Tony Vitello, Robbie Ray and more react to Giants' shutout win over Phillies

Tony Vitello, Robbie Ray and Daniel Susac speak to reporters following San Francisco's 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday at Oracle Park.

Tony Vitello, Robbie Ray and more react to Giants' shutout win over Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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How about this?

Lot, lot of contributions by a lot of people tonight.

What was your favorite?

to be honest with you, I, I thought the contribution from Gerard and Jung-hoo combined started, you know.

It's, it's not easy.

I, I've gotten nothing but, to be honest with you, kinda shocking cooperation, and at times, too much respect, you know, kinda coming into this thing.

You- wondering just what, what that all would be like with all the players.

but at the same time, it's not easy to take big league guys out of a game or, you know, to let guys know they're not starting and things like that.

And for one guy to support the other, and then go out and do early work, and kinda provide a little bit of advice or some tips and support, and then the other guy comes in for you, and you know, it's, it's not as much rah-rah in the big leagues as it would be in high school or something like that.

But when you hear a guy cheering, you know, almost like he's in a grade school game, with all due respect, like crazy, like Gerard was for Jung-hoo when he was up, it was just pretty cool.

So I thought it was an in-game effort out of both, but really just an all-day effort out of both of them, just bouncing around all day with good energy, and I, I think that kind of encompassed what the whole group had today.

And, and at this point, Tony, why not just play Susak every day?

no, I, I think he's obviously earned the right to You know, I, I think prior to today, he had, he's earned the right to, to be out there for us, more often, and be good for both those guys.

I, I think they've got a good friendship, friendship, and also a good working relationship.

And, at that position, my only experience up to date, which you probably don't wanna hear about, 'cause it's a different schedule, but it's a lot less games, has always been two guys.

In recruiting, it's always been use two guys because at the end of the season, whoever it is you lean on the most, if you don't go matchups, with a pitcher, either your own or the opposing pitcher, your other guy's gonna be more fresh.

It's, it's not an easy thing to go out there all the time.

So, we'll, we'll worry about tomorrow when this whole deal's in here is over with, and then, you'll be seeing plenty of both guys as the season goes on.

But a fair question.

You guys had 11 hits against Sanchez.

What was the key to attacking him tonight?

you know, Hunter, you know, I, I think the game plan portion of everything, and I, I think I'm You know, I, I try and stay involved in all the stuff, and I listen, and, I've got experience in it, a- and I think I'm relatively critical.

You wanna see a team kinda jump on board and have a plan.

O- other than just not adjusting to Pavetta enough that, that given day, the conversations and the game plan and the consistency, and I know the work that he and, and OB, you know, Hunter Mentz and Oscar Bernard are putting in is, is crazy.

It just hasn't come to fruition because, you know, guys have locked themselves up a little bit, including the coaches at times, just wanting so bad and trying to be perfect.

And it's ironic because tonight we probably messed up, y- myself and, and lots of other people, we probably messed up, like, 17, 18 things tonight, but we still won, and I think it was, a lot of it was because Robbie's a warrior, and he was really good.

But I think a lot of it was kinda the, the stuff I mentioned with Gerard and Jungy and several of the other guys.

So did I even answer your question?

What was your question again?

What was the key to attacking Sanchez?

Yeah, I, I think, I think those guys put together a good game plan, and then the guys jumped all over it.

But I, I, I think they kinda Yesterday, the other, the other good storyline, and I'm, I guess I should be telling the players not as much you guys, y- you know, these guys don't have to be perfect.

But also yesterday, I'm, I'm just telling you, I, I said it in here, last night.

Like, the guys came to the park with, like, you, you can just tell, a decision to have a good day yesterday, and it bled into, what was a good start.

Obviously, when, when we hit adversity, we weren't at our best.

And, and also we played a good team, and, a couple guys got it done for them, and we just didn't get it done or maybe coulda done a couple things differently.

but just because you come to the park with the right mentality and attitude every day doesn't mean you're gonna get rewarded with the outcome that you want.

