Q. I think you had your best fastball the other day in Toronto, the best velo of the season. What do you attribute that to at this time of the year?
BRYCE MILLER: I think the last two weeks everything's felt really good, the body, elbow. Yeah, everything's felt really good the last couple weeks, plus you factor in it's playoffs. The last two games have been on the road, so get a little extra adrenaline. But it helps a lot when your body's feeling good. So, yeah, I'm happy with the way the elbow and my body feels right now.
Q. With your start, you had a chance to see just by doing it what was effective against this Blue Jays lineup, and you've also had a couple games now to see what else is effective and what hasn't worked. How can that just kind of different levels of performances kind of help you for your next start here tomorrow?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, it's a little different throwing to the same team in five days. Only time I've done that is in the minor leagues with the new minor league schedule. But yeah, I mean, they were swinging it really well against the Yankees and we slowed 'em down and then yesterday they were swinging it really good.
I don't know, I don't want to say too much on game plan or anything, but just got to study how I threw the other day and what works and what doesn't work and go out and attack.
Q. How did you feel like you were able to get back in your routine after making the last start on short rest and this one obviously on standard?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, I mean, it seems like a normal week for me. We're back to five days. I got a bullpen this week and everything's feeling good and smooth and healthy, so that's the main thing. Yeah, we're back home, so back on normal schedule.
Q. Over the course of your career, you've had great numbers here at T-Mobile Park. Just curious, what is the difference for you being here in terms of the kind of park it is, but also the vibe or just what do you think has all gone into your success at T-Mobile Park specifically?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, I don't know, we've tried to -- as a staff, tried to pinpoint why the last couple years we've thrown a lot better at home. We haven't really figured anything out specifically. I mean, obviously, it's a good pitcher's park and the fans are great and are behind us the whole time. I think it all plays a factor into it. You're sleeping in your bed and you wake up, everything's -- you got your routine, it's all comfortable. So that helps.
But, yeah, anytime you're pitching and they're cheering for you compared to cheering against you, it helps. I mean, it helps pitching in a pitcher-friendly park as well. So it just kind of adds to the confidence and being able to go out there and get ahead and attack whenever you know that it is -- everything's on your side, in your favor.
Q. I know you, obviously, said you didn't want to give too much of the game plan, but, you know, Detroit, that was a more patient lineup, one capable of just extending at-bats. This one much more aggressive. What's kind of the differences or kind of the keys for you while pitching to a lineup like the Tigers compared to this one?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, I think the main thing, just teams in general, whenever you're throwing to a very aggressive lineup compared to one that's not so aggressive, like you have to really make your pitches. You still want to get ahead. That's what we preach and what we try to do no matter what. Like, you want to get ahead when you're 0-0s and your 1-1s, but you got to be a little more careful in the early count pitches. You don't want to just be like -- if it's a guy that I know he's not going to swing for the most part 0-0, then it's a little easier to throw it down the middle.
Whereas if they're looking to do damage on the first pitch, then you got to pitch to the edges early and still get ahead. But yeah, you just got to make it a point to make better pitches in those early counts and get to the edges and not just give up the middle part of the plate early.
Q. Obviously, wouldn't have liked to have the injuries earlier in the season, I imagine, but yourself, Logan, with George, all you guys getting healthy, it kind of seems like at the right time, is there any credence, do you think, to the idea of this pitching staff, as good as it's been all year, it's now peaking at the right time even with Bryan only being available out of the bullpen here?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, for sure. It took all year for us to get all five in the rotation and feeling good. Yeah, I'm glad that Woo's back and feeling good. Hopefully we get him in the game and see what he can do. He basically held it down, him and Luis, for us three the majority of the year, and so, yeah now it's kinds of been our turn to pick him up and hold it down while he's been gone.
But, yeah, I mean, with how well last year went for all five of us, it's good to have all of us feeling good, healthy at the end of the year in the postseason.
Q. With Dan's saying that Bryan's going to throw out of the pen, he was so good all season about going deep into games. As a teammate and a fellow pitcher, in a short stint of one or two innings, what do you think will stand out about him or his stuff pitching in a smaller sample versus over six innings or so?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, I mean, I don't think he's going to try to do anything more knowing that he has a lower pitch count. Over the last few years, he's been really good even when he's been lower 90s and he's been really good at upper 90s and he's able to, just with the uniqueness of his delivery and of his fastball, just, you know, tear through lineups even when he's not feeling good. I mean, you see he threw one inning in the All-Star Game and was 97, 98, and was untouchable. So but, no, he's going to go out there and do what he does and attack and get ahead. I don't know what his pitch count is or how many innings that they will limit him to, but I'm sure that it's going to look like normal Woo.
Q. Curious, your excitement level to pitch on a stage this big at home, and just kind of what you anticipate the atmosphere being like tomorrow?
BRYCE MILLER: Yeah, it's going to be, I mean all postseason it's been electric. I've been watching from the dugout, I haven't got to pitch here yet, so yeah, I'm ready to go, I'm excited, and it will be a lot of fun to see what it feels like on the mound. But, no, the fans have been great and it's been a lot of fun playing here and having them behind us.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports