Q. I noticed you and the other starters have been wearing eye black, even when you're not playing. It's not strictly necessary. So can you tell us a little bit about why the eye black.
SEAN MANAEA: Just another good luck charm, I guess. I don't know. It just started last week in Atlanta. The last week has been crazy so we've just been sticking with it.
Q. Who started it?
SEAN MANAEA: Jesse Winker.
Q. You're changing it up now, you did the number yesterday.
SEAN MANAEA: That was Jesse, as well. Yeah, it was just like a fun little thing.
Q. Since the second half of the season you guys have put together an unbelievable of string of quality starts. What was it that changed from the early part of the season where guys weren't going length?
SEAN MANAEA: All just kind of feeding off each other. I think we all have the same goal in mind: Make it to the postseason. And just on a selfish level, too, just want to be great. I think that just feeds off each other. Sevey does well, I want to do well, Petey wants to do well, and it's just kind of like that team mentality where you just want to go there and do it for the boys.
I think at the end of the day, we're just feeding off each other and just having a fun time doing it.
Q. As a pitcher, when you see Kodai do what he did, no Minor League games and comes right up in the thick of a playoff. As a pitcher, what do you think about that?
SEAN MANAEA: It's incredible. It's definitely not an easy thing to do. What he was able to do his last two starts were truly incredible. He's just got the confidence to go out there and throw his stuff for strikes. He's got really good stuff. It was really fun to watch.
Q. You've been on the road quite a while now. What kind of atmosphere are you expecting here tomorrow?
SEAN MANAEA: I expect it to be crazy. I was here in '22 and it was definitely wild, for sure. This place can definitely be rocking. The last couple of games we had here were pretty amazing.
Q. You guys have gotten pretty heavy contributions from your left-handers all year. What sort of pride do you, Quintana, Peterson take in what you've been able to do?
SEAN MANAEA: Just that team mentality. The starting staff just wants to be really good. We were saying from the beginning of the year, and I think we all believed in each other, there's no reason why we couldn't go out there and be great.
Having veteran guys like Q out there leading the charge, and just what he's been able to do this all year has been truly special. I try to follow in those steps. It's been a fun ride.
Q. Also, your voice is a little scratchy, are you feeling okay? How are you guys holding up from two weeks on the road?
SEAN MANAEA: The last week has been unbelievable. Obviously my voice is gone. I think it was because of Pete. So thank you, Pete.
Yeah, I think it's, you know, everybody here has been doing their part through the ups and downs. Yeah, it's just been an amazing special time to go through this stretch at the end of the season and start of the postseason.
Q. In the last weekend of the regular season here a bunch of guys had a feeling we're going to be back here. It seemed like such a distant thing. Is there a sense of accomplishment that you actually made it back here? Because it did seem like a bit of a long shot back then when you guys were talking about it.
SEAN MANAEA: Yeah, to get to this point has been -- we've had to go through a lot of things just to get here. At the same time, it's the belief in each other, this team, this organization. I don't think anybody in that clubhouse doubted that for a second. That's a special thing about this group, we just keep believing, and we're here. All we have to do is get our foot in the door and let's see what happens. We're at that point.
It's been a crazy ride and this group had something to do with it.
Q. You guys have played with a road warrior mentality. When you come back here, do you feel rejuvenated? Do you feel stronger just because you got to go into home and back to your home stadium again? Is there something tangible to that?
SEAN MANAEA: Yeah, for sure. I think everybody could probably feel it last night when they got to sleep in their own beds. Just be home for the first time in a while. We've all been talking about what this place is going to be like. There's definitely a sense of rejuvenation. The road can be crazy but I'm looking forward to feeding off that energy.
Q. On the individual level this year, how does your outcome, your body of work compare to what you imagined as a best-case scenario?
SEAN MANAEA: I mean, the ultimate goal for me is 200 innings and making all my starts and 200 strikeouts, all these cool goals. But at the end of the day, it's just the North Star, something I'm striving towards. Even though I didn't accomplish some of those things, it's definitely my proudest season I've ever had, just from a health standpoint, everything I was able to accomplish. It's been a very fun season for me personally.
Yeah, I'm very, very proud of what I was able to do.
Q. What have you thought of Peterson has bounced out there and come up big?
SEAN MANAEA: You know, what Petey's done this whole year, coming back from hip surgery, and then immediately making an impact has been unbelievable. As somebody who's gone through the same surgery and how long it took me to figure things out with my body, I know it's not an easy task.
He's pretty much done everything the team has asked him to do; start, relief roles these last couple games. He's stood up and taken the challenge. He's definitely a very, very special person to do something like. It's not easy. And hats off to him because he's done an incredible job doing it.
Q. A lot of veteran hitters in their lineup, what's the biggest challenge about facing guys and a team that's seen a lot of you?
SEAN MANAEA: Yeah, they know what I've got. They've got all the scouting reports. They've got all the information. So do we. I've gotten multiple times by them. Just the way it goes. And playoff is a different beast. And at the end of the day, it just goes down to competing and just throwing your best stuff out there and trusting the guys behind you.
Obviously it's a very talented group over there. So it's not going to be an easy thing. But at the end of the day, I believe in my stuff and know I can go out there and help this team win, and that's all I'm trying to do.
Q. Following up on that, a couple of years ago you had a rough playoff game against those guys. To what degree are you a different pitcher now and is that any added motivation for you?
SEAN MANAEA: I wouldn't say motivation. It's a thing of the past. It obviously wasn't a very good outing for myself. Yeah, the thing about it, and, you know, I'm not the same pitcher I was then; they're not the same they were then, as well.
Like I said, at the end of the day, you just have to go out there and compete. That's all they're trying to do, too. Just throw your best stuff and see what happens out there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports