MLB WORLD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS RANGERS

October 31, 2023

Marcus Semien

Chase Field

Texas Rangers

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Rangers - 11, Diamondbacks - 7

Q. What was it like in the locker room when you find out that both Scherzer and Garcia are now off the playoff roster and you guys have to gather the forces together and come out strong, and you did?

MARCUS SEMIEN: It's tough. Everybody feels for those guys from a position-player standpoint, just watching what Adolis did for the entire playoffs. He got us to where we are now. So when you lose that guy, you know, you feel for him.

I was excited for guys like Travis, Robbie, Duran, the rest of our position-player group, to see who would step up. Travis stepped up today.

For Max, that was tough, too, but it gives guys opportunities to step up and have big moments.

Q. Boch said he didn't have to say anything to you guys, that you just have been through it all this year already and you knew what to do.

MARCUS SEMIEN: Yeah, I mean, we've been through it in the regular season. We lost Josh Jung. We lost Corey Seager. We lost Adolis. And we've lost Evo, a couple of other pitchers.

So it's part of the game -- obviously, yes, deGrom, too -- it's part of the game. But all we can do is focus on how to win the ball game. That's what we did today.

Q. What challenges and also opportunities do you guys see become presented when you know an opponent is throwing a bullpen game at you?

MARCUS SEMIEN: We've had it before and we've had tough days when we face a bullpen day. But the good thing about it is you may find one or two arms that don't have their best stuff. So we definitely pounced on that opportunity in the second and third inning.

I think Mantiply did a good job coming in there and attacking us. But once they took him out, there's a chance that a couple guys may not have their best stuff. And that's what happened.

Q. For you guys as well, is there a little bit of, I don't know if it's blood in the water as an offense -- everything keeps rolling as soon as it starts to kind of go your way?

MARCUS SEMIEN: Yeah, I think there were just some big two-out swings there to put up five runs in the second inning. Those are few and far between when you get two-out RBIs. I got one yesterday. I was able to get two today.

I think that those are propellers into big innings, like the next one. You get a good, two-out rally going. Next inning we came out, put five more up. That's what changed the entire game.

Q. You were talking about guys that stepped up. Andrew Heaney did that today. How great was it to see him have his moment in the World Series tonight?

MARCUS SEMIEN: Yeah, man, he deserves it. I was excited when we announced him as a starter because I know what kind of competitor he is. He's a great teammate. He works hard.

Whatever he may be grinding through if he's not throwing as well, he's still going to be the same guy with the same attitude, no matter whether it's the regular season or the World Series. That's the type of personalities we have in the clubhouse. And that was huge for us today.

Q. You had the RBI yesterday, but a game like tonight, the triple, the home run, what did it feel like for you to kind of go out and have a game like this?

MARCUS SEMIEN: It's big. I want to contribute like that. Baseball's tough, though. You're going to have stretches where you just don't.

But Adolis was going off. Corey's been going off. Josh Jung quietly hitting over .300. We're a deep group. If one is not getting it done, someone else is picking up the slack. I continue to work as hard as I possibly can to get back in the zone. For me those two at-bats were huge.

Q. You all have had a dream season. You're one win away. How does it feel?

MARCUS SEMIEN: I mean, it's huge. This is where we want to be. It's a one-game-at-a-time mentality. We get some rest tonight, and understand that we need to focus on what we need to do to win the ball game, and that's all there is to it.

We win the ball game, we get a ring, of course. But you need to think about the process of how to get that done -- good defense, good pitching, timely hitting, two-out RBIs. Those things that we did the last two nights we need to continue.

Q. After the home run, you seemed to raise your hand maybe acknowledge somebody. Was there somebody in particular you were acknowledging at that moment?

MARCUS SEMIEN: Yeah, just family. Big moment for all my family in the stands, just to see me play in the World Series. I appreciate them giving me the support -- my wife, my parents, my children. Those people would be cheering for me if I do well or if I don't. Those are the people who mean everything to me.