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AL DIVISION SERIES: TIGERS v ORIOLESOctober 3, 2014Brad AusmusBALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Game Two THE MODERATOR: We're going to start with Brad Ausmus. Q. Anything new in the last 30 minutes on Rajai, Brad? BRAD AUSMUS: No, nothing. Q. Do you know when you will know this? BRAD AUSMUS: Probably not until after BP. Q. When teams are hiring managers now, they seem to be putting a lot of emphasis on the player relations side of the job and managing the clubhouse. Do you think when you get to the postseason that the tactical side of your job actually becomes more important or the most important thing to you? BRAD AUSMUS: I think they're both important because, for instance, you have a game like we had last night, I think the relationship that a manager and the coaches have with the players becomes important in terms of turning the page and refocusing the next day. But, yeah, I would agree with you that in the postseason, the tactical and strategic side, there is obviously a little bit more focus on that. Q. With the outcome being kinda one‑sided last night, did the tight turnaround help you guys turn the page? BRAD AUSMUS: Yeah, it does. As much as we dislike playing a 12 o'clock game, it makes it easier to put last night's game in the rearview mirror. And I promise you, today, when the first pitch is thrown, there won't be a guy in our dugout thinking about last night. Q. Since we have Victor Martinez coming in here, can you talk about the team and why he's been so good this year? BRAD AUSMUS: He's filled a void. We were searching for a five‑hole hitter early in the year. We acquired J.D., even though he didn't go to big league camp, and we heard of him hitting home runs on the minor league side. In Aprilwe heard, again, he was driving the ball out of the park, 10 home runs, and decided he could use a bat off the of the bench. I think he hit a home run in Cleveland to tie the top of the ninth. And from that point on, he slowly became more and more a fixture in the lineup to where we could no longer remove him from the lineup. We played a stretch where we had four outfielders, the three we have now and Austin Jackson. It was kind of a balancing act. But before we traded Austin, J.D. became a fixture because we needed his offense. I filled the void that we were trying to fill the first part of the season. Q. Brad, I know you said that once today's pitch is thrown, last night is out the door, but from a bullpen perspective, knowing the starters you throw out there, how concerned are you about that group right now? BRAD AUSMUS: You learn in baseball that one outing does not necessarily change anything. You know, Joakim Soria, for instance, didn't have a great outing yesterday, but that doesn't mean we don't have confidence in Joakim Soria. This guy has closed out baseball games. He is certainly would be capable of doing that today, regardless of what happened yesterday. Q. Brad, if Rajai can't go, will it be Carrera in center field? BRAD AUSMUS: Yes. THE MODERATOR: Thanks very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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