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AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX v ANGELS

October 6, 2008

Mike Scioscia

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Four

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Scioscia.

Q. Who is available or unavailable in the bullpen tonight?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Everybody's available.

Q. Weaver, too?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Weaver, too.

Q. Could you just revisit Jered Weaver last night and his role changed with that effort?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, you know, the way we set up our bullpen for this series was to keep Jered and Jon Garland for length, just for what happened last night, and it helps you to make some moves earlier. You know you have some innings behind you that can get it done. It's a different role for them, but I think he did a great job of starting in the 8th or 9th inning with his routine and was ready.
You know, walking in from the bullpen is a little different for a starting pitcher, but he was prepared, he was ready. I think once he made his warm-up pitches, he crossed that bridge and he was ready to go.

Q. Have you ever had a player under those circumstances with stakes like that have a bigger performance than Napoli did, all things considered?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I've seen -- I think there are probably instances we've seen when I was a player in playoff situations, guys would have some big games. But that was, obviously, with our backs against the wall, was important to us. You know, Mike really turned it on the last month of the season, and it's good to see him have a game like he did last night.
So I'm sure there are times where some guys will contribute more than maybe you might expect, but that was important to us. Like I said, that 3-2 breaking ball from Beckett is not an easy pitch to hit. Hopefully a month from now we'll be talking about that as something that was big that got us to a bigger goal.

Q. You were confident enough yesterday to emphatically say to us, "we're not getting eliminated."
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Let me say this, if there are more questions out there about me doing some kind of forensic analysis or pre-mortem, I'm going to have the same response. We're going to win.

Q. I was going to say, what's your confidence level tonight? That's what I was going to say.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Ask me the question.

Q. You guys won in extra innings last night. Lot of players talked about that being a momentum builder. How do you see that taking you into this game, and how confident are you taking it into a Game 5?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: As we talked about a short series, any team that wins, I think put it's back on the other team. Even though we were down 2-0, I think last night's game was indicative of that. We're going to play a good game. I know that. We're going to go on the field and play well. And I'm very sure of that.
We didn't play a perfect game last night, but we played well enough and did the things we need to do to win, and that's what we intend to do tonight.

Q. I think Jack was trying to get you to guarantee a victory.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, ask me to do a forensic analysis, and I'll guarantee it. I'll guarantee a victory. I'm not going to sit here and compare. The question yesterday was comparing us to what happened to the Cubs. The Cubs were eliminated. We're not eliminated, that's my position on that.

Q. The bullpen, you said everybody's available. Being sharp I think is another question. How much can you expect from Rodriguez? Is it just one inning with throwing 33 pitches?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: You know what, our guys are very resilient. Of course what they've done the night before certainly during a season would be something you would consider for whatever they're going to do tonight or down the road. But in this situation where you're facing elimination, there certainly has to be leeway to stretch your guy, and then we'll worry about the next game.
So just like last night where Shieldsy threw two plus, Arredondo came in a little bit earlier, maybe Joe, we didn't go quite as long with Joe. And these are things that come up. Last night we got it done. We'll have to approach it the same way tonight. What helps with this format is obviously in the days off, your bullpen automatically resets for the most part.
Last night I think was extraordinary for both teams, but I'm sure they've got everybody available over there tonight as we will also.

Q. You obviously seem confident again. Are you sensing the same out of your players here? Is there any extra uptick after last night or were they confident entering last night's game as well?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: We were confident before Game 1, we just didn't do the things we needed to do to win.
Game 2, we were confident. Confidence is not an issue. We're going to take the field. What you have to do is go out there and play well. Starting Game 2 we saw glimpses of it. Last night we saw more glimpses of it, and that's what we need to do tonight.
So that's what our focus is going to be. We talked about winning a game. Sure, you're going to go try to win the game, but if you don't break it down to the steps that it's going to take to win the game like we talked last night from secondary leads to situational hitting, that's important. And we have to apply ourselves in that manner. If we do, we like our chances.

