Full Transcript for Dodgers-Braves NLDS Preview! Tale of the Tape with Shawn Coleman

pressure's off us for a little bit. Let's just make sure we get out of this healthy. I would say it's the exact opposite of the winner-take-all elimination game in Atlanta yesterday. 00:05:24 Speaker 3: So, again, brutal travel for the Braves. They win. 00:05:26 Speaker 1: They take care of business. Don't want to discredit that. They celebrate late in Atlanta. get all of their prep done or trying to get their prep done on their flight to LA today. I think they're scheduled to get in around 6 p.m. tonight and then an early turnaround, 1 o'clock first pitch on Saturday. So a lot of rest needed for the Braves. Don't know how they're going to get it. And we'll talk to Sean more about... kind of where their roster is where the rotation is i will say quinn alana interested to hear both of your thoughts on bringing in chris sale i know it's a winner take all game but that really sets this uh i think their their biggest strength against the dodgers back a little bit i could see the braves easily stealing a game from this dodgers if sale is your true stretched out ready to go starter i don't know if that's gonna be an option for them this series me or you riz. 00:06:11 Speaker 4: Go ahead um You know, it takes me back to days of your Dodgers needing to go to their starters. I mean, 2024, needing to go to their starters. You saw that also a lot last year. What I love about this team and their bullpen this year is they have so many options, so many weapons for Dave Roberts to turn to. It was a little bit of a massive question to go to Chris Sale there. Of course, Walt Weiss said it was Sale's decision. to come into that game. Obviously, maybe feeling a little bit of sting of not being involved in their last playoff festivities wants to be a factor in this series, but he's no spring chicken anymore. This is an older dude. He has had myriad injuries over the course of his career. To bring him in there in a division series where you had a pretty significant lead, I would definitely, if they get bounced... I would point to that. If they get bounced and it's because starting rotation situations didn't line up well, or if he is going to start game two, which it looks like he could line up to start game two, and it's a short start or he seems gassed or just doesn't have it, I would point to that outing. And I could go think back to Max Scherzer closing out that NLDS game five against the Giants in 2021 and how much that effed up everything, a lot of things for the Dodgers. That was not the only thing, but that set something in motion that ended up being a massive issue the Dodgers couldn't overcome. 00:07:45 Speaker 2: I do think, though, when you look at Chris Sale, I kind of feel he's a little bit, I think I said this the other day, I think he's a little bit like Aroldis Chapman in terms of Benjamin Button and he's pitching backwards. I feel like Chris Sale this year has pitched. So the older he gets, I mean, I know he's had all the injuries and like freak accidents and, and really weird things, but he just seems stronger to me this year and his numbers are good. 00:08:06 Speaker 3: Um, yeah. 00:08:07 Speaker 2: Could it bite them in, in the course of the division series? 00:08:10 Speaker 3: Yes. 00:08:11 Speaker 2: But, um, they needed when the series to move on to get to the division series. So I mean, it worked, it worked out, but I mean, if you're a Dodger fan, you're hoping that, that it doesn't work out for Atlanta, but, um, only time will tell, I guess. 00:08:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the thing with Chris Sale, and I think we're all aware, is there's a lot of respect for him. He's one of those veteran pitchers that I love to watch when he's playing, no matter what the context is. And I know, you know, the argument is that I'm sitting on the other side is, oh, he came in on a bullpen day. You're kidding yourself if you think that a traditional bullpen can, with the workload and demands... equates itself at all to pitching in a winner-take-all situation in-game environment in a playoff game. 00:08:51 Speaker 3: So yeah, the pitch count might be similar, but. 00:08:53 Speaker 1: The demand that it takes on the body and the physical reaction it takes to recover from that are incomparable. Walt Weiss said this to Braves reporters on Zoom today before Atlanta took off. I think Chris Sale threw 21 pitches yesterday. He could have been online for regular rest from Tuesday to Sunday. Now Walt Weiss is not sure if Chris Sale is going to start on Sunday because of how he's going to recover from from pitching yesterday. Here's what Walt Weiss said. He said, sales had to grind here recently. We're going to err on the side of giving him more rest if it's even close, which makes sense given that he is your ace. 00:09:26 Speaker 3: But to just sit here and say, oh, he pitched on his bullpen day. He should be good to go, completely misses the point. 