#Mariners vs Blue Jays #ALCS Game 7 Preview w/ John Smoltz | #SeattleSports

#Mariners vs Blue Jays #ALCS Game 7 Preview w/ John Smoltz | #SeattleSports

to a game seven. John Smoltz will be on the call and he’s kind enough to join us uh for a few minutes right now from Fox. John, good morning. How are you? Good morning. Yeah, doing great. Another game seven. Before we get to game seven, and we don’t really need to talk about game six. Kind of a clunker last night. What was game five like Friday night in Seattle? Uh, game five was the I guess you can say when I think about how this series has shaped up, it’s strength versus strength. And expect the unexpected is what I’ve said in this series because just when you think somebody’s got a stronghold, you know, it it completely flips. And game five was a moment that Seattle needed to be even in this position, right? I mean, um, you’re talking about a scenario that I’ve played out many times in my head, uh, pitch selection, very questionable, but then a guy takes advantage of it and has his moment. You need guys to have moments. You need what you’re built on and what you do well to impose your way, and that’s hitting home runs. Now, I we’ve talked about this, you and I have talked about this, whether that’s a formula that can run the table, but it is what it is. This team is built around home runs. They’ve hit two three-run homers in a game and one. They hit a grand slam in a game and one. So, that’s that’s what it’s going to take tonight. Um I I’ve never seen a a a series flip like that. Meaning, I I talked about it yesterday. It it seems insignificant. Um but to start the series, Arosa Reena was struck out, was walking to the dugout. He got a reprieve cuz the umpire didn’t call it a strike. He walks. Next thing you know, they get three runs. They win that game. He gets hit by an 02 pitch. He’s struggling at the plate. Next thing you know, they get four runs. things like that have to happen um in order for u unless Seattle flips the script and they they get a a five hit inning, they’re built on the long ball and they’re going to need their stars to come through tonight. Yeah, it’s interesting. They are built on the long ball, but generally what goes with that is the ability to take walks and get on base. And they do do that. I mean, yes, Randy got hit before the Grand Slam, but they also took two walks right before that, including Naylor left on left. I mean, I get I get why you point to those two, and I’m not necessarily arguing it, but I do think they do more than just hit the home run. I mean, they they do take walks, which is a big part of that philosophy. They do. They do. But the one thing that I’ve noticed in this series is that Toronto’s a momentum type offense. They get a lot of hits. they they put the ball in play. Seattle with with the the ability to play close games and get great pitching, it’s been a it’s been a little bit confusing because of how they got here. I mean, they they’ve had to use so many pitchers and they’ve had to exhaust so many um to get here. I mean, this is this has been a phenomenal year and they got a chance to go to the World Series and I think they’re in position to do it if they can get just a little bit of length out of their out of their starter tonight. I I I think Seattle’s formula works when they get their starting pitching. They’ve got a nasty bullpen and but they got to obviously they got to get a couple big hits. They they they do that throughout the year and if they do that tonight, they’re going to go to the World Series for the first time ever. There’s going to be a lot of um anxious moments in a game seven. It always happens. You can get some flukeish things in a game seven just because of those anxious moments. I love them. Obviously, I’ve got a chance to pitch in them. I’ve got a chance to call them. Uh the only two people that aren’t going to love them are the two managers because it’s a hard game to manage. Take me back to your game sevens and your mentality. Well, the biggest thing is what I love about tonight’s starters, they got they seem like they have slow heartbeats. I love George Kirby. I love his demeanor. Now, what happens is that that has to be shown on the mound and you have to be on top of your game. You have to have the slow heartbeat and and deliver in the moment, right? And I I um I know I pitched in a different era, so there was never a thought that I was just only going to give the club four innings, but you just never want to give your manager a reason to take them out, take your take your pitcher out sooner than you have to. So I think it’s like a football analogy. What Seattle does well and what Toronto does well are meeting head-on in a game seven. Toron Toronto loves controlling the strike zone at the plate and Seattle loves controlling the strike zone on the mound. You make good pitches, you’re going to get quick outs. If you miss in the