But the percentages dang sure tilt in your favor if they do.

So I thought the attitude and the game plan combined were good, for a f- final answer.

How was, Robbie Ray able to shut down a really good lineup?

You know, I, I, I think, you know, guys like that, a- and I really do feel like we got five starters that kinda have it in them.

I, I think three of them are a little bit more of a, a guy that looks like, you know, their ancestors probably fought heavily in, in whatever battles it was, and then the other two guys kinda have more composure i- is their strong suit.

I'd be frustrated in the other dugout.

They don't ever seem like they get rattled.

the five of them I think all got it in them, that when it's not going good for the team, to even take more of a stand than you normally would.

And, you know, I, I can't speak for Robbie, but it kind of felt like that, like, he was, he was gonna do the job he always does, but a little more determination in there to make sure things go well for his teammates tonight.

and again, right off the bat, we make a mistake behind him, and you think, "Man, those are three pretty good hitters.

Those are three all-stars."

To get out of the first inning in, like, five pitches, that's a pretty good start to things, and then bam, y- you have a sudden change, almost like an interception or a fumble in, in a football game, and he didn't bat an eye.

And, you know, the only thing he batted an eye at was taking the ball from him.

a comical conversation out there, but make no bones about it, he wanted to be out there.

And, and to be honest with you, to give insight in the dugout, we gave him one ex- one hitter more than we said we were going to at that, at that time.The team won, I think, nine, Robbie's first nine starts last year.

Small sample size, but two out of three so far.

Is He similar to Logan in the way that he instills confidence in that lineup, similar to a traditional ace, even though he's the number two?

Yeah.

Well, I mean, it's 1A and 1B.

There's no question.

but I think, we used Mark Buehrle as an example in spring training if, if you remember him.

St. Louis guy, I kinda know.

He's my age and used to play against him and know him.

He's a guy that just I mean, he had, he had really good numbers.

his stuff I don't think was, was quite what those two guys do, but another guy that just you look forward to coming to the park.

I mean, when you have to come to the park over and over and over again, you're looking for any reason to make it a new, fresh day and an exciting day, and those two guys make it easy to come to the park with kinda that, that feeling.

I'd like to say opening day feeling, but that, let's do that next year.

you know, so yeah.

I, I, I think that's there for sure.

And then the other thing is, I don't know how those games went down, but a- again, I'll say it re- you know, repetitively this year, I think a good start is just one where you come out of the game and the other team, y- your team still has a chance to win.

And so he probably did that a bunch last year, and again, the guys are into it.

and there was ability on teams last year, so probably why it worked out the way that it did.

Hey, that's all I have for you, okay?

That's enough, yeah.

Felt good.

felt like I was able to really, just pitch.

Felt like, changeup was really good.

curve ball was really good.

Slider was good.

Fastball was jumpy, so I think just all around was able to just kind of mix it up and, just not really fall into too many patterns.

Were you surprised at all that you got the opportunity to go out there in the seventh inning?

No.

I felt good.

not a wh- whole lot of high-stress pitches.

I, I wasn't surprised, no.

Was this just kinda It seemed like everything, your pitches were crisp.

It seemed like everything was real, just, you know, free-flowing for you today.

Was that fair assessment?

Or just felt like everything was popping?

Yeah.

I mean, I felt good with all my pitches.

I felt like I, you know, I was The slider was good.

I was backdooring it.

I was throwing it back foot.

the curveball was really good.

Able to land it for strikes and also chase.

the changeup was keeping 'em off my heater.

and I was able to, to locate my fastball really well, so I think just all around I was, I was able to pitch.

You were walking into the park out there, at least you look like you are.

but when the team's kind of going in a sideways, when you have a chance to take the mound, is that something you really appreciate?

Yeah.

I mean, I, every time I go out there, I'm just trying to put up zeros and give us a chance to win.

you know, this, there's, I don't really try to put too much emphasis on, you know, the situation or whether, you know, if we've lost a few in a row, just trying to put added pressure on yourself.

