MLB WORLD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS RANGERS

October 28, 2023

Torey Lovullo

Globe Life Field

Arizona Diamondbacks

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Diamondbacks - 9, Rangers - 1

Q. You know what I'm going to ask you, right?

TOREY LOVULLO: Why did I take Merrill out of the game after 89 pitches? I just felt like he had done his job. It was seven up/downs. It was a big ask. There was a ton of emotion that goes into every World Series game.

I looked him up and down. I looked him over, and I felt like he was getting a little fatigued.

It was a little bit more of an agreeing type of conversation that we had. And he understood where I was coming from.

And typical you've got to tell Merrill why, you've got to tell him what's on your mind. If there's buy-in he'll accept it. If not, he'll continue to hammer away at you.

But I told him you did your job, seven up/downs time to turn over the bullpen. We've got some guys who need some work. And it's their job to secure this victory. And he said okay.

Q. As the lead widened in the top of the eighth, you could have let him get a couple of batters just to see how he was going and then made some moves?

TOREY LOVULLO: It crossed my mind as it was happening, but I already made the decision. He's got one more start for the 2023 season, and I want to have him fully gassed up, and I want to save as many bullets and save as many pitches, up/downs and pitches as I could possibly could. He understood that.

Q. Finally, do you think there's ever going to be a complete game in the World Series or the playoffs again? Last one was '17. The last in the World Series was '15?

TOREY LOVULLO: That's what you're hoping for. You're such a tradition, I know it.

Yeah, I think you will, I think there's a possibility. It was looking really good for Merrill. There's no doubt in my mind -- it was some quick, easy outs. And I thought he might go nine innings today at one point.

But for that to happen, 89 pitches, you've got to jump him up probably another 35. I wasn't going to let him throw 120 pitches.

Q. If you zoom out from tonight, he did this in Philadelphia in an elimination game. He did this in Dodgers Stadium where he had never beaten the Dodgers. What are we watching here with Merrill this postseason?

TOREY LOVULLO: I think there's a little bit of an evolution, a little bit of maturity that continues to show up with him in every outing.

He takes things personally upon himself to get better every single start. He's aware. He's present. And he's getting better and better with every start.

You can't simulate postseason wins -- let's say, you can't simulate postseason starts. He's really stepped on it and gotten after it and gotten even better which is not surprising to me because that's who he is at his core. He wants the biggest moment, the biggest stage to show what he's capable of doing.

This was a big win. You're talking about a team that got beat last night after being two outs away from a win. There's a concern of momentum in the other direction.

I think the first couple of innings he said, I got you guys until you got your feet on the ground. And we did. We won this game today because of Merrill.

Q. If there's been one knock on Merrill this season it was probably lack of control at times, too many walks. Today for him not to walk anybody after you had 10 walks yesterday, what did that change for you guys?

TOREY LOVULLO: I know at the beginning of the year there were some wobbly moments. And I think it had more to do with his prep and getting ready for the WBC. He ramped up well ahead of everybody else. And he came back from the WBC, there's probably a little bit of an emotional letdown. Then all of a sudden he's thrust into some big league games.

Maybe there was just a continuation mindset that he didn't feel it yet. But we've seen that improve since the first month of the season. I think there was some four-walk games, maybe even a five-walk game if I can remember correctly, in April, early May.

He's a balance-feel guy. When he gets his alignment it's really good and that's what you did see. I did notice the strike outs, I noticed there were no walks. And I felt like, probably between pitch 16 and 20, I think he was at 20 after two, that it was going real good for him.

The change-up was going down. I couldn't tell whether it was a slider or change-up, he had it all working.

Q. What was your reaction in the dugout watching him the third time through the order, five strikeouts against six guys?

TOREY LOVULLO: Real impressive. That's what a really good starting pitcher is capable of doing. This lineup is extremely potent and capable of turning it around in a hurry, but he made pitches.

Q. Other than one glaring mistake tonight, you guys are running the bases really well. It's changed a lot from the last series. How has that changed from previously to now in terms of your aggressiveness and what you guys are doing strategically?

TOREY LOVULLO: I think I might have spoke to you about it that one day in Philly. We have our targets, we have our times, we have our situations based on the score, innings, outs, hitter. And some things lined up today, and we're trying to be as aggressive as possible because we know it adds energy to this ballclub.

Yeah, there was a big hiccup today. I think you've got to live and die with good and bad moments when you're going to take chances.

But our team is smart, with a very high baseball IQ. And they're tremendously disciplined to pick the right times. It's hard to say that you are ready to go and ready to steal a base, but you don't have enough triggers based on what our criteria is to steal a base. That's the true meaning of discipline, when not to go. And I think that's why we're so successful.

Q. At the trade deadline, fans understandably look at big names, guys like Scherzer and Verlander, but there's a lot of guys like Tommy that get traded that you don't hear as much about. What did you guys want him to do when you got him? And how has he filled whatever role you had along the way?

TOREY LOVULLO: He goes out there and bangs out four base hits today and has a really good approach. But I think the thing he added was some toughness, some focus. And his ability to prepare became very contagious.

There's no nonsense about his workday. He's a great teammate. He's an unbelievable teammate. And I know we got better because of all the things that he brings to the table that don't get seen in a box score. It's nice to get those four hits today. Of course, it set a great tone for us.

But he's a very intense competitor with zero room for nonsense. And I think that personifies who we are when we get between the white lines at 7:05 every night.