MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES VS ASTROS

November 5, 2022

Rob Thomson

Minute Maid Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 6 Press Conference

Houston Astros - 4, Philadelphia Phillies - 1

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

Q. Could you take us through the thought process in the decision to take Wheeler out and go with Alvarado in that say the wakes?

ROB THOMSON: I thought Wheels still had really good stuff. It wasn't about that. It was just I thought the matchup was better with Alvarado on Álvarez at that time.

Q. Zack just said in the clubhouse that he was surprised that you decided to do that. Any reaction?

ROB THOMSON: I'm sure he was. Yeah, I'm sure he was. I mean, he still had his good stuff. I just thought that that was a key moment in the game and that was a momentum swing that I thought Alvarado had a chance to strike him out.

Q. I know it's fresh, but you guys are, you came two games from winning the World Series after firing your manager, promoting a guy who hadn't managed before, your best player had a torn ligament, and your setup guy and closer aren't with the team right now, and you have different bullpen pieces, and you had a lot of things to overcome. Can you express right now kind of what this team has accomplished?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, you know, we've accomplished, they have accomplished a lot. It's still disappointing, though. And I told them after the game, I said, You guys have nothing to be ashamed of. You don't need to hang your head for anybody, because they came to the ballpark every day and worked hard and played hard and played as a team, had a lot of fun. They grinded through a lot of obstacles. I'm just so proud of all of 'em. I really am.

Q. I know you said you thought Alvarado could strike him out. Did you give any thought to Ranger in that spot?

ROB THOMSON: No. It's kind of a dirty inning and I thought, I mean, going into the series it was always kind of Alvarado on Álvarez. It was the 6th inning and I felt like the normal back end of the bullpen guys could get through it.

Q. So with so many guys, young guys and guys under contract for next year, do you think this team is kind of the foundation for something like long-term?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, I think we're, this is sustainable, this type of winning atmosphere and winning team, because of that fact. This is a good taste to get these guys here in this moment, all these young players, we've got a good group of veteran guys, and our system is starting to get loaded up with good arms at the upper end of the minor league system. I think this run has the potential to be very sustainable.

Q. I know there were some uncertainty with Wheeler leading into this start, but just how good was the stuff that you saw from him in the biggest start of his life?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, he was outstanding. I mean, fastball was 98. It started to tick down a little bit at the end, but not alarming. Curveball, slider were good. The two-seam, I don't know how many bats he broke. But he was really, really good.

Q. How much pause did that give you in that situation, if at all, going to Alvarado?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, it did. It was a tough decision. But I went with Alvarado, you know? He beat 'em, he got behind Álvarez and 99 mile an hour fastball, he just beat him to the spot. That's what good hitters do sometimes.

Q. Two questions: If he doesn't hit Maldonado, if the lead-up to the inning, to getting into that situation plays out at all differently, does that change your thinking at all?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, if there's one guy on, probably let him face 'em, but once they're first and third and, Álvarez is a fly ball guy, so I thought the best way to get us past that inning was to try and punch him out right there.

Q. And then just what did you learn about yourself this season as a manager for the first time at this level, if anything?

ROB THOMSON: I'll probably take a couple weeks to reflect on that, but I think just the fact that I can sort of handle this process, handle this routine, that I wasn't really used to. Right now, that's probably the thing that stands out the most because that's what I was worried about the most going into it.

Q. We talked about a lot the pitching, a lot about the pitching and the big picture. But this team was built to hit. It didn't. I mean, what do you think happened? Do you think that it was just them or do you think it was some of your approaches as well?

ROB THOMSON: I think it was a combination of a couple things, really. Just that we went through a dry spell at the wrong time. And you got to give credit to their pitching. They got great pitching, they really do. And that's a good ball club over there. And I congratulate Houston for the world championship. But they got a really good ball club and they can beat you in a lot of different ways.

Q. Alvarado had been so nails for you throughout the postseason and you got the matchup you wanted and you said you got beat to the 99. But Bregman, Álvarez, is that a matter of a good pitcher being beat by good hitters or did you see mistakes there?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, well, I mean, it was 99, it was kind of in the middle of the plate and he was behind in the count. But, you know, he just got beat to the spot by a good hitter.