00:09:32 Speaker 1: And the demand of pitching in a postseason game comparing to a touch and feel or get your workout in bullpen game. 00:09:38 Speaker 3: We'll talk to Sean about that more. Yeah. 00:09:40 Speaker 2: Amen. Amen. 00:09:42 Speaker 1: Preach. 00:09:43 Speaker 4: All right. 00:09:44 Speaker 2: Let's get to Sean. Speaking of Sean, but MLB on Fox, guys, it's streaming on Fox 1. The postseason is here. We have all your front row seats to the wildest walk-offs, lights out pitching, clutch plays, all playoffs long. Stream each NLDS and NLCS game in the 2022 season. World Series live on Fox One at home or on the go, live or on demand. Never miss a moment. Stream now. Start your Fox One three-day free trial today at foxone.com. 00:10:11 Speaker 4: We got a guest. Look at that guy right there. 00:10:13 Speaker 2: There he is. Co-host of Hammer Territory, Sean Coleman, Braves writer for SB Nation as well. And host, as I mentioned, of Hammer Territory, part of this Foul Territory Network. Sean, good to be with you. Thank you for the time. I know you're equally

as busy as we are, but we do want to get your perspective on a Braves team. That has been very strong all season long, but coming into the division series, a team I would imagine that wishes they would have assessed their bullpen situation when they had the opportunity. What's your take on it? 00:10:46 Speaker 4: You are muted, by the way, Sean. 00:10:49 Speaker 5: That is a tradition like any other when it comes to having territory. You can ask my apologies for that. Thank you all for having me. It was a pleasure to speak with each of y'all. Yeah, no. When it comes to the Braves, a lot has been said about their trade deadline. And let's be honest, they absolutely hit on Tyler Malley. They hit on Brent Suter, who has been good in the way that he's been used. Before he got hurt, Lane Thomas was doing his job against left-handed pitching. They didn't do enough, though. And you're starting to see that being the case. The fact that the bullpen... You know, not only is it a little bit, is the depth not there that you had hoped had been there with the Robert Suarez injury and, you know, some others maybe, you know, kind of, you know, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd having some struggles towards the end of the year. But now, you know, Rysel Iglesias, you know, has not been as reliable as he's been. Didier Fuentes has been incredible this year, but he's getting up to being, you know, his usage levels being higher than he usually is. So you'd hope that there had been more depth. That's the story of the Braves right now. is that them not being able to get game two won when they had the lead late. It's great that they won game three, but it really impacted their plans for game one of this Dodgers series. And, of course, also not having potential starters like Bryce Elder and Martin Perez available. While Weiss has already mentioned that, that makes the depth even more of an issue. So, yes, I agree with you, Alana. The fact that the Braves did not go out and add another arm or two, I know everybody was talking about getting that clear number two starter. Malley has kind of filled that role, but not getting another clear upgrade for the bullpen. It kind of is showing as a need right now that they should have filled earlier in the season. 00:12:26 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, we'll talk more about the nitty-gritty of the series. What I'm looking forward to as somebody who's done this for a while online, dealt with the the Dodgers coming back in a big series against the Braves, the Braves trouncing the Dodgers in a big series, or trouncing the Dodgers. This feels like that rematch, that third part of the rematch that we've been waiting for. This is a long time coming. Mention 20, Dodgers come back behind 3-1. Braves, they outlast a Dodgers team that's just kind of falling apart. We have been waiting for this. You're somebody, you're a lifelong Braves fan, family's a Braves fan, What does this series kind of like do for the juices for you in terms of just like that kind of, hey, we get to really see, you know, tip the scales here, I guess, in the head-to-head. 00:13:16 Speaker 5: So you point out a great point. You know, it's been five years, right? And, you know, that 2020 series, you know, in Texas, the Braves went up 3-1 and then the Dodgers had, you know, they stormed back and they wound up winning the 2020 World Series. The Braves had their miracle run in 2021, and we're literally talking miracles. You know, Eddie Rosario, you know, the heater that he went on, Tyler Matzik, you know, just went and going Sandy Koufax against, you know, Mookie and Albert and the rest of them. That led to the Braves winning the World Series. And then you've also got the added element in that, you know, the 21 team for the Braves that won the World Series, it was significantly less talented than our 22 and 23 teams. And those teams could not get the job done in the playoffs. And then the Dodgers, of