NL WILD CARD SERIES: METS VS BREWERS

October 2, 2024

Pat Murphy

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Postgame Press Conference

Brewers - 5, Mets - 3

Q. What words have you got left to describe this kid?

PAT MURPHY: Yeah, that's pretty special. Yeah, pretty special. A lot of guys contributed tonight. Again, you saw what our team's about, what they've been about all year. A lot of contributors, a lot of guys gave us what they had, and they didn't quit. They kept every pitch, two outs in the eighth. Adames, two strikes, big hit. Mitchell comes up huge.

After the double play, you know, sometimes there's a huge momentum shift, but yeah, a lot of guys, great contributions. But Chourio, oof, two opposite field bombs.

Q. You said back in spring training that you guys were really going to have to support Jackson because playing in the Big Leagues at 20 years old is really difficult. Throughout the course of the year, was there a moment where you saw the shift in him from the quiet kid trying to make an impact in the Big League clubhouse to being a guy that hits that big home run in the eighth?

PAT MURPHY: More so than anything else, I think you saw it on defense. He made a couple diving catches, I'm not sure where. Somewhere late May, early June, he made a couple catches, and you're like, oh, he showed some aggression in the outfield. It was like wow.

And then there was, I want to say Angels, but I'm not sure I'm right on that, but when we played at the Angels, there were some takes, and it's like taking ball 4, and all of a sudden, I'm like this kid is getting it. All of a sudden, his ball striking is trying to improve around early June. I keep thinking we were in L.A., but I don't know for sure.

The guys on the team supported him great, Willy especially was huge. Our assistant, Nestor Corridor, huge. But the kid came with a big smile. He's a great human, great human, been raised right.

Q. Murph, you covered 5 1/3 with the bullpen in that shutdown inning that you got after you scored to get it within one. Obviously, huge moments throughout.

PAT MURPHY: No, no doubt. All those guys, Miguel, he's never pitched in whatever inning that was, fourth inning. He was in the game in the fourth inning. He hasn't been in the game in the fourth inning since high school probably.

Payamps being in the game after what happened yesterday and still loading the bases and feeling -- got a huge punch out, drumstick, great job.

But you've got to look to Joe Ross as kind of like an unsung hero in this game. He got four huge outs in crucial times. Devin, obviously, don't underestimate the kid, he wants that situation.

But look to Frankie Montas, he stayed tough. He walked the lead-off hitter of the game. He scored. He made an error covering first. That guy scored, but he still gave us some big pitches, and he got 11 outs in a playoff game.

Now, Manaea was tremendous. He did a tremendous job against us. Our guys have been doing this, contributing in different ways all year. Our guys, like I said, who have been DFA's. Joe Ross hasn't thrown in the Major Leagues since, I don't know, how many years?

Q. Seven?

PAT MURPHY: He threw in '15 in the Big Leagues. Has he thrown in the Big Leagues much after that? I don't know. He's had two major injuries. That's just great to see.

Q. You mentioned Joe as kind of the unsung hero among those group of relievers who pitched today. He's been really good since he moved to the bullpen. What's made him so effective in that role? What was the value of getting the appearance from him today in a spot where he really hasn't pitched a lot in his career?

PAT MURPHY: The thing we did with Miguel early, we knew it was going to come down to that type of thing, a righty against that group. He's poised. He throws the ball around the plate. He's poised. He tries to keep it out of the middle, and he's poised. He can sink the ball and bring it back on the outside. He loves the slider, and he's been out there.

No situation is too big for him. So I was really pleased with his poise.

Q. As someone who's been around baseball your whole life, the so-called clutch gene, some guys seemingly come up with huge hits in these huge moments. Is that something that just we like to talk about, or is that a real thing from where you sit?

PAT MURPHY: There's been plenty of times when Hoskins has come through in the clutch, so to speak, not today. Then there's been other times when Mitchell didn't come through in the clutch, and it was today.

Perkins had three quality at-bats. Nobody notices it. Adames has been doing it all year. He wasn't working on a good two games here, and then all of a sudden, two strikes in his last at-bat, gets a knock.

Sal's been that guy all year. He's pesky and gets things done. Turang has been -- you guys watched it. He's been terrific from -- he's emerged as a real player. There's guys who have been clutch at times. Joey Ortiz has been clutch at times. Not today. But is there that? I think guys that play long enough and get in that situation a lot realize they can keep it under control and perform.

Then you've got -- if you're forcing it to happen, doesn't happen. The clutch guys let it happen and meet the game halfway. Jackson has a way of at a young age and not knowing any better, it's beautiful.

Q. Murph, Garrett has obviously been through a lot of adversities with of injuries, missed a lot of time in his career. Can you describe how you felt for him to be able to come through in that moment?

PAT MURPHY: You said it, man. Garrett has been through three years of being injured. Been in the Big Leagues parts of three years being injured. Missed how many games this year. He's willing to do anything. We've got one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, so he's played a lot of right field. He hasn't got to play every game.

You'd never know he's been through that adversity because he just doesn't show it to you. He just comes ready to play. He's got a smile on his face. He's ready to play every day. The attitude gets him through it.

Q. Murph, obviously your veterans have been huge this entire season. For you personally, how much fun is it watching and seeing these young guys grow and kind of embrace the stage that they're currently on?

PAT MURPHY: It's pretty cool. When you think of Turang and Ortiz and Sal and Perkins and Jack-Jack, it's like these guys are freshmen, and Mitchell is the older guy of the group, but he really doesn't have a full year of service in terms of games played. It's pretty special watching these guys excel on the big stage.