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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v ATHLETICS

October 11, 2006

Ken Macha

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Q. This was probably not an artistic game necessarily on the part of Detroit. Is that bothersome all the more to you that some chances here perhaps haven't been capitalized, not just last night but again tonight? How do you view this?
KEN MACHA: Well, the artistic part, I don't know about that. I'm not very good at art (laughter). But I thought our hitters did a very good job. We get in the first inning and Kotsay hits a double and we wind up getting him in.
Problem being, when you get a lead you'd like to get back into the dugout with the lead, and we didn't do that. The homerun gives us a two-run lead and they go out and have a four-run-inning.
I mean, I think you've got to give our hitters some credit. We wind up putting some runs on the board. As far as art is concerned, I'm not so sure about that. I looked at really a key turning point, ball it hit probably just in the perfect spot between Chávie and Scutaro and Gomez, and it's on Chávie's glove and we wind up getting two runs there. Not only that, but the runner goes to third and they get a sacrifice fly.
That would have limited them to two runs instead of four. It's a game of inches, and the inches were on their side that particular event, and that E-Lo goes out and pitches a clean fifth and then gets the next two hitters in the sixth, binge, binge, and Gomez again, faster than you can blink an eye, gets a homerun and they get a wide cushion.
I thought we battled back nice. We had Frank up there at the end with a chance, and we just didn't get her done. But the guys fought their tails off. Early the tale of the two games is the guys that pitched the best for us coming down the stretch, Barry and Esteban, they pretty much scored off them and put us in a hole.

Q. Being down 0 and 2 and then hitting the road now, how hard will it be to come back?
KEN MACHA: Well, it's not just being on the road, it's the Tigers are pretty good, see. Once again, we took a look at their bullpen, and they've got power arms out there. We did score a few arms off their bullpen tonight, too, and had a chance to tie the game in the 9th.
Once you fall behind against their club with their arms, it makes it tough. They've got a very powerful bullpen out there.
Not just that, I have to give their hitters a lot of credit. I look at the inning where they scored the four runs. Polanco, who can -- he absolutely can't get out. He leads off that inning, and Ordoñez does a nice job of hitting the ball the other way in the hole, and we got a strikeout. Then I thought probably the key at-bat before Gomez's ground ball was Pudge working a walk there.
Monroe hit the ball very well, stayed in the middle of the field, and then Inge stayed out, hit the ball the other way for a sacrifice fly.
So their approach offensively was excellent, also, throughout that whole inning. Not only did they hit homeruns, but their situational hitting was very good tonight.

Q. I'm sure a lot of people are going to be surprised about Gomez hitting a homerun and having a big night. What did you know about him before tonight?
KEN MACHA: We didn't have a whole lot on him. He's pinch-hitted against us a couple times. We didn't have a whole lot of information. He wound up hitting a change-up. The time he hit the ground ball to third I think he threw a cutter on him and jammed him.
We got our scouting -- we got our scouter program that we look at closely, but you don't really get a feel for a guy until they get some at-bats off you.

Q. When did you learn about Zumaya's injury, and did it affect anything that you did?
KEN MACHA: Well, I think I was aware of that maybe even in the 5th inning or so. You know, it's easy to say we're going to go in our bullpen the next inning, but really Esteban had a low pitch count and we had been in our bullpen quite a bit. The other thing, Duchscherer has got a spasm in his neck and he wasn't available. So we're trying to get another inning or so out of Esteban to spread the game open.
But still, even without Zumaya there, the bullpen is formidable. Grilli come in, he's 97; Ledezma come in, he's got a plus arm. Roger pitched a good 8th inning. Not only do they have a good bullpen, but they've got depth. All the guys are good.

Q. Your two leading power hitters, are they getting themselves out, or do you think Detroit pitchers were getting them out so to speak?
KEN MACHA: Our power hitters?

Q. Yeah.
KEN MACHA: Well, Chávie hit a homerun --

Q. Thomas and Swisher?
KEN MACHA: Swish has got the youth working. He's trying to hit the ball out, so he's swinging hard. Frank on that side, they got the power arms. The guy starting the night, Verlander, threw some 100. So it's not easy. You've got to give their pitchers some credit.

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