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AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS RED SOX

October 9, 2018

Alex Cora

New York, New York - postgame 4

Boston - 4, New York - 3

ALEX CORA: Before you start, I want to congratulate the New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman, and the Steinbrenner family. That's a great team.

All throughout the season, it was back and forth, great games, and I think we gave the audience and the baseball world a great show. So congratulations on a great season, a great series, and the future is bright for them.

Q. Alex, I know this sounds like a basic question, but just how much of an achievement was that tonight for your team?
ALEX CORA: I don't know, man. I'll think about it tomorrow. A lot of people gave up on us after losing Game 2, and we showed up yesterday, and we did an outstanding job, and tonight we had our plan mapped out.

Rick was outstanding. And then the bullpen did an outstanding job at the end while Craig, he wasn't the usual Craig Kimbrel, but he got three outs, and he closed out the game.

They stay in the moment. They play the right way, run the bases well, play good defense. Yesterday was Brock and the lefties. Today was Ian and Nuny and Christian. We have a great team. We're very versatile. We count on everybody, and it was a great team victory.

Q. You first talk about bringing Chris in in the eighth there.
ALEX CORA: He's been talking about it for three days already. In the seventh, we got together, Dana, Ron, and myself. We already talk to the training staff about if he was okay to come in. He was in the bullpen, but it was kind of like his day. Everybody was on board. I even shouted to the dugout, Hey, we're all in. He's coming in.

He did an outstanding job, passed the baton to Craig, and we closed the deal.

Q. Alex, how proud are you of this team?
ALEX CORA: Very proud. Very proud. It took 26 guys to win this series. Steven gets hurt at 4:00 before Game 1. We got to go to Hembree, and he did an outstanding job throughout the series. Like I said, yesterday was Brock, Devers, and Christian. Today we have to match up with CC, and Ian comes with a bit hit, Nuny did an outstanding job offensively and defensively, Christian did a good job too.

Like I've been saying all along, we're a complete team, and we count on everybody to win games. The last two games, if you think about it, it was fun to watch.

Q. Alex, I know you guys were sort of coy about it when asked before Game 3, but given that in your clubhouse you're playing "New York, New York" during the celebration, did that resonate with you maybe more than you guys let on after Game 2, Judge playing it?
ALEX CORA: Not with me, but I know they talk about it. When Dustin brought it up, I said, Well, they know it happened. I don't know if they took it personal, but it's just, I don't know, we played "Dirty Water" at Yankee Stadium, and they would have clinched in Fenway, they would have played "Dirty Water" in their clubhouse.

I don't know, man. He's a good kid. He's a good player, one of the best in the game. He's one of those guys that can become the face of baseball. From afar, I really enjoy watching him play, not when he's playing against us. So he's good for baseball. Nothing personal with him.

Q. Are you looking forward to playing the Astros, and do you have any inside notes that may help?
ALEX CORA: I don't know too much about them. Just they have a good team. What they did to the Indians, that was impressive. It seems like they're playing their best baseball of the season at the right time. They can pitch. They're playing good defense. They're swinging the bat well. They're a complete team.

I've been talking about them the whole season, so now we go. Best of seven. They know me. I know them. It should be fun.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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