MLB WORLD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS RANGERS

October 28, 2023

Bruce Bochy

Globe Life Field

Texas Rangers

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Just as far as your bullpen goes tonight, with using those five guys last night, anybody unavailable to you tonight?

BRUCE BOCHY: I would say Jon Gray, I would stay away from. He may play catch out there and say he's good to go, but he's the one guy, I would say.

We will check on all of them. The normal thing we do is they go out there, they play toss. They'll let us know. Especially with Leclerc. He went two innings, so we'll check on him.

Its obviously we'd love to stay away from him, but he may sat he's good to go. And he'll be honest with us. He'll say he needs a day if he needs it.

Q. Having not been around the earlier rounds, what's your story of the use of Hedges, that he was put in the position in the tenth inning to take his first at-bat in the postseason.

BRUCE BOCHY: About him hitting?

Q. You hadn't used him. I haven't been around but what's the story?

BRUCE BOCHY: No, he's here because of what happened last night. Jonah got on, tying run, late in the ball game. You do you what you can to tie the game. He's our third catcher. That's why he went back there. There's two outs there. He's up.

But he's one that's been doing the bulk of the catching, as far as backing up Jonah, going in late in a ball game. Mitch has not been back there for over a month. So that's why he hit.

Q. Has Mitch been hurt, unable to catch?

BRUCE BOCHY: No, Mitch isn't hurt. He's playing. He just hasn't been back there. So we were comfortable with Hedgy taking over behind the plate. There were two outs. And it's a risk versus reward. So he didn't get a hit, but he is capable of getting a hit.

Q. Bruce, this seems like a game where Chapman might need to pitch for you. With all these been through, what would you say your level of confidence is in him right now?

BRUCE BOCHY: He's one of our guys. That's my level of confidence with him. He's one of our high-leverage guys, seventh, eighth, ninth inning. He could go multiple innings. He's already said that. He knows what time of year it is.

I brought him in some other games this postseason, and he'll continue to go out there to help us out. You can't just have one or two guys. You need that third and fourth guy to help you out in those situations.

Q. How much, if any, did the running game alter Nathan or the rest of your staff? Did it knock them out of their games in any way?

BRUCE BOCHY: No, I don't think so. I thought Nate actually did a pretty good job of not being overly concerned about the running game.

We know they're going to run. They're athletic. They're quick. It's a big part of their game. But you don't want to get to the point of diminishing return where you're focusing on the runner and you end up compounding the damage by making a mistake up there. So I don't think Nate was letting that happen.

Q. In this era when there's so much data and so much information, how do you explain how a player like Adolis could sort of get overlooked by everybody in the industry for as long as he did before coming out the way he has?

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, there's a lot of great stories in this game and players that, you know, clubs didn't have a spot for them or they get outrighted, whatever. I think you look on both teams, you'd probably find some guys. It's hard to say when a player is going to come into his own or mature as a baseball player.

And he certainly is one of them. We're lucky to have him. You go back, and he was still trying to find his way with the Texas Rangers and he became available. Thank goodness, we were able to keep him.

It's hard to explain. You're asking questions, I'm sure a lot of clubs, including us, look at certain players that went on and did great. Some things -- it's probably what makes baseball so great: You don't know.

Even players that aren't drafted. I mean, we have had a Hall of Famer, Mike Piazza, why, he didn't go until round 60-something, so you just don't know.

Q. (Indiscernible) Scherzer is bubble for Game 3. He's made I believe three starts since the IL. Is he pretty much fully stretched out in terms of innings?

BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, I think so. He could give us length. I've talked to him about this. He's comfortable pretty much throwing like he normally does. Maybe not quite as long as he's been over 100 pitches, whatever, but pretty close.

Q. I know you weren't here last year with Jonah, but you know the workload he carried at the end of last year unexpectedly. What have you seen from him this year and how he's prepared himself to be ready for this continual work --

BRUCE BOCHY: I'm sorry, on who?

Q. Jonah.

BRUCE BOCHY: He went on the IL. He got some rest there, unfortunately. Every year you learn from. I'm sure last year that's something -- he's learned how to prepare in certain ways whether it's conditioning, offseason, during the season, diet things, whatever it is -- just taking care of yourself so you can handle the workload that the club is looking for you to handle, whether it's catch 120 games, 140 games.

And I think he's done a great job of that. You watch him now and he looks great, I think. So that's only going to get better with him.

Q. Can you talk about what stood out to you most about Evan Carter's game, especially considering how few games he had coming into the postseason?

BRUCE BOCHY: I'd say more than anything, his poise. He had great composure up there at the plate, out in left field. His age, and to be on this stage, and it's not a big deal to him. He's not in awe of anything. We said he plays with no fear. He's just a special kid, I think, that's going to have a tremendous career.

He's only going to get better on all facets of the game but, more importantly, is the makeup of the kid, he's got that mental toughness you love.