WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: SEMIFINALS - CUBA VS USA

March 19, 2023

Trea Turner

Paul Goldschmidt

Adam Wainwright

LoanDepot Park

Team USA

Postgame Press Conference

United States - 14, Cuba - 2

Q. Trea, it's only March. Do you ever recall having a Spring Training like this? And can you talk a little bit about the zone you're in right now, especially this time of the year.

TREA TURNER: No, actually, early in this, me, J.T., and Schwarber were talking about Spring Training numbers, and I haven't hit a homer in Spring Training in like four or five years or something like that. So it's kind of funny how it works out, but I don't ask questions. I just go up there and hopefully it continues on, and we need one more win, so let's get that last one.

Q. Adam and Trea, specifically, do you think -- Trea, do you want to just stick with the ninth batter in the lineup. Like, I feel like you redefined that role. And is it less stressful for you? And then Adam, obviously getting out of that first inning, but more importantly like the environment, obviously, now getting ready for Tuesday and what do you expect for that?

TREA TURNER: No, I don't think -- stress is not really the thing on my mind. It's just putting the at-bats together and it doesn't matter when you come up kind of deal. It's just keep the line moving. I know I got really good guys behind me, Mookie Mike, Paul, Nolan. So try not to do too much and keep having some fun and when my name's called, my name's called.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: Yeah, what a fun team where Trea Turner bats ninth, I tell you what.

First inning -- that was your question, right, first inning, how did I got out of that situation kind of thing?

Well, I put myself in that situation in the first place by making horrible PFP plays -- or not making PFP plays. But I think stepping off the mound and just realizing that it's not like they were crushing the ball, hitting it real hard, I was making pitches and they were keeping it soft contact in the infield. It was 1-0 with no outs, bases loaded, and I hadn't given up a ball out of the infield yet.

So I think just recognizing that and just getting back to the focus of making pitches, and Paul was over at first base saying, Just keep making pitches, and Andy Pettitte came out to the mound, and he's got the pedigree of having the most wins in playoff history with a bunch of World Series rings in the most hostile environments, and looking me right in the face and kind of revalidating everything that I was already saying to myself, which kind of was a big thing for me. It was a good meeting.

Q. In that environment, how does that affect you going into Tuesday?

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: You know what? I think the first game that I pitched against Great Britain was a great teach for me, kind of breaking me in on how loud the crowd was going to be and playing for USA with all the jitters and excitement and wanting to represent your country well and your team well, and that was sort of a good test run for tonight.

So I came in tonight very prepared and knew kind of how to control my emotions a little bit better. I've pitched in some big spots. I mean, I have -- never in front of a crowd like that tonight. That was the most crazy environment I've played in. Unbelievably blessed to have been a part of that game.

Q. Goldie, first of all, what is it about Miami? I mean, I think we can all say that maybe you guys did not play your best baseball in Arizona. What has it been about Miami? And Trea, loving these ballparks?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: I mean, I think one thing that stuck out is we're just all -- we're thrown together pretty quickly, you know, in Arizona. I felt like kind of after we got through that first round, guys really got comfortable with each other. We had a cross country flight. Now we're all staying at the hotel together. I think you learned a lot about each other in those -- I mean, it was nine or ten days with four real games.

So I felt like it was building there, and these last two games were great. But I think having that time with each other has really helped us all get comfortable and play a few games and stuff like that.

TREA TURNER: Yeah, I think what he said, and just getting our feet underneath us, just feeling what it's like to be out there and wear the jersey, play with each other, play with guys you had never played with before, play against teams you never played against before, just a lot going on those first four days. I think it took us a little bit of time, but now we kind of found our stride a little bit. We played good baseball the last few days.

Q. (No microphone.)

TREA TURNER: I usually don't hit very well here, but I'll take these last few days have been fun for me.

