NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS VS DODGERS

October 12, 2021

Gabe Kapler

Dodger Stadium

San Francisco Giants

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. Was there any concern about La Stella coming into today with the Achilles?

GABE KAPLER: I think there was some concern coming into today, but once I talked to him and just kind of established that we could stay with the kind of honest approach throughout the game, we felt really good about putting him in the starting lineup today.

Q. How important is it to have him there, considering some of his numbers against Buehler and what he did in Game 1 against him?

GABE KAPLER: I think Tommy has done a really nice job of setting the tone in most games that he's at the top of the lineup, so this one feels about the same, and I think he feels comfortable -- I think he feels comfortable in the batter's box, period, right now, so it's good to have him in there.

Q. You could have done any number of things at first base and snuck another left-handed bat in the lineup. What made Ruf the choice today?

GABE KAPLER: I think a number of things. First, just dating back to last year, Ruf always makes our hitting coaches, myself, our staff, all the players, feel very comfortable when he's in the box. He's been a productive hitter for us for a long time. His at-bat quality has been consistently good. Had a chance to go back and watch some of his plate appearances against Walker. I think they were disciplined, as they always are, and you can kind of watch those at-bats and see that he feels confident. It's no guarantee of anything, but felt like we wanted Ruf's bat in the lineup and that's why he's in there.

Q. I asked Kris the same thing. I know from a preparation standpoint it's all the same for you guys, but how tough is a closeout game when you have an opponent who is back is truly against the wall and their season can end just like that?

GABE KAPLER: I think we're approaching today's game very similar to the way we approached yesterday's game, the game before, the first game of the series, the whole nine. I mean, we played some pretty important games down the stretch. It felt like every game was critical for like the last month of the season.

And then obviously we played the last game of the season with the National League West on the line. So all of the games have felt intense and today's game is no different. And I do feel like having spent some time in the clubhouse today talking to people that it continues to be kind of a calm workman-like energy that our players are bringing to the ballpark, and our staff is just looking to support that energy.

Q. How are Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval feeling today after being stretched out a little bit last night? And are they ready to pitch again tonight?

GABE KAPLER: We talked about, we had a pitching meeting. Obviously we have pitching meetings and hitting meetings on a daily base. I get a chance to sit down with Andrew Bailey, J.P. Martinez, Craig Albernaz, our kind of pitching group, and talk through just kind of where things might go that night and, so that we feel like we've discussed everything.

We talked a little bit about Camilo and Tyler and how hard they worked last night and decided that we would check in with them and see how they were doing. So Andrew's on that. He's having conversations with both of those guys and we're going to circle back around before game time and kind of decide how fresh and good they feel to go out there and perform again today.

Q. Does being a game up in a series like this rather than a game down maybe change the way potentially you use your bullpen? You've been talking about having everything on the table. Does that potentially change a little bit being a game up?

GABE KAPLER: I don't think it does. Just knowing that we have a game to win tonight and that our guys are relatively, even though they pitched last night, they're certainly prepared to pitch today, we're going to think about this game as one where we're going to try to get our best weapons on the mound. Hopefully we get a good lengthy start from DeSclafani. If for some reason we have to go to the bullpen early, we feel like we have a lot of good options to get through the game.

Q. I know you pay attention to what's like written and said about your team, right? And I'm curious like earlier in the summer, did you ever get annoyed with all like the dummies in the media talking about how the Dodgers and Padres were going to run away with the Division?

GABE KAPLER: Not really. I mean, I don't, I actually don't feel that way. I understood -- I understood from the very beginning of the season why the Dodgers were considered to be the best team in baseball and why the Padres were considered to be a team that could challenge for the National League West title, and I don't think I ever -- there was no point in the season where I was like, wow, I can't believe like people still think these teams are really good.

I mean, the Padres were exceptionally talented, had a tough year on a number of different levels, and the Dodgers are as talented as any team out there and they're in the postseason and won 106 games. None of those things surprise me.

Q. Duggar is so good defensively and got that big triple in that early September Sunday game against Walker. Just wondering, do you weigh him versus Wade when you figure out your outfield and lineup today?

GABE KAPLER: Yeah, good question. Super tough decision. Thinking about Duggar and his at-bat quality and what he's meant to our team, certainly hard not to have him in today's lineup. I thought he played an excellent defensive center field.

LaMonte Wade has been really good for us all season long. And so, I mean I think there's a couple of considerations. You could have like Duggar and Wade, both playing, and then maybe you don't get the presence of Darin Ruf and another good right-handed bat in the lineup, or you could not play LaMonte, and I think LaMonte is an excellent hitter and -- I did go back and watch LaMonte's at-bats against Walker. I thought, I think they have been good. Duggar's as well.

So just kind of going back and layering on as much information as possible, putting it all together, and then doing, ultimately, what we think is best for the Giants and that's our lineup for today.

Q. You have such a young staff, many of whom really maybe haven't been to one of these in October at this level. While you're a manager of players, do you also find yourself kind of overseeing these young coaches, whether there's any nerves or anything like that? I mean, they have a job to do, they're not playing, but still it's kind of a big moment.

