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Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show

Russ Dorsey previews Cubs' test against MLB-best Braves

12 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: Who is Russ Dorsey and what is his role in MLB coverage?

2.613 - 24.897 Russ Dorsey

Russell Dorsey, National MLB Insider for Yahoo Sports. Before the break, I could hear the disdain in your voice. I don't know if you were really excited, White Sox Marshall. Host of the Relay with Russ Dorsey podcast. The NL Central, as of today, when we record this podcast, has been the best division in Major League Baseball. And you're probably saying, why? What?

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25.438 - 48.743 Russ Dorsey

Go look at your phone right now. The NL Central is the only division in baseball right now with five teams above 500. Insider and analyst for MLB Network and Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV. That's my biggest thought right now for the Boston Red Sox. What are you as an organization? Where are you going? Right now, you're an organization that has no identity.

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Chapter 2: What makes the NL Central the best division in MLB right now?

48.763 - 52.667 Russ Dorsey

Russell Dorsey. The Russell. On 104.3, the score. The score.

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54.622 - 68.267 Leila Rahimi

Our hour on the score is brought to you by Menards. Save big money at Menards. We are happy to have Russ Dorsey in. He is here often, at least once a week or so, if he's not filling in on another show or doing hit and run. The man has a lot of talent.

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68.327 - 69.789 Marshall Harris

He's been cheating on us. That's all I know.

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70.29 - 74.237 Leila Rahimi

Well, is it cheating if we know about it? You're right.

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74.257 - 77.423 Marshall Harris

Sharing is caring. Sharing is caring. It's an open relationship.

77.403 - 94.222 Leila Rahimi

Okay, so before we get into more analogies, he is at Russ underscore Dorsey1 on X. The disclaimer is right there, Layla. Especially Russ Dorsey. He's the Major League Baseball insider for Yahoo Sports, Major League Baseball Network, MLB Network to you, and Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV.

94.282 - 111.905 Leila Rahimi

He is also the host of the Relay with Russ Dorsey podcast, available on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. New episode out today. This is a day that the baseball gods have made. We rejoice and be glad because the Sox have another chance to win another series based in Kansas City.

112.385 - 120.657 Leila Rahimi

And then we've also got one of the best series in baseball up to date so far anticipated, Cubs and Braves in Atlanta. It's a good day to like baseball.

120.637 - 127.123 Russ Dorsey

Absolutely. Matchup between the two best teams in baseball, in the Cubs and the Atlanta Braves, that should be a really fun one.

Chapter 3: Why is the Cubs vs. Braves series significant for both teams?

366.56 - 369.543 Russ Dorsey

Me and Grody talked about this after Matthew Boyd.

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369.563 - 371.825 Mark Grote

It happened on our watch. The news broke on our watch.

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371.925 - 393.424 Russ Dorsey

For his meniscus that, okay, Ben Brown was the likely guy to get the opportunity to fill his void in the rotation. And so now seeing how much success he had in his role that the Cubs gave him, Now that you change it again, like you have things working, you get into this rhythm and now you're thrown back into that starter seat. I'm interested to see how he responds to it.

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394.012 - 402.884 Mark Grote

One of the other things that we discussed on that show when we filled in for Spiegel and Holmes was we played your little Russ Dorsey game. My game. Which was a blast.

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402.904 - 404.065 Russ Dorsey

The Russ Dorsey game.

404.105 - 425.942 Mark Grote

The Russ Dorsey game was Russ listing teams around Major League Baseball. And I was told I can only jump in when I think that there is a team that Russ has mentioned that is better than the Chicago Cubs. Yeah. And when we did do that, it came down to Atlanta, the Dodgers, and the Yankees.

425.962 - 429.089 Leila Rahimi

Ah, Mark Smirk's usual World Series pick, the Yankees.

429.11 - 439.853 Mark Grote

And the Dodgers, by the way. So put those together. Sounds to me like we're down to one team. On that list, the Braves, that is better than the Chicago Cubs right now?

439.954 - 457.078 Russ Dorsey

Yeah, I think what I've seen from the Cubs over the first six, seven weeks of the season show me that, okay, despite all the hits they've taken with injuries, and they've had a lot of them, And you can make the case they've had as many as any team in baseball.

Chapter 4: How do the Cubs measure up against the Braves as top teams?

783.483 - 802.518 Russ Dorsey

Yes, somebody who's playing extremely well right now is going to come back to earth. However— I tweeted this this morning. Any of the teams in the National League Central would be leading the American League Central right now. The last place team in the NL Central will be the first place team in the AL Central.

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802.538 - 823.112 Marshall Harris

Or the AL West, same thing can be said. Because the last place teams are 22-19. The A's are 21-19. So same thing applies to the American League West. I think the bigger concern I have is this understanding that a team like the Reds can go through an eight-game losing streak and then just bounce back and be like, all right, we'll win the next two games and now we're back in the mix. And I think...

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823.092 - 840.927 Marshall Harris

When you look at this division overall and understanding how many games that the Cubs have actually played against the division, not many, it's going to be a fun back half of the season for everybody involved in this division. Milwaukee, we say it each and every year, they're going to be there. Who they just sweep? Exactly, the Yankees.

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841.107 - 855.564 Marshall Harris

So the understanding that— They've won seven of their last ten. Look, they're getting healthier. Yeah, I was about to say, and they're not even healthy. Yeah! That's what gives me concern. Okay, so let's play an abbreviated version, a very abbreviated game of what you guys did.

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855.664 - 855.904 Mark Grote

Oh, yeah.

855.924 - 861.695 Marshall Harris

But it's just White Sox, American League Central. I name a team. You tell me when that team is better than the White Sox.

861.715 - 864.44 Mark Grote

Are you comfortable with this, Ross? Yeah, I'm down with this.

Chapter 5: What are the implications of the Cubs' performance this week?

864.6 - 866.924 Mark Grote

Minnesota Twins.

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866.944 - 874.11 Marshall Harris

Kansas City Royals. Detroit Tigers? Yes. Okay. Cleveland Guardians?

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874.13 - 874.331 Russ Dorsey

Yes.

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874.932 - 880.403 Marshall Harris

Okay, so you got them as the third best team in the Central. Can they still overtake those two teams in your mind?

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883.849 - 886.154 Russ Dorsey

Like playing it out to September?

886.214 - 888.539 Marshall Harris

Yeah, we're going to play it out to 162.

888.559 - 899.105 Russ Dorsey

Okay. I think where I sit today as opposed to six weeks ago when we talked about this, the Sox have gotten way better pitching than I thought that they would get.

899.265 - 899.906 Marshall Harris

You and me both.

899.986 - 918.608 Russ Dorsey

Right. I'm blown away by what Davis Martin has been able to do this season. They should be really proud of themselves. So high. I think they're going to be able to score runs. That was always the thing that I believed about the Chicago White Sox. Top ten offense. They're going to hit the ball in the ballpark, which is something else that we thought coming into this season.

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