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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 12, 2019

Aaron Boone

Houston, Texas - postgame 1

New York - 7, Houston - 0

Q. What are your thoughts on the way Stanton swung the bat tonight and are you hopeful he can get it going the rest of the postseason?
AARON BOONE: Yeah, very encouraged. Feel like he's been taking good at-bats, really since he's come back. Doing a good job of controlling the strike zone. Obviously had a couple of hits and a big one where he leaned on one. But that comes from a product of him really looking for a pitch and zoning it up well.

So I feel like he's doing a good job of that right now.

Q. Especially in this ballpark, because of their success here, the Astros, seems like your guys were pitching and hitting very aggressive tonight. You set the tone against them.
AARON BOONE: Yeah, I mean, obviously this is, it's a long series. But I thought our energy was really good tonight. Obviously after having some days off, not that I was worried about us being flat or being not sharp, but I thought we were sharp.

I thought we had a little miscommunication on a ball up the middle, but I thought otherwise, I thought we played really clean on defense, I thought we made a lot of big plays on the defensive side. Obviously up and down the order guys contributing offensively. Masa set a great tone.

And, yeah, loved our look today. But we've got to turn the page here quick, I know we've got a tough one tomorrow.

Q. What do you think about Tanaka that has allowed him to be an elite pitcher in the postseason?
AARON BOONE: Well, first, he's really good. So that's a good place to start. And I think he does a good job clearly of not necessarily making more of the moment but really -- I think the guys that can lock in and are in command of their body and their mechanics have a chance to be better when the stakes are high. And he's very good at that.

He's very good at his craft and understanding what makes him work and what makes him effective and the ability to repeat his delivery and really command a few pitches tonight was big.

Q. Any consideration keeping him in there?
AARON BOONE: Yeah, there was, but he was getting tired. And the ball was kind of slipping out a little bit there in that last inning. So I considered sending him back out but then we decided against it.

Q. First, what were you thinking when that ball dribbled through the two fielders? And I know at that time the game was a little bit close and you had taken out Tanaka, what was going through your mind at that time?
AARON BOONE: This place can get loud. And I'm just thinking about what happened there from a communication standpoint, obviously us shading Altuve in that situation. So it's a play where both guys can probably get to it, so you understand how that's possible, it can happen. Usually it doesn't happen with those two, obviously.

So that's a point in the game where -- and you've got Bregman walking to the plate. It's, Okay, we've got to pick it up here, we've got to make a pitch. And Otta did a really good job of coming right back and putting the ball on the ground again and we turn a big double play.

Q. Tanaka got a lot of (INAUDIBLE)?
AARON BOONE: It's been a great pitch for him all year. It's a pitch he has a ton of confidence in. I thought he did a good job with his fastball tonight, though, also mixing that in enough and the splitter, but the slider all year for him, you know, I know a lot of the talk about his splitter throughout the year kind of being in and out and searching for it. The slider has been and been a pitch he's really leaned on and it was again really good for him tonight. I thought he did a good job kind of changing shapes with times at it, changing speeds at times with it. He's really pitching efficient and in command tonight.

Q. As well as you played tonight and the amount of runs you had scored, what do you tell your club in?
AARON BOONE: They understand it that. I don't have to say anything to them. That's something these guys have done great all year. In the regular season they turned the page well, whether we have a clunker, whether we play really well or have a big win. These guys will come in I know ready to go. We have a tough one obviously with Verlander.

Q. How would you describe the knack that Torre has of delivering in the postseason?
AARON BOONE: Smart. Confident. And when you have talent that's a really good combination. He's always had that since he's come to the Big Leagues and he just plays the game with kind of a free and easy way and a confidence about his game. And I think the intelligence part is big because it's allowed him to continue to grow and get better at all of the little things. He comes into the game prepared. He likes playing these situations and he's confident in his ability to produce. And that leads to a dangerous player.

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