Q. Was there any particular reason why you went with Weaver instead of Garland in that particular situation?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think some of the -- there are matchups that are going to be pros and con to where the inning was and what was going on. But I think as we got into the game we felt really good in setting up and going with Jered first. And then as he tired we had Jon. If that game ends up going 18 innings or something like that, you had Jon that could come in and pick it up.
So I think the fact that I think Jered's a strong strike-thrower is important, and I think coming out of the gate there in that first inning, you know, first inning a pitcher is going to pitch that's not a starting pitcher. You need to get in the zone early. Not that Jon's terrible at that, but Jered has a real ability to get in the zone early and I think he showed it last night.

Q. There have been three road victories in a row. Do you believe with all your experience that pitching is a focal point in this sport that home field should make any difference at all in this point of the season with two good teams?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: You know, home field has an advantage from a strategic point. The game unfolds a little further, a little longer. Some strategies will be more clear if you're the home team as to where the game is.
But as far as what a pitcher has to do on the mound, you can be pitching on the moon and you should be everything equal. If you're that type of pitcher, you're going to execute your pitches and win or lose with that. I think we have two pitchers going for each team that have that capability. Lester showed it last week in our ballpark. John Lackey showed it here during the season. So we're comfortable it's going to be on our side and look at what John's going to do. He's going to go out there and pitch his game and give us a chance to win.
But I do agree there is maybe a little familiarity with the mound, with the background that pitchers will get if they pitch at home for 16 or 17 starts as opposed to what it might be on the road. You'll be a little more familiar with that dirt on that mound. But it shouldn't be anything that a pitcher coming in on a road team shouldn't be able to get acclimated to.
Yeah, I think it has probably less on what a starting pitcher or less impact on what a starter has to do whether you're pitching on the road or at home.

Q. With the circumstances not only of last night and using all the relievers but also the circumstance of keeping the season alive, can you speak to John Lackey, how different your managerial style will be with him tonight?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, there's a lot of things we're going to consider as the game unfolds. But one thing for sure with John Lackey is he's a guy that has a knack for making a big pitch in a tough situation.
I think we'll obviously give him enough leeway where he can have a nice canvas to paint and make his pitches. You know, I don't know if we're going to go long if it's obvious that he's maybe not as locked in as we feel he'll be. But he certainly has the ability to keep repeating pitches and making pitches when he's on. That will definitely factor in with when you think you have to make a move, sure.

Q. How different is a best-of-five series as opposed to best-of-seven going in for managing and setting up a series?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, when you lose the first two, you wish it was best-of-seven, I can tell you that right now.
You know, I think that stuff happens quickly in a short series. Obviously, it happens maybe a tad quicker or there's maybe a little more sense of urgency in a five-game series when you might lose the first game. You know, you have to put things together quickly and hopefully we have.
But I think if a team is playing well and you're bringing your game on the field, there's not a lot of difference between a five and a seven as to what the outcome should be if you're playing your game.

Q. Aybar had struggled his first playoff, per se, you could have pinch hit for him with another young player and you didn't.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: We had Quinlan. Go ahead and finish.

Q. But you didn't, and you went ahead with him. In a situation like that when a young kid like that is struggling, do you just kind of stay away from him and let him work it out by himself or are you talking to him and making sure he's pumped up?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: We definitely considered using Rob Quinlan in that situation. But I think I know what I felt was the feel of the game. The guy that's been in the game. I felt that Erick had seen a lot of pitches. The match-up with Lopez I thought was going to be fine with Erick. He's swung well from the right side the whole season. Though in this series he hasn't shown it as much. But I was comfortable he was going to put the ball in play and hopefully find a hole and fortunately he did.

Q. Along those lines even though the numbers may not have borne it out last night, are you noticing better at-bats with runners in scoring position starting with last night's game?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think it started in Game 2. I think we had tougher at-bats. We made them make better pitches, and to the Red Sox credit, they did. Last night I think we definitely had good at-bats. Although statistically it's not going to show up. But I thought Juan Rivera had a great at-bat, drawing a walk early off Beckett to force in a run.
That's what we need to do. We're not built around the home run, so when guys get in scoring position, couple things: We need to run the bases well to create opportunities and with runners in scoring position we need to swing the bats and have good at-bats. I think that's hopefully going to be a positive for us moving forward in the next couple of games.

End of FastScripts

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