Collins It Like It Is

53. Live On I5!

Stephen joins Sean live on I5 to give an instant reaction to the Mariners series win vs the Tampa Bay Rays! Stephen shares his experience at T-Mobile Park after game 3 + the brothers break down all 3 games from this series while also looking ahead to the upcoming Mariners road trip.

Duration:: 25m
Broadcast on:: 28 Aug 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

the- welcome back in to the- like it is podcast my name is Sean Collins and we got Stephen. Live from I five to a driving from. The hillsboro Oregon baby. Why. Because he went to. three when he went to game three he witnessed the series win against the Rays live in person Stephen. Thanks for joining me from the road. This is a if his audio sounds a little different. It's because we're committed. That's the reason. Stephen what were the vibes like what were the vibes like in T-Mobile series win three and a half games back from the Astros. How do you eat an elephant one game at a time and we're doing it. We are doing it bit by bit. How was the how was the experience. Well greetings from the road here we're entering Vancouver here I live down in the Portland metro area. So holy smokes I'll say the vibes in the stadium were fun. I mean it was it was. I mean it's a day game mid week so it wasn't full it wasn't packed but I'll tell you what man I'll just be a dad on this thing taking your kid to their first Mariners game first home game. There's nothing like it there's just nothing like it and so it was a blast like upper deck front row just get like see the whole stadium we walked saw the. You know Edgar Griffey statues knee house statue you know going out you got to get your you know garlic fries and you know it just was a sweet time and we were actually sitting in the bleachers right above the D and actors can team that. Literally it was actually cold which was kind of wild man so it's like cold. We need to go get some and we sit down within 30 seconds Julio hit that homer out there and you can literally see us on the broadcast so it was a blast man such a fun time. I mean the Mariners six runs feels like 25 runs it felt like we put up a 50 piece if you're the Seahawks band so the vibes were out of the charts as far as people can believe themselves I mean that was more runs that we scored in the entire last single series you know so holy smokes six runs. They were it was fun man I mean suns out Seattle's looking great. You know August day it was beautiful. You win the series Dan Wilson has never lost a series as a Mariners manager so you know hey I don't like that. And holy smokes I mean that outfield we've been wait for with Julio and Robles and a Rosarina making a trifold no fly zone. True getting all home runs today that was great. I can talk about some things that were you know a little bit frustrating there but at the end of the day got the series wins score six runs. We're basically unbeatable if we score five runs. You know we turn into the Terminator out there. And so yeah dude it was awesome it was a blast and yeah thanks thanks listeners for grace as literally literally on the road with my son in the car man special time special memories we will never forget so. Yeah yeah glad you were able to have that experience for context we are 43 and four when we score five runs in a game like that is that is crazy that's hard to wrap your mind around. And yeah so if you're watching the replay of the Julio Rodriguez home run which I do want to analyze that home run I thought it was an important. Revelation that happened or an important event that happened the home run goes kind of into the cantina and you'll see just look right above the D. In Edgar's and you'll see a fan in a white shirt kind of fist pumping and you'll see a little boy with his glove up in the air. That's that's you guys fan that's you guys out the outfield so sweet that was sweet. Julio turned on an inside fastball he does not do that he does not do that ever he has not done that this season and to see him square up an inside fastball was really encouraging we are going to need if we're going to get this. If we're going to get this done three and a half games. That is going to require all three of the guys that were good today. Robles Julio Rosa Reyna we've said it in previous podcasts. The core of the lineup pretty much is those three plus Cal. You know it was supposed to be JP Garver Polo and Julio no it's our outfield and Cal like that's that's that's what's carrying the lineup. That was interesting that JP let off and in Robles hit third or sorry hit last. Yeah I don't know about that one I don't know yeah I don't know that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I'll tell you what else I know I know you're going to break down all the games but as well as fresh in my mind I was there I'll tell you what else I don't know about. A Rosa Reyna trying to make diving catches to the first inning turning a routine fly ball single into a triple out the gate in the first inning. I was like Rosa Reyna what