Q. Paul, you're one of only two returners back from Team USA from the 2017 championship round. Can you talk about your at-bat in the first inning that helped you set this stage for that big game throughout the entire lineup?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: Yeah, I mean, honestly, for me that was one of my favorite home runs I've ever hit in my entire life. That top inning where they were able to get the run and there was definitely momentum that plays in these one-game series with the crowd and everything. So to be able to get us back, get the momentum, get the lead. We've talked about trying to score early. For me, I was very happy to be able to do that. You want to contribute on this team. I've been hitting third and I've been doing okay, but not really too many big hits or anything like that. Luckily, it's a great team. To be able to contribute tonight was something that was great for me and great for the team.

Q. Two questions, first, for Adam and Paul, this was a big Team USA win, but also a big Cardinals win. What is the Cardinals text chain looking like? And for Trea, Jon Morosi saw you throw your batting gloves away. Are you a superstitious person and how do you feel after hitting that second home run with a new pair?

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: I did see you throw your batting glove away. I know there's a lot of people --

TREA TURNER: It had a big hole in it and I went up to bat and I was like, Man, I don't want to hit with this big hole. I know I'm going to foul a ball off and my whole palm is going to be showing. So I almost threw them away before the at-bat. And them, I'm not a superstitious guy. I think in 2020 I had like a 13-, 14-game hitting streak and I went to go change my batting gloves and I was like, Man I shouldn't change 'em. And Kevin Long my hitting coach at the time said, It's not the batting gloves. Nobody cares about the batting gloves. So he kind of broke that for me. So I don't really pay attention to that stuff any more.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: We got to answer the Cardinals question. Don't take the Cards off the pedestal here. Goldie?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: No, you go.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: This was a big moment for me and a really cool moment for me. Playing with this guy for awhile now and seeing what kind of a special person and player and teammate he is. He comes in after the home run, the first thing he does, he goes right to me and he says, We got you. And for me as a pitcher I felt like our entire lineup today, they really, they really put the pitchers on their back and they let us know from the early standpoint that they came to play. I felt that. When my guy looks at me and says that, I believed him. I really felt like that -- our team, I felt like our team was really going to play a great game today and Goldie kind of set that tone early on. But that's what he does for us in St. Louis all the time. He's a tone setter and he's a leader. He's a winner. And I'm glad we got that -- it was Team Cardinal today. We had four guys out there representing today. But we were glad to be here and represent our country. It was a tremendous honor.

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: Good job. (Laughing.)

Q. Trea Turner, I don't know if you know that, but only you and Ken Griffey, Jr. have hit two home runs for USA in a WBC game. How does it make this for you?

TREA TURNER: Just can't wait to tell him. Like, yeah, I don't know if, I don't know if he, if he knows that. I didn't know that, but can't wait to have that conversation with him in the cage tomorrow. It's going to be fun for me.

Q. Turner, are you aware that you became the first player in the World Baseball Classic history with four RBIs in consecutive games? Are you aware of that?

TREA TURNER: I don't know any of these things. I'm just trying to win with these guys. I think that's why we are here. We don't care who does what. We want to win. That stuff's pretty cool. I always say that those individual things are for my family. I know they're proud of me and that stuff's for them. But for me, I just like winning. I like playing baseball, competing and coming out on top. We're playing good baseball right now so, like I said, one more to go and hopefully those stats keep coming and that's a good thing for Team USA.

Q. You almost meet Yadier Molina here in Miami after he retired last year. Now he's managing. Do you think anything about meeting him here and after you got here and you guys got here?

ADAM WAINWRIGHT: So he's been giving me the silent treatment. We watched that documentary Redeem Team where Kobe really set a tone running into Pau Gasol and showing it. I really think that's what he was trying to do. Like, I would text him, Hey, congratulations. You know, whatever. Nothing. I call him, Hey, congratulations. Nothing. All right, man, I get it. I'll talk to you after the tournament. See you later. Yeah. No, he's still, he's still my brother. But you know how he gets. He wanted to win and I know he was bummed that he didn't. But I did send him a text message, even know I knew he wasn't going to respond to me, I sent him a text message last night that said, Hey, I know you're bummed that you lost, but we're all very proud of you and how you handled that and managing your first time and doing a great job. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Guys. Thank you.