Oct. 15 Tyler Clippard pregame interview

Q. You're a veteran guy, been around and played for different managers. Can you speak to some of Terry's strengths as manager?

TYLER CLIPPARD: Well, since I've gotten here it's been nice playing for him. He's very -- he communicates well with his players, and I like that. I think anybody in the clubhouse that's played for a lot of managers, that's one thing that's very important for players is to be able to have a rapport with their manager, not afraid to knock on the skip's door and go in there and speak to him about anything on and off the field. And Terry brings that to the table. So I think across the board as players, we appreciate that.

Q. Obviously you guys are facing a pretty big game here. What's the temperature in the room right now? What are guys kind of acting like, I guess?

TYLER CLIPPARD: Yeah, we're excited, man. I mean, anxious to get out there. We're very relaxed, but excited. This is why we play the game. Obviously it would have been nice to win three in a row and be done with it. But at the end of the day, series finales, Game 5s, Game 7s, these kind of games is what you dream about as kids growing up. It's what you think about during the season, and to get to this point to have these types of opportunities in these games, it's what it's all about. As players we get really excited for these type of opportunities to kind of see what it's all about, one game and hopefully get it done.

Q. For most of your teammates, this is your first postseason as a veteran postseasoner. What would you say in terms of the values it will have going forward in their careers, how much this will help them?

TYLER CLIPPARD: Yeah, I was talking to Murph this morning on the elevator, and I was like, postseason's pretty fun, isn't it? Yeah, and he said he really has enjoyed it. There's a level of excitement that you can't duplicate during the regular season. So for all these guys that this experience is new for them, and we do have a young team with a good core of veteran guys mixed in.

But for all these guys that this is their first go-around in the postseason, every time you play in the postseason, it's very beneficial to your career. It gives you perspective on the little things that need to be done to win baseball games because in the postseason it's so magnified and you have to do everything right to win these games, because all these teams are good. So, yeah, it's very valuable to get these experiences under your belt, and moving forward it's just going to help everybody for sure.

Q. You've had a couple experiences with Washington. From a reliever standpoint, when you get into these games, these elimination-type games, do you just figure that roles can be different or you might see different guys out there than you're used to seeing, or do you sort of want it to be the way it's been all year?

TYLER CLIPPARD: I think in a perfect world, as the game progresses and everything lines up, yeah, you would like to see it kind of fall into place like it normally would during the regular season. In my experiences in the postseason, that's not always the case, and we're prepared for that as relievers.

We understand that there's one goal in mind, and that's what makes these games so much fun for players is all the personal stuff and all that kind of stuff is just out the window. It's one goal, win a game. And as players, we appreciate that. So for relievers, we're ready for that. I know myself it's one of those things that you've just got to be prepared for any situation at any time. But it's fun, man. It's so much -- it's the purest form of baseball in that sense. So we could see ourselves in any type of situation, and we have to prepare for that. It's exciting.

Q. One of the young guys making his first go-around is Lucas Duda. When you have a guy like that first postseason and he's so visibly pressing, what, as a postseason veteran, can you say to a guy like that or do to help him?

TYLER CLIPPARD: I mean, it's one of those things that I don't necessarily view Lucas as a young guy at all. I've played against him for a lot of years now, and he has a good idea of what he has to do out there every single day. We're looking at a four-game stretch here for Lucas, and I know he's put together some good at-bats. It's one of those things that he's not worried about it. We're not worried about it. He's just fine. He's a pro, and he approaches the game as such. And hopefully he'll do some good things tonight for us.

Q. With the possibility of a starter like Noah or Matt coming in in relief in this game, and you as a veteran bullpen guy, have you spoken to any of them about that? Or if not, what should they approach in kind of a different role than they're used to?

TYLER CLIPPARD: Yeah, I don't think they should approach it any differently, and that's what I would say to them. I haven't had a chance to speak to them about it. I'm excited to, hopefully Jacob goes nine and it's a moot point. But, yeah, if those guys do find themselves in the game, it's one of those things when you're out there and you're pitching, that's exactly what you have to do. You have to pitch and you have to do what you've always done, and that's what I've always done. I have a starter pedigree. I came up as a starter, and ever since I went to the bullpen, I made sure to continue to pitch like that. Pitch how I know to pitch. Just because I'm throwing one inning, shouldn't change the way I go about it, and that's what I would tell them.

But when I think about Noah and Matt coming out of the bullpen, those guys have such great stuff, and the game is elevated and their adrenaline is elevated to see what potentially how their stuff could improve. A one-inning scenario could be potentially very exciting to watch. So from a fan's perspective, which is sometimes what we find ourselves being down there in the bullpen, that would be fun to see.

Q. It's been a terrific postseason so far it seems like. Do you give yourself a chance to watch any of the other series, any of the other games? And if you have, what's struck you or stood out to you?

TYLER CLIPPARD: Yes, I've definitely watched, for sure. I think I touched on it before, in the postseason, all these games it just seems like it comes down to just a very -- you know, the little things. You saw it yesterday in Texas, made a couple errors and it cost them, and that's what postseason is all about. You have to do the little things to win these games. These teams are so good across the board that if you give them a couple extra outs, give them a gift run here or there, it could cost you. That's exciting. I mean, that's what baseball is all about. So that's what I've seen this year in the postseason is the little things are huge.