are we doing. That was his now I would like the intensity I like the aggression I like the you know taking risks that one felt very unnecessary. That was the on the cost benefit analysis two outs he let up all get past you go to the wall that that we just didn't need. But actually both of them Julio made actually a couple great catches out the outfield. But yeah I rose right in the first inning left left made that first inning uncomfortable you know made Castillo have to work for something and Castillo is good not great but he got the job done so anyway. A Rosa Reyna is just going to be a frustrating player like there's just the highs are going to be really high the lows are going to be really low and not to sound like Scott here but that's going to be part of a Rosa Reyna's game. We saw the 3 0 count you know after Turner gets walked and you know Rosa Reyna just grounds into what should have been a double play stuff like that where it's like you know diving online drives it's like okay. You know you have to take the good with the bad with Rosa Reyna so I'm glad he's on the team that's all I can say. Let's just go let's just go game by game here I'm gonna start with game one will talk about games two and three just give some overarching thoughts as a as we're chipping away at this whole we've dug dug ourselves in. So let's just start game one. The storyline for me there's the big headline for me is Randy Rosa Reyna home ring first game against the raise his former team and he takes an oppo taco three run home run and that that was a pretty sweet moment. Yeah we also had polo hit a home run in that game but really to me. Rosa Reyna hitting that home run that was that was the highlight of that one. Anything else stand out from you other than you know I'm just on offensively about that game I thought it was a pretty well played game top to start to finish I know I know you're driving and don't have any notes. I don't have anything in front of me you score five runs you never lose if you're the Mariners so we scored five runs we didn't lose. Yeah, yeah Bryce Miller was fantastic maybe the best we've seen him since his debut back in Oakland last year he was virtually unhittable did give up a run but seven innings 10 strikeouts. We had both and Thornton kind of in like a little bit of a pseudo mop up role but you're in the lead so just kind of low leverage. If you don't speak they slam the door Mariners win five won Rojas goes two for four with a double. I thought overall like I said a good game. Only eight strikeouts we would go two for seven with runners in scoring position. I mean not really nothing to complain about with game one very well played game a lot of energy loved it. Game two on the other hand. Well you know game two you know it was a lot of strikeouts that's the name of the game we struck out a lot of times. Their pitcher was Sandy Colfax out there just ask our hitters and he ate our lunch there's no other way around it. Couldn't get very many runners on in scoring position we only go one for four with runners in scoring position but Logan Gilbert pissed a gym. Yeah, well apparently we only had one hard hit ball in the entire game. Apparently we only had one hard hit ball in the entire game so we didn't have any extra base hits. No yeah I mean all that's just telling it was all the problems of the entire year encapsulated and it just took the win out of the sales if it will. And Houston lost so we're sitting there be like we can gain another game. You know it's just man and actually a little behind the scenes we were doing. We actually were watching that game with a bunch of Mariners content creators which is a ton of fun. Sean you coordinated a fantasy football league and so man I just love this community that's being built. Some of the folks that were on there. Oh yeah like nine people on the zoom call it was just chaos everyone had different timing on when stuff was happening. It was a blast it was just a ton of fun you know Jake's tried in or Jake's tried in Jake's you know he was on there. You know there was the Soto Mojo guys were on there right tied it's all of us we had couch DM was on there. couch DM I mean yeah it was a blast so but it was all the stuff that we've been complaining about and it was it was a frustrating game. I mean that many strikeouts that many the two just the lack of scoring runs an absolute gym being wasted was starting. It just was it encapsulated the entire year's frustration and it made it made it where this game was riding a just a ton was riding on it. And seeing Houston jump out to that like really early lead also Jordan Alvarez three home runs today which is wild. So crazy apparently Taiwan Walker got lit up. Yeah as the name you haven't heard in a while. So he might be he might be done he might be out of the league man. Yeah. Yeah. I mean a Rossville Ramirez made an appearance in this series. Holy cow. Yeah. Yeah that was. Back together. I had no idea he was still playing Major League Baseball. That was crazy to see him. I when they showed him