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NL DIVISION SERIES: ROCKIES VS BREWERS

October 5, 2018

Bud Black

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - postgame 2

Brewers - 1, Rockies - 0

Q. Bud, is it surprising to you the lack of scoring in 19 innings against the Brewers, or did you figure that their team would be this tough?
BUD BLACK: Well, a little bit of both. I think the Brewers have good pitching, no doubt about it. Again, pardon my voice. My voice is a little bit dicey.

You know, the Brewers, they throw the ball well. They've got a good pitching staff, but it is a little surprising that we haven't generated more offense.

Q. They've heard all year they don't have enough pitching and that their starting rotation is not good enough and so on, but you guys, I know you know them; you don't believe that, do you?
BUD BLACK: Well, sure. Chacin has had a great year. He put five zeros on the board, and he's been doing that against a lot of teams. I think obviously their bullpen speaks for itself, two All-Stars out there in Hader and Jeffress. Knebel, I believe, was an All-Star last year, wasn't he? They've got stuff. They've got stuff.

I mean, these are two games where yesterday the two younger guys shut us down for five innings, and they went to the same guys again. Soria is a good pitcher as well. I think he's made an All-Star team.

For me, they've got some quality arms. They've got good stuff. But with that said, it is a little surprising that we're not generating some runs.

Q. Moose came up with a big hit for the second night in a row. With somebody like that, how much of that is playoff experience, and when you see a guy like that at the plate --
BUD BLACK: Well, he's a good hitter to start with, and he's a guy that has been through this. You know, he put the bat to the ball. He squeezed one-three with the infield in. You've got to give him credit for making contact, two strikes, and he put the ball in play.

Q. In 162 games, we talk about the offense evening out and eventually getting those big hits, but when your back is against the wall what do you make sure to do that the offense comes alive?
BUD BLACK: Well, I don't know that there's anything you do, you just keep fighting through it and having good at-bats. That's what we have to do. There was a couple spots where we had some opportunities to get that hit or to get on base in some fashion. We just didn't do it. So we've got to keep fighting the good fight.

Q. I have to ask, does the plan change for the starting pitcher at all on Sunday? Are you still going with German on Sunday?
BUD BLACK: Yes.

Q. Bud, you did have a couple chances; do you think it was a case of the pitches they made or you guys -- your guys getting a little anxious or both?
BUD BLACK: You know, probably a little bit of both. I think that a couple of pitches that we expanded the zone on were breaking balls, and you have to -- out of the hand, you have to make a quick decision. Chacin has a really good breaking ball. Jeffress has a good breaking ball. You know, we stretched them a couple times, a couple different times, but we couldn't get the right pitch. We couldn't lay off the borderline pitch.

And that's a combination, I think, of aggressiveness and anxiousness. Part of it might be the moment, but you know, it's how you weigh that, I'm not sure, but I think you're on the right track.

Q. I know you don't like losing, but Anderson pitched great --
BUD BLACK: Anderson pitched great. Senzatela hung in there yesterday, too, so the starters both did a good job. Andy had to make a couple pitches to keep the game right where it was. They got after him a couple different times, and he got out of it. So really proud of Andy. It's two good games back to back. The last game of the year on Sunday, this one tonight in a postseason game was awesome. He pitched great on the road against a good club. I'm really, really excited about where he is and hoping that he gets another crack at it.

Q. Bud, Jeffress had one of those nights last night that relievers have and bounced back today. What did you see out of him? That's impressive.
BUD BLACK: Well, first of all, he's got a good arm. He's got a big arm with velocity and movement and a good breaking ball and a good split, so that tells you a little bit of what this guy is made of. I don't know this fellow. I met him at the All-Star Game, but to bounce back and come back and pitch two innings and put up a couple zeros, it says a little bit about the makeup of this kid, and again, I don't know this fellow, but his arm is big. He's had a great season. Tip your cap to a guy with a good arm, and seems to be a little resilient, as well.

Q. Gerardo Parra probably had the best at-bats of anyone on the team. Is there something the rest of the guys can imitate?
BUD BLACK: Yeah, you're right. He's had very good at-bats. He's getting his base hits. He's seeing the ball well. He seems to be swinging at strikes and taking balls. And a lot of times that is contagious. But we need more than Gerardo doing it, as well. Our guys are -- again, they're mentally in the right spot, but we've got to get that group a little bit more -- their confidence is down just a bit because of what's happened. But a day off will be good, and we've won three games in a row before. That's what it's going to take.

Q. I think we all hate the narrative a little bit, but can returning home to Coors Field be a big part of getting that confidence back?
BUD BLACK: Well, I think playing at home can get us going. We still need to do what we have to do to win. We've got to pitch well and we have to swing the bats. We have pitched well here but we haven't swung the bats. Again, day off tomorrow, get back on the horse on Sunday and see where we are.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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