	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 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CUBS VS DODGERS

October 17, 2017

Jake Arrieta

Chicago, Illinois - pregame 3

Q. Jake, is this working to your benefit to strengthen that leg and get your command the way you wanted it to?
JAKE ARRIETA: I think the leg issue is pretty much behind us. I think the extra days that we had leading up to my first start were very necessary. So I don't see it as being a factor anymore from this point moving on.

And with the command, yeah, it was erratic in my first start in the last series, but not being out there for a couple weeks was a little shaky, but that's some good sessions on the side in between then and now, and I feel pretty good where I'm at now.

Q. Yesterday, Kyle was talking about how starting pitchers -- many of the postseasons aren't going past seven innings and calling the bullpen in. Has your mindset changed at all the last season or two knowing that Joe could come out as early as the fifth or sixth inning?
JAKE ARRIETA: No, I don't think so. I think it's just a matter of how long you remain effective, especially in a situation like this in the NLCS. We're not going to take many chances. If you're effective and you're proving that you can stay out there as the game progresses, second, third time through the order, then he'll let us continue to go. But if that's not the case, he's probably going to make a move.

Q. Jake, you said before your start here last week that you'd take a point of taking everything in, not knowing whether it might be your last start here or not. Is this sort of a repeat, and how do you deal with all that uncertainty?
JAKE ARRIETA: Yeah, it is a repeat. Very similar situation, but still optimistic and looking forward to making a couple more here. We're in a position where we're down 2-0, but we get three in a row at home, and we've been pretty good for an extended period of time, being able to win multiple games in a row, and that's exactly what we intend to do.

But tomorrow I'm still going to kind of take everything in as well as I can and prepare to the best of my ability and be ready to face these guys Game 4.

Q. Jake, what is the mood of the clubhouse today down 0-2?
JAKE ARRIETA: I think it's the same that it always is, really. From what I noticed from when I got here until now, guys are doing their typical routine, going about themselves. Some guys are getting loose in the weight room, getting some treatment in the training room, hitting in the cages, or guys are just hanging out, getting something to eat and doing their thing.

So the mood is really very similar to the way it is in our clubhouse every day. You know, we really don't ever expect that to change.

Q. There is such an emphasis on power with pitchers in the game today, and Kyle's kind of the opposite of that. Do you think it's possible that maybe teams or scouts might be a little more open to Kyle's way of teaching where maybe it's not power, but there might be a little more open-mindedness about that?
JAKE ARRIETA: Well, I don't see why there isn't open mindedness about that currently. If a guy shows the ability to get outs in a consistent manner the way that Kyle does, regardless of velocity or things of that nature, typically guys that throw hard that have good offspeed but might not be able to command the ball very well. Guys want guys that can get outs, and he's shown the ability to do that at a really high level for the past couple years.

So I think there is scouting out there initially that starts with wanting guys that have velocity, but as guys progress, if they show the ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes, change speeds and keep guys off balance, you know, they're going to get to the Big Leagues and have success just the way that guys that throw hard do.

Q. Can you explain the team's back-against-the-wall attitude, and how you guys over the last three years have performed so well under that type of stress?
JAKE ARRIETA: Well, I think to simplify it, it's just taking one game at a time, really. There is no use in dwelling on what happened the night before or a couple days ago and trying to look too far into the future.

Preparing for today's game, Game 3, guys are focused on preparing for Darvish, watching video. The same way that pitchers do. They scout the game plan as if we just have to play and win one game.

And I think that's the mindset that we've kind of carried throughout the season, and it's worked out really well for us. So I think just stems from everybody trying to collectively have that same mindset. And if we're able to focus on just tonight, we're going to be just fine.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297