Tommy White, Mark Kotsay react to Athletics' series win vs. Rangers
Tommy White and Mark Kotsay speak to the media after his team's 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday at Sutter Health Park.
Tommy White, Mark Kotsay react to Athletics' series win vs. Rangers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Tommy White, first career home run.
Here he is with Jenny in Dallas.
Tommy Tanks has arrived on the scene.
Yeah, home run number one.
Tommy, I have a feeling you've been dreaming about this for quite some time.
What did it actually feel like today?
It was, it was just such a surreal moment.
I mean, I'm just glad I got a chance to help the team, any way I can.
But yeah, I got myself in a good count, and I was looking to drive one there, and thankfully I got one up there finally.
That's right, babe.
A little backside boogie for home run number one.
That's gotta feel great.
And to your point, you have done a great job of helping the team win.
We've seen you move around the diamond a- and we knew the power was going to come.
Just talk about some of the adjustments that you've been able to make to continue to do what you just said, which is find different ways to help this ball club win baseball games.
Yeah, I mean, the only way I know how to g- get myself right is just, is reps.
I've been doing a lot more in the cage recently and, you know, I'm gonna continue to do it and just, keep repping on and, yeah, hopefully we can continue this.
We saw the ball was secured.
You'll get it back.
Where are you gonna put it, or who's gonna get that baseball?
Probably my dad.
I mean, he, he likes to have all the baseballs.
He's got a little shrine.
I'm not really too, you know, memorabilia stuff, so you know, yeah, it'll probably go to my dad.
Well, it's great to see number one today, Tommy.
Enjoy it.
Thank you.
Thank you, guys.
Start with, Jacob Lopez.
Kind of continuation of what he's been doing for you guys as of late.
What'd you think of him today and especially getting through that sixth inning?
I know you had the bullpen going, but he was able to complete that inning for you.
Yeah, I, I, I mean, really impressed with Jacob, like you said, over the last few starts.
You know, I think the biggest transformation for Jacob is he's got a consistent routine now that he believes in.
I think this off season he had some lingering things, you know, throughout the off season that he was tinkering with and changing and trying to get consistent with, and it kind of led through spring training, where he was bouncing around with, you know, with his process and his routines.
And I think once he's gotten those stabilized, went to triple A, he's come back a different kid and a, and a different pitcher.
So, you know, today was a, a great day, another sign in the right direction, especially for our starters.
This series, I thought our starters did a, a great job, in giving us, you know, six innings of work, keeping the game close and giving us a chance to win.
I think everybody was waiting for Tommy White's first homer.
How cool was that to see?
And then obviously the dugout reaction after that as well.
Yeah, it was pretty good.
The guys are pretty hard on him.
They waited a long time, to congratulate him.
So, you know, you can tell that there's a, a good bond in there with him.
You know, really happy for the kid.
He's, he's working hard.
You know, again, we talk about young players trying to just fight for their survival.
And today was nice to see him get rewarded with a good swing and, and driving a ball out to right center.
Well, obviously you guys, been a while since you guys won a series here.
Just talk about the first series win here in, since April and kind of what that means for you guys.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's big.
You know, obviously we've had our challenges here and, that's no secret.
It's good to see the young guys on the mound just attacking.
You know, like we talked about, you know, they, they're limiting the free bases and they're going after hitters, and that was a good sign.
All in all, I think we've You know, this weekend was a, a good sign of bouncing back from a tough series, against Tampa.
That we, we got outplayed in almost all facets and, I thought we did a good job against Texas, who's still contending in this division, and, and playing really good baseball.
Yeah.
Could you please talk about the job by the bullpen?
Medina, Alvarado, and Rom.
Yeah, big innings.
You know, for Luis, it was a big spot in the game.
You can consider that a save.
Coming in and knowing that you're gonna get Peterson as a pinch hitter at the bottom, you know, giving up a two out double, on a ball that, you know, Bulti probably could have caught and, you know, working his way out of that inning, getting the ground ball, walking off the mound with putting up a zero and then the offense, you know, scoring runs.
So Alvarado and, and Rom, Rom did a nice job coming in and getting Kelenic on the matchup.
And, obviously Hogan finishing the game.
It's nice to see the bullpen work that way.
Yeah, Galvis hit the home run.
It, it proves to be the difference, those two runs there.
Could you talk about his contributions this week since he come, he came back?
Yeah, it's been great to have him back.
Energy, leadership, you know, this is a, a player that, we really missed and, you know, for the losses that we've incurred, again, you know, with Tyler going on the IL, to have Zach, you know, and the way he's been playing this season back, that's a big help.
Let's go back to the third inning, back-to-back bunts.
Is that something we might be see- I'm not saying you- Yeah you're gonna have back-to-back bunts all the time.
Right.
But are we gonna start seeing a little bit more small ball or just when the situation calls for it?
Well, no, we, we've gotta kind of play the offense that, that we have and, and that is being more aggressive, on the bases, trying to generate runs that way.
And obviously, you know, if there's situations that, that we're gonna be able to play small ball and advance runners and take advantage of, of sit- certain situations, I think that's obviously the focus going forward for sure.
