Q. Matt, are you going to teach your teammates how to sing "O, Canada"?
MATT BRASH: I think someone sang it on the bus on the way over here, so I think they know it by now.
Q. Coming back here in this building in a playoff atmosphere, does it bring back any memories of that series a couple years ago, and what does it mean to you to be pitching here in Canada?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, definitely it brings back memories. I remember that game really well. I think I threw, like, the fourth inning in that game and then got to watch it, and it's probably the best comeback I've ever seen.
Obviously, we have some good memories here. But yeah, it's always fun to play here coming back. I used to play tournaments here -- Tournament 12 when I was younger and watched Jays' games, so it brings back a lot of emotions and a lot of memories. And it's nice to have my family here and all that, so I'm just super excited to get this series underway and see what we can do.
Q. Matt, what's the last 36 hours been like coming off the emotions of Friday night and then everything you guys dealt with yesterday and trying to get here?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, I mean, it's been busy. A lot of travel, obviously, going across the country. But that's what you live for. We do it in season. It's not too much different. A little shorter turnaround. It doesn't really matter how your body is feeling or anything like that. You're ready for these games. I know everybody there might be a little tired or whatever, but we're going to be ready to rock, and everyone is just super excited.
Q. You mentioned family being here. How deep does the Brash crew run this week? What does that crew look like?
MATT BRASH: I live in Kingston, so we're still two and a half hours away from here. So I got my parents, my sister, and then some of my good childhood friends, and I have some friends from college coming. I'm sure some other family will be sprinkled in there. Definitely a good support staff. And like I said, I always love coming back here and playing. It gives some family that don't get to see a lot of games come out and watch, so it's pretty special.
Q. You were obviously out of the bullpen before it went to the 15th inning. What was it like out there, and when you did come in and pitch, what was the vibe in the dugout afterwards as well?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, that game was all hands on deck. I feel like we kind of knew that going into it, and then -- obviously, we didn't know it was going to go 15 innings, but seeing all those guys coming out of the pen and everyone do their job and just attack those hitters, it was pretty amazing to see, and it was really cool seeing Logan and Luis coming out of there, for sure.
I don't think I'll ever forget Logan running out with the fire behind him, and I feel like they put the camera a little lower to make him look a little taller and everything. Just super cool moment for everybody and to come out on top of that game is huge for this team, and just keep that momentum going.
Q. Can you take us through what the travel was like after you finished celebrating Friday night until you got here last night?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, so we celebrated after the game. I feel like it wasn't the biggest celebration in the world just because that game took so long and it was so late. Then the next day it was a normal travel day. I feel like our plane got delayed or whatever it was a little bit, so we were hanging out at the field a little longer than we were going to.
But we've been getting in late from flights all season. It's nothing really new, and it wasn't too bad. Like I said, it was a little weird travel day yesterday, but we're all going to be ready to rock today for sure.
Q. You were, I think, 17 when the Blue Jays in 2015 came back into the national consciousness here with that playoff run. Were you a Jays fan then, and what do you remember about that 2015 playoff?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, I mean, I've always been a Jays fan growing up. Like I said, in Kingston not too far from here. I remember all of those players, José Bautista and Incarnación and Donaldson and all those guys. It was kind of my first memories of playoff baseball and being really into it.
So even that's cool being back here and remembering those games and getting to come out here and compete like those guys did. It's pretty cool.
Q. When the guys got down to the bullpen did you have to remind them how to get ready as a reliever for Luis and Logan?
MATT BRASH: Luis was pretty chill like he always is. He didn't need too much direction. I feel like -- I think I talked to Logan after he came out and he was done, and I was like, I was so nervous that whole time, I don't know how you guys do it down there. I didn't know when I was going in and all that. I feel like it's just a different mindset being down there, but I'm sure it was fun for those guys.
Like I said, they handled it really, really well, and they came out and threw strikes right away and had some really good stuff. Kudos to those guys. It's not that easy to do when they've never done it before. It was definitely pretty fun having them down there.
Q. Cal had his first passed ball in that game the entire season. Given how hard you throw and guys throw, Logan's splitter, how ridiculous is that? And also, it was fitting that Logan got the passed ball on him, right?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, I feel like a recurring joke on this team is how much Logan wears out Cal. I feel like he's good for a couple spikes in the ground with the splitter, the slider, whatever it is. But yeah, Cal has been amazing all year.
I also wear him out, especially with two strikes. I'm going to go for my strikeout; I'm going to bounce one or whatever it is.
