
Clubhouse Reactions Following Game 8 vs. Glacier
PaddleHeads React to Wednesday's 'Knockout' Loss to Range Riders
A Postgame Conversation with Manager Michael Schlact
Q: Another close ballgame between these 2 sides was what we saw tonight. You obviously want to be on the other side of games like this firstly. However, you also saw your team compete well tonight and fought to the very end. Do you think its good for your team to be in these high leverage battles in the early stages of the season?
Schlact: "Yes, it's definitely nice to be able to compete. That is a good club over there. I was proud that our guys fought and kept us in the game. Dawson Day ran into some adversity there in that big inning but was able to put up a zero in the next half which was huge. We just are trying to figure out our identity right now as a team. We still need to find the right puzzle pieces to find the most success."
Q: In a few different instances tonight you had at-bats where offensively you saw players execute and put good swings on the ball and were not rewarded. Kam Willman's at-bat in the 9th jumps out in that regard hitting a line drive 103 miles per hour off the bat but right into the defense. Can that weigh on your mentally when you're trying to build confidence?
Schlact: "Yes of course, I can think of at-bats where we hit the ball right on the head and it led to an out. I'm not sure if it weighs on you mentally, but it is frustrating. But that is just part of the game of baseball. You have to show up every day and realize that luck can also be on your side in other instances."
Q: Your bullpen was able to pitch well tonight to keep the PaddleHeads in the game. It's really the 2nd time in the last 3 games they have come up big in low scoring affairs like this thinking about the game Sunday in Billings. A number of guys in the pen were also a part of both contests. Is it nice to see sustained success from relievers in your bullpen?
Schlact: "Yes, that was great to see. Cale Mathison had a nice bounce-back outing tonight as well after seeing things not go his way the last time out which was great to see. He did a great job of getting the ball on the ground. He's got great stuff, he just needs to trust it. I saw him go out there tonight and attack. Our bullpen as a whole really pitched outstanding out there for us tonight."
Q: In the first 2 games of this series you have been able to get runs on the board in the 1st inning but have gone on to lose the contest ultimately. How do you sustain that success into the innings that follow?
Schlact: "I think right now we are trying to figure out if we are hitting cruise control too easily. That is something that has been talked about. That is about learning the players and what they are all about. As the days tick by we are going to learn how guys react in certain situations to put them in the best position to win ballgames."
Safford's Stars Of Wednesday's Ballgame
-
Kingston Liniak
Whenever you can get the job done in regulation, and in a 'Knockout Round' its easy to see how you end up on this list. As a 'Franchise Player' for the Range Riders, those are the types of positions where you are expected to shine. A home run to take the lead as part of a big rally, along with success with the knockout were big moments in this one. Glacier is going to lean on this veteran's experience, and pure talent throughout the course of the season. Along with the power, Liniak is also a fantastic defensive player in center field.
-
JD McLaughlin
The corner outfielder would tally 3 hits for the 2nd night in a row for Glacier and has been a fixture at the top of the order the last 2 games. Furthermore, McLaughlin would also go yard on the 3rd Wednesday to get the Range Riders on the board.
Hits in bunches has been the name of the game offensively for Glacier in these 2 ballgames. The vast bulk of the Range Rider's offense has come in innings tallying 2 runs or more. The only earned runs in Wednesday's contest came in a 7-batter span in the 3rd inning. McLaughlin was the head of the snake hitting the 1st home run of the frame to break the ice. Getting a swing like that from a leadoff man can ignite a dugout. That would prove to be the case Wednesday.
You almost would not know that the reigning league MVP had missed 5 games to start the regular season when you look at the way he has performed after being activated Sunday. That was more than apparent Wednesday; it was a fantastic night at the plate. Alec Sanchez was the only other player in the order that finished with 2 hits or more. Fogel would hit his first home run of the season in his first at-bats. On the flipside, Fogel also showed off a patient approach drawing a walk in his 2nd at-bat of the night.
Michael Schlact alluded to Fogel needing some time to find his timing, and swing in a conversation here on PaddleHeads Insider a few nights ago. If this type of production is what a player looking for his swing looks like, I will be very curious to see what Fogel looks like when he has it locked in. I'm not sure anything would surprise me at this point thinking about the talent of the PaddleHeads left fielder. It truly has been a privilege to watch this cat play in person on a regular basis over the last 2 seasons. Fogel is also a fantastic person, and teammate off the field. He is what Missoula PaddleHeads Baseball is all about. He fights for his team on the field, and is a quality human being off of it.