Finals ending, Caps news, Chig, Nationals lost brooms

This episode I talk a little about the NBA and NHL playoffs. Talk a little Caps news with Spencer Carbery getting an extension. I give my thoughts on Chig Okonkwo after watching some all 22 tape and finally I talk about the Nationals recent series victories against the Marlins and the Royals. Are the Nats a serious playoff contender? 

Questions? Comments? Let me know at carl.lanore1@gmail.com

Transcript

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Hey, what's up everybody? It's the DC Die Hard Podcast for Wednesday, June 17th, 2026. How's everybody doing today? We are going to be talking about the NBA and NHL finals. Little bit of caps news came across today. We'll go over the Chickaquo tape, and then we will finish off talking about the Nats and the ups and downs, but mostly ups. So here we go. NBA finals. Honestly, fun series all around. It was kind of well, first off, congratulations to the New York Knicks for finally winning the uh NBA finals after 50 50 plus years. I think it was like 53, it was like the official number, but 53 years. A lot of diehard Knicks fans have been waiting for that for a long time. So congrats to them. Like I was saying, it was it was a fun shit series, even though it was cut short. Like that 30-point collapse by the Spurs, that was crazy to watch. Um, and then then the game after that, they uh blew a 15-point lead. They were up by like 15 in the second quarter, and then ended up just kind of blowing it. Just couldn't just couldn't hold a lead. Man, um hats off to Jalen Brunson. Uh that guy is really fucking good at basketball. So I can't you can't take anything away from him. I I remember one play where he just kind of willed himself past Wimbinana, Wimbanyama, um, just driving to the basket and then hitting that layup over a 7 foot four guy. I mean, it it was just it was just really impressive. Like you when you watch a player like that, you know, love him or hate him, at some point. I feel like you just got a tip of the cap, uh, tip of the cap to him, and you know, it is what it is. And hey, uh, I I think the Spurs, Spurs look pissed, man. I mean, I mean anybody would be pissed, honestly, going back, but it just it just looked like it especially hurt, just like kind of the way they went out. So I would expect them to be back this year. Um, honestly, I kind of have a old man yells at cloud kind of a moment right now, because I thought it was really frustrating to watch the Spurs because it was it was nuts how often when Bunyama was like at the top of the key, not in the paint. Like I thought it was way more than than it should have been. Like the guy is seven foot four. I don't know why he's not on the block more often. Like, put him in a paint. I don't understand why he's constantly like I think he takes even though I like and and it's not even that I think he can't hit the threes or that he's a bad three-point shooter. Like I think stretching the floor as a big man is good at times. It just I don't think um he should do that as much as as much as he does. It just at least in that series it felt like he did that a lot. Um and I think that's honestly like I don't know. I I just feel like you you they could have like kept those leads if they would have put Wemby down into paint, constantly fed him the ball, got the Knicks into foul trouble, things like that. Like I I just feel like they could have had a better shot at at holding leads if uh if they would have did that. I mean, but that that's just my I guess I guess that's just my take. Um and what I feel like I saw. Uh that that's just that's just it. Um I yeah, he Yeah, it was it was just frustrating. Like he's he's seven foot four and I and I see him taking all these all these three pointers, and I I just feel like you know, I think about like Yao Ming, Shaq, Dwight Howard, Ben Wallace, like these just centers that were staples in the 2000s. And I mean I I don't think I ever saw Yao Ming shoot one three ever. Like he was seven foot one or something like that. Like he was a big motherfucker, and he was just constantly in the paint banging and battling, and I you know, I I saw that from Wemby, but just not on that same same kind of level. But you know what? They're young, he's young. I bet you the coach will get it together. Uh they'll be back. Like, there's no way that a guy's talented. The guy is as talented as the Spurs won't won't be back there. Um, so yeah, that's it. Uh very very casual uh takes on on the NBA. Uh NHL, congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes. Um they were clearly the best team in hockey this year. Their playoff run was I think it was sweep against Ottawa, swept the Flyers, I think. They went four games. They went five, they you know, took care of Montreal in five, and then took care of uh took care of Vegas in five. And and those were crazy. That was a crazy series, too. Just the comebacks and the nobody really felt like they were out of it until the last game, you know, Vegas went down two to nothing, and it just felt like the Carolina Hurricanes were not about to let them even sniff getting back