GABE KAPLER: Our staff has had a ton of autonomy all year long. I think what you're saying is true, that it's a younger staff and a less experienced staff. They have also done a really nice job. I don't feel the need to change a whole lot. Kind of letting them do their thing.

Our hitting coaches are in there preparing our hitters right now, in the cage, like they always do. We're going to have a pregame hitting meeting with the group, like we always do. And I think they have done a great job, so I don't think there's a whole lot of oversight necessary other than to offer up support however I and we can.

Q. Kris Bryant was in here and he had said that he enjoyed the randomness of moving from position to position. He just seems to be a very calming influence here. How does he fit in with the group and what has he brought that's maybe made a little bit of a difference in the makeup of the team?

GABE KAPLER: So riffing on your point about kind of flexibility and calm, I've shared this story before, but I'll share it again, my first call with Kris after we acquired him from the Cubs, he said, I'll play any position. I'll hit anywhere in the lineup. I just want to help this team win.

And since the acquisition, that's what he's done. He's played a ton of different positions, and obviously he got his first start at first base yesterday. He's back out in the outfield today. He's been very flexible. And it's nice because you get a bat of that quality, that caliber, and just knowing that they can play anywhere and they're going to be ready to go gives us the flexibility to do a lot of other things.

So I guess it's not just Kris moving around. It's also what that does for the rest of the roster and how we can construct our lineups.

Q. As you went back and looked at it, what did you like about your team, about the quality of at-bats of your team, against Buehler, especially recently?

GABE KAPLER: I think our approach against Buehler or any kind of excellent Major League pitcher is pretty similar to our approach against all pitchers, and that is to look for a pitch or hunt a pitch that we can drive and drive in the air and be especially aggressive on those pitches, and then be more patient on pitches that we can't drive.

Look, there have been times in each game where Buehler, against us, where Buehler has been dominant and there have been other times where we've been patient and been able to put together some really good at-bats. When you're dealing with the game's best pitchers, I think you have to expect that there are going to be times when you just get beat by them and they're just better, whether that's in an at-bat or all the way through a game.

I think Max Scherzer was nearly impossible to do much against yesterday. Obviously you had the rocky first inning. I thought our at-bats were really strong in the first, and then he settled in and it was difficult to get anything going. Obviously Longoria got a fastball to hit, and Max talked about it after the game, sometimes it's just one pitch. I think that's what happened yesterday.

But the goal is always to have as high quality, grind style of at-bats as you possibly can against the game's best pitchers, and you know that some days that's not going to be enough. But that doesn't change the approach. I think we have had that same approach against Buehler throughout and likely will again tonight.

Q. You said at the beginning that you had Webb and Gausman set for a potential Game 5. Is there a chance either would be available tonight?

GABE KAPLER: We want to just kind of keep all the potential options open. You know that these are the kind of games that anything can happen. I don't think that that's the first place that we'll go. We've got a lot of high-quality options. But, again, we don't want to rule anything out, particularly a couple hours before the game.

Q. When Kris was in here he was asked about when he thought that this team was really good, and it was when he was playing for the Cubs, he said that the Giants had a really unique mix. Do you see this year's team as unique, and if so, in what ways?

GABE KAPLER: I think mostly I'm going to talk about intangibles now. I think the way our team is unique is it's one of the more unselfish groups I've been around. I think that shows up in the way we pinch hit and how our players tend to be very confident in passing the torch to one of their teammates. And we've had great examples of that, like LaMonte Wade, Jr. supporting Austin Slater through an at-bat where he's pinch hitting for LaMonte. Obviously Darin Ruf comes to mind. Donovan Solano and Tommy La Stella looking out for each other, but I think that extends to the bullpen as well. In terms of them being open to any roles, pitching multiple innings, going back out there -- sometimes going back out there for a second inning of work you kind of feel a little bit exposed, right, because you may not have your best stuff, I mean, it's like a workout, right? Your first set you're going to be stronger than your fourth or your fifth set. Your first sprint you're going to be stronger than your fourth or your fifth sprint. I think players tend to know that, right? So you know that you're asking them to go out there for multiple sets and these guys are just saying, Great, I'll take the ball, I want the ball. I think Alex Wood was a nice example of that last night. He didn't want to come out of that game, he pitched a great game. But there has been a lot of progress made in the way Alex Wood communicates. He wanted to pitch, but he got it, he understood it, and was prepared to give the ball to the next guy to come in and do a really good job. I think that is -- so the fact that we were seeing that sort of teammate style up and down, and we have for quite some time, I think is, I don't know if it's unique, that's a pretty extreme word, but it's rare.

Q. Having seen the still photo of how high in the air Brandon got last night on that line drive, is it something that, I mean, I know I've seen exercises where people work on doing leaps, perpendicular leaps up to platforms. Is that something that he works on or is it just innate ability?

GABE KAPLER: Craw has trained really hard. Whether he's actually doing box jumps, I think that's what you're describing, I'm not sure if he has box jumps in his routine. But certainly an explosive leap there and, yeah, I'm not sure, to be honest with you.