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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 15, 2018

Nathan Eovaldi

Houston, Texas - Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Nathan Eovaldi.

Q. Obviously you have a job to do here, but how special is it being here in this park, not very far from where you grew up?
NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, it definitely is very special to me. You know, growing up we watched a lot of baseball games here, and then travel ball and stuff we got to play a couple times. It's real special to me.

Q. Have you had a chance to ever talk to or meet Nolan Ryan?
NATHAN EOVALDI: I have. When I was with the Yankees I had an opportunity to meet him. And words can't really describe what it's like. But he's done a lot for us and in the community of Alvin.

Q. How special is that, maybe a bond there, both of you guys from Alvin?
NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, I mean it's hard shoes to fill, but it's definitely special to me.

Q. Wondering if you've been informed or seen Alex Bregman's video on Instagram?
NATHAN EOVALDI: No, you know I don't have any social media or anything like that. The guys have told me about it. I think home run clips, right? Something like that. Yeah, I'm aware of it.

Q. Does it impact you at all, motivate you?
NATHAN EOVALDI: No, I still have a job to do. I've got to go out there and pitch my game tomorrow and I can't have any distractions.

Q. In terms of where you're at in executing your pitches and kind of what you're trying to do to attack the strike zone, how different is your plan of attack now versus when you faced the Astros earlier in the year?
NATHAN EOVALDI: I feel I'm a completely different pitcher. I'm attacking it a lot differently. I'm going to try to keep the same approach as I've been attacking hitters now and moving forward. They have lot of aggressive guys in the lineup. They swing early in the counts. Not too many of them like to walk. So try and keep them in the ballpark and go from there.

Q. You've always had such a great fastball. It's been a calling card for you, but a lot more cutters lately. How has that pitch helped overall and has it helped your fastball in any way?
NATHAN EOVALDI: I definitely feel it's gotten the hitters off my fastball and then it's allowed me to get some earlier contact and go deeper into the games and not have to be so perfect with my fastball. And I'm able to mix in other pitches along with that and kind of go from there.

Q. Last time you took the ball, similar circumstances, 1-1 in the series in a road game in what figures to be a great environment. Just mentally how do you prepare to approach what is probably going to be a hostile crowd here, a loud crowd, a crowd that's really going to be into it tomorrow night?
NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, I mean, pitching out there in Yankees Stadium, they're a loud crowd as well. And I feel like if I go out there and do my job, attack the zone, get that first-pitch strike, not give up any free bases, no walks, things like that, I feel like that will keep the crowd out of it a little bit.

But I know they're going to be loud here and I feel like with the roof closed and stuff it gets even louder. So I'm definitely looking forward to it, pitching in the circumstance. But just trying dictate the counts and stay in control.

Q. Two of the catchers that you guys are working with are Latinos, Vazquez and Sandy Leon. Can you tell us about them?
NATHAN EOVALDI: They've both been amazing for us this year. I enjoy working with both of them. I'm not sure who is going to be behind the plate tomorrow yet. But it doesn't matter to me. I feel really confident throwing to both of them. I feel like we're all in the same game plan of how we want to attack the hitters now.

Q. Do you have any specific games that stand out that you attended here when you were growing up? And the second, what was the level of concern like for Chris Sale, and how much relief was there when word came out that he was released from the hospital?
NATHAN EOVALDI: So growing up we had -- there was a pretty big tournament for us in high school. It was the final teams got to play here at Minute Maid, and I got to start that game. I had thrown three innings, so that game was special to me, growing up here.

And for Sale, we were all pretty surprised when we found out the news. I've heard nothing but good things about him now. So I think he's expected to join the team tonight.

Q. Again about Alvin. What kind of presence was Nolan's legacy there as you were growing up? And what is it like pitching when he's right behind the plate as he seems to sit back there quite a bit. Do you block it out, do you look at him?
NATHAN EOVALDI: I don't really notice him in the stands. I don't really notice people in particular in the stands. I'm so focused on the game -- locking in on the catcher and things like that. And I feel that would take my attention away from everything if I'm scanning the crowds and stuff.

But the impact he had on the community of Alvin, it's amazing. I remember growing up and going into like the local McDonald's and we got, like there's Nolan baseball bats and him and the fight with Ventura, baseballs everywhere. We got the Nolan Ryan Expressway out here. So, he definitely impacted the community a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks.

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