He's been amazing for us, and I don't ever have a thought of this could be a passed ball or this could get to the back, so when the runner is on, I'm going to rip my best stuff and I know Cal is going to be behind there and do his thing. It's great for us having him back there, but what he does is really, really incredible.
Q. You're obviously familiar with this ballpark and you play in Seattle. What is it like sort of when those particular ballparks get going because they have the roof and they kind of have fans all around, even Seattle, the upper decks in center and left? What is that surround-sound fan effect like for the players?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, I feel like domes always keep the volume in a little bit. Yeah, this place gets rocking. I remember a couple years ago in the playoffs it was bumping in here, and they're passionate fans, they're loud, and they're into the game.
I feel like we feed off that, too, and it just makes for a great playoff atmosphere, and like I said, I feel like everyone on this team can't wait to get out there and do our thing.
I think home field definitely showed in our game two days ago with the crowd being into it the whole game, and it gets you pumped up. I feel like these are two of the louder stadiums out there, so I just think it's going to be a great series.
Q. You guys threw about a billion sliders in that series against Detroit. Yours is obviously very good. What is it about your slider that makes it so effective and maybe who has -- outside of you, who has the best slider on the staff?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, we threw a lot of sliders that series. I don't think I threw a fast ball in those innings. I threw mostly a slider changeup. I thought it was our game plan going into. I felt like I've got full conviction in that pitch. I've obviously had good results with it in the past, so we obviously lean on it in big moments.
Yeah, I don't know, I think with my velo coming back a little bit, my feel getting there, I've just been locating well and I'm throwing it harder. I feel like it's almost a little shorter right now than it normally is, but sometimes those shorter harder ones get more swings because they stay in the zone longer. Whatever shape I have that day I feel like plays well and I'm going to throw it a lot.
Then outside of that, I feel like obviously got to throw Muny in there with what he's done with his slider all year. It's pretty incredible. I don't know if I've seen him give up a hit on a slider all year if I'm really thinking about it.
I feel like a lot of the guys have really good ones, but I'd say Muny is up there for sure.
Q. Your fellow countryman and former Mariner Michael Saunders said many years ago when he used to play here the fans would boo him and they thought he was a traitor. Have you ever been booed inside Rogers Centre?
MATT BRASH: I definitely haven't. Maybe being a hitter is a little different than me coming in from the bullpen. But I think that just shows the competitive nature of the Blue Jays' fans and they've got the whole country behind them.
Definitely very passionate there. If I get booed, it is what it is. I'm still going to go out there and do my thing. No, I've never been booed.
Q. The newish bullpen does shield you here a little bit now, right?
MATT BRASH: It does, but when you're warming up they're still right on top of you. There's an under area you can go and chill out and you're kind of away from everything, but if you sit up top, they're right on top of you.
I kind of like that. It kind of keeps you involved in the game, especially if I'm throwing later innings. Sometimes it's hard to stay dialed the whole time and you kind of lose focus. But when the fans are there, you kind of stay in that baseball mentality and you're having fun and doing all that.
We'll see where I sit today. If it gets a little out of control, I'll probably go underneath. But it's always fun playing here. I feel like everybody is super into the game, and that makes it good.
Q. Speaking of fellow countryman, Josh Naylor comes in a couple of months ago. How much has he done for this team and what's he added?
MATT BRASH: I mean, you guys see him play. I feel like he just adds a gritty intensity, grinds at-bats, amazing first baseman. He wants to win. He was pretty intense there in that last game trying to get the offense fired up and trying to finish that game off. I feel like we've kind of been missing that, maybe, in recent years, that kind of super grindy just do what it takes to win, and I feel like everyone loves having him here.
And like I said, that guy is a competitor, and you want him on your side. You don't want to be playing against him, so we're just happy to have him.
Q. Knowing that you're from Kingston, John Schneider was just in here saying that he hopes fans from BC are more Jays fans that Mariners fans. I don't know if you can speak to BC, but you've seen a lot of them come down. What are your thoughts on the support that the Mariners seem to get from western Canada?
MATT BRASH: Yeah, I mean, I feel like everywhere we go, I run into Mariners fans. And my parents, they go to a lot of games, especially on the West Coast, too, and stuff like that, and they've run into Mariners fans everywhere.
I feel like, yeah, when we play at home, there's always Jays fans, when we play the Jays back in Seattle, so it's going to be a fun little series with the two fan bases.
But like I said, Jays have always had, I feel like, the country behind them, so it's always a fun atmosphere to play when these two teams play.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports