Tarik Skubal Stole the Espresso Machine | Phillies vs. Braves: Who’s Built for October?, Will Flemming Crosses the Line & Ketel Marte Drama | 183

Episode 183 of Tablesetters is LIVE!

Tarik Skubal returned to Detroit in Dodger blue and apparently took a piece of the Tigers clubhouse with him, Will Flemming is under fire for comments during the Yankees’ demolition of the Red Sox, Ketel Marte is back with Arizona after a bizarre absence and Chris Sale, Michael Wacha and Max Scherzer are turning back the clock.

We open the show with the Phillies and Braves both surging into September and seven head-to-head games still looming between them. Atlanta has maintained control of the NL East despite Philadelphia’s recent run, but when we look beyond the standings and dig into how these teams are actually constructed, their strengths, some interesting underlying trends and what the latest projections tell us, the question of which one is truly more built for October gets a lot more complicated.

We also break down the fallout from Flemming’s heated reaction to Jazz Chisholm Jr. running with the Yankees comfortably ahead and discuss where the line should exist between passionate hometown broadcasting and going too far. We get into the increasingly strange Jeff Bagwell situation in Houston following Dana Brown’s departure and what his growing presence around the organization means for an Astros team still trying to navigate the AL West race.

Age is apparently just a number for some of baseball’s veteran arms, as Sale, Wacha and Scherzer each delivered performances that looked like they belonged to much younger versions of themselves. We dig into the remarkable longevity behind all three outings and what made this particular stretch stand out.

In What’s the Word, George Lombard Jr.’s sudden defensive woes have us wondering what exactly is happening to the Yankees’ highly regarded young shortstop, while Marte’s return raises a much different question about whether Arizona can truly repair everything that happened during his absence. Then there’s Skubal, who returned to Comerica Park less than a month after being traded to Los Angeles, showed plenty of love to his former teammates and staff, but apparently decided one particular clubhouse amenity was leaving Detroit with him. We have a word for that too.

Plus, Red Hot Ice Cold.

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