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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: NATIONALS VS CARDINALS

October 14, 2019

Mike Shildt

Washington D.C. - postgame 3

Nationals - 8, Cardinals - 1

Q. Mike, with you all in the situation you find yourselves in now, what's the first thing you have to do to get things pointed back in the direction you want?
MIKE SHILDT: We've got to get the lead. We've got to get a lead at some point in this series. Hard to win a game if you can't get a lead. We've got to figure out a way to create some offense early in the game and be able to hold it there. It's the first time our pitching hasn't been able to contain this offense. I'm confident we'll be able to do that tomorrow.

We've got to play with a lead.

Q. Mike, what was your view of Marcell Ozuna's attempt to make the sliding catch? Did you see that as kind of the full crumb of the game because, obviously, three runs scored after that, but Jack might have gone deep or you might not have had to go as deep in the bullpen.
MIKE SHILDT: It's not an easy play any time you have to leave your feet and go a distance and slide. It's a play that he's clearly capable of making, but it's not a play you absolutely expect somebody to make. There's a lot of other plays in the game that were a factor that I can't single that out as being the full crumb that led to the rest of the game.

Q. You mentioned some of those other plays. It seemed like -- is it fair to say that a lot of the reasons you guys are here, the things you did right all over the course of the season seemed to get away from you tonight -- base running, some defensive plays that might have been made in the past. It seemed like the offense we've talked a lot about, but the things that sustained the offense when it wasn't coming through gave way a little bit?
MIKE SHILDT: It wasn't our cleanest game, in some of those regard, not a lot of opportunities. Got called off at second base trying to move a runner. I think that's what you're alluding to. Could have gotten the lead at that point, trying to make a play. Not our cleanest game. Some nice plays defensively, no errors. Like you said, the Ozuna play, but, again, that's not exactly a play you can expect a guy to make when he leaves his feet.

Just not a lot of opportunities to do as much. We had more tonight, some guys out there, and weren't able to get that big hit. Took better at-bats. Their guy was good again.

We've just got to be -- we haven't been able to play our brand of baseball in full. We haven't been able to get in rhythm or sync, but we still have more baseball to play.

Q. Can you pinpoint the reason why you say that about not being able to find the rhythm or be in sync? Can you pinpoint the reason?
MIKE SHILDT: It's a combination. This is a group that right now is pitching very, very well. The other side's trying, too. We're in a highly competitive series, and they've done a really good job of being able to hold us off. They've been pitching really, really well. The length of their lineup showed up tonight and weren't able to contain that. We've just got to be able to create more opportunities and put the pressure on them a little bit more. We just haven't been able to get that.

They've had a lot to say about that. They've done a nice job. They played good baseball.

Q. What did you see with Jack in the four innings he got?
MIKE SHILDT: Stuff was great early, crisp, a couple ground ball hits, the play that Mark alluded to. Ground ball, bunt him over, ground ball, base hit, 1-0, tough play, and it's 2-0. Then we had an open base, like the ability -- you know, pick your poison. We could have put Kendrick on right there, but you get a guy in Zimmerman swinging the bat well right behind him, so didn't make a pitch there. That was probably the biggest part of that was that pitch at that moment.

But I thought Jack was good. It's 4-0, and unfortunately, we've got to hit for him.

Q. There's only been one team who overcame this deficit that you're in right now. Do you draw on that, or is it all about tomorrow for you right now?
MIKE SHILDT: It's all about tomorrow. I can tell you this, and it's appropriate for the area we're at. There is no concession speech being written. This is a team that can absolutely win four games in a row, and clearly we have to start tomorrow, and we've got to get after it, which we will, and we have, but anybody that's seen this team, we're obviously clearly in a tough spot. There is precedent for it, but this team has created its own precedent this year a lot in a lot of things we've done throughout the course of this year.

So take care of business tomorrow, and then who knows, right? This group will bite, scratch, and claw. We're going to figure out a way to win tomorrow.

Q. Specifically to the top of the lineup, you made some changes today and got results there in the middle. But when you don't have those guys on, what are you seeing from those top three on a night like tonight other than just great pitching?
MIKE SHILDT: Great pitching and just weren't able to put -- string together the consistent at-bats we want. Again, a combination of both. We can't and won't pin it on anybody, but we need to get that production from the top. We got it through the middle. Joséy rewarded and earned his start. We'll get another one. Yadi takes good at-bats. Like the bats Paulie took, as well. Looked good. So we just have to be able to -- and Ozuna, of course.

It happens like this, you know. If we could explain it, if we knew exactly what it was, we'd do it. Clearly, it's not for a lack of effort or comprehension, but we've got to figure out a way to get it done.

Q. Mike, obviously, they've had terrific starting pitching, but are you shocked, surprised by just how little offensive production your team's had?
MIKE SHILDT: Listen, we know -- we played a series with them. You play these guys with that pitching, you're going to be in for typically a low-scoring situation, but I've got to say this. As we tip our hat, we've also got to say that we didn't expect to be -- have scored two runs in three games by any stretch of the imagination. Like I said, we respect our opponent. These guys have done a great job of pitching. They've had a good game plan. They've executed their game plan, but by no means did we have anywhere close to the expectation that we would be pretty much shut down. Like I said, it can turn on a dime.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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