I’m going to post this press release and then shut my eyes as it’s time to sleep. This is the quotage from Friday night’s Game 5 of the National League Championship Series between Milwaukee and St. Louis, handily won by the Cardinals, 7-1, putting the Redbirds just one game away from the World Series as the series shifts to Milwaukee for Sunday.
Here’s the quotes from TBS from MLB on Deck, the actual game and then Inside MLB. It’s all below.
Notes from MLB Postseason on TBS – October 14, 2011
The National League Championship Series will continue on TBS on Sunday, October 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET* with TBS MLB on Deck followed by Game 6 of the NLCS featuring St. Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers (4 p.m. ET*). The night will conclude with the post-game show Inside MLB.
*If the ALCS has ended, TBS MLB on Deck at 7:30 p.m. (ET); Game 6 at 8 p.m. (ET)
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TBS MLB on Deck
Matt Winer (host) and Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells (analysts)Wells on starting pitchers needing to throw more innings to give the bullpen some rest: “These guys have to go deeper into games in order to give (the bullpen) a chance.”
Eckersley on starting pitchers not living up to the hype due to short appearances: “This isn’t spring training but you might as well not even say who the starter is. We get all jacked up about who the starter is. Meanwhile, he only lasts about three innings and is forgotten and long gone by the time we get to the sixth inning.”
Eckersley on pitchers avoiding the big inning: “Everything is like a clincher and you can’t give up a crooked number. If you give up a three-run bridge-ball (home run), they can’t get you out quick enough.”
TBS’ reporter Craig Sager interviewed St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa prior to the game
La Russa on the high ERAs of the starting pitchers in the series: “I think the stat is a quirk because there are so few innings that’s your sample that if you have three or four (earned runs given up) in one start, it blows it out of proportion. More than anything else, it’s a tribute to the offense on both teams. Every (pitcher) who has given up a big number, has pitched several innings where they have given up nothing. If you make a mistake, these offenses on both sides will punish you.”La Russa on Cardinals Game 5 starter Jaime Garcia: “He’s a work in progress and he’s been amazing. I expect him to be amazing tonight. He will get better and better.”
Ripken on Milwaukee Brewers’ lead-off hitter Corey Hart: “I like him leading off. He’s a unique lead-off hitter, he’s got good power to all fields. He can put a run on the scoreboard really quickly. He’s got a good eye at the plate. I just think he’s trying a little bit too hard. The off-day probably did him some good and he could do some damage.”
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St. Louis Cardinals (7) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1) – St. Louis leads series 3-2
Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play) Ron Darling and John Smoltz (analysts) with Craig Sager reportingSmoltz on starting pitchers learning from their mistakes in the Postseason: “From start to start in the Postseason, if you’re fortunate enough to get more than one start, your failures can become your greatest assets. You can learn from an emotional inning. You then make the changes you need to make.”
Darling on pitching to Prince Fielder: “It’s a catch-22 when you’re facing Prince Fielder because the slider is the pitch he’s most vulnerable to but if you hang it, he can hit it 500 feet.”
Smoltz on mentally slowing the game down in the Postseason: “The guy that is the most successful at this time of year is the guy who can slow the game down. This game can be fast-paced.”
Smoltz on Brewers’ starter Zack Greinke pitching better than the score reflects: “It’s an odd game for Greinke. He does not deserve to have given up four runs (through four innings). That’s the way it can go because baseball is such a game of inches.”
TBS’ Brian Anderson, Ron Darling and John Smoltz interviewed Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa during the game
La Russa on his decision to have his eighth place hitter, Nick Punto, sacrifice bunt with pitcher Jaime Garcia on deck: “Well you have two shots. Actually, Jaime has a real nice stroke and if he makes an out, you’ve still got (Rafael) Furcal, who’s been tough on Greinke. So you’ve got two chances to put the ball in play. It turned out alright; we had a contact hitter and got a nice break.”La Russa on how he would rate his catcher, Yadier Molina: “How about twenty on a scale of ten in every category. I’d pay to sit here and watch him for 162 games. He does everything as good as it can be done on the defensive-side and he’s one of the toughest outs in our lineup.”
Smoltz on how pitchers can start to over-think things on the mound: “Every pitcher has a moment when they start reminding themselves of what could go wrong or what did go wrong. You have to eliminate it from your mind. You have to make pitches.”
Darling on La Russa removing Jaime Garcia with two outs in the fifth inning after allowing him to bat in the fourth: “Might be the first time we’ve seen a manager have more confidence in his pitcher as a hitter, not a pitcher.”
Smoltz on the Cardinals: “St. Louis has defied every law of baseball to get here.”
Smoltz on Brewers starting pitcher Zack Greinke: “(Acquiring Greinke) was a great move for Milwaukee to bolster their staff and give them a chance to be a front-runner in their division. He’s going to win a lot of games for Milwaukee if he can stay healthy.”
Darling on the Brewers feeling the pressure of the Postseason and making defensive mistakes: “Sometimes it’s shocking in the Postseason to see teams that have played well all year long start to make errors. To me, it comes from a little bit of frustration…and feeling a little bit of the pressure of a Game 5.”
Darling on the Cardinals’ bullpen: “If the Cardinals win this series, can the whole bullpen win the MVP award? Just give it to all of them.”
Anderson on Cardinals rookie reliever Lance Lynn batting in the 7th inning: “Do rookie relievers have their own bats?”
Smoltz: “No…we place those orders in spring training and they come by covered wagon.”TBS reporter Craig Sager interviewed Cardinals’ catcher Yadier Molina following the game
Molina on the Cardinals’ bullpen: “We’ve been aggressive in the strike zone. Getting strike one has been the key for us. We’re having a good series right now and hopefully we can do it for one more game.”***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Inside MLB
Matt Winer (host) and Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells (analysts)Ripken on Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa’s use of his bullpen: “It seems like Tony (La Russa) has taken specialization to another level in the playoffs. He’s not really worried about getting the starter deep into the game, it’s about getting the hot pitcher and the right pitcher into that match-up and it’s working.”
Wells on La Russa’s quick hook with his starting pitchers: “I’m mad as a starting pitcher…the way things are going, if I’m a pitcher out there, it’s about pride too because his job is to go out there and go deep into the game. In a situation like that, I’ve got three runs (lead and get taken out)…I’m a little chapped and I might have to have a conversation with (the manager).”
Eckersley: “You’re going to have to put your pride in your pocket. Are you kidding me?
Wells: “Well you were a reliever; you want to be out there.”
Eckersley: “Come on…this is about winning. This isn’t about you going five innings and getting the ‘W’ (win).”Eckersley on the Tigers vs. Rangers in the ALCS: “The pressure is on Detroit. I almost wrote them off when it was four games to one. It would be a great comeback but I don’t see it happening. Too much power in Texas.”
And we’ll end it there.
