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Oct. 5 Ron Washington postgame interview

Q. How do you explain what's happened to your offense here at the end of the season?

RON WASHINGTON:  We just didn't get it done. It came down to being able to execute against good pitching, and it wasn't the base hits or anything like that, it was just the fundamentals that we just ‑‑ we tried and we just couldn't get it done.

Q. What is your thought process when you pulled Yu and went with Derek Holland?

RON WASHINGTON:  I wanted to match upright there, a lefty against a lefty. That was the fourth time they were coming around, and I just thought in that situation try to keep the game at 2 to 1. I thought Derek could come in and make some pitches on McLouth. It just didn't work out. Once again, you make moves, and if the players get it done, great move; players don't get it done, you're left open. So I'm left open.

Q. Was there strong consideration going with Koji or Robbie Ross instead of Holland?

RON WASHINGTON:  No, I went with who I wanted to go with, Derek Holland.

Q. Are you kind of stunned by what's transpired? This all happened in like five days' time.

RON WASHINGTON: I'm not stunned, I was right there watching it. I mean, as I said, a little execution here and a little execution there in some certain situations, it's a different situation. But it isn't, so I've got to live with it.

Q. What did you think of Darvish tonight?

RON WASHINGTON:  I thought Darvish did a great job for us. He actually kept us in the ballgame. They only put one run on the board. Even if they don't get any more, the sacrifice fly they got and the first‑and‑third situation, that won the ballgame. We didn't score another run. He did his job. Everyone else I brought in, I expected them to do the job. It didn't work, so we have to live with it.

Q. What happened in the middle of the fifth inning with Darvish?

RON WASHINGTON:  He said he had a little tightness in his shoulder, he threw a slider and he felt a pinch, so he tried to throw through it, and he was able to do just that. Everything worked out because he went out and got us another inning.

Q. How do you account for Josh Hamilton's performance, two strikeouts, double play ball?

RON WASHINGTON: I don't think that's anything you haven't seen before. I wasn't ever asked before to account for it. Sometimes when he swings like that he catches it, and sometimes when he swings like that he doesn't. Tonight he didn't.

Q.  What did you think of the fans booing Hamilton after the last few at‑bats?

RON WASHINGTON:  I think Hamilton has done a great job for this organization. I can't feel for the fans. That's something they have to deal with. Baseball is strange. When you're doing well, they love you; when you're not doing well, they show their disappreciation of you. So I guess tonight that's what they were doing.

Q.  You had to face a lot of adversity this year and you talked about this being an extremely tough season for you guys to get through. Was there any point at which you said or thought to yourself something like this might happen?

RON WASHINGTON:  You know, to be honest with you I never thought anything like this

would happen. I was very positive. After we played Anaheim and went into Oakland I was very positive. A few situations, a ball bounce our way here or there, it may have changed. I'm not a negative person, I don't get pessimistic, I always stay optimistic, and when things like this happen, I am shocked. And right now I'm shocked. And that's the way winners feel, and I'm a winner. I mean, we're not going any further, but we're winners and I'm a winner.

Q. What did you say to your team after the game tonight?

RON WASHINGTON:  Well, I told them I appreciate the effort they gave me throughout the year. We all have a piece in what happened, and I appreciate the fact that they never pointed the finger at anyone for anything, and I'll get in their foxhole any day of the week. And what we have to do is think about what happened over the winter and how we can get better coming into next year. That's what I told them.