into that game. And that goalie that that filled in was absolutely terrific. Um so honestly, as much as like you know, the Caps and the Canes have have a rivalry going, um, I can't help but be happy for a guy that you know fills in in one of the biggest moments in in hockey and and pulls through for his team. Um so I I I can't remember the guy's name, but you know, they were showing his family a lot on you know on TV and stuff. So um I you know be kind of I I feel like it would be like really just a shitty thing to not be happy for like the individual. Like I'm very much a proponent of like hate the team, uh, but be happy for for the individual, you know. Um so but that that's really it, man. Like just felt like Carolina, their their neutral zone was just tough to get through the the entire playoff uh run, you know. So that's uh it was just it was just really talented team, you know, kind of hats off to them too, man. Hats off to them too. Um got a little bit of caps news, man. Uh head coach Spencer Carberry is uh getting extended as as a head coach of the Washington Capitals. Uh I I can't complain about that. Um I actually know very little about kind of like the head coaching, kind of the the whole coaching scene in the NHL. But you know, from what I hear, man, guys love him. So I I got no problem with with him, you know, getting extended as a head coach. I think having stability at you know your head coach position is is a great thing for for a franchise. Um there's been very few um like short ten like there I think there's been like maybe three or four coaches that have been short-tenured, and it's not that the team didn't do well. Um it was just that like go to the playoffs and then fall on your face, which was classic capitals throughout the 2010s, uh up until uh 2018. Um I know the guy that took over after Barry Tross, like after a couple first and second round exits, uh the uh owner and the you know the GM were like, hey, we gotta we gotta replace this guy. But outside of that, man, you know, I can't be not upset at all. Uh extending Spencer Carber. Hopefully, hopefully the caps can you know rebound and get to the get to the playoffs next year. I was playing, I was playing golf the other day and you know me and a guy got into a conversation about hockey. He was like, Man, so so you're a capitals fan. I was like, I was like, Yeah, yeah, man, all you know, all DC. And he goes, he goes, uh, you guys, you know, you guys should have should have been in the playoffs if you were in the West. Like, that's gotta be kind of kind of frustrating. I was like, ah, whatever. Because I because I'm of the notion of like if sometimes good isn't being good isn't good enough. Like, for example, in the NFL, sometimes 10 wins isn't good enough. Um and it kind of sucks to say because that's a great season on both ends. Like Caps had a fairly decent season, I feel like, but just couldn't uh you know just things didn't really bounce our way and the numbers fell the way the numbers fell, and we ended up missing the playoffs. Uh hope, you know, like I said, hopefully some of those young guys that I've talked about in the in the past um can uh you know, like Produs and I think that guy's name's Cole, something. Um hopefully, you know, they can emerge. I haven't seen any news that Ovechkin is has is like officially retiring or anything. I feels like he's definitely gonna be back for another season. Maybe he just doesn't want to go out like that. Maybe he wants to make another playoff run. Um we'll see what they do in the offseason. I don't I I don't know really who's out there or what they can do or like who they drafted or anything, but maybe just some good old-fashioned player development can get him back on a on a uh on a playoff run. Hopefully. Um so, anyways, enough about that. How about some stuff that I kinda sort of know about, and that's the Washington Commandos. I watched I watched some Chig Aconquil tape. Uh and overall, man, I like the guy. Um also, first off, I think I have a very hard time evaluating offense. When I was watching all the defensive guys, it kind of like clicked. Uh, and I felt like I got a really good feel for him. Chig was was hard, man. I I had a hard time getting a getting a read on him as far as like what his skill set is, and I think part of that is Tennessee's fault. Uh, I've heard multiple times on you know, multiple different programs from you know, like Logan Paulson, who was also a tight end, and from some other guys, you know, just in that DC media realm, just kind of saying, we don't know if they use Chig right. Um, I I saw a ton of because I wanted to see like I was trying to watch how he was as a run blocker. And of course, you know, on NFL Pro when you're trying to get the all 22 tape, they'll have like little like uh clips, um, or like uh they'll put like playlists together for you of of plays of like you know 20-yard receptions or short yardage receptions, whatever it is, right? And there was just like nothing for for run blocking, so I had to really go search. And there were just a lot of run blocking plays where Chig just wasn't in. It would have been uh Gunnerhelm, and then there was another guy. Uh he has a long last name, hyphen in his name, something Robinson. And Chig just just was like nowhere to be found on on some of those running downs. But I but I did get to see him. I I think he's a decent run blocker. I seen him shut the door on a couple of guys, and you know, he's he's definitely very physical, very talented. Also, shout out, he uh coming from the University of Maryland. So, you know, as much uh as much as I you know I I like to see guys from from Maryland getting in, getting into the league and and doing well, really. Like I don't think he's been doing bad. So um going into his stats, he had uh, you know, 56 receptions on 79 targets with 560 yards and two touchdowns. And one of those touchdowns was sick. It was a nice long pass, man. Like uh Chick definitely has some hands. Um, but you know, that stat line, you know, the 56 receptions with 560 yards, that's kind of ironic. Anyways, um, it it seems kind of underwhelming until you turn on the tape. Um he was definitely asked to give a lot of chip help. I would say most plays when you turn on the tape, he's chipping uh D end or someone that's blitzing or whatever it is, and uh then just kind of like hitting the flat or hitting the out route, whatever it is. Um so he's asked to give a lot of chip help. Um the Titans ran him on a lot of really short routes. Um and never really took him down the field too much. He he did when he did go down the field, like it looked decent. Like I think he's really good running up the seam, and he ran a lot of good corner routes, uh like like corner post routes. Um and uh so but Titans ran him on a lot of a lot of really short short routes. They gave him um a lot of screens, which leads me to say, like watching him do those screens, he can be he can be dangerous when when you get him in space. Um he's he doesn't have a lot of like twitchiness, a lot of like jukes to him or nothing, but he but he definitely has this kind of like barreling when you get downhill, he can kind of make a move, you know. Um he he's definitely he's got some juice. Um and you know, I think I think uh defensive backs are gonna have a really really tough time when that guy starts getting downhill. Because look the fuck out, man. He's a big dude, and I mean it's gotta hurt running into him out there out there in space when he gets going. Um you know, he you know, and like I was saying, he he does, he has good hands, he has a 70% catch rate. Um, there were a couple bad drops where like I could definitely see where um like you know you drop it and then you get back up, and then you're just kind of like getting this blank stare from your quarterback, like he doesn't even have to say anything for you to like know that you fucked up. Um so I did see like maybe like three of those. Um but overall, man, the 70% catch rate I think is good, especially after watching some of the tape of like some of those targets, he was definitely just like they were throwing over his head or at his feet or whatever because Cam Warren is running for his absolute life and he just can't uh and so he's just like throwing it at him just to just to get rid of it. And so some of that feeds into that 70% catch rate. Um and so honestly, the man, like overall, I do feel like the Titans didn't use him right. I do. Um he just seems like there was just so much meat on the bone left for Chig when it comes to when he was on the Titans. And it like he there were there were just some plays where he was just wide open underneath, and Cam just doesn't find him or like just doesn't look his way for whatever reason. And I don't know if that was because of like how he was coached or just a rookie quarterback or both. Um it just seemed like he could have had way more receptions. Like there would be some, you know, second and seven, first and ten plays where it was like, dude, if you just dumped it off to Chig, he could have at least got you five, and then you're in third and manageable, or you're in second and five instead of being in, you know, second and ten, or you know, second and eight, and or like you know, third and seven, like now, now you could have been in, you know, third and three, you know, second and five, second and second and three, things like that. And it was just kind of I don't know. I don't know. It was very weird. Like it was it was very weird watching this tape because I think he's very talented. I think he's definitely gonna bring something to this team, which I'm I'm really excited to see how David Blau is gonna use him. I can it it definitely I definitely because I was saying last week that I think you know we could see a lot of 12 personnel coming out of the Washington Commanders offense this year. Um and this and watching his tape just kind of reinforced that because you got three guys, maybe four. So uh now that we got Chig, we also got John Bates, who is probably now I'm biased, I know, and I only watched the commanders at a you know all 22 level, but I think I've I can confidently say that John Bates is probably the best blocking tight end in the NFL, or at least like top five, and that's not like hang uh, you know, hang the banner, right? But like he he's definitely one of the best blocking tight ends in the at in the NFL. We've got Colsi Yankov, and then we got Ben Sinett, who has also kind of left something to be desired, being a second round pick from 2024. This is his third year going in the league. I think that he's definitely going into an offense that's going to benefit him a little bit better. Um, and so I'm also excited to see like 12th personnel. What does that look like? Chig, I feel like it's Chig and John Bates, or Chig and Sinet, or you know, maybe Colson Yankoff gets in there a little bit. You know, I think we have four fairly solid tight ends. It just it depends on is Sinet gonna develop further this year. Um, what's Chig actually gonna be? I think he could be very good. I I wouldn't be surprised if Chig went from 500 yards to seven, eight hundred yards on, you know, 65, 70 receptions, a few more touchdowns in there. Uh so we'll we'll see what happens. Um, but but I can definitely foresee a lot more, you know, big personnel uh offense coming out and defenses not really knowing what's coming, whether it's the run coming off of play action. Um I mean I'm I'm pretty excited to see how this thing is going to shake out. I still think we're still one wide receiver away from being like really serious. Um but who knows? Who knows? We'll see if if Chig can excel the way or hit the ceiling that a lot of people are are giving him, then I mean the sky could be the limit for this for this offense. So um yeah, that that's kind of like kind of like my thought vomit on Chigaconqua, man. I think he's gonna be good this year. It seems like he's excited, um, especially linking back up with Traylon Burks and linking up with his uh other um teammate uh when he was at Maryland, Nick Cross. Uh apparently they're having a lot of fun in in you know OTAs and minicamp. So uh and with me while I'm mentioning Nick Cross, uh I'm gonna talk about him next week. I I'm pretty excited to get back to the defensive side of the ball and like watching some all 22 tape on on a uh on a safety. Um I think I think evaluating defense is like that's that's that's definitely my thing. I I love watching defense, man. That's my shit. So we'll do Nick Cross next week. Um we're going from from the D-line to the defensive backs. So um excited to do that next week. All right. Now we're getting into the meat and potatoes of baseball season. We're a little over 70 games in. We're approaching the halfway point. Um, we're halfway through June in a month. We're gonna be talking about the All-Star game, which I was gonna wait to talk about this, but James Wood being seventh in you know, on the list of outfielders for the All-Star game is absolutely diabolical. This guy is hitting the absolute piss out of the ball. He's robbed a few home runs. He's he's doing it all. And I like him being four spots back from Brandon Marsh, I think is is absolutely crazy. I, you know, it's it's made me like kind of get this um get the thought of like, why are the fans picking the all-stars? You know, like clearly this is starting to that this is kind of just a popularity contest of what names people know and and whatnot. I did hear a theory that because there's a lot of outfielders to pick from, and the list is really long, you have to really scroll down to find James Wood. And I think maybe a lot of people aren't finding James Wood. Um there was definit there's definitely been a call to action within the Nationals fan base to uh vote James Wood, uh get him into into the all star game. Um and I've definitely been doing that. I've been using my five votes every day. So hopefully hopefully. that puts him hopefully we can we can get him in there man because he absolutely deserves it um anyways outside of that man we're tied for a wild card spot we were holding the wild card spot last night until we lost uh well lost this afternoon but you know that's neither here nor there but I can't believe that we're here we're 36 we're 39 and 36 and Jesus Christ we're not 36 and 39 we're 39 and 36 we're third in yen at least while being tied for the last wild card spot if you would have told me that I would have told you I would have asked you what kind of crack you're smoking because I I did not see this coming at all. I feel like I've been the biggest nationals like like hater you know like like I love this team but I hate this team at the same time um and I've just been you know and or maybe I've just been realistic. I don't know man but I I didn't see this coming at all I didn't see this coming at all um we took the series at home against the Mariners and the Royal and the Royals um however with that being said and I'm so happy I get to bitch about this but I don't think we know how to use brooms. I I don't think we even know what a broom is man we cannot get a series sweep to save our lives. We had a chance against the Giants we know how that went and we just had a chance against the Royals to sweep them and we just I don't know that last uh that last game just always gets very elusive um I will transition in this into saying I think the