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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v RANGERS

October 11, 2011

Jim Leyland

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Three

Detroit Tigers Â– 5
Texas Rangers - 2

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jim Leyland.

Q. Jim, what happened to Victor on the home run, please, and what's his condition now?
JIM LEYLAND: He's okay. He felt a little strain, but he's all right. He had that at-bat after the walk and he hit a ball good to left center, so I think he's fine.

Q. Are you at all surprised or gratified, Jim, that with all the people you've had out of the lineup here, and now this includes Martinez and his tweak here, that you played that team -- a team that good shoulder to shoulder in Texas and then won a game here tonight?
JIM LEYLAND: Well, yeah, I mean I'm thrilled the way we played. We're tough. I think you have to mention Adrian Beltre for them. These are two tough teams. He got smoked on the knee.
Our guys are playing with pain and some injuries. What he went through tonight, he played the game unbelievable.
Both teams. I certainly want to credit mine first of all. But both teams are showing what it's all about. And showing it's playoff time and how tough they are and you have a great appreciation for that as a manager.

Q. Jim, Fister gave up a few hits there early on, and then seemingly settled in. Did you see an adjustment on his part? It looked like the pitches got a little sharper or maybe it was just nerves?
JIM LEYLAND: I think those hits he gave up were three missed hit balls that found holes. I thought he put on a clinic. I thought he put on a pitching clinic, in and out, moving the ball around, moving the ball both sides of the plate. I thought it was a pitching clinic.

Q. Jim, can you talk about the 0-2 pitch Cabrera hit to give you the early lead. They tried to pitch around him and he just got to that ball.
JIM LEYLAND: That's why he's a great hitter. If you were watching he came up big tonight. If you watch baseball right now, it's really interesting for me. Maybe not as much for you guys but for me. If you look at the opening day in Milwaukee, Fielder, Braun, big, big time he came up.
If you look at the second game, Pujols. Cabrera, he came up. That's what this is about. The big boys -- that's why they're the big boys.

Q. Can you talk about the Austin Jackson three hits tonight, getting your team going a little bit? Was there a different approach at the plate?
JIM LEYLAND: I don't know if there was a different approach. I would like to say that I tweaked him a little bit, but I would be lying. But he did hit early with Mac today. I told Mac, have him hit early tomorrow. Don't think things are okay. Have him hit early tomorrow.
He makes us go. He makes everybody in the dugout feel good. I was asked a question before the game about dropping him in the lineup which was a very legitimate question.
You know what, this is us. We are what we are. We've been doing this for the whole year, and we're going to either win this thing or go down with what we got. That's the way we're going to do it. Pretty simple, really.
There's no tricks now. There's no adjustments. I know the lineups are different because of some injuries. A.J. is going to lead off. That's just the way it is.

Q. I know you said Victor is fine. How concerned were you at that time? What was it that he strained?
JIM LEYLAND: Very concerned, to be honest with you. Intercostal muscle. We'll see. Obviously, I think he'll be okay. He got through it tonight, and hopefully he'll be able to get through it. And if he can't, you know what, we'll play somebody else. That's who we are. That's what we are, and that's what you do this time of year.
You find a way to -- find a way to win somehow. We did that tonight, because we hit a couple of balls over the fence, obviously, and Fister was like I said I thought he put on a clinic.

Q. Jim, it looked like that Torrealba's ball was probably the first really hard hit ball of the night. Was there any feeling or how gratifying was it for you that Fister didn't get nickeled and dimed tonight and that your guys finally did hit the ball over the fence?
JIM LEYLAND: It was great. He was just what the doctor ordered. This is a tough team to hold down. Knock on wood.
Actually, we've done a pretty good job so far. The grand slam last night made it look a little bad, but for the most part we've done a pretty good job.
They've done a great job of pitching. I think we've done a great job of pitching too. Both bullpens have done a really good job with the exception of one grand slam. This is two really good teams. They're the defending champs and we're trying to dethrone them.
Both teams are going to keep playing hard. This isn't going to bother them tonight. They're classy. They're professional. Their manager is good. I was worried. I was standing close to home plate tonight when Aretha Franklin was singing the National Anthem. He was moving around. I got nervous because she pumped him up a bit.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks.

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