World Series Game 3: McCullers, Peacock postgame interview

Q. Lance, can you talk about the third inning and just kind of what you went through. And I know he came out and talked to you. Take us through that.
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: I didn't have much tonight from the get-go. I was not really able to locate pretty much anything. So in the third inning just wasn't making my pitches. After a big four inning from the guys, you don't want to change your approach for the team because that's the easiest way to get in trouble. But I stuck with mine and I just didn't land pitches, which is the biggest thing. I don't really attribute it to anything else, I just wasn't executing at the time. With Seager coming up, I thought he's their best hitter, personally, it was just time for me to make some big pitches. And Yuli and Carlos, Carlos to me, great player all round. And then Turner. That was a big inning for us, and we kind of came back and put some more runs on the board and did as best as I could for as long as I could until Pea came in and pitched unbelievably.
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Q. How much does it help when your offense goes back to normal the way it did tonight, how much pressure does that take off of you, especially in that third inning, in the situation you got in, knowing that you had some runs for cushion?
BRAD PEACOCK: It helps us out a lot. Just takes a little pressure off, maybe not in the World Series, but during the regular season. But these guys have been doing it all year, I knew they were going to figure it out, which they did the past couple of games. It's been a lot of fun to watch them, for sure.
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: Seeing the guys start swinging the bat like that again toward the end of the LA game, you come home with a bunch of confidence. Darvish is as good as it gets in this game, especially with all the pitches he throws and the command he throws it with. I think for the guys to just really zone in and battle out some awesome at-bats to wait until they got their pitch to do some damage with, all the credit to those guys for putting up one heck of a game.
Q. Could both of you guys comment, having both recorded your first career saves to finish playoff games in the last five days on what that's like. And Lance, could you talk about Brad doing it today?
BRAD PEACOCK: It was crazy. In the 8th -- after the 8th A.J. asked if I felt good. I said, yeah. "All right. You're going back out." I'm shocked. I'm just glad he gave me the opportunity to do that. And it was a lot of fun out there, for sure.
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: Yeah, coming in against the Yankees, I came in after Charlie, who threw the ball great that game, and really felt like I had the Yankees on their heels a little bit, and was able to execute, use a little bit of their aggression against them. And the Dodgers are, like I said, man, they're as good as it gets. They're in the World Series for a reason. And I grinded through every out that I had. Pea just absolutely flourished with the opportunity. He looked unbelievable. It's tough, especially as a starter, I know Pea came out of the bullpen early this year, but has been a starter for most of the season, to be able to come out and keep your emotions in check in such a big game, I'm honored to be -- we'll be forever linked as the first World Series win inside Minute Maid Park. And I think every single person we both know is here. So it's pretty cool to have our friends and family see us link up for a big W.

Q. What did the confidence they showed in you tonight as you got going, just left you out there to finish it? And what has this season meant to you?
BRAD PEACOCK: The season has meant a lot. I've said it before many times, I don't think I was going to make the team in Spring Training. And someone got hurt and I just had a save in the World Series. It's unbelievable, man. I'm never going to forget this, ever. It's been a lot of fun this year. I learned a lot from everybody. And it's just been a lot of fun.
Q. You got going tonight, he just left you out there.
BRAD PEACOCK: Yeah, I felt good. And they weren't taking really good swings off me. And I'm just glad he gave me the opportunity to do that. And I'll thank him forever for it, I'm sure.
Q. I'm not sure Brad would say it himself, and you touched on it already, what did you see from him tonight that you thought was working, and why you think he's able to thrive in these situations?
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: I think everyone is kind of playing this season that Brad has had as like a Cinderella story, but the guy was really good before he came over here. He came over with some back issues that didn't get resolved until after the 2015 season. Last year he was up here and there and threw the ball really well. And then this Spring Training came in and did more of the same after he had been healthy for a while and had the opportunity to have a full offseason to workout and to get himself right. Everyone in the clubhouse has known what he's been capable of. Just a matter of going and doing it. The whole season he's been unbelievable. And I think a couple of other outings in the postseason versus tonight, he was just oozing with confidence and was really easy to tell. I think A.J. did a great job deciding to go with him. We have a great bullpen, I know everyone wants to be down on it. But I don't think Kenny G, knock on wood -- I think he's saved every game he's had in this ballpark this season. The bullpen guys, when they're going well, nobody really talks about them too much, and when they're struggling it's front page news. To know they have a great bullpen in there with All-Stars, etc., and to see the way Pea was throwing the ball, I can't say enough, he was unbelievable.
Q. Just you guys are 7-0 at home. You win your first home World Series game. Just from the moment J. J. Watt was out there, what was the energy like, and what would it mean to bring the World Series trophy home to the city for the first time?
BRAD PEACOCK: All the fans have been outstanding during this postseason. And to tell you the truth when I was out there a couple of times I got the chills from them screaming so loud. That was an unbelievable feeling. They got me going, and I'm just glad I was able to get it done, for sure.
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: More of the same. The ovation that they were giving us when we were getting introduced here today. The one that I got when I was the bullpen. I got chills. I'll probably never forget that. Our crowd, they bring it. We've played -- I've played in a decent amount of stadiums now, at least for postseason ball, and when Minute Maid gets rocking, there's no place louder. So credit to our fans, and we really feed off that energy.
Q. Lance, in the third when you're scuffling and your tunnel vision, were you even aware the pen was up, are you thinking, no way, not happening? And can you contrast to the 6th, you dominated Bellinger. Did you have an idea he might be your last batter?
LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: Yeah, for me, I think that situation, or any situation you're one pitch away. You're one executed pitch away from a double play, like I ended up getting, or three good pitches away in a row from punching a guy out and kind of alleviating that situation a little bit. So you can't sit back and look at it and say, oh, my goodness, I have three guys on and I have the core of the lineup up or you'll crumble. You have to continue to try to make your pitches. That's how I got in that situation and that's how I was going to get out of it. For me that was make or break. So I'm glad that I kind of stuck with my guns. I can't say enough about Brian McCann. I don't think we're anywhere close to the position we're in without that guy being back there almost every day. Yeah, I struck out Bellinger, and Strom kind of told me, "Hey, give us everything you've got this last at-bat because we have help coming in behind you." Whether Pea has been starting the game or coming in, everyone feels confident not only with him but everybody. But he's just crazy good tonight.
Q. You were picked as a draft-and-follow as a catcher initially and then you converted pitching.
BRAD PEACOCK: No, it just said "catcher" next to my name, but, no, I wasn't a catcher.
Q. Talk about the journey you've been on, particularly being a J.C. guy, a 41st rounder, and now here you are a save in the World Series. Is that something that drove you a little bit, that draft number?
BRAD PEACOCK: Yeah, when I got drafted, drafted, whatever, the Nationals got me, and they treated me well, and they let me move up their system and made my debut with them. They got me going. I got traded to Oakland, had a bad year and then ended up here. And I've learned so much from Strommy and he's taught me pretty much everything that I've been doing. It just took me a while to put it all together. But, yeah, it's just all about confidence, I guess, and trusting your stuff. I had a couple of pitches and that's definitely helped me, for sure.