reason we struggle so bad getting sweeps is because I don't think our pitching is deep enough I don't think we have enough guys I don't think our we have enough starters that can consistently go five to six innings and I don't think our bullpen guys are consistent enough to shut out games and I think that's you know I think um we we get into that first game we win the first two and then you know Blake Butera is just kind of sitting in the dugout like oh fuck who am I gonna come in to have relieve this guy especially if it goes south like um and maybe there there's a few management things he could be doing better but outside of that man I like I can't really I like I'm like I said I'm glad I get to bitch about this about not completing sweeps. Like we're winning series we've won our last four series um and so I I'm just I you know so so I can't be too upset I can't bitch too much because they're winning we have a winning record um we we haven't been four games above 500 in in years um so and and now we're three games out of 500 because we lost we lost this afternoon to the Royals we dropped that last game but it is what it is man um but with that I think I'm definitely going to keep harping on the pitching because and talking about the pitching because I think that's really what's holding the nationals back this season. The bats have been absolutely scorching hot we're the best offense in the league still um it's just the pitching's been inconsistent sometimes it's really really good and other times it just the wheels come off the wagon bud I I don't I don't understand it really I well I kind of understand it so so Zach Latel he has struggled both out his last two outings um so his his uh Friday night against the Mariners he gave up um he only he only got through one two thirds innings giving up five earned runs on four hits walking one guy and giving up a homer what an ugly outing that was and then the bullpen didn't make it any better with Cornelio coming in and giving up three earned runs and then varland and schultz both also giving up giving up one run a piece uh we just you just can't can't come back from that and then this afternoon Lattell gave up four runs to five innings and all four runs were home runs and then Mitchell Parker gave up two runs after that um yeah man Lattell it's just it just just seems like he's either gonna get you five to six solid innings maybe giving up two to three runs or he gives up five home runs and it could be six six nothing by the second inning and it just feels like there's no in between. I think you might as well just you know throw it up because um that like when you when you really have to rely on that I think that's why we're getting these like either really good outings because his command is great or we get these really terrible outings because he's leaving pitches over the plate and and um you know this is the MLB man he can't be can't be leaving a a 91 mile an hour fastball cutter whatever it is hang a curveball like those are just going to go out of the yard especially in a you know I I would are I would say maybe not I don't know somebody argue with me but I would say the the Nats Park is a fairly hitter friendly hitter friendly park. That's just me. Dimitch Parker uh man he's just he's just had it rough giving up the Grand Slam uh walk off Grand Slam in San Francisco and then tonight today he gave up two more runs uh I'm I'm getting to the point where I'm like we need we might need to option this guy back down to triple A not that you know anybody calling anybody up from down there is going to be better than Parker or anything but I don't know maybe you just got to give somebody else from triple A Rochester a shot because Parker just he hasn't been it he's he's just really been struggling he just walking guys giving up home runs just hasn't been good man hasn't been good I don't I don't know if I don't know how much how much longer you can you can go with a guy well like Parker. Maybe he's looking good you know in practice and so they're trying to get him back to you know maybe in a game he's just struggling. I don't know what it is man but Parker he's just been really struggling. I don't know how much more we can do this because like I said this is part of the reason that we're not completing sweeps. It's because the bullpen comes in and stinks or the Little comes in and only gives you one and two thirds innings um things like that man like just not getting deep enough or not coming in and getting the outs you need to get whatever it is uh just sometimes it just doesn't happen. Kid Cavalli pitched what was that Saturday night maybe Saturday Sunday afternoon. Anyways went five inning pitch uh gave up three earn runs uh struck out five and only gave up one homer um I think at least with how well the bats have been doing if you come in and give you know go five deep you know and you give up two to three earn runs we can work with that we just can't be giving up six runs by the second knitting but you know if if the Nats are down two three three runs I'm I'm I'm still in it with them. I'm not you know oh shit here we go and now I might be