	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ANGELS v YANKEES

October 19, 2009

Mike Scioscia

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Three

YANKEES Â– 4
ANGELS Â– 5

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Scioscia.

Q. This appeared to be the game you were waiting for in the series. Was it?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, I don't know if you wait for anything to happen in the series. You have to go out there and play and make things happen. That was a heck of a ballgame this afternoon. We ended up on the right side of it.
But there was nothing about waiting. It feels good to get a win under our belt and hopefully carry some momentum into tomorrow's ballgame.
We played -- obviously, we played a good ballgame today. Yankees played a terrific game. We ended up getting out on top.

Q. Would fixing the situation of potentially going down 3-0, was this almost a must-win for you?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: A must-win is when -- if you're going to lose your fourth game. I mean, you know, I don't think that was in any of our minds. And if we -- our focus is you put a goal on out there, and you have to just focus on the steps to get there. That's what you're consumed with.
Today we had to go out and win a ballgame. We went for it pitch by pitch. The Yankees, you know, were with us every step of the way. We got hit late and came out on top.

Q. Did it enter your mind at any point when Mathis doubled the first time and you got in that big inning and you got another catcher in the dugout to pinch-run for him?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: There were a lot of things we talked about, absolutely. There was a thought of pinch-running for Jeff. There was a thought of letting Gary Matthews or Reggie Willits to lead off that inning that Jeff doubled.
You know, Jeff, for a catcher, he moves well. I think that we felt strong about if we did get it done, if something happened and we did get it done, we wanted his defensive presence back there to continue in the game.
I think one thing that they had Mariano in the game. So it's going to be a little bit different game the way you play it moving forward. If they have Mariano still in the bullpen, and I think there's definitely an absolute sense of urgency, you better get it done then.
So I think we felt good at Jeff being able to move and get around the bases if he had to. If we were behind in the game, it might have been a little different decision.
But especially after Mariano pitched and he was out of the game, I think the game sets up a little bit differently. If you don't get it done there, you're going to want Jeff behind the plate.

Q. We saw Lackey warming up. Can you elaborate on that? Were you ready to use him?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: He was just getting a little work in. That's it. We were going to let Ervin Santana go as far as he could. I think that, you know, Ervin threw the ball very well and gave us, obviously, kept those guys off the boards so we could score.
If it wasn't the 15th inning you might have seen John to answer your question.

Q. As far as that game with highs and lows, ups and downs, where does that one rank for you?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: There were so many twists and turns in that game on both clubs. You know, a lot of moves. I think there was a lot of great baseball on that field this afternoon. I think there were a lot of twists and turns, and both teams played a terrific game. We just got it done at the end. Both teams pitched well, made plays, and, you know, there were a lot of little things that were really interesting if you're -- if you're really into the game of baseball. It was a great game.

Q. Vladimir Guerrero gave you a big lift. To add to the missing element that you had in the first two games. A critical, large hit?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, it was on our first large hit there, I think. So, you know, we needed to -- we needed to keep going. You know, Howie had got us back in the game with a home run, Vlad, that's a big hit to tie the game at that point. We talked about their bullpen waiting short in the game, and to get a tie game at that point is important. It set us up a little bit better moving forward. And Vlad, it's a big hit.

Q. How many times in your career have you put the lead run on with an intentional walk in that situation like you did with A-Rod?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I can just think of Barry Bonds. That's the only time I think I can remember doing anything like that, or we can remember doing anything like that.
You know, the ball was carrying pretty well. You know, Alex can go down a back spin some pitches like nobody's business, and we just wanted to take our chances. We figured Hairston was going to hit and go from there.
Brian Fuentes threw a terrific inning, and I think that's a good bounce back for him, and that's going to be important for us.

Q. Did you resist when you went out there?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: I think he would have loved the challenge, but I think that he was fine with where we were and getting after the next two.

Q. Follow-up on that. It was an interesting situation. Do you do that, and consider that with less than two on out? And would you ever do that with them batting -- them being at home. In other words, this becoming the winning run rather than the go-ahead run in the top of the inning?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Oh, yeah, I think there were two outs in an inning. I don't know exactly what situation would come up. I can give you a definitive answer, but absolutely. Two outs if we were in Yankee Stadium and we were in the same situation, we would have walked him.

Q. Was that ever in your mind back there the other night when Alex led off?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: Leading off the inning?

Q. Yeah.
MIKE SCIOSCIA: That was not on my mind leading off that inning, it was not.

Q. How frustrated were you at the end of the 10th inning when Rivera got out of the no-out situation?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: You know, there were a lot of ups and downs in that situation. Obviously, you couldn't have set the table any better for where we were in that inning. They got out of it. You got the best closer in the game made some pitches and got out of a jam.
I don't know if frustration is the right word. Sure, it's a tough inning, but our guys went out and said let's go play defense, and that's another big shut down inning that Ervin gave us to give us another chance to get back in.

Q. Did you start thinking that the fates were against you in light of Game 2?
MIKE SCIOSCIA: No.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297