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NL DIVISION SERIES: NATIONALS VS DODGERS

October 6, 2019

Dave Martinez

Washington D.C. - pregame 3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How is Victor doing and is it at all serious that you have to think about replacing him on the roster?
DAVE MARTINEZ: No, he had a MRI and it's a very, very mild strain. His right hamstring. If need be on an emergency day he'll be available to pinch hit. As we all know how Victor plays, he wanted to play today, but I really believe that it's best that he just, we get him treatment, and he's going to try to ride the bike and run a little bit today and see how he feels.

Q. What went into the decision to have Anibal start today and how much did Max lobby, if at all, to continue to start the game?
DAVE MARTINEZ: No, I talked to Max after our media session after Game 2. We talked in length and we thought it would be best that he starts Game 4. But that being said, Anibal was definitely told that he would pitch Game 3. And he's up for it. Everybody talks about the big three that we have. Anibal, you could mention Anibal as being one of the big four, because he was really good this year for us, really good, especially down the stretch though. I'm excited, he's excited, hopefully he goes out there and pitches like he's been pitching and he gives us a strong outing.

Q. Do you have any starters available out of the bullpen tonight?
DAVE MARTINEZ: That remains to be seen. I mean we'll see how the game goes. I've said this before, everybody talks about a series and these playoffs, but you are really playing a one-game series every night. So we'll see what happens.

Q. Why Dozier tonight?
DAVE MARTINEZ: I like the matchup. Everybody, Dozier is, he's a big part of what we did here, why we had success, and he hits lefties really well, so. And I like him playing second base with Anibal pitching.

Q. Michael A. Taylor, his importance for you tonight and in this series with his playoff experience, him getting the start. What was the consideration there?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Yeah, for me with Michael, you really don't lose anything in center field. And he's had a really good September, so hopefully he continues to swing the bat the way he's been swinging it and go out there and play good defense.

Q. Have you asked Patrick to hold off on throwing his bullpen so he might be available tonight?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Yeah, I've asked a lot of guys to hold off on their bullpens.

(Laughter.) You know, the beautiful thing about our guys is that they're all in, they really are. It's never a twist-your-arm conversation. These guys, they want to play and they're ready to do anything to win.

Q. You guys stole that game from L.A. Can you carry momentum, is there momentum that can be carried into this one from that win?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Absolutely. The guys, it was a big win for us, guys are fired up. We flew back yesterday, got home at a reasonable hour, they are rested so we're ready go today.

Q. Anibal had that brief rough patch earlier in the season but he's been pretty solid ever since. What do you think got him back on track?
DAVE MARTINEZ: I think that a lot had to do with just getting consistent with his mechanics, using his lower half, and not trying to do too much. Utilizing all his pitches. When he does that he's really good.

Q. Was the Dozier decision strictly Dozier versus Zim, because you were going to always keep Howie's bat in the lineup or was Zim at first a consideration as well?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Yeah, it was definitely a consideration. As we all know Howie's had an incredible year, and he's been swinging the bat well. And like I said I like Dozier at second today and I do like his bat today.

Q. What's it like being probably the only person in Washington not talking about impeachment today?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Excuse me?

Q. The only person not talking about impeachment.
DAVE MARTINEZ: You know what, I consider my job relatively easy when it comes to dealing with that kind of stuff. I try not to watch. I don't want to get involved. I have my own opinions, obviously, but I'm not here trying to solve the world's problems. I'm here to manage a baseball game and have fun doing it.

Q. You've been on some teams that kind of had the weight of big expectations going into a postseason and you got to battle through that or whatnot. I guess what psychological affect might Friday have had on the Dodgers just knowing that so much is at stake for them having won all the games they had and everything else?
DAVE MARTINEZ: For me it's you know, one, I don't focus on any other team but the Nationals. I focus on our team and what we can do. I get it, they're really good and we know that, but we got to play good baseball. But we try to focus on what we can do and how we can beat other teams.

Q. How much getting an early lead in this game and any game in this series do you feel really disrupts what the Dodgers want to do as far as deploying their relievers and just the whole script of what they have for the game?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Yeah, I truly believe it, I said this all year, we want to come out and score first every game. When we do that we put a lot of pressure on the other team. So our focus is always to try to get ahead early in the game and stay ahead.

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