You’re heading to Chicago with a 2-0 series lead, what’s that say about your starters?
“Well, we’ve pretty much haven’t hid the fact that we think we have pretty good pitching. They’re young, they’re inexperienced. They don’t have the credentials that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke and Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta have, but they’re going to be good pitchers. They’re going to be really, really good, and we’re really proud of as fast as they’ve come and the way they’ve handled themselves this summer.”
“But they’re going to we think we can stack up with anybody. And with Jake going, we’ve just got to go in there. They play great in Chicago. It’s a park built for them, so it should be a great series continued.”
You’re beating some pretty incredible pitchers in this postseason.
“We’ve gotten big hits. Again, because of the pitching we’re facing, we’re not crushing the ball, but we’re getting big hits. We’re getting guys on base, and it seems like somebody will come up with a big hit or a big play, or a stolen base when you need it. I mean, Grandy tonight, another good game for Daniel Murphy, another big game. I was excited to see David swing the bat better. Both balls he hit were hit hard. So we’re coming, maybe it’s coming.”
You’ve used starters and relievers out of your bullpen and they’ve come through for you.
“Our bullpen went unnoticed because of the job Noah did, but they were outstanding tonight. I wasn’t a pitcher, so I was never one that thought to have a particular role outside of the guy pitching the 9th inning was that big. But at this level, it is big.”
“Our guys have done a great job. But they’re all caught up in it right now. They’re all caught up in the success of what’s going on. As I said before, the one thing that’s really helped us is those guys walk through those clubhouse doors and they hang those egos on a coat rack, and there are no egos in that clubhouse. Everybody wants to win.”
“So just like tonight, I haven’t used Jon Niese, really, as a primary to get a lefty out. Came in tonight and got a huge out for us. I got Steven Matz up, if Rizzo got up in the 8th, and Steven Matz was going to face him. He was what we thought was the perfect guy. So you just kind of feel good that everybody’s buying into what’s happening down there.”
You stuck with David Wright and he came through for you tonight.
“It’s huge. He’s so important to the club. I told you we had a little laugh last night when I asked him how he was feeling physically and he said he was fine, and he said, “Outside of the fact that I suck right now, I’m doing good.” But that’s the mentality.”
“We need his presence in the lineup. He’s still dangerous, and every time he walks in that batter’s box, you just feel good like he’s going to get something good to hit, and hit it over the fence or against the fence. That leadership, you’ve got to have it on the field.”
You’re going up against all these Cy Young candidates on the other teams, but your depth in quality arms is he the job done.
“Well, it’s huge. That’s why we thought if we could get to postseason, we could match up with a lot of teams, everybody, because we have depth. Everybody’s got real good this is Big League pitching, everybody’s got them.”
“But we’ve got some talented guys. We all look at Noah and Jake and Matt as the big three, but I’m telling you, Steve Matz is really good, too. And we’ve got two starters in that bullpen that I wouldn’t be afraid to start at any time.”
“So we’re very, very lucky that we have the pitching we have. It’s going to make the difference because in these kind of games, these kind of series, we’re going to face good pitching. So whoever pitches best wins, and that’s why I think we’ve got a good shot.”
How huge was the quick 3-0 lead off Arrieta?
“It certainly was a big lift for the guys on the bench because it was Jake Arrieta who, I mean, this guy there’s some good candidates for the Cy Young, but he’s one of the legit ones. When you can jump out to the lead on him, you’ve got to feel pretty good where you’re sitting, and I think it helped Noah relax a little bit. Hey, I’m just going to go out and pitch.”
How about that catch by Curtis Granderson in right?
“Yeah, it was huge. It was a great catch by Grandy. Both sides of the ball, you’ve got to play this game on both sides. Even in the ninth inning, it hurt us, but not covering first base, boy, it can come back and really bite you. Fortunately we got away and it didn’t matter, but Grandy made a great play on that ball.”