heart of the plate, you’re going to be it’s going to be a big inning. And I think on the flip side, um what Seattle does well is hits a lot of home runs. And what Toronto has not done well is keep the ball in the ballpark. So, you really have two head-on collisions about to happen in game seven. And this is what it’s all about. You know, who can impose their will? Can Bieber make the pitches he made after the first inning and and quiet their bats? And the same thing for Kirby. if Kirby, you know, I know this sounds simple and and I know it seems elementary, but my philosophy has always been whether it’s a game seven or a postseason, but more importantly in a game seven, always get the first hitter out. You you got less stress and if the next guy gets on, you’re a ground ball away from a double play getting out of the inning. But if you can keep getting the leadoff hitters out, you d you you you you dull the roar of the crowd and you put yourself in a less of a heartbeat situation where when they get on base, they they’re just the best in baseball. And and the same thing on the other side when when Seattle is doing what you guys are talking about, taking their walks, creating those big swing moments, they’re as good as anybody in baseball. So, it really is strength against strength and who imposes their will either on the mound or at the plate is going to have a decided advantage in this great winner take all. So, one of the other keys for Seattle, I would think, is to get to Toronto’s bullpen. In the games where they’ve gotten to the bullpen and the game is close, they’ve won. In the games where it’s already over by the time the bullpen comes in, obviously they have not. So, if you were I know you were a pitcher, but if you were hitting coach tonight and you’re trying to work out a strategy, not that that you know, it’s not like an offensive coordinator. I get that. But if you’re working out a strategy for getting to Toronto’s bullpen tonight, what is that strategy? Well, that strategy is first and foremost hoping that the score is close and you can make the manager make tough decisions because no one’s going to leave their starter in very long. Um, you wouldn’t think. That hasn’t been the trend of the series so far. Munoz has barely pitched. So, you know, he’s going to be a two-inninging pitcher and he’s going to be in there as soon as the most, I would say, high pressure or big moment situation calls for it. And then they’re just going to backfill their rotation, you know, with whoever and whenever. So, um, if if I’m if I’m Toronto, um, you know, I’m trying to make sure that that doesn’t happen. But if I’m Seattle, I’m thinking, okay, with Bieber, he’s not going to go six. We’ve got to find an opportunity to create that pressure and get as many guys on and force to move earlier than than not, right? the you to your point the problem is the games have been kind of broken open one way or another with a few swings quickly and so could this be our first first really well game six was close till the eighth right it was it was broken open in the eighth but that when you have to put managers on the hot seat and they don’t have the comfort level of their bullpen being the way they would want it that’s a tough place for John Snyder I think on the flip side for Dan Wilson he’s got a couple guys he hasn’t gone to and he has the luxury of going to him. Now they got to execute. Managers decisions are only as good as the guy that comes in and executes. But this is what I’ve always said. The more guys you bring in, the more chances for something bad to happen because they’re just didn’t have their game or wouldn’t weren’t on at the right time. So, um I agree with you 100%. If it’s if it’s a formula you’re trying to uh work in, you want to get in to the pen of Toronto as quickly as you can. and you’ve seen those guys a lot and advantage goes to the hitters. Johnny, you’ve been with us a bunch over the years, super gracious with your time, but this is the closest proximity you’ve had to this club that we watch every day and you’ve gotten a chance now to watch a a seven game series with them. I’m curious if with this proximity if you’ve learned anything new, if maybe there was a perception, but the reality of being around all of these guys as much as you are through this series, anything new jumped out to you about this team? Yeah, you hear this all the time by managers, but until you follow somebody, um, you don’t really understand how tightlyk knit this group is, how much they really care about each other. They have a calmness about them. It’s not a relaxed like, oh well, we’re just swinging for the fences type uh team. They have this optimism. And look, I know we’ve talked about this and I’ve talked about how the travel is brutal and it gets to you and you could have a you could have a built-in excuse. They don’t say it, they just acknowledge it. Um, the manager seems to