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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL DMarch 10, 2017Seth LugoZapopan, Jalisco, México Puerto Rico - 11, Venezuela - 0. Q. You said you weren't afraid of Venezuela. Tell me about pitching against that powerful team. SETH LUGO: I mean, I've faced those hitters, so. Q. You've recently connected with the Puerto Rican group. How important was that connection? What city is your family from? And then your performance tonight, what was it like out there being with Yadi Molina? SETH LUGO: Well, my family is from San Juan, and I just got to meet them for the first time in February. That was great. We've kept in touch through Facebook and stuff like that, but finding them was really special, pretty awesome day. Q. Talk about the performance tonight. SETH LUGO: Well, I didn't have to worry about my game plan, just stick with him and trust what he's calling, and it made it that much easier. Q. We know you did the work, but tell us about what Yadi did tonight? SETH LUGO: A couple times he worked on my mechanics and fixed up on that while I was out there, said we've got to slow down, not make it too nasty, just trust it and throw where my target is. It just gives you a big boost of confidence. Q. Were you surprised that you were able to go five-and-a-third innings given that there's a pitch count rule? And secondly, why do you think Venezuela had such a difficult time working the count against you especially because of the pitch-count rule? SETH LUGO: Well, coming in I knew there was a pitch count so I was trying to get as many as I can. I was able to stay in the strike zone a good bit, so that always helps. Q. Why do you think team Venezuela was not able to work the count given that they knew there's a rule, too? SETH LUGO: Well, I was watching videos last night. Every pitch matters. It was his game plan, and I followed him and trusted what he told me. Q. Were you nervous in your first game? And talk about early last summer making it to the Big Leagues and now facing a lineup of pretty much All-Stars. What did you think about that? SETH LUGO: Well, pitching against crowds like that, I was definitely nervous warming up and all day today. But as soon as you step on the mound, I just think about what I've been practicing and working on for my whole life, so it comes real easy. After the nerves go away, I just focus on what I do. Q. This is a hitter's park, and you faced one of the best offenses in the world where there is All-Stars, batting titles, and then you have one of the best stories. Are you conscious of what you did today? SETH LUGO: Well, the first thing I asked the guys coming in after batting practice, how's the field, how is it carrying? It seemed like a short park so I knew I had to keep the pitches down in the zone. Like I said, just trust Yadi, just stick with the game plan. Q. If the pitch limit didn't exist, did you feel comfortable to continue pitching? SETH LUGO: As a competitor, I wanted to keep going. But it's in there for a purpose, to keep us safe. We've got a long way to go for the rest of the year. But absolutely I wanted to keep going. Q. How much will this night be helpful for your MLB career? SETH LUGO: Any time you face lineups like that you've got to stay with your focus. That's what you do all season. It's definitely going to help. I wouldn't say it's going to hurt me. I was happy to face that lineup. Q. How do you feel like spending time with this team has allowed you to tap into your Puerto Rican heritage? SETH LUGO: Well, I've only really been around my grandpa who's Puerto Rican, so I never really got the big culture of Puerto Rico until I met my family back in February, and then these last few days, they're making me part of the family. They make me feel really welcome, and I can see what the culture is. It's family first. That's how I feel like with this team. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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