AL WILD CARD SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 8, 2022

Danny Jansen

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Danny Jansen. Please state your name and outlet before asking your question.

Q. Wondering as you guys prepare to face Robbie Ray today, what that's like because you guys obviously know him very well and have been a part of his success even last year. What's the preparation like as you guys get ready to face Robbie Ray?

DANNY JANSEN: Obviously, Robbie, tremendous pitcher. We saw that last year. Faced him this year. Yeah, you know, he is a power arm, so he's going to come after us. Just looking to jump on him early.

Q. I guess overall for you guys as you're heading into an elimination game, after such a long season, what's the mentality for the group in that room?

DANNY JANSEN: Yeah, it's not a best-of-one series; best of three. So we're here today. Backs are against the wall. We're going to approach it like any other game and put our head down and leave it all out on the field and go out there and look to win.

Q. Kevin Gausman has been huge for you guys all year. What's the thought of him starting today, and how will his kind of calm, cool demeanor set the tone for you guys?

DANNY JANSEN: He is a veteran arm. He has been a dog for us all year. Looking forward to go out there and battling with him and keeping hitters off balance and attacking guys. Looking to have a strong outing out of him.

Q. What did you do kind of after the game once you got home from the ballpark? You're kind of running through the emotions of the game. What did you do to unwind and kind of get ready for today?

DANNY JANSEN: Like I said before, lucky it's not a best-of-one series. It's a best of three.

We came in after the game. Everybody is saying, Hey, we'll get them tomorrow. We have another day. Me in particular, I just went up. Me and my wife were relaxing and just thinking about the game. Just crazy emotions from that first game and the home field with Toronto fans and all that stuff.

It was a lot of excitement yesterday, but obviously, looking to flush it and come in today and be ready.

Q. Yesterday we heard from Matt Chapman that you guys got punched in the mouth. I guess today is the test of how you will react, but how did you like what you saw? Don't let me put words in your mouth. What did you see over the last eight innings after that first top-of-the-first punch, and what do you want to see from your teammates today over the course of the next four hours as you get ready?

DANNY JANSEN: This team, we've always prepared and focused. Yesterday did feel like we got punched in the mouth. Having them have a lead early, you know, the next eight innings only giving up one run and bullpen coming in and doing well and guys were battling. Castillo, obviously, was dominant yesterday. Tip your cap to him. He did an excellent job.

Yeah, this team battles. We've done it all year.

We bounce back. Everybody in that clubhouse is fighting for each other and going out there and fighting with each other. So, looking to bounce back.

Q. You've been in the pregame pitchers meetings with Kevin Gausman. You know him well. I guess, what can you say about his mentality and how he prepares and how that might play into a do-or-die game?

DANNY JANSEN: He's a veteran guy. He's been around. He's been in big games. So it's a guy that prepares really well, and he's going to attack, and he's going to use three different pitches well and mix and match and keep guys off balance. I'm really excited for him.

Q. You had the experience of 2020. I'm just wondering, yesterday what was it like for you just taking the emotions of the fans, the adrenaline, all that extra energy into the batter's box with you? How did you find sort of pushing that aside and sort of maintaining your focus and how that had an impact on your process?

DANNY JANSEN: It was amazing. It was everything we heard about was the atmosphere here in Toronto and being able to play a postseason game, our first one here and experience that. It was great.

There was a lot of emotions early. After I think that first at-bat for me it kind of settled in a little bit. It was electric, so looking to feed off it again today.

Q. Did you find you had to manage your energy a little bit in the batter's box or reset yourself and make sure your focus was in the right place?

DANNY JANSEN: I think first at-bat a little bit of nerves, but a little bit overexcitement. Then after that everything settled in. It's the same game.

Definitely looking just to feed off it again and now that experienced that, it will help a little bit maybe not having it as much the first at-bat today.

Q. When you look back on your experience the last few years and playing home games in Dunedin and then Buffalo and no fans in 2020, do you think going through all that makes you even more appreciative of this whole experience now?

DANNY JANSEN: Yeah, absolutely. Playing in 2020, playing in Buffalo and with no fans, and then last year playing in three different parks and then finally coming back to Toronto and seeing our fans was amazing.

Able to share it with everybody this year and to be here right now and to play in front of the fans of Toronto but also the whole country of Canada and to have them behind our backs supporting us, it's amazing. It feels great.

Looking to feed off of it.

Q. Just wondering, with you guys knowing Robbie so well and him knowing you so well, is there an advantage one side or the other, or does it sort of cancel each other out?

DANNY JANSEN: I think it might cancel each other out. I don't know. Robbie is, obviously, a good pitcher. He knows what he wants to do up there. Us playing with him last year, we know kind of that he's going to come after us, and he's going to use certain pitches in certain counts.

Just looking to try to jump on him and pass the baton to the next guy. Go from there.