you know uh clenching clenching my butt cheeks in the seventh you know because I don't know what the bullpen's gonna do being down two three I'm like shit well I hope they don't you know let's keep it close boys come on now but you know if you get through five only giving up three on runs we can work with that the bats are good enough we can work with that um and then the bullpen after after cavalry bullpen pulled it together with pulling Rabalto Lord and Love Lady not giving up a run not giving up a run so those were you know that that was a good game I think we ended up smacking the Marlins like I I think you know we well we got smacked uh Friday night and then you know we blew them out Saturday and Sunday so you know hey won a series here we go um talking shit about Miles Michaelis last last week must have worked because he went seven deep with no runs allowed uh pooling came up came in and gave up one run uh in the opening um and then Michaelis followed him up with just great pitching after that and so uh yeah Michaelis you still suck uh wasn't good enough wink right um anyways it was it was good to see him see him see him do well out there and then beater uh went out and just closed out the game not giving him anything um alvarez had another rocky start but only gave up an earned run through four um and then the but bullpen only gave up two runs which surprisingly from Brad Lord a happens every now and again you can give Lord that leash because he's come in time and time again for two three four innings and gotten you through a game um I you know can't can't speak highly enough of Brad Lorde and his performance throughout this season and last season I was I was a big Lord fan of last season he even started a few games um like as a legit starting pitcher he's got good stuff man um but he only gave up two runs kept you know stayed in it right and then beater came beater and varland came in and closed it out um varland has been has been weird because it seems like he either comes in and does you know really well or he comes in and the freaking wheels call come off and he can't find the strike zone to save his fucking life I don't and that's the thing I I don't know which guy I'm gonna get I have no idea which guy I'm gonna get um Griffin had a great out outing Foss Griffin went six deep with only giving up one run. Ribalta gave up uh two tying the game but then the rest of the bullpen came in and did and did really well after Robalta um with uh Curtis Mead shout out Curtis Mead hitting a three run homer to get the Nats up six to three I think uh no six to four and uh ended up ended up winning that game off of that which was freaking awesome dude good for good for Curtis Mead um and now we're getting to the batting uh bats have still been hot like I was saying earlier still the best offense in baseball putting runs across plate wise so guys and guys have been coming up big in certain spots like I was just talking about you know Curtis Mead um CJ Abrams is still bringing in uh RBIs Dylan Cruz has been coming up he's hit a couple homers through through through this previous homestand with the Mariners and the Royals uh so it's it's good to see him kind of coming around um let's see wood homered again he's still been doing what James Wood does uh Nunez on Tuesday night hit two triples two triples I think they were back to back uh triples for for Nunez um great to see him get the bat on the ball man because that's one of the things I've been talking about the past couple weeks is Nunez being absolutely lights out in the field but then he gets to the plate and he just struggles getting on base. So him hitting two triples I dude I'll take it and that's what I'm talking about with guys coming up big in certain spots is every so often well not every so often but it just seems like every series it's not like outside of Wood and and Abrams that we have another super consistent bat it'll be like you know Cruz has a good series and then like Lyle will have a good series um good example of that was Lyle having a good series in Cincinnati Ruiz will have you know a good week or two um Curtis Mead has been awesome for the past month it feels like like June has been really good to Curtis Mead so Nunez hitting two triples Ruiz was has been hot as well he went three for four on Sunday with a couple of doubles some RBIs um and I think Ruiz also had a good day today just just so happened um the rest of the bats weren't there but it hey is what it is um and Meade like I was just saying earlier he's been on a tear he has really improved since coming here and especially since Brady House has gone back to triple A. It seems like Mead has really taken on the role as just he's the starting third baseman on this team. He's been playing good defense he's been hitting the ball real well like I said he was like I was just talking about a three run homer to put up put the gnats up in the lead on Tuesday night he's uh you know he's been driving in runs he's been hitting the ball well he's been fielding well um he he's just you know ever since we we got him traded or we traded for him uh and he came from the White Sox