PostCards: Mike Matheny talks after Game 3

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny addressed the media after the St. Louis Cardinals fell 3-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in NLCS Game 3.
October 14, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (22) watches game action during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Championship Series baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Q. Was it more just mental mistakes by your ballclub tonight that put you behind the 8 ball early?

MIKE MATHENY: It wasn’t very characteristic of how we played all season. Our team has done a great job of improving defensively. We just had a lot of balls in the air tonight that hit the ground that normally don’t. We’re a better club than this.

Q. How concerned are you about David Freese‘s health? What is his situation?

MIKE MATHENY: Well, at the time all we could see is how he was responding and wasn’t able to run. Came back, said it was a cramp, and they’ll get a better look at it. So right now it’s day‑to‑day and expect him to be ready to go.

Q. Was there anything about Hyun‑Jin Ryu’s performance that made it more difficult for you guys?

MIKE MATHENY: He’s thrown a couple of good games against us. Threw the ball well today and didn’t make a lot of mistakes. We couldn’t get anything going. We would get one opportunity and aggressive base running play ends up taking us out of the inning. But he controlled the counts, controlled the plate, did what he wanted to against us.

Q. What do you think of Puig’s abilities? And did the celebration on either end bother you, the flip and the celebration at the end, or do you just look at that as him having fun?

MIKE MATHENY: He’s a good player, there is no question about it. Guys are going to handle successes and failures however they’re going to handle them, and that’s not really our say.