AL DIVISION SERIES: TIGERS VS GUARDIANS

October 9, 2024

Reese Olson

Comerica Park

Detroit Tigers

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Reese, typical question. You potentially could be facing this team tomorrow for the second time in five days, whatever. What's the challenge with that in terms of sticking with your plan, maybe changing some tendencies based on what you saw from your last outing?

REESE OLSON: Yeah. I mean, still in a situation like that, back-to-back starts, you still throw your strengths, maybe change up the sequences a little bit. But I'm going to lean on what makes me good.

There's definitely a challenge when facing a team like that back to back, but I did a few times this year, so kinda know how to handle it.

Q. At this point, having obviously been a starter for most of the year and having done the bulk thing, how much of a difference is there in the preparation for you or is it kind of just all kind of blurred together?

REESE OLSON: The only real difference is how I can warm up during my catch play. There's a little break, but last game I sat down for ten minutes, not really that big of a deal. At the end of the day, it's still executing pitches.

Q. Reese, there's been a lot of talk about the team's toughness, grit, resilience, whatever word you want to choose, over the last two months. I guess what does that message mean to you, and how have you seen that play out in the clubhouse over this run?

REESE OLSON: Yeah. I think it's just knowing that we're never out of a ballgame. We're going to scrap and fight to do whatever it is to get back in the game if we're down and hold the lead if we have it.

I think that's been the big thing, just understanding that we're never out of a game.

Q. Reese, obviously there's been a few games here now where the crowd's been pretty into it and everything, but what do you expect out of your first experience of a playoff game here today, as well as a lot of your teammates?

REESE OLSON: Yeah. I know everyone is really excited to see what kind of crowd shows up, and we're expecting them to be loud. I think everyone is pretty excited to see the city of Detroit having a baseball playoff game for the first time in, I don't know, what it's been, ten years, right? I think everyone is very excited to see how they show up.

Q. It feels like defensively we've seen Tork be a little bit more decisive on ground balls to the right side. How have pitchers reacted to that? Has there been more of a concerted effort to break for first base more quickly when you see Tork go after a grounder that might be to his right and might be in that in-between ground?

REESE OLSON: There's been no real discussion of it. I guess Tork just kind of decided to do that on his own. But, yeah, takes the toss out of it, so I guess a little safer. But hasn't been real talks about that.

Q. Reese, what have you seen from Keider Montero over the course of the season, his evolution as you've shared rotation together?

REESE OLSON: Yeah, I mean, he's nasty. His stuff is incredible. When he's in the strike zone, he's tough to hit. He's got five shapes, kind of similar to me. So when he's in the zone, he's just competing out there, it's fun to watch.

Q. Since coming back off the IL with each progressive start, do you feel like you've bounced back? This has probably been the quickest you've had to go in consecutive outings. Do you feel like the recovery process is back to normal, back preinjury?

REESE OLSON: Yeah. I think I've been on a five day, actually, every start since I came off the IL. The extra inning, just like a normal buildup. So I'm feeling good. I'm feeling prepared. Honestly, after each start I felt better and better. So I think I'm almost fully built up at this point.