	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

AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS VS YANKEES

October 5, 2019

Jake Odorizzi

New York, New York - pregame 2

Q. Hey, Jake, after pitching through back problems a couple of years ago and dealing with the fallout from that last season, how much does it mean to you to have this moment where you can take the ball in the playoff game?
JAKE ODORIZZI: Any time you can take the ball in a playoff game, I think it's special. I'm really looking forward to my opportunity. I was ready for Game 1, Game 2. It's my turn for Game 3. So I'm more than ready to get out there, and like I said, I feel great. Just how I felt all season and try not to do anything different.

Q. Jake, what do you think is key to navigating through a lineup like the one you're going to be facing?
JAKE ODORIZZI: I think you just can't beat yourself. You can't give away free bases. They have such a well-rounded lineup, and it turns over rather quickly. You can't do any favors by giving them free bases, extra bases, whatever it may be. I think you have to try to attack them as much as they're trying to attack you. I've seen them many times over the years, and it seems like regardless of the people in the lineup, they're always the same approach and always the same mentality.

They're a good bunch, and you just have to execute pitches and focus on every pitch because every pitch is important with these guys.

Q. Jake, would you have preferred to start Game 2 because it would have set you up for a better opportunity to pitch later in the series, or does it not matter to you?
JAKE ODORIZZI: It's not my decision, obviously. It's the higher-ups, and they felt Game 3 was a better spot for me. I'm going to make Game 3 like it's Game 1 for me. So I'm excited to be out there. Regardless of Game 2, Game 3 is going to be just as big. You lose the first game of the series, from here on out, it's a must-win situation. We're either going to be tied going into Game 3 or a must-win situation. For me, both situations are must-win, and that's my mentality going into it.

Q. At what point did they come to you and say they might bump you to Game 3? Was that something you're aware of even before last night? How much of an explanation did you want? Did you get? I'm just curious what the conversation looked like.
JAKE ODORIZZI: We kind of had some plans implemented depending how the first game went. Leading up to it, there was a lot of scenarios that were out there, so we were aware of them, but it was just kind of a wait and see of what was going to happen. Obviously, yesterday didn't go in our favor, so that made the decision. From that standpoint, that's kind of how it went. We were aware of all different types of scenarios, but until it was actually official, it was kind of all up in the air, really.

Q. Jake, when was the first time you heard the words Randy Dobnak, and what would you tell him about being a rookie pitching in a big game like today?
JAKE ODORIZZI: The first time I heard his name was when he was on his way to Minnesota. I had no idea who he was. He kind of played in that revolving door at that point. Stashak was a new guy. For us up here, you don't really hear a lot about what's going on in AAA and all that stuff. I had no idea his history was so vivid and kind of well explored, if you will.

But I think what he's been able to do since coming up here, he has such a laid back mentality of his life, his career. Everything has been so unorthodox that nothing is really new to him. He's just accepting of everything and comes into it with a positive attitude.

But him and I talked quite a bit yesterday about the lineup, the atmosphere, everything. I tried to, as much as I could, fill him in on my thoughts with their lineup, how to pitch here, how to do a lot of things. So I just tried to give him as much knowledge as I had and be as prepared as he could be going into today.

Q. Jake, how tough is this place to pitch in, especially now? It seems like with all of the -- I don't know if chaos is the right word, but the crowd, the Yankees, the mystique. How do you, as a pitcher, sort of try to get things to slow down and tune things out that could affect you adversely?
JAKE ODORIZZI: For me, personally, I know everyone is a little bit different, but I think breathing is a big point here. A lot of guys get caught up in the loud noises of Yankee Stadium, you're playing the Yankees, pinstripes, everything in between, but I pitched here a lot more than other people. I got a full crash course when I was a rookie, just learning how to just pitch here and try to be successful.

But when you're facing these guys here, nobody is ever out of the game. As you saw yesterday, the lead changes, the swings, one home run, and you're back to within a run. No lead is really safe, be it home team, visiting team, whatever it may be.

As a pitcher, you just have to continue to stay focused. Even if you have a five-run lead, things could change really quickly. Especially in the playoffs, a lot of weird things happen in the playoffs. Yesterday we kind of gave one away. We left the door open, and they came right in and left us in the rear view mirror. Those are the things that can happen here. We just have to tighten up our play, and I think we're going to be okay.

Q. At least last night, Jake, it looked like their big boppers were perfectly content to take walks. It looked like it was the strategy going in. If you know that, do you pitch differently? Do you say I'm not going to waste my time trying to -- let's just get this thing going?
JAKE ODORIZZI: It may have been yesterday they were seeing the ball well. Maybe they had good information coming into the game, whatever it is. But from a pitching standpoint, I don't think you ever want to intentionally continue to throw balls and try to get them to chase because, just like yesterday, they don't chase, and you're giving them a free base regardless.

You'd rather those guys earn their way on base. Obviously, the power potential is there, but at the same time they're human and can mis-hit balls just like anyone else.

We just have to keep attacking. That's pretty much how you have to go about it. When there's good offenses, you have to pressure them and vice versa for offenses and a good starting pitcher. You see it all the time. We just have to be a little bit better than them.

Q. Randy described himself last night as being kind of a weird guy. I'm just curious, would you agree with that assessment? Are there any stories or anything about the time you've known him in the big leagues that might speak to that?
JAKE ODORIZZI: He's a normal guy to all of us. I think the weirdness is the more of his background of the uniqueness. I wouldn't call it weird. It's unique. Not too many guys have been on that journey of undrafted, Uber driver. I think that gets played up quite a bit.

The reality, I think, of the Uber driver -- I haven't spoken to him. If you're an undrafted guy and you're in the minor leagues, you have to make money somewhere, and I can't fault him for working his butt off. I think that's the type of guy you're going to get. He's a hard worker, and he's not going to tell you how hard of a worker he is. It's one of those things that's instilled in him, and he's going to do whatever he needs to do to be successful. That's the guy I want on my team.

Q. When did you first find out that he was making money on the side as an Uber driver?
JAKE ODORIZZI: When I read it on Twitter. I had no idea.

Q. By the time you pitch in a couple days, it will be ten days or whatever it is between your last start and your next start. How do you generally feel pitching with that much rest in between starts?
JAKE ODORIZZI: I think the adrenaline really has a factor in the postseason. If you have ten days rest or two days rest, you're still going to be amped up and ready to go. I've thrown a bunch of bullpens in between and simulated some stuff. I think Jose and I were kind of on the same path of multiple bullpens just trying to stay sharp.

At this point, it's one game. We've made 30-plus starts throughout the year. It's just having the right tools in place to be successful for that game. It's a big thing of controlling your energy, controlling your effort because you can be very amped up in the first and second inning, and then it all kind of crumbles down if you don't watch yourself.

I think that works well for me, being around a while now, that I can temper my adrenaline levels and just try to stay within myself like I always try to be.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297