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AL DIVISION SERIES: ROYALS VS ASTROS

October 9, 2015

Ned Yost

Kansas City, Missouri - Postgame one

Royals -5 Astros - 4

THE MODERATOR: Start with questions for Ned right up here in front.

Q. Ned, before the game, you talked about execution, competing, not trying to do too much. Nine of your 11 hits were to the opposite field.
NED YOST: The offense finally got on track, you know. I just kept waiting somewhere in the game to get something started, because I knew the crowd would really get involved. And, finally, we tacked one and then we tacked another one on and then finally scored two to tie it there I think in the sixth. Salvy's walk was huge, you know, a four-pitch walk.

But to come back with Eskie's big triple, the opposite way, and then Ben Zobrist driving the ball the opposite way for the game winner was key. The offense took advantage of opportunities when we had them and found a way to win a baseball game.

Q. Ned, Johnny wasn't super sharp early, obviously, gave up some runs. How close was he to -- you getting someone behind him. What do you say about him, the way he came back?
NED YOST: I was never close to getting him up. If you're a manager, you say make two mistakes, really, to Cody Rasmus. They're only mistakes if they get hit. They're probably two pitches he would like back to Rasmus. One was the home run and then the double in the first inning.

But the second inning, it was an array of broken bats and jammed shots and a bunt that, you know, we couldn't make a play on and a walk. So I thought he was throwing the ball fine. He finally really got dialed in after the third inning and kept us right there through six. So I thought Johnny, when he got done, I looked at Dave and said, what do you think of his outing? Dave said he pitched good enough to win. I said I agree with this.

Q. This game kind of an example of what your club's all about. You're down early. You find a way. They turn over the bullpen and shut the other guys down. Typical Kansas City performance.
NED YOST: Right. Once we tied that ball game up in the sixth inning there, you know that you got Herrera, Madson. You've got Davis. You've got Duffy still available down there, Hoch and Morales. You feel really good about your chances of holding the score right there until you can score.

Thankfully, we scored in the seventh, got it done there. And Madson came in and was tremendous, and Wade Davis was unbelievable. That play that Hos made on the pickoff was -- I don't know if there's a lot of first basemen that can make that play. It was tremendous.

Q. I was going to ask about Wade, but you mentioned you were waiting on the offense to break out and they did going the other way. Did you see maybe those first two innings that they were still muscling up a little bit, trying to do a little too much?
NED YOST: Not really. Kazmir was throwing the ball pretty good at that point and was really doing a good job of stifling our offense there a little bit.

That's what I saw. I kept telling the boys just we've got a long way to go. Just keep plugging away. Just keep plugging away. Let it happen. Don't try to make it happen. Just let it happen. And it did.

Q. Ned, you mentioned Perez's walk. How big was that moment for a guy with his plate discipline to walk on four pitches to tie the game?
NED YOST: It was huge at that point. Tied the ball game up and put us in a position to take the lead with one out, bases loaded. We couldn't put the ball in play after that.

Salvy had a big day. The big run, the walk, drove the ball the opposite way that could have started another rally. So it was a great offensive day for Salvy. Another great defensive game, you know. He got Johnny through that game, got the bullpen guys through that game. It was a good day for Sal.

Q. Also got to the ballpark about two hours before the first pitch. Is that normal for your veterans?
NED YOST: Yes.

Q. What's made Rasmus so dangerous this series?
NED YOST: He's hot. He's not missing pitches. Players go through periods where they're hot and when they're not hot. And when you're just kind of grinding through it, Colby's hot right now. He's getting pitches that he can drive and he's not missing them.

Q. You mentioned the bunt that you guys didn't make the play on. Did you think there could have been a play made at third on that?
NED YOST: No. It was a play where it was kind of a crash where Mous came in, Eskie was the trailer, and it would have been too close a play. And Mous, you know, turned to look and then turned around and fired to first base, but Marisnick runs like a deer down there and just barely beat it out.

Q. Last night, Altuve was on base all night long. What did you guys -- one of those guys where you get him out?
NED YOST: No, it's just baseball. If he found ways to get on base last night, and we found ways to make pitches and get him out tonight.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Ned.

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