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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CARDINALS v GIANTSOctober 17, 2012Mike MathenyST. LOUIS, MISSOURI: Game Three Q. Is the lineup the same as it's been? MIKE MATHENY: Yes, same lineup. Different pitcher. Q. What's your understanding of the weather situation and do you have any contingencies in place either regarding the lineup or starting pitcher in case there are any issues? MIKE MATHENY: No, that's a part of being in the Midwest. We get this quite a bit. We understand that these guys do a good job of forecasting, but you never know for sure. The guys are coming in and getting prepared for the game and we'll make adjustments as they come. But right now there's obviously some weather in the forecast. But we'll just wait and see. We know it's in the hands of the Commissioner's office and see what they decide to do with it. But we're always thinking about possibilities, but right now not going too far down the road. Q. Have they said anything to you about their intent to hope to get the game in today or any kind of how long they'd wait? MIKE MATHENY: No, no details except that, yeah, they'd like to get the game in. If you push this back until Saturday, then you've got quite a few different issues that seem to get pretty complex. Ideally today we'll just see what happens as we go. Q.  It was my understanding at the start of the year that there was a hope or desire to be protective of Adam to some extent, at least as much as the season allowed. With where he's gotten now and some up and down results, where do you see that he's at and is there any concern about his innings load or fatigue level or anything like that? MIKE MATHENY: Well, I think our view of being protective was if we saw something that thought it would be necessary. We've seen his strength stay pretty consistent. And we've seen him have some exceptional runs this year, and just like any other pitcher some struggles, especially a pitcher coming off Tommy John. Early on he had a little trouble with his consistency and just finding the feel. But in general he's responded very well and most of that's been by his hard work. He's done a great job of staying on top of his shoulder work and his elbow work and keeping his core strong. We're excited about that. We know the kind of pitcher that he is and can be in the postseason. The experience and competitive nature. We've watched him close and those warning signs that we've been looking for really haven't jumped out. And we're going to continue to just watch him close just like we do every other pitch. Q. You've seen Lohse be so good all regular season. How much more confidence when you see him have two good postseason starts here this year, because previously in his career he hadn't replicated that success in the playoffs? MIKE MATHENY: He's just been so consistent through the season, as consistent as any pitcher that I've seen. We didn't see any reason why that wouldn't continue through the postseason. He's done a nice job for us. Every opportunity he's had he's made the most of it and given us a chance. It's been odd how this team has really had trouble scoring runs for him at times. Hopefully that will be the one thing that's a little different. But I assume Kyle is going to go out and pitch like he's been pitching. Q. Is there any rhyme or reason, particularly a reason, I guess, for Jon Jay's splits? He hits really well at home. Probably one of the highest averages of anybody at their home ballpark. And his struggles on the road kind of have drifted into this postseason, as well. Is there something you can put a finger on? MIKE MATHENY: No, I think you know the answer to that. One of those things that over the long haul and over a season, over multiple seasons just tend to work themselves out. For whatever reason right now it is trending that direction. But John's been such a big pick‑up for us as far as being able to step into that lead‑off spot. And it's nice he's done it at home. He takes the same approach on the road. He still puts together tough at‑bats. I can think of a number of hard line drives getting to the outfield, good stroke to the leftfield side and staying on the ball. I don't see any reason and hopefully he doesn't think more of it than he should. He needs to keep putting together good at‑bats and they're going to fall in there. Q. Do you think with Adam at all just the way the last one didn't go how he would have wanted, how amped up or excited he'll be to get another chance in this? How do you look at him? I'm sure he's thankful that he gets another chance. MIKE MATHENY: That's part of his makeup. He can't wait to get back out there and help the team do something. He's a very unselfish pitcher. But a competitor along the lines of a Chris Carpenter, who you know he's going to will himself to give your team a chance. It didn't start out well. It ended up finishing well on his last start. But I know that's not how he wanted it to go. And he kept asking the guys, Hey, give me another shot, give me another shot. He's got his other shot. So he's anxious to get back out there and do something different. Q. Having played here and then