Tony Vitello, Logan Webb break down Giants' dominant win against Brewers
Giants' Tony Vitello, Logan Webb and more speak to reporters after San Francisco's 16-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday at Oracle Park.
Tony Vitello, Logan Webb break down Giants' dominant win against Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Giants finished the homestand with 17 hits and beat the Milwaukee Brewers 16 to three.
It's a series win against the best team in the National League Central, one of the best teams in all of baseball, and we're gonna go right to one of the guys who led the way today, Daniel Susac out there at Oracle Park, getting the gear off, getting the headset on for us.
Daniel, Alex Pavlich here with George Kontos.
I know from talking to you the last few weeks, you have a bit of a sense of humor about the home run thing.
You were joking about how many you hit on your rehab assignments, but how does it feel to get that first one in the big leagues?
Yeah, it definitely feels good.
I was, getting close to leading the River Cats with zero in the big league, so it's good to get that first one out of the way.
Sus, I have to ask you, and this is more just for my own personal, questioning here, is, is your first phone call or text message gonna be to your brother telling him that you're on his heels now with two and him only having seven in his big league career?
I probably will.
He'll give me, he'll give me the whole thing about how he's got one ring, I got zero, so I got some work to do there as well.
Daniel, take us into the dugout today.
It's obviously a stressful time of year.
Trade deadline coming up.
You guys heading out back out, heading back out on the road, but to take two or three from a really good team, what was the vibe in the dugout today?
Yeah, it was great.
You know, just shows how you can stack up against the best in the game.
So it was a big series win, and, I think that's twice we've got the series win against them this year.
So it's, you know, some big wins and great for the team morale.
Sus, obviously, we don't know what's gonna happen in the next few days, but you know, some of the people that we've heard about potentially not being a Giant after the trade deadline is Luis Urias, and can you just talk about, a little bit, what he's meant to this team so far and, and just the type of performance that he put together today, getting four hits, playing incredible defense out there, and what he's meant to this team so far?
Yeah.
I mean, unbelievable player.
You see it every day.
It seems like two hits is just natural for him.
I mean, he got four today, but what's hard to see is how great of a person he is.
And, you know, being a rookie coming in here, took me under his wing.
I was next to him in the locker room.
Just great guy.
Always, always been great to me, great to everybody.
Just brings it every day.
All right.
Daniel, I think that ball might have landed in the garden out there, so I hope you can go out there, get it, maybe make a trade for it if somebody picked it up, but congratulations on a two homer game.
First two homers in the big leagues.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
Tony, first of all, what, what are your impressions of this series as a whole?
Especially given, you know, Milwaukee coming in with a, the kind of record they did.
Yeah.
It was if you're just gonna compartmentalize the three days, it's, it's massive.
It was great for our crowd.
Good to do it at home.
I thought we played well there, too.
But you're beating a very good team.
If anything, you take confidence in the fact you won, and then you have to recognize some things going on, too.
I mean, they're athletic, and Torregroga's a superstar, and, Ashby's w- I don't know that anyone's gotten to him like we did today.
He's super reliable, even better than that.
But they're having success for a reason.
And on the offensive end, you see it just, they'll frustrate the hell out of you.
They don't swing.
And when they do get their pitch, they, they let it loose.
So there are some things there to take confidence in and also to take note of.
What about Urias today?
And I'm, I'm assuming he came out because of the score.
His health is okay?
Yeah.
He's, he's fine.
You know, I, I don't think anything happened on that diving play, but I mean, he literally, had to go full speed and then extend full out on that play, so that's how his day ended and it, it kinda marks what kind of day he had.
But you could really just stack all the days up together and he's, he's playing phenomenal baseball, and it's, it's, you know, the same thing before the game starts.
Again, you all put in almost as much time as anybody at the ballpark, so you already see it.
But, the pregame is exactly like the game, and the game is exactly like the pregame for him.
Been a while since you had any power from the catching position, but you go not one, but two from Susac.
Yeah.
How nice was that to see?
It was great.
I mean, he hit very similar swing, very similar contact, in Sacramento, and it wasn't the crazy windy day that he hit it.
It was a night game and, you know, he, he didn't get a homer there, but when he's cut it loose, it's been very good.
And I think, again, when you get up here, I, I went on a rant the other day about those guys live a tough life when you're kinda, you know, trying to stake your claim and keep your locker in there, and, and sometimes guys alter who they are.
I think he just needs to stay true to who he is because he's shown at a high level in college and in minor league ball, he can drive the ball when the time comes.
Takes two to tango.
It's gotta be the pitcher, and, and it probably needs to be early in the count.
He is a guy that needs to fight like crazy with two strikes.
But I think it's a byproduct of him getting back to kinda cutting that thing loose.
So great to see.
