Hello to all of you KPRC viewers online,
click2houston.com, and KPRC 2, plus I’m Sports
director. Randy McAvoy checking in here, with our weekly
used to sports weekly podcast and surprise
surprise. We’re talking about the Astros the World Series begins
tonight. If you’re listening to this on Friday,
703, first pitch tonight at Minute, Maid Park as
the Astros and Phillies get this 2022. World
Series off and running you know all the hype build up.
Up
to this point, the Astros, the number one seed, they’re the favorites.
They want 106 regular season games, the Phillies
have really been the Cinderella team
third place in their division they were able to make the playoffs
and since then that punch their ticket. After
wins over the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres
and they are in the World Series, how will it go?
We’re going to find out the Astros. Certainly
check all the boxes. They’ve got the hitting. They’ve got certainly
at the pitching. Right? Starting pitching. And the bullpen
has been
Lights out.
It all begins tonight with
Justin Verlander for the Astros in are Enola for the Philadelphia
Phillies.
Had the chance to catch up with longtime Astros writer for
mlb.com,
you know him. Well Brian McTaggart
covers this team inside and out knows everything about the ball
Club.
Had a chance to speak with Brian at Minute Maid Park listening.
All right, we’re here at Midway Park ahead of the World Series opening
between the Astros and the Phillies pleasure to be joined by Brian McTaggart.
Mlb.com
everybody in use.
Austin knows you. Well,
19 years. Now, you’re our talking covering this team. You’ve seen
it all
the good years, the bad years and now this
latest run they’ve been on. What’s it been like for you to cover this team. Being a
local guy yourself.
Yeah, it’s been pretty incredible, you know, following this team for years and years
growing up.
If you ever would have told me they’d be on a run. Like this would be hard to believe for World
Series of six years. I mean
I tell people that will probably never get this good again. As long as, you know,
we’re all on this planet. I mean it’s pretty unprecedented what they’re doing
and they’re not done. I mean I think they’ll continue to
For the next few years with a core that they have. But
yeah, if they could get another world series, I think that helps cement this
era as sort of,
you know, the
Golden Era of Astros baseball, like people like to say but it’s been pretty incredible.
What do you when you look at this particular team and its successful
as they’ve been a lot of people still say
you have that 2019 team was really good, they fell short. But
how does this team in your opinion? Compared to that one?
Yeah, I thought the 2019 was a better team. They were clearly
a better offense. I mean, I think they set the Major League record for slugging
Ian percentage and they had the 12 finisher in the side young race
to the top of the rotation,
but they didn’t have the pitching depth. This team has.
And so I think that’s obviously what’s got this team. Back in the World Series,
I
still think the 2019 team might be a little bit better,
but
what they’ve done pitching wise and they’ve done it. All year is pretty incredible.
When you have 67 starting pitchers,
remember the World Series last year? They struggle to get anybody past three
or four Innings. They pretty much ran out of pitching.
And this year, they have Jose or Katie, who’s got three World Series wins. Not even,
In the playoffs yet. So
embarrassment of riches in the pitching staff. All right, game one with the Phillies.
There’s a team that finished I believe third in their division rights
and they,
they’ve been the Cinderella story. They’ve gotten it done to advance here.
They’re hot right now,
we know what the Astros have done. A lot of people are saying
it’s going to be Astros,
Cakewalk get through this thing.
Where do you see this series going? Do you see it being a deep sir?
Yeah, I think it will. I mean I thought the Astros would take care of the Yankees
pretty easily and they did but
you know, Philadelphia is a team that’s called a little bit of magic.
Magic, you know, they have had four days off, kind of like the Astros. So you don’t know how that’s
going to affect them. But their team, that’s got some guys up and down the lineup that
can do damage, they have a dangerous hitter in the middle
and Bryce Harper. They also have two
Elite starting pitchers just like the Astros. So
they could come in here and win. One of these first two games in Houston, and make it a long series.
I still think the Astros have too much pitching depth at at this
series goes six or seven games. I think the Astros going to have too much pitching
but
it’s not going to be easy. I mean Philadelphia,
everyone talks about the Astros being 7 and 0 in the playoffs Philadelphia is 9 and 2.
They’ve
had a pretty good run here as well. Absolutely
game one matchup. Pitching Verlander gets Nola
you
know you know this is big for Verlander but he’s had time off. He hadn’t pitched since
was his Wednesday during that to last series
and now he’s had the long layoff and you think that will be a factor
at all. And I guess you’d mentioned that he’s had a couple of bullpens but feels like
he’s gonna be ready early.
Yeah. I don’t think it will. I mean, a lot of times in the regular season, just with him coming
off, Tommy John surgery with their pitching depth, they would give them
five or six days rest. So he’s sort of been built up for this kind of outing.
Pitch
them both game one, so far on quite a bit of rest,
didn’t pitch. Well in game, 1 of the dscs
pitch, much better, you know, you saw this Phillies team just a few weeks ago but they
didn’t have any of their big bats in the lineup because they just clenched, it was
it was The Hangover game. So they didn’t have schwarber or
Hoskins or Harper, any of those guys. So you can’t really put much that but I think
jail, the
JV will be ready.
Never won a World Series game before and everything that he’s done in his career.
So
that’s something he’s trying to get under his belt. Now lastly what’s been the biggest
surprise from this Astros team everybody?
Knew they would be good, but guys, that have stepped up.
Is it a guy
like Jeremy pain? Is there? Somebody else that’s really stood out. Say
that
kind of surprised me a little bit when you look back at the season.
Yeah, I mean I think
we didn’t know what to expect from paying. You got off to a good start. He, you know, he
struggled at times, but he
really played well in September after making some changes in The Stance. They moved
him to Second spot in the lineup.
But just guys like McCormick, stepping it up
and and just the depth of their pitching staff, you know, guys like ha narus
and Ryan Stanek just getting it on.
Girl
who’s sort of, I think a throw-in in that trade last year. Now, he’s one of their key relievers.
You
know, the playoffs so far. They haven’t gotten much out of Altuve were Alvarez or Tucker,
but they’re still winning because
they have a lot of death. Not only pitching wise but it turns out their lineup has some
depth to and those guys are coming through.
Alright, phenomenal story with the Astros will see if they can finish it up. He’s
brown McTaggart a long time, Rider mlb.com, 19
years covering this Rose and I owe you a lot of good stuff coming up in the World
Series appreciates time, man.
All right ready, thank you guys.
All right, great conversation with Brian there at Minute Maid Park, be sure
to
watch his stories
and all of us coverage on mlb.com as well. So,
here we are. We’re ready for game. One coverage is going to be coming up all
day
and evening on
KPRC Channel 2 over the are also online. Click2houston.com
and our plus Channel. KPRC 2 plus, constant
programming all morning, all afternoon,
all evening from what we’ve been gathering at Minute Maid Park. So,
be sure and check it out and we’ll see.
At Minute Maid Park is the World Series gets underway
coming up tonight. Game two tomorrow. Also admitted made
before
the World Series, shifts to Philadelphia have a great
night at the Ballpark go. Astros will see you soon.