lived here and now managing here, can you feel a different energy in the city in October, home games, when you guys are making a deep run? MIKE MATHENY: Yeah, and I'm getting most of it via the social media and hearing secondhand, since we were gone most of the time when all the excitement was going on with us finishing in Atlanta and then obviously coming back here at the beginning with Washington. But how things finished out there I'm getting constant texts and reminders from people how excited it is around St. Louis now. Our guys will get a better feel for that once we hit the field tonight and get back out there and give the St. Louis fans another chance to watch these guys do what they do. It's a special place in September, and then October, right down the push, and then into the postseason. There's not many atmospheres, in my opinion, like it. These fans love this team and these guys love playing in front of them, so it's a neat mix. Q. You had a very young Matt Cain back in San Francisco. How much have you followed his development just having caught him? MIKE MATHENY: Yeah, always been a big fan of Matt and the way he has gone about his business. Even as a young player, a lot like I talked about a young Carpenter and Roy Holliday in Toronto, I saw the same sort of makeup in Matt Cain. The stuff was very obvious, but just the makeup and how he held himself together on the mound, much more mature than his age at the time. And then just tried to figure out ways to get better and he's done that. He's had a very, very nice career. And somebody that I have a lot of respect for and is an honor to be a part of his early career. Q. It's been two days now that that slide has been dissected and debated. Do you have the same view of it now as when it happened and are you confident that it's over and done with? MIKE MATHENY: I'd be more confident if you guys didn't keep asking about it. But it does keep coming up. So it's going to stay alive as long as it's handled this way. I think everything has been said that's going to be said. I thought Matt handled it the right way. I believe that the Giants have handled it in a classy way, as well, and everybody is trying to move forward. And so we're going to try to allow that to happen. But now ‑‑ it's now about moving forward. Q. Doubling back on Jon Jay, can you talk about his defense and how that's developed this season? MIKE MATHENY: Jon has matured as an outfielder, has taken control of the centerfield position and being a quarterback out there. I think he's brought everybody to the knowledge of the caliber of outfielder he is, and not just a guy that fills the centerfield, but can be a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder. He's won over the respect of this clubhouse, without question, for the way he's gone through the wall and constantly putting his body at risk. But just his jumps and instincts, but more importantly how he is leading in the outfield as a young player with veterans all around him. It's impressive to watch him go. Q. Obviously it looks like this is the Carlos Beltran of April, May, June, and July. Do you see him taking it in any differently in the postseason? Obviously it's well documented the type of postseason player he's been. Do you see him handle this time of the season differently than the rest of the season? MIKE MATHENY: Well, I think all of us, at least in the clubhouse, knew that it's not a fluke when you have a long career and then a strong start to a season when everybody else was kind of thinking he instantly lost what he had. Most of us knew that's just absurd. It was only a matter of time before he was going to get it right. This is a hard game. It's a hard game. You just have to be patient sometimes. And Carlos was trying to push, because we were right in the middle of a team push. And really put him in a bad spot. But you stick with what you know. You trust yourself and things work out in the end. Carlos is a very under‑control player. We've all seen that, in every aspect of his game. And I think that just translates into the postseason. People that can control themselves and control their emotions and their intensity tend to be pretty consistent and that's what Carlos has shown through the postseason, as well. Q. Was there any urge to try to find a spot for Matt Carpenter with his 4 for 4 off Cain or was there just no spot? MIKE MATHENY: We've talked about this. We have a lineup that's really come together pretty well. And we've wanted to try to find spots for a Skip Schumaker, for a Matt Carpenter, who have been a huge part of the success we've had this season. But right now the guys have all found a spot that they're rolling pretty well. And to get in the way of that would not be smart. Now, as the game starts to unfold then you start to look for opportunities if there's a double switch or a big pinch‑hit opportunity, those numbers from the past usually lend themselves pretty well into what you might do in reaction to a situation. But right now these guys are playing well as they are and we're going to ride them for a while. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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