	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: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 18, 2018

Craig Counsell

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Workout Day

Q. Do you feel that some managers will feel you violated baseball conventions with a predetermined plan to replace a lefty with a righty one batter in? And could that lead to a breakdown of ongoing trust between opposing managers playing it straight with each other?
CRAIG COUNSELL: No, I don't. Teams are pinch-hitting for hitters before they take AB's in the playoffs or after one at-bat in the playoffs. I don't see it any different than that. So we're using a roster. We're using our full roster. And I think that's what all teams are doing in the playoffs is you're trying to put together a 25-man roster and understanding that you're going to have to use all or most of your players during a game.

Q. Generally with you and some of the other teams the decreased prominence of starting pitchers, do you think that would have, going down the road, an impact on ticket sales and audience and ratings from starting pitchers who drive ticket sales and TV?
CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, I don't think if you're talking about players who drive audiences and TV, I don't think anything will change with their roles. The great players are the great players. I don't think their roles are ever going to -- I don't think players of that nature's roles are ever going to change. You're always going to want them out there as much as you possibly can.

Q. I was wondering if you could tell us a day early whether you plan to send the same lineup against Ryu as you did in Game 2, or if you're thinking at all about ways to get the offense going or whether you think we're all maybe overreacting about the offense in a short series against a good Dodgers pitching staff?
CRAIG COUNSELL: Well, I don't have any announcements for the lineup. I will say, certainly we need to score more runs. And so, yeah, I mean I think we're discussing -- there's so much you can control. I think it boils down to our bats and have better at-bats and just trying to create more pressure on the other team, we're talking about, for most of the season.

I think our lineup is pretty determined and set. And I don't think there's a lot of different options to go with. I'm confident in our guys. I thought we did a nice job against Ryu the first game. He's been on a pretty good roll this year, but I thought we did a pretty good job. But more of the same as far as the next starts against the next time we face him tomorrow night. But it's just about our guys getting a pitch to hit and then putting a good swing on it and that's not going to change by any decision we make from that regard.

Q. With Christian Yelich, specifically, how much of the struggles in this series do you attribute to something more on the mental side? Would you ever consider changing his spot in the batting order to maybe release the pressure?
CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, I don't think that -- I think it's just the case of a guy who is missing some pitches to hit. I don't think that he's worried about where he's hitting in the lineup. He's worried about getting a pitch to hit and squaring it up. Anytime players go through stretches where they don't square up baseballs, or don't take the swings they want -- I think he's been swinging at the right pitches as his on-base percentage all postseason has shown, he just hasn't kind of put the big swing on the ball -- his best swings on the ball that he'd like to.

It's a really small thing for Christian. He's right there. And you just have to be patient. It sounds like a time that we don't have time for patience but you have to trust that Christian is going to put good swings on the baseball, and I do.

Q. To follow up on that last question a little bit, there was so much talk in August and in September while you guys were going your way to what became the Christian title, that Christian was the guy that was essentially putting the Brewers on his shoulders and carrying them there. If it was true in September that as Christian went so went the Brewers, is that going to be the case in the NLCS, as well?
CRAIG COUNSELL: I think that's certainly a narrative that was created. And I think he was doing, for all of us watching him, he was doing things that made that fair. It was probably overstated because it's frankly impossible for one baseball player the way the game is constructed to do that.

But, look, he's a great player. When you go through these things you want your great players to be at the center of your success. The way baseball is constructed he's getting four at-bats and Erik Kratz is getting four at-bats. And so each guy gets to kind of the equal opportunity to shine.

I think, look, I think the reason why you build a deep team is so that you can withstand things like that. Even your stars are going to not be on it every single game and every single day. Our hope is that when we come to Milwaukee and Game 6 and 7, Christian and the guys in the middle of the lineup, Aggie and Mous, they find it and contribute some big hits for us.

Q. (INAUDIBLE)?
CRAIG COUNSELL: You were a little quiet there and breaking up a little bit, but I think you're asking a question about their bullpen.

Q. Yes.
CRAIG COUNSELL: One of the things is we've had trouble scoring against their bullpen. And there's no question about it. I think that's accurate. And they've done a good job putting up zeros. So that's something that's part of the game, for sure. It's the second half of -- they've had a couple of starters go a little deeper in games so it's been less innings.

But we've got to try to score against their bullpen, there's no question. I don't think we've put pressure on their bullpen. We haven't put rallies together. And when you don't do that it makes it easier for the other team to get matchups on your team. And I think that's been a factor in allowing them to get matchups.

So pressure innings, multiple runners on base, I would point to Game 4 as just a night where we were just unable -- I think there was one inning where we had multiple runners on base. So those become easy innings for their teams. And they don't have to make decisions and choices. So just putting pressure on their bullpen is something that we can do a better job at.

Q. I have one other question (INAUDIBLE)?
CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, I certainly feel that way. I think going into the series I think it was five out of seven games are going to be left-handed starters. And so I think in that world you always -- you have right-handed hitters are going to be really important here and need to do damage. The middle of the order guys. So that's obviously Ryan Braun and Aguilar, and Aggie had the home run in the first game. But he's been quiet since. And I think the guys in the middle of the order, those are the guys that you're hoping that there's damage there.

I would put Aggie in the same category as I put Christian and put Mous, guys that are important for offense, are capable of the home run, are capable of damage. And are guys that if we're going to win two games here are going to be in the middle of a big offense.

Q. Just from your past personal experience, what do you go through the night before a game when it's an elimination game or whatever you want to call it, and how do players prepare for something like this?
CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, I think for tomorrow it's a simple case of you put everything out there that you have. We've got our backs against the wall. I think you know it can be the last game of the season. We haven't been in this game yet this year, but we've been in some games that were obviously -- a bunch of games that have been immensely important, but we have not been in this game yet. And I think everybody realizes it's win or go home. So you treat it like that. So it's a little different. I think it is a little different for everybody.

You're giving everything you've got, you're giving everything you've got in all these games, but when you know it's win or go home it probably creates -- I think it will create a little more excitement more so in our building, it will create a little excitement and a lot of fun and hopefully -- and I think you'll see -- I don't think the effort changes but you'll see the urgency.

Q. You kind of answered it there, but I'll follow up. Game 163 is not really a blueprint for you, considering you may have had to play the next day.
CRAIG COUNSELL: I think in this situation, I think you have to be willing to empty the tank. And you know there's a Game 7. And you know that you might not be at full strength for Game 7 if you're forced to completely empty the tank, but you've got to get to Game 7. So that's how we'll treat it.

Game 163 is a little different because we knew there would have to be a Wild Card game the next day.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297