WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL D - ISRAEL VS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

March 14, 2023

Rodney Linares

LoanDepot Park

Team Dominican Republic

Postgame Press Conference

Dominican Republic-10, Israel-0

Q. How does the scoring ten runs and closing this out affect the team's momentum heading into tomorrow? Obviously, that's a tie-breaker and a really important game against Puerto Rico?

RODNEY LINARES: It was a really good game. The guys swung the bat well, but the most important thing we didn't have to use our guys. You know, we shut them down, and guys came up big. The young bucks came up big early. Contreras and Ortiz. Cabrera did a great job, so happy.

Q. Rodney, after this victory right now, what is the mood of the team after this early termination and the preparation for the game tomorrow? So decisive. How do you see them today?

RODNEY LINARES: Everyone participated. They all were very happy. We tried to use all the players. We were trying from the very beginning to bring Soto. That was one of the agreements. We didn't want him to play all nine innings.

Things worked out. Nelson played in right field for the first time, and I told him the first ball is going to be for you, but, no, it was the third one.

Q. How about Contreras' performance, the number of pitches? Many were surprised because he didn't reach 65. Was there a plan for 50, or 55? Does it have to do with the number of pitches?

RODNEY LINARES: Yes. His number was 45. He ended with 41. The left-handed hitter was supposed to come, so it was the right mover to bring in Cabrera. There were two left-hand hitters in the next AB.

Q. Good evening. Tomorrow you'll have a very important game for the qualification against Puerto Rico. Do you have everyone available? Who couldn't pitch, for example, tomorrow in the bullpen? Who do you have available?

RODNEY LINARES: I think everyone is available for tomorrow. Of course, the young pitchers that pitched today, they are not available, but everyone is available, including Neris that pitched today. Abreu was warm, but we told them, if you pitch today, you will pitch tomorrow as well.

Q. Israel was switching the pitchers very fast. Maybe that was a strategy, so the hitters couldn't get adjusted. How did that affect you guys?

RODNEY LINARES: Part of our preparation was that. We knew that they were the only team with 18 pitchers, and only two couldn't be used. They had many left-handers. From the very beginning, they would be using the left-handers versus Soto.

That was our plan, trying to get the best matchup to bring the guys from the bench. If we scored over five runs, I told them to be ready, and that's what we did.

Q. Rodney, you have said a couple of times that you wanted everyone to participate in the game. You made three substitutions: Robinson, Nelson, and Segura, and they all hit singles.

RODNEY LINARES: I always said that the 30 players on the roster are going to play in this Classic. We are going to need everyone. I talked to some of them, and I told them, to us it's difficult. I also said that here after the loss versus Venezuela. It was difficult to change the lineup.

We just wanted to have the lineup with more chances to score runs and we were playing versus a team that hadn't gotten a hit in the last 14, 15 innings.

So we did it. I talked to Nelson, Robinson, and the others, you will all have the opportunity, and same for Segura. And Segura got a very big hit today.

Q. (Off microphone).

RODNEY LINARES: We are home team tomorrow, yes.