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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GIANTS v CARDINALSOctober 16, 2014Jeremy AffeldtSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Game Five THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jeremy Affeldt. Q. Your manager always seems to think you have something in there to give. What do you think your availability is today? JEREMY AFFELDT: You know, I think with Bochy, I think for me, we don't ever go into the playoffs feeling like we're unavailable to pitch. I think we trust him and we trust the way he matches us up against different guys. If he feels, based on the way we're throwing, if we're going to be a good match up and we just trust him on it. But I think everybody is available I'm assuming. Q. Could you talk about the job the bullpen has done, yesterday after a rough outing by Ryan, you guys came out and shut the Cardinals down? JEREMY AFFELDT: I don't think anybody thought this wouldn't be a potential bullpen scenario for both sides. It's been a long year and these starters have put up some long innings. Every time I've been in the playoffs, it seems like bullpens are used to their maximum. Guys have come in in different situations and thrown strikes and come in for guys when maybe we have to come in mid‑inning, guys on base, stuff like that, we've done a pretty good job. I think we have been able to get them to swing at our pitches and work ahead in the count for the most part. And the way the defense has played behind us late in the game, that has also helped our bullpen. I'm very pleased with what our guys have done, and I think the whole team's excited. Q. We've seen what Petit can do in so many different roles throughout this year, but to see him doing this on the big stage, what has he meant to you guys this October? JEREMY AFFELDT: Well, not just this October, to be honest with you, I think the whole year. You know, the guy has come in and he's done whatever we've asked him to do. I think that he's started, he's relieved, and he's gone short and he's gone long. But I think what you're starting to see is his talent level come out and how we can utilize the long guy. And the guy Bochy utilizes the long guy. Obviously we have two guys with Timmy and Peavy. But the way he's come in the Nationals game and then yesterday's game, it's sometimes really difficult to take that much time off and come in and have the command that he's had. So for him to do what he's done, no doubt he's been our secret weapon and he's been a big pick‑me‑up for the bullpen, especially when we don't have to burn as many guys. And for Bochy to know he's down there is a huge deal, as well. Q. You've seen a lot of starting pitchers with their day‑of‑game routine. Can you describe what Bumgarner is like on the day he pitches? JEREMY AFFELDT: Well, you know, he's pretty relaxed. He might not be obviously as outgoing and he's not as talkative as other days, but he tends to try to stay as relaxed as possible. I think Huddy helps him quite a bit with that. He sits next to him in the locker, and a lot of times they go over different scenarios, pitching‑wise. And Peavy is down there in that corner, too. I think Bum is focused and he's done his preparation and he's one of those guys that tries to relax as much as possible, and I think that allows him to relax in the game, as well, and pitch with complete focus. He just doesn't tend to want to get too tight. He's one of those guys, you see him walking around the clubhouse, and you see him walking around, you have a lot of confidence in the start that day. Q. The one comment from all the pitchers is Buster is back there for you guys. If you could pick one thing that stands out about him, what would it be? JEREMY AFFELDT: Probably his ability to call a game in any situation and not panic. He doesn't look anxious out there. When he's behind the dish, he calms us a lot of times. I've called him a couple times in the playoffs, especially if my skud level gets up there a little bit, and I'll ask himif I'm pulling. Not really. Maybe you're pulling a little bit, but it's fine coming out of your hand. Maybe just try to stay on me a little bit longer. He just doesn't ever seem like he's out of sorts out there. And that calmness that he provides for the pitching staff and for the team, even at the plate, you know, is big for us, especially these games are not exactly non‑nail‑biting type scenarios. Just to see the calmness that he has behind the plate and the trust that we have for him to call the right pitch. If we shake, he seems to know the exact pitch we want. So we have a high trust with him back there. Q. You're one of a few guys that already have two rings. Could you talk a little about the experience? How important it is, especially going into this game tonight with a 3‑1 lead, is going to help you maybe get to the next step? JEREMY AFFELDT: Yeah, I think experience does a lot. I think we do turn the page. We don't try to live in the past, but sometimes we kind of have to fall back on our experience. And one of the things that we know in this experience, and what I see with this ballclub, is we have a high trust for what we can do out there. We also have a respect for the opposing team. We have a high respect for the Pirates, the Nationals, and the Cardinals. You know, we played the Cardinals in this scenario before, and we know that just because we're up 3‑1, that doesn't mean anything. You have to win four. That's our focus and that's our goal. I don't think we relax at all. I think we know from experience not to relax based on the 2012 scenario. I think they know, as well, the Cardinals do. They are going to give us a fight and a battle and I think we are going to battle and fight back. You know, what I do know from these two teams competing right now and the experience that we've had with each other is the respect we have for each other and the competitiveness that we have. And we're fully aware of the fight that we're in for here, potentially for the next three games. Q. As somebody who played in Kansas City and who has an appreciation of how long that city has waited, what are your thoughts about what's going on in Kansas City right now? JEREMY AFFELDT: Well, I'm sure there's a lot of excitement. You know, I think we saw it here in San Francisco in 2010, and there's a lot of people that have been fans for a long time in that area and been waiting to see this since 1985. When I played there, I think they thought they were overdue then, and that was, I don't know, seven, eight years ago. So I'm sure that‑‑ I've got friends that still live there and they told me, they were texting me saying there were fireworks going on all over the neighborhood and all that stuff. The city is definitely excited. And whoever plays that team, there's going to be some energy in that stadium. And they have remodelled it obviously and the fans, it's pretty impressive to see the amount of blue in these seats during those games and the energy level that is in those games. I'm sure they are excited and we know exactly what they feel like from the 2010 scenario. And Dayton Moore, he was the GM that when he signed them, he traded me. I have a lot of respect for him. He traded me for a reason and he just wanted to give me a fresh start when I left there. He contacted me a little bit after and told me why he did what he did. I have a high respect for Dayton and it's pretty cool to see the moves he made and the players he signed and developed. It's starting to work out for him. Q. Last night Bruce Bochy said even he didn't expect you to win in some of the ways, he couldn't have envisioned this.  Has this group surprised you in the way you guys have gotten this done? JEREMY AFFELDT: I wouldn't say surprising. I think that over the last few years that I've been here, at least, we've won in some interesting ways. We tend to keep the ballgame really, really close, I'm sure. You know, I actually for the first time started to see some gray in my facial hair and I'm sure that had a lot to do with it, with some of these close games. Buster is starting to get some gray right in here and I think he blames me for that, but there's a lot of scenarios that take place for him to get gray. I just think we tend to win in these ways. We keep the games close and we know that if we keep the game really, really close, we know anything can happen. We know anything can happen on the other side, too. They walked us off at their place on a homer. Whether it be a passed ball, wild pitch, balls to first basemen, whatever, we are trying to score however we can and they are trying to do the same thing. We know if we can keep the game close and that's how we score, good things can happen. So I don't necessarily say it surprises me. Sometimes it's not exactly how you draw it up. When you start inning one of a game, that that's how you're going to win it. But right now we are just going to try to win any way we can no matter how we do it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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