MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES VS ASTROS

October 31, 2022

Dusty Baker

Citizens Bank Park

Houston Astros

Game 3 postponement

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with questions for Dusty.

Q. Obviously you told us Lance is still going to go tomorrow. What are you going to do in Game 4?

DUSTY BAKER: Right now it will probably be Javier.

Q. I know your guys were chomping at the bit to play, and having a veteran group, does this kind of him help 'em get a little extra rest and just to kind of ease into a World Series?

DUSTY BAKER: Well, you know, I don't think we need to rest really right now. We've had plenty of rest. We've had a lot of off days this last month. So it's just a temporary postponement. So we'll just take it as that and come out ready to play tomorrow.

Q. Your thoughts about how this affects your team, your pitchers, your position players, everybody?

DUSTY BAKER: Well, it affects both teams. So you just got to turn it off and then get a good night's rest. I heard it's hard getting reservations, everything's full. So you're hoping that the guys can get reservations, get in and eat, be with their families and be ready to play tomorrow. It's part of the game. You can't control the weather. So you just deal with it.

Q. Is that easier said than done? Turning it off like that and turning it back on or is it part of the game?

DUSTY BAKER: Well I think it's harder to wait around and then turn it off. Because the waiting around to play, I found that sometimes you end up more tired and burn up energy not knowing when and if you're going to play. So now we know we're not playing. So now we just treat it as an off day. Guys go in, get treatment. Guys will probably hit extra in the cage and get ready for tomorrow.

Q. What is your thought process with Justin using him in 5 rather than 4? What was your equation?

DUSTY BAKER: Well, the equation was Javier's been really good, number one. And number two, we feel that that extra day off would hurt Justin. It would probably be to his benefit.

Q. You glad there's still that off day, the travel day on Friday? Rather than playing straight.

DUSTY BAKER: Yeah, I think so. Because like the fact, had it been a day game, maybe you could understand. But the fact that we would have both gotten in at 4, 5 o'clock in the morning. That's going to take away, I think, from the quality of the game.

So I think it's nice that we have an off day -- if indeed we have an off day. I haven't heard that it's for certain. They got to clear it with the networks and different things like that.

Q. With the Phillies changing their pitching plan will you have the same lineup as you originally had posted today?

DUSTY BAKER: Yes.

Q. Is it frustrating, first all the days off from the end of the regular season to now and coming into a stadium with an open roof, no retractable roof like in Houston, is it frustrating to come in, get prepared and then find that the game is going to be postponed at this hour?

DUSTY BAKER: No, I mean, I'm glad that we took some batting practice and played some balls off the walls. I think their real home field advantage is, like I saw J.T. Realmuto hit the inside-the-park home run. It hit the wall and bounced off. And I think just their real home field advantage, because they have a lot of angles, a lot of caroms out there, that only three or four of our players have ever been in this stadium. So I'm glad we got a chance to work out before it rained today.

No, playing, I mean, you have to deal with the elements. You play where you have to play. Plus this team I think we had the best road record in the American League. And all of 'em weren't domes. So we played where we have to play.