course, get Otani. They make other moves. They're now the clear superior, you know, ideal team in baseball. So a lot of storylines go into this. And it's a shame that it's taken five years to kind of have that rematch. But the thing about it that stands out to me is that I'm not going to say it's David versus Goliath because I think that the Braves are a bit more powerful than David maybe in that type of scenario, but the Dodgers are the clear favorite. The problem with, if you compare the Phillies to the Dodgers, the problems that the Braves are running into is is that when it comes to the Phillies versus the Dodgers, you're timesing the star power by two plus the depth the Dodgers have of really being able to exploit the Braves' weaknesses that the Phillies could not do. And that just means that the Braves have got to be perfect in nearly everything that they execute, considering also the fact that they don't have all of their resources available. I think there's a chance the Braves could make this a series. I think there's a chance the Braves could win the series, but it's going to take far more of them. They have far less room for error to make that happen than the Dodgers do due to how good the Dodgers are and the depth that they have. 00:14:57 Speaker 1: All right, Sean, well, I will step off my soapbox about Chris Sale, and I'll let the expert speak, someone who sees the team on a daily basis. What's your take on Chris Sale's availability? Do you think he'll be an option for game two? And how does him pitching in relief yesterday again in a winner-take-all game, I get it, still, though, impact his availability coming into the DS? 00:15:18 Speaker 5: So the thing that stands out to me is your point about the bullpen game versus a playoff game, it absolutely is true. There's a world of differences. between those two. And I know people are pointing to what the Marlins did with Alcantara and Perez and the Braves doing that. These guys pitching on the bullpen days. It's a fully different story. But of course, it's also Chris Sale. I

put emphasis on two things when it comes to being comfortable with Chris Sale in that Game 2 scenario. Number one, the Braves all year long made it a clear, conscientious effort to really manage his innings total to make him available to be featured when they needed him for the playoffs. If you follow the Braves, you know that they made it a point to give him an extra day or two of rest. There were only twice during the regular season where he made a start on only four days of rest. The whole point of doing that was going back to 24 when he wasn't available for the series against the Padres was to make him available at any point in time in the playoffs. So using him a bit more than opponents may be accustomed to, that was the whole idea, being able to feature him when they could in the playoffs. With that being said, given the scenario where they were up four in the bottom of the eighth with two outs against the Phillies, I don't think that they would have used Sell unless Sell clearly made it evident that he would be okay being used here and still available for Game 2 if they needed him. I think that there is a 95% of better chance he's going to be used in Game 2. The only scenario in which I think that he may not be is if the Braves do surprise and steal Game 1. Then maybe they put some emphasis on really having a fully rested Chris Sell and Tyler Malley in Atlanta to give them the best chance to win those two games. But especially if the Braves lose game one, I don't think that they would have done anything in that division or in that wildcard series against the Phillies to get in the way of still being available for game two and potentially a game five in this series against the Dodgers. So I think that given the scenario where they didn't have to use him, but they still did, that points to the fact that Chris Sale, who really is in tune with his body, That points out to me that he feels amazing. As he told Walt Weiss, I think he was perfectly fine being used, and he's going to be ready to take the ball in game two with the expectation that game one may not go the Braves' way. 00:17:28 Speaker 2: No doubt about that, Sean. Let's talk about this Atlanta bullpen for a moment. I think the majority of fans know about Rice El Iglesias. A lot of us know about Robert Suarez. Who else in that pen should we be paying attention to? 00:17:42 Speaker 5: Didier Fuentes, and that's the unfortunate thing about this wildcard series is that Didier Fuentes, you know, was used in all three games. And in the first two games, he ran into some trouble. In the third game, he did pretty good. But the thing is, is that the Braves have really been ramping up his usage. Of course, if you remember from, I believe it was that August Dodgers series, he had that big moment against Max Muncy. I believe it was in the seventh or eighth inning. Bases were loaded. It was a big at bat. I think Muncy fouled off like it was an eight to nine pitch at bat. And it