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AL DIVISION SERIES: RED SOX VS ASTROS

October 8, 2017

John Farrell

Houston, Texas - postgame 2

Boston - 10, Houston - 3.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First of all, how much did you feel, it looked like it was going to be 6-0, and how much did Mookie energize the place when he hauled that down?
JOHN FARRELL: Not just that catch, he had a big day defensively in right field. We have talked so much about the center field range of our right fielders. He has it. But the way that game started out, that's a big swing from Reddick that we have just enough real estate to bring it in. The crowd just does energize us. We felt coming back home to play in front of this crowd, to play back here where we're most comfortable and have won a lot of games, that started to turn it. And then as we have seen so many times, the fight in our players, the resiliency that they have, we had to dig out of a hole. But once Joe Kelly settled things down through the inning and two thirds of work that he put forth, David Price took over from the mound today. We talked about how much he could give us before the game, and he had mentioned, I've got 80 pitches, which is a little bit of a surprise. But after the second inning, he came back in and he said, I've got it, I feel great. After the third inning, same thing. After the fourth inning, same thing. But we were able to spread it open, just great days offensively from Mitch, Hanley, Raffey. Big day offensively from those three guys in particular, but Dave price led the way from the mound today.

Q. What were your emotions like when they went up 3-0 in the first inning there?
JOHN FARRELL: We're going to have to scramble and kind of figured we knew going to the bullpen early was a real possibility. As we have seen in the first two ball games, they jump out to a crooked number early. But credit Joe for coming in and the way we battled back. But we knew we were on a spot where we were going to have to improvise and we were able to do that.

Q. You said Price had told you he was willing to go 80. Had you guys not broken it open there, were you bringing him back out for the 8th?
JOHN FARRELL: If it was quick inning, he was going back out. After we made a couple of pitching changes, we score a couple of runs, that was more than enough at that point.

Q. Given where you were at the start of this game, was it at all meaningful to have a veteran like Hanley come out with that flag and sort of take that on?
JOHN FARRELL: He made a statement yesterday just on somewhat of a plea for the energy to our fans. They responded, he responded, a big day offensively. That's one of the better day's offensively Hanley's had in quite some time. But a lot of impact to the baseball, came, you know, big with that two-run double late in the game to help spread things open. But, yeah, this was a fun day here and a just an energetic day all the way around.

Q. Sticking with Hanley, do you think not being in the lineup for Game 1 maybe has sparked him at all?
JOHN FARRELL: I don't know that. He responded coming into that ball game with a couple of base hits and some good swings. He had a couple of opportunities in Game 2, where Keuchel makes a good pitch on him to end the first inning. But he's had big career numbers in postseason. But he is swinging the bat, and in two of these three games like he's certainly very capable. Today it was not only a big day for him, but when he has been in the middle of our offense, we're a completely different offensive team when he's swinging the bat as he did today.

Q. Is Price going to be available in a potential Game 5, and have you given any thought if you do advance to putting him back into the rotation or is he a reliever this whole October?
JOHN FARRELL: Haven't really gotten that far. I would assume with a couple of days off if we get to that point, 57 pitches today, that's still a good workday, I would anticipate that he would say he's ready to go, but we'll see who is available and what role come that day. We have got tomorrow to take care of first.

Q. Do you like him in that role as leader or cheerleader waving the flag and kind of saying things to geek up the fans?
JOHN FARRELL: You like any player that is willing to step up and speak and then back it up. I think sometimes he, particularly in Hanley, when he is of that energy, and you know what, it was focused today. It was fantastic. He had a big day. So you like every player to have that kind of willingness to say what's on their mind and go out and perform as he did today. Today was a big day for Hanley.

Q. You've talked about Devers composure since he got called up, to have that home run he did today in that spot, how big was that for you guys?
JOHN FARRELL: Turned the game around. Obviously, they're trying to matchup, but he gets a pitch up out over the plate and put a beautiful swing on it. He's an extremely talented kid, and I think we marvel at the fact that he's 20 years of age. He's come into this environment, come into this setting, this market and has performed fantastic. Probably better than we anticipated. But the timing of this one is a big swing.

Q. Tomorrow obviously you don't have Price, if you guys play tomorrow. How much do you need Porcello to be the pitcher he was for you last year?
JOHN FARRELL: Go out and do his job. He threw a good inning down in Houston, go out and locate. I would anticipate we would have a number of guys available tomorrow. Price unlikely, and I would say that Chris Sale would be available as well. So we'll find a way to get through it again tomorrow.

Q. Why did you go to Kelly when you did as opposed to Price or one of the other relievers?
JOHN FARRELL: I felt as things were getting going pretty quick, Joe's ability to get loose quicker than David, and felt like if we could get through the third or thereabouts, thinking that. Because at the time, my thought was that David had two innings. The fact that he felt as good as he did, that allowed us to extend him further. But I felt like we needed to piece it together maybe to that third, fourth inning, and for him to then step it up or end of the game. And then turn it over to where we felt like we had anywhere from three to possible four innings combined with Addison Reed and Craig Kimbrel. So the story of this one is David Price, clearly.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, John.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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