AL WILD CARD SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 7, 2022

Whit Merrifield

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Postgame Press Conference

Seattle Mariners - 4, Toronto Blue Jays - 0

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for Whit Merrifield.

Q. Whit, when you're facing velocity like that all game long, not just from a bullpen, but 100 consistent, what challenge does that present to a lineup? Especially from Castillo there.

WHIT MERRIFIELD: Well, the velocity is what it is. It's not the velocity itself. We're used to seeing velocity. It's all throughout the league. But when he's got two different fastballs at that level, he has a sinker pounding out your hands at 99 to 100, and then he has the four-seam that he'll throw up and away. It doesn't have that dive. It's got more of a true carry. You're having to make a decision on what that 100-mile-an-hour pitch is going to do, and that's what makes it tough.

Credit to him. He did a good job of keeping that four-seam away and keeping that two-seam in on your hands all game. Didn't give us much to work with, didn't make a whole lot of mistakes. When we got some traffic, he maneuvered out of it.

That was the big thing is when you've got two pitches over 99 that are doing two different things, that makes it tough.

Q. Whit, you talked about wanting to play in these games. Just what did you find in terms of when you were on the field, when you were at the plate in terms of feeling emotions, feeling momentum swings and things of that nature?

WHIT MERRIFIELD: I felt comfortable. I felt really comfortable. Juices were going big-time. Especially early during the anthem, during the intros. After that first pitch, kind of got in the rhythm of the game after my first at-bat.

I really felt comfortable, and it was nice because I didn't know what to expect, but it was definitely nice.

Q. You've seen this team for the last two months since you've been here. You guys are facing do-or-die games the next two days. How do you expect the team to respond tomorrow?

WHIT MERRIFIELD: We just have to win a series. This is what it comes down to. Fortunately, we voted that the Wild Card game turned into a series, so it's best 2 out of 3. We've had three-game series where we've lost the first game and came back and won the next two.

We feel really good about the two guys that we're going to run out there. Obviously, need to do a little more with the bat today. But I mean, we know what this lineup can do. It's just a matter of getting that one hit and everything kind of snowball after that. Long way to go. Yeah, long way to go.

Q. Whit, I guess along some of those same lines, this team has had trouble with left-handers this season, which seems odd with good right-handed at-bats. 12-20 against starting lefties. What do you see them needing to do to be able to have success against Robbie Ray tomorrow?

WHIT MERRIFIELD: We have to put together some good at-bats. He is a good pitcher. It doesn't really matter what we've done in the past. It's about what we do tomorrow. So, we have to come out, have a good game plan, and put together some good at-bats, hit some balls hard, string some things together, and I think we'll be just fine.