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AL DIVISION SERIES: ROYALS v ANGELS


October 2, 2014


Danny Duffy

Mike Moustakas


ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Game One

Royals – 3
Angels – 2


Q.  Mike, congratulations.  Can you just take us through at the bat and tell us how much a home run like this means to you?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  I was just looking for a good pitch to hit.  We got a bunch of guys on that bench that can get a bag, so I was doing whatever I could to find a way on base.  Threw me the first pitch, it was a good pitch.  Got another pitch, another fastball, and I was able to square it up and ended up getting it out of the yard.
As far as how big of a home run that is, that's probably the biggest one I've ever hit so far.  So it felt really amazing.

Q.  These wins are huge playoff wins, but the way you guys did it in dramatic fashion, what's it been like the last couple of games?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  It's an emotional roller coaster.  When we were playing Oakland the other night, just up‑and‑down the whole game, and then finally coming out with the W.  Then tonight pitcher's battle.  I mean, both those guys pitched their tails off and were able to limit the offense a lot.
You know, it just seems like every night is someone different for us.  Someone else is stepping up big in a big situation, and Vargas, again, threw a great game for us, and we were able to scratch out a W.

Q.  As I recall, you made your Major League debut here; is that correct?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  Yes.

Q.  And had a good game, I remember.  You just feel more relaxed when you get back if your home territory?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  I don't know.  Must be something about the water out here, man.  No, it's a beautiful ballpark.  It's a great place to play, and all my family and friends were here.  But it's just one of those things where you sometimes feel a little more comfortable in one place than another.  But, again, I was just happy that that ball got out of there.

Q.  Did you know it was out all the way, Mous?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  No, I knew I hit it pretty good, but, again, that fence out there is pretty tall.  So I was just hoping I had enough on it to get it out.

Q.  Take me to the pitch and the sequence.  What were you looking for, what you expected?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  I was looking for a fastball.  Always looking for a fastball, and just off of that I was able to get another fastball after the first one.  Just didn't miss it.  I was trying to get on base, like I said earlier.  We had Jarrod Dyson on the bench, ready to go, ready to steal second.
So I was trying to do anything in my power to make it over to first base, and let Rod come in and do what he does.

Q.  You're from here.  How many of your friends and family are here?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  Oh, a ton.  I couldn't even tell you how many are.  I know I left a good amount of tickets.  But I have so many friends and family around this area, and a lot of them came out here to support not only me but the Royals also.  It's the same with Duff over here.  He has a lot of friends and family over here, and he threw the ball fantastic for us late in that game.

Q.  Going back a few innings, that bunt that Calhoun put down.  Do you at all consider dropping it and going for the double‑play there?
MIKE MOUSTAKAS:  I thought about it before when I knew that he was going to bunt.  I thought about it for a second, and then I realized that it's tough to hit off of Wade Davis.  I'd rather have a runner on first and have to get a couple hits off of Wade than anything else.
So when you get three outs, you take as many outs as you can get, and that's kind of what was going through my mind, catch the ball, and let Wade do what he's been doing all year.
THE MODERATOR:  Questions for Danny Duffy.

Q.  How was it coming in in relief?  You're so used to starting and in a big game like this being in relief, a lot of pressure on you, wasn't it?
DANNY DUFFY:  I pitched out of the bullpen in April.  You know, it was very vital for me to be able to find an approach from the bullpen early on in the season.  I mean, I had a lot of questions afterwards about was my heart pumping or whatever.  I just know that if I go in there and execute, what I have in the tank is going to get the job done most of the time.  The story of the game tonight is just how the team played.  Vargy pitched his butt off, and we're all just very excited in there right now.

Q.  How excited are you guys about two extra-inning wins here?  Lot of excitement in that clubhouse, I would think.
DANNY DUFFY:  Yeah, you know, just got to hang in there.  Both these games have kind of gone on very long.  We've battled a lot, and I've always heard that anything can happen in October, and I'm seeing that is very true.
We've got a scrappy team in there.  A very, very talented team, a very raw team, and a great group of guys.  So we're excited.  We've got a lot of work to do though.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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