00:00And the last game, I also find maybe the most fascinating between the Cubs and the Padres.
00:06The Cubs, I think by far, the best hitting team in this spot.
00:11But the Padres, I think by far, Craig, the best bullpen in this spot here.
00:18So, which is good because the guys that they're rolling out, including tomorrow, I believe,
00:24Michael King, I think Robbie Ray is scheduled for one of these games.
00:30They got a lot of pitch to contact kind of guys here.
00:34And against the Cubs, that's always scary.
00:36But certainly the Padres at home were a million miles better than on the road this season.
00:44And it makes sense.
00:45It's a pitcher's ballpark.
00:47It's not a great hitter's ballpark.
00:49But that's a significant advantage, I think, in the bullpen here for the Padres as opposed
00:55to the Cubs, even as good a hitting team as they were this year.
01:00Yeah, I think, look, I don't think the Padres are winning the World Series.
01:03But if they did, it shouldn't surprise anyone because this is the profile for teams that
01:08usually do.
01:09The hottest teams in baseball, incredible records, July, August, September, 41 and 18 since
01:16July 24th.
01:17Best record in baseball by far.
01:19Best offense by far.
01:21Best home record by far.
01:24They fit that profile, Joe, as that hot team right now down the stretch.
01:27Now, I don't think that they're a World Series winner.
01:30But again, shouldn't be surprised because it does become a little March madness-y this time
01:36of the year for them.
01:37And for Chicago, look, they had a really good year.
01:40I thought Pete Cromstrong, of course, is going to be the best player in this series.
01:45Bregman is back, so he will play.
01:47And you're right, Joe.
01:47They probably do have the best offense on paper overall, maybe for all the teams that
01:52are left in the postseason.
01:53I think it's fair to say and fair to ask that.
01:56But I just don't know that they're pitching a strong enough here.
01:58And I don't know that they have more than enough to even get through the bullpen in the
02:02back end.
02:02So I'm going to take the Padres, Joe.
02:04I think the Padres are going to win this series.
02:07And look out.
02:08I think the Padres could get deep into the postseason.
02:11My only question for them, of course, is who will pitch these games?
02:15It's not like they're going to roll out Musgrove or you Darvish or Dylan Cease or like some
02:20ace.
02:20It just feels like they're going to have to piece things together.
02:23But Joe, you made a really good point.
02:25They're 6, 7, 8, and 9.
02:26Once they get to that bullpen, it's pretty much lights out.
02:29So I figure that that will do the trick in this series.
02:32And then I'll evaluate who they play next.
02:34But give me San Diego in the series to win.
02:38Who do you give the coaching edge to in this series?
02:43Council has been here and done this before, obviously, although I think he's about 500
02:48in the postseason.
02:49But there were a lot of people very skeptical about, you know, Stamen and the Padres and
02:54his ability to coach this team and given his history.
02:59But can I tell you something?
03:00Looks like he did a pretty darn good job of navigating the construction of this lineup and
03:05this, you know, this team here.
03:07So I wouldn't exactly say, you know, Council will just out-manage him here in any way,
03:12shape, or form.
03:14No.
03:14And Council, you know, did win a World Series playing with the Marlins in 1997.
03:18But as a manager, he hasn't gotten to the World Series, right?
03:22No.
03:23He never got there with Milwaukee and hasn't won one either.
03:25Look, he's the highest paid manager in the league.
03:27So you would think that he does have the managerial advantage here.
03:32I think he's great.
03:33I wouldn't take anything away from him.
03:35I just personally, Joe, I don't love the Cubs.
03:38I just, I saw them play all season long.
03:42I like their offense.
03:43It certainly is good enough to win the series because they can slug and they have two or
03:49three guys that can beat you at any time.
03:51And Horner and Hap.
03:53Look, it's the deepest lineup, let's put it this way, of any team in the postseason right
03:57now.
03:59But can they pitch their way out of this thing?
04:00I don't think so.
04:02Imanaga?
04:03That's the other question.
04:04I don't love it.
04:05I don't love the pitching.
04:06And I don't love their bullpen.
04:09No.
04:10And I don't either.
04:11And I think that's really, especially with the Padres being home.
04:15Especially being home, I think this is a big advantage.
04:18Oh, no.
04:19But keep in mind, I mean, this was a, they were a Padres team that were 48 and 48.
04:26They had a negative 43 run differential at the All-Star break, right?
04:30And then, I don't know what happened after the All-Star break.
04:34It just, it flipped.
04:35They finally started hitting.
04:38The starting pitching, they made a couple of, obviously, trades there.
04:42They got Mize.
04:42They got Robbie Ray.
04:45They did a heck of a job to even put themselves in this spot to get it done.
04:50So, I think it's going to be an exciting.
04:53Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes.
04:56Does that excite you at all?
04:57If you're the Cubs?
04:59Like, ugh.
05:01And Gausman, I'm not even sure if he's healthy.
05:05That's the whole thing.
05:07I mean, Pavetta, Robbie Ray, Michael King is going to be going.
05:11Not that that bothers you, but to your point, get me to the sixth inning with a lead, and
05:16the game very much could be over here.
05:19I think the bullpen is the big separator in that series.
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