All I think I was miss- I missed the mark the other day, but I do take a lot of, in- I get a lot of enjoyment and also a lot of excitement out of those three catchers.
They're basically 500 as a group for us, and they just seem to be getting more and more mature in a bunch of different situations.
Tony, if this was Urias' last home game in a Giants uniform, what lasting impact did he make in his four months here?
Made everybody's day better.
Was, my initial answer would be we don't have enough time here.
And, I'd put it in a note to him, and I'd put it in a note to you all.
So maybe we'll re- revisit that question if it is the case.
But I think a succinct, exact answer is he made it, literally made everyone You could pick any fan you want, you guys, players, coaches.
Literally made everyone's day better every day, and it wasn't, there wasn't any days off for that theory either.
Looked like Devers was taking some ground balls at second base before the game.
Yeah.
Is that something you're seriously considering?
No, that's, I would, he wouldn't.
That's, that's something that, I like that guys do.
I, I think we get in a box too much.
I mean, you g- you all might've scared Bryce.
His, his future is at first base, but if it's January, I don't see any harm.
Actually, I see help in taking fly balls.
And Rafi's gone to second, short before.
Y- you know, I don't think he's gone over to third this year.
Obviously, he's played there.
So just getting some ground balls and some rhythm.
And also, he had a purpose to it, too, on, for a specific reason that he kinda pointed out when we were talking before the game.
But he's got the freedom to do that, and I think it only helps And, you know, Wash made fun of him on one, but he also complimented on him about five.
So it, it was, it was good for him to get out there and get some work.
I think, I mean, a big, a big mark of today, you kind of get lost in the excitement of scoring a bunch of runs.
Jesus' at-bat was incredible.
I mean, Willie started that deal.
Thi- this is a team, as you guys know, they're not gonna go away, A, and they've got the firepower to come back.
But what put things seemingly out of reach was just an inning full of really good at-bats.
But Willie getting on base, and then I would even highlight even more, just Jesus' at-bat was tremendous off the bench, and it kind of helped things go the way that it did.
So other guys to highlight, too, but that was one that stuck out greatly.
What do you think of Webb's outing?
I know it's kind of a weird July for him, but just how do you think he did out there?
Yeah, I mean, I, I think the group in the corner kind of agreed he didn't have his very best stuff today, but he's going up against one of the very best teams, and he showed why he's one of the very best pitchers.
He kind of gutted his way through some things, and the only two runs they scored were I, I think if you're a high school coach, you pull both those up.
I don't, I don't know how you I don't have the answer on how you handle those.
I thought Bryce did a decent job.
Hamilton's so fast and athletic at third.
You at least got to get an out, and then, you know, does Susacker, you know, cost trying to get Webby to get the out at home and get too greedy?
I don't know if the score sheet looks the way that it is if we don't get an out on that play, and I don't know, I know Webby doesn't want any runs scored.
So I guess in a backwards way, I'm saying he was really good through six innings, and even the two runs they scored, maybe if you do something miraculous there, they don't score any runs.
Gutty as always.
Tony, how nice did his, was it to get at least 11 singles, I think, today, where the line just kept moving and moving more, and you haven't had that consistency this year like that?
No, but, but the one thing you see, and I- I've harped on the, the four-run thing, and even had Bryce kind of bring it up in a hitters meeting the other day.
That, that record is probably one of the most, probably the biggest disparity when we score four and we don't.
And really, it's not about scoring four.
We won 3-0 against the Brewers, but it, it's when we get it going downhill.
And so, it's pretty exciting offense when that happens.
We've just got to get better when it's frustrating, and you might have to score, you know, a 3-2 game.
You might really have to push for those and have confidence in the ninth inning off a closer and push for those four runs.
But it's a really, really good group when, when it gets going downhill, and they, they stack that bat on top of that bat today.
And I guess you got to trust the process, that if you got at-bats like we had in that inning in particular, eventually the floodgates will open.
Thank you.
Tony was just mentioning what a pesky team this Brewers team is to face with their good offense.
How were you able to hold them, and overall you've had great numbers against them lifetime.
Yeah, I mean, they're a very good team over there.
They do a lot of the, the little things really well.
You know, I think the big thing, big thing we talked about before the game was, like, don't let them I think they're probably the best team in baseball at manufacturing runs in different ways.
They bunt, they steal, they, they walk, they get blue pits, they hit homers.
They, it's just a overall good attack, and, it was just, like, don't let the, don't, don't let it snowball, and try to minimize when you can.
You know, I, I think the couple innings when, I think it was first and third, two innings, two of their six innings.
So, just trying to minimize as much as we can.
Talk about the offense today, and particularly how good it is to see Daniel get going.
Yeah.
Not his best first, but- It's about time.
It's about time he hit one.
No, it's great.
You know, he, he's been working his butt off, and, you know, he, he's had a couple.
I think he's gone IL twice, if I'm not mistaken.