was fastball, fastball, fastball. And then he threw the splitter off the plate and he got Muncy out. The Braves had really been focused on getting him multiple inning outings late in the season against potential NL playoff opponents to expose him to that usage. But the thing that stands out to me, though, is that I think he can be effective. but there's a lot of factors here that are going to be different in a playoff scenario versus regular season scenario. He was used in all three games in that division and in that wild card series. He's not done that before. If he's asked to be used tomorrow, that's four times in five games. That stands out as the fact he's going to be tired. And then you're talking about in Dodger stadium, a house of horror for the Braves as 21 years old, a game one of the division series. 00:18:50 Speaker 3: All that matters. 00:18:51 Speaker 5: I think that he could be effective, but there are a lot of factors that say he may not be beyond that. There's a little bit of question marks when it comes to the Braves' left-handed pitchers. You want Dylan Lee to be effective. He has been throughout his career, but lately he's been less reliable. Dylan Dodd is another name that could be utilized. And Ray Kerr, who is the Game 3 starter, he could be utilized in the right situation with Freeman and Otani and Tucker being in that Dodgers lineup. So those are just some names. The Braves' left-handed depth. may not necessarily be as reliable as they'd like for it to be coming into this, but they could still be effective. So Fuentes could be kind of an ace in the hole maybe if he has a big outing for them. But the fact that he's been used quite a bit is a bit concerning. But I do think the Braves left-handed relievers could match up a bit better with the Dodgers hitters than some may realize. 00:19:35 Speaker 4: Yeah, what Ray Kerr did in that game three was pretty damn impressive pitching into the fourth inning. Interested in seeing how they kind of, manipulate that bullpen around having a thin starting rotation. Obviously, you got to score points, got to put points on the board to win ball games. A narrative entering the series is brave struggle against left-handed pitching, buying or selling the Braves offense is much worse against left-handed pitching. 00:20:03 Speaker 5: Yeah, no, it is. And there was nothing from That wildcard series that makes you feel that the Braves are going to all of a sudden have success against left-handed pitching. They struggled against Lizardo. They only got to Sanchez after he got past 105 pitches. So the Braves' struggles is certainly there. And the unique thing about the Dodgers that makes them even more of a mountain to climb for the Braves is that the Dodgers are going to be able to put together an entire game plan. The stat that stands out to me is that Dodgers left-handed relievers versus left-handed batters this year were top five in terms of production. The Phillies were bottom five all season long. So the

Dodgers have the elite ability in their bullpen to really be able to limit left-handed hitters. That's Olsen, that's Michael Harris, that's Drake Baldwin. That's something that the Braves cannot afford to happen. They cannot afford to have their left-handed power hitters neutralized in this series. And the Dodgers are just a very tough draw to be able to do that. Not even to mention who the potential rotation members are in Skubal, Snell, and others as well. So that's going to be a huge mountain to climb. I think that the Braves are going to have to climb it. It's going to be an unexpected outcome. But yes, if you look back at this series and you see the Dodgers winning three or four, I think a big reason why is because of their depth of left-handed pitching that could really neutralize the Braves' left-handed hitters and also do good against the Braves' right-handed hitters, not named Ronald Acuna Jr. 00:21:25 Speaker 3: That's great stuff, Sean. 00:21:26 Speaker 1: And we'll talk about the Dodgers rotation and how that's lining up in the next segment. But I do wonder if that plays into their decision to start Tarek Skubal game one. That news just came out from Fabian Ardaya out at The Athletic. And of course, the Dodgers have so many left-handed relievers to choose from, really five. 00:21:43 Speaker 3: Relievers that we'll see which ones of those five make that roster. 00:21:48 Speaker 1: I want to ask though about a player that both Braves and Dodgers fans love and respect in Freddie Freeman. Dodgers fans have their own concerns and his overall physical health and production. His slug has dropped off dramatically in the second half. He has just two homers since July. This will also be the first time that Freddie Freeman plays Atlanta in a postseason game since leaving, obviously. What do you think that reception is going to be like for Freddie and how much do fans still reference what he did for that organization? 