By starting up the action with the hit-and-run and making him swing the bat and try to hit the ball to the right side, that might have gotten him going. It takes a little while, but his swing looked a lot better tonight.
It's something we preached from Day 1 (of spring training). But you've got to give a lot of credit to Mulder. He wasn't sharp early on and allowed some runners, but then he got the ground balls he needed for the double plays.
That is the key. The toughest thing sometimes is getting that ground ball, and they seem to get the ground ball. They might give up a hit. They might give up a walk. But they finally get that key ground ball when it's time to focus in. It's a good thing.
Without a doubt, ... His location was unbelievable. You watch the film and he throws the ball up a lot, but today he was throwing the ball down, right at the knees, on the corners. He did a fantastic job tonight.
You get a pitcher to throw eight balls in a row like that (actually eight balls in nine pitches), and it can be hard for him to get back in the zone.
You just try to see the ball up ... His ball has so much sink and so much run, I just try to get as close to him as possible and try to take away that late break.
I told them baseball owed them nothing and wasn't a fair game. I emphasized what a privilege that it is to wear a uniform every day. I challenged them to do something to earn and deserve the right to wear a uniform. I warned them that if they didn't, they might not be wearing one.
I played second base all my life. The only time I backhanded balls was on dives.
It's one of those things. Baseball is a funny game. Every club can beat any club. They come out and play great against us. It's hard to believe to see where they're standing. They've got a great club.
I've hit balls with everything I've got and it doesn't go over the fence. So I definitely run hard. I'll never have the opportunity to sit there and watch one as it goes out because I don't have that kind of pop.
Right in that time of day if you hit the ball right there, you can't see it,