AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS v WHITE SOX

October 4, 2000

Jerry Manuel

JERRY MANUEL: Well, obviously when you get a start like we did with a double, another double and a stolen base and you don't get anything out of that, you're obviously a little disappointed with the offense. It makes for a tough afternoon when your big guys don't come through in those situations.

JERRY MANUEL: I'm still very optimistic. As long as we're playing baseball and feeling like we have an opportunity, I mean, we've had our backs against the wall. People have counted us out all year, that type of thing. We've never been in this situation 0-2 going to a team's home field, but we have played good baseball there. We have played -- last time we won 2 out of 3. Obviously we need to win two ball games on the road to get it back here. Right now, obviously, we're in some trouble.

JERRY MANUEL: I think you can sense that they are pressing somewhat, I think. Obviously what they need is a bloop hit and not a home run. It seems with all the fly balls and popups it kind of seems like we're going about it the wrong way. We should probably be hitting a few more ground balls and that type of thing and line drives. But, again, I feel very confident in this team. I think that if any team could do it, we can. We won 95 ball games, and I think we can find a way to win at least three more.

JERRY MANUEL: I'm watching the game between the at-bats, I don't know what Frank's doing. Frank's probably trying to make some adjustments on his own, and we feel eventually I think he just missed hitting a couple of balls and feels very good about that. But the thing that we, again, like to see versus the fly balls is a line drive from Frank and from the rest of the guys in the order. We are just hitting too many easy, lazy fly balls right now.

JERRY MANUEL: Well, obviously Herbert's playing somewhat hindered with the hamstring, but in that situation you'd like to see him take a shot at home to try and get the guy, whether he's off balance or not. When you're playing the infield in or whatever, looked like Ricky might have got a late break, but I guess Herbert felt he didn't have a shot at it. The play at second base, there's been some close plays in this particular series so far, and unfortunately for us, when you review them, obviously it's a lot easier to see. So they just haven't gone our way. That's part of baseball. I think the crew, the umpiring crew that they have here is a good crew, and it's just unfortunate that neither of the calls have gone our way.

JERRY MANUEL: Yes, they've done a good job. They've got some good, hard throwers out there and normally we, again, match up pretty well against them. But we appear to be kind of uncharacteristic out of our thing right now as far as line drives and baserunners moving and that type of thing. The top of the order has done a good job, it's just that the meat just hasn't been able to get it done for us. But that's just unfortunate at this time, because Ray and Jose have really set the tables.

JERRY MANUEL: I thought Mike pitched well. I thought he maybe hung one breaking ball. Again, the last run could have been questionable in a sense that we probably had a chance to get him at home plate but for a guy who's coming off a hyperextended elbow, I thought he performed well. I thought the bullpen performed well. We gave up a run late there, but that was pretty much after the damage was done.