in the in the bullpen warming up I was like is that is no way that's a rational Ramirez he retired five years ago. And then he turns around like the rest of the world. So that was really cool. But it made this that that game to frustration made today so important. Yeah. Like if we lose today and fall and drop another series you go back down essentially I think it would have dropped us literally to 500 again. Just off that would have been just wind out of the sails. And so today was huge. Yeah. As big as like I however big a game can be that isn't a literal like you know playoff on the line that's what the game was. You know like that's what all these series are like you you run out of room. You know you just run out of real estate if you if you keep dropping games. But yeah it was massive. They rose to the occasion. Oh dude I gotta give somebody a shout out on here actually. Um dude I gotta give stuff they do a shout out. We apply nine and eight. Yeah I gotta give them a shout out man. He was the one player that stuck around. You know it's a travel day guys are rushing out of here. I'm not judging anybody. But he was the last dude out there just signing autographs. There was a group of kids there and my son got a ball signed by him and just like that's cool man. He's obviously a local local guy. All of that. But it's like man that's red. So I'll say you made it you made a bunch of kids day today. Well done. Yeah he's a good dude. And I've been wrong about Sausado because I thought he was when he had kind of that blow up. Just kind of basically the beginning of August till maybe August basically I was like man I just don't know if he's going to stick around. He's made through some cuts here and he's not going to get sent down anytime soon. I mean rosters are only going to expand in the next few days. So yeah I'm glad I hope that he's able to put together a decent September. That would be really sweet because he's so easy to root for. So yeah it's really cool. You were able to meet him and get an autograph. That's that's what I mean that's the stuff that you'll remember. I remember as a kid going to the Giants and the Astros game and still remember some of those plays. Some of those players and some of those autographs that we got from the Astros still to this day. And I was probably you know not more than not more than a few years older than your son. So yeah special memories for sure. What's the matter with Berkman? Yeah I remember that absolutely. If you're not familiar with that in the in the Giants ballpark they'll they'll heckle the outfielder in left field. And they'll usually say what's the matter with. And then they'll say the outfielders name he's a bum. And I remember that so vividly as a kid. Oh man that was great stuff. I don't feel like we need to go through game three all that. I mean we basically let off with game three the outfielders. Yeah it all hit a home run. Julio turns on that fastball. We only strike out seven times in game three which is fantastic. Castillo. Five and two-thirds innings. Four strikeouts. Touring runs. Both Snyder Munoz slammed the door. Oh dude. They don't give up a run. They don't give up a hit. Yeah. Yeah exactly. It was easy easy peasy lemon squeezy or whatever that. Well one stat on the opposite end of that was Julio. This was his first home run of August. Yeah. And like his second home run since he all struck record essentially. And so holy smokes that dude needs it. Like that dude needs it. Yep. And if we're going to call our way out it's going to be because Julio's awesome. He's still I mean that great player that we've seen in 2022 and 2023. It shows glimpses. We need to see we need to see it for a month. He's going to continue to hit third even though he's not a three hitter right now. But he's your only shot. Like if Julio isn't good down the stretch here. It's it's it's it's it's over. Yeah. He's such a talented player that it gives you hope. It gives you hope because it's it's right there. And if you can just unlock that potential man. This lineup really as Julio goes so go the Mariners. That's true. Even with the additions of Randy and Robles and Turner as Julio goes. So goes the Mariners and when he's locked in and you turn it on fastballs. Yep. We can he did it. He did it twice. It's first inning single. He turned on a turn on a pitch. I don't know if it was a fastball but he turned on a pitch and then he got robbed of what would have been a double down the right field line. He has just made an awesome play. I believe that's who was over there. And yeah he was you know a Rosarina had like and Robles both had swinging bonds and Julio was mashed in the ball. So that's just good to see. It's just good to see. Yeah. Before he heard his ankle he was fantastic and looked just like Julio that we needed Julio to be and his timing got all off. They never gave him a rehab assignment. We're in sprint desperate titums call for desperate measures and we had to get him out there as soon as we possibly could. So I think his timing is starting to