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AL WILDCARD GAME: TWINS VS YANKEES

October 3, 2017

David Robertson

New York, New York

Yankees - 8, Twins - 4

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the grittiness out there tonight? Did you feel like you had to be a warrior?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I don't know about that. I just wanted to do everything I could to help our team win. You know, especially after a tough first half of the first inning, we were very resilient. The lineup came together, put three runs back up and evened the score, and the entire rest of the game was just a grind. And I felt like everyone was on board and nobody wanted the season to end tonight.

Q. Just how shell shocked were some of those guys back there? You look up, 3-zip right out of the jump?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It happens. Baseball is a crazy game. They didn't make it to the postseason -- I say they, I mean the Minnesota Twins, by not being a good team. They're very capable of scoring a lot of runs, and we just had to find a way to shut them down.

Q. The last time you were in the playoffs was in '12, this Yankee team was very different. Can you describe a little bit how this vibe is different with this group and what it's like to be sort of an elder statesman now?
DAVID ROBERTSON: Yeah, I feel like the roles have been reversed. I'm one of the older guys in the clubhouse. But there's a lot of talent in that clubhouse, a lot of young talent and guys that are really believing in themselves and really figuring out how to win baseball games. They've grinded the whole season.

I wasn't here for half of it, but I've been here for the second half, and it's been a lot of fun to be on this team. There's an electric atmosphere, and I feel like the entire team never gives up, and we're always going to grind and try to win a ballgame.

Q. It seems like with this team, there are a lot of people who have sort of checked their ego and are willing to do whatever it takes for the team. You are one of them, Headley is one of them.
DAVID ROBERTSON: Yeah.

Q. Where does that come from, and is that a unique feeling on a team?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I mean, for me, and I can't speak for Headley, but I know we're all committed to winning a World Series. Roles may change throughout the season, and I may be asked to do things that I'm not normally used to doing, but it doesn't mean I can't go out there and do it.

When Joe calls on me to go out there and pitch, I'm going to go pitch. If it's the second or third inning and that's when I'm needed to help us win a ballgame, that's what I'll pitch. It doesn't matter to me, I just want to win another World Series.

Q. I wonder, as Severino is struggling, what is the mood in the bullpen and what are guys saying as you recognize it might take eight plus innings of bullpen to win a game today?
DAVID ROBERTSON: To be honest with you, I didn't even think about it after we scored three runs and evened the score in the first. I knew I was going to be in there at some point and have to pitch a couple innings, and I was going to do everything I could to try to put up zeros and just give us a chance to kind of gain ground on them and get the lead.

I don't think anybody in the bullpen really thinks about it. We know being a bullpen member you can pitch at any time, so the whole game just lined up where most everyone pitched.

Q. After you guys go down by three in the first inning and Gardy is leading that inning off, what's your confidence level like with him getting on base there to start the bottom of the first?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It's good. Gardy is a great hitter. I've had to face him three times, and he's a tough guy to get out. He really knows the strike zone, and once he got on base and Judge got on base right behind him, Didi comes with one big swing, and the game is tied 0-0 again. It definitely made us a lot happier in the bullpen. We were jumping around giving fives, ready to go out there and do the job we needed to do.

Q. That was the longest outing of your career. What was it like for you being out there repeatedly inning after inning?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It was fun. I had a good time. Threw a few pitches that I wish I could take back, that were base hits, but I had a great time. I enjoyed it, mainly because I didn't give up a ton of runs and lose the game. But I wish I could have finished the last inning I was in, but I'm happy with what I was able to do.

Q. You've talked about being part of this bullpen and about how everybody throws so hard and you don't throw as hard as they do anymore, but you're obviously still very effective. How have you evolved as a pitcher?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I don't know if it's so much our bullpen or if it's bullpens around the league that make me change. A lot of guys throw so hard now that it's -- the hitters are geared up for a fastball.

So, for me, I have to be a little sneakier and I have to put a little more break in the ball and try to be smart and selective with my pitches. I throw a lot more breaking balls now, but it's not because I can't -- I mean, I throw the ball as hard as I can, but it's still not going to be lighting up the radar gun. So I just have to mix and match and actually pitch out there instead of being a thrower like I used to be when I was younger.

Q. So much was made of the Cleveland bullpen last year in the postseason. You guys are off to a pretty good start. How do you think the two teams match up and could this be a series where bullpens make the biggest difference?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It definitely could come down to that. Cleveland has got a bullpen; that's for sure. They've got a good lineup, as well. They're a good team.

I'm excited to take them on. I'm hoping that we can come out on top, but we're definitely going to have to pitch some tough innings against that lineup, and I think we're more than capable of getting the job done, but we'll have to see what happens.

Q. David, Joe said he thinks you might need two days off. Do you think you need two days off?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I'll have to see how I feel. To be honest with you, I haven't thrown that much -- well, hell, I haven't done it ever, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Q. Paul Molitor said he thought a couple of guys, you, Green were pushed to the limit of their comfort zone and perhaps past it to get through a zone like that. Do you feel like that?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It doesn't matter to me, I just wanted to win the game and get to the next series. That was a Game 7 out there, and it doesn't matter, we had to win it, and we're moving on.

Q. Joe was in here before and mentioned the crowd tonight. What was your impression of the crowd here, and what impact did they have on your performance?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I was definitely feeding off the crowd. It was a great atmosphere to pitch in. Yankee fans are the best, and they really came ready to see us win tonight, and we were able to give it to them.

Q. Obviously not in the majors had you pitched this long, but when was the last time, college, minors, growing up?
DAVID ROBERTSON: It was a long time ago.

Q. When was the last time?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I think in Double-A probably in 2008, I believe. I can remember throwing a lot of innings then because at that time you were building to come to the Big Leagues, so they wanted you to be prepared when you got here to throw two or three innings. I just happened to have a good outing and made it three innings.

Q. There's an old saying that hitting is contagious. Is that also true of relievers coming in one after the other here?
DAVID ROBERTSON: I've always thought so. I think being a guy who's been in the bullpen his entire career, you always try to feed off the guy who's in front of you. They go out there and do your job, you come in right behind them and do the same thing and you pass the ball to the next guy, and that's just the way it goes. It's definitely in my opinion a lot like hitting.

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