Christine: After a heartbreaker in Philly, the Cardinals come home to face the red-hot Orioles. Can they turn it around? I'm Christine, and this is Beatline.
Jason: And I'm Jason. That Schwarber walk-off still stings, but there's no time to dwell. Baltimore's coming to town.
Christine: You're locked into the Beatline Podcast Network, home of America's number one daily sports podcast. Let's get into it.
Jason: Today we're breaking down what went wrong in Philadelphia, what to watch for against the Orioles, and of course, our bold prediction.
Christine: Three things coming your way: the series recap and the pitching probables, key hitters and bullpen questions, and our keys to the series plus a bold prediction.
Christine: Alright Jason, let's start with that brutal loss yesterday. Schwarber with a two-run homer in the ninth to walk it off. We were up 4-0 at one point, right?
Jason: Yeah, we had a four-run lead, and the bullpen couldn't hold it. Schwarber's MLB-leading 39th homer of the year, with two outs, no less. That's a gut punch.
Christine: And we were so close to splitting the series. We predicted three of four, but we only got one. What happened?
Jason: Honestly, the offense went quiet after the fifth. We had chances, but couldn't add on. And the bullpen, well, we've talked about that all series.
Christine: Let's talk about the bright spots. Jordan Walker, our bold prediction for a homer every game, did he deliver?
Jason: He did go deep in Game 2, but yesterday he was held in check. Still, he's been swinging a hot bat.
Christine: So we drop two of three in Philly, and now we're sitting at 66-66, third in the NL Central. Not where we want to be.
Jason: No, but there's a lot of baseball left. And now we've got a tough test with the Orioles coming in.
Christine: What do we know about the pitching matchup for tomorrow night?
Jason: We don't have official probables yet, but I'd expect Matthew Liberatore to get the ball. He's been our most consistent starter lately.
Christine: And for Baltimore? They've got a deep rotation, but let's see who lines up. Could be a tough lefty-righty battle.
Jason: Exactly. We need a strong start to keep the bullpen out of high-leverage spots early.
Christine: Alright, stick with us because after the break we're breaking down the hitters and the bullpen concerns.
Christine: Welcome back. Segment two, key hitters and bullpen questions. Jason, who do we need to step up against Baltimore?
Jason: Well, we've got Masyn Winn day-to-day after that collision. We need him in the lineup, but if he's not ready, JJ Wetherholt slides over to short.
Christine: Injuries are piling up. We've got Andre Pallante on the 15-day IL, and Hunter Dobbins too. How does that affect the pitching staff?
Jason: It means more innings for guys like Gordon Graceffo and Kyle Leahy. They've been solid, but we need them to step up.
Christine: And the offense, we've been struggling to score runs. Who's been carrying the load?
Jason: Jordan Walker has been a bright spot, but we need more from the middle of the order. Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera need to produce.
Christine: Ivan Herrera's been solid as DH, but we need some pop. And what about the bullpen? That's been a sore spot all season.
Jason: The bullpen blew a four-run lead yesterday. We've got Ryne Stanek and Peter Strzelecki, but they've been inconsistent.
Christine: Do you think they need to shake things up, maybe give some younger arms a chance?
Jason: I'd like to see more of Luis Gastelum and Riley O'Brien. They've been sharp in limited innings.
Christine: And what about the Orioles' lineup? They've got some dangerous hitters. Who scares you the most?
Jason: Their whole lineup is tough, but we need to be careful with their young sluggers. We can't leave pitches over the plate.
Christine: So we've got to keep the ball down and make them earn it. Alright, after the break, our keys to the series and a bold prediction.
Christine: Welcome back to the final segment. Jason, what are the keys to this series against the Orioles?
Jason: First, we need to get quality starts from our rotation. If we can get six or seven innings from our starters, it takes pressure off the bullpen.
Christine: Second, we need to be more disciplined at the plate. We've been chasing too many pitches, especially with runners in scoring position.
Jason: Exactly. We need to work counts, get on base, and make their starters work. That's how we win.
Christine: And defensively, we need to make the routine plays. We've been giving away too many outs.
Jason: Yeah, we can't afford to beat ourselves. The Orioles are too good.
Christine: So, bold prediction time. I've been saying Jordan Walker homers every game, but he didn't deliver yesterday. What do you think?
Jason: I'll stick with him. He's due for a big series. I'm predicting he goes deep in the opener tomorrow night.
Christine: I like it. And I'll go out on a limb and say the Cardinals take two of three from Baltimore.
Jason: That's a bold one, but I'm with you. Let's get back to .500 and start climbing.
Christine: That's all for today's episode. We'll be back tomorrow with a recap and a preview of the next game.
Jason: Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Beatline. Share it with your fellow Cardinals fans.
Christine: And as always, go Cardinals! Let's win this series.