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AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v ANGELSOctober 5, 2008Mike NapoliMike SciosciaBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Three THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Scioscia or Mike Napoli. Q. What was it that led you to feel like this team coming into this situation even with its back against the wall was not going to be eliminated tonight? MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, we were -- we felt we were going to play better. Although we had a miscue tonight that cost us three runs, still, we played a much better game. I feel good about that, I know we feel good about that. That game was swinging on a heartbeat for most of the night. Fortunately we got it done at the end. We executed well. Nap had a couple of big hits for us, he caught a great game, and we came away with the win. I feel good we played better. I think if we keep playing well, we're going to be fine. Q. How big was it for your team that after those three runs, Napoli came out and hit the home runs? There wasn't any doubt or any doubting yourselves after falling behind in that ballgame, you got right back and tied the game up? MIKE SCIOSCIA: Hopefully about a month from now we'll talk about that 3-2 breaking ball that Nap hit off one of the toughest pitchers ever in a playoff environment. That was big. That was big at the time. It got us back in the game, and, you know, it was not an easy pitch to hit. Beckett's tough, and he throws that 3-2 hook, and Mike stayed on him, and that was an impressive at-bat. Q. The clutch hits have eluded you guys up until tonight. How did it feel for you guys to finally get the big clutch hit that delivers you? MIKE NAPOLI: I mean, it feels great. It got us back in the ballgame, and you know, kept us in the game. It's all we can ask for. We got some big hits tonight and we came away with a victory tonight. Q. Following up on that, it seems like the bottom third of the order had kind of really been maligned for stranding a lot of runners in scoring position. Lot of you guys came through in the clutch again at the bottom of the order. Can you talk about how that may have lifted a little bit of weight off your guys' shoulders? MIKE NAPOLI: Yeah, we're going up there and right to give it a tough at-bat every time. So just so happens in the ninth that we came through. We're going to come out tomorrow and get after it again. Q. Both Mikes, can you both talk about tomorrow's pitchers, Lester and Lackey, and what you expect from both of them, and what is the keys against Lester? MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, I think we're going to probably expect a lot that we saw in Game 1. I think both guys are throwing the ball very well right now. They both threw the ball well in Game 1. And we're going to anticipate that from our side that John's going to bring his game on to the field and give us a chance to win. You know, Lester threw a terrific ballgame in Game 1 and we'll have to do a little better job of pressuring him early and getting some guys on. Like we said, situational hitting is going to be important. I don't think we're going to expect anything other than a tight game and a pitcher's duel. Hopefully we'll do the things we he need to do to win. MIKE NAPOLI: He hit it on the head (laughing). Q. The Red Sox are two-time champions. Does holding on and beating them in a long game like this have any psychological impact for the next day or the day afterwards? MIKE SCIOSCIA: They're a tough club. I don't think it -- last year is last year. They obviously had an incredible run, an incredible year. They won their World Championship in '04. It was a terrific run. But it's different times now. You know, we're looking for what we need to do. They're looking for what they need to do. They're not taking the field thinking they have a World Championship behind them last year that's going to change anything. They're taking to the field to try to beat us and that's what we have to do to them. Q. Is there any possibility this loss sets them back more than just losing one game? MIKE SCIOSCIA: I don't know. I can't speak for how they're feeling. But I do know that, obviously, besides being big, if we didn't win tonight we're flying back to the west coast and our season's over. I think it gives us momentum and makes tomorrow's game really interesting. I think we're going to come out and play well. Q. Can you add anything to that? MIKE NAPOLI: He's good. Q. Just describe those two at-bats where you got the home runs and did you feel that this team coming in hadn't shown itself as being the best team in the American League through the postseason? MIKE NAPOLI: I was going up there trying to give a tough at-bat and drive a ball. I got a couple pitches I could handle and put a good swing on it, and they happened to leave. Like we said, we're going to come out tomorrow and lay it on the line and keep going. End of FastScripts |
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