come back. At least I hope and if it is we could make up three and a half games. I'm not going to say no problem but man. Sure. I like our odds. We can make up three and a half games no problem because we're playing the Astros still. You know what I mean? Like as long as you keep it within three. Yeah. We're no matter what we're in. Like the math. We're still in it. You know. And I'll be honest. I don't know what the tiebreaker. You know. We have it. No matter what we'll have it. No. If the Astros win the series then they will have it. But right now we have it. Okay. I mean at the end of the day if we lose that series it's over anyway. Yeah. It's a playoff series no matter what. Yeah. So. Dude. Can I ask you a random question? That now is not our high time. You know. Whatever. I'm striving. I'm curious. You alluded to this. Well one. When do rosters expand? It's September 1st. Yeah. Dude. Who are a couple of names you want to see up? Whether it's rookies that you want to see. Called up because man they need to get some A.B.'s or guys that are kind of that quad A or whatever. Like who's the name you want to see. You called up. I mean I think Bliss needs to be up here. I would not bring up Cole Young. I would not bring up Harry Ford. If that's where your head's at I would be floored. I'd be jaw on the floor surprised if they bring up either of those two guys. I'm not saying it's impossible but I would be shocked. If they bring up one of those two guys. I think Bliss is a no brainer. I think that you know. I don't know somebody in that you know Cody Bolton. You know we're probably going to bring up a reliever in a position player. I don't think anything crazy is happening. I don't think we're bringing up Logan Evans. You know you're going to go with the guys that have played for you this season. I don't think that Lock Leader is coming up. There's not really any at bats for him. Yeah I think it's probably Bliss and I think it's somebody probably like a Cody Bolton. You know coming up. It's not going to be anybody crazy. I can tell you that much. Yeah those are my thoughts. One thing I wanted to do is kind of look ahead to the series that are coming up. This is it. That's a good way to put it. This is it. You go into the Angels ballpark in Anaheim. If you go into Oakland I'll be at that series and then we play St. Louis. Meanwhile. One of those do we play for one of those one of those series we've got four games. Yeah Oakland Oakland. Okay great. Yeah and then meanwhile while that's all going on the Astros are going to play the Royals. They're going to play actually I just had. Yeah okay so they're going to play the Royals. They're going to play the Cincinnati Reds and then they're going to play the Arizona Diamondbacks. I know the Reds are not anybody to you know be afraid of. They're a professional team though but the Diamondbacks are legit. The Diamondbacks are they're firmly in that you know wild card spot. They're going to make the playoffs. They're 75 and 57. They've been on fire since the all-star break. So there's still what they did last year man. They're coming on strong at the end. Yep and the I mean at the end of the day if the Astros are able to go through this stretch and you know go on a run here it's probably over. If the if the Mariners can get within I'd say two. By the end of this road trip. I'd say that we got a pretty good shot but. I feel like we got at least two. I mean like this is a of those 10 games we got to go seven and three now. Yeah like that's got to be the like that's what we got to walk away with. We got to walk away with seven wins. Yeah and then you're hoping Houston over there next time. I mean I don't think they're playing 10 they're playing nine. Yeah if you can make up a couple a game and a half to two and a half there. I mean poof now if you can go to that Houston series a game game and a half back. Now we're now we're really cooking. Yep and that series is is not tell like the end of September. So it's not like we go through the road trip and then go into. Go into the Astros series. We still have to play San Diego Texas Yankees Texas again. And then we play Houston so I do think that. Yeah need to be within a you know I guess. It's not that it's like we all we have to be a couple games back. Otherwise it's impossible it just. The odds are so stacked against you if you because this is where you gain your game. Like this stretch is when you gain your ground. We have a easy schedule. The Astros have a hard schedule. This is the only time that those two things line up. So this is where we make up ground right here. And if we don't do that if we lose ground in this in this stretch. And then it's really. Yeah game over. But if we can get you know within you know two I'd say three games. For sitting you know two three games back. Then okay here we go down the stretch. I mean this is going to get really exciting. So I hope that they give us a reason to keep on watching. Yep. Yep. Well that might be giving us fits. So don't hold your breath in. What Kansas