00:00And I'd be willing to take a shot and say that as good as Tampa has been,
00:06I still think the Yankees have a chance of winning the American League East.
00:10I could be crazy.
00:11I still think they're very much in it.
00:14Oh, it could be.
00:15And Tampa could lose in the first round of the playoffs, too.
00:17But I still stand by them.
00:19Yeah, but I still stand by them, you know, dominating at home.
00:24You know, like, they're just so good there.
00:26They just seem to really have it figured out.
00:28And then they went on the road last week, and they won all their games there, too.
00:33Too good for me to fade.
00:35They got Liam Hicks from Miami.
00:36The guy's been incredible since he's gone there.
00:38He's hitting grand slams.
00:39He's hitting home runs.
00:41You know, this week, I don't know.
00:43I mean, to me, I still have to give them the advantage.
00:47I don't see Baltimore beating them two out of three.
00:50I see the Rays winning that series.
00:51And naturally, things will get tougher down the stretch.
00:53They're going to have to play Boston three more times.
00:55They're going to have to play the Yankees.
00:56I think it's three or six more times, too.
00:58So, I'm with you.
01:01And, by the way, I think anything can happen in the playoffs.
01:06We've seen teams like the Rays, teams like Cleveland, teams like Milwaukee before, winning 90-something games, immediately get to
01:13the playoffs.
01:13You run into a big payroll like Philly, like New York, like L.A., and you go down.
01:18Happens all the time.
01:20I'm not going to pretend like this team is different or this Tampa Bay team is better than the ones
01:25three, four years ago.
01:26But I would say I would be very surprised if the Rays, in their first-round series, whenever that is,
01:34I'd be surprised if they lost because of having the home field advantage.
01:38I would not make them the favorite to come out of the American League or even win the World Series.
01:42But I'd be very surprised if they didn't win their first playoff series at home.
01:48Yeah, I agree.
01:50And I do think home field will matter to Tampa a little bit more than a few others.
01:56They have also done an amazing job, by the way, of beating up these sub-500 teams.
02:01I mean, I don't think they lost a game on this West Coast trip, Craig.
02:04They swept Seattle.
02:05You know, the Athletics, they beat up like nobody's business.
02:09They have been very good against sub-500 teams.
02:13The big test is, well, we're going to see how that comes up.
02:17Yankees, of course, sending Garrett Cole here tonight.
02:20And from my understanding, I believe Stanton is closer than anybody.
02:26You know, Judge, they're hoping to get back by the end of the regular season, heading into the postseason.
02:30But Ballinger also looks like he should be back prior to the postseason.
02:35So, if you can get those two guys and weather the storm just to get Judge back, you know, that's
02:43two pretty big bats here that the Yankees offensively, not to mention they're winning one-run games here, low-scoring
02:50games left and right, which is crazy.
02:53But, yeah, they got some reinforcements still coming that other teams don't.
02:58The only question would be is that can Stanton and Judge play in the same lineup?
03:03Will Judge – I mean, Stanton's not playing the outfield anymore, so it's just a matter of is Judge going
03:08to be able to play the outfield?
03:10And that's still very much to be determined.
03:12The update that we've gotten on Judge is he's resumed some baseball activities.
03:17But, Joe, until Aaron Judge goes to AAA and starts playing, he's going to have to go play some minor
03:23league games.
03:24There's nothing to talk about at this point.
03:25I mean, he is going to have to go there for a week, maybe longer than that.
03:30And here we are.
03:30We're closing in on the end of August, and he hasn't started.
03:33So, I don't know that the beginning of September is even reasonable for Aaron Judge.
03:37But, yes, they'll get some hitting back.
03:38As you saw there in the standings, they're going to make the playoffs.
03:42They're eight games up in the wild card, a few games back of Tampa Bay.
03:46I think their spot – that's one of the few teams, Joe – I think their spot is kind of
03:51secure where it is.
03:52I think they're going to end up being the first wild card team in the American League.
03:57I don't think Boston's going to make any more moves up.
04:00I can see them falling back.
04:02I don't think Boston's moving up.
04:04And then the Yankees are going to be a really tough out because in that first round, you know, it
04:10is possible the Yankees play the White Sox in the first round.
04:15Yeah.
04:15If the White Sox – and then you would take the Yankees in that series, you know?
04:19Like that's – or they would play Houston, and you would take the Yankees in that series too, you know?
04:27So, it's – and then maybe the Yankees play Tampa Bay at that point.
04:32You may say Tampa Bay maybe beats the Yankees in St. Pete.
04:35You could see that as well.
04:36But Yankees are in good shape.
04:39It's about getting the health back.
04:40But you tell me who's going to win that final wild card.
04:43I don't have a clue, man.
04:45Like all of those teams are still in play.
04:48I don't – I'm out on Seattle.
04:50You can't honor the best players in the history of your franchise and roll out Griffey and Randy Johnson and
04:55get swept.
04:56I mean, please.
04:57That's terrible.
04:58Literally, that's what you – I mean, come on, man.
04:59Like how did you let that happen at home for three games?
05:03I'm out on Seattle.
05:05I still say Texas is in the playoffs one way or the other.
05:08That's either the win division or the final wild card.
05:11I got Texas making it.
05:12But I will say that I thought that before I knew DeGrom left with the injury.
05:17Was it yesterday?
05:18So we'll see what ends up happening with him.
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