AL DIVISION SERIES: ROYALS VS YANKEES

October 9, 2024

Matt Quatraro

Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City Royals

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Yankees 3, Royals 2

Q. What did you see on the (indiscernible)?

MATT QUATRARO: It looked like a slider that probably stayed in the middle. I didn't go back and look at the replay of it. But he got the barrel out front on an off-speed pitch.

Q. What did you think of Seth tonight?

MATT QUATRARO: Started out great. The efficiency of those first couple innings was great. They started to make him work a little bit in the third and then in the fifth again. But his stuff was good. Just kind of -- I don't know if they were just off the plate or whatever, just started to fall behind a little bit in the third and fourth and the pitch count got up and he had to work pretty hard there.

Q. You issued a lot of walks in this series. Are you tipping your cap to the Yankees or do you think your pitchers will have to execute that much better in the fourth game to avoid all the bases on balls?

MATT QUATRARO: Both. You've got to tip your cap to them. They're not chasing, they're not expanding, but we also have to do a better job of limiting those for sure.

Q. Once you guys broke through with the two runs, did you have a sense you'd be able to generate more, and why don't you think you did?

MATT QUATRARO: Yeah, I thought we had Bobby coming to the plate there after the Massey triple, and we're always going to feel good about being in the middle of the order there. But do you have to give them some credit, their bullpen has pitched extremely well in this series and has been a difference maker for them.

We have to find a way to execute, scratch something across there, take what they give us. And so far we haven't been able to do that against the bullpen.

Q. To get a walk there and then got the single in the eighth, hopeful that that could get him unlocked a little bit moving forward into Game 4?

MATT QUATRARO: Sure, yeah, absolutely. We'd love to see him go off and have a huge day. But we know -- these guys are in the position they're in for a reason. They pitch really well. The bullpen has been lights out. He's going to get pitched tough as we've talked about, so can't miss the one or two pitches that he gets.

Q. What did you think of Brady Singer's appearance tonight against Aaron Judge?

MATT QUATRARO: Yeah, that was a huge spot in the game. We had Brady down there, have a ton of faith in him in those situations. And he came in first time that I've seen him work out of the pen. And he wasn't scared. He got ahead of him and went to work.

Q. He knows he's not starting in these games. You've got to prepare him that that would maybe be who he faces when you go through all your scenarios?

MATT QUATRARO: He knows that, yeah. He's aware of his strengths, and we trust him against the best hitters in the league. He knew going into this series that that would be a possibility.

Q. Do you feel that the players were -- are they ready for the level of intensity they've been in in these games because there's no margin for error?

MATT QUATRARO: Do I feel like they're ready?

Q. The intensity --

MATT QUATRARO: Yeah, they're competing like crazy. Every one of these games has been a really good ballgame. We've walked too many of these guys and they've been relatively low scoring games, tight games. Both teams are putting their best foot forward.

Q. Can you elaborate a bit more on what you meant about the Singer-Judge matchup beyond just the right on right that -- why were you --

MATT QUATRARO: All the reasons we like Brady to begin with. He throws strikes. He challenges guys. He's got ground ball capabilities and he can strike guys out with his slider.

Q. In the fifth there, were you kind of hoping for Seth to face Judge again? How do you work through that when it came through the top of their lineup, Soto and then Judge? He faced Soto and Judge there.

MATT QUATRARO: Was I hoping he would face Judge?

Q. Did you like the matchup with Lugo and Judge there?

MATT QUATRARO: Well, a lot of things went through my mind. We had Zerpa up, but when the bases were loaded, that's a really tough spot to bring somebody in. It's also a tough spot knowing there was only one out and then Zerpa is going to get Judge most likely unless you get a double play ball.

So we are for a lot of reasons where we are because of our starting pitchers, and I have a tremendous amount of faith in Seth. And to get out of that with one run was a victory at that point, regardless of who was pitching.

Q. Was Pham only going to bat if it was two outs and nobody out, righty against righty, because you needed a home run or was he just going to hit there anyway?

MATT QUATRARO: There were scenarios Frazier would have continued to hit there, but not in that one.

Q. This was your first taste of playoff baseball here in Kansas City. What did you think about the crowd in Kauffman Stadium?

MATT QUATRARO: They were fired up. I wish we would have been able to keep them on the edge of their seat a little bit more. But I looked up there a couple times and everybody was standing, even in the second inning, third inning. That was really impressive. It was loud. When we got the runs going, it was really loud. That was cool to see.

Q. When Bobby got the single in the eighth, did you consider sending him?

MATT QUATRARO: Sure, yeah. But Weaver is like a one-one to the plate. It would be a big risk there especially with where we were in the batting order. Bobby is able to go there, but clearly that's a really tough matchup for us to steal a base.

Q. The Massey throw to first base, was that a bad throw or --

MATT QUATRARO: I had a really bad angle on that. When I looked up, the throw was low, but I don't know -- you guys could tell me. I don't know if it bounced or if he just dropped it. I don't have a good answer for you. I don't want to make something up. Because I got kind of blocked, the runner and Gurriel had their back, and I didn't see it well.

Q. How do things change for you going into an elimination game?

MATT QUATRARO: Well, all hands will be on deck. You have to put everything out there to try to stave off elimination. But we have Wacha going, we have a ton of confidence in him, so we're going to approach it like a regular game, but understand what the gravity of the situation is.