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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 18, 2019

James Paxton

New York, New York - postgame 5

New York - 4, Houston - 1

Q. You seemed to feel good about your fastball tonight. Is that a feel thing as the game went on, is that part of your plan? You seemed to throw it more than the curveball?
JAMES PAXTON: I had a good feel for the fastball tonight and I was putting it in some good spots. Had good command of the high fastball tonight so we went to that a lot.

Q. What was the conversation like with you and Aaron when he came out to talk to you in the 6th?
JAMES PAXTON: Well, I saw him walking out and he didn't point to the dugout -- or to the bullpen. So usually when he does that, he's going to have a conversation with me. And he gave me the chance to compete and keep on going. I wanted it. And I did everything I could.

When that ball went up I was begging to stay in and it did, and just got fired up. It was awesome.

Q. The way the first inning started, did it take you a while to get into a rhythm? That was a rough inning.
JAMES PAXTON: Yeah. It was a lot of nerves, was fired up, and I think I was just overthrowing a little bit early. They put some good swings on the ball and I was missing my spots a little bit, walking a couple of guys.

Just had to battle through it.

Q. You looked pretty fired up when DJ caught that foul ball. What did you think off the bat and following the trajectory of the ball?
JAMES PAXTON: That was a huge play. Every out is huge and for him to shorten that inning by making that catch was big time.

Q. What was your mindset coming into this game tonight? Did it feel like an elimination game to you and what were your nerves like?
JAMES PAXTON: Absolutely. Nerves were huge, but that's all part of it. My goal was to go out there and give it everything I had for my team. I wasn't ready to go home yet so I wanted to go out and give my team everything I had and just battle away. And that's what I did out there, and it worked out.

Q. Just following up on an earlier question about when Booney came out to the mound. You said he gave you a chance to stay in. Does that mean you had to convince him? It something you said? Was it a conversation back and forth between you?
JAMES PAXTON: There wasn't a lot said. He just said, Are you ready? Do you have anything more left in the tank? And I said, Yeah, let's go. I want this.

Q. Considering how last night ended and tonight began, was there anything you had to do, especially after the first inning, to collect yourself to be, This could still be a winning night for me, and how did you do that?
JAMES PAXTON: I've had lots of practice with that this year, I've given up lots of first -- a lot of runs in the first inning. And I've had to learn how to keep on battling, especially with our offense. If I can keep that number low in the first inning, we've got a chance.

I was taking it one pitch at a time after that and just grinding and giving everything I had out there.

Q. On Chirinos' pitch, were you trying to go in on him? Did you feel you got it in where you wanted to?
JAMES PAXTON: I was trying to go in. I was trying to go up and in, and I missed down. And he put a good swing on it, and I'm glad it stayed in the yard.

Q. You've talked a lot about a lot of different firsts this year, being with the Yankees and going through things. Was this like anything you can compare to in your career playing in this kind of game?
JAMES PAXTON: No, this is definitely the biggest game in my career. The first two postseason games definitely helped prepare me for this. This was even more so intensity-wise.

But I feel like with that experience I was able to find a way, calm myself a little bit more than the games before, and execute better.

Q. Considering the importance of this win, do you feel like it is your best performance as a Yankee player?
JAMES PAXTON: It was my best performance in a big situation, for sure. This is the postseason. I had better games this season but as far as moments and needing to do what I did, this is definitely the biggest game for me.

I didn't do it alone. The team was fantastic today behind me playing great defense. And Gary did a great job behind the plate calling the game.

Q. When the Yankees traded for you, obviously they had high expectations and you had a great year, did you think about this kind of night when that trade was made? Do you see this stage as like a platform for you to take that next level in this game?
JAMES PAXTON: Yeah, when you think of the Yankees you think of the postseason. They pride themselves on winning, and that's what we do here. I knew that I'd probably get an opportunity of pitching the postseason, and that's what I wanted to do. That's what I wanted to do when I came here, and that's what we're doing now.

It's been a great experience and I want to keep on going.

Q. You said a bunch of times through the playoffs that the rotation totally understands why you're pitching shorter outings, why he goes to the bullpen sooner, when you know that's a possibility, is there anything where you're trying to push and prove to the manager that you can go deeper into the game when you know it's something you have to sell almost batter to batter?
JAMES PAXTON: That wasn't really on my mind. For me, as long as the ball is in my hand, I'm going to go out there and give 100 percent, everything I have. When he takes it away, he takes it away. This is about the team; isn't about me. We have a great team, a great bullpen.

I wasn't thinking about that at all. I was just going as hard as I could the whole time I was out there.

Q. After the sixth inning when the stadium acknowledged CC, you were sitting right next to him. What's he saying to you during the game and what kind of value can he add from the bench for the rest of however long it goes?
JAMES PAXTON: We didn't talk tonight. We talked more between games. He talked to me after the game a little bit -- or after I came out of the game obviously. He's just got so much experience. He was telling me before this a while back, this was before the postseason started, I think, just how it's the same baseball game. And you get used to the nerves as you get more experience. It's the same game, just bigger stakes.

And if you can go out there and have the same approach that you have in the regular season, you're going to be able to give yourself the best opportunity for success.

Q. Just when you walked off the mound after the first, you guys are down 1-0, you walk back for the second, you're up 4-1, what was that mental swing like after you got the lead and then pitched with the lead?
JAMES PAXTON: Honestly, I would have done the same thing if we hadn't scored those four runs. That being said, those four runs were huge. To jump on a pitcher as good as Verlander and get ahead like that, just really -- it maybe allowed me to be a bit more aggressive in spots that we may not have been. So that was big.

But I was taking it one pitch at a time and grinding the whole time. I would have done that no matter what.

Q. You've mentioned throughout the postseason feeling the adrenaline out there. How are you better controlling that and are you finding it easier to do so as you go?
JAMES PAXTON: I think it's just happening naturally with experience. Feeling that for the first time in the DS, I couldn't feel my body the entire time. It was just numb. Just the experience of going out there is getting more and more comfortable each time out. And I just feel like I have more feel with my body.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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