Blue Jays - 6, Dodgers - 2
Q. This was the sort of the same situation that you pitched in when you threw Game 3 of the ALCS and had that outing against Seattle, and it was a very similar outing as well, give up one early and then sort of shut it down. Did it feel similar to you, stuff-wise? Did you have that same conversation in the dugout, Pick me up guys?
SHANE BIEBER: No, no. A little bit different of a situation for whatever reason. I think we all knew that we were going to have to fight for tonight, and we were able to do that.
Q. Putting aside all the -- everything, the reasons that you knew you were going to have to fight for tonight and how big the game was, did pitching in the World Series live up to what you thought it was going to?
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah. Yeah, it was awesome. Very grateful for the opportunity to start for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series to even up the series. Now we just got to get two more. But, yeah, the circumstances were something, that's for sure, coming off of last night and wanting to go deep into the ball game. I would have -- if I looked at my outing objectively, I would have loved to give the team a couple more innings, but ultimately, it's the World Series and a win's all that matters, so we'll deal with tomorrow tomorrow.
Q. With the first two innings, 38 pitches, 19 strikes, 19 balls, the walk to Ohtani, I don't know if that was unintentionally intentional or not, what happened in the third inning? Because you --
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I thought that 3-2 pitch was pretty close. I haven't looked at it. But was ready to attack him, ready to challenge him, especially as the first batter of the inning.
Q. Schneids said you found your breaking ball a little bit more. It looked like it was coming on after the third. Was that the case?
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I didn't have my slider really at all tonight. Honestly, I thought the best one I threw was the last pitch I threw to Teo. I know he told Vladdy he was looking for it, and, you know, he got it and poked it up the middle and just out of reach of Izzy. It was frustrating to leave the game that way, but to hand the ball off to Flu and then Chris Bassitt and Louis Varland is an easier pill to swallow. So ultimately all that matters is a win tonight.
Q. When you watch what Ohtani did last night, what is your kind of mindset to go and attack him, and what did you feel really worked to get him out?
SHANE BIEBER: Every game's different. I knew that coming into tonight. I don't want to give in to anybody, especially not Shohei or the Dodgers in the World Series. So I think 1 through 9 -- not just him specifically, but they're a fantastic lineup, 1 through 9, and they can all do damage, and so we tried our best to move the ball up, down, left, right, and throw all five pitches for strikes and just off the edge of the zone and thought we were able to establish that after the first or second inning.
I didn't think they -- I did a great job of establishing in the zone early, and they weren't chasing out of the zone. I think that answers why I was -- what was it? 18 balls, 18 strikes, but was able to fall into a rhythm there after the second inning and felt like I was -- despite the 50/50 balls to strikes in the first two innings, I felt like I was relatively in command of the zone, and I think that's what I wanted to do, that's what Kirky wanted to do. We had a great game plan coming in and hat's off to him. He called a great game, you know, 1 through 9 tonight.
Q. What was it like last night? Did Pete ask you to go warm up down there? Did you volunteer?
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I sort of volunteered. Actually credit to Max. Max is always one step ahead. He started last night, right? And then we find ourselves in, like, the 11th or 12th inning, and he was like, Biebs, if this gets squirrely -- you could tell the wheels were turning, and he's like, Can you pitch? And I was like, Yeah. Yeah, I can. And so I went and told Schneids and Pete, and Pete was like, Yeah, we might need you as a last resort, and I think I was probably very close to getting the ball. But ultimately, I choose to believe it's working out the way that it's supposed to work out and was able to make the start tonight.
Q. What was it like, then? You get back to the hotel at what time? Did you have to like --
SHANE BIEBER: I was definitely amped up, right? You have to get yourself ready to pitch in the 19th inning of a World Series game marathon, and potentially, I was thinking about my first big league save, and in the World Series, that would have been very cool. But very happy with how things worked out.
Q. What time did you finally calm down and get to sleep and what time did you wake up?
SHANE BIEBER: I don't know. I got back to the hotel around 1:00 a.m., fell asleep there shortly after. Maybe 1:45, 2:00.
