	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS DODGERS

October 6, 2017

Torey Lovullo

Los Angeles, California - postgame 1

Dodgers - 9, Diamondbacks - 5

Q. You guys have bounced back from a lot of tough losses during the season, how do you think that can help you guys in this series?
TOREY LOVULLO: Well, we have been very resilient. We've had some tough losses, and, you know, this is playoff baseball. We know that we're built for moments like this. We've been battle tested all year long. But it's one game. It's one game. It was a tough day for us. Obviously we didn't do some of the things that we were used to doing, and we got beat. So I know this team is going to regroup and be ready for a tough game tomorrow.

Q. Talk about Zack Godley how he kind of righted the ship and gave you guys a chance to stay in the game and gave you a chance to try to come back?
TOREY LOVULLO: Yeah, I thought he did. I thought he did a great job. He came in in the second inning. Gave us five good innings. I know there were two earned runs. We didn't pick up a ball first base, I think that was -- that was a key moment for us. But he did enough to get us back into the game. Gave us a chance to play catch up, and that's what we ask our relievers to do. It was a new role for him, but I thought he did great. He did a solid job of allowing our hitters to get on their feet and keep the game within striking range. Unfortunately we gave the extra runs late and that was the difference in the game today.

Q. In the first inning when Peralta walks, was there any consideration to bunt him over to try to get Kershaw early in the game?
TOREY LOVULLO: Not really. It hasn't been our game the entire year. I felt very strongly that with A.J., Goldie, and JD right behind him, that's the heartbeat of our lineup, especially against left-handed pitching. I just felt very comfortable those guys were going to put up some good swings and hopefully give us a chance to play downhill baseball early.

Q. Are you surprised at what you didn't get from Taiwan, and any regrets on making that decision of starting him tonight?
TOREY LOVULLO: No regrets whatsoever. He was a choice. A clear-cut choice. We held him back off the Wild Card roster for the potential of this happening. Just he never got into a rhythm. You've got to give the Dodgers credit. They hit a couple mistakes, and unfortunately he never got grounded. Made the decision to take him out after the first inning with 48 pitches into one inning is a lot for any pitcher to absorb. I felt like it would be the best move to flip-flop their roles and maybe get Taijuan out of the bullpen later in the series. So there was nothing that we regretted. Nothing I regretted making him the starting pitcher today. I just think he didn't execute the game plan to get grounded and get into the flow.

Q. When Taijuan got Justin Turner to two strikes quickly and Turner comes back and hits the home run, is that the moment you feel like maybe that inning got away from you?
TOREY LOVULLO: A three-run home run in the first inning is pretty tough to absorb, and it's not uncommon. It happens. It's happened to our group of pitchers. It's what happened after that where I think it got a little wobbly for him. So had he wiggled out of that jam, this team, we have overcome three-run deficits quickly. It just, the inning was built beyond that with the 48 pitches. So I know Justin Turner's a quality hitter. He hit a good pitch. It was a mistake pitch, and he made us pay for it.

Q. What did you see out of Clayton today? It seemed like you were pretty effective against him on occasion?
TOREY LOVULLO: Clayton Kershaw? Yeah. Well, he's an elite pitcher. We knew we were going to have to rise up to this challenge. I think we had a good game plan. We hit four home runs off him. That's the first time in his career that's happened. We have a lot of positives that we're going to focus on. And I know that our group of guys right now are feeling okay about their approach off him and the results are there. You score some runs off of him the way we did, it helps build a little confidence.

Q. You've seen a lot of Justin Turner, he's an elite playoff performer. What makes him such a tough out?
TOREY LOVULLO: I've seen a lot of him. He's just got an easy approach. He's never off balance, rarely fooled. To me it's to be able to take in batting practice, there is no hustle to his swing, and I think every good hitter has that same approach and have it translate the way he does.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297