WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL D - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VS VENEZUELA

March 11, 2023

Rodney Linares

LoanDepot Park

Team Dominican Republic

Postgame Press Conference

Venezuela 5, Dominican Republic 1

Q. First of all, impressions, your thoughts about today? How difficult is it for a manager to have so many options, so many good players, but at the same time to consider the restrictions of the MLB in terms of the defense? How did you deal with that?

RODNEY LINARES: It was a tough game. Five runs with two outs, all of them. That was not the plan. We didn't expect that.

In terms of the restrictions, yes, they are tough. We wanted to use more of García, who was dominating. We brought Canó. At that point in time we did not have a first baseman. Things happened, we turn the page, and now we have to think about the next game.

Q. Well, you didn't accomplish the goal of winning. You have to make some adjustments. What are you planning to do now especially on offense?

RODNEY LINARES: I mean, this is a game. I cannot give you an answer about just one game. These are the players that we have, and we trust our players. Martin Perez, I mean, we made his life difficult in the first inning.

Maybe the guys were anxious. We're going down to meet with them and to control more of the this moment. This is what we have to improve.

Q. Can you explain a little bit, please, the rationale when you substituted Gary Sanchez with Canó?

RODNEY LINARES: There was only one out. I just said it. Didn't you hear my answer? We brought two left-hand batters. We brought in Canó to try to beat them, but we couldn't. The situation is we have two catchers only.

Q. Maybe when Mejia was at-bat, maybe you could have saved the catcher in the first occasion. We could have put a different hitter at that time.

RODNEY LINARES: At that time we were trying to get something against García. Then Mejia came, but the opportunities will come. We have restrictions in terms of the outfielders and the catcher.

Q. Alcantara looked great in the first three innings. What was the logic leaving him in versus going to your bullpen a little earlier?

RODNEY LINARES: He is a Cy Young Award winner. He is our guy. We're going to give him every chance to get it. He went out there and loaded the bases with nobody out. Got two outs. Then he went 1-2. Probably didn't make the right pitch, threw him a slider. The slider stayed in the middle of the plate.

He was two pitches away from throwing a really, really good shutout game. He threw that front-door sinker to Santander for the home run, and then he threw the 1-2 pitch for the slider that went right to his barrel, and he got the base hit.

Q. Are players such as Robinson Cano, Cruz, Reyes, what were they telling the other players, such as Peña, Wander Franco, and others, so that they were trying to have fun, trying to improve things?

RODNEY LINARES: Well, you should ask them because. I'm not there when they speak. I'm trying to lead and manage the game. José has been great for the younger players. He was with them in the practice.

Venezuela played better. Five runs with two outs. Four of them with two strikes in the count. We didn't execute the pitches that were planned. We got starter out of the game early, and we had the right people to do it. We had Rodriguez with bases loaded and one out. Martin was great. I mean, you have to respect that.

Q. The Dominican Republic has to turn the page and to be focused on the next games to qualify. How do you deal with an opponent within the head of the players, and that was the anxiety that they showed on the field, and they couldn't control.

RODNEY LINARES: They are all professionals. They have played in different scenarios. Guys that have played in the playoffs in the World Series. We have an MVP of the World Series. People that are experienced.

We were in the game. I left the room when they were speaking about that. The key message is control the moment. Don't let the moment control you. And today I think the scenario controlled us.

Q. Could you speak about the key point of the Dominican Republic, and if you talked to the pitching coach to take out Sandy?

RODNEY LINARES: Yes, I talked to the pitching coach. We had Neris ready. As you know, we have only one left-hander in the bullpen, but we have great pitchers against left-handed hitters. We wanted to bring Cabrera when the bases were loaded. It was tied 1-1. We thought about Neris. If Sandy couldn't get the batter out, we'd take him for Altuve.

We tried go with the best matchup. We had those left-handed hitters with two strikes, but we couldn't dominate them. Santander and Peralta, yes, both left-handed.