00:22:17 Speaker 5: Oh, it's still referenced. It does grow tiring at times. I'm seeing the comparison between him and Matt Olsen. But the thing that stands out to me is that the reason why Freddie is still referenced is because of the impact that he made on and off the field, which I'm sure Dodgers fans, y'all who cover them, and the Dodgers themselves all know. He's just a wonderful source. He is absolutely incredible. And the thing that stands out about Freddie, which is why I don't necessarily– I know that he struggled in the regular season, and you're naturally going to see that as he gets into his mid-30s. Dodgers know, Braves know, the bigger the stage, the more he delivers. It's absolutely incredible. First ballot Hall of Famer in my mind, he still thought of that by many in Braves country. I know that Dodgers fans still feel that as well. So the thing that stands out to me is that if we talk about the Dodgers hitters that you may be worried about, Freddie's kind of backing his way into the playoffs while others like a Kyle

Tucker and a Paula and all those had really ended the season strong. Freddie stills Freddie. And he's going to deliver in that big moment. And it's the depth of what he can do. He can hit the homer. He can get the big opposite field. He can work the count to be able to get a walk. It's the versatility that he has to make a positive contribution. Or even if he may not be as dangerous of a power hitter than he once was, you know he's going to put together a professional at bat. And that just adds to the depth of how dangerous the Dodgers rosters are. So still beloved. I know that when he comes to Atlanta, there's probably going to be a standing ovation. Maybe the playoffs change that. But I think in the minds of both the Braves fans as well as the Braves players, the danger aspect of what Freddie Freeman can do in a playoff stage, it hasn't changed at all because he's delivered so much in the past, which adds to the reason why he's a first ballot Hall of Famer to go along with the fact that he's a first ballot Hall of Famer as a person. 00:23:58 Speaker 2: No doubt about that. He's so easy to root for, regardless of the uniform that he is wearing. Sean, last question from me. How much do the Braves need Ronald Acuna Jr. to get going in order to be successful? 00:24:10 Speaker 5: He's got to be the best player in this series. Like, he's got to be clearly the best player in this series. When we look back at this series... And we say, what is the reason why the Braves were able to get the job done? It's because Ronald Acuna Jr. was the best offensive player. Over Otani, over Freeman, over everybody else. If he gets on base, he can create chaos, just like he did in Game 2 of the series against the Phillies. If he can hit for power, the Braves are going to have to be able to outpower the Dodgers, especially in Game 1 if they have any chance. And Ronald Acuna starts with that. Not only outpower them, but his on-base skills... having him on base and someone else were to hit a home run. So he is a central figure. The Braves are not going to be able to beat the Dodgers without their stars performing like they were able to do against the Phillies. They're not going to be able to beat the Dodgers with getting on base at a 3-10 clip. And that all starts with Ronald Acuna Jr. So to your point, Alana, Ronald Acuna Jr. has to show up in this series. He has to clearly be the best player for a lot of reasons. That would be an incredible development. Do I expect it? I hope I do, but it's just so important for him to clearly be kind of at that 2023 MVP level for us to have an opportunity. He's fully capable of it, but it's just a big ask with how good the Dodgers are. 00:25:24 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a balanced team. It should be a really good series. We appreciate the insight here. Now we could bring this to the Dodgers, and we know they could We learned from Sean how we could beat the Braves here. Guys, make sure you are subscribed to Hammer Territory. They're doing

great content all the time. They also got a banger podcast. It's the same show you can watch on YouTube, but they're crushing on the podcast game. Sean, tell the fellas, the rest of the fellas, hello, and we appreciate the time, man. 00:25:53 Speaker 5: Alana, Katie, um, to everyone, it was great to meet y'all. Thank you so much for the time. Um, and like I say, just very much appreciate the opportunity. I hope at the end, it'll be the Braves. It will be hammer territory doing more previews. 00:26:07 Speaker 4: We'll see how that works out, but the best of luck. 00:26:09 Speaker 2: All right, John, thank you. 00:26:13 Speaker 4: Hey, we, we are, we are feeling good guys. We are feeling in a good spot. Uh, I was looking before the show over at some of the numbers with our friends on Cal Sheehan. Unsurprisingly, Dodgers, heavy favorites heading into Game 1 with L.A. trading at 67% to beat the Bravos on the Cal Sheehan. By the way, at that price, a $ 55 trade pays out at $ 81. 