AL DIVISION SERIES: ANGELS v YANKEES

October 4, 2002

Mike Scioscia

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We definitely had some huge hits tonight. I think a couple things happened. I think offensively, even though we were down 6-1, we kept playing our game. We kept pressuring them. Got some big hits. Some home runs, too. Adam gave us a big lift, obviously, Fish later in the eighth. For the most part, I thought we kept playing our game. I thought we kept pressure on them, kept chipping away. Would not have been possible, though, without the job our bullpen did. Those guys didn't start putting up the zeros when they did, you know, that game would have been put away earlier in the Yankees' favor. For them to put up those zeros and give us a chance to get back into it, that was a story tonight. The job that John Lackey did, the job that Francisco Rodriguez did, Scott Schoeneweis did, getting a big out in between the two. Obviously, Percy, that was the story tonight.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Yeah, you know, in the field (inaudible) if Troy's covering on a steal, it's a pitcher's responsibility to get back to third base and Ramon just really didn't react.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, I do. Frankie Rodriguez has a long way to go before you put him in Mariano Rivera's shoes, he's an incredible athlete, an incredible pitcher. I'm sure that's a great goal for Frankie to set. It would be somebody that obviously, he's incredible. I think Francisco Rodriguez has that live arm that you don't see very often. He's got an incredible breaking ball, a fastball that just explodes. He definitely has the ability to eventually become a closer, I think a dominant closer in the game. You know, right now, obviously, we have the leeway maybe not to rush him. We have a pretty good closer ourself. But he's a great arm. Tonight, those two innings were huge.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Yep. I think there's a couple things with Spiezio you have to keep in mind. This is the first time Scott Spiezio has really swung the bat with the proficiency you hope for for his career. Some of those stats might be a little skewed, he's always had problems from the right side hitting. It's never been his strong side. This year, with the adjustment he's made with Mickey, he's gotten clutch hit after clutch hit from the right side. We have no hesitation at all to let him hit because he's having an incredible season with a right-hander. As we move forward, you'll see some of those numbers flip flop if you can see that stroke.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think between that excitement was important little ball. We kept running the bases aggressively, even when we were down 6-1. The bunts played a huge part with Bengie Molina and David Eckstein. I think, you know, that -- Erstad hitting with guys in scoring position, we got some -- we got some clutch hits tonight. Not very often that you're going to be able to score the amount of runs we did off of a great staff like that without getting some clutch hits. And tonight, you know, they fell in.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We had some tough decisions. We had some veteran pitchers that had been doing a good job for us during the season: Dennis Cook, Al Levine, Mickey Callaway came up and did a great job for us in September with some starts. When it came down to it, we saw that Francisco had the make-up and was not going to be taken out of his game in any situation -- we used him in a lot of situations in September to see what it looked like he was going to be able to bring. It became very clear this type of arm is a arm you'd definitely like to have in the post season. Especially against a line-up like the Yankees. He's got the stuff that you need to challenge those guys to get through a tough line-up. He's been terrific. Even the pitch that, you know, Soriano hit for the home run the other night was not that bad a pitch. You have to give him credit. He's been terrific.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We're going to -- little adrenaline will get these guys back. You know, I think when you're getting where we are in the postseason, I think our guys are fresh. I think they're okay. I know Francisco can bounce back, I know John Lackey can bounce back if he had to. Obviously, Scott Schoeneweis will be available. I think Ramon Ortiz can bounce back if he needs to, or tomorrow, if there's a Game 5. I think we're going to be okay. You know, we got Web a day off with his hand, so he's hopefully back. Brendan Donnelly's fresh, Percy is fresh. Hopefully, Wash will pitch deep enough into the game where we can get matchups late and get the guys we want out there on the mound.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Weber was available tonight.

MIKE SCIOSCIA: He also pitched seven innings and gave us a chance to win that game. I think if you look at the bottom line with Wash, he usually gives us a chance to win and hopefully he's going to come out and do that tomorrow.