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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v RANGERS


October 8, 2011


Ron Washington


ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game One

Texas Rangers – 3
Detroit Tigers - 2


THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question for Ron Washington.

Q. What were your thoughts on the bullpen, especially the way they were able to get strikeouts and Gonzalez getting the key out in the fifth since he was here to get lefties?
RON WASHINGTON: You know, before the rain came, Avila was going to be C.J.'s last guy. But the rain stopped it. So we come back, we brought out Gonzalez.
Our intentions were to try to get two out of Neftali -- not Neftali, Ogando. And he gave it to us. Some nights things fall into place for you, and some nights they don't. Tonight they fell into place for us.

Q. Ron, you said yesterday that you thought Nelson was rounding into form. Do you think the home run may be further indication of that?
RON WASHINGTON: He's capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark. He's also capable of catching gaps and getting singles. Once he starts doing all of that, we'll know he's back. We certainly needed what he gave us tonight. We needed that big home run off of Verlander.

Q. Two part question: First of all, C.J. in the first inning, how he was able to come out of that. And also, the bottom half of this lineup with Napoli and Murphy, what they did at the end of the game, I mean at the beginning of the game to get the win, can you talk about that?
RON WASHINGTON: You know, once again, we knew we had a challenge with Verlander. Murph got us on the board. Napoli fought it with the hit and Murph got us on the board. We needed all that.
C.J. was much better tonight. I just hope Mother Nature wouldn't have stopped him there. I think he was on his way to at least giving us six or seven. He was throwing the ball extremely well.
So it took everyone, and it certainly took a good fight, and having to go through all the delays and -- for the first game it was a good win for us.

Q. What do you think of your bullpen with Ogando now part of it?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, I tell you what, he is certainly showing that he's a great piece to have down there, especially when you got him where he can give you multiple innings. There's times when I have to use him for one. Tonight I needed him for two. And he gave it to me.
We knew he could throw out of the bullpen. We took a chance on him throwing this year as a starting pitcher, and he showed us he can do that also. What a weapon to have.

Q. Ron, even if there had been no rain, what do you think the chances are you would have gone to Ogando for the sixth inning?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, if C.J. would have got out of that fifth inning in good fashion, probably would have sent him back out there and not had Ogando for the seventh or the eighth.
But the way it worked out, he had certainly exhausted all of his pitches once the second rain delay came, and we just brought in Gonzalez. And from that point, we knew that we wanted Ogando in there to try to get two.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
RON WASHINGTON: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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