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AL DIVISION SERIES: TIGERS v ATHLETICSOctober 7, 2012Jonny GomesDETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Two THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Jonny Gomes. Questions. Q. What's it like to be up and working this early in the morning? Is it any kind of an adjustment being a West Coast guy? JONNY GOMES: Yeah. You absolutely could argue that. I guess, what, about a 6:05 and 5:05 bus, if you do the time change. So 5:05 bus, 4:30a.m. alarm, it's tough to call that home field advantage. But lucky we're so young and don't know any different. Go with that. Q. You've obviously been in playoff situations before and it's just down one game at this point. But is there anything you say to your younger teammates who have not been in this position? JONNY GOMES: Wake up. Wake up. No. The playoffs is actually‑‑ it's a race to adjustments and who can make adjustments the fastest. So what you did well yesterday, what you didn't do well yesterday, we're less than 24hours away from having to make that adjustment. Both sides. I mean, we held Miggy and Prince to no hits yesterday but still lost the game. So we've still got to make adjustments there. That was one of the battles that we one. But we've got to continue to put the whole sandwich together. Q. Can there be any positives to this early game in the sense you don't have to deal with all the extra anticipation of everything? JONNY GOMES: No, to tell you the truth. I think that's what playoffs is all about, is all the hype, the adrenalin rush. And it's going to be‑‑ it will be a challenge. I'm telling you, it really will. But we live for this and it's what it's all about. Q. You talk about the figuring out the things you did well and the things you didn't do well. What would you say you guys did well yesterday and didn't do well? JONNY GOMES: Well, Verlander on the hill. We didn't get no hit. There's always an option that can happen with him on the hill. With Coco breaking that up and taking the monkey off our back right away. That team over there, I think that's a good team. Built for playoffs. I just think we need to have little more timely hitting. And it's really hard to stick with a plan against Verlander. So one of the best ways to face an ace like that is not screw your swing up for the following day. So hopefully we did that. Q. With Jarrod's performance yesterday, he still had a quality start. You have another rookie, Tommy Milone, not really a rookie at this point, but how incredible is it to see these two guys and what they're doing at this point in their careers in the playoffs as well? JONNY GOMES: Yeah, I mean, I've been saying it all along, there's so many young guys with awesome stuff through and through in the majority of these teams. But the composure these guys bring to the mound is second to none. I mean, I think if I was their age and rolling through the lineups that they were rolling through, I'd be doing cartwheels off the mound being so excited. These guys, they might have suspenders under their uniform because they mean business every single day. And it's awesome to watch. Q. You talk about not screwing up your swing after seeing a guy like Verlander. The fact that you guys did face him about two and a half weeks ago and then came out the next day and had one of the better offensive performances of the season, how much can the team draw on that experience? JONNY GOMES: Hopefully well. But at the same time you look up at the board and everyone's batting zero. His ERA's zero. That's what playoffs is all about. It's a clean slate. And it's a race to adjustments, like I said. So we could be having a whole different conversation of a few things tomorrow or the following day. But, again, we're going to run that lineup out there that we ran yesterday. Those guys are obviously pressure tested with Verlander's stuff. So hopefully we can jump them early. Q. What would it mean to you guys if you're able to see Brett Anderson back out on the mound in this series after hurting himself 21days ago here? JONNY GOMES: That would be just another awesome ending to an adverse chapter that this team's had. We just saw Pat Neshek the other day which was borderline a tearjerker, at least for me, to see the passion he has to this team and this game. Speaks miles for him and as well his team and as well for Bob for running him out there, not thinking he's just happy to be back in uni, just we need you to win. And then Brett, I mean, definitely wasn't just time to get that injury fixed. It took a lot of rehab and a lot of work and our training staff to get him back. So, again, just another adverse chapter. And it would be nice to open that book back up. Q. You're obviously one of the important pieces of this team. With you guys facing all right‑handed starters, it's possible you might not get a start, but Bob mentioned to us yesterday that he could potentially get you in a game. Have you heard if you might get a start, and how are you dealing with sort of potentially not getting any? JONNY GOMES: Well, I was telling the guys just let's just get to the next series. Baltimore's got a few lefties and so does New York. So I'm these guys' number one fan right now. Just get us to the next one so I can get my fighting license back. But that's how the A's work. It really is. That's why Bob Melvin's been great. We've had all these platoons, and I think once you cross over the platoon once then, you've got to cross over with them all. We've got the catcher platoon. Chris Carter, too, swung a great bat. He's got the lefties. And Adam Rosales has done a great job on defense and hitting, too. So it's not just me. Although I'd like to be in there. I'm sure we'd all like to be in there, but that's how the A's have won this year, and we've done a good job. So just because we're in the playoffs doesn't really mean we've got to mix it up. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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