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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES v DODGERS

October 21, 2009

Casey Blake

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Five

Q. When you look at the lineup every day, you've been pretty consistent throughout the post-season, but towards the top of that lineup things seem to shift, especially with Kemp moving around, Ethier doing the same thing. Does that disrupt the offense at all or are guys ever surprised where they're hitting in the lineup?
CASEY BLAKE: That's a good question. I think they have an idea where they're going to be. You know, usually against a lefty Matt will hit behind Manny, and against a righty Manny will hit second, Ethier third. So I think they have an idea where they're going to hit, so I don't think it disrupts it too much.

Q. How would you describe the tone in the clubhouse tonight coming off the tough defeat? Is it any different than any other day or night that you've experienced in there before?
CASEY BLAKE: You know, not really. Certainly the off-day yesterday was pretty good to kind of put the loss on Monday behind us. That stung a little bit, to be honest with you. So the off-day was good.
Coming into today doesn't seem like guys are uptight or really too worried. I mean, obviously we know the challenge ahead of us is going to be pretty great. But we've got to take it one step at a time, and we've been pretty good at that all year long.

Q. If anything it almost seemed like you guys were pretty loose yesterday. Is the pressure off you guys? It's 3-1. This is a spot where you know what the alternative is, right?
CASEY BLAKE: Sure. You know, you can look at that a couple different ways. Certainly at this point one can say, yeah, we are down a couple games and we really don't have anything to lose, so why not go out and just let it all hang out and just let it go. Or you might say, well, yeah, we lose one more game, we're out. The pressure is on us, but there's really no sense in looking at it like that.
I think we all believe that it can happen. We win a game, and all of a sudden it's a different story.

Q. You've seen Kershaw take the ball in some big games. If this goes back, he'll have probably the biggest one yet. As a teammate, what do you see in him and how he kind of handles those moments, especially considering his age and experience?
CASEY BLAKE: Well, I'm pretty envious of how composed he is. I can remember when I was his age and really how immature I was. There was no way that I would ever be able to handle anything at the Major League level, let alone starting in a playoff game or whatever.
You know, to know Kershaw and just to see how -- just how composed he is, it's really pretty amazing. He's mature beyond his years. It's pretty cool. Like I said, it's really hard for me to believe, because I know where I was at his age.

Q. I don't know if you read the papers or anything, but there's been a little bit made about what happened with Manny at the end of the last game. I guess my question is, how do his teammates feel about it, because really that shapes I think how fans should feel. Do you guys have a problem with him being in the shower at the end of a game?
CASEY BLAKE: Well, it's really nothing out of the ordinary. Yeah, sure, he couldn't go back in the game. I didn't know anything about it until yesterday, so I think something was made of it that really shouldn't have been. He does that every time. He'll come in and take a shower and maybe watch the game on TV or whatever. So it's not like he doesn't care and he's just like, well, I'm outta here. I think he got in the shower and didn't expect the game -- he either expected us to win that game, or -- I don't know. I really can't explain a lot of things, and that's one of them.
I don't think as a teammate, or any of the other guys, I don't think they really thought too much about it or were really aware of it.

Q. Talk about playing behind Vicente Padilla, and you've faced him, what it was like to hit against him.
CASEY BLAKE: Well, it seemed like there were some years there in Texas he didn't have great numbers, but really for me personally, they were really some uncomfortable at-bats against him because he has a great arm. After you've faced him, you're like, why doesn't this guy dominate all the time. It seems like he's got quite a few pitches, and he throws them all for strikes.
It's fun to play behind him. He's going to compete, and he's going to mix it up. He throws strikes, so you've got to be ready, and he keeps you on your toes as a fielder, so it's nice.

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