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MLB WORLD SERIES: RANGERS v GIANTS

October 28, 2010

Bruce Bochy

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Texas Rangers 0
San Francisco Giants 9

Q. I have two if you will indulge me: With Cain batting in the bottom of the 7th, you didn't pinch-hit for him. I think you were up two-zip and a runner on second. A lot of times during the year you'd say, I pinch-hit because I wanted more runs and that was more important. Why did you decide not to there?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, Matt was throwing the ball so well. I wasn't going to take him out. One-run game, it didn't matter at that point. He was pitching quite a game there, and he was still feeling strong. So there's no question he was going to hit. I had no thoughts about hitting for him because of the way he was throwing the ball.

Q. What about Hamilton, Hamilton batted in the top of the 8th I believe it was still 2-0 and runner on second, I believe, and first base open. You could have gone to Wilson to get four outs, you went to Lopez. You also could have walked him. If he would have hit a home run people might have been a little unkind.
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think either way they might have been unkind if I left Matt in there. But Lopez has done such a great job for us. You look at what he's done since we've acquired him, and that's what he's here for, and we needed a big out there against a tough hitter, and he got the out. I knew if that situation came up, I had Lopez ready, that he would face him. After that then I would have had Wilson in the game. But it's Lopez' guy, so there was no doubt in my mind what the plan was.

Q. I know you're going to get a lot of questions about your big victory, but the New York Times is reporting that JosÃ© Guillen has been involved in a drug investigation. Could you talk about whether that's a reason why he was left off the roster?
BRUCE BOCHY: No, I can't. I can't comment on that. I don't know anything about it, and right now I don't have a comment on that.

Q. What's going on on the bench there as you guys are just piling it on in the 8th inning and they're making all these pitching changes? Were you aware that the seven runs was the most for a Giant team in World Series history?
BRUCE BOCHY: No, I was not aware of that, and we benefitted from the walks, we know it, and we kept the line moving. Rowand, that's a big hit, triple there, and knock in a couple more and allowed us to make some changes there, got Mota an inning which was good for him. He threw the ball well, but it's a tight ballgame at that time. You take all the runs you can get, and these guys did a great job of finding a way to get on base either through walks or big hits. Edgar got a huge hit in that rally, had a big night tonight, and it was nice to have a cushion going into the 9th.

Q. You know, the way the ball bounces, no pun intended, but when that ball bounced off the fence in center field, Kinsler's, boy, that was a big turning point in the ballgame, wasn't it?
BRUCE BOCHY: It really was. It was a good break for us. Hit right on top of the wall, and Matt did a great job of not letting him score there. It's a lead-off double, and he's got to bear down, which he did, and got some big outs against some tough hitters.
But we definitely got a break there. It's a scoreless game at that point, and of course Edgar got enough of his ball to get it out. But it was nice to get a break like that.

Q. You've had a lot of them in this post-season.
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah. Yeah, that's part of it. The ball bounces your way and breaks go your way, and that's always nice to win a game any way you can, whether you get a break.

Q. Tim Lincecum has gotten so much notoriety and Matt has kind of operated under his shadow. How encouraging or rewarding was this to see him get this kind of recognition and this kind of start and this victory today?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, he should. I've said this before. He's probably been the most consistent pitcher really from day one. He's such a bulldog out there. You look at what he's done here in post-season, it's impressive how he's pitched and hasn't allowed a run. This was a big game. He goes out there, and we needed it because Wilson was throwing the ball very well, but he should be recognized. This guy, he's had some hard luck over his career. It's hard to believe he's 26 years old. He's the oldest Giant we have here. He's taken charge, and he's the guy we want out there in a big game.

Q. After going through the last couple of weeks of the season, the one-run games and everything so close, what is it like to win two games like this? Is it a great relief or excitement or what's going through your mind?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, it's nice to do it a little bit easier. As you know, we don't do things easy. Really, it was a tight game going into the eighth inning there. The big inning certainly helped. But every pitch, every play was so important there for the most part. Again, Matt, what a job he did. I thought Juan's hit really meant a lot, too. A one-run game, there's no margin of error. Two runs, it makes life a little bit easier, especially for the pitcher. He can afford to make a mistake --

Q. Nine runs is a little different, though.
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, and then of course you get all those runs, it does allow you to do things a little bit differently with your pitching.

