Clubhouse Reactions Following Game 9 vs. Glacier

A Postgame Conversation with Manager Michael Schlact

Q: So Glacier came out of the gates and punched you in the mound over the first 3 innings of this contest. What was the vibe like in your dugout after the top of the 3rd came to an end? 

Schlact: "They did not like how those events played out at all. They took it personally. It woke them up. That was cool to see. When you get punched in the mouth, how do you respond? That means everything in this game. They fought hard, and it was great to see them play with an edge in every facet of the game." 

Q:It wasn't just a response but a very quick response from your team in the bottom of the 3rd. It also was a very aggressive approach with a lot of swings early in the count, and stolen bases. What did you like about that aspect of your performance?

Schlact: "Sometimes you see responses, and sometimes you see statements. I liked the statement that we made saying that things would not continue to go the way they had been. You also have to keep in mind that it's a great ball club over there as they have shown. So you can never let your guard down. When an opportunity presents itself to go for it you have to be aggressive. So I was happy we did that."

Q: Kicking off a night of success from your bullpen was a professional debut thinking about the left hander Matt Taubensee. How special was that for you to watch? 

Schlact: "He showed me that he was as good as advertised. But what is even more special is that the Taubensee family is very close with my family personally. His father Eddie is a mentor to me. I have known Matt since he was very young. So it was really cool to have that moment with him. I know his family was watching and was extremely proud. He attacked the zone and did not let the moment get too big for him."  

Shifting back to your offense, a strength in years past has been your team's ability to hit up and down the lineup. That was seen in full force tonight. Especially looking at the top 4 or 5 hitters. What were highlights for you? 

Schlact: "Fogel hit the ball a mile tonight and we saw a lot of those last season, he's just a special player. But to see what Colin Gordon has done with the bat from the moment he stepped in Missoula has been remarkable. What is cool about it is that his approach has gotten a lot cleaner. He's not swinging at bad pitches he was chasing in years past. He's learning more about who he is as a ballplayer. I'm proud of him."

Q: There were some unique moments in this game that surely left a sour taste in the mouths of the Range Riders. For that reason, you have to expect they will come out with some extra motivation for tomorrow's contest. How will you match that energy? 

Schlact: "What we are starting to learn in our clubhouse is that we need to confidently show up every day. We don't need to do more. Pitchers are going to have to come out and set the tone by attacking the zone to get things started. If our offense keeps the momentum going form tonight's performance that should definitely get us off to a good start."

Safford's Stars from Thursday

1. Matt Taubensee 

Professional debuts are always a fun moment to be a part of. It's tough to top how the southpaw got rolling in his first trip to a professional mound. He would strike out the first batter he faced as a pro in the Glacier leadoff man JD McLaughlin with a fastball on the outer half.  The inning would then end moments late on a 'strike him out, throw him out' when Taylor Smith gunned down a man trying to steal on a pitch that was also strike 3 swinging. What a moment in time. A moment that wherever this rookie goes, he will never forget. That is the human element of sport that is so special. These are life moments for these people. Not just moments in a baseball game. 

On that front, I did not know of the personal connection that Schlact had with the family of the rookie prior to this evening.  I cannot imagine the feeling of pride that Michael must have in watching a pitcher he has known throughout his life have success in his first stop in professional baseball. Schlact chased the dream himself as a pitcher in affiliated baseball. Now it's his turn to give the next generation their opportunity. If his professional debut was any indication, Taubensee will be a force to reckon with. 

2. Colin Gordon

We have been highlighting his performance at length dating back to Spring Training. I feel I made the same observation as Schlact. He has just been locked in at the plate since day 1. A big theme of Spring Training collectively was that pitchers had distinct advantages over hitters as a general rule of thumb as offensive minded players took longer to find their timing. Gordon on the other hand seemingly walked on the field on the first day of camp like he was getting ready for game 48. The veteran was seemingly midseason ready from the start.

It has shown in how he has attacked this season. Finishing one leg short of the cycle is always a solid night. But similar to Roberto Pena, Gordon has also clearly made some offensive adjustments to fine tune his approach. Less in terms of chasing pitches out of the zone most definitely. Gordon can also do some much for you offensively as a versatile switch hitter. Not to mention, 'Gordo' has to be one of the more sure handed defenders on the team as well. 

3. Alec Sanchez

Sanchez delivered the swing that would put the PaddleHeads in front for good in the bottom of the 8th hitting a 3-run bomb to vault Missoula to the lead. But that wasn't the highlight for me. It was his demeanor on the field. In numerous situations while on the comeback trail, he was animated in his interactions with his teammates in the dugout. After an RBI double in the 3rd, Sanchez would be seemingly fanning the proverbial fire with how he was interacting with the dugout. That fires you up as a team. Moments later yes, he was thrown out trying to steal 3rd. However, that aggressive and confident approach goes a long way to win ballgames. Playing aggressive baseball with a team on their heels won a game tonight for Missoula. 

Sanchez sensed blood in the water, and attacked. That mentality clearly rubbed off on the entire team. So it's easy to highlight a home run in a big spot like what we saw from the 2nd year centerfielder, but those moments of leadership is what really jumps off the page.