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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL C

March 11, 2017

Luis Urueta

Miami, Florida

Colombia - 4, Canada - 1

Q. The obvious question, what's the feeling after achieving a historic victory today?
LUIS URUETA: Yes, very happy. It was a great game. It was a fight from beginning to end. Julio struggled a bit at the beginning with his command, but since he was a veteran he kept his cool, he made the necessary adjustments, and he gave us five solid innings to help us keep in the game. The offense responded, which is what he needed.

We continued to play good defense. The players keep playing hard. Maybe some errors like running the bases, based on the inexperience of the players, but in the end we got what we wanted and we got the result that we dreamed of, and it makes us happy.

Q. First of all, congratulations. Last night when we saw one heck of a game that unfortunately you did not win. But today you did. What was the message that you gave last night to the players that yielded fruit today? What did you tell them?
LUIS URUETA: That's precisely what you say. It was not a change of mentality. The mindset continued to be the same. The factor that came into play last night, a late evening last night and then today it was an early morning game, so the players kept up their momentum and energy. We had a few hours of sleep and we arrived here early, came out with the same attitude as yesterday and we came out with the same motivation and the same desire, as if the first inning today was the 11th.

We wanted to be aggressive, get on the board first. They scored first and that could have been a factor to lose their motivation, but that didn't happen. The guys continued to try and find ways to score, to get to the base. So I'm happy with their performance and with their mindset and the strength that they are showing mentally.

Q. In the first game with the United States you used William Cuevas. You were going to use him as the starter against the Dominican Republic. Yesterday you said you were planning to use Pino, but you used him today. Who will be your starter tomorrow?
LUIS URUETA: I always said that for us the versatility of all our players would be fundamental, not only in pitching, but in position players, players that were playing outside their usual position, and using pitchers in roles that they're not used to. The starters, we used them as relievers such as the cases of Cuevas and Pino, who would have been a starter and always had that role as a pitcher. We used him because it was the best opportunity to win the game. Now we have a different situation, so we have to use the service of Nabil Crismatt.

Quickly we made the decision. The coaches got together and the staff, and we know Nabil is a young man and maybe he might not have the experience that others have in order to face the Dominican Republic, which is a difficult task. It's one heck of a commitment, but I think that the characteristic of Team Colombia is that their tenacity and their willingness and their positive attitude, they are not scared. Nabil is a young man that always wants the ball. So when this game was over, he asked for the ball right away and I did not hesitate.

Clearly he will be on a short leash. It's like in the short term if we hesitate, we have other young men that can help, like Moscoso, and Cuevas again, who will be available tomorrow. But to start the game, we decided that Nabil Crismatt will be the guy.

Q. Talking about the pitchers, I wanted to ask you about the catchers. We saw Jhonathan the first game behind the plate. Alfaro today. Who will be the ideal one to be behind the plate in the game that will be very important tomorrow? And with the lineup will that change, we had 11 hits today. It was a bit better.
LUIS URUETA: It's a good question. And I think that we have a bit more time to analyze it, the defense of both is excellent. I think they both have good defense, both Jhonatan and Jorge. Jorge did a good job behind the plate today, and Jhonatan did a bit better offensively, even as he had two hits and the last one was a turn that gave us a bit of a respite and a bit of an advantage. They could be factors to take into account as to the decision to keep the same battery, but those are things that we have to think with a cool head and to analyze what is in our best interests, whoever does it.

He did it well yesterday, and it helped defensively, Jhonatan, that could be another factor. We will wait until tomorrow, and the batting order should not suffer any changes. I think that the boys did it that way, and we have to continue using the hot bats from the guys in the order that looked a bit better than the order yesterday.

Q. When you classified for the Classic, we knew that Quintana and Teheran would be very important on this team, but for all of us, they exceeded our highest expectations. Tell us what this young men have, these two young men have done in this game.
LUIS URUETA: Well, the performance of both has been impressive. We talked yesterday about the performance of Quintana. Well, now there is no complacency now, it was a great feat on his part.

What happened with Julio today was a bit different, because Julio, as I said before, he had difficulty starting the game in the first inning, he did not feel comfortable, he didn't have his command. And then when you make the adjustments and especially in this atmosphere, this scenario, you have to be strong mentally and a professional, and he did it.

He made the necessary adjustments. He started to have a better command of his pitching. He used his pitches well, the way he should. He mixed his pitches well, and he handle the Canadians lineup well.

I'm very happy with the job that they did, but also I think what is very special was the work done by the relievers. What Pino did today, Cuevas yesterday, also Nappo, Moscoso, also to play against Canada and the United States and only allow four runs in two games is also worth mentioning. Nothing is possible without a good defense.

Q. Talk to us about the regulations, because in Colombia we have been talking about whether if you obtain one victory, that you did get, then you avoided next elimination to play in the next Classic. What is your understanding of that?
LUIS URUETA: No, really, it's not clear. That is not clear to me, but if Canada wins tomorrow and we lose, they are also with 1-2, and then they are the third seed of the pool, we are the fourth seed. So, we would escape that. But right now it's not what we are thinking about. The next Classic is four years from now, and now we want to do is win against the Dominican Republic.

So the ambitions are the same, and to think about the classification, that's a bit of a settling mentality and Team Colombia doesn't like to settle for anything.

Q. After watching the game it would seem that it was an interesting work the way you did that your defense, the way you anticipated the strategy. That was a scouting report of Canadians that was extraordinary in order to do what you did defensively, and then you achieved the victory against Canada.
LUIS URUETA: There was a scouting for the three opponents in this tournament and an evaluation of what we have defensively, the ability of each player. So, we placed the players on the field, we positioned them where we thought they would work best. But it's not always going to work out, but when things are coming your way, and they work, they worked perfectly today.

Freeman twice hit into the shift and the first Urshela was right there, and it was a very big out at that time. And for the last inning, you tell me whether it was out or safe, I haven't seen the replay, but the man was there where he had to be. That's what you're trying to do with a batter such as Freeman, trying to change what he does, to perhaps to get him to hit it where it will not be that dangerous, into the shift.

So it worked. That's what happening in the current modern baseball, and we have continued with that focus. That's something that, you know, that works out and why not do it?

Q. Regardless of the results, yesterday the defeat against the Team USA and today's triumph, and I think that the most important thing is to win over the recognition of the world critics about the quality of Colombian baseball. Do you feel that way?
LUIS URUETA: Yes, obviously. For me, the quality of these players has always been there. I've always trusted them. Unfortunately, they are not too many Colombians in organized baseball. Obviously, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic and Mexico and Puerto Rico are ahead, but those of us who know about baseball, we know that baseball is played in Colombia. There should be no doubt about that.

Yesterday was just to show that we play baseball. When a mistake was made with Miss Universe (Colombia), and they awarded the crown to the other one, it made her more famous. I think last night the same thing happened to us. We also lost and I think we are more famous for that reason. So those are situations that come up in your life. Yesterday was incredible, it was a good game and in the end we lost, but as you say, we showed our quality and we earned the respect of people who know about baseball.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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