have given this team some freedom to be who they are. Um, you know what stinks more than anything is when you get to this time and some of your guys are just struggling. They’re out of their mechanics and they’re not performing the way they want to, but you don’t see anybody hanging their head. Uh, Suarez seems to be the guy and the glue that everybody seems to come to. He’s super optimistic. He looked like he couldn’t get himself uh in a in a situation to get a big hit and then he did. He never hangs his head. So, I kind of learned that this ball club with with all their personalities and all that they’ve been through, they they they understand each other and this game will not bother them. Um, if it goes great, unbelievable, historic moment for Seattle. If it doesn’t, I I don’t think it’s going to be because they weren’t ready and they weren’t ready for the moment to pull together. So, it’s pretty unique group. um when you see them from afar, you don’t really know to your point and um I’ve really grown to appreciate that part. Yeah, we’ve heard the word resilience used a lot by the players and manager, everybody kind of around this club. They have been very resilient. I think they got swept six times this year and amazing how after each of them, they just bounced right back uh and and started winning games again. it just didn’t seem to affect them the way it affects fans uh and everyone else who has to watch it and say, “Oh my god, it feels like it’s over.” And they just don’t feel that way being on teams. Yeah. Well, yeah. Go ahead. They they have an ashuck superstar and when you have an allshuck superstar and he’s really doesn’t like the attention and he’s had the greatest year any catcher’s ever had and you’ve got just quiet leaders and you’ve got star power in that lineup. I think I think they’ve been through it all and yeah, it’s easy from afar to sit on your couch and and and see the struggles and go, I can’t believe they can’t put it in play and then all of a sudden they get these big home runs. So, um it it it’s definitely up close different than it is from afar. Give me Johnny uh last couple things for me here. Give me two or three. You’ve given us a ton of the biggest keys. We’ve had A-Rod on earlier this in this series. um had others on and it’s amazing how you baseball guys, it’s almost like you see the game before the game happens. Give me just a couple of the biggest keys to the outcome from your perspective tonight. Yeah, I I know this again seems like a simple statement, but when I look at this series and I see the star power on both teams, you can look directly to the wins correlated to the stars and it does come down to that. Now, you know, fair or not, Julio Rodriguez has been moved up to the to the number one spot because they’ve had to change their lane lineup. And I just look for the the first two hitters to make the impact tonight. Um, you know, Cal Raleigh, I can’t imagine how exhausted he is and beat up, but you’re never going to hear that from him. And I just think he’s going to have another big hit. Um, one of those two guys, you got to go to your stars. And yeah, the unlikely timely maybe unforeseen hit that breaks it open could definitely be part of it. But there’s some stars delivering in huge moments and that’s what it’s going to take. You can’t really pitch around the first and second hitter. It starts out boom boom. You know, it’s like not that they got to hit homers. just to your point, if they get on base and pass the baton, you start building that tension and pressure because the the one thing that that that hasn’t really happened in this series because of the way it’s played out, there hasn’t been a big comeback, right? There’s been a game’s tight, broken open, and so, you know, the offenses are built differently. And so I I I just think and again I you know I I love starting pitching but I I think Kirby’s going to bounce back because a pitcher when you’ve had something happened to you for the first time that’s never happened. You have a chance you get set you you get reset. You make the necessary adjustment. You watch what’s gone on. Now now the other side can do the same thing. So when when you ask me that I that’s where I go to. It’s like I go to the stars that that have been um carrying this ball club and and in a moment like this, I think they have a chance to do and deliver um a significant blow. John, I I remember your two big game seven starts in 1991. What I don’t remember is did those occur because you were just the next guy up or did it sort of materialize that you were chosen for those two game seven starts? Yeah. So in 90 in ‘ 91 um I was on the torture side of a game six. We were down three games to two. Steve Avery pitched the greatest game I’ve ever watched personally. Zero zero into the ninth and we won one to nothing in a in a run on the ninth and I got a chance to pitch game seven and won four to nothing