Oct. 25 Bruce Bochy postgame interview
Q. What did you see in Sandoval's at bat from the right side tonight?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, they get better as the game went. Really, he's been swinging the bat better from the right side. I just thought as the game went, he saw lefties all night, he really came through and delivered for us in a big way. It was good to see him swing the bat the way he is from that side. He doesn't get a lot of at bats right handed. Even late in September. I really thought he started to get a good feel from that side, and had good balance, and came through for us.
Q. You resisted a temptation to start Bumgarner on short rest. Now you have him going on regular rest all tied up. How good of a feeling is that to know you have him going tomorrow?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, again, we were not going to change course on how we were going to do things. We wanted to keep him on his normal routine and his rest.
So it's good to have him on normal rest. I mean, we're going to be facing a good pitcher. It's going to be a good battle tomorrow. But we'll say the fact that he's had his normal rest, I feel a lot better, to be honest.
Q. You're usually so stoic in the dugout. You threw your cap on Vogelsong's failed attempt to get to first base. What was going on?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, it's frustration because he was making good pitches. I didn't throw it, but I did hit the dugout with it. Occasionally I do show emotion in that dugout. I just felt for him. I mean, this guy was making great pitches, and we couldn't get that last out. I think if he gets out of that inning, he throws a nice game for us. He had buzzard luck, and there's not much you can do about it. So there's more frustration of the fact that he's making pitches, we couldn't get an out for him.
But the bullpen came through for us. Machi, he made things a little scary there with the full count, but made a big pitch. Of course, Petit, everybody. You hear the term "team win". It's used quite a bit, but if you look at that game, everybody did something to contribute, from the bullpen to the guys out there, pinch hitters, Duffy, big hit, he scores. Arias, all these little things added up for us mounting that comeback, a great comeback.
Q. Your rookie second baseman once again kind of jump started this team. Got the double to get that go ahead rally going, then he gets the two run double that sort of puts the lock on the game. Could you talk about his development. Because he reminds some of us who have covered this team for a long time of Robby Thompson with that maturity and level of experience, that you don't expect to see from a young player.
BRUCE BOCHY: Right. Really that happened pretty quick when he came up here. Once he got two or three games under his belt, you could see Panik relax. He's got that calmness about him that you love. He's a great defender, but gives you a good at bat, lefty or righty. It's a simple swing, but he doesn't try to do too much up there. He can do little things. You can bunt him. But he's, I think, a tough guy to pitch to because of the short swing.
He, like the rest of them, he really came through tonight for us. But he's done that since he's been up here. We had such a need there, and we tried some other guys, and he was having a nice year down in Fresno. I think those at bats helped him. His success down there certainly benefited him when he came up.
Q. Sounds like Pablo was a bit under the weather tonight. Can you kind of address how he was feeling, and if there was any discussion at all about if he was sick and not being able to necessarily play in the ballgame?
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, last night he actually was feeling worse. I talked to him today, and he said he felt a lot better. He felt great. He's probably at the tail end of it. I was a little concerned about him maybe being a little washed out today. He goes out there and has a great game for us. It's nice to have a switch hitter that swings it well from both sides, and he seems to rise to the occasion when you need him.
Q. Perez seems to be getting more comfortable. Do you have an instinct about who you're going to play in the in left field tomorrow?
BRUCE BOCHY: Right now I'm leaning toward Ishikawa. He's done a great job out there, too. But you're right, Perez, I think he's really starting to feel a lot more comfortable. His confidence has grown quite a bit. So I'll think on this, on the lineup tomorrow, but both of them have done a nice job. I think they complement each other well. I use them both. I'll double switch with both of them or pinch hit.
Q. I think you addressed the Bumgarner questions before this game, but people were also asking about the left field situation and bullpen management and general second guessing. What do you say to, I guess, pundits or critics before this game you stuck with your instincts on the lineup and the pitching and all the rest.
BRUCE BOCHY: It's part of the game. It's what you deal with as managers in the postseason. I look at it as it is great that you have so many people who are into the game. We all have our opinions, and I don't mind it. It goes with the territory. But you can't change how you feel, your gut and your instinct. You have to go with it.
This is how we all, the staff, myself I mean, we really get together every day and discuss our options and what we can do. I'm not going to change. I mean, you're always going to have those questions. Well, you could have done this or done that or it may not work out. But, again, it's part of the game now, more so now than ever. You understand that but, hey, it's great people care and are watching the game.
Q. Obviously, the result worked out great with what happened tonight, but in terms of starting Vogelsong over Petit, was the thought process, if Vogelsong gets into trouble, Petit can bail him out ...
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, I think you have to look at what Vogey has done in the postseason. His experience starting, it's a pretty good track record. I haven't forgotten that. He had the one hiccup last game, and had a couple bad breaks in that game, too. But it's a pretty nice weapon to have in the bullpen. A long guy like Petit, who seems to calm things down the way he goes about his business and of course the way he pitches. He gave us exactly what we needed. He held them there. He gave us a chance to come back and a well deserved win for him.
So I never thought about flip flopping the two because of the experience that Petit has doing what he does, and Vogelsong doing what he does.
Q. How about the last two in Kansas City, so it's tomorrow, a must game. And if it is, how much could you see yourself using Bumgarner in Game 7, if it went that far, in relief? Could he give you three innings in that kind of game on two days' rest?
BRUCE BOCHY: We'll see how this goes. I mean, he's a guy that's going to come up and say he's available. That's Madison. He's a big, strong kid. Even earlier he's told me after a day or two off, "Hey, I can help you in the bullpen, if you need it." And I think he could.
We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But I think without question he is a guy that could help us, if it got to that situation.
Q. A lot has been packed in a four games so far. Lot packed into tonight's game alone. Where are you? Is it draining? Is it exhilarating? And Ned said he thinks he he's secretly hoping for seven games because it's so exciting.
BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, it is exciting. Great game tonight. It's obvious we think it's a great game. These guys fought hard. I mean, they scratched and clawed to get back in it. You know, you get down against this club and that bullpen, you have your work cut out. But these guys didn't stop fighting.
But, no, you have to enjoy it. You work hard to get to this point, and you should take it in, and love the fact that you're playing baseball now. These are exciting games. This was a great ballgame, I thought, especially the way we came back. So I enjoyed it.
Do I wish it would go seven? If I had my choice, but the way these two teams go at it, it wouldn't surprise me.
Q. Yusmeiro in the summer set a Major League record for consecutive batters retired. Has what he's done in October trumped that?
BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I think the stage that you're on, I would say that, and the way he pitched in Washington. I mean, that was just remarkable. He wins that game for us. If he doesn't win that game, now we have our work cut out. But the fact that he's comfortable on this stage, he hasn't changed anything, he's pitching the way he did during that streak is pretty amazing, really. We're fortunate to have a guy like this that we can call on when things don't quite go right, because like I said, he does calm things down, but he's a guy with good stuff. He's got good stuff and good command. He's got four pitches. I told him he swings the bat pretty well, too.