Q. As sporadic as Renteria's season has been, how much has his post-season experience play into you wanting him in the lineup?
BRUCE BOCHY: You know, I couldn't be happier for Edgar. It's been a tough year for him. The ups and downs, the injuries, he'd come back and reinjure something else. He's a leader in that clubhouse. Everybody looks up to him. He's been through this, and he's excited about how he feels right now. He's excited about being back in the World Series. He's a guy you look up to, and I know the players do, too. It's nice to have him out there at shortstop with the experience that he's had. I'll say this: I think the rest probably has benefitted him. He's playing like he did ten years ago.

Q. Can you talk about the fact that just about every night you could pick out anybody on this lineup who will come through for you and you just never know who it's going to be?
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, you know, I said this earlier, too. The diversity of contribution that we have here, it's really been fun to watch. It's what it takes. You know, you need 25 guys to help you get to where you want to go, and that's been the case with us. It has been somebody different, whether it's the pitchers, the bullpen or position players. But somebody has been stepping into the breach at certain times and helping us win ballgames.

Q. Obviously the final score will obscure the fifth inning when it was a 0-0 game. Can you talk about the homer and what that meant to you guys.
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, the way Wilson was throwing, you knew this was going to be a tight game. Our guy was throwing well, too, and one run could be the difference. When Edgar hit the ball out, you know there's a chance that that could be the game right there the way those two guys were throwing the ball. They both were on top of their game and certainly did a lot for us to get that home run because we weren't doing much off of them.

Q. You guys seemed to have a real distinctive tack against Josh Hamilton who came in really hot out of the ALCS. Are you guys doing anything, without divulging too much, how are you pitching to him and having success so far?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, he just missed a couple balls tonight. He got a base hit. He's a great hitter. You've got to make your pitches, like against any good hitter, and he certainly is dangerous up there. We know it. And our guys are making pretty good pitches on him. But at the same time the ball he hit to left, it just missed going out. He took a good swing off of Lopez' pitch there and got the base hit. He got some good swings tonight.

Q. Can you talk about the commanding position you're in in the Series now? You've beaten the Rangers' two best starters and you're going to Texas with a 2-0 lead.
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, it's nice to get the first two, but that's what it is. You've got to get to this number before your next number. Now we're going in their ballpark. I'm sure they're going to have a sense of confidence. We've been road warriors, so that's what it's going to take right now. There's a lot of baseball left, but it's good to win the first two. There's no getting around that.

Q. Have you seen many balls bounce off the top of the center field wall and bounce back in?
BRUCE BOCHY: No, I don't think anybody in any park has seen many of them. A lot of times they do bounce out. But we got a break there. Matt made a mistake. He didn't make many, but he had him 0-2 and didn't get that ball quite where he wanted, almost paid for it. But still, there's nobody out there, and it's tough to get out of that, and he did.

Q. What can you say about your overall defense tonight, especially the defense you got from the left side of the infield the first two games?
BRUCE BOCHY: Oh, both of them have done such a terrific job. Juan and Edgar, they're pros. They've been in this situation, and the plays they're making I think have saved us with their defense. We're a team that relies on pitching, and when you have good pitching you need to catch the ball, and those guys are doing it.

Q. You talked about so many players making contributions. You're putting them in those positions to win. Do you feel like you're on a roll yourself?
BRUCE BOCHY: No, I don't think about that. When they get in there and do well, I feel great for them because it's not easy for some of these guys who aren't getting playing time on a consistent basis, whether it's a Schierholtz or Ishikawa or Rowand, Edgar, he missed a lot of time this year. I just feel good that they're going out there and doing something to help contribute.
It's a credit to them. You know, I've said this, too; they check their ego at the door and they've stayed ready. They've been working hard in case they did have a chance to do something.

Q. If you win two games in Texas, tonight was your final home game of 2010. What do you have to say to Giants' fans who have filled this place and really have made it electric since this post-season started?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, again, we have a lot of baseball left, but if anything to see how these fans have come out and brought the enthusiasm, energy, it's been a lot of fun here playing down the stretch. But there's a lot of baseball left, and we'll see what happens.

Q. In Texas we've got the designated hitter. This obviously is going to change your style of managing. Have you thought about it? And what are your plans at this point in terms of your designated hitter?
BRUCE BOCHY: On the flight tomorrow we're going to talk about which way we're going to go. I've mentioned the options, whether it's Sandoval or Burrell or even Huff. We will discuss this and see which way I will go. But as far as how I manage, it's not going to change. I've done the Interleague thing. It's a little bit different, but we have some good candidates here.

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