14 if you're right. I'm saying yes because, one, I'm a homer. I'm a Dodger fan. But, two, I like the Dodgers. I like Tarek Skubal. getting the ball in game one. And if you guys don't know about our friends with Kalshi, it is a peer-to-peer trading app. It's not a sports book. You're trading directly against other users, not the house, like traditional sports books. The price moves based on where the money goes. Public opinion sets the line. And if you are interested in trying out Kalshi, download that app. Use code BASEBALL to get $ 55 added to your account instantly. Scan that QR code or click the link in the description. Good stuff there. We got more we got to talk about with this series, but I think let's take a little palate cleanser and Alana will talk about a dog. Let's get to Last Licks. 00:27:26 Speaker 2: Guys, can I put that down? George is ready for the games. He is on the couch with his Dodger blanket, just waiting patiently for that 1 PM. First pitch. Uh, George is a sweetheart. He is a five-year-old Frenchie. He is healthy. 00:27:44 Speaker 3: He is happy. 00:27:45 Speaker 2: He's a good boy. He is, um, being fostered right now in the Rancho Cucamonga area. He is ready for his forever home gets along with everybody, everything, every dog, every cat. He is easy, breezy, and so loving home guys. He's a Dodger fan. He's super duper cute. Um, let's do this. If you're interested in adopting George, learning more about him, um, please reach out to Guidry's guardian. We appreciate it very much. He's so cute. 00:28:14 Speaker 4: So do the thing, do the thing. All right. Um, thought for the road. We have, Katie, you mentioned we have our game one starter. It is Escoops. Tarek Scooble gets the ball. And there's some weird dodgering going on with the rest of the potential rotation in that series. It looks like Yamamoto coming off of a long workout appearance on, I believe it was Wednesday, could be pitching maybe on Tuesday instead of game two. What do you have for us? 00:28:45 Speaker 1: Well, I think it makes sense given what we just talked about in our last segment to start Scooble and kind of go lefty-lefty, assuming that Snell takes game two that has not yet been decided. All we know is that Scooble will take game one. And Dave Roberts said this earlier in the week about his rotation. He said you could essentially pick names out of a hat and. 00:29:04 Speaker 3: Go from there. Well, that is probably true. This isn't what I. 00:29:08 Speaker 1: Would go with, assuming that Yamamoto goes three, because, you know, you can't predict ball. 00:29:14 Speaker 3: What if this series goes five? 00:29:15 Speaker 1: If you have Yamamoto starting game three, is he going to be available for you game five? 00:29:20 Speaker 3: Not to start, for sure. 00:29:21 Speaker 1: And the last thing you want to do is throw one of your aces on short rest in a winner-take-all game. 00:29:25 Speaker 3: I just think this might be a case of getting too cute. 00:29:28 Speaker 1: I think in a perfect world, the Dodgers think that they go lefty-lefty and scooble-snell. and kind of neutralize the Braves, who, like Sean said, really struggle against left-handed pitching. You have five of those relievers in the bowl. I'm not sure they'll take all five, but certainly all five worthy of consideration. And then you leave Yama for a potential clinch game in Game 3 on the road. I don't want to get too picky about it. I, I'm a traditional old school person. 00:29:52 Speaker 3: I think your age should go game one. 00:29:54 Speaker 1: I understand that throwing out a two time AL Cy Young award winner, uh, fits that bill. 00:29:59 Speaker 2: Sure. 00:29:59 Speaker 1: Uh, so I get it from a strategy point on why school is starting. I'm not sure I understand the strategy point of saving Yamamoto for game three, as that appears to be the case for Los Angeles and its game plan. 00:30:11 Speaker 4: Yeah. I mean, you gotta love that. There are options here for sure. Uh, as we talked about with Sean, the brave struggle against lefties. So I guess shoving your lefty starters in there at the top there. And if there's any concern with Blake Snell and his injury, his health, um, using your bullpen before an off day, listen, you could always understand the Dodgers calculus, but yeah, in a baseball standpoint, I don't like it. I want my world series MVP starting at Dodger stadium, getting the ovation that he deserves. Um, one thing I thought about a lot, I want your thoughts on this. Um, We were talking about it on my show, my All Dodgers show last night. Check it out. Subscribe. Hit your boy up. This team is very well built right now. They're very well stacked. You feel very good, very confident heading into this series. Last few times we felt this confident of heading into a series, they struggled. Any concerns with that? Because you're talking about like in 22 or I think it was 22, 111 win team. 00:31:12 Speaker 2: I don't think for one second we should be

