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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 16, 2018

Charlie Morton

Houston, Texas - pregame 3

Q. It's been kind of a weird September for you. You haven't pitched that much. How do you feel and what have you done in the last two, three weeks to make sure you stay fresh for tomorrow?
CHARLIE MORTON: I tried to keep playing catch. And I threw a lot of BP, threw a bullpen all in the past week and a half.

So we discussed just trying to get some rest, take advantage of this time, get some rest and try to stay sharp at the same time.

Q. How deep do you think you'd be able to go if you're pitching well, as far as your pitch count, if things are going well for you tomorrow, how many pitches do you think you'll be able to throw?
CHARLIE MORTON: I'm assuming that they'll let me go as far as I'm effective. As far as the pitch count, I don't know why there would be a pitch count.

I'm throwing tomorrow -- and if this does go to a Game 7 I'm not starting Game 7. I'd still be available out of the pen if need be and then going forward -- it's not like I'm going to be expected to throw a bunch of innings going forward; we'd have one more series. So in my mind that wouldn't even come into play. I think it would just be based on my effectiveness.

Q. Since it has been a little while since you've been out there, how eager are you to get out on the mound in a game?
CHARLIE MORTON: I don't think it's really -- I don't really think that I'm eager to get into a game. There's been plenty of baseball here. We're in the middle of October. It's not like I haven't had enough baseball. But eager to get into a postseason game and contribute to this team and what we're doing right now. I think that's where that would come from, is just wanting to be a part of it and contribute in the postseason.

Q. When you have a teammate like Alex Bregman, what is that outward confidence that he projects and verbalizes, what does that do for the rest of you guys in the clubhouse; and also, on the field, what is the most impressive thing about his game?
CHARLIE MORTON: It's interesting because he's such a young player and he does have that impact on the team. He has that presence that a more established player would have, that a guy that's been around a lot longer would have. A stability. He allows confidence. And it's really interesting to watch. Because I haven't really been around that many younger guys that have done that, that have had that kind of presence at that age.

So when a ball's hit to Breg, when he steps up to the plate, I hate to say this but there's an expectation there because of who he is day to day. When you walk into that clubhouse, he's a professional.

I keep saying how young he is for that. But he's unique. He's unique for where he is in his career.

Q. What's the difference for you and the other starters this postseason compared to a year ago on the bullpen? Seemed like last year a little bit of unsettling of roles; this year it seems much more established.
CHARLIE MORTON: Right. With Justin, Gerrit and Dallas all throwing 200 innings, that really helped our bullpen as a whole. And then the way they constructed the bullpen this year, a little bit different. It kind of -- I think it gave the bullpen a little bit more of a rest, a few of the guys at least.

I know a couple of those guys, Pressly, threw a ton this year. But it really -- I guess it's just a different -- it's just a different bullpen. But I don't want to say one's better than the other, per se. I just think it's different.

There's a little bit more depth there for distance, I think. So that's not to say that guys won't be available, like starters wouldn't be available to go down there.

I'm more than willing to go down there. But even with just having Collin and Lance down there for some length, and Josh as well. It doesn't seem like there's been a pressing need for a guy that's usually starting to go down there.

And with the starters too in this postseason have gone deep into games. So far so good.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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