NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS VS DODGERS

October 11, 2021

Jake McGee

Dodger Stadium

San Francisco Giants

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Can you take us through the process of rehabbing your oblique and getting healthy enough to get back by the end of the regular season and how you felt going into that postseason debut this week.

JAKE MCGEE: With our training staff, they're on top it right away, glad we caught it pretty early.

But just those like few weeks, they're like rest for 10 days and kind of get back out there. But they were going to try to get me in a game before the end of the season, but they figured it would be better to give me extra days rest, kind of go from there.

And my stuff felt really good for my live BP, and then just getting out there and getting my feet wet again, and all my stuff was really good, so I'm really confident and comfortable with that.

Q. You were obviously able to get to know Alex Wood when you were doing your time here and now you are teammates with him again on the Giants. How would you describe him as a competitor on and off the field?

JAKE MCGEE: Just playing against him and then playing with him last year he's very competitive and he's very dedicated in his work and his preparation and how he goes about everything. And I know he's done really well in the playoffs too, just seeing him pitch in the World Series last year, pitching big innings for the Dodgers, and he gets a big opportunity tonight, so...

Q. At least from the outside there's a reputation the Dodgers have as a team that can make players better, either younger players or maybe a veteran like yourself, maybe show you a couple new things. Do you believe that reputation is true and how did it play out in your year here?

JAKE MCGEE: For me it's very true. When I got released from the Rockies, they were one of the teams that called and they said, they were, like, we have three, four things to make you better and make you pitch like were you at Tampa.

And I took the opportunity and came over here and I learned a lot from everything from the analytical and how my pitches move and my fastball and just to help my body move better too, just everything from top to bottom they helped out a lot.

I think that was a decision to come here too with the younger staff with the Giants and they're very analytical. And having Farhan over there too, I knew it was going to be pretty similar and I got a good opportunity this year.

Q. And what they showed you, was that all new to you?

JAKE MCGEE: Some of it was new to me. I started using the CleanFuego. I even use that when I warm up in the bullpen. I try not to throw it over the wall too many times.

But since using that, that's helped me a lot, and that's been my daily routine using that, so...

Q. We spent a lot of time asking Alex about what it would be like facing the Dodgers in this kind of situation. Obviously you faced them this year and you didn't spend as much time here as he did, but is there anything kind of different or unusual that you were just here last year and now you're facing them on this stage?

JAKE MCGEE: I think the biggest thing is just having all the fans in the stands compared to last year. It was different being here last year with no fans in the stands. Playing against them a lot years before that, but this year coming here, I think it's going to be a really cool atmosphere to see everyone out there and it's going to be pretty loud tonight, I'm sure.

Q. How important was it for you to get into the last game, have a clean inning after not getting a chance to pitch in that final weekend of the season?

JAKE MCGEE: It was really big for me. I kind of wanted to get in the last game of the season, but at the end of the day, I felt good and all my stuff was really good. I got to mix in a few sliders and my location and velocity was really good. So I'm feeling really confident right now.

Q. We saw the other night the bullpen getting loose in the second inning. How different is it for you guys as a group just kind of staying loose and keeping warm down there in the postseason knowing that you could be called upon really at any time?

JAKE MCGEE: They're really good at communicating it, kind of have a good game plan in telling guys when they're going to throw, when to be ready, when to be ready early, but sometimes it can mess with routines a little bit.

But I think everyone in our bullpen's really prepared and ready to get outs in any inning. I think that's big for us this year, just pitching every situation.

Q. Can you describe what it's like to warm up as an visitor in the bullpen in this ballpark?

JAKE MCGEE: It's usually not too bad here. There's some other bullpens where it's a little worse. We'll see how it is tonight, especially with the rivalry and all that. But it's usually not too bad. The security is pretty on top of it here, which is nice.

Q. Gabe said that it's possible that you guys go to a bullpen game this series. I'm wondering what you think about the merits of that strategy in general and how this bullpen is equipped to execute it?

JAKE MCGEE: I think, overall, we're definitely prepared to throw a bullpen game if we need to. The last month we threw, I don't even know how many bullpen games, but we had a few back-to-back bullpen games, our bullpen is really deep, we have a lot of guys down there who had success all year. I think we had like six guys with under a 3 down there. When you have something like that you can throw guys multiple innings and cover six innings, seven innings easily with that, so...

Q. You guys have some key guys in the bullpen that don't have any postseason experience before this. Do you and some of the other guys who have pitched in the postseason, do you spend much time talking about either the atmosphere or how to prepare, there's so many more days off in between, you guys are used to working so much more, do you have those discussions?

JAKE MCGEE: Yeah, I've talked to a few guys about it. Just, once you get your feet wet after that first game, I explained sometimes like your first game you feel a little jello leg and it kind of gets speeding up a little bit, but I talked to quite a few of the games just saying it's pretty much trust your stuff and trust your routine and go out there and throw a lot of strikes and get ahead of guys. I think they're going to be really comfortable going forward.

Q. You got into a game, Kervin did as well as a 22-year-old. What do you think of just the poise he's shown in September and then also in a postseason game.

JAKE MCGEE: He's done really well. For him to come up -- and him and Doval I feel like are the two young guys who have impressed everyone in the Giants pretty much -- to come up and get big outs, and Doval is on a good stretch. And for Doval to start throwing strikes like that, we knew Castro was throwing strikes down in Triple A, has a good breaking ball, but I think for them to come up and just pound the zone and throw strikes is a really good recipe for success.