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NL DIVISION SERIES: PIRATES v CARDINALSOctober 7, 2013Michael WachaPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Four Cardinals – 2 Q. Michael, you appeared to be in command throughout the entire event. Was there ever a time when you were tense, nervous, anxious? And if not, why not? MICHAEL WACHA: I think it was a little bit of anxiety before the game, just sitting around, waiting for the game to start. But once I was out there, once I threw the first pitch, all the nerves kind of went away. I tried to stay locked in with Yadi right there. Q. Yesterday after the game Neil Walker said that Marlon Byrd is the most professional hitter he has had as a teammate. Byrd just said about you this kidhas impressed me since Spring Training. I knew then he was going to be the next Adam Wainwright. When you hear that resonate following a game like this, what does it mean to you and is that somebody after whom you've patterned your game after? MICHAEL WACHA: That's an incredibly nice thing for him to say about me. He's a tough guy to pitch to; that's for sure. It's a lot of fun playing these guys. And just him saying following Wainwright's footsteps, that's unbelievable. That's one of the guys I look up on the team and try to pattern my game after, the way he attacks the zone, the way he finishes guys. And it's real fun to watch him play as well. Q. Michael, after the walk, David Freese talked to you, and then after the homer, Molina took a slow walk out and back. Can you kind of recount those moments for me? MICHAEL WACHA: Yeah, after the four‑pitch walk, it got pretty rowdy in there to start off an inning. So Freese came up there and he said, "Hey, take a couple of deep breaths. Keep attacking the zone like you have been." I kind of listened to him, took a couple of deep breaths. I was able to get out of the inning pretty smoothly. And then whenever Yadi came out there after the homer, I dropped behind in the count, he was trying to say the same thing, just keep attacking the hitters and coming at them. Q. You now have kind of a little bit of experience taking hitters deep into games. I wonder if you've learned anything from the first time around? MICHAEL WACHA: Yeah, I just kind of took the confidence from the last start into this one. And then whenever I went back and looked at the film, I was able to see some of the positives from the game, and one of them was just getting ahead of the hitters and being able to make my pitch, instead of making their pitch. I kind of took that into this one and just tried to get that first pitch over for a strike and start in a pitcher's count. Q. Michael, was it disappointing at all when you lost the no‑hitter? Was it a case where the game was so close you're maybe not thinking about it maybe as much? MICHAEL WACHA: I wouldn't say it was a great feeling. Yeah, I was just trying to keep‑‑ go out there and throw up zeros. That's my job is to go out there and try to win ballgames and keep our team in the game. No, I didn't like giving up the home run. That's a little too close to comfort for me. But Carlos came in and Trevor came in and shut the door. It was a lot of fun watching them. Q. Michael, not that being 19 overall in the draft is a bad position to be in, but you're viewed as a tip below some of the top in the college arms. Any adjustment you made to ramp up that little performance? MICHAEL WACHA: Not really. I feel like I'm pretty similar to the pitcher that I was in college, maybe throwing a little bit harder. But I feel like I'm the same, and I just try and go out there and attack the zone with that mentality and just try and pitch to contact. Q. Were you conscious of the 40,000 people chanting at you? MICHAEL WACHA: Yeah, definitely. Q. How did that go for you? Obviously didn't hurt you. MICHAEL WACHA: Yeah. I just tried to use that‑‑ it kind of brings me ‑‑ I kind of like it. It kind of gives me adrenaline. I kind of use it in my favor. Just to try to stay locked in with Yadi and it worked out pretty well. Q. I was talking to Lilly after the game, and he mentioned before the game in the bullpen he asked you something about what's the biggest game you've ever pitched. And I want to make sure I get the story right. Take us through it. You had been in a very pressurized‑‑ a couple of big games like that College World Series or to get to the College World Series. Before today what was the biggest game you think you pitched in? MICHAEL WACHA: He asked me that in our pitcher's meeting, starter's game. I told him the culture's series or equally big was the game to get there at Florida State in the super regional. It's a hostile place. The game before we had just gotten beat 22‑9. They were feeling pretty good about themselves. And it was an elimination game. So that was pretty nervous that one. Q. Do you recall what you did? MICHAEL WACHA: I pitched pretty well. We had won the game and going to the World Series. Q. Michael, to kind of piggy back on what you were saying about Adam, can you speak to the level of confidence that you guys have going to Game 5 with him on the mound? MICHAEL WACHA: It's unbelievable. You saw what he did in Game 1. He's just a great pitcher. He's mentally tough as well. Not just a great pitcher, but a great guy. And he understands the ballgame. It's going to be a lot of fun watching him pitch out there. THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Michael. Great job. MICHAEL WACHA: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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