Tony Vitello, Giants break down offensive display in 12-9 win against Brewers
Tony Vitello and other Giants speak to reporters following San Francisco's 12-9 win vs. the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at American Family Fields.
Tony Vitello, Giants break down offensive display in 12-9 win against Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Your offense, I'm not sure whether to ask first about Haas or, Jung-hoo and his continuing- Yeah output.
Bryce getting on base nonstop.
you know, a- and Luis had a great day too, so it's good Rafi came out here with something.
So the whole group was great.
The only way you win a game like that is if our offense was as electric as they were, and then you probably needed to sprinkle in some good defense too, which were the There were several good defensive plays.
I mean, the one Willie had in the first inning was, I think, more difficult than he even realized.
but Drew's, you know, catch in center field, which, you know, as a coach you like it more than anything because he made an adjustment.
that's a very difficult catch to make the other day, but I think if anything, he jumped a little early, and even came in the dugout right away and said he made the adjustment.
So all those things on the position side.
A- and not that the pitchers didn't do some good things, they, but they cover up.
You're not gonna win games when you walk load guys, you're just not.
but they were able to do some things today to, to, to make it happen.
The bullpen looked pretty lethal.
It started yesterday.
It was nuts.
So talk to you guys, it seem it all building on that?
Yeah, I think so.
I mean, I, I think the blueprint is there.
T-Mac has done a good job, and I know the game didn't start out the way you'd have won as far as pounding the strike zone for him, but that's, those are the guys we're gonna keep using in the bullpen and they're gonna stay with us, is the guys that at the very least are gonna throw strikes.
typically the games you win are the games you have a lead, and when you have a lead you need strikes more than ever.
so it, it's, it's gotta be a theme for us and, and if anything, today was a little frustrating and again, it's always case by case.
You could break it down certain situations and to me Brew, had a really big day for us even though the stat line doesn't show it coming in and doing what he did in the first inning, and then kind of jumped on a little bit of a grenade going back out there.
Pitch count elevated, but just a guy we trust.
unfortunately gave up a couple runs and then Drew saved him.
Through like five, six, seven spots.
It was just nuts the production you got from there, including Eldridge, which we've all known about his power forever, but, you know, what do you think about a game like this in terms of his production, his ability to get on base and just keep a line with it?
Well, I think he has our best takes and I don't think I'm gonna upset any of the veterans and for some reason that got back to them.
the Brewers, one of the reasons we have eight walks is the Brewers are so well, it's ingrained in their culture to control the strike zone on offense and you see guys, I mean, Teranga looks like he's asleep if he takes a pitch and, not that there's other guys that don't have moments that are, that are pretty damn good in the box for us.
But for the youngest guy on the roster, he has the best takes as far as the calm and the, the position he's in to hit and I think that allows him to get on base, you know, in addition to the hitting because the walks are there.
He's probably got our highest walk per plate appearance, deal going on.
so we mentioned the other day in the locker room it's obvious he had lengths, adds length to the lineup no matter where he's slotted.
He's been, I guess five through seven.
But when Chappy comes alive and is smiling today and feeling good and the swings have been coming, he's been knocking on that door, then all of a sudden it gets Has there been concentrated like dialogue at all about content?
I mean some of these rallies were just single, single, single.
People weren't pow- trying power up or- I, I think I'm getting strike out these.
Sure.
I think a little bit of a conversation of recognizing that, you know, you don't wanna, you wanna respect the opponent, but you wanna give them too much credit, but you could also pay attention to what's going on and starting with the Mets series, it was, we were kind of complaining, you know, that, if you remember they had a ton of ground ball hits or balls down the line or flares.
Well, a lot of times it's with two strikes, just putting the ball in play and battling and then instead of saying we're unlucky, we just kind of paid attention.
That's happened a lot to us, but it's because we got a lot of pitch to contact guys and other teams are battling and, why not add that to our tool belt?
obviously Rafi Rice can hit it as far as, as anybody going and the guy we got slotted in the lead off spot hits a homer to start the day, but we're gonna have to, you gotta accumulate some stuff and, and that's again something I think that's been added to the tool belt as of late and hopefully it sticks or gets built on more than anything.
Jung-hoo's batting .521 over a 12 game hitting streak and mechanically what are you seeing from him in the box?
You know, I know Ichiro's a, a hero of his.
The one thing I, I think Jung-hoo had going at times on video from the past, and then seeing it in person earlier in the season is, you, you know, that style of hitting that is, that I think we're kind of familiar with, fr- from a lot of Asian players, it's got a little bit of rhythm, a little bit of movement going forward.
But Ichiro had opened, it's like Kramer, Ichiro was always, I- Ichiro was always going forward and in line with the pitcher and I don't, I forget what game it was, it was off the lefty, but Jung-hoo was way out front on a two strike pitch, but he just kept going, going, going in line.
So I, I think again, that, that's a, that's a clip that's, you know, it's a, it's a, a little out of the ordinary, but I just think he's a really good hitter and he, again, I, I boil it down to the mentality, but I do see him staying in line a lot better, than he did earlier in the year.
Okay.
Grand Slam.
What was one for each kid?
Abi, I feel so proud of you.
Good job.
Abi.
Abi.
what's the feeling doing that, especially against your former team?
Oh, it's awesome just to contribute.
You know, we've had so much traffic on the bases where we talked so many times about just missing one hit.
Off the bat I was like, "Oh, sac fly, great.
Move it over and carry it out," and just couldn't be happier.
What about-Just the offense as the whole and how, you know, like occasionally these things feel like they're clicking for you.
Now today we felt like an actual team offense, not just a bunch of guys going up there trying to make stuff happen.
You know, at-bats were leading off each other, led to wearing down starters, wearing down bullpen guys.
That's the kind of stuff we want going forward.
Tons of, eight, nine pitch at-bats, get on, and the next guy comes up, has success.
We just, we haven't been able to kind of click on that, so super encouraging to see and then push one across in a big spot.
What's it been like watching LaChenia spin to end here this last couple weeks?
we were just joking.
You know, we got early work tomorrow.
We're gonna have Bryce and him in there.
It's like the two guys getting on base every single time.
But, they've obviously been unconscious.
They've been locked in, and that's setting the table up for the rest of the lineup.
You said that, you know, despite Bryce being the youngest guy in here, he has some of the best takes, you know, already.
Like, and just what can you say about, you know, watching somebody back and get his take in, especially for how young he is?
He's just a super professional at bat, you know, especially him, big guy, a lot of letters going on.
It's easy to A couple pitchers here are good, playing the front to back game, get him out of there.
He's been holding his ground, taking really good hacks, hitting on really good pitches.
So it's, it's just really encouraging to see.
What do you make of the, what your pitchers have been doing this last few weeks with all the walks?
It's, it's tough, you know, but at the same time, these guys walk the most in the game, and fighting the zone's gonna be tough, especially with ABS.
there was a lot of pitches today that were really close.
They were on top of their challenge game and that might turn, turn things in the other direction.
So, I think it might be a little self-conscious, think, "Hey, you know, they walk a lot," kind of thing.
But, the guys that came in, they just filled it up, had a ton of success today.
It was great to see.
How much do you feel like Casey kind of helped set the tone for the afternoon with his leadoff homer?
Oh, huge.
Huge.
Especially a guy we haven't faced before.
I think everybody else kind of takes the next at-bat with a little bit more comfortable, you know, 'cause you've seen it happen.
So, you know, Casey's been, been scalding, so wherever he's at in the lineup, it's great.
Did you think that Gilbert had a shot at that ball off the bat?
You know, it was hard to tell.
I didn't think it was gonna go that far off the bat.
You know, like I said, there's a lot of balls that kind of had a little bit more carry once they get out there.
So, one in the homers, then he robbed the other one.
it's just exciting baseball, you know?
Can you describe that?
yeah, I mean, pretty good swing the ball.
And, obviously, you know, there's certain parts of this park that, like the gaps kind of chew down a little bit, so you know you're closer to a wall.
but navigating that little Like, it's in, then it's back out.
So you gotta kind of find the wall quick.
but you know, just try to make a play.
So lucky I was able to hang onto it.
Tony said you made a little bit of an adjustment out there.
What did you do?
Yeah, the one earlier in the week that I dropped, I, Like, when you go up, you don't want to really hit the wall until after you catch the ball.
the one earlier in the week, I made impact with the wall, not hard, but like just enough before I, like, caught the ball where it threw me off just a tick.
So, you kind of want to catch first and then wall.
obviously it's happening fast, so you don't have a ton of time to, like make it perfect, but, tried to make a little bit of an adjustment there.
You seemed really upset when you didn't catch that ball the other day.
Yeah.
Were you kind of motivated or hoping for something like this?
yeah, I mean, for sure.
I think there's always that.
I think it's just mad 'cause, you know, in my mind that, that's a closer routine play.
Mm-hmm.
I'm there.
You know, at that point it's, it's just catching the ball.
So, you know, when hits your glove and doesn't end up in there, you know, you're pretty frustrated, especially when, you know, you think you have an opportunity to steal the play and, prevent a run or two.
How would you describe, the way you displayed the ball afterwards?
I don't really remember to be honest with you.
Did you black out again?
Yeah, it happens sometimes.
Sure.
So just glad we were able to win.
Do, do you, do you practice jumping over the wall or is that all in- how many- instinctual or do you practice approaching the wall?
