WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - UNITED STATES VS COLOMBIA

March 15, 2023

Mark DeRosa

Chase Field

Team United States

Pregame Press Conference

Q. As this tournament has gone along and different results kind of changed the complexion of the pool, do you spend any time playing out the scenarios, oh, what happens if XYZ happens, or do you just focus on the game in front of you?

MARK DEROSA: I'm going to focus on the game in front of us. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know kind of tiebreaker scenarios, but we control our own destiny. That's all I know.

And we're coming off a nice win where everyone swung the bats, a good vibe. Lance Lynn set the tone. I feel comfortable with Merrill on the mound. This is his home ballpark. He pitches here all the time. And he's pitched well here and he's got a slow heartbeat. I think he's the right man for the job.

Q. With Merrill going tonight, have you had any conversation at all with Brent Strom or Torey how they want to use him?

MARK DEROSA: Yes.

Q. Can you share that with us?

MARK DEROSA: I mean, I'd like him to go 65 pitches, is what I'd love. The whole bullpen is rested. Everybody's available tonight, coming off an off day. So we are set up to be successful in this one. But, yeah, Merrill will go 65 pitches or unless he gets in trouble.

Q. Going back to that first question, is that a scenario where you don't want to hear about it, like you could actually lose and still advance?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah. I'm not even wrapping my head around that. Kind of went into the Canada game feeling like we were a little thin in the bullpen. Lance bailed us out.

I wasn't allowing myself to even think he wasn't going to pitch a great game, or Miles wasn't going to follow him and be awesome as well. No.

I'm sure they'll run it by me. Honestly, it's kind of confusing: runs allowed, divided by outs, multiplied by innings played. I just want to win the ball game.

Q. Is everybody except the previous starters available tonight?

MARK DEROSA: Yes, absolutely. I think there's three guys that are not available. I'd have to check it. But I think Lynn, Martinez and Singer are -- am I right on that? They're unavailable.

Q. What are you expecting to see out of Colombia tonight?

MARK DEROSA: I've been watching them the last couple of games. They like to hack. They're hacking early in the count. And I know they haven't swung the bats particularly great since the first game.

I'm focused on us. I'm focused on us executing pitches. I love the lineup. The team's coming together. They're starting to know who should be in there, how it's supposed to flow, passing the baton offensively.

So I thought the other night against Canada was a nice, like, come-together moment. And for Lance to step up, he walked off the mound after the top of the first and lit into the offense a little bit. I thought it was awesome. I feel like the only way you're going to survive and advance and win this thing is if you gel as a team. And I felt like that started to happen against Canada.

Q. That favoritism that the United States always has, that the people they have from the people -- what does this signify that the United States and the world of baseball, that they're always favored, is this good or is it bad to always be the favorite?

MARK DEROSA: That's a good question. I don't think we were the favorites coming into this tournament. I read a lot of articles where the Dominican and Japan were the favorites coming into this. And so I don't think we've approached it like that.

I think guys use that as a little bit of bulletin board material. But, honestly, we've just got to focus on tonight. Score some runs. Merrill goes out. Settles us in.

I felt like the first two games, like I said, there were home runs hit in the top of the first in both those games and it kind of tightens you up a little bit. I felt like with Lance on the mound, he kind of was able to relax us. But I certainly think we're the best team in this thing. But I don't think the masses had us as the favorite.