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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: FINALS

March 20, 2017

Hensley Meulens

Los Angeles, California

Puerto Rico - 4, Kingdom of the Netherlands - 3 (11)

Q. First of all, just a comment about the game. It was an amazing game. Your guys obviously had your heads held high. But I want you to take me back to the 11th inning and take me through the process of what happened.
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, we played well. In the first inning we had two outs, and we had Simmons on second base, and on first base we had a hit, and he was able to keep that base. That represented a run for us. In the 11th inning we had the opportunity with a full bases loaded, but he batted for a double play. We tried to defend, like they did, with a touch, and we had Baez in first in order to do a double play, but the pitch was high and he was able to bat it to the outfield instead of infield. That's how they reached their victory.

Q. Good evening, do you think that the situation in which the people get heated because of the pitching and the reaction of Balentien could have been a weapon that motivated for the Puerto Ricans to react how they did?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, I believe that the game was played with lots of emotion. It's part of the game when the pitcher throws so hard and the batter has so much power. That is what one is seeing. So this is only about 100-mile-per-hour pitching, so the next pitch was close to his head. So that is kind of risky.

But I don't think that anything happened there. After that he was struck out. Then we had the opportunity to get runs first. But they did take advantage of the bases loaded. So I believe that that did not have an effect on the remaining of the game.

Q. Great game, what do you take with you? What do you learn from this Classic?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, it's always difficult to lose a game like this where we had opportunities, especially in the first inning when we had two runners that got out. So I believe after that we did another one, but the game on both sides, there were no runs for a long time. In the 11th inning, we had the opportunity with the bases loaded and one out, and we were unable to do what they did with that sacrifice fly.

So pitching was very good, our pitching. They played great. They had tremendous defense, and we learned that we have the team to compete at this level. Now we will be back in four years.

Q. My question is a continuation of the other question. Are you satisfied with the performance that we had with this group? Do you leave satisfied in spite of losing today?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, satisfied? One is never satisfied. I think that we started this tournament to win, and losing today stops us reaching the final. We played well, but we made some mental failures.

Q. How frustrating is it after all the hard work to get here to be stopped in the same place where you stopped four years ago?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, frustrating for me is the mental errors that we committed in the first inning on the bases. You know, Simmons got too far off when Jurickson was trying to bunt. He was basically fake bunting, and he was way too off. We talked to the guys before the game about the experience of Yadier Molina behind the plate and he likes to throw the bases. If you get too far off, he'll pick you off, and that's what happened too.

Then Jurickson getting the base hit, celebrating and not getting back to the base, that's unacceptable. Those two base running blunders cost us more runs in that first inning. That could have been the difference in us winning or not.

Q. Hensley, in that sequence in the 10th inning with Diaz, I don't know that I've ever seen an umpire actually leave an opposing catcher to deal with an opposing player and keep the peace like that. What was your perspective on that as it was going on the field?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, for me, it's just emotions pouring into that at-bat. You know, Coco had two great swings and two fastballs. The next pitches are in the head area inside. I don't know how close it was. I can't tell from where I was in the dugout, but up in the zone like that is kind of dangerous if it hits you. Then he struck him out.

And, you know, obviously pitchers nowadays are pumping their fists, they're yelling, they're screaming, and I think Lance (phonetic) just got in for him to cut it off and just get it off the field. That's what I take from it. Nothing else.

Q. Secondly, four years ago you lost to the DR fairly handedly, and then they went on to win the whole thing. Now you've lost to Puerto Rico in a very tight game. Where do you foresee them going against either Japan or the U.S. now that you've played them?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, you've got to give them the advantage. You know, they've got the undefeated record still. They're going to have a day off tomorrow so they can rest some guys, and then play whoever comes their way on Wednesday. I think, you know, they're the strongest team we've faced in the tournament. Obviously, you know, their record indicates that.

But I wish them luck. They played a great game, and I wish Japan and USA luck tomorrow as well.

Q. Two questions. One, the few pitches that Kenley Jansen did, was there a (indiscernible) to have a second episode? And the second, although the game already ended, what is your opinion of the rule of two runners in that position?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, for us, what we had with the Dodgers was he was only going to pitch one inning in spite of how many pitches he made. He did only nine pitches, and he was excellent. What he did was excellent. But that was the deal that we had with the Dodgers. We would not use him for more than one inning, and I had to take him out. So the rule is the rule. We will follow that rule in the second round.

In Tokyo we lost against Japan in the 11th inning when they touched the ball and they put men on second and third, and then they were able to get those two runs in. So far in the season, in order to save the pitching and in order not to play 20 innings, well, that's what it is, so we have to adjust to that rule. But it's difficult to lose like this.

Q. You had to fly twice from Korea, from Tokyo. Was that some kind of handicap for your team?
HENSLEY MEULENS: No, I don't think that was a handicap for our team. I think we did all the travel in good fashion. I think when we got here Thursday to Phoenix, our guys, it was a decent hour. We got in at 9:00 p.m., so we stayed up a couple more hours. The jet lag was not felt by, I don't think, anybody, when we came back. We had another practice day Friday. We played against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, flew here just an hour and a half flight, and then practice on Sunday. The guys are ready to play today. It was a very well-pitched game. We had a few opportunities, but we didn't capitalize on them. But I don't think there was any -- it didn't play any role in the way we lost today.

Q. You got to be part of a Game 7 of the World Series with the Giants in Kansas City. What was the tension like tonight compared to that?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Similar. I think when you see how people want to win the game bad and they do anything in their power to come out victorious. Guys started really pouring their hearts into it, and that's what it was tonight. Both sides, the guys were pouring their hearts into it. Very emotional, both sides. Compared to the World Series, I think that was the same case. You know, we poured our hearts into that Game 7, and everybody was glad when Michael Morris hit that sac fly to right and gave us the victory. But emotions were running high in both situations.

Q. Obviously this is a difficult tournament and there are teams like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that left early. Now it's your term. How complicated is baseball that is played in long seasons, to play an event like this one with a format, short series and then sudden-death like this today?
HENSLEY MEULENS: Well, I believe that the season that we play cannot be longer because then when the season ends, I mean, the last day is on the 23rd, which is on Wednesday, and there is only a week left for training for the season to start. So that is the reason why the game is this format. I have no problem with that. If you don't win, you go home. So we had an opportunity, and it didn't work out. But I think that the format as it is is good. Thank you very much for your support.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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