Q. Beau, when you think back to Spring Training and the kind of season you had envisioned for yourself and the roles you were expecting to fill, when you reflect back on all the different roles you filled this season, what do you think about?
BEAU BRIESKE: Basically that I have always just tried to be a pitcher and not really think about what role I think I should be in or what suits me best. I just feel like if I go out there and make the pitches, it'll allow for me to be flexible.
That's kind of what you aim for. I don't want to be thought of as a single type of pitcher. I just want to be a pitcher and allow the manager to use me however he sees fit, and I feel like that's kind of the way that I wanted to approach things, and so that's the way I went into camp.
Q. Beau, kind of building on that, just what's your mentality out there knowing that you could be called on early in the game, late in the game? Just what's the mental preparation to get yourself ready knowing that you could come in at any given time?
BEAU BRIESKE: Really just not trying to do too much out there and just staying calm, staying ready, because I don't want to be on edge from pitch one. I want to be able to kind of sit back and watch the game, relax, enjoy the game until I see something happening in the game where I feel like there might be some movement.
And then we kind of have a -- depending on which day it is, like when Skubal is starting, for instance, I kind of know that the early innings of the game I'm not going to be needing to get ready, needing to come in. So that'll be more of the prepare for the later innings.
Game like yesterday, I knew that Hurter was going to be coming into the game after Montero, and then from there, we'll see, be ready. And so just kind of taking the game as it comes and locking in when I feel like I need to, just trying to -- we've been doing it for a while, so I kind of -- we're starting to learn A.J. and the way that he likes to deploy the guys out there in the pen.
Q. Beau, we know how hard you've worked on your slider a lot. Can you just talk about the evolution of that pitch and how proud or happy you are with it right now? A.J. refers to it as a turbo slider now, and you've got some big outs with it. Just the evolution of that pitch and where it's at now?
BEAU BRIESKE: I think the big thing for me is that when I'm throwing, the catchers have the confidence to call it in big spots. So I think that gives you confidence as a pitcher that it's a good pitch, because obviously they're not going to be -- they're not going to call something that they don't think can get outs.
So I always look at it as, okay, there's gotta be a reason that he's seeing something, and it's my job to execute it. I also feel like when I do execute that pitch, it is the last piece to the arsenal, kind of fills in everything and it helps everything complement and put my arsenal together.
So, yeah, when that pitch is going and when the catchers are calling it and we're setting it up properly, I think it helps me get through lineups a little bit easier.
Q. Beau, when you think back to when you were drafted, over the last five years, a lot of us are getting to know a lot of you Tigers pitchers over these last few months. Was there a point coming up through the Minor Leagues when you looked around and realized the arm talent that was surrounding you? And now that you're doing it together on the biggest stage, what that's been like?
BEAU BRIESKE: Yeah. I don't think you really know until you get to the Big Leagues because there's always that feeling of it's the unknown, and you see guys in the Minor Leagues that are good and you're like, wow, that's a good pitcher, but no one knows how their stuff is going to work when we get here.
I think what I really remember was coming into camp this year after a few years of already being at this level, coming into camp this year, everyone was looking around saying, wow, I mean, it's the largest group of quality pitchers we've ever seen, and everyone had agreed on that.
And it was pretty exciting because there was guys that were starting in Double-A that were good pitchers this year, and that's just kind of a testament to the depth that we have. And now some of those guys are here. So that was the way that we looked at it, and definitely seems to be true.
Q. Beau, I think back to Spring Training when I think we talked about what you were working on with the slider and how much research you put into how you wanted that pitch to be. How much is the pitch you throw now an outgrowth of that and how much did you go further with it?
BEAU BRIESKE: That is -- it's kind of funny because as the season evolves and as your mechanics kind of evolve as the season goes on, you're pitching a little bit more tired and you're kind of adapting to the stresses of the year.
I feel like pitch shapes change a little bit for guys, and that's why you can see how there has to be so many adjustments that are necessary throughout a year to be able to have continued success.
So there was adjustments for me on multiple pitches that I throw this year just because I didn't like the way that they were feeling or the way that they were performing. And that was definitely one of them, and kind of just making tweaks so that it feels good really is the main key and the main factor.
I don't really worry about trying to do like a pitch design-type change in the middle of the season. It's more of just what feels good for me and what do I feel like I can execute on a consistent basis.
Q. Beau, this is the third time in like two weeks that you guys are one whirlwind away from doing something special. I'm just curious today does it feel the same as any of the other before, and how do you guys manage to just keep it business as usual when you guys continue to climb higher and higher and higher?
BEAU BRIESKE: I think it feels the same, yeah. I don't think that there has been any difference in the way that guys have came in and approached this day. I think everyone knows, but I think the reason that we've been able to get to this point in general is just because guys are out there having fun and playing free.
And, I don't know, I think of -- really, because it was also my view, but I think back to the play that Vierling made, and I just -- that kind of just is a -- it just is an encompassing play for the way that we have gone about this whole run, is just if you need to make a play, someone does it, and if you need to make a pitch, someone makes it.
And that is really just -- it just sums up the way that we've gone about this, and guys are stepping up, and I feel like guys are going to continue to step up.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports