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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 14, 2019

Luis Severino

New York, New York - Workout Day

Q. As you're preparing for tomorrow's pitching tomorrow, do you think at all about the fact that Cole is pitching for them and he has been so dominant for months now?
LUIS SEVERINO: Yeah, of course. But I don't need to go out there and strike out 300 guys or win 20 games. I just need to go out there and match his stuff tomorrow. I need to do more than that.

Q. As you're progressing here, how many pitches do you think you're projected to throw tomorrow and how far into the game would you like to go?
LUIS SEVERINO: I wish that I can get the whole game, get out there. But I don't know how many pitches I'm going but I just know that any amount of pitches that they give me I going out there and make the most of it, make good pitches and try to get hitters out.

Q. (No microphone.)
LUIS SEVERINO: Yeah, last time I threw 88 or something pitches. I think I could go a hundred-something.

Q. When you've had some tough playoff starts before you've talked about being a little too hyped up, a little too amped up. How do you keep that from happening tomorrow?
LUIS SEVERINO: This is not the first time I've been in the playoffs. I had a couple of games, I think I had a couple experience games. Just I going to go out there and have fun. A lot has happened in the past and I don't have to worry about that. I need to worry about tomorrow, and make good pitches and get hitters out.

Q. What did you learn from watching what Paxton and Tanaka did in the first two games?
LUIS SEVERINO: I think Masa and Paxton, they did a good job getting hitters out and keeping the ball in the ground, inside the park. I think that is the main thing for a team like that that have a lot of power.

And just look at pitches, throw good pitches and try to get a lot of ground balls.

Q. I know you're not hitting against Gerrit Cole but knowing that he's on the other side, knowing how well he's pitched this year, does that give you any less margin for error knowing that it's a good chance he's going to go out there and pitch a really good game?
LUIS SEVERINO: Like I said earlier, I don't need to go out there and strike out 15 people. I just need to go out there and throw a good game.

Even if somebody else was pitching yesterday -- sorry, tomorrow, I was going to go out there and try to bring my A game out there. It doesn't matter who's pitching, I'm going to try to go out there and win the game for the Yankees.

Q. You hate to head to the airport after a walk-off like that, taking one in Houston, which you weren't able to do two years ago, how big is that coming home?
LUIS SEVERINO: I think we played two good games out there. They won the last one, but the past series we didn't win even one game out there. So we have a better team than that year. I think we have a better pitching staff than that year, too. So I think we got what's necessary to go out there and win.

Q. Being a starting pitcher, does it bother you at all the way the game has changed in the last few years with strong bullpens and you see someone like Paxton leave in the third inning last night?
LUIS SEVERINO: For me bothered me a little bit because I'm a guy that wants to be out there. But I understand it. We had guys out there that can get out of any situation. And if Boone does something like that to me, I would talk to him, but I would understand it.

Q. We asked you a couple of questions about facing or opposing Gerrit Cole. But does the opposing starting pitcher ever really factor in your mind, whether it's Gerrit Cole, whether it's somebody else? Does that ever factor into your preparation or what you do?
LUIS SEVERINO: No. For me, like I said, it doesn't matter. Even like if somebody else pitching, I want to go out there and get zeros for my team. Doesn't matter if it's Verlander, Cole or Greinke; I want to go out there and give my best.

Q. Can you talk about the passion that this team brings to the game.
LUIS SEVERINO: For me I've been on a couple of good teams since I got here in 2015. For me, this is a more excited team than I've been with. A mix with veteran guys and young guys. We bring joy to the fans to New York. And every time we go out there we're going to give a hundred percent.

Q. This is your third year pitching in the playoffs. Has it gotten easier for you to keep yourself under control and what have you learned the first two years that you think helps you going into this year?
LUIS SEVERINO: What I learned is sometimes you have to block everything outside; worry about the hitters, not worry about the noise from the fans or anything else. You have to worry about making good pitches. You go out there and have good games.

Q. (No microphone.)
LUIS SEVERINO: If you prepare good. Like you said, this is not my first time in the playoffs so it's getting better and better and better every time I go out there.

My first time I wasn't that good but every time I get the ball in the playoffs it's getting better and better.

Q. In Minnesota we had talked about your last performance not being very good last year in the playoffs. Did performing so well in Minnesota give you renewed confidence of what you can do against a team like the Astros?
LUIS SEVERINO: I mean, I always had confidence in myself, doesn't matter what happened the year before or the day before. It's always the next day what matters. Doesn't matter what happened in the past. That game give me the same confidence I always have to go out there and compete for my team.

Q. What do you remember about the atmosphere in this stadium from the 2017 ALCS against the Astros?
LUIS SEVERINO: It was great, like always. Those fans here bring everything to the game. It's not the same when you play at home, all those fans give you all the energy, make you go out there and compete and get a win.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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