NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES VS PADRES

October 19, 2022

Bob Melvin

Petco Park

San Diego Padres

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Padres 8, Phillies 5

Q. Bob, how impressed were you by Blake Snell working through what he did?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, that was not our cleanest inning in the world, and it seemed like everything that was hit was soft served on him. So that can be really frustrating, and at times it feels like it's never going to end.

You make good pitches, that's all you can do, you keep the ball off the barrel of the bat. Sometimes you're going to get unlucky, and the sun and everything else, ended up being a tough inning.

But recovered really well and pitched great after that, which sometimes can frazzle you a little. Did not.

Q. You've been waiting a while. How big is it that the middle of the order came through as it did?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, in big spots. I mean, those guys are here for a reason, and they all have track records. You look at their numbers over the course of this year, and they're all good. Those are the guys we're going to keep running out there.

Q. The double play started by Manny, you've had a few double plays this postseason. Where does that one rank, and how big was it?

BOB MELVIN: Big, really big, because Harper is up there, which always gets your attention. You get two outs in one with a ball that's hit to the side of the field that you don't expect, got rid of it like a shortstop, which he's been, Kimmy turned it like a shortstop like he is.

They're big outs in a game, no more so than that double play.

Q. Soto, Drury, and Bell had some struggles since coming over here after the trade. For all three of them to come up big today, what was it like seeing those three specifically?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, and they've all had good games, too. So there's a lot of expectations thrown at these guys the minute they got over here. It's sometimes a little unfair, but here we are, we're still playing, and these guys are coming up big like they did in today's game. It doesn't surprise me.

Q. Soto had the game-tying hit in the Dodgers game, as well. Are seeing him, and really all the guys, find their footing in the postseason?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, I think, and up and down our lineup. So it's the middle order today, it's at the top sometimes, it's the bottom sometimes. That's how we're going to have to win.

We can't just rely on a few guys in the middle of the order. The bottom has been absolutely fantastic here recently, been nice to get contributions across the board. And it doesn't make you feel like you have to get one spot in the lineup to have some production, we can do it just about any inning.

Q. Nick Martinez going consecutive back-to-back days, going two innings on a back-to-back, what did you make of what he was able to do?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, all year, since he's gotten into this bullpen, he's had three inning saves, he's had one inning saves, he's had middle of the order, he comes in with guys on base.

Today was kind of how it lined up. He pitched two innings after already pitching a day.

I don't recall anybody taking to the bullpen as quickly and as well as he's done for a guy that's used to being basically a starter. I don't know where we'd be without him.

Q. You mentioned that second inning with Snell, but overall with his stuff, what did you think of that? Obviously just one walk from him tonight.

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, it looked early on had a little trouble with his slider. They stayed with it. His curveball was probably better than his slider early on, but then got his slider going a little bit too, threw a few changeups to keep them off balance, which he probably needed to do.

There are certain games that frustrate you. To be able to put that away and pitch as well as he did, you look up -- I was going to send him out at least for Harper, but it seemed like the bottom half of the fifth felt like it was like a half an hour or 45 -- it probably was. Time to take him out, but he pitched great.

Q. I know it's early when they take the 4-0 lead, but you guys have had trouble scoring here. What was the change in the mood or the outlook in the dugout when you got the two homers?

BOB MELVIN: Well, that was big. I mean, you answer right back, which is huge, after giving up four runs and losing the first game.

But something we've shown here in the postseason, we have the ability to put up a crooked number. Just not scratching one across the board, we know if we put together good at-bats, we can put together multiple runs in an inning. It was nice to get to two there, and then obviously the fifth broke it open a little bit.

Q. Now that you have tied the series, how big of a difference do you feel it is?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, it would have been a little more daunting going in there. You have to win for games to win the series, but you still go into their place, which is probably going to be as spirited as our place is, and you go down 2-0, that would be quite an uphill battle. So 1-1 feels a lot better.

Q. In the moment, the Hand-Cronenworth matchup, with the matchups that were following it, were you thinking in that moment like the Phillies were, that this is a very critical moment in this game?

BOB MELVIN: Yeah, and that's the middle of the shadows too. So you're not seeing spin very well. He spins the ball really well, throws a lot of breaking balls. Brought him in for that one key out, and ended up hitting him.

You never know where it's going to go from there, but when you have a guy that you use situationally and now it's a three-batter minimum, those are the things that pop up every now and then, but it didn't surprise me. It was the right move to make.