Oct. 18 Joe Maddon postgame interview

Q. I’m sure you expect more out of your offense. Can you explain what you’ve seen from them in the last little bit?

JOE MADDON: We’re not hitting the ball hard. They’ve pitched well. Obviously, I have no solid explanation. We’ve just got to keep working at it. We’re just not hitting the ball well. We’re doing the same kind of routines, the work is the same, the batting practice is the same, or the lack of it is the same, and we’re just not getting the results right now. There is really no excuse. We just have to pick it up quickly.Q. You referenced in the pregame what happened against the Mets last year where it started going downhill and you couldn’t stop it. Is it harder to stop a negative trend in the postseason like bad offense, and if so, do you have any other things to do besides shake up your lineup like you did today?

JOE MADDON: It could be possibly. It depends on the pitching. We’re going to see a new young guy tomorrow. It’s more of a mental trend than a physical trend. You have to be able to push back mentally as much as anything right now. Because when it comes down to work, you don’t need any more batting practice or video study or data information. You just have to mentally hang in there and keep pushing back until you get it. It’s just about hard contact. Overall, the at-bats haven’t been bad. We’re just not hitting the balls. We’re not striking it well. So we’re making it easier on their defense. But, it’s more of a mental exercise than it is a physical one right now for me.Q. After that San Francisco series, you said you didn’t think it would be different. It would still be a grind. You didn’t think you’d pummel the ball. You just wanted your guys to work good at-bats. Based off that, how happy are you?

JOE MADDON: Well, we’re working the at-bats. Obviously we’re looking for more results. We did attempt to shake it up a little bit today and obviously didn’t play very well. But, listen, I’ve got a lot of faith in our guys. It’s a difficult moment to be in to come back out here on the first game here, two more left before we get to go home, and you have to fight through some pretty stringent adversity. But that’s how this thing works sometimes. Again, from my perspective, there is nothing differently to do, except to really come out tomorrow with the right mental attitude, and that’s our best weapon, I think.Q. You mentioned that adversity. You spent one day out of first place the whole season. Even in the first round when you had adversity, you had already won the first two games. Is this as big a test as your team is now going to face? And how do you keep them from getting too — pressing too hard about it?

JOE MADDON: Well, again, it’s conversational. They’re going to react to how I’m going to react. I’ve always believed that. I’ve always thought for me regardless of the situation that I have to be consistent when I walk into the room. They have to see consistency from me, which hopefully they’re going to be …

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