and went nine innings. But then the next year I didn’t I didn’t want to pitch. We were up three games to one. It was forced to be a game seven. I pitched 14 and seven and I was orary just even pitching that game because we blew a couple games. So, yeah, I’ve been on both sides of it. And the one thing that I’ve I always felt when I walked into the locker room, there was going to be this sense of we’re okay. Don’t worry, I got you. Um, and I’m not saying that Kirby’s that personality or even Beaver’s that personality, but you got to have that inner side of you to say, “I’m the guy. Don’t worry about it.” And set set the tone right away. And, you know, I’ve always said, I mean, you just don’t put a crooked number up there. Solo home runs aren’t going to beat you. You wouldn’t think so in this series. And you just want to set the tone. And I I miss those moments. I think they’re the greatest moments in the world. Some people fear the moments. Some people are worried about what if. You cannot have that attitude. And you know, as a hitter, you can only do the one thing that’s given to you at that time. As a pitcher, you can do a lot more. And so, you want to give your team the confidence. They don’t have to chase runs. And if you can come out and keep the, you know, I pitched all of mine, two of the three on the road. So, rockus crowd, game sevens, World Series, and you just want to keep the crowd to a dull roar. Um, because they’re going to be electric. Do you have to I mean, as a starting pitcher, you’re probably not talking to anybody before the game. So, all of everything you just said, all of the confidence that you’re trying to instill, do you have to do that with body language? Because I I would imagine there’s not a lot of talking about it. Yeah, I was a little different. I I wanted guys talking to me. It’s like you pitch a game seven and you’ve already you already got a no hitter going. Like nobody talks to you during a whole hit no hitter. And I’m like don’t I always I was talking to guys. You’re focused. But I lived this out as a kid, man. I I dreamt of this. And I don’t know how many people feel that way. But yeah, in in most cases, you see, you know, the pitcher and he’s got a stern look as if he’s concentrating beyond belief and he’s just totally focused. I didn’t I didn’t go to bed thinking about the game. I didn’t wake up thinking about the game. I only started thinking about the game. Now, in subconsciously, you know what’s going on, but I really started thinking about the game. I did my preparation, but when I walked out to the bullpen, it was like this is the best walk in America cuz I’m about to get ready to do something there that doesn’t happen very often. And so, you got to have that mindset and you just got to feel you’re better than anybody that steps in that box. And if you don’t feel it, you better fake it. And that’s the beauty about being on the mound and having that body language where you don’t know what’s going on inside. Might have to fake it with Vlad. No, that’s that that’s the one area where you know he’s got the advantage. You still can’t show it. You can’t show it when you’re on the mound. No, you know, you got to be able to think you’re better. Yeah, Johnny, it’s great, man. Thank you so much. And you know what’s really cool is that you and Joe bring that tonight. that same feeling, right? That that same love for the moment that you had as a player. I feel that out of the two of you in that broadcast booth and can’t wait to tune in and watch it tonight, man. Enjoy it. Yeah. You know what? I started out in my first World Series and the Cubs won it and that was 108 108 years. So, somebody’s going to have a big a big time span um eliminated today is and I just can’t wait to see how it unfolds. It’s awesome. Pretty cool, John. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. Good luck tonight and throughout

Fox MLB analyst and MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz joins Brock Huard & Mike Salk (Brock & Salk) to discuss the winner-take-all Game 7 between the #Mariners and Blue Jays in Toronto.

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0:00 – Intro
0:20 – Recapping the crazy Game 5 in Seattle
2:28 – Different types of offense
4:30 – Game 7 starting pitchers
7:00 – Bullpen strategy
9:10 – Who the Mariners are
12:30 – Keys to game 7
14:40 – John Smoltz in game 7 appearances

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Listen to The Brock & Salk Show weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Seattle Sports 710 AM or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.
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📰: For more Mariners coverage from SeattleSports.com, visit:
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/category/mariners/

🎧: More info on The Brock & Salk Show here:
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/category/brock-and-salk/