Right?
Twice?
Has he gone IL twice?
Yeah.
Yes.
so, you deal with an injury, you know, especially twice, and, put a ton of work in.
He called every pitch today, which was aw- He did amazing back there.
It was, it was an awesome game by him.
Happy to see that.
It may be Luis', final home game before the trade deadline.
What does he mean to this team this season?
Man, I, I don't know about any of that s- any of that stuff.
But he just, you know, I love watching him come to the, the field every day and put the work in, and, I think it's showing.
Kind of wish we kept him in there, try to get the fifth hit today, but, think you can take a 4-for-4 any day of the week.
Did you have a chance to meet up with Jackson before the game or possibly after?
So I, I, I did see him walk in, and we kind of just, I just went like that to him.
I was trying to get locked in for the game.
But, I've texted back and forth to him already, and, at some point I'll, I'll be able to hopefully I don't know if he's left already, but see what's up.
It might be too, too, early to start looking at things like, you know, a batting title, but obviously Luis is right up there- Yeah battling with other guys.
How much do you kind of notice that?
I'd never count out Luis.
What has he already won, two?
Three?
Three.
Three?
So, you know, he's our, he's our modern-day version of Tony Gwynn.
That's what, you know, he's an unbelievable hitter.
It's fun to watch him just, like, we're always watching him as a, on the opposing side.
You, you know, I didn't, I wasn't a fan of him because he'd get hits off me and he, you know, the power takes are incredible.
But getting to know him and, you know, become his friend and teammate and see the work he puts in every single day, it's, it's pretty special.
As someone who's faced him, what, what makes him so tough or takeaways from him?
He, there's no pitch that he can't get to.
You can throw him a four-seam, like, at his head, he'll somehow foul it off.
You'll throw a changeup, I think he's gotten, like, three hits off my changeup that I think would've bounced if, if he didn't hit it.
He's just a, he's a special hitter.
I mean, he doesn't, he doesn't strike out.
He doesn't swing and miss.
It's almost like a, it's like, "Holy cow, how'd that happen?"
If he does swing and miss.
And, you know, he's not afraid to, I think, I think I saw a video, it was, I think Robbie was pitching.
I think it was, like, two quick outs and he just went up there and watched the first two, didn't move either.
Like, it's like just a statue.
And then he just gets a base hit like it's nothing.
Like, there's no one else that's, that's really doing that and, that's what makes him so, so good and so special.
Well, then for you guys to take the series against this particular team- Yeah what does that say about this team and what, what you guys have kind of been through up to this point?
Yeah, you know, since I've, honestly, since I've been, been here, I think we've always done pretty well against the, the Brewers.
Um- You in particular.
Don't jinx it.
But, but yeah, it- they're one of the best teams in baseball.
Anytime you can take a series against one of the best teams in baseball, it's a good thing.
And, goes to show, I mean, hopefully every guy in here looks at it as, like, a positive.
Say we can beat, we can beat anybody and, you know, it's baseball, anything can happen.
But, we played good baseball this, this series.
And, keep, keep them, them going.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Been a little, little bit of a while coming.
Yeah.
Has, anything that weighed on you or does it, is it something that you've not even crossed your mind?
I'd be lying if I said no, but I knew it was going to come eventually.
It's just, you know, putting in the work with OB and Hunter in the cage and, just trying to get back to the swing that I feel like I came into this year with.
So it's been a grind.
Just keep trying to stay at it.
What's a bigger thrill, first major league hit or first major league home run?
I think the hit.
Just being the first pitch was pretty cool.
Having all my family there that day was pretty cool.
Fun fact, that was the second game my nephew's been at was today.
That's awesome.
So I need, I need to get him on salary.
Tony and others in the org are pretty adamant that there is power in your game.
Yeah.
What, like, how do you access that in your swing?
Yeah.
I think it's something that I've been trying to, you know, keep getting back, 'cause I've had it in the past.
Lost a little bit of weight in spring training, so trying to put that on while keeping that as healthy weight.
Just, yeah, I think getting in my swing will obviously bring back some power.
So it's, I think just keep working on it.
I don't know.
Yeah.
You obviously have a couple guys had good at-bats before you, Willie, especially with that- Yeah pitch and bat.
Is that, is that helpful at all when you step up in a situation where you've seen a little bit more?
For sure.
I mean, Luis is the best left hitter in the game, so, and then obviously Willie having a great at-bat battling.
Pretty much from being on deck, I could see every pitch of that at-bat, but, really impressive to me is watching Luis go out there every day and it seems like two hits is standard at this point.
What was working well for Logan today ?
Yeah, I think pitching to both sides of the plate was really big.
Backdoor sweepers, front hip two-seams, just really making it hard on the mainly left-handed lineup to really be comfortable going, leaning out over the dish or staying in.
