Mariners 3, Blue Jays 1
Q. Do you remember what you said during the mound visit in the first inning that Bryce was just talking about?
CAL RALEIGH: No. I mean, obviously Springer hit the home run and Lukes had that really tough at-bat which was a tough one. I thought Bryce made some good pitches and obviously lost the at-bat. Kind of a tough way to start the game.
I just thought he was being a little picky there after that. Just told him trust his stuff, and he was able to get out of it, which was huge, without putting up a crooked number. After that it was for the most part pretty good.
Like I said, he was mixing and looking really well, and you just trust in your stuff there. They're a really good ballclub and they're really good with bat to ball. So just trusting in trying to get ground balls, pop flies, and not going out there trying to strike everybody out.
Q. The home run with Gausman, what were you thinking? Did you have to make an adjustment because he was going split heavy?
CAL RALEIGH: Yeah, the second at-bat he went all splits. He's really tough, he's one of the best pitchers in the game. Obviously he's got two elite pitches with the heater and the splitter. They both play really well off each other.
I just choked up and wasn't trying to do too much. I was just trying to get bat on ball and really put something in play because maybe find a hole and didn't want to punch out again. I was able to put good wood on it. He's a really tough pitcher.
Q. Bryce was so good last year, and it was a tough year this year with injuries and whatnot. What was he doing tonight that maybe wasn't there earlier this season and was in the past?
CAL RALEIGH: Yeah, I think he did a good job of just using all his pitches and locating them really. I think that's the biggest thing. He was able to use his whole arsenal and use different locations, and I think that was the big difference today.
Obviously just being competitive in the zone with all of them. He wasn't predictable. I think that was the best part. He was able to keep them off balance. It was a really tough team, really good hitters over there.
They're good at making adjustments. They're good at game planning. You have to go out there and you have to execute at this time of year.
Q. You come off of a 15-inning game and you fly across the country, flight delay, pitching staff is spent, all that kind of stuff, all those circumstances. You overcome all that as a team. I'm curious what you saw in the mentality, the attitude of the group, what the talking points were in terms of shaking off everything around the game and doing what you did tonight?
CAL RALEIGH: Yeah, obviously enjoyed it Friday night, and Saturday we had the travel day, so everybody was loose. We were just hanging out and enjoying it. We knew we had our hands full today. Just come out and try to keep executing.
Really give Bryce credit, going on short rest and going six innings like that. It was really huge, especially for our bullpen, who threw a lot of pitches the other day.
The guys came in, Gabe, Brash and Muny, and it really goes well. They were sharp and crisp, and give them credit with all that happened over the last couple days.
Q. Cal, how much did you hear the boos for you when you were announced pregame and even in your at-bats when you were going up? How much did that maybe add any motivation, and what's the experience like silencing a sellout crowd after that big homer?
CAL RALEIGH: Yeah, we know the fans here; they're a really good fan base. We've been here before, and they show up really well. It's a hostile environment.
We all knew it was going to be coming today and everybody was going to be getting that kind of treatment, and that's what it's like in playoff baseball. Like I said, you tune that stuff out and you try to go out there and execute and slow the game down just like you do at home, as well.
Q. They don't boo nobodies; it's a sign of respect for what you've done in the regular season here and now in two playoff series. What is it about hitting here at the Rogers Centre you seem to excel?
CAL RALEIGH: I don't know if it's one thing. I think really I try to go out there with the same plan, and sometimes it's more coincidence than anything with it being here.
Like I said, they're a really good staff over there, so they're tough. Their pitchers are really good. Really good ballclub. To me just trying to go out there and execute, and we know that every pitch is important this time of year.
I think everybody has got that little extra fuel coming here and anywhere really in the playoffs. It's just that much more fun.
Q. I'm curious, from your perspective as a catcher sort of working with the pitching staff, what makes this Blue Jays lineup so challenging?
CAL RALEIGH: Obviously you look at the middle of their order, they've got some big thumpers. But everybody also knows the contact they put up. They don't punch in a lot. It makes it really tough. They put a lot of pressure on the defense and a lot of pressure on the pitchers.
It's just knowing that -- understanding you've got to execute pitches to these guys, especially that top of that order because they kind of get that thing rolling and those guys are good at making contact, driving in runs, moving runners. It's really important to try to get that top of the order out and try to stay consistent with that.
Like I said, it comes down to executing pitches, and our guys did a really good job of doing that today.
Q. As a switch-hitter, you see Polo get turned, they turn him to the other side. Does that really affect you in a game when they make you go to the other side? And what has he meant to you guys this year in terms of big hits and everything else?
CAL RALEIGH: Yeah, he's been unbelievable. He's been kind of the heart and soul over this last month. Really happy for him that he's healthy and he's playing every day and it's consistent and that does make a big difference because he went through a lot last year with injuries and even earlier this year.
I'm just happy he's healthy like that, and he's been huge from both sides of the plate.
Hitting two homers off Skubal, big hits today, insurance runs, even the go-ahead one today, those are huge hits, and even in the regular season down the stretch, he was coming huge for us, so he's been a real threat in the middle of the order, protecting me and Julio, and also driving in runs like that has been so huge for us.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports