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MLB WORLD SERIES: METS VS ROYALS

October 28, 2015

Ned Yost

Kansas City, Missouri - Royals postgame two

Royals - 7 Mets - 1

Q. How big was it for Johnny to put up that kind of night coming off his last Postseason start, what he went through?
NED YOST: After the way his last Postseason game went, but the game before that was exactly like tonight. I mean, his Postseason, he's had one bad start and two tremendous starts.

But tonight was everything we expected Johnny to be. He was on the attack. He kept the ball down. He changed speeds. It was just a spectacular performance by him.

Q. What about your lineup these last two games against Matt and then against deGrom, as you guys get through the third time in the order, that you were able to adjust and pounce on them?
NED YOST: We don't swing and miss. We put the ball in play, and we find ways to just keep putting the ball in play until you find holes. We had an opportunity in the fourth inning and couldn't capitalize on it and the fifth inning we did. We got guys on and guys just kept the line moving, kept finding ways to find holes out there.

Q. How close were you to trying to review the play at first?
NED YOST: Not close.

Q. You could tell right away?
NED YOST: No, right away.

Q. Did you get a feeling Johnny was going to be like this tonight?
NED YOST: Yes, yes. I felt Johnny thrives in this environment and he's comfortable in this park. He loves our fans. He feeds off their energy. I just felt very, very strongly that he was going to put up a great performance, and he did.

Q. At what point did you feel a complete game was a possibility for him?
NED YOST: When we scored three runs in the 9th, I was going to send Wade, I wasn't going -- Johnny had done his job at that point. And in a save situation that's Wade's job. Wade was coming in and we scored three in the 9th. Johnny wanted to go back out. I'm like, Look, you've done your job very, very well tonight. And now we're going to let Wade do his. Keep your head in the game because if we score a couple of runs we'll let you go back out, and we did.

Q. Was Escobar bunting on his own in the 5th?
NED YOST: Yes.

Q. How do you define "Esky magic," and was that an example of it?
NED YOST: He finds a way to put the ball in play. I knew I didn't put the bunts on him, because I knew he would be bunting on his own, fouled the ball off the first pitch, fouled the ball second pitch. Mous was standing next to me and said, Just go ahead and swing away and get a single. That's exactly what he did.

His focus really intensifies during this time. He's a big game player. And he finds ways to be successful in this environment. The biggest environment you can be in. But his focus really, really intensifies. He finds a way to be special during these times.

Q. How much will it help going into New York and having such a well-rested bullpen, especially considering also Chris Young, how much he threw yesterday?
NED YOST: That was key. To score those three runs and let Johnny go back out and finish the game, not use anybody in the pen. Today Wade got loose, Kelvin got a little loose, but it's not like coming in and pitching an inning. And with the off-day tomorrow, they'll be ready to go for that three-game stretch in New York.

Q. The series isn't over. It's 2-0. Confidence level with how you guys won last night and how you won today, what was the clubhouse like in there?
NED YOST: Our confidence level hasn't changed since the first day of Spring Training to today. Our confidence has been high all year long. We expected to be here. We expected to compete for a world championship against a tough team. And our confidence hasn't changed from the first day of Spring Training to this point right now.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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