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October 15, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Game Two
San Francisco Giants – 7
St. Louis Cardinals ‑ 1
Q.  Ryan, you looked like you were hurt ‑‑ you became incredibly efficient, you had two ten‑pitch innings. Do you know what turned it around for you?
RYAN VOGELSONG: I think it was the third inning when Beltran hit the lead‑off double, and I was in a stretch. Something clicked mechanically. And I mean, that's really all I can tell you. I just ‑‑ I threw a pitch and it was like, that's it, right there, that's how I want to feel. And I was just able to kind of run with that feeling at that point and just keep it going.
Q. Ryan V, you were throwing a variety of pitches. It looked like you used any number of them for strikes on any given batter. Was there one or two that you felt was your fallback pitch?
RYAN VOGELSONG: I just kept trying to mix it up, to be honest with you. They're obviously a strong enough offensive team. Their numbers speak for themselves. I just really tried to just keep mixing it up. And depending on the hitter, the situation, just tried to bounce the ball around the zone like I normally do.
Q. Ryan, I know you've spoken a little bit about how grateful you are to be in this position after all that you've been through. Talk a little bit about how it's helping to be a little bit older having been through the wars, so you're a little calmer in the eye of the storm, so to speak, in a big game like this?
RYAN VOGELSONG: Well, experience helps. I've obviously been through a lot. And that definitely helps. I think I read a couple of quotes from other guys saying you don't get this chance too often. And obviously this is my first time having it. And I'm just trying to make the most of it and stay mentally focused on every pitch until I'm out of the game.
And whether that's come from the things that I've been through in the past, probably, but just trying to soak it all in and have fun and get the job done.
Q. Ryan, considering the magnitude of the game itself and the way you were locating, was this as good an effort in your career with the spotlight on?
RYAN VOGELSONG: Yep, it was, for sure. It's the best I've probably thrown the ball in a Big League game after the third inning, for sure. And like I said, one thing clicked in the middle of that third inning, and I was just able to sustain it and run with it.
Q. Ryan, I know it's been tough to have to sit while Marco has been playing so well. Now that he's hurt you may get in there for a few games. You have some mixed feelings about this, because you don't want to be sitting. And talk about playing your former team.
RYAN THERIOT: First of all, we don't know the extent of Marco. We keep our fingers crossed and hopefully he'll be back in there. He's had a great season. I think first and foremost you want to win the ballgame. And so put the best team out there that we can.
It's tough to sit and watch, to be honest with you. But when the team is winning, you want to stay ready and any opportunity you get to go in there and produce or do something to help the team win. Normally in my spot it's a late inning at‑bat, so those are always big situations that us as competitors relish. That part of it is kind of fun.
And then playing the Cardinals, I guess, lastly, it's like déjàvu, seeing this again. It happened last year, we were fortunate enough to win the World Series. But, yeah, it's fun. I play for the Giants now, and I love San Francisco, and let's go.
Q. Ryan T, even after sitting, you came in and had a pretty big hit. How were you feeling coming in?
RYAN THERIOT: Same way I've been feeling here for a while. You just stay prepared as much as you can. You take batting practice and ground balls a little more seriously when you're not playing every day. And that's the time where you've got to stay sharp. So that's what I try to do. During the game just stay loose and stay ready. This is kind of a different role than I'm used to, but it's fun.
Q. Both of you, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask about the slide. Your manager thought it was late and should have been illegal. What are both of your thoughts on it?
RYAN THERIOT: I have to look at it a little bit more. I'm not sure exactly what the rule is. I know as an infielder you want to make sure that the guy can touch the base and they slide before the base. So knowing that, I'm going to have to go back and kind of take a look and see if either one of those things happened.
I think Marco is extremely fortunate that it wasn't just an immediate injury that we had to really worry about. It looked pretty bad. Like I said, I'm going to have to go take a look and see.
RYAN VOGELSONG: I haven't seen it yet, either, so I'm going to have to look at it. Obviously he would know more about that situation than me.
Q. How often does that kind of play happen during the course of the season, there are collisions, but where somebody plows into another guy?
