Blair & Barker

After a wild weekend of baseball, Jeff and Kevin break down the Braves going up 2-0 on the Dodgers as the series shifts back to Los Angeles later this week, how the Dodgers starting rotation has been under siege all series long, before shifting focus to the ALCS and Kiké Hernández’s historic pace in the month of October (0:20). Then Dan Shulman stops by to discuss the Red Sox – Astros ALCS ahead of his call of G3 in Boston, including whether or not Houston pitchers will have trouble in the colder temperatures at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox are undefeated during the postseason so far (29:59). To wrap up, they throw out some potential destinations for soon-to-be free agent Carlos Correa (47:27).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Astros radio analyst Steve Sparks stops by to tee up the ALCS, and chat about Dusty Baker’s decision making, the state of the rotation without Lance McCullers Jr., the season series between the Astros and Red Sox, and the key role defence may play in the series (2:10). To wrap up, former MLB umpire Dale Scott weighs in on the controversial ending to Thursday night’s NLDS and the split-second decision made by first base umpire Gabe Morales on the check-swing (29:55).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blair and Barker break down the controversial check-swing call to end Game 5 of the NLDS between the Giants and Dodgers, discuss the definition of a check-swing, and weigh in on whether they should be reviewable (0:12). Then Jeff Passan joins to give his thoughts on the matter, and discuss Chris Sale getting the start in Game 1 of the ALCS for Boston, whether the Astros’ bullpen can help make up for the loss of Lance McCullers Jr., and what the Cardinals are looking for in the team’s next manager (19:18).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to comments from Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts and San Francisco Giants’ Manager Gabe Kapler ahead of game 5, particularly how L.A. plans to attack Giants’ starter Logan Webb & how Kapler plans to use his pitching staff in the must-win game. Longtime Giants pitcher and studio analyst Shawn Estes shares his thoughts on the NLDS to date, Buster Posey’s importance to the team and their starting rotation, and how Logan Webb can handle the pressure and adrenaline on the mound (24:49). To wrap up the show, Blair and Barker share their predictions for Game 5.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

It’s the anniversary of Jose Bautista’s bat-flip vs. the Texas Rangers. Jeff & Kevin look back at the iconic moment in Blue Jays history and how now six years later players in the game are allowed to be themselves more than ever before (0:18). With Ron Washington, Buck Showalter, Bruce Bochy being rumoured for managerial openings in MLB; along with Brian Snitker and Dusty Baker’s teams still participating in the postseason, Blair and Barker wonder if there’s been a shift in hiring practices in MLB when it had been more analytics-focused in recent years (13:50). Former Braves OF and TBS Postseason analyst Jeff Francoeur discusses who Atlanta would rather face in the NLCS, Atlanta’s mediocre first-half, the team’s use of the shift, and the job Ron Washington has done with the infield (30:21).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Hall of Famer and Braves analyst Tom Glavine joins the show following the Braves’ series win over the Milwaukee Brewers and touches on Freddie Freeman’s level of consistency, Max Fried and the Braves’ rotation, and Will Smith in closer role (1:39). Blair and Barker then shift their focus to the Giants-Dodgers series, notably Justin Turner’s mediocre postseason for L.A. and the job Gabe Kapler has done managing San Francisco (26:36). To end the show, Jeff and Kevin ask Blue Jays fans: What Would Annoy You Less: The Red Sox or Astros in the World Series (33:26)?

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Jeff and Kevin recap the Braves’ big win over the Brewers to advance to the NLCS and break down Freddie Freeman’s go-ahead home run in the eighth that sealed the victory (0:38). They then touch on the Dodgers’ win over the Giants to force a winner-take-all Game 5, and take a look at Houston’s win over the White Sox to move on to the ALCS (11:42). Then, Tyler O’Neill, Canadian outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, speaks about his breakout season in 2021 and chats about the keys to the team’s September run, and what he’s picked up from the veterans in St. Louis’ lineup (29:26).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Jeff and Kevin share their thoughts on Giants/Dodgers and Brewers/Braves as Los Angeles and Milwaukee look to avoid elimination (0:13). White Sox reliever Ryan Tepera had some choice words for the Houston Astros following Game 3, will they backfire? Blair and Barker break down Tepera’s comments and Dusty Baker’s response to them (14:35). WEEI’s Rob Bradford discusses the Red Sox being the first team to advance to the ALCS, the Rays’ bullpen days catching up to them in October, Boston’s confidence reaching new heights after knocking off the Yankees, how the Rays motivated Boston by ordering champagne to Fenway Park, Rafael Devers playing hurt, and how Boston will set its rotation for the next series (26:01).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair & Kevin Barker examine the Red Sox win over Tampa Bay in the ALDS, Brandon Lowe’s tough series for the Rays and wonder if Dusty Baker’s 5-16 record as a manager in clinching games is cause for concern for Houston (0:41). Toronto Blue Jays Pitching Coach Pete Walker looks back at The Blue Jays’ 2021 season and discusses Alek Manoah’s building on his impressive rookie season, what to expect from Nate Pearson going forward, working with Hyun-Jin Ryu in his second season with the club, and Jordan Romano in the closer role (23:37).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff asks Kevin about which of his ex-teammates rose to the occasion late in the season. His answer? Not a player, but current Astros manager Dusty Baker (0:15). They also break down Chris Sale’s comments about how bullpens are used in the postseason and preview the NL West battle between the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants (10:32). Blair & Barker revisit the Rays/Red Sox series with Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin to discuss the Rays’ winning game one without their best relievers, game two starter Shane Baz, the play of phenom Wander Franco, and what he sees as the club’s biggest weakness (29:17).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.