SHILDT SAYS: Talking of Cease and King, the Starters and the Bullpen, Plus Profar, Merrill and Third Base
With Dylan Cease and Michael King each having stand out outings in their last start and King going Tuesday night in Denver, Padres manager Mike Shildt spoke about the importance of the duo to the rotation.
“There’s no question they’ve solidified the rotation,” Shildt said before Tuesday’s game. “It starts with innings. Start with going and grabbing quality innings to help the team compete. That’s a big portion of those guys’ responsibilities when they get the ball at the beginning of the game. Both those guys have done that very, very well.
“They’ve done the things that allow you to get deep into games and compete. They hold runners. They haven’t had as many, but they hold runners. They keep the double plays in order. They control counts. They have multiple pitches they can throw for strikes. And their preparation, which I get the privilege to see in the clubhouse … they are professional guys who are prepared and ready to compete every time out.”
Speaking in general about the starters, Shildt said: “Our starters give us a big chance to win games. Whether we have the lead or are in a position to come back … they keep it right there. When you have those guys we have to run out there, it’s a bonus to our bullpen as well. When we get those starter innings, we can make sure use the relievers when we want to and keep them fresh as well.”
Shildt then specifically discussed King.
“It’s just consistency,” said the manager of King. “He’s had multiple good outings. The last one was just tremendous … top of the line. It’s just about execution and controlling counts … things that typically lead to good performances. I expect that from him tonight.
“I think there is a plus to know you’re starting regularly. I think it’s super important for him to start to estsablish the routine … starting with the the starter’s bullpen. Knowing that he’s going to pitch deeper into games, makes him able to use his whole pitch arsenal . It’s really important for him to have that mix.
“And there’s something to watching and learning from the guy pitching ahead of you. Guys are in tempo about that. When we’re in a series, you learn from what you’re seeing … communication amongst the group. It’s definitely beneficial.”
Shildt on Jurickson Profar: “He’s just a winning player. He beats you a lot of different ways. He embraces whatever the big moment is. He takes a good at-bat, a quality at-bat. He’s able to focus properly. He has real talent. The fact that he switch hits really helps. Last night he did it from the right side. He’s done it from the left side. He’s a really good baserunner, which has been on display this year. He’s just a good winning player.”
Shildt on Jackson Merrill (who has the highest road batting average in the Major Leagues): “That’s an impressive stat, really impressive actually. It speaks to what we’ve said about Merrill and to what he does. He plays the game. He plays according to the situation and takes it for what it is. I love the fact that if he doesn’t have a good at-bat — whether he had a good at-bat and didn’t get a result or a bad at-bat — both of which can be a challenge for anybody at this level when you want to get your hits and be productive for the team. And if you don’t have a great at-bat, that can have a carry-over affect as well. I don’t see that with him. I actually see him having good at-bats regardless of circumstances and actually, which I think is very impressive for anyone, but especially for a young person. He makes adjustments during an at-bat. His last two at-bats Monday night were really quality and helped us big time.”
Shildt on filling the void left by Manny Machado being away on paternity leave: “We’re excited for Manny and his family. We miss him being in the lineup. The biggest thing is getting (Graham)Pauley in there and getting him some at-bats in the designated hitter spot. When that opened up, get Tyler Wade back in there at third. We’ve done a nice job of tag-teaming at the third base spot. It’s good seeing those guys in the lineup and hopefully they produce tonight.”
