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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v GIANTS

October 9, 2010

Bruce Bochy

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Bruce Bochy.

Q. Could you give us some medical updates on Freddy and Buster, how they're feeling, and I guess anybody else who might be a little sore, Pablo?
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, actually they're both doing quite well. Freddy's middle finger and his third finger there on the right hand, that's where he got hit. It's a little sore, but he's going to go out there and take batting practice, and we'll see how it goes there.
Buster's got some general soreness from the collision, but he's doing well. He's able to go. Pablo. So actually we're doing pretty good there.

Q. Did you talk over on the plane what your strategy is for Game 4? Who is going to start?
BRUCE BOCHY: A little bit. I mean, we're not announcing that yet, but we did talk about the options. And you know what they are, Timmy and Madison. You know, tomorrow that's going to be our focus.
And, you know, we could use everybody. We don't know how the game's going to go, but we did discuss that. And once the workout's over, we'll talk about it some more.

Q. As a follow-up, for the two guys, how do they go about preparing?
BRUCE BOCHY: We'll talk to them. They'll be fine. We have a light workout today. They'll both throw and they'll be prepared.

Q. With Andres Torres' emergence this year, much of his career he's been more of a single and slap hitter and wasn't getting enough at-bats. This year, the explosion of base hits, did he reinvent that swing? Or was it simply the consistency of playing time that he grew confidence with? What would you say?
BRUCE BOCHY: I think the second part you mentioned, the latter part there. I think it just came with his consistent playing time. Once he got his opportunity, he ran with it. And, I mean, he didn't stop. He started the season as a fourth or fifth outfielder, and once he got some playing time, he just got locked in at the plate and started swinging well and kept swinging well.
He didn't reinvent himself, but he did work very hard, which is his nature. That's why he's in the game today. This guy has never quit. He's had to deal with a lot of ups and downs, but he's persevered and finally has gotten his opportunity, and I'm proud of how he's taken advantage of it.
But it's just getting playing time and taking advantage of it.

Q. What are some of the things that Aubrey Huff has brought to the team on the field and in the clubhouse that you might not have known about? And I understand that might involve a red thong as well.
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I'm not going to go on the red thong, but he's a better all-around player than I even thought. I didn't get a chance to see Aubrey play a lot. He was with Houston a little bit, but being in Tampa and Baltimore, I just didn't get to see him play out on the field a lot and what he can do with the bat.
You know, he's been pretty much in our three-hole the whole season, so he's been the stabilizer in the lineup. But also in the clubhouse. He's very competitive, but very loose. Keeps the guys loose, great sense of humor. He doesn't take himself so seriously, but he takes the game very serious, and he plays hard.
But he has fun doing it, and he makes sure that the rest of the guys are doing the same.

Q. To follow-up on Freddy, so are you pretty confident that he'll be okay to play tomorrow, and I guess related to that, you mentioned a couple days ago that you wanted to stay with the same lineup as much as you could. Pablo's obviously coming off a tough game. Would you give any more thought to maybe having Fontenot in there instead?
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, we've talked about putting Fontenot in there, and of course we'll have to look at Freddy and see how he swings the bat. But, yeah, that was discussed and could happen.
But I think I could answer that better after the workout when I am more comfortable with where Freddy's at.

Q. What have you seen from Wilson in your time here that gives you the confidence that he has the insight to recover from what happened yesterday?
BRUCE BOCHY: Your great closers, your elite closers have that ability. They're going to trip once in a while. Had some bad luck in that inning. But it's the adage short memory, and that's what makes them so good.
With Willie, he's such a tough kid that I don't ever get concerned with him. He knows how to wash off those tough outings. Really, once they tied the game, he showed what he was about. He kept it there and then went out in the 9th and kept it there and gave us a chance. We had a great chance there in the 10th, but didn't quite happen. But with Willie, I have no concern with him.

Q. And I take it he's available tomorrow.
BRUCE BOCHY: Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he would be available today if we had a game.

Q. When do you plan to announce the Game 4 starter? Today? Before the game tomorrow or after the game tomorrow?
BRUCE BOCHY: I probably would say before the game tomorrow. But I may change that, wait till after the game just to see how the game goes. I mean, the game yesterday went extra innings, so you want to keep your options open and have the guys available if needed.

Q. What are the concerns with Tim going on short rest for the first time?
BRUCE BOCHY: Not a lot of concerns. Just the fact he hasn't done it here. He's done it in college, I'm sure, which I know he has. But there really wouldn't be too much concern there.

Q. Why is that? Is it just because of his make-up, physical and mental?
BRUCE BOCHY: I think both, yeah. I mean, this kid's arm is healthy. He's never had any issues there, so that would be a concern if guys were coming up sore or whatever, and that hasn't been the case with Timmy.

Q. Considering how good your bullpen has been, what are your thoughts in moving forward in terms of using Wilson for a two-inning save again? Would you prefer not to or is it something you don't really think about, it just depends on the situation?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, every situation's a little bit different. You ideally don't want to use your closer for two innings. During the season you're rarely going to do it, but with the four days off, a day off today, we knew we had him available.
Now he didn't start the 8th, so we were going -- the plan was not to let him go two innings. Romo started it, and once he got in a jam, you know -- it's an important part of the game, is how I look at it. So I want my closer out there. My best guy, hopefully, to stop the rally.
Again, you have to look at how much work he's been doing before that game and see where he's at. But, you know, he was fresh just like all the relievers. In fact, if anything, that's a long time for them to go without being out there pitching. I'm sure that affected them a little bit.

Q. Can you tell us how Pat Burrell has helped you expand your offense and what his mid-season acquisition has done for your team offensively?
BRUCE BOCHY: I mean, he's been such a shot in the arm for this offense. He's provided quality at-bats, big hits, big home runs. And he's done a nice job out in left field.
But probably as much as anything is how he's fit in so well with this club and helped bring these guys together and made us a better lineup. But he's great in the clubhouse. He's the first guy there. He talks to the young players. He's been through this, so he's been a real nice addition, not just with what he does with the bat, but also just having Pat around the guys.

Q. Is it a challenge at all, I mean, they don't have Wagner anymore, so you really don't know what their 9th inning would be like, not knowing their closer?
BRUCE BOCHY: I mean, they're throwing some pretty good arms at us. We've gotten a pretty good look at them already. They have some good options over there. We know it. That's what's been the difference, really, their bullpen has shut us down. We haven't been able to score off their pen, which is at the top with us as far as bullpens, and they're showing why.

End of FastScripts

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