it’s hot. Uh, you will ultimately we’re going to have to get synced up, too. And my apologies, by the way, if we’re not we’re like a a half an inning behind everybody. Okay. I’m going to try to make sure I get on the whatever whatever app all of you guys are on. I’ll try to make sure I get on that before the game starts. That way, we’re not uh you know, you guys aren’t basically welcoming the club into Great American Ballpark while me and Nick are finally watching the final out there in Milwaukee. So, uh, all right, that’s going to do it. We very much appreciate you. I got to tell you, can’t believe we’re here, but I don’t really, like I said before, I’m not going to apologize about it one second. So, nonetheless, go Reds. It’s going to be one of the It’s going to be one of the coolest days that we’ve had as a fan for this franchise in a really long time. Hopefully, we’ll see you tomorrow. And if not, hopefully we’ll see you after the game. Go Reds. One more day, folks. One more day. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Yeah. Heat. [Music]

Trace Fowler and Nick Kirby will be LIVE in the 9th inning.

Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com to get 50% off sitewide during their Red-Hot Sale Event. And use Promo Code CHATTERBOX at checkout for an extra $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. See site for details. A big thanks to our advertiser, Omaha Steaks!

As the 2025 MLB regular season hurtles toward its climax, the Cincinnati Reds (82-78) face a pivotal showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers (96-64) at American Family Field. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET, with the game airing nationally on FOX—a nod to its stakes in the National League playoff race. This marks the second game of a crucial three-game series, following Cincinnati’s 3-1 upset victory on Friday night, where the Reds evened the score in the NL Wild Card hunt.For the Reds, every at-bat feels like a referendum on their season. Clinging to the final Wild Card spot, tied with the New York Mets and a razor-thin margin over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati enters desperate for momentum. Their offense, batting .245 with a .391 slugging percentage, relies on explosive talents like Elly De La Cruz, whose speed and power (29 home runs, 67 stolen bases) can ignite rallies, and Spencer Steer, a steady .265 hitter with 15 homers. Friday’s win highlighted their resilience: timely hits from Jake Fraley and Jonathan India, backed by a pitching staff posting a 3.86 ERA. But injuries loom large—RHP Julian Aguiar (Tommy John recovery) and LHP Brandon Williamson (elbow strain) are sidelined, thinning the bullpen.

On the mound, lefty Andrew Abbott (9-7, 2.80 ERA, 3.65 FIP) takes the hill for the Reds. Abbott’s command shines in high-pressure spots; his last start was a shutout gem against the Cubs, scattering just four hits over seven innings. With a 1.22 WHIP and pinpoint control, he could neutralize Milwaukee’s patient lineup, especially if the cool September night favors his sinking fastball.

The Brewers, meanwhile, play with house money. Locked into the NL Central crown and eyeing the league’s best record for home-field advantage through the playoffs (pending a Phillies slip), Milwaukee aims to cap a franchise-record 97-win campaign on a high note. Their pitching dominates with a 3.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, led by aces like Freddy Peralta (though unconfirmed for tonight). The lineup packs punch: Christian Yelich (.282, 29 HR, 102 RBI) anchors the middle, while Brice Turang (.271, 166 hits) and Sam Frelick (.291) provide table-setting contact. Yet Friday’s loss exposed offensive rust—stranded runners and a sputtering bullpen (RHP Trevor Megill out with flexor strain, LHP DL Hall sidelined by oblique). LHP Robert Gasser (0-1, 6.00 ERA) is the projected starter, a wildcard in a rested rotation featuring Jose Quintana (calf) on the mend.

Chatterbox Reds is your home for coverage all season long for the Cincinnati Reds with LIVE post game shows after EVERY game on YouTube, and NEW podcasts the morning after every game (including weekends)! SUBSCRIBE to the channel and turn on notifications to ensure you never miss a thing!

PODCAST LINKS:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jlFDPP…
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/733…
Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0…
iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/109483256
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/chatter…
Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id5327101?…
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/3450767

Andrew Abbott, Scott Barlow, Hunter Greene, Zack Littell, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Zach Maxwell, Emilio Pagán, Connor Phillips, Lyon Richardson, Tony Santillan, Brady Singer, Brent Suter, Yosver Zulueta, Will Banfield, Jose Trevino, Elly De La Cruz, Santiago Espinal, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Sal Stewart, Miguel Andujar, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Austin Hays, Gavin Lux, Rhett Lowder, Alfredo Duno, Tyson Lewis, Steele Hall, Cam Collier, Chase Petty, Edwin Arroyo, Héctor Rodríguez, Graham Ashcraft, Fernando Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Edwin Ríos, Jacob Hurtubise, Blake Dunn, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Frank Robinson, Barry Larkin, Tony Perez, Joey Votto

Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Louisville Bats, Chattanooga Lookouts, Dayton Dragons, Daytona Tortugas