Tampa Bay Rays Clash with Atlanta Braves as Kevin Cash REGRETS Missed Opportunity in Texas

0:00This is the Lockdown Podcast Network celebrating 10 years of your team every day. With 19 games left, the Atlanta series is a playoff test. You are Lockdown Rays. Your daily Tampa Bay Rays podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day. The next episode is a tough one for the race.

1:04We get out of Texas that nightmarish place that has been horrible for the race in three years going with a split. However, I caught on the post game that Kevin Cash said, splitting in Texas, and I quote, not good enough. And I have to agree with him because on Sunday, the race were leading five to one, everything seemingly towards a race victory, and then implosion by basically everyone. Now, with Atlanta, the racer are the away team. What would be, quote unquote, good enough for the race as they meet the NL East leader? You need one. You need one. Obviously you want to. Look, if you get one that makes it a three and four road trip, which isn't the worst case scenario, but yeah, I mean, it's not splitting in Texas.

2:06It's not splitting in Texas, which suck because I think anybody would have signed up for that before the series considering the House of Horrors that place is. It's the fact that you know, you were up five to one, you scored, you know, when this team scored four or more, like it should be a winning proposition, right, especially when you're nursing a lead like that for most of the game. So that is the part that that hurts, but you know, I'm not going to get on. Get on this team if they lose a series in Atlanta against one of the best teams in Major League Baseball on the road. It's also in a very hitter friendly park, which probably doesn't help them too much. But having said that they also aren't going to face Chris sale. So that is a huge, huge help. You're not really getting their studs on starting wise. Yeah. So you should be able to get one. So the odds are the Yankees are going to win that series against Iraqis. So they're going to have to imagine they're going to get two or three.

3:08And if you get one of three, your A.O. East lead is down to three heading back home. And for me, I think winning at home, winning those series at home, Houston, Houston, athletics, and then Boston, like to me, you got to win all those. I think I got a game for you, Evan, because with those 19 games, if you look ahead, the three in Atlanta, like you said, Houston at home, athletics at home, Boston. Then four games in three days in Yankee Stadium with the Yankees. And then Philadelphia to close the season with three games. Now the game is this, Evan, with 19 games left. And these are the series. And only one series is against a team that's not doing anything else in 2026, which is the athletics. What do you think is the most realistic scenario for the race going in these 19 games when lost record wise? I think you're looking at a team that's probably going to go 10 and 9, 9 and 10.

4:08So then you look at the flip side. So if you're doing 10 and 9, 9 and 10, you also got a bacon, the fact that if you do that, you're probably not getting swept by Boston. You're probably not getting swept by the Yankees. And you got to remember if the race just went one game in the Bronx, they have the tie break. So that four game lead in the East is as it right now becomes a five game lead in the East. So you know winning, I mean, you have to look if you don't win one in the Bronx anyway, you're screwed. So it doesn't matter. And you don't deserve the win division to be good. You don't deserve to win the division if you can't win one at the Bronx. But if you're saying 9, 10 or 10 and 9, which I agree, I think that's most likely a conservative viewpoint. But I think it's safe to do so because of the competition that the race have. But if you look at it that way, then that means that the Yankees have to go either 14 and five or 15 and four to overtake the race in that scenario.

5:10And now you're seeing, okay, it's September 8th and it could just be a little bit ahead of schedule. But also the 19 games left the season is almost over. So like, I don't mean to put you on the spot here for a hot take, but with 19 games left in a four game lead. Are we just being too conservative to say, oh, I still have to see more of this team. There's 19 games left. Are they going to win the East or are they not going to win the East? I mean, I don't know because look, it's going to come down to that series in the Bronx. Like it is, even if things start going really badly for the race, they're still going to have a chance to catch up in the Bronx. And they're still going to be able to essentially gain two games in one when they do it. So let's say they enter the Bronx and they've, let's say the A.L. East is gone. Let's say they're down by a game in by the Yankees and they win that first one of the Bronx. Well, now you're tied with the Yankees, but you're really ahead.

6:12And now you take a three game series where you got to win two or three. And then it comes down to a six game season. So, you know, regardless of how we cook it up, the, the rays need to hold water until Boston and New York. And you control your own destiny. You have, you're going to have to perform. And like if you win that series against, let's say you, you win two or three against red socks and you split against the Yankees, you're going to be in the play. You're going to win the division. I have a tough time believing you're not. But that's, that's why whatever we're going to do to get to this point. For the most part, the rays just have to kind of move their feet side to side. And, and honestly, when you look at the schedule, they are simply going to have to take advantage of a three game series against the athletics who are kind of a stingy, a stingy team right now. But yeah, like, this is a team that you're going to have to ideally, you're going to want to sweep them with how hard your schedule is. You're going to want to sweep the athletics because that's going to give you some buffer.