Sure.
I think, like, throughout college and whatnot, you practice it a lot.
I think you As you get into pro ball, you're playing every day, so it's a little bit harder.
Yeah.
But, I think the biggest thing is just getting to the ball as fast as you can so you have time to, you know, make a read and, ideally you're not going full speed into it.
Mm-hmm.
Right?
there are times you're gonna have to, but you try to limit that as much as you can.
Mm-hmm.
That last, out- Mm-hmm did you at any point think that it, it was gonna be a problem at all?
Yeah.
I mean, he did, he put a great swing on it, you know?
you know, and Milwaukee's a great team.
They got a great lineup and, I mean, it's pretty relentless.
So, you know, you never, you never assume, even, you know, even though that we were up six, you know, you know, we were playing it, like, you know, I mean, like you saw, I mean, they, they can string together hits quick and, you know, make it a problem very fast.
So, you know, he put a good swing on it.
And, you know, it's, it's hard to go out to dead center.
So you never know what's I mean, he just Is that bat before, it was Hamilton, right?
Yeah.
I mean, it went off o- over left center, so I was like, "Oh, boy."
So, but thankfully we were able to Tony was there and, able to get a win.
Were you When you were at the play, did you feel kind of the consciousness of everybody else doing what they were doing today?
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, top to bottom, you know, starting with Casey, out the gate, just, it, it feels like guys are just stacking the bats on top of each other.
you know, and the results are a byproduct.
I think, you know, we've gotten better over the last month or so at, you know, doing it consistently.
Obviously this game is hard.
You know, I mean, the arms they have are, you know, top shelf.
So, to be able to put up a day like this is, says a lot about all the guys who hit in front of me, just setting the tone for sure.
Are you, you toning down on the final- final out celebration or Yeah, I think, I think, I think, you know, hopefully we can string some wins, wins together and, you know, maybe we'll have something else.
But I think right now I just, just want to stack wins.
Yeah.
I didn't even see what you did today.
You just- Nah, just a hug just, just handshakes?
Just a nice hug.
Just a three-man huddle.
Three-man huddle.
Yeah.
Awesome.
That's right.
Seventh inning, the Giants scored six runs, and it was really Erich Haase who blew it open with one swing of the bat.
And he joins us now live from Milwaukee after a big victory for the Giants.
Erich, thanks so much for the time.
Kylen Mills here alongside Sean Estes.
congratulations first of all on the win.
Seventh inning, man, you just broke this open with a grand slam.
What was your game plan going into that at bat that led to that power that we saw?
honestly just trying to keep something off the ground.
it is great to have guys on base.
You know, backspin of all I hear is huge, but just we've been missing those big hits.
You know, we've had a ton of traffic on base, so, just to push us across, and you saw we needed every bit of it.
So it's just a, a good team win.
Yeah, Erich, nice job.
did you think at that time that that was gonna be the difference in the game?
You guys were up 12-3.
No, not at all.
Yeah.
No, the bullpen got a little squirrely.
No, honestly, after the bat I was just really excited.
Yeah, just started to get really excited.
I thought it was gonna be a sack fly, carried out, it was great.
But, yeah, the bullpen coming in, it's This team doesn't go away, you know?
You gotta finish them and they're gonna make us work.
Talk about not going away.
give me your first thoughts when, Hamilton hit that ball in the ninth.
Oh, hold my breath a little bit.
You know, it's, it's been so tough.
There's a lot of balls today I didn't think were hit that well and just carried.
So, obviously pucker up a little bit.
Yeah, that, that's what I said right when we came on.
That was exactly what Sean said.
I, I puckered up a little bit when that ball went in the air.
Yeah.
Hey, take us, behind the dish today.
Adrian Houser had a pretty good start today.
I thought he threw the ball extremely well.
Mm-hmm.
What'd you see from him?
Me too.
No, he looked very sharp, very sharp.
You know, obviously, when we're not swinging it, it obviously affects how you have to manage the game and the bullpen.
So, I think it was a great start from Houser, great step forward, and his stuff looked sharp today.
Also want to address just the breakout game for this offense, the 20 hits.
We also saw a big game against the Rockies to start out the week.
like, what is the potential of this group when everyone's swinging the bat and approaching it the way that you have in these certain games where you guys all of the sudden just all go off at the same time?
Yeah.
No, that's just what we've been missing.
You know, there's a lot of guys kind of getting theirs, and we haven't been able to put it on every night.
So, to have the, the entire lineup just on base creating traffic just creates so many more holes.
I think you're gonna start seeing a lot better at-bats from those guys.
All right.
Well, Erich, thank you so much.
Have a safe drive down to Chicago.
Awesome.
Thank you, guys
