00:00But I did also put in, when does Ashcraft pitch again?
00:04Because you were a very big fan of what he did.
00:07Is this tonight?
00:08Well, the answer is tonight.
00:10He is playing tonight, pitching against Detroit and Montero,
00:14who's also been very good.
00:17He's good, too.
00:17So now you're going Pittsburgh tonight.
00:19I'm not saying it's like yesterday.
00:22Yesterday, I was like, oh, my gosh, I just saw this guy pitch.
00:24I couldn't believe how disinterested this guy looked pitching.
00:28It was so weird.
00:29Joe, when you watch a pitcher that's turning around to throw to second base
00:34and literally, like, the shortstop is putting his hands up in the air,
00:37like, I'm not even there.
00:39What are you doing?
00:41Yeah, some weird stuff is going on with that guy.
00:43But the problem is Montero on the other side is a really good pitcher, too.
00:49So I would lean toward a lack of runs in this game tonight.
00:53I think yesterday and that game in particular went way over,
00:57if I'm not mistaken.
00:57But tonight, I think it could be not as much scoring tonight.
01:02Ashcraft, to me, is a hidden gem in the National League.
01:07I know a lot of people know who he is, and he's had a good year.
01:09Look, his ERA, I think, is probably just under four.
01:12Going into next season, I will absolutely be identifying him as a potential Cy Young Award winner.
01:18I really think he's got that kind of stuff.
01:22He, I think he's going to pitch well against Detroit tonight.
01:25He is getting stronger as the season goes on.
01:28And with all the talk about Skeens and even Jared Jones and Mitch Keller,
01:32to me, this guy is going to be close to Skeens, man.
01:36Like, he's really good.
01:37So I'm looking forward to the start.
01:40But not going to say it's a guarantee or my favorite or anything, because Kyder Montero,
01:44as you said, like, this is, this guy stepped into the rotation and done a great job.
01:49And he's never going to get enough credit for what he has done to even put this Tigers team into
01:55this position.
01:56Because for a while, when they had Scoble and they had Bize, he was the spot guy.
02:01He'd come in out of the bullpen.
02:03They'd send him down.
02:04They'd bring him back up.
02:04And he has been absolutely phenomenal to him.
02:08Last time out against Cleveland, in fact, six and a third shutout innings, three nothing.
02:13They ended up winning that.
02:14And this, there's a lot of juice in this series, given the fact that they got 37 games to play.
02:21And Detroit is now tied with, you know, with Texas and Baltimore for that final wild card spot.
02:28I would never, I did not have it on my bingo card.
02:31I thought for sure, once the, the sell was on at the trade deadline, that we would just stick a
02:37fork in the Tigers.
02:38But we have not.
02:39And you mentioned this rookie that they have up there, absolutely raking.
02:45They have got, all of a sudden, they got a shot here.
02:48Why not them?
02:50In fact, Melton has been good.
02:52Montero.
02:53He's been too, yeah.
02:54They have got, Connor Griffin, by the way, is also set to return for Pittsburgh.
03:00And I believe O'Neal Cruz, we thought last night, he might be back.
03:03But it's tonight, I think he'll be there, he's going to be in there.
03:07I think he's activated tonight, I think, if I'm not mistaken.
03:11So he went through his pregame.
03:13You know, the Tigers remind me a little bit of the Jays.
03:18You know, the Jays got Jose Soriano.
03:20We're like, what in the world was that for?
03:21And now all of a sudden, Soriano is shoving for Toronto.
03:24And they're back in the race, too.
03:26So, yeah, I don't believe in Toronto in particular.
03:32And as you can see, the Twins are now falling to the bottom there.
03:35But I do think, including Toronto, who I don't think is going to make it,
03:39but including Toronto, every single one of those teams has a shot to make the playoffs, Joe.
03:43And we are in August and heading to September.
03:47That is wacky.
03:49That is wacky.
03:50Like if, I mean, think about Philly or Miami or San Diego in the American League.
03:56We'd be saying they've clinched.
03:58We'd be saying, yep, they're right with Boston.
04:00You know, they're right with New York.
04:01But the NL is just far superior this season.
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