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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v RANGERS

October 9, 2011

Ron Washington

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Two (Postponed)

Q. Hi, Ron, with Game 2 tomorrow instead of today, how much does that change how much Ogando could pitch in Game 2?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it won't change anything. As a matter of fact, he would have been down today. The fact that we're not playing today brings him back into play.
Once again, we can get multiples out of him. We'll just see how things go and how bad the need is to push him.

Q. You're saying if we had played tonight, he would not have been available?
RON WASHINGTON: Yes.

Q. Ron, I'm sure you got the news that OrdoÃ±ez is no longer going to be in the series with the ankle injury. So they've lost Young and OrdoÃ±ez and the series has badly started. How do you think that changes their lineup?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, they've been resilient all year. Right now you can't panic. So they'll do what they have to do to fill that roster spot.
Knowing Jim Leyland, his team will be ready to play tomorrow. There's nothing you can do about that, but that's why you have guys available that if something happens, you can bring them on. They still have enough. It's unfortunate, but sometimes there's not much you can do about it.
But they will come out tomorrow and they will have intentions on winning the ballgame. There's no doubt about that.

Q. With playing four straight games, will this force you to reconsider how you use your catchers over those four games?
RON WASHINGTON: No, it won't.

Q. Are you comfortable with Napoli catching four straight games?
RON WASHINGTON: He's done it before. If there's a change, I'll make it. But I can't sit here now and say that, but we'll see how it goes.

Q. Wash, Neftali has closed out three straight one-run wins. How is that, A, on your ticker, and B, do you think he has passed any kind of hurdle by doing this in this kind of setting?
RON WASHINGTON: He done it last year in this setting, so he's under control. He certainly looked focused to me, and I think with each outing, of course he gains more and more experience. This is his second year as a closer. With each successful outing, it just builds his confidence.
I'm very comfortable with him. When you are trying to get those last three outs of a ballgame, I don't think you can do anything about what your ticker is doing. You just hope it continues to tick.

Q. Wash, you said Ogando wouldn't have been available today. I imagine that's in large part to the number of pitches he threw last night. Having started all year, would he be available normally back-to-back if he doesn't throw a lot of pitches? Or would you normally always give him a day in between?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, where we are right now, there's no tomorrow. So he'll be available unless he extends himself too much. So to answer your question, yes, he would be available.

Q. Ron, you guys haven't had a whole lot of production out of the three and four spots in the lineup to this point this postseason. Is there any concern on your part on Michael or Josh at this point?
RON WASHINGTON: No, that's why you have nine guys in a lineup, and that's why you have 25 on the roster. At this point of the year, you are facing the best that the league has to offer. And as I always said, good pitching will stop hitting. You try not to have that good pitching stop every hitting possibility you have throughout your lineup.
Right now other guys is picking it up. And if those guys happen to at a certain time certain point of a ballgame that we play as we move forward, if they stop hitting, maybe Michael and other guys in the middle of our lineup will pick it up. That's what it's about, team.
So as long as we can go out there and our pitching can keep us in ballgames and we can catch the ball and we can give ourselves an opportunity to be in the ballgame when the ninth inning roll around, it only takes one hit and it doesn't matter who gets it.

Q. Ron, Murphy kind of had an up-and-down season, but he was very good in September and he's been good in the postseason. What have you seen change with him at the plate?
RON WASHINGTON: He's much more aggressive. When Murphy is very aggressive that's when he's at his best. When he's tentative, a lot of times he take pitches he should be swinging at. That's what he's been doing. He's been more aggressive.

Q. Nolan mentioned that the cancellation -- postponement tonight was about keeping the integrity of the game, not causing teams to stop and start multiple times. How difficult is that on the players and on you in a game when the game is stopped like that, like it was last night?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it is tough. But it becomes how mentally tough are you? I don't think any of us can do anything about Mother Nature. Who he she decides to open up, it is what it is. You just have to make adjustments. And it's like adjustments you make during the course of the year.
You certainly -- when you start a ballgame, you want to finish a ballgame. I thought last night they did an excellent job of making sure that we got through that ballgame.
They are doing an excellent job today to keep the integrity intact. We are taking BP right now. We're still getting work done. Hopefully tomorrow Mother Nature bless us where we can go out there and play a ballgame. If not, we just have to figure out another way. You take it in stride. That's what it's all about.

Q. Wash, did having Cabrera in the three spot for them last night with the injuries they have change how you approach him in comparison to when he's batting clean-up?
RON WASHINGTON: No, you have to be very protective of him if he's leading off. He's a very dangerous baseball player. He can take you out any ballpark anywheres. He seems to shine when there's men on the bag.
So, no, you have to be aware where he is and we knew he was in the third slot, and when he's in the fourth slot, we know that. When he's coming up third in a certain inning, we know that. When he's second, we know that. Wherever he's coming up, if he's leading off an inning, we know that. So, no, we always have our eye on Cabrera.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for coming in.
RON WASHINGTON: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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