7:13And then, you know, you imagine, hey, whatever, however these next six games go, if you can sweep the athletics, then are the Yankees sweeping their opponent, you're likely gaining a game, maybe two in that run. So that's part of the shuffling that goes back and forth. The Yankees also have to still head out west again. They got to go to Arizona. Right. That's a, that's a really tough thing to do is go west, come back, go west again. And that's, that's, and then they got to come back home and immediately play the raise. So that's a, that's a really tough task. So I, you know, I look, the odds are in their favor, but I'm not going to cement it because there are, there's a lot in play. And Boston has a really easy week here coming up. There's nothing that says that Boston can't go six. He's the one that overtakes the Yankees. Exactly. And Boston can go five and one this week and all the sudden they're down six games in the ALE. And maybe it's three by the end of this week, two. If it goes, goes really poorly.

8:14And then all the sudden that series against Boston becomes huge. So and Boston would have the typewriter on you most likely. So that's, I have to do the math again, but I think you have to sweep Boston. But if you even have a chance at it. So yeah, you know, there's too much. And then Boston gave the race really just was very. It's just, it's one of those things where because you have to play Boston in New York, it's tough to make any grandiose predictions because it's. Even with 19 games. It's a, it's not crazy. Yeah. Yeah. It's a seven game season once, once Boston comes to town. That's, that's the way that I look at it. Yeah. That's very exciting. And more exciting right now is the fact that September callups have a way of being stars in October. Well, I'm going to the game at the top on Saturday. And you know how I got my tickets. Yeah, that's right. Using a game time because there's nothing like getting your tickets to the top using something that helps you along the way like game time.

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10:29You're trading against peers in the live market, meaning there's no house. And as the probability changes, you can buy in and out of your position. So download the Calc. app and use code LOCKED O N to get $10 when you trade 10 KAL S8. L S H I Calc. Treyed on anything 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply event contract trading does involve risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Calc products are not available in all jurisdictions prices values and available markets may differ from those mentioned for more information. See Calc.com slash regulatory. Thank you so much for tuning into LOCKED O N. Making us your first listen every single day. We've got Evan Kloski on the show today and you guys love the Kloski show. So why not get you more involved? Okay number one, we have a YouTube comment here that we want to react here. Evan, the first one is by at Walter Bonner FQ5VV who says,

11:35you need another dominant relief pitcher. Ty Johnson looks like the guy you need someone in the late innings who you don't have to worry about and he's definitely better than three or four that you already have on the staff. So without getting too much into the Manuel Rodriguez and get recleven your situations because we have comments about those coming up. Can you tell me what you think Ty Johnson's chances are not only with remaining with the team through September but then also making the playoff roster? I'm a big Ty Johnson fan. I've been a good man. Yeah and let it be known by the way that I'm a little hesitant to throw him into every high leverage spot here. He didn't pitch in a high leverage spot by the way in his debut and I would probably shield him from that because he's got to get used to some major action here. But I think that immediately he comes in and he's a right handed hitting specialist. He should be able to get those guys out with ease and then the left ease is really where he's kind of been.

12:38He's decent. Don't get me wrong. It's just left these are a little bit more of a struggle than the right ease. It's a little bit different as a reliever. He started as a starter. He only had two pitches and he was still knowing everybody down. Hopefully in the future he can develop a change of for something and become a starter again. But for now I think he is somebody you got to keep in this bullpen. And I would say he's probably in the middle for me of that bullpen. You know I'm not putting him over Baker. I'm not putting him over Wells. I'm not putting him over Kelly. Not putting him over Boozard. But then once you kind of get through those four since we don't have Rodriguez or even Clevve to talk about. So I'm just not even going to put them on the table. Now we're getting into the time period of like Ty Johnson. So but again, that's like high leverage and like you're rattling off a ton of wins. He's going to find high leverage. But that's kind of like hey we're in a tie game. You're down one like that's kind of where I want to see. Ty Johnson and I kind of want to see a Cooña verse that's Ty Johnson now going to lie.

13:39And there's then this is I think that would be really fun to see power on power. But I agree. I think those four guys are above right now. They're ranking but he's got the stuff right now. They're the strikeouts. So that he's got it is unbelievable. Next one here from a poker fan apparently because he is at poker playing idiot who says not a very good one. Evidently. Apparently not. I did not forget about Monroe Rodriguez. I kept looking for updates on the race website to see when he would return glad to see him back. Well poker playing idiot. He's already gone because although he was good in three of his four outings with the race. He was not that good getting results in the minor lakes, which really doesn't really matter when you're in a rehab start. But then he got batted around pretty badly his last one with the meds. They go on the aisle with a low back strain. Is there a possibility of him coming back this season because from the press coverage. It really doesn't seem like there's a lot of updates on Manuel and it's almost going to weaken. Yeah, no, I think Manuel is going to be back, but you know, he missed what 15 months and.

14:45The thing is the stuff looks fine. The locations are off and that's not to be. That's not surprising given the fact that he missed a chunk of time and you know at this point in the year. You can't look you're obviously not going to cut him. So at this point of the year, you need to ask yourself is it is it the right place to kind of get some more work in and you know whatever he has a lower back thing or whatever it might be. But look, I think Manuel would be a tremendous addition to this bullpen and somebody who again when when after you get past those four I mentioned. I think that's a good time and well like you're talking about guys in a similar tier who have some powered stuff who can really do some fun things, especially, especially it's righties. But yeah, I just I think he just needs a little bit more refinement. Same thing with Clev. Clev the stuff looks great. The locations way off control way off and that's been his Achilles heel throughout his tenure and majorly baseball is that when Clev is going wrong.

15:50Because he can't locate and that's why his name was kind of rumored out there in the office is in because the raise are of. I mean they if they're going to hammer anything home with their pictures is going to be fine to zone find locations. Yeah, and it just that's been the issue with Clev it's it's really not a stuff issue. It's a locations issue and he's just you know it's I tend to believe that life is correcting itself after just a. That life is correcting itself for Kevin Kelly last year to this year is the opposite of how life is correcting itself. I did like that. I liked your tweet. I don't know if people got to say get to see the 2025 version of Kevin Kelly is the 2026 Gary Covenger but just to make sure though. Yeah, mind what other he is it's not a season ending situation that we have on our hands right like we could I don't. I mean I haven't heard an update you know certainly when the rays come back to town on Friday. We'll cash will give us all those updates and and whatnot but I do not imagine that is a season ending injury. You know certainly you're more concerned about the types of like Clev in McClanahan who are dealing with forearm tightness.

16:56Whatever you know that's those are the ones that concern me more than like a wonky back so I'm not as concerned there. Now the third one from Gary at elephant 2024 who says Simpson Yandhi at and that junior Hicks could be a big five in my estimation. Deploy Chandler to maximum efficiency out of the lead off spot. All right so since August 3rd the trade that line both Leigh M. Hicks and Chandler Simpson have been incredible in their own right right. We know what Chandler Simpson brings to the table. We know what the M. Hicks brings to the table. I shouldn't the big five moniker start to be used by race fans. I mean look they're kind of they're kind of the big four because here's the thing look we love Chandler Simpson he's incredible at putting the ball play speed. Yeah, yeah, he's got no power. He's got no PS to his name. He's a singles guy and to be fair. Well that's very like look bass is loaded or something he's going to put the ball play and it's great and you know he should be able to take care of a job but.

18:04He can't impact a game with the bat let's say like a Yandhi like a junior like an Aranda so the big. I just have this more power based in your head then yeah and I think it's fair to say they're big four. You know Chandler is I mean we're getting we're getting hung up on some antics Chandler is in like an awesome piece to this lineup and he's got a very specific role and he does it exceptionally well yes but he is limited in his ability to impact the scoreboard more than one right like Chandler is if he gets on base he steals you got a single boom that brings him in one. Junior Yandhi Aranda they can bring in multiple runs they can have a party so there's just a hit. Same thing so that you know when you have the ability to go into the gaps and to get doubles home runs like those things just they're separators that you you are more impactful at the plate when you have power then when you don't.

19:14It doesn't it doesn't minimize Chandler's game it just it's a different tier it's like you know they're not they're not many there aren't many players like Chandler and that's why you know one Pierre is the world like they've come around you know pretty much in a generation there's one or two of them and that's pretty much it so the rare when you see him but because they're so rare I don't think they're boxed in tennis sort of like a ferocious clumping will need will need you know what Gary at elephant 2024 you've got. Some homework by Evan Klosskin myself find a different adjective than big five and then maybe we can include Chandler on that fantastic five sure you know whatever there you go I like that that's that's a good one but you know what's another good one is the fact that we're going to put the heat up a little bit on Klosski's seat with poscan clock. Support for today's episode comes from indeed sponsored job from workplace chaos heads and you need the right hire indeed sponsor jobs helps connect employers with candidates who match specific needs like skills certifications and locations so less time get spent searching and more time get spent finding the right fit in the minute I've been talking to companies like yours have made 27 hires on indeed according to indeed data worldwide so spend less time.

20:34Searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes there's less stress it's less time and more results when you need the right person to cut through the chaos this is a job for indeed sponsor jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsor job credit to help you get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed dot com slash podcasts just go to indeed dot com slash podcast right now and supporter show by saying you heard about indeed on this podcast indeed dot com slash podcast. Trans and conditions apply need to hire this is a job for indeed sponsored jobs can we talk about one of the most underrated organs in your body your liver it's your body's filter processing everything you consume and performing more than 500 functions a day and that's why giving your liver daily support can be an important part of building healthy havens dose for your liver is a clinically back liver health supplement designed to support daily liver function unlike any other.

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22:34Jazz hands oh look at that 100% on the jazz hands I wonder why we get 100% on jazz hands today of all to the math to the math people. There's two people here. There's one that's not we know who it is we know it is okay on August 20th we asked you what was missing from this race team so you could call the ALE's division to the race they were 76 and 51 now they're 85 and 58 that means that they went 9 and 7. I've made the argument that for the rest of the season I said this for a couple weeks now for the rest of the season every time the race lose I do not care as long as the Bronx bombers also lose on that same day. Evan am I right in this belief for the next 19 games and that's the way that it operates or am I forgetting about Boston to soon. I think that's fine I make it a caveat though I think look if you take care of your business you don't have to worry about anybody else's but the fact that when you lose you always got to look at the now it's like oh yeah the scoreboard watch and make sure that they're losing to and the fact is if you go 019 you're going there's too many times where the Yankees aren't going to go on 19 right so if you win it doesn't matter when anybody else does you're the one of the driver's seat so as long as you win who can't win.

24:02Who cares who cares where the you know like if the rays go I think what 12 or sorry it's going to be 13 and and 6 from here on out or whatever it is like yeah you're going to win the A L East that way so you know 18 and 1 if they're exactly that's my point like just to me sure that like you don't have to get worked up maybe emotionally if they lose in the Yankees lose 100% but like just take care of business take care of business you don't have to worry about the Yankees not to worry about Boston who cares who can wear the ones ahead they got they got to watch us to lose I'm not to watch them to lose if the rays win sucks suck the pressures on you guys I love that we talked a little bit about Clevanger when you look at his last month of work before he went on the aisle it was pretty rough going basically since August 7th he was getting knocked around almost every time out there a couple of weeks ago something caught my eye or my ears rather when on a post game he mentioned that it seems that baseball had a way of kicking you when you were already down so this struggles continued after that post game conference that he where he said those words

25:16why does it feel like to me as a fan that the Garrett Clevanger I'll stint seems a little bit of a phantom I'll stint I mean sure sure I'm not going to argue against it and you're never going to get a raise official to agree with it not to mention look there are other teams that do the same thing so you know you don't want to call out others because then you're going to remove the ability to do it yourself so it is one of those deals but yeah he needs a break and the thing is with Clev I think Clev is a lot better than what he is showing but as we know with relief pictures there is a lot of variance and noise to numbers year over year and the fact is it was very noisy last year he was that good and I think it's very noisy this year that he's that good noise he this year that he's that bad and he's probably somewhere in between the problem is life doesn't have to correct itself in 2026 it could correct itself in 2027 and that's what we saw with Kevin Kelly now he did make an arsenal change like he added a change up which completely unlocked Kevin Kelly versus whatever he was doing last year and Clev might have to do something similar in the offseason but like there there is no like I

26:41think that Clev is still a very good arm but at this point you're coming down to the the final 19 games you can't be in the business of trying to fix somebody like you got to accept the results a little bit see who has been the most consistent and ride with them because you can't unless he's going to be a bottom of the barrel type of guy that you throw out there in a in a BS game at this point you just can't trust him and it's September it's September 8th and I don't know like I'm going to know how stubborn you can be like I get the stubbornness if you want to beat that stubborn but I think the reality is this might be a 2027 fix versus a 2026 fix and for everybody who says just you know DFA him that is not the solution he has a very good picture with very good stuff it's just he's in a rough go right now and unfortunately it comes at the worst time of the year and that's why I say you can't shove a you know a square peg into a round hole you just got to kind of find a way around it and and figure out

27:41who can maybe fill in that that spot if he had those two amazing innings in the middle of summer in August and September we wouldn't even have people saying the DFA conversation right now but you know when you when you're also are given a 6 to 1 lead and you can hold that maybe you just can't trust him right now and that's the thing like people people like the last two outings for Clav to like wow you can't like why we put them in the game like I'm sorry like it is a 6 1 game there's like one guy on if you can trust him with 6 1 and there's and there's one out like if you can't bring him into a 6 1 game with one out and one man on you ain't never bringing him like those are the situations to bring him in it yeah he didn't come in on a 6 5 game and like hey I got to shut the door with first and second and no out right you're not bringing him into these insanely high leverage spots cash is bringing him in to low leverage spots until they became high leverage for somebody else so that stuff was loaded nonsense respectfully no no I agree with that because like again 6 to 1 that's as low leverage as you're gonna get in he didn't get it done last one for Klossky on the clock you know throughout this change of ownership the biggest thing we always said is stadium stadium stadium

28:54seems now that the stadium situation is basically settle we just have to see that concrete and the dirt being splatted around with with shovels now the focus for race fans is now okay the stadium situation is settled can you get my boy junior coming at a long term so he stays here and I can buy a jersey with his name on the back that I can use for the next 10 years given the CBA negotiations and how that'll happen in the office and there's most certainly going to be some changes that are going to impact how players are going to be signed with not only maybe the value amount of contracts but maybe the length of contracts is it too crazy to say that there's less than a 13% chance using 13 for junior coming at a jersey number here is there a little a 13% chance that race sign junior coming at a long term deal before the lockout or are we already saying it's it's 0% that that's happening before the CBA gets signed

29:56really really tough one to figure out typically when stadium deals of this size go down ownership likes to wave something fun and flashy in front of the fans to say see this is what happens when you play ball with us like you get what you want so typically you want to throw them a bone and and extending junior came in arrow would be that bone having said that I argued vehemently this should have been done last off season objectively last off season was a terrible time to do a deal like this because you had new ownership coming in you're fighting for a stadium deal you don't know what the future is for finances yada yada yada so now comes down to like this junior want to do that deal like when junior hits arbitration he ain't going to be a poor man so the closer you are to arbitration he's going to be treated just fine and so then it comes down to do the raised belief that with the CBA negotiations there's going to be some sort of salary cap in this thing that's going to prevent junior from making a boatload of money and it's up to that point that juniors got a cave on some of his wishes to stick long term but I would argue while I hope to see junior came in arrow extended he deserves it and I think ownership should throw this fan base a bone like that I do believe maybe a more realistic outlook is let's reach out to feel gillin how about we do what the broers have been doing and let's get his extension done and he's going to do it

31:24and let his extension done and figure that out so I think that's you know and look there's risk that goes with it go look at what happened with Boston and Kristen Campbell Christian Campbell I don't know like you just gave him a boatload of money and doesn't look like he's going to be an impact piece so there is risk but yeah so I don't know I need I need the season end and then I can kind of dig into more of that because with the focus being on baseball and the team and winning the ALE East and I'm not going to be a part of it and all this fun stuff I haven't really given the offseason that much of a thought and I haven't burdened people who can help me with that with it because nothing's going to get done right now right everyone's growing the boat so great question wish I had better for you but I just don't know and I can I can make an argument both ways if you want to hear more arguments from Evan Klowski Evan why don't you tell people where they can find more of your stupendous work yeah head to the tentative bay news app you can watch our five six eleven o'clock sports casts obviously we're going to be tracking the rays all the way to the end of the season into the playoffs they should be clinching a plow spot at some point this week

32:33and then also bucks season starting on Sunday we're going to air a live streaming show of the blitz Thursdays at eight o'clock you can find that on the tentative bay news app YouTube and then I'm yeah I mean lightning are about to begin training camp next week this is is where your boy gets no sleep so we're excited it's the best time of the year but these are hard to come by but we love it that's awesome well so you guys are going to be able to find a lot of tweets then by Evan on a lot of different things coming up in the next two months at E-Class QWTSP better that's right and what do you can you be a jerk on Twitter to you or what happened to the jerks I respond to 99% of people the 1% are for those lovely people exactly well thank you all so much for joining us I locked on race part of the locked up podcast that work your team every day and we will talk to you tomorrow with Kevin on a solo episode

33:47and local analysis on a national scale find MLB game night on locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts