AL WILD CARD SERIES: RAYS VS GUARDIANS

October 8, 2022

Kevin Cash

Progressive Field

Tampa Bay Rays

Postgame Press Conference

Cleveland Guardians - 1, Tampa Bay Rays - 0

THE MODERATOR: Start with Kevin. Who's got the first question?

Q. I know there's so much to process there, but can you kind of explain your feelings to play that type of game and then obviously to have it end that way?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, it's frustrating, no doubt. We just could not get anything going offensively, a bunch of strikeouts. They pitched really, really well. I'd like to think that we could have some better at-bats. But this two-game series you saw about as good a pitching as you're going to see.

On the other side, I'll speak for our club, we're capable of more, we just couldn't get going.

Q. Was there anything you saw collectively from the group as far as what led to this offensive performance the last couple days?

KEVIN CASH: I saw guys trying to do too much. I think so. There was just too much, you know, we were looking for the, I felt, the three-run homer with nobody on base. When you take that mindset against good pitchers, they can kind of sit you down.

Q. It seems like a million years ago, but what did you see with Fairbanks there?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah. He lost feeling in his fingertips. Other than that, I don't know. I mean, his velo was way down from the beginning. I think from pitch one, he was probably five clicks down.

Kyle went out there, checked on him. There was reason to be concerned right away. For a guy that sits 99 to 100 Miles an hour, he's throwing 94, 95, that's somewhat telling.

Q. Adam came in and just what was that moment like?

KEVIN CASH: That was unbelievable. Highlight of the day for us, I mean, for him to get through that. I would have lost a lot of money if I would have thought we were going to get through that inning with them not scoring a run.

So big pitches to right in the middle of their order, and it kept us right there, gave us every opportunity offensively. Just couldn't do it.

Q. Last pitching question: What did you see out of Glasnow today?

KEVIN CASH: I thought Glasnow was awesome, yeah. Looking forward to having him get a normal off-season and then pitching in opening series.

Q. I would say a lot of rallies or things that didn't work out for you, the Margot call at first base, and Chris seemed pretty confident --

KEVIN CASH: Yeah. Look, I didn't see it. I mean, yeah, Pri did feel like he had kind of come off, but that's, you're in the moment, you're, I have to go back and look at it. That's a very tough call one way or the other. You're talking about a guy's spike touching the bag or not. I didn't see anything on the Jumbotron that was clear to be overturned.

Q. Wander looked like maybe he had the --

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, he did everything right, and then when Giménez threw the ball, rather than just beeline straight to second base, he kind of hung out there and didn't get there.

Q. Probably the best opportunity was at first and third there with Bruján at third, just needed to get the ball?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, got to move the baseball. 18, 19 strikeouts, whatever it was, I mean, that's telling that we just weren't able to do that.

Q. I know it's been five minutes, but you mentioned Glasnow having a normal off-season. When you look at the core group of guys you do have moving into the off-season and moving forward, what's your optimism level with this group as a whole?

KEVIN CASH: A lot, a very strong optimism level. Proud of the way the guys went about the season, no doubt, just said that, thanked them. Want them to have good off-seasons and then come back. We've got a strong group of guys.

We got to do some things better. We got to avoid some injuries throughout the course of the season, help us a little bit. But very encouraged the way the guys went about their business and their effort all season long.

Q. As a game like that progresses, and you get out of the bottom of an inning, is it kind of the feeling, like, okay now --

KEVIN CASH: We said that on a lot. All right, now, we're going to do it now. It just wasn't meant to be for us today.

Q. How frustrating was it, though? You had a couple of chances with guys on third.

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, look, when you're in a 0-0 ball game and you feel like you're getting closer, they're all frustrating, equally frustrating. No one sticks out from the other. So, yeah, frustrating is a good word.

Q. The way you used some of the pitchers Ras could have given you, it seemed, maybe a longer period. What was the thought process?

KEVIN CASH: Well, at that point, it was still relatively matchup-based game. I think we took him out from Naylor and brought in Cleavinger. Yeah, so playing matchup at that point.

And, you know, there until the end, until we handed the ball to Kluber. Kluber was going to try to get through a time through the lineup, and then you go to Beeks. I sent Springsie down there, I don't know in the 8th inning, I think, something like that.

So felt good with all the matchups. How can you not? We didn't give up any runs.

Q. And Beeks was okay? He just warmed up and then sat down for awhile?

KEVIN CASH: Totally fine.

Q. He was just going to be on the back end?

KEVIN CASH: Once we got to that part of the lineup, yes.

Q. Feel for Kluber?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, that stinks. We're asking a guy that's put together a tremendous season for us. Came back, proved to baseball that he's healthy. Did it at a ballpark that he's had some great experiences in. Pitched really, really well. Just left a pitch that Gonzales got. I asked him to do something that he, I don't think, had ever done.

Q. I think he said he hadn't come in in mid innings since his major league debut.

KEVIN CASH: Okay.

Q. Can you appreciate the historical nature of this game? Like the longest scoreless game in major League postseason history.

KEVIN CASH: It felt like it. Believe me I was sitting there thinking about it once we got to the 10th, the 11th, the 12th. It was crossing my mind, like how many games, postseason games have you seen like this before. So it was?

Q. It was.

KEVIN CASH: All right. Well...