it just feels like he's been doing really well and it it feels like I'm gonna give some kudos here about um to Blake Butterra and his coaching staff and it just really feels like it's not just one guy improving. Like I'm talking about guys that um definitely struggled last year. Uh Ruiz has struggled this year and then just like you know middle of May into into June he's been decent man like he's gotten better at the plate everybody on this team is getting better. Wood really struggled at the end of last year he's like I would say I don't want to put him in like the MVP conversation yet but he's he's starting to kind of you know you're starting to whisper about it man like hey is uh is is wood like in the MVP like that level kind of shit. Uh CJ Abrams ever since putting him in the four spot um middle of the lineup he's been crushing it man he's leading the league in RBIs. Dylan Cruz he was shaky at first but now he's starting to hit the ball well there were so many times throughout May where I was you know Cruz would be up and he would either hit a dinky you know sometimes he would hit that dinky ball but he would sprint down the line like just the effort has always been there and I think it's starting to come around because late May early June we were kind of like oh we need to see more from from Cruz he was getting the bat on the ball just hitting it right to him and now he's starting to find gaps and now he's starting to hit home runs and and now you know balls are starting to kind of bounce his way sometimes he still hits the dinker but he'll he gets to first uh he he runs it out hard man um and he's you know he's been good in the field as well cruz has been has been killing it in in uh center when he's asked to play center uh and just in the outfield in general um cruz has been getting better nunez has been getting a little bit better at the plate um the last the last week so uh you know I hope that keeps trending um and like I said I just talked about Ruiz and mead so um the whole the whole lineup I'm I'm sure I'm missing guys in here but the whole line like this team overall is improving as much as I was bitching about uh the pitching overall the bullpen has been getting better that's why we're winning series um I'm I just get to bitch because I'm a fan and we can't get a sweep you know but when it comes to when I zoom out like this team is ten times better with mostly the same guys as last year and they're above 500 so dude no matter how the rest of this season goes I can say that this team has been frustrating to watch and I can say this team has been you know uh exciting to watch but I cannot say this team's been boring to watch and I I just I'm just I'm just taken away by this team right now. They're just they're doing overall they're doing really well and I can't complain that way. I I am glad that I get to complain about not getting a sweep. I'm glad that I can get frustrated when we give up a walk off Grand Slam. I'm glad that I can you know kind of I I get to look at the standings and I get to click on the wildcard tab on on the MOB app and like sit here and and have a reason to watch other teams in baseball and watch other talent and kind of root against them like rooting against the Pirates rooting against the Padres rooting against you know Cleveland Philly like actually root against Philly not just hate watch because the Nats are bad and and Philly's good I mean like actually genuinely root against them to lose so that the Nats can get into and secure a wild card spot. Like the beginning of the year was so weird because the the Phillies were reeling they were just not getting it done and now all of a sudden they went on a on a winning streak and we've been able to put together for a winning streak of series um we were on a four game winning streak and that you know obviously that ended today but you know now we the it it could shape up to be three NLE's teams in the playoffs. That would be crazy you wouldn't have told me that especially the way the beginning of the year went with the NL Central killing it the way they were but Cubs went on a big losing streak the Reds went on a big losing streak they haven't been able to really get it together. It's been wild man it's been really really wild and I I'm just glad that I get to be excited to watch this team again um I've been watching this team closely since the 2010s um maybe not as closely as I have been since I've been doing this podcast obviously um but I can I can remember just some heartbreaking playoff moments and honestly I hate to say it but if I get my heart broken in the playoffs again this season uh it'll be like very bittersweet because I'll be you know sad that they lost in the playoffs if they get there you know obviously I'm I'm not writing that in stone them securing a wild card spot there's still a lot of baseball left we're still we're you know we're not even into July yet um and we have a big month of we have a big series coming up against the Phillies at home and then we have another couple big months of baseball when it comes to after the all-star break um those are going to be really really telling