Republicans clobbered Democrats for the fifth consecutive year in last night’s Congressional Baseball Game. Rep. August Pfluger, the Republican Study Committee Chairman, who clinched his second MVP title, joined Crain & Company before the game to share his thoughts on why the GOP has won every game since 2022.

“What I’d say to America is, forget about baseball, take the uniforms off, just stand us side by side: who do you want leading the country? I’ll leave that up to America to decide. Not that baseball is an indicator of legislating, but it kind of is.”

“My district cares that I can represent them legislatively. But they really care if I can play baseball,” Pfluger added.

WATCH: REP. AUGUST PFLUGER JOINS CRAIN AND COMPANY TO TALK CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME

Pfluger, who was a high school quarterback and catcher, has played for the GOP since 2022, pitching for them in 2023. He noted how seriously he and his teammates take the game, describing intense, early-morning practices.

“We practice at least 25 times, and by the way, we’re not practicing at 8:00 a.m. It’s a 5:45 start time,” Pfluger said. “We’re out there throwing, we come back, we’re icing the shoulder a little bit, in my case, and then we go to work at 7:30, 8:00.”

The Congressional Baseball Game has been played intermittently since 1909. While Democrats dominated at first, Republicans have won 46 games compared to the Democrats’ 42. Funds from the game go towards various charities. This year’s game benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Tim Johnson Memorial Scholarship, and Nationals Philanthropies.

“You’ve got the Republicans vs. the Democrats, which to me just seems like a bloodbath,” Crain & Co. co-host Jake Crain told Pfluger. Asked by Crain & Co. co-host David Cone just “how intense” the game really is, Pfluger was unequivocal.

“It is intense…when we get out there on the field, we’re trying to win,” he said. “This is not bipartisan,” Pfluger said. “This is a real baseball game.”

“The Dems can’t get a dub if you handed it to them on a plate right now! Nobody buries them deeper than those guys,” Jake Crain noted.

Last night’s game also marked the return to the field of Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), who made history as one of the few players to get an out-of-the-park home run in the 2021 game. Steube missed the past few Congressional Baseball Games due to an injury.

“This has been the best interview I’ve done in five years,” Pfluger told the Crain & Co. boys. “Thank you for letting me talk about sports.”