	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: NATIONALS VS CARDINALS

October 11, 2019

Mike Shildt

St. Louis, Missouri - pregame 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You just played these guys like three weeks ago and you faced the three horses that they have, not the one today but the other three fellows. What can you take from that series, if anything, to apply now?
MIKE SHILDT: Yeah, I there's some familiarity there. These are also guys that have been in the league for a while and we have got some players that have been in the league as well, so there's some familiarity there. Clearly they're very, very accomplished starters, but we also got a guy tonight in Sánchez that we got to contend with. But we're aware of them and we look forward to the competition with them and against them.

Q. What stands out about Paul Goldschmidt's defense and how big of a difference it's made for your team this year versus last year's first-base defense?
MIKE SHILDT: Yeah, he's been a real pillar, he settled down our defense for sure. First of all he's going to take care of himself, and what I mean by that is he's going to understand what that position looks like. He's got a really, really good sense of playing the position, situations. We go to the mound sometimes and make a pitching change and a lot of times that happens there's people on base and he's aware of every part of what's going to happen and what guys are going to do. So his positioning is outstanding. His situational awareness is really high. Then beyond that the residual benefit is just that, keeping guys aware, hey, this guy might do this. He's got a really good understanding of the game. And then he does a lot of things, he makes place in the dirt, he's in good position with cutoffs and relays, he's backing up the right way, he's just a complete player and a really good defensive player that adds residual benefit to our team.

Q. What effect do you think the Nationals not having Daniel Hudson here tonight kind of as far as your game planning for late innings, how does that affect you?
MIKE SHILDT: Not really any. Hopefully wouldn't be in a position to pitch anyway. We like to keep the closer out of the game. But I'm not sure what's going on with him.

Q. His wife had a baby.
MIKE SHILDT: Well I hope that went well for them, but I mean, you know, it's clearly a blessing having a baby, wished he was here and could compete full strength, but as far as what we'll do differently, we'll compete against whoever is out there. So we'll be ready regardless of the situation.

Q. Your thoughts on Ozuna and Goldschmidt and how hot they have been right in the middle that have batting order.
MIKE SHILDT: Yeah, loving it. It's good when your big guys are going well and they're just not trying to do too much, they're letting the game come to them and just taking really good at-bats. They're tough because, first of all, the top of the order's been good and then you have Goldy, then you got Ozuna and then you think you have got to contend with those two guys and then you got a guy like Yadi who can handle the bat in any situation behind them. So it's a really good situation.

Q. With the bullpen being managed in the postseason slightly differently, a little more aggressive maybe than it would be in the regular season, what role does Gerdy play in that in making sure your guys are ready and also having guys like Miles be ready in that kind of spot?
MIKE SHILDT: I don't think anything's changed and as far as more aggressive, I can only speak for our group. I don't know that we have been -- we have been appropriately aggressive. We're going to manage it for the best scenario at the time, factoring in those other at-bats to be had potentially. But Gerdy does great job, Mad Dog does a great job, but he does just a really nice job of understanding where guys are going to be potentially used, he understands how every reliever -- and we have relievers meetings, so they have clarity most importantly the pitchers themselves -- but he has an idea of the different scenarios and has an understanding of how to get guys up and get them going and give them the appropriate information to come in and compete.

Q. Mostly because of how well the starters did in the first round Ponce and Génesis combined for the one anything when you had the big league. I wonder as you set the roster and decided to go with the same group in the Division Series how the length of the series factored into it, being the best of seven and where Gant is at this point for you, if he continues to kind of prep like Wacha does for need down the road or if kind of a long reliever and how that fits into a seven-game series.
MIKE SHILDT: Yeah, I think obviously went with the same roster, feel good about the compilation of it. There's no crystal ball, so our starters we got three starts that guys went deeper in the game, six plus, six or plus. So didn't have to use the bullpen as much, used it appropriately. Ponce is the only guy that didn't get a touch on the mound, just the situation didn't call for it.

As far as going seven games, you know that the determining factor that really you looked at and I talked to some people about it and we spoke internally about it, was we would rather be pitching healthy and know that there's innings that need to be out there, that we have them to be grabbed and not feel like guys that we use in other situations have to grab them and then be compromised for additional situations moving forward. So that was really the determining factor. Johnny Gant will throw tomorrow, with Michael Wacha in more of a simulated live BP scenario to keep him sharp and ready to go if needed.

