Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo to kick off the second hour (1:00). He discusses the pressure that comes with pitching at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, the mental chess match of postseason pitching, the Reds' experience mismatch in their series against the Dodgers, and he shares a live sample from his new record, Raw Confessions. Later, ESPN insider Jeff Passan joins the show (28:40) to share some impressions from the first day and a half of Wild Card baseball, the lefty-pitching showcase, Aaron Boone's decision to pull Max Fried in the seventh inning of Game 1, rumours that Albert Pujols is in line for the Angels manager job, and much more.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show reacting to the Boston Red Sox's comeback win over the Yankees in New York in the Wild Card opener, Aroldis Chapman holding off a late chance by the Bronx Bombers in two straight innings before hearing from Blue Jays' general manager Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider's media availabilities on their expectations for Vladdy, Trey Yesavage, and Jeff Hoffman, and learning from past post-season failures. Then, Blue Jays TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman stops by (32:05) to chat about his ideal playoff rotation, how many left-handed pitchers could we see on the roster, closer options, and his assessment of the Red Sox's Game 1 win.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Jomboy Media's Chris Rose (1:07) to go over the Tigers' Game 1 win over the Cleveland Guardians to kick off the postseason. He gets into Tarik Skubal's dominant outing, the key to Cleveland's pitching development, his view of the Red Sox and Yankees' series, why the Brewers are vulnerable, and the pressure on Aaron Judge. Later, Jeff and Kevin tune in to Skubal's post-game availability, review his franchise-record tying performance, and discuss the Yankees' and Red Sox's biggest flaws ahead of first pitch in their Wild Card series.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the show, discussing Tarik Skubal's outstanding performance to help his Detroit Tigers win Game 1 over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Wild Card, and the Blue Jays' hosting two intrasquad games at the Rogers Centre during their bye week. former Jays All-Star pitcher Marco Estrada stops by (16:05) to chat about his experience on the mound starting an elimination game, his advice to Trey Yesavage in his first potential postseason start, working through long layoffs in between playoff series and games, playing in front of the Toronto crowd, and who he thinks is the better matchup for the Jays between the Yankees and Red Sox. Then, Jays' analyst and former catcher Caleb Joseph joins the guys (34:50) in-studio to touch on how he would handle a bunch of days off before their playoff game, what it would mean for the Jays to beat the Yankees in the DS, and his ideal starting rotation.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Sportsnet's MLB insider Shi Davidi (1:21) to look ahead to the ALDS and discuss the Jays' playoff roster decisions. He gets into Bo Bichette's status, the plan for Chris Bassitt, how the team might use Trey Yesavage, what the Jays will focus on during their time off and which opponent would make for a more entertaining ALDS, the Red Sox or the Yankees. Then, Jeff and Kevin make their Wild Card predictions. Later, MLB Network's Dan Plesac (30:14) stops by to share how important the bye is for the Blue Jays, the Yankees' and Red Sox's biggest flaws, the pressure on Aaron Judge, why the Mariners are dangerous, the Phillies' path to the World Series and the significance of home-field advantage in the playoffs.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the week discussing the Blue Jays clinching the AL East title in style with their season finale win over the Tampa Bay Rays, whether we will see Chris Bassitt or Bo Bichette make an appearance in the ALDS, and the outlook on the starting rotation for the postseason. Then, Jeff and Kevin look at the managerial carousel across the MLB, Wild Card matchups and the differences between the Jays' 2015 and 2025 rosters. Finally, the guys open up the Back Leg Line for your thoughts on who would be a better matchup for Toronto between the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox in the ALDS and more!

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.

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Blue Jays TV analyst Buck Martinez (1:50) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to kick off the second hour. They look back on the Jays' 6-1 win over the Red Sox, Daulton Varsho's grand slam, what's made George Springer's production sustainable, and Louis Varland and Eric Lauer's statement to start the bullpen game. Then, Buck weighs in on Vladdy Jr.'s recent performance at the plate, what to expect from Shane Bieber against the Rays, and the importance of the bye for the Jays. Later, WEEI reporter and host of Baseball Isn't Boring, Rob Bradford (25:15), swings by to tee up the Detroit Tigers' series against the Red Sox with the AL Central title on the line. He discusses Detroit's historic collapse after having led the Guardians by 15 games this season, Boston's postseason outlook, and his thoughts on the Jays. Finally, Jeff and Kevin share their predictions for this weekend's action around MLB.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the show discussing the Blue Jays' big home win to end their series against the Boston Red Sox, Louis Varland's and Eric Lauer's strong outing in the finale, and Alek Manoah getting claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves. Then, Blue Jays manager John Schneider stops by (28:25) for his weekly chat on Varland's start to the bullpen game, how both him and Lauer could be utilized in the postseason, the decision to keep Daulton Varsho in the game to face against a left-handed pitcher, how Anthony Santander's swing looks coming off the IL and rehab stints, George Springer's decisions at the plate, who could be in the running to start the regular season finale, and Alejandro Kirk's increased workload this year.

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look in on John Schneider's pre-game availability ahead of the Blue Jays' series finale against the Boston Red Sox. To help tee up the game, Jays radio voice Ben Shulman (7:03) weighs in on the decision to start Louis Varland in the pivotal matchup, how the team is dealing with the pressure of a division race and Anthony Santander's return to the lineup. Then, Jeff and Kevin open up the Back Leg Line to take calls, questions, and gauge the Jays' faithful's concern levels as the division lead dwindles. Finally, The Athletic's Tyler Kepner stops by (27:15) to discuss the New York Yankees' recent play to gain ground on the Jays, their postseason outlook and Aaron Judge's MVP-level season.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker weigh the magnitude of the Blue Jays' series finale against the Boston Red Sox after dropping two straight, including being shut out, with Louis Varland getting the nod to start their bullpen day. Then, they go through Max Scherzer's final regular-season start and react to the news of José Berríos being sent to the IL following his bullpen outing. Later, Mike Cameron (31:07), special assignment coach of the Seattle Mariners, stops by to discuss the club clinching the AL West, the hitting differences from 2024 to Cal Raleigh's historic 2025 season, and the difficulties of a manager trying to bring the best out of their team's offence.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.