Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians - Sunday July 20

Detroit Tigers closer Joe Nathan delivers a pitch in the ninth inning Sunday against the Cleveland Indians.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

DETROIT -- Joe Nathan hears the boos. He says he understands the frustation some Detroit Tigers fans have vented in his direction this season. He wishes fans would be more like players, that they would try to stay more even-keeled rather than alternate between cheers and jeers from one day to the next.

"Do we always want the fans supporting us? Yes," he said Sunday after throwing a clean 1-2-3 ninth inning in a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. "And I think they do here. And I think they're so into it and want to win so bad. But as bad as they want to win, we want to win 100 percent more than they do.

"I understand their frustration. All I can do is say I'm busting my butt to get better every day and I'm grinding away every day and I'm in the gym every day."

Nathan was certainly "stronger" Sunday afternoon than he was Saturday night, when the Indians loaded the bases with the score tied 2-2, then cleared them thanks to a Carlos Santana double that extended Detroit's losing streak to four games.

Nathan, who hadn't pitched in more than a week when he entered the game Saturday, was much sharper Sunday. It was obvious to anyone watching the game. It was obvious to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

"It was crisp," Ausmus said. "He was down, got strikes at the bottom of the zone. Good slider. Llooked like he was throwing downhill. I thought he pitched very well."

And Saturday night?

"He hadn't pitched in a week, so maybe that was part of it," Ausmus said. "Not pitching in a week can throw you off mechanically but his sinker was down and obviously around the strike zone (Sunday), especially the lower part of the strike zone, which is where you want it."

Nathan shrugged off the differences that a day clearly made. He was asked if there was anything in particular that worked for him better Sunday than Saturday.

Nathan gives longer answers to postgame interview questions than any other current Tigers players. He's extremely thorough and thoughtful in his responses. But he tied the world's record for fewest number of words ever given in response when he answered that question.

"No," he said, then paused and waited for a follow-up.

Nathan touched upon several topics during a more than 10-minute discussion with media members Sunday after leaving the clubhouse without speaking with reporters a night earlier. Here are a few of the highlights:

On how his most recent two outings compared:

"We won today, so I don't want to talk about last night. Last night was just a matter of pitching around a couple of guys that I don't want to have beat us. I made a mistake to (Carlos) Santana and he put a swing on the ball, got his arms extended and obviously hit a ball well. Leadoff guy was two sliders. He just put a swing on a ball that was almost a great play by Austin (Jackson). That would have obviously changed the inning. From there, just tried to battle. Unfortunately, made a bad pitch at the wrong time. Had to come in to him though. It was a 2-1 count, with the bases loaded. Last thing you want to do is walk the guy. So tried to go down and away. Game of inches. Think I left it up a couple more inches than I wanted to. Like I said, he put a good swing on it. Give credit to him. Today, same thing. Just tried to go out and make pitches. Results were better. Nothing tricky about it. Results were just better today."

On getting right back on the mound after a rough outing:

"It's about winning. We won. That's the most important thing. This isn't about me. This isn't about where I'm at and what I need to do. I've been around the game a long time. I know as bad as things can get, they can also turn around real quick. The point of playing this season is to get to the playoffs and the rest is, for the lack of a better term, it's not 'BS,' but if you make it to the playoffs, what you do for the first 162 doesn't matter. Right now, we're grinding to get there. August is usually the dog days of it, especially with our schedule, 55 (games) in 55 days. We've got to grind through this schedule."

On how he feels compared to before he made a mechanical adjustment:

"I know my stuff's better. For me now, it's just a matter of getting more and more comfortable. Working ahead is always key. It seems like when I'm out there and I'm throwing strike one, it seems to be results-wise and putting hitters into defensive modes is much better when I'm pounding strikes, getting strike one and going from there. But that's the same with every pitcher. For me, I think the mechanical thing was more getting myself confidence that stuff's better. I've really noticed a difference with the slider especially. Early, I was fighting to get it down in the zone and velocity-wise, I think it was more 84 (mph), 85. Now it's been easier to get it down in the zone and I'm noticing 87, 88, 89 at times. I think that's been the biggest pitch so far."

On how maintaining mechanics is affected by a weeklong break:

"It's hard to work on stuff in the game regardless. It's extremely hard when you have a week of downtime. As much as you need the four days, the thing you're worried about the most is getting too much time off. … I'm not doing anything major. It's been easier for me, and I think that's why even if I do go out there and have a bad game like yesterday, you can't always pay attention to results. You've just got to pay attention to how your stuff's coming out and the swings you're getting from hitters. I know I'm getting a lot more swings and misses in the last 10 or 15 outings since I made that adjustment."

On the trade deadline approaching and how rumors affect him:

"I'm way too old to worry about that stuff. I've done too much in this game, too much in my career. I think it'd be unfair to myself to beat myself up over that kind of stuff after all the things I've been through in my career. That's part of the game and I know stuff's going to be talked about, but that's not for me to worry about."

On whether he has ever been in this situation near the trade deadline:

"When I was coming back from Tommy John (surgery), I had a tough first half and then started pitching well. It happened to coincide around the trade deadline. I was amongst talk around that session too, when I was with the Twins. We had Matt Capps closing at the time. It's not my first go through this. But again, I didn't concern myself then and I'm surely not going to do it now."

On the idea the Tigers could another pitcher who could close:

"If that's what this club needs to win games. Like I said, we're about getting to the playoffs and ultimately winning this whole thing."

On whether he's confident he can get back to how good he was last year:

"It was less than a year away from this time. Like I said, I feel like my stuff is there a lot of times. Is it a work in progress? I hope not. I hope it clicks and like today, everything goes smooth from here on out. But it's baseball. That won't happen. I am still that same guy and hopefully it works out that we get to the playoffs and I'm pitching my best then."

On the intensity of closing games:

"It's trying to pitch in situations when it's always intense. You're always throwing with pressure on. Almost having that 'I don't care' attitude. It's tough, because each pitch is so important. You hear starters have got 100 pitches, but a lot of them weren't with stress. With late-inning relievers, 99 percent of the time, you're going to be throwing with stress. It's trying to keep your mentality as calm as you can. Kind of like the saying with the duck swimming on the water. Everything's calm on the water, but underneath the water, everything's churning. Just try and go out there -- and obviously, you're going to care -- make it seem like you're going through the motion."

On whether closers are easy targets for fans:

"I think the tough part for that is, when things go bad, they're all over you. When things go well, they cheer. It's like, it sounds like you guys need some talking to because your emotions are going up and down and we always talk about trying to stay even keel. Do we always want the fans supporting us? Yes. And I think they do here. And I think they're just so into it and want to win so bad. But as bad as they want to win, we want to win 100 percent more than they do. I understand their frustration. All I can do is say I'm busting my butt to get better every day and I'm grinding away every day and I'm in the gym every day. When things don't go as well, I go out and beat my legs up running around the field so I'm stronger for the next day."

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians - Sunday, July 20 25 Gallery: Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians - Sunday, July 20

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