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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYSOctober 1, 2011Ian KinslerMike NapoliARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Two Texas – 8 THE MODERATOR: If you have a question, please raise your hand. Start on the right-hand side. Q. Can you talk about your at-bat there before you hit the double? MIKE NAPOLI: Yeah. I got up there, had the bases loaded. We had a couple of things going, and I was just trying to hit the fly ball to the outfield and get another run in. And I got myself into a hitter's count and ended up 3-2 and fouled some pitches off. And I was just trying to see a change-up, stay short, and I got a change-up up and drove it pretty well. Q. This question is for both of you. I know you guys obviously really are happy when you score a lot of runs with the home run, but particularly in the fourth inning, are you just as proud that you are able to score five runs without hitting a home run? MIKE NAPOLI: Yeah, sure. I mean, we've done it all year. We scrap away at runs and, you know, we play good team baseball and we all do it together. We do good things. And, you know, that inning showed. We all did it together and it put some good at-bats together and got it done. IAN KINSLER: I mean, as an offense we are not too worried about how we are scoring runs. We just want to score runs any way we can, whether it's Murph swinging and missing and getting the first and the guy moving up or whatever it is. As long as we're -- as long as we're scoring runs, we're happy. Q. Mike, how big of an impact do you think throwing out Upton at third base had on the game? MIKE NAPOLI: It was huge. They had a leadoff double and we got an out and then B.J. was trying to get there at third with less than two outs. So I think it was a big swing, just trying to make a good throw and threw him out. It was good for us. Q. This question is for Ian. Ian, this is the first time the home team has won between these two teams, going back to last year, now this year in the division series. What is your mindset going to Tampa now? IAN KINSLER: You know, it's going to be tough for us. We have basically three games left to see who can win two, and, you know, win a series, we have two of them at their place. It will be tough on us. Obviously we're pretty happy we were able to split after losing the first one. Get a good day off. But it's going to be tough on us. We just need to come out and make sure our bats stay hot going into the two games in Tampa. Q. Hey, Mike, you always hit for power. This year you hit .320 and I don't think you'd hit more than .270, .275. What kind of adjustments have you made? MIKE NAPOLI: I am trying to get deep in the count and see a lot of pitches. You know, I think my two-strike approach has gotten a lot better. I mean, I think a lot -- trying to shoot the hole through second there a lot and always trying to hit a home run. So, you know, working with Cooly and Johnny Narron has helped me out a lot with approach and the mental part of the game. So, you know, I just go up and try to get a tough at-bat and get deep in the counts and see as many pitches as I can. Q. Ian, what can you say about Mike's knack for the big hit all season long? And then, Mike, what can you say about how satisfying it is to continually be contributing in the way that you are? IAN KINSLER: It has been incredible what this guy has been able to do, this porterhouse over here. You know, they're screaming "Napoli" there in that big at-bat he had with the bases loaded and the whole stadium is chanting his last name, and I get the chills and I don't know how he is up there staying focused. But he had a heck of an at-bat. He kept battling and battling, maybe seeing eight or nine pitches. And, you know, it's just something that we expect, we have come to expect, which is I don't know if it is a good thing, but, you know, it is nice to have him at the plate in those big situations, and tonight he came through. Q. After they won the first game, they send their ace to the hill and are feeling pretty good about it. Can you guys describe the significance of getting one in that situation, particularly against a guy who had done so well against you so far? MIKE NAPOLI: Yeah, it was a huge game for us. He pitched well against us. For us to scrap away like we did tonight is huge to get back in the series. I don't think we -- after we lost last night, nobody put their heads down or was worried about anything. We just knew we had to come out here and just play our style of baseball. And I think we did that tonight. And we got a huge win. Q. Just going back to the question for Mike, how nice is it to continue what you were doing in the regular season through the postseason? MIKE NAPOLI: I mean, it is a great feeling. I come to the field every day to prepare and go out there and try to contribute. And, like I said, I go up there and I just try to give a tough at-bat every time. I mean, even on the defensive side, I take pride in defense. I kind of got labeled as not such a good catcher, and I always thought that I was a good catcher, so to show it means a lot. Q. This is for either of you guys. How big was the home run there from Mitch Moreland at the end of the game to give you that extra run cushion and for his confidence? You guys probably need him going into later in the series. IAN KINSLER: Having a guy like Mitch hit in the 9-hole is huge. He is capable of doing that basically every at-bat. He just missed one in center field tonight. You know, he has been battling a little bit of a hand injury, kind of slowed him down a little bit. And he is finally feeling better with that. It was nice to see him get the big hit and give us that cushion. Any time you can give Nefi an extra run, it is big. That was a big hit for us. Q. Mike, Ian raised a good point. When is the last time you heard them chanting your name? MIKE NAPOLI: It was probably the first time ever. It was pretty loud, too. And when I heard it, I was like, You guys can't do this to me now in this situation. But I put a good at-bat together and helped tie the game up. THE MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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