AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS VS ORIOLES

October 8, 2023

Mitch Garver

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Texas Rangers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Texas 11, Baltimore 8

Q. Just how much were you looking forward to getting in the lineup today after a few days off there?

MITCH GARVER: I was excited. I feel like anytime I'm in the lineup I can contribute. But at the end of the day, whatever lineup is out there, I've got to trust 1 through 9. Whether it's Robbie, me, Dolly, whoever is in the lineup that day, I think one through nine, we trust everybody to get the job done.

Q. Coach said he told you a couple days ago, right?

MITCH GARVER: There were rumblings about me being in the lineup today. But it's never for certain.

Q. You're well aware of Bochy's postseason résumé over the years. Does that filter down to the team in terms of confidence? You guys have been up against a couple of tough teams. But he has a track record of winning series like that?

MITCH GARVER: I think the decisions he makes when it come to the bullpen and the lineup, no one can argue with him, based off of his résumé. It's hard to read the emotion on him, because sometimes it looks like he's folded up in a lawn chair watching the game. But, yes, we trust his decisions and how he manages the game.

Q. Well, how did that grand slam feel coming off the bat?

MITCH GARVER: These playoff games, one swing can change it. And I got into a situation there in the hitter's count where I was looking for the fastball and I was able to get it. And I think it's just a big momentum push for our whole team. And we needed all those runs today.

Q. To be able to come into a hostile environment now, how impressive is it for the team to have been able to come in here and take two games and now go home with a chance to clinch?

MITCH GARVER: Yeah, I'd say at least half of our lineup, this is their first real taste of postseason baseball. Obviously minus Corey and Evo and Marcus and guys like that. This is the first real taste. And we had a taste of it in Seattle. That environment was right up there with Baltimore as far as the intensity was.

And I've got to tip my cap to guys like Carter and Young. And Dolly, this it's his first real taste of it, too. These guys showed up to play, and it kind of seems like water off their back.

Q. A lot of young guys have been doing things this series. What did you see from Cody Bradford watching him go out there and pitch like that for those three innings?

MITCH GARVER: Very impressive. Throwing strikes, competitive strikes, striking out guys. When you're up by that many runs in the 6th, 7th, 8th inning, being out there, and challenging the hitters to put the ball in play. And he didn't give away too many free passes to them. I tip my hat to Cody.

Q. What were you seeing from the offense entirely throughout this game?

MITCH GARVER: I think we had 11 walks, is that right? Pretty relentless attack. You have to beat us in the strike zone. We didn't expand too much off that. Biggest thing in postseason is putting the ball in play, working counts, but swinging at good pitches. And I think we did that the first two games, and we need to continue that heading into Texas. And we just have a really, really good approach, one through nine.

Q. Can you speak to what this team has done when you get a chance to win a division, you don't do it on the road but now you come on the road and win four playoff games to start it all off?

MITCH GARVER: Might seem like a blessing in disguise not winning the division. I know it was a little tough at the time. And we had to fly across country to play Tampa against a really good team. But we also didn't have four or five days off. We were able to take a day in Tampa, come back, play two baseball games, take a day off here, and really just kind of continue seeing pitches, working, playing in games.

So it might have worked toward our advantage, it might not have. We don't really know. I think playing a couple of games like that is pretty big for us.

Q. Out of those 11 walks Corey obviously had five of them, that set a record. What were you seeing from his at-bats and how cool was it for him to be able to contribute?

MITCH GARVER: He's being really stubborn with pitches he likes to swing at. We know he likes to swing the bat. I think it was his 5th at-bat and he chased a 2-0 heater that was above his eyes. So I think at that point he kind of wanted to hit. Really, really impressive, again, being able to set the stage like that.