City. They're playing for the pennant right now man. Like they have turned the sucker on. I mean now the. Whatever happens at least. But. The Royals. I mean the Royals and Guardians just finished a series in the Guardian. Like they were tied for the division league. So they're playing each other obviously. And so there's just a reality there of like there. The Royals are playing for stuff. Yep. Now this isn't just like oh we're five games back to division. We're stuck in a wild card like coasted in. Like they're there. They got some like they got a division banner to be playing for out there. So man. The Houston has been so hot. For the last six weeks. You just got to believe it's going to turn off. Now I know the last 10 games they've actually been in like four and six or something like that where we've been five and five. We've made up a game over the last or maybe five five or six and four for us now. But like they've they've cooled off a little bit of the last 10 but like man over the last six weeks they've been on fire and like what comes up must come down. And like at some point the Astros are going to lose a couple series in a row. You know like it's just coming. And so it's it's there for the taking. These are three series we must win. These are three series that I mean do get greedy. When all three series which means you got to win three out of four against Oakland and like you know that's that's how you get them. You know like that's how you make up the ground like this is it. This is it. That's the hole they dug themselves in. We've got no. You got no other choice. You got to do it. So we'll see. We'll see how it all shakes out. Anything else you want to discuss before we get out of here Steven. Man. I want to say like being there in person and we've all known this watching it but with Robles back. Crawford back. Julio back. We didn't even have Turner today and we didn't have Rojas today. And the lineup just felt long man. Yeah. But I feel like the lineup is. And it just feels different. This feels like an out professional lineup. You know with like legit. Where it's like nobody nobody turned over on the card. We're like oh gosh. Here we are. You know. Where just so many of those high France. That's so many of those. Now Reba. I got to give some honor to his name. But let's be honest. Like nobody's like that's just that is a bonus. He was not still in fear. Anybody was stepping to that was about no offense. Yeah. Reba. But like just so many have bad. It just felt dead in the water with Mitch Garver and so many dudes. Whereas like. Man you look at the lineup. It feels like a legit lineup. And. You know plonco doesn't have the stats. You know. For the whole season. But for the second half he's been a totally different dude. You know. So many guys. You know. So it just feels like the lineup is long. Yeah. So I agree. It's just looking at the scoreboard out there and just kind of following live. It just it struck me in a fresh way I guess. So that was the last thing I want to want to bring up. Yeah. Plonco over his last. 15 games. Has a. Three seventy one on base percentage with a four ninety one slug. That'll work. That'll work. One last thing I wanted to say before getting out of here. You were talking about. Yeah. Do you see Robles on the wall. This game. He was signing autographs in between innings hopping over the right field fence and like sitting on the fence to sign autographs. I've never seen a player do that. But. You just talk about stuff that like dude just get. Get energy going get get the vibes going like that's the stuff we're looking at. So I love it. We need more of it. And we need Robles you know it's signing autographs on the top of the fence like that's. Yeah. We need energy man like get get some personality. Holy. I'm going to run. Yeah. That'll. That'll help. Yes. Dude one thing that we we got to sync up on it. Obviously like for you. We need to do a Seahawks. My. My. Both of our work has been for different reasons crazy. And so we have to give quite the energy to it. But we need a Seahawks season preview show. So that's why the next thing on deck for viewers is going to be we'll do a Seahawks prediction show. We'll talk about the old go game by game. Give our you know thoughts on the season. You know all that stuff. So gear up for that. But yeah man. Both both teams right now are giving us a reason to watch and it's exciting. Yeah. We'll see how this road trip goes. We'll break down the angel series. Once it is concluded and would be sweet to get three series wins in a row maybe even a sweep. Yeah. And it will break it all down. Give us a like. Give us a subscribe. Thanks for joining me on I five there Stephen. Hey. And 26 West baby. We went through the tunnel. If you know Portland and we are approaching the burbs baby. There you go. All right. We're glad I can help you kill some time. Like I said give us a like give it a subscribe. Follow us on X. Collins like it is is the tag over there and go Mariners. [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]