overlooking this Braves team. I really don't. I think this Braves team is a lot better than maybe we've given them credit for just based on the games I've seen over the course of the regular season. I think they're very well managed. I think they're very well put together. I mean, yes, I think the biggest concern for them should be the fact that I feel like they're coming in on fumes. I mean, I think that's definitely a Dodgers benefit. 00:31:39 Speaker 3: No, but the thing that. 00:31:40 Speaker 2: it comes down to in the postseason, in my opinion, and it always does, right? It's fundamental baseball, all things being equal, if they were. Whoever defends the ball the best, whoever makes the least amount of errors, you know, I don't think it's necessarily offense versus, you know, their offense pitching versus their pitching. Remember, I'll always go back to Game 4 in 2005 or 2025. 00:32:00 Speaker 1: 24. 00:32:00 Speaker 2: Or 24 with the Yankees. Was it Game 5 in 2005? You're talking about the Yankees. No, God, no. That freaking game five. No, with the Yankees and fundamental baseball and not, you know, not dropping the baseball and backing up first base and, you know, those types of things. That is what's going to kill you in the postseason because runs are at such a premium. I mean, think about it, guys. Every single time we're watching a postseason game, we are living and dying and hanging on every single pitch. So I don't think anything can be taken for granted. It's a five-game series. So that is a little bit more concerning than if it was just a three-game set. It's whoever plays the cleaner baseball. That's what it comes down to. Yeah. 00:32:54 Speaker 4: Wu, any follow-ups? 00:32:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is a good point from Paul Vaughn 2378 in the Super Chat. Are Dodgers looking past the Braves? I think the reason why this show might come across as maybe not taking a lot of stock into consideration against the Braves is solely because of the rest aspect. 00:33:08 Speaker 3: I mean, they've just had a week to recover compared to the Braves. 00:33:11 Speaker 1: We've talked about it going back and forth, flying in today. But I don't think you can discredit the Braves on paper, right? They still have Acuna. They still have Matt Olsen, Ozzie Albies, all the guys that have made this kind of Braves core so successful. And you can't predict ball in the postseason. So I don't want to discredit throwing Scooble out there. I do think it's funny that throughout up until two weeks before the trade deadline, it was the Dodgers saying, no, we don't really need him. Uh, you know, it's not really like something that we're, we're, we're destined to having, uh, thankfully they did get him because I don't want to picture this rotation without Scooble at this point. And now, uh, a guy that they downplayed consistently throughout the first half and, and their need for him is now starting their postseason in October. Uh, Long live Andrew Freeman and this front office, because this, I, again, cannot imagine what this rotation would look like with no Otani and no Scooble, but no, not discrediting the Braves whatsoever. It's just, for me, it's the rest element and the fact that, you know, they don't have the ability to stack up their pitching like the Dodgers do. 00:34:10 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:34:10 Speaker 4: Hopefully the Dodgers, you know, like we're kind of opining, aren't overthinking this. Obviously they are the better team, but the Braves are good. a balanced team. A lot of guys that have been through the post-season ringer. We've mentioned a lot of those names. Riley, Austin Riley already has a massive Homer this post-season, but it will be fun. It's going to be great. And if you guys want to be ready for the post-season, go check out some new FT shop merch. We got our Dodgers gear in the shop. I should probably make sure I put it on screen. Not just me seeing it. You got Yama, you got Scoob, you got Showtime. You got some love for months in there. Uh, Boys going hard. Dodgers in three. Alana, we're going to be live postgame. 00:34:51 Speaker 2: Dodgers in three? 00:34:53 Speaker 4: Why not? 00:34:53 Speaker 3: Wow. 00:34:54 Speaker 2: Wow. That would be. 00:34:56 Speaker 4: It won't be a sweep. Maybe a gentleman sweep. Yeah. 00:35:01 Speaker 3: Yeah. All right. 00:35:01 Speaker 2: So Clint and I are back tomorrow for post. Katie, of course, will be in the clubhouse in the dugout doing all the things that she does so well. Make sure you make sure you as well. There was actually a very nice comment in here, Katie, about your work on the athletic, about the the dynasty that, you know, their careers may be over, but their legacies live on. So somebody was really appreciative of your writing. 00:35:21 Speaker 3: Thank you. 00:35:23 Speaker 2: Very sweet. 00:35:23 Speaker 3: Appreciate it. 00:35:24 Speaker 2: Thanks so much to Sean Coleman of Hammer Territory for coming on the show. Guys, go Dodgers. We have playoff baseball finally in L.A. tomorrow. Clint and I will see you after the game. 00:35:34 Speaker 3: Bye. Bye.