I, I don't really think about it like that.

You know, I just go out there and, and kinda pitch how I know how.

What do you think of the way the offense was able to come out and attack pitches?

That was great.

You know, i- they had an approach, and it looked really good doing it.

you know, guys, it seemed like, you know, they were, they were just ready, and it was, it was fun to see.

How'd it feel to finally get out?

It was all right.

I was, trying to get the ball in the air 'cause obviously we had a runner on third.

good sinker guy.

Got the ball in the air, just not, not far enough.

Can you, can you allow yourself at any point, it's very rare to start a career five for five.

Yeah.

Like, does that cross your mind, like, when you're standing on- Um- first base going?

A little bit.

Definitely now post-game, but, you know, when it's obv- it was obviously gonna be Sanchez, the whole goal was, you know, kinda take him the other way, so I thought I did a good job of that and sticking to my plan.

Anyone tell you you were one more away from matching the Major League record?

No, I didn't know.

At the start- I didn't know at all.

Did your nephew cry today?

What's that?

Your nephew cried today?

I don't know.

I gotta need to check in, but I haven't heard about anything, so hopefully not.

Hopefully he's not crying at home if he's at home.

How important is it as maybe having the, you know, this being kind of the foundation that you're making in your career?

Obviously not every day is gonna be as great as this one, but to- Yeah have, you know, two multi-hit games, obviously you get your first RBIs as well.

Yeah, I think, you know, it's nice.

it's always nice to know how you stack up against some of the best in the game.

Obviously a guy like Sanchez, had a lot of success, really good pitcher.

And to, you know, be able to work some good at-bats off him is obviously a good confidence boost.

Is that sort of the approach to go the other way against- Yeah.

Just, you know, his main arsenal's sinker, changeup, so everything running away from you and, you know, just trying to take it where he's pitching it, take it the other way, go with the pitch.

So I think, you know, talking with our hitting coaches was to, you know, kinda look in, but take it the other way.

You've made a real good case to play a lot more.

I- is that a thing for you?

Is that kinda what you're trying to do, and do you feel you've earned maybe more playing time than you going forward?

I think my whole goal, like, this off-season was just to be consistent with everything I do, and every day be consistent.

And if my name's in the lineup, I'll play as hard as I can.

If not, just keep staying consistent with my practice and work, so whenever my name is called, I'm ready.

Could you, you know, kind of stay ready in between starts, kind of like your last start was last Thursday?

I think a big thing for me is catching all the bullpens I can.

You know, just seeing that velocity whenever I can.

keeping the same hitting routine every day.

That way I can base if I feel good or not based off of how I feel that day, knowing that my work was consistent.

What, what do you attribute the success at the plate early on so far to?

I would say a lot of it has to do with the off-season changes I made, just, you know, being a lot calmer at the plate, smooth, seeing the ball a little better.

Worked a lot with my brother and then Zack Greinke, two former Giants, and just really talking about, I think growing up, my strength was the opposite side of the field and getting back to that.

You know, obviously I'll pull the ball when I get thrown there, but taking what they give me the other way as well, it's really helped me.

Yeah.

You, you don't seem very gee-whiz about this.

I mean, you seem pretty business-like about it.

I mean, is part of that, you know, you get the hit and you gotta go right back out on the catch?

Yeah.

I think that's just, kinda always been my personality.

just kind of an older soul, so just kinda onto the next.

biggest thing today was Robbie Ray.

He was so good, just impressive.

It's always great to, you know, see him execute his plan, and he did a really good job of that today.

What made Mason so good today?

I think just really mixing every pitch.

You know, obviously he's mainly a fastball-slider guy, and for good reason.

They're two really good pitches.

But really adding in the changeup and curveball, working both sides of the plate, just keeping hitters off balance, especially that heart of the order is really good.

And when you can get through that heart of the order, you know, it starts to take a little bit of pressure off your-

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