So did a really good job of slowing up and speeding up.
How would you describe what this season has been like for you?
You know, kind of up and down with play-off stints- Yeah and then having a two homers today.
Just where's kind of like your mindset at?
Yeah, I think it's just a growing season for me.
There's always stuff to learn in the good and bad.
Mm-hmm.
So I think with the struggles was always something I can learn, and then obviously the beginning of the year was all success.
Not getting too high on it, not getting too low on the lows, just trying to, you know, keep showing up every day like a new day.
With three catchers on the roster, it seems to me, be I'm wrong, that you have caught Logan fairly consistently lately.
Is, is that by chance or is that something that you and Logan are something of a team now?
I think, you know, we've just had good repertoire recently.
Both being from the Roseville-Rocklin area, so, um- I was waiting for that.
But yeah, I think, I think we have a good report and, it's been fun.
He's a great pitcher.
Did you know the second one was gonna h- head out there?
I didn't.
off the bat I was like, "Maybe it'll get off the wall."
And then Mitchell was kind of going after, like, his routine, and then he turned around, I was like, "Oh, maybe it's got a shot."
So, but yeah.
Trelawan pitched it to Cal.
I knew he went there as, like, a pitcher/hitter, but I didn't know he actually pitched there.
He, he pitched a decent amount his freshman year and then- Yeah not much after.
He threw me a good 1-0 knuckle ball, but it was in the dirt.
Yeah.
Tander's become the new Croatian sensation here.
I don't know about that.
But always proud of my Croatian heritage.
Thank you.
Did your nephew, did your nephew have a better time today?
I hope so.
He doesn't, he doesn't seem like he's too rattled right now, so I'm gonna go find out, but- Running in this series, he had three stolen bases in the series.
Elliot, Alex here with George Kontos.
What got into you guys on the bases?
All of a sudden you guys are, are one of the best base running teams in baseball.
No, we just, Oh, personally, I can talk for myself obviously, but, I know I can, I can have the type of game, you know, it's just, the matter of being confident, just like, getting the information that you, like, actually need and just, like, try to, like, just put a little bit of more emphasis on it and, and just execute and just try to go.
I got thrown out today, but that's not gonna stop me, obviously.
I'm just gonna keep going.
Elliot, when you're facing a team like the Milwaukee Brewers who are leading the NL Central, you guys as a team have faced the division leading ball clubs all across baseball very well.
But this team's one of the best teams, if not the best team in the National League with the Dodgers, and you guys just swept the, or not swept them, you won the series.
What's the vibe in the clubhouse when you go and prove that you can play with the big boys of the other divisions?
Honestly, we just wanna keep going.
We just wanna, like, put a, take every, one game at a time, obviously.
I feel like we have the team to do it.
We- we're capable of doing it.
We're capable of winning and, we just wanna show it.
I know the season hasn't gone the way that we want, but, there's still a chance and we are, obviously we have, we have hope and we, we always work hard to, like, to whatever we want to do, you know?
Elliot, we've talked a lot about Luis Urias today.
There's a chance that was his final home game as a Giant at Oracle Park.
What has he meant to you just as a veteran on this team?
I know it's somebody you talk to quite a bit.
Can you tell us and tell Giants fans just a little about what, what it's meant to play with him for the last four months?
It's just the type of guy that he is, the type of, mentality that he got.
I think, he's the type of person that he, he's gonna get it done.
Obviously, like, let's say if you want one more at-bat, he's gonna, he's gonna be there and he's gonna get on base all the time.
So he's in a bat that, you know, is gonna be, difficult for the pitcher.
He's gonna be, a, a for sure good at-bat and a for sure probably, almost, hit, like, a hit all the time.
So it's just something that, like, you know you want to have in your lineup every single day.
He's gonna give it his all.
He's a, he's a great player.
His mind, like, his confidence, like, it's something that, like, I wanna be like that, you know, as a baseball player.
Elliot, as the trade deadline approaches, can you just tell everybody at home kind of what, what it, what is it like in the clubhouse and around the team when you know that the deadline's coming up?
There are several folks in that clubhouse whose names have been linked to potentially being traded.
K- what is everybody kind of feeling like in the, in the clubhouse right now as the deadline approaches?
I mean, I don't know.
That's something that, like, obviously is up to the, to management and all that, the front office to, like, take care of that.
So I think everybody's just trying to play their game.
We- we're trying to win.
That's all we're trying to do.
Obviously, like, everybody hears about it, you know how the trade line goes e- every time d- deadline, approaches.
But I think as a, as a team, as players, like, I think we're just trying to take one day at a time, just, be present, you know?
And just keep playing baseball.
Right.
Elliot Ramos, four hits today.
Drove in three runs, stole a base.
You were all over the place.
I'm sure you're tired.
Go get some rest and, and we'll see you in San Diego.
All right.