um so I say all that to get to my next point um I'm still on the on the fence about us being a serious playoff contender and the reason is is I would say the pitching needs the most work I think we're still one good reliever a guy that can come in and you know seventh eighth inning and get you to the end um I think we're one like no shit fucking closer away um you know like a Duran or a Miller like we're one of those maybe not quite that level like if Kyle Finnegan came back as much as he liked to make the game interesting at the at the end of the game like somebody like that like it doesn't even have to be like a caliber of Mason Miller with the Padres it could be somebody kind of like middle of the road I think uh like there was a there was a closer for for the Yankees I think last year um I can't remember his name but like somebody like that you know not not you know the best but like still pretty freaking good you know just a closer like that like one no shit closer I think we're one true ace in the starting rotation away as good as foster griffin and um yeah pretty much just foster griffin has been the only one that's been consistently good. Uh there are times where it's it is inconsistent And it's because he also relies on not just pitching command, but throwing a lot of pitches. So batters like are just kind of cross-eyed while they're up there because they don't know what he's going to throw next. Um, I think he throws like seven different pitches, which is really impressive in its own way. Uh, but none of uh none of those pitches are are great. All of them are just good. Um I don't think you know Cade Cavalli, he he gets Rocky. Zach Lattell, he there are times he looks great, and there are times he looks awful. Miles Michaelis, there are times he looks great and he goes seven deep, and then there are times where it's like, dude, get this guy out of here. Um, so it's just the the starting pitching, while it's been really good and we're still winning ball games and it's been good enough. Um I still think we could really, really improve. Um, and and getting, you know, one true ace. And I'm not saying it's gotta be Paul Skeines or Scooball or anything like that, but just one more really, really good, or not one more, but one really, really good starter where you know that guy that you put out on the mound and you go, Yep, we have a really good chance of winning this ballgame today because this guy can go six, seven innings deep, and you know, with decent pitch count, and I can kind of reserve my bullpen, you know, something like that. Something like that. Um and I, you know, as good as the hitting has been, I still think we're one bat away from being a serious playoff contender. Um, now when I say when I say that, I'm also admitting that that bat could come from within the the lineup that we have now, within the talent that we have on the roster right now. Um, it's just like I was saying before, it's it's one guy, you know, hasn't been consistent the entire time outside of Wooden Abrams. It'll be, you know, Ruiz got hot in May, and now Meade's hot in June. Uh Jacob Young is batting better than he was, and he had a hot month of May. So none of it, but but he's kind of tailed off since. And so no, no one's really emerged as like the third good bat, if you know what I mean. Um, but that could that could absolutely change. I could absolutely see Mead staying on this consistent path that he's been for this month of June, because he just keeps getting better. I can see Cruz emerging as another bat that is a consistent good bat, um, because he's been hitting the ball hard. I can see if Rui stays hot, if if Luis Garcia, he's been hot for the past few weeks, any of those guys could absolutely emerge and be the one bat that I'm talking about. I'm I'm when I say we're one bat away, I'm not saying that we need to go trade for one of those guys or we need to, you know, sign somebody in free agency next year or whatever it is. Um, I I truly believe that, especially because we have the best offense in baseball, I do absolutely believe that the one bat that we need could come within if one of these guys can keep it up for two to three months. Um so and with all that shit I just talked, I want to keep being proven wrong, man. I want to see, you know, a couple guys in the bullpen step up and shut me the fuck up. You know, I want to see that. I want to see I want to keep being proven wrong and watch good baseball in DC. So with that, I think I think I'm gonna end the podcast right there. Um a little bit shorter than usual, but hey, that's what it is. Um not a whole lot going on besides uh not now it's just it's just baseball. Um and then uh you know watching some tape getting excited for for football season now that uh the NHL and and NBA are over, and you know. But I I think I think in DC we have a lot to be excited about sports wise. Uh you know, we'll see what the commanders end up doing. The Nationals are absolutely crushing expect what expectations were back in February and March. So um with that, man, hope everybody's taking it easy. Enjoying your summer. Uh I'll talk to you guys next week.