Q. There were a few intentional walks in both Division Series that seemed to backfire for the teams that issued them. I'm just wondering what your thought process is when you're issuing one and whether or not it's changed over the last week or so?
MIKE SHILDT: No, it hasn't changed. Listen, we have had a lot of success doing it, it gets more magnified when it doesn't work, right? But you do it to create the best matchup you think you have. That matchup doesn't guarantee success. But this -- I heard Skip Bertman say this years ago and is so true, this is a game of "chances are" proposition.

So sometimes they don't work, but you can't, you can't -- at least from our standpoint -- I'm not going to not do something for fear of like worrying about how that's perceived or looks. We're going to manage and we're going to put the guys in the best position available to have success, knowing there's a, knowing you're putting another guy on base and creating potentially some risk, but sometimes you do it and you're actually creating an advantage for you in a double play situation or, like you say, you got a better matchup. There's always a reason for doing it, you don't take it lightly, but it's interesting and I think you're alluding to the fact that we walked McCann to get to Swanson. Do it again next year -- of course McCann retired -- but just didn't work. But we also did it about four or five times, I don't count them, earlier in that series that worked out wonderfully. So we'll do it when it's appropriate and know there's always a risk either way, right, there's a risk of pitching to the guy and there's a risk of putting a guy on and pitching to the next guy, we're just trying to take our best shot and give us the best chance to compete.

Q. In the little that you would have gone up against Juan Soto what have you noticed about his approach as a 19, 20-year-old player?
MIKE SHILDT: He's very disciplined regardless of age, but more importantly, more impressive based on his age. He's not going to chase a whole lot. He's a very disciplined hitter, but he's also ready to, he's really focused on doing damage in the zone. So he's a clear talent and like all hitters you got to execute your pitches and being able to control counts is going to be important with him and but he's got a real skill set.

Q. How have you seen Arozarena develop this year into a guy that's grown into a key part of your outfield mix in the postseason, what's impressed you most about it?
MIKE SHILDT: Spring training was a really a good opportunity, he came into big league camp last year and was just getting his feet wet, didn't get as much opportunity. Then this year was able to get out, earn the opportunity to get some more time and play and you recognize he's a very aggressive player and definitely has some skill set. Our Gary, our farm director, I love the I way he describes a player, it really simplifies it, is how does he beat the other team. And Randy has some skills to be able to do that. And then went out, had a great year in Memphis, tore it up, we brought him up, we have got a lot of talented outfielders so the opportunities weren't as great for him to be able to play up here, but he took advantage of the ones that he received, which merited his opportunity to, for a spot on the roster. He takes swings in the zone, he doesn't chase a whole lot, but he's still aggressive within it and he's got some pop in his bat. He can run and he does, he's done a nice job. Historically more of a corner outfielder and we put him in center more and done a nice job in the AAA level and then up here with us. So, plays good defense, throws well, and he's a aggressive player with some skill sets that can help you with his legs and with the bat. So you can slide him in a couple different spots.

Q. Your first cold weather game of the postseason, really and how do you think that affects the competition and do you think that it favors the pitchers, can they use that and maybe pitch a little bit differently, maybe try to jam guys, things like that?
MIKE SHILDT: I know Miles throws in regardless of temperature. Could come into play. Honestly I think the game will kind of unfold and we'll kind of see. I know we'll be ready regardless of temperature and excited about competing. But it is our first cooler game since really Pittsburgh, our second series of the year, and I know we played well then, so I expect us to come out and play regardless.

Q. When we asked you about Marcell's kind of September struggles you just kept telling us he was one swing away. You can't really know what a guy does in the postseason until he gets there and he hadn't been here and now he's got a bunch of big swings. Just what are you learning about him in this postseason setting and when did you kind of see it click for him, because you were telling us he was close?
MIKE SHILDT: Yeah, one thing that tells you he's close is because you can see how he's working, how he's going about it, what his approach is looking like. He understood, like most guys but Marcell's a proven guy, that he understands, if he's not going well, kind of what it is and then there's usually a clarity to what that looks like to get back to. When you kind of knew was when -- for me a lot of times it just starts with his takes. If he's seeing the ball well and he's taking and he's under control and he's balanced and then he's just trying not to do too much, because he's so strong, he doesn't have to do a whole lot, he just has to get a good pitch to hit and put a swing on it. So he's balanced, seeing the ball well and he's looking to drive the ball through the middle. That's a great sign he's in a great spot.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297