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AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v ANGELSOctober 1, 2008Jason BayJon LesterLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game One THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jon or Jason? Q. Jon, Terry was talking about the 6th inning and said you came out with a vengeance. What was your mind-set when you ended up striking out the side? JON LESTER: Tried to have a shutdown inning. We did a good job that inning scoring a couple of runs. Lackey is a tough pitcher and unfortunately made a mistake to Jason, he hit it out, and tried to establish strike one like I tried to do from the get-go and tried to have a quick inning and get the offense back in the dugout. Q. What was working for you best this evening to shutdown the Angels? JON LESTER: A little bit of everything. Seems like some innings I had a good stuff and other innings I had a better curveball, just really had to try to get early on, command of everything and it seemed like once the game started flowing I got better command. Q. Jason, two questions. First one, what was the difference aside from the result in your first two at-bats and your third at-bat and secondly, your view on Ellsbury's catch in center field. You had a good angle on it. JASON BAY: The first two at-bats I never faced Lackey and he has that good breaking ball and he got out ahead of me. Out of his hand it was looking pretty good and finally at the third at-bat he threw me one that wasn't getting over and I felt like I got into a better rhythm, I was behind the count in the first two at-bats and that one I was, too, but I felt like, okay, I'm seeing the ball the first couple of at-bats I didn't really see it and he left a fastball up and I hit it and after that you gain a little confidence and second part of your question, the Ellsbury catch, I mean, an unbelievable day for him at the plate and in the field but that's what he does. Speed is the biggest part of his game and at that point in the game we were up by a run with the meat of the order coming in and he comes in and closes down that ball it and it could have been a different story though that was awesome. Q. Jon, can you talk about getting Gary out in that first inning? JON LESTER: It was a tough inning. Just trying to find a rhythm and getting the outs came, controlling your emotions, and, you know, I thought I was making good pitches, and, you know, they were just getting enough of a bat on there to get him through the hole or into the outfield and was fortunate enough to bear down and get a weak ground ball to Mikey and step on third and get out of there without any runs. Q. Jason your first playoff game is now on your resume, I'm going to assume it was everything you would hope it would be but can you comment on the experience? JASON BAY: Tried to keep at that it as normal as I could, one of the guys that played in the first playoff game, how did they get through that? I was asking, and I tried to approach it the same. Everyone wanted to know if it was going to be different. I had nothing really to compare it to so I just -- it was the same game and you get out there and you can tell it's not, it's a little bit different but once you get over it and get into the throw of it a little bit it just baseball again and I couldn't have picked a better kind of a first game, I guess, but, you know, I'm glad that we won and that's it. Q. How is it different? The crowd, what? JASON BAY: I think it's just the feel, especially with the guys you're going against, you're going against everybody's top two or three guys and you know you're not going to get a lot of runs so every base runner, every base you take, every little thing matters and it does the entire season but it gets magnified at this point because there is no oh, Geez, we'll get 'em tomorrow, there might not be a tomorrow so the onus on every bunt on every throw, on everything is magnified. Q. Jon, two quick ones. 6th inning, what kind of a message does that shutdown inning send? And 7th inning how committed were you to get the ball again? JON LESTER: I don't know about a message, I was just trying to go out and get a shut-down inning, get the lead. The momentum kinda comes back on our side and to be able to get our offense back in the dugout and back up to the plate I think helped us a lot get through that game and, you know, it was nice to get the ball for the 7th to be able to go out there and get, you know, three quick outs again and get the offense back in the dugout and try to score some more runs. Q. I'm sure Jay in B.P. you guys couldn't help but notice the game on the screen and when Manny hit the homerun, the crowd made everybody look up, I'm wondering what your reaction was. JASON BAY: I think Mike Lowell said, geez, did you see that pitch he hit out, so I was trying to see what he did. Obviously he's one of the best players -- one of the best postseason players of all time and regardless of where he's at. I think a lot of us enjoy watching him. We cross paths in the air so it kind of helped me a little bit, I didn't know him that much and I didn't know the situation that was here before so I think that works to my advantage. Q. Jason and Jon can you talk about taking a 1-game lead and how important is it to get the first win? JON LESTER: I think it's very important anytime that you can come out and get a win in somebody else's ballpark, I think it's a huge win and momentum for us and confidence boost. I think we can go now into game two a little more relaxed and comfortable. And hopefully Dice can go out there and do a good job like he's done all season. JASON BAY: I think we proved a lot. A lot being made of Josh not pitching in that game and I'm glad everyone got to see that Jon Lester has been doing that all year and I don't think he got a lot of credit for it and obviously the way the Red Sox played against the Angels played all year. And there was a question mark there and to curve all the unknowns, and the question marks and just kinda go into the relaxing day tomorrow with that kind of behind you I think is huge for us. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. End of FastScripts |
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