The MLB Postseason continues on TBS tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m. (ET) with TBS MLB on Deck presented by Chrysler followed the Philadelphia Phillies @ St. Louis Cardinals, (Game 4 – 6 p.m. ET), Milwaukee Brewers @ Arizona Diamondbacks, (Game 4 – 9:30 p.m. ET). The night will conclude with the post-game show Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan.
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New York Yankees (10) @ Detroit Tigers (1) – The series is tied 2-2
Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Ron Darling and John Smoltz (analysts) with Tom Verducci reporting
Smoltz on the significance of Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett finding his release point: “A hitter shouldn’t see your number (on the back of the jersey) for too long. That’s the turn you see and his arm angle is so dependant on that turn. Sometimes it’s lower than it should be and you get the left-to-right fade on the fastball…you don’t want that. He has to find that release point.”
Darling on A.J. Burnett with runners on base: “Pitching from the stretch is not a friend of A.J. Burnett.”
Darling on A.J. Burnett: “Burnett’s career has been defined by being consistently inconsistent.”
Darling on pitchers’ confidence level: “Pitchers who pitch with confidence let the ball go. Pitchers that don’t have confidence aim the ball.”
Smoltz on finding a lost release point: “When you lose your release point, you lose your confidence. It’s like making a putting stroke and getting the yips. Until you mechanically fix it, it’s not easy (to correct).”
TBS’ Brian Anderson, Ron Darling and John Smoltz interviewed Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi during the game:
Girardi on hitters getting good at-bats: “If you keep putting up good at bats, you’re going to get hits. That’s all you can ask the guys to do.”
Smoltz on how Yankees closer Mariano Rivera shortens the game: “Nothing in this game is 100% or foolproof but with Mr. Rivera in the bullpen, you’ve got about two innings to make up some ground. If the Yankees have the lead, we all know how good (Rivera) is. You play the game differently when you’re facing the Yankees. It’s a shorter game…period.”
Smoltz on the Yankees’ toughness: “These guys are some of the toughest guys in baseball and not necessarily because of their physique but because of what they have to deal with on a daily basis in New York. There is so much expected of them and you’re either a hero or a goat this time of year.”
Smoltz on players having fun despite the high pressure situations of the Postseason: “If you can’t enjoy (the pressure), it’s going to swallow you up.”
Darling on Alex Rodriguez starting to pull out of his series-long slump: “The one thing you don’t want to see (if you’re Detroit) is (Alex) Rodriguez, who has struggled this entire series. His bat speed is starting to quicken, he’s starting to get hot and he’s getting a little confidence. That’s not a good thing for the Tigers.”
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Milwaukee Brewers (1) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (8) – The series is tied 2-1
Announcers: Victor Rojas (play-by-play) and Joe Simpson (analysts) with Sam Ryan reporting
Rojas on the Diamondbacks pitching strategy for the Brewers’ Ryan Braun: “They are trying to keep the pitches in on Ryan Braun. Something they didn’t do in Milwaukee. On a couple of occasions when they did, they were successful in getting him out.”
TBS’ Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson interviewed Brewers Manager Ron Roenicke during the game
Roenicke on Diamondbacks starting pitcher Josh Collmenter: “We know he has the fastball and a deceptive delivery. His change-up is really good. That deception is just really hard to read. He’s throwing pitches at 88-89 mph but they seem more like 93-94 m.p.h.”
Simpson on Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson’s coaching staff: The coaching staff that Gibson has assembled is a very talented bunch – two MVP Awards, eight Gold Gloves. That’s a special unit in the Diamondbacks’ dugout. It’s very rare these days.”
Simpson on Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson: “He’s a guy who knows how to motivate and knows what buttons to push on his team. He is so even-keel and low-key, which is hard to believe considering the way he played the game and his reputation.”
TBS Reporter Sam Ryan interviewed Arizona Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt following the game:
Goldschmidt on being the third rookie in baseball history to hit a grand slam in the Postseason: “It’s very exciting. The game was exciting, as well, and I am glad we could get the win tonight. The pitch was pretty much down the middle and I was able to get enough on it to get it out of here.”
Goldschmidt on watching Collmenter on the mound: “He is fun to watch. He was throwing strikes and he has been doing that all year long for us so it was great to see.”
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Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan
Matt Winer (host) and Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and David Wells (analysts)
TBS Reporter Tom Verducci interviews Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter following the game:
Jeter on the importance of getting on the board first in Game 4: “It is important. We wanted to come out and score first. Obviously, (Rick) Porcello has been pitching well as of late and he was tough on us today. With the exception of the 8th inning, this was a close game.
Jeter on teammate A.J. Burnett’s command of the ball: “He threw the ball well. We have a lot of confidence in A.J., regardless of what he’s done in the past; he’s pitched some big games for us. He was very calm and we had some good plays out there in centerfield. You are going to have pitch and play defense but A.J. was spectacular.”
Jeter on how Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova should handle the atmosphere of Game 5: “Treat it like any other game that’s the bottom line. It is still baseball. Whether it is Game 1, Game 5 or if you are in spring training; we have confidence in him.”
Wells on the importance of the Yankees defense behind A.J. Burnett: “That’s what saved them, that defense. But that’s what those guys get paid for, making great defensive plays. It’s a team effort and that is what he needed behind him and it showed.”
Eckersley on Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson: “He’s up for the MVP. He may not get it. He just doesn’t get enough credit for his defense. That’s what he is capable of doing. He’s done it all for the Yankees.”
Ripken on the importance of Game 5: “You can say it is only one game and now we are 2-2. Sometimes you can start to get healthy, non-pressured at bats. A-Rod looked much better, more like his old self. Teixeira hit two balls really hard. I think sometimes you need a blow-out game to get healthy. This can play over to the next game. Once you feel like you got your timing at the plate, now we are ready for those pressures at- bats. It could be a little more significant than just one win.”
Wells on Rangers’ Adrian Beltre’s power hitting: “He is somebody to reckon with. This guy is a free swinger. He swings outside the zone and that’s where he gets a lot of his home runs. Anything up in the zone, up in the middle of the plate, outside the plate, whatever, this guy just crushes the ball.”
TBS Reporter Craig Sager interviews Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels following the game:
Hamels on what worked for him during Game 3: “I was able to stay down in the zone. Anytime I was going to miss, I was going to miss down.”
Hamels on Ben Francisco pinch-hitting for him in the bottom of the 7th: “Benny has done really well for us. I knew the circumstances of where we were. To have guys on, Benny came up huge and that was awesome.”
Ripken on the Cardinals hitters’ view affected by the sun: “It seemed like the conditions were so tough for the hitters that the game really didn’t begin until the seventh (inning). It’s kind of a shame when you play a playoff game, that that really does exist. That’s just the reality of playing in the playoffs. It is so frustrating. It just seems the hitters didn’t have a good view.”
Eckersley on Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter: “I haven’t seen this kid pitch much, but once you see him you know why he’s difficult. There’s no one quite like him. A rookie to go out on the mound, he made a statement; everyone knows who he is now.”
Wells on Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum reacting to Paul Goldschmidt’s grand slam by throwing his glove: “You can just get caught up in the moment. No one wants to give up a granny, let alone a home run. It just shows the emotion.”
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