RYAN THERIOT: It's playoff baseball. Guys are going out giving 150 percent. Yeah, it does happen. I mean, I've been crushed numerous times. I'm going to have to go take a look at it.
Q. You guys got a lead tonight, Ryan V. What's it like, how effective are you when you get a chance to pitch with a lead?
RYAN VOGELSONG: I try not to change, and that's strictly honest. I try not to change. I try to pitch like it's 1‑0 or 0‑0 at all times. I try not to worry about the scoreboard. Obviously certain counts, certain situations you might try and get more to the plate on a pitch when you have a lead. But I try and pitch like it's 0‑0 all the time until I'm done.
Q. A question for both of you, after Marco got hit, did that fire up the team?
RYAN THERIOT: I don't think it was ‑‑ I don't think we needed that to happen in order for us to get going. You always hate to see one of your guys get hit. So I mean, maybe a little bit. But it wasn't like it was necessary.
RYAN VOGELSONG: Well, from my standpoint I felt like I really needed to make a pitch to the next guy to get him off the field, just so they could take a better look at him and maybe get some more honest answers. Because you know when we're out there, he's not coming out of the game, whether he's really hurt or not. So from my standpoint I just really was trying to make the next pitch to get the guy out so we could get him in the dugout.
Q. Ryan V, you're the first pitcher to last 7 innings postseason. How does it feel to set the momentum going into St. Louis?
RYAN VOGELSONG: Our staff is pretty good. We've obviously had some rough outings here to start this postseason. But guys are still throwing the ball well. It was something that I really didn't think about going into the game because there's enough pressure and thoughts going through your mind other than thinking about trying to make it past the 6th inning. It's something you really don't need to add to your plate.
But it feels good. You can start a trend with something like this. So hopefully this starts a trend of our starters starting to pitch better and get deeper in games.
Q. You said that something clicked in the third inning. Do you know what it was? And also I don't see you on the podium very often, but it seems like you're still in the zone, reliving the game.
RYAN VOGELSONG: Honestly, I'm really tired. I've said this before, when you come out of a game, if you're tired, it means you know your mind was working and you were really concentrating. So that's why I'm like this now. I'm pretty worn down at this point mentally, just from trying to stay locked in. It was just something mechanical. It happens for me from time to time.
It happens the other way, too, I'll throw a pitch and be all over the place mechanically, and it throws you out of whack for a couple of minutes. I threw a pitch and it felt right. It felt good. And I was able to keep repeating that after that.
Q. Ryan Vogelsong, your double was the first extra base hit by a Giants pitcher since 1924 in the postseason. Any thoughts about that?
RYAN VOGELSONG: All you've got to do is look at my batting average for the season and know that it was probably more luck than skill. He threw it in my swing path, I think, that's all I can say about that. But it's pretty cool to get into the record books there.
Q. Since we can't ask Marco, can you guys tell us whether or not he said anything in the dugout as to how he felt about the slide?
RYAN THERIOT: I didn't hear anything.
RYAN VOGELSONG: I don't talk when I'm pitching to anyone, other than probably Buster, a couple of sentences about what's going on in the game. But I don't talk to anybody, period, until the game's over. I don't know anything, either.
Q. Ryan, how much do you value a quality start, the manager was talking about the importance of somebody finally doing it. But I imagine your goal is to go deeper than 6 innings?
RYAN VOGELSONG: Honestly, at this point in time I think it's just about winning games. Obviously it makes it a little bit easier when you have a starter go out there and go deep in the game and you give up three or less runs. On a given night it makes it easier. But at this point in time I think it's just about winning games. I honestly went into tonight with the idea of as hard as I can as long as I can and see what happens.
Q. One last thought for Ryan Theriot, talk about going back to St. Louis. That ballpark, those fans, and now being in a position you guys had pretty good success in that ballpark, winning two out of four. What's the feeling like going back to St. Louis, and talk about that atmosphere back there?
RYAN THERIOT: It's a great atmosphere, great baseball town. The fans show up just like they do here. They understand the game. So, yeah, it's going to be an intense series. I would imagine the atmosphere is going to be very similar to what it was here. Something that both teams feed off of. That energy is always good. So, yeah, it's going to be similar. These fans are the same way. They're here every day.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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