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MLB WORLD SERIES: NATIONALS VS ASTROS

October 27, 2019

Dave Martinez

Washington, D.C. - postgame 5

Houston - 7, Washington - 1

Q. What's changed for the offense since you've been home and what, if anything, do you or your players need to do to fix it?
DAVE MARTINEZ: We actually hit some balls hard, we really did. We just can't get nothing going these last three days. But we hit some balls hard.

You're facing some pretty good pitching right now. We've just got to keep battling. These guys, they're not going to quit, I can tell you that right now.

We got a day off tomorrow, come back Tuesday. And I truly believe these guys will get after it again Tuesday. I told them, I said, I know we're going to go 1-0, but we're going to play Game 7, I believe that. So keep pushing.

Q. Are those hard-hit balls luck or positioning?
DAVE MARTINEZ: They positioned themselves pretty well. But we hit some balls hard. Trea hit a couple balls hard today, actually three balls hard. We've just got to keep battling.

Q. There was a lot of strong reaction from each dugout in some of the calls from home plate, particularly from yours. Do you believe some of those may have changed the course of the game?
DAVE MARTINEZ: You know what, I will not ever sit here and criticize an umpire. I've known Lance for a very long time and he's really good. And that's all I'm going to say about it. I'm not going to sit here -- I know there were some choice words but that's just in the heat of the moment.

But like I said, they're doing their job, and they do it really well. That's why they're an umpire in the World Series.

Q. (In Spanish.)
DAVE MARTINEZ: We won two games in Houston, we're going back to Houston to play Game 6, and here we go. That's all we've got to do is just worry about Game 6 right now.

Q. Considering the decades of anticipation for a World Series game in this city, I wonder what the level of frustration not to be able to give the fans something to celebrate here feels like right now?
DAVE MARTINEZ: I think in the ninth inning there were fans screaming behind me they're with us. One guy, he said, I can't be in Houston, but I'll be there watching. He said, You guys can do this. That's what's good about these fans. They're behind us.

We had our backs against the wall all year long, nobody thought we were going to be here. We're here playing Game 6 of the World Series. We're going to fight. We're going to finish this thing.

Q. Astros admitted that they lost a little bit of their swagger when they went down 0-2. Is it fair to say that you guys feel somewhat the same way?
DAVE MARTINEZ: No, not these guys. Like I said, we fought all year long to get here. We played playoff games all year long to get here. But we have a lot in fight in us left. I know we do.

Like I said, tomorrow they get a day off, they'll come in, get their treatment, some guys will work out. But we'll come back ready to go on Tuesday.

Q. Do you think when you are pressured like that, when you do face situations like that, that it oddly loosens your guys up?
DAVE MARTINEZ: You know what, I honestly think that our guys -- they just come out and play. They don't even think about any game. You listen to them now when we walked in, and they're saying, Hey, we're going to go to Houston and win that first game and get to Game 7.

I told them the focus is Game 6. We've got Stephen Strasburg on the mound. I like our chances, you know, keeps us in the ball game. Who knows what can happen.

Q. You've always said you wanted to be in the middle of the field. Did the last swing look like that? And do you think some of the other guys also need to stay in the middle of the field?
DAVE MARTINEZ: Yeah, Juan hit a home run straight away center field, and that was awesome.

We've got to start, like I said, our at-bats with two strikes I thought were better today. Trea had some pretty good at-bats. So just put the ball in play but stay -- good things happen when you put the ball in play.

Q. What have you seen from the Astros these three games here to be able to change this series, and specifically the job AJ has done to get the team back to where they want to be?
DAVE MARTINEZ: They didn't win 106 games for nothing. They'll really good. They've got a well-balanced lineup. Their pitching is good. Their bullpen gets out. We knew this coming in.

Like I said, it was pretty even this whole series. They're a game up with two games left. So let's just worry about Tuesday.

Q. Specifically on the 3-2 pitch to Robles, that seemed to be the one that got the dugout the most upset?
DAVE MARTINEZ: I haven't looked at it yet. I thought it could have been a little bit up and out. Lance thought it was a strike. Like I said, I'm not going to sit here and criticize. Their job is not easy, it's tough. I appreciate Lance very much. I've said that about all umpires. They've got a tough job, and they try to do the best they can. These guys are the best, that's why they're umpiring in the World Series.

Q. When you stick with Huddie for the 9th, how do you balance wanting to keep the game close and not overexpose him when you know you need him later?
DAVE MARTINEZ: We thought we could get him up to about 35 pitches, that would be his max. And he was right there.

Q. What was your assessment of Ross's outing? When did you tell him he was actually going to pitch today?
DAVE MARTINEZ: We kind of gave him a heads up last night. And when he came in this morning we told him he was definitely going to start. I thought he did really well, I really did. I told him, Hey, we want to keep him right about 80 pitches and he gave us five good innings. And I said, Hey, you need to be ready to pitch in a few days again. I said, You did a great job.

Q. Is there any notion the way this series is gone once you get on the road you relax with fewer family and friends and room service?
DAVE MARTINEZ: It could be. I'm not a big room service guy. I like to go out and eat. Houston has got some pretty good restaurants that I like.

Hey, I enjoyed our fans here, I really did. It was awesome. And I know they're going to be behind us when we go to Houston, I really do.

Q. Max had to have been in a lot of pain to not go tonight. What was his reaction when he found out he was not able to go?
DAVE MARTINEZ: He was upset. Max is very -- he likes to talk. He's very competitive. Today was the first time I think since I've known him that he didn't say much. He was quiet. And I knew that he was in pain.

Q. And the possibility of him playing in a Game 7?
DAVE MARTINEZ: He's going to figure something out. Right now I don't know his status. I'll find out when I go back in. But he's going to try to and get himself ready.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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