THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Scioscia.
Q. Could you tell us about your view of Kenny Lofton's bunt in the fifth inning.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I thought it was fair by a while, then it was teetering back. I haven't had chance to see a replay. Troy thought it was just off the line or on the edge of the line when he picked it up. It was close.
Q. Talk about the difference between being up 3-1 and now that the series is tied 2-2, the mindset of the team.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Our mindset is the same. We talked about it all week, you need four wins to wrap this series up. We're not looking up 3-1, 2-2 or down 3-1, whatever it would be, we're looking at that game tomorrow and that's it. We'll let you guys add them up. Our club will bounce back and play a good game no matter if we had won this game or as it turned out, we lost it, but it doesn't affect what we do tomorrow.
Q. Can you talk about the fifth inning and the fate of, first of all, kind of keeping Rueter in there to even hit? Then the fate of the two 65-foot hits that got you guys tied up?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: That's baseball. Rueter put the ball in play. We didn't make the play on the little chopper. Lofton puts down a perfect bunt. That's baseball.
Those guys got a rally started. They capitalized on it. There's nothing cheap about it. That's the game. They got things going and got some key hits with guys in scoring position in that inning and came back and tied the game up.
Q. As the series has gone on, you've seen Bonds a little bit more, have you become even more conservative in your approach to him, even more determined not to let him beat you and more likely to walk him intentionally?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, I didn't need to see Barry hitting any more home runs to gain any more respect for his talent. I know he's incredible. I know he's had an incredible year. Right now, he's locked in. So, if there's going to be an opportunity for us to make Benito or J.T. or Reggie, whoever is going to hit behind him, beat us, I think we're going to try to take advantage of that. It's not a knock on those other guys. It's just I think where Barry is, he's incredible right now.
Q. In the eighth, did Bengie get crossed up on that or did he just miss it?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Bengie just missed it. In a bunt situation, sometimes that bat head is out in front of you as a catcher, you might lose the tracking of the ball momentarily. Francisco's ball has some late life. I'm sure it had a hop to it. It just tipped off the end of his glove.
Q. Francisco was so sharp in the previous game, just mowing them down. They had mentioned, "Well, we know him now." Do you think they knew a little more in getting the two hits? Plus, Bell getting the winner.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, you might be a little spoiled by Francisco because he's just come in and virtually -- he's been incredible. He's virtually gotten everybody out. We know that's not the life of a pitcher, for the most part. You know he challenges guys, he's aggressive. These guys are good hitters. They're going to put good swings on the ball and they're going to get their share of hits. I don't think you can look at tonight and say, "What did Francisco do," or what he didn't do. J.T. Snow got them started off with a base hit, went down and dug out a pitch. Bell didn't hit too bad a pitch, a bullet up the middle. I don't think you can look and say what Francisco didn't do here. I think those guys, they're good hitters. You're going to try to make your pitches and occasionally you're going to give up hits - no matter who you are.
Q. Francisco looked sharp in the seventh. In the eighth, does he feel a little bit more uncomfortable with the stretch compared to the windup?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: No. He's shown he can execute his pitches down the stretch or the windup. Most pitchers are a little more comfortable in the windup than the stretch.
Q. How surprised would you be to see if this goes seven games, Kirk Rueter pitching the seventh game over Hernandez?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I don't want to get inside of Dusty's head. There's going to be decisions we'll all have to make if it comes to Game 7. I'm sure Dusty is going to look at it and make the best call. I don't think anything's going to surprise us as to what -- how their pitching might line up. We're going to be looking at some similar things from our side.
Q. Rich Aurilia goes three for four tonight. How important to their line-up is he?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Rich Aurilia, he's a shortstop that if he gets his hands on the ball, you're out. He does a great job there. On the offensive side, obviously, he's a key, as Jeff Kent is, and everyone that's hitting in front of Barry or the guys obviously directly behind Barry. This team isn't about just shutting down Barry and winning; we know that. Aurilia, Kent, Lofton, again, getting on base, those guys ahead of Barry are guys that are important, important for us to contain and control. On the other side, it's important for those guys to get some things going. Rich Aurilia has been swinging the bat very well. He definitely got his share of key hits tonight for those guys.
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