Q. What time did you get up?
SHANE BIEBER: I didn't sleep very well. (Laughing).
Q. Can you talk about your cutter a little bit? That's a pitch we've kind of seen come and go over the last few months, and you relied on it heavily tonight. So can you talk about that pitch?
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, thought I used it really well tonight. I think that came in lieu of not having a great slider tonight and kind of yanking and opening up early, and they weren't chasing, and so I had to rely on something else. I think that's the benefit of being able to command five pitches, for the most part, and you figure out pretty quickly what's working, what's not. Obviously, you continue throughout the game and in warmups in between innings to try and straighten out that slider and land it. And, honestly, I was saying earlier, I thought the best one I threw was the last pitch I threw and, unfortunately, wasn't able to get the out. But it was getting better and better as we went, but ultimately had to rely on the cutter and thankful to be able to do that.
Q. What do the next couple days look like for you, and is there a possibility that, obviously not tomorrow, but maybe in a couple days you could be an option for this team coming out of the bullpen?
SHANE BIEBER: Of course. Yeah. It's the World Series. I think that's not just me, I think that's the identity of this team. Everybody's ready to go and we'll make ourselves available.
Q. I know you guys are focused on tomorrow, but with the win today you guarantee going back to Toronto. 30,000 people were watching in Toronto. What does that feel like to know you guys aren't done at Rogers Centre yet?
SHANE BIEBER: 30,000 at the Rogers Centre?
Q. Yeah.
SHANE BIEBER: Very cool. They deserve it. They deserve to end it on our terms and in Toronto. I'm excited for that opportunity.
Q. When Toronto traded for you they identified you as someone that could ideally be a season-changing acquisition. When you think about how the last three months have gone and now pitching a pivotal Game 4 in the World Series, what have you enjoyed the most about being a Toronto Blue Jay?
SHANE BIEBER: The identity of this team, the guys in that clubhouse. It's hard to describe, other than it's an absolute pleasure each and every day. I think coming off of what could be a back-breaking loss last night, it was an absolute pleasure to show up today and see guys are, nobody changes, nobody ever wavers, nobody ever hesitates. It's the same group of guys each and every day that continue to put the work in, continue to compete, continue to rely on each other, and it's an absolute pleasure to play for them.
Q. In the past, of course, you face Shohei about 10 times, maybe 20 times, and it has been working well, too. But you, compare to your last time you guys, you faced him, and today, how do you see the difference, I mean he has a lot of changes?
SHANE BIEBER: Between last night and tonight?
Q. Yeah, last time and tonight. The way he's attacking.
SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, I think -- the game kind of unfolds, and you see it for what it is, and it dictates itself. I think I found myself in positions to attack him. Obviously with runners on and runners in scoring position it might be a different story. We might have walked him, right. He's an incredible player, great hitter. I think what was most important, and what I wanted to do, was to put myself in situations to be able to attack him and to turn the lineup over, and then get to another Hall of Famer in Mookie and Freddie, right. But that's just baseball. You try and put yourself in advantageous situations to attack and get guys out, and I was able to do that tonight.
Q. You mentioned the word, it could have been a back-breaking loss. I'm sure you've had back-breaking losses in your career professionally or amateur. What prevented it from being a back-breaking loss for this team, what do you guys say to yourself as professionals?
SHANE BIEBER: There's no choice. What, are you going to feel sorry for yourself? It's the World Series, right. We're down one game. So now we find ourselves even, with a chance to take the lead, and take the lead back to Toronto after tomorrow. So, yeah, there wasn't much to say. Guys were tired. We left it all out there last night, and everybody's proud of each other. It was a grueling game, but at the same time you got to be able to turn the page, and we were able to do that and show up today with an excitement to go win another World Series game. So that's where we found ourselves. We really feel like we've got no choice, and we continue to grind and continue to play for each other and we'll find ourselves in a good spot.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports