The Morning Shift on 92.9 The Game
Braves' numbers are telling us who they are
Tif, Mike and Rob are joined by Grant McAuley as they preview the Braves' weekend series with the Pirates: On the numbers telling us who the Braves are On Michael Harris II having a great future despite struggles/injuries On the Max Fried/Paul Skene matchup one to look forward to On how the Braves can turn things around at the plate On Charlie Morton trying to get keep himself consistant and crafty On Marcell Ozuzna being ok to be HR derby
- Duration:
- 12m
- Broadcast on:
- 28 Jun 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
Now, with the MLB app, you can get baseball your way. Pick your favorite team, your favorite players, and get customized highlights, stories, and breaking news right on your home feed. Follow the action with Game Tip, where 3D replays add another dimension. Plus, notifications can keep you connected to every pinch, every hit, every game, the MLB app. Baseball your way. Download it now for free from the App Store or Google Play. Blackout and other restrictions apply in Major League Baseball trade parts used with permission. This hour brought to you by Mark Spain Real Estate. Go to mark Spain.com to get a guaranteed offer in your home today and start packing. Well, right now, we are going straight to the way forward.com hotline. That is where we find our very own Grant McCauley, our Braves insider and reporter and host of From the Diamond. Grant, I don't really know if I'm going to get a lot in with you in this segment. So, I don't know if you've been listening. Mike is on fire today about the race. I'll just simply ask, how are you? How am I? I'm very good. I'm always thrilled to close out my week right here. It's kind of my ramp into From the Diamond on Sundays, and we always have a great discussion. Whatever we get into. But Mike has a vendetta reckoning with you. I think he's blaming you. No, I'm not. I'm not very much. I just, here's the thing, and this is the question it's been catered with three months in the year, right? It's been good. It just has something to do with your fantasy team. Well, listen, I'm not happy with you because I have, I have, you taught me into Michael Harris as a keeper. That has not worked out. For I know Todd Jesus, my other keeper and Rice Harper now is my third keeper, and I am just not in a good spot. So, here's what I want to know, Grant. You play the one off against the White Sox, the Munster three hits and a bullpen game for the White Sox, one of the worst teams in majors. At what point? And I know that you're not there and you're usually never there, and I appreciate that about your even keel. But at what point is Brace fans, can we panic? I mean, at what point can we get to a spot where you say, you know what, this team is just not that good this year? I don't know that that's, I mean, that's not true because a club that gets halfway through the season and has been pushing basically 10 games over 500 while not being as powerful as it should be. Let's say that. And I think everybody understands that and there are a variety of reasons for it. But the bottom line is at some point, the numbers tell you who and what you are. But they also, they tell a very mixed and strange story for this team because the pitching, whether it be the starting rotation of the bullpen is holding up its job. Figuring out this offense is definitely the moving target for this braised team. But, you know, as frustrating as it is to lose a game to the White Sox, in fact, they did yesterday, this is a club that started the road trip out by taking two out of three from the New York Yankees. So, it's again, it's been such a mixed bag. And I think what everybody wants to see is that nice run of consistent play that just lets them know that that's possible, whether that's, you know, winning nine out of 10, winning seven or eight in a row. I mean, I know they just won eight out of 10 and then follow that up by taking two out of three from the Yankees and everything was just really clicking and looking good, feeling good. I mean, baseball is a game where any team can beat another team on a given day. You start losing series like that to teams like the White Sox. That, I think, would be, you know, a reason to, I don't know if panic is the word, but definitely have some real negative feelings about your viewing experience. I'll put it that way. You know, I love Michael Harris because the local kid and all this stuff and kind of touted, but I read something online the other day. I was like, oh, God, I hope this is the true. Michael Harris is what's like Jason Haywood, Jason Haywood, Jason Haywood, yeah, true or false by herself. I mean, I would buy that as categorically false just based on the fact that the first two years of Michael Harris were more consistent than any two years than Jason Haywood's run with the Braves. Haywood had a great rookie season, not a great sophomore season. Then he kind of bounced back at that 2020 year. I know he battled some injuries and other things. Jason Haywood was just this incredible talent, but the results never really seemed to match up. And obviously the Braves made the choice to trade him. And you look at his career outside of Atlanta. I mean, I don't know where the power went. I don't know how you can be 65, 235 pounds of just chiseled muscle and not be able to hit more than 10 or 12 or 15 home runs in the season. I just don't understand that and I never will. Then you watch that swing and you start to figure it out. But long loopy. Yeah, Michael Harris at 23 years old, you know, with the great future in front of him. I know right now it's frustrating. The hamstring thing on top of the slow start to the season, but he's shown the ability, I think, to make those adjustments last year could have been an absolute disaster for him. But the final three months, just reminded you just how special this guy is. And I think he's just got to get help to get back out there and have that opportunity to resume what I still think is one of the most promising careers of anybody in a braids uniform. Thank you, Dr. McCauley. I just sit back on that chase lounge because Rob said by herself, let's look ahead to Saturday's pitching match up. So, uh, yeah, two guys that can, you know, throw some heat on the mound. I call it a pitch fest 2024. But I know Robert said this might end up being some sort of high ice scoring. That's because that's just baseball. We look so forward to it. Then all of a sudden they're both gone by the fourth inning, you know, just, you know, are you buying or selling up? Now with the MLB app, you can get baseball your way. Pick your favorite team, your favorite players, and get customized highlights, stories and breaking news right on your home fee. Follow the action with Game 10, where 3D replays add another dimension. Plus, notifications can keep you connected to every pitch, every hit, every game, the MLB app. Baseball your way. Download it now for free from the app store or Google play. Blackout and other restrictions apply major league baseball trade parts used with permission. Pitch fest 2024. I mean, I'm buying it because I'm going to be there and I'm excited to get a look at Paul skiing's live and in a living color in the words of Rick flair. So I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I mean, this is a guy most hyped pitching prospects and Steven Strasburg. And if we're being honest, name me any other pitching prospects that have gotten that kind of hype in the last 30 if not more years, you could make a case maybe for Doc Gooden back in the 80s. But very few pitchers come in and really capture the base the imagination of all the baseball the way that Paul schemes is currently doing it. So I'm excited about that. Going up against the guy like freed certainly adds to that. You know, that probably the biggest and best duel that he's been in thus far. But I'm also with Rob where you look at it and think, all right, there should be a pitcher's duel. And we remember that players broadcast the first one that Valley sports did last year where Spencer Strider against Justin Verlander. Both those guys got blown up. As you all be said to game winning Homer in the ninth. I mean, the braids will take the win whenever way they can get it. But I'm excited to see Paul schemes. I don't know if the braids hitters are going to be quite as excited about what he may be able to bring on Saturday. That's for sure. Right, Grant, you're starting to make me feel a little bit better. I still listen. There's still a little bit of salt in my wound. Yeah. The fact that Joe Schuster gets the W last night. I was like, come on, man, that's just, you know what I mean? That's just piling on at this point. Jared Schuster getting the W. But you mentioned it a little bit. You look start to look towards this weekend series with the pirates. You come home after the road trip. You got what two weeks until the all-star break. What are your outlook and what do the Braves need to do over this next couple of weeks? Kind of write the ship really is trying to win series and play consistent baseball to close out that first half. And you know, I think we all know that there are needs for this club to help itself offensively help itself in the outfield when it comes to the trade deadline. I think they could look at pitching and probably would if the right deal comes to place or comes to fruition to have yet another starter because keeping in mind all the success that the Braves pitching staff has had has been despite losing what should be their ace starting pitcher their opening day pitcher Spencer Strider. That's just incredible. And it speaks to guys like Chris Saylor and all the Lopez and Max Freed at being, I think, all-star worthy, all three of them. But you just want to see the consistency. I think that's what folks have been waiting for, looking for, asking for from this team. And it starts at the plate to me because they've got the thing figured out on the mound. It's just going to have to do with, you know, can they go in against the Pittsburgh Pirates, take a series that they should. They lost two out of three up in Pittsburgh. Last time these two teams squared off, then you put on top of that. You know, you've got the Giants coming in. They're a club that has not really played the best baseball this year either. Kind of one of those got to figure out who they are teams. And then you got to show down with the Phillies. So it's a very big homestand in heading towards that second half. And you kind of wonder what the National Leaguey standings might look like if the Braves were able to win some series and then go ahead to head against the Phillies and handle their business. You know, I'm befuddled and puzzled by the, the complication that is Charlie Morton. You just never know what you're going to get with him. You see the stuff, you see the movement, and you can usually tell how his day is going to go. If he's, if he's locating his breaking stuff and the first inning and getting swings and misses, but if he's not, guys are sitting fastball, then he gets ripped. What is the, why the inconsistency with him? It drives me nuts because I see the talent. I know he's 40 now, but you've always seen it. I mean, in full disclosure, I mean, Charlie is one of my absolute favorite guys to hear, talk about the game and all of the different conversations that go around it. Yeah. I mean, you come in and you have the idea. I'm going to ask this guy a couple of questions about maybe what he's doing and also about a teammate. Just get some perspective. And then 35 minutes later, he's thanking you for your time. It's pretty incredible. So this is a guy that, yes, I mean, the stuff is there. I think the breaking ball sometimes is so good that unless you're able to get ahead and consistently ahead, maybe hitters don't expand their zone quite the same way. But Charlie's pitched a little bit differently. He's still got that 96 in his back pocket if he needs it, but I feel like he's thrown a lot of 93, 94, looking to locate, stay in the zone, sink the ball, cut the ball, do things that maybe make him a little bit more, no, we made this joke last year or last week, but crafty, then he's been in the past just being a fastball curveball strikeout pitcher. But what he's been able to do, I mean, and I've said this, and I'll continue to say it, if Charlie Morton is your fourth starter, is the problems that your team is dealing with, there are 29 other clubs out there that will be happy I would imagine to be in that position because everybody's trying to figure out a spot or two or three, sometimes more in their rotation. I just, you know, for Charlie, it would be great to see him, you know, that consistent run again, because it would just continue to help this club, because they need the pitching to continue to deliver as the offense tries to find his footing and find that consistency, which is the word of the day. Right interesting, very thoughtful dude, though. Yeah, Grant real quick, we got about 10 seconds. I'm just curious, though, are you okay if Marcel Lozuna hits in the home on Derby, or is that something that will concern you about a swing? No, I wouldn't bother me at all. I mean, this is the guy if you're watching take BP, I think he enjoys hitting tanks, and if he can go do that, and a little bit of spotlight for it. 10 seconds here, we find from the Diamond this week. You can find me Sunday five to seven right here on 92, nine of the game, all the Braves and baseball talk, and obviously we'll have a lot of Paul schemes to talk about this weekend as well, and wherever you get your podcast and the Odyssey app, just search for from the Diamonds. Great. Always the best. Thanks, Grant. Appreciate it. That was our Grant McCauley joining us, our Braves insider and reporter and host of from the Diamonds. Next, what does the future hold for at Lenny United's Chicago Almodah? And does it include a match on Saturday? Details on the way. Stay with us here. We also have a life of triple baddest man on the planet. I'll talk about it next. We'll be right back. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner yet again with North sides and bullion as you're not so secret ingredient, you can skip the drive through and do dinner at home. Nor taste combos provide a menu of delicious, affordable and well-balanced meals that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. Visit nor.com to get quick and easy recipe ideas for your home cooked weeknight dinners. It's not fast food, but it's so good. Now with the MLB app, you can get baseball your way. Pick your favorite team, your favorite players, and get customized highlights, stories, and breaking news right on your home feed. Follow the action with Game10, where 3D replays add another dimension. Plus notifications can keep you connected to every pinch, every hit, every game, the MLB app. Baseball, your way. Download it now for free from the App Store or Google Play. Blackout and other restrictions apply Major League Baseball trade parts used with permission.