AL WILDCARD GAME: RED SOX VS YANKEES

October 5, 2021

Xander Bogaerts

Fenway Park

Boston Red Sox

Postgame Press Conference

Red Sox 6, Yankees 2

Q. Xander, you were in a two-week slump; what turned around tonight?

XANDER BOGAERTS: I think I was in a slump longer than that. I mean, it's just one swing away, you know, and understanding that the type of hitter that you are, the type of player that you are, and being realistic with yourself. Sometimes it takes just one swing. And then he left the ball over the plate, we were at home, we felt good, and it went over the ballpark.

So I think it was a nice way to get the game started. Obviously I wasn't predicting a homer, but being up 2-0, I think it settled and gave Eovaldi nice breathing room and he dominated the whole game after that.

Q. What did it feel like to be out there tonight back in that atmosphere in October and with a full crowd and being the way it was?

XANDER BOGAERTS: It was packed. It was really full. It was really loud, especially the early innings. Especially when the Yankees were hitting in that first inning, it got really loud. I think it was a huge advantage for us being able to play at home, to be honest with you. I mean, any time you get home-field advantage, it benefits the team, especially if they are one of the teams like us that we play better at home.

Q. When you knock Gerrit Cole that early in the game, how huge was that?

XANDER BOGAERTS: Obviously we knocked out their ace. That's the best pitcher they have got. That's the guy they gave all that money to; he's the ace. But anyone that came out of the bullpen after that, it's not like they are any easier. You know, everyone coming out of that bullpen is throwing 95-plus. So I mean, just got to try to keep the same approach because the guys in the bullpen, they are pretty good, also.

Q. What was your mindset in that at-bat? Looked like you were expecting the changeup. What were you thinking in that at-bat and how much did that put Nate and the team at ease and set the tone?

XANDER BOGAERTS: I wasn't particularly looking for a changeup, but he threw me three off-speed pitches. I was kind of looking for an off-speed pitch, more of a slider but I guess I was on time for the changeup. It stayed pretty middle. I was lucky he didn't throw me a fastball because he probably would have blown my hands up.

I was looking for something soft. The first three pitches were soft. Getting on board, giving us two runs right there was huge. And like I said, just gave Eovaldi nice breathing room and bullpen did a nice job, outfield was great we played a good game all around.

Q. Schwarber called that the play of the game. How big is that?

XANDER BOGAERTS: That was better than a homer for me personally. I mean, if that run scores, it's 3-2. Stanton is at second base, the whole momentum is on their side. The dugout is getting pumped up. As Judge was out at home, I saw Stanton was pretty mad. He probably wanted a homer there but also an RBI, and he didn't get that, and he probably felt like he didn't do much because that run didn't score. But that changed the game.

I feel like that was one of the biggest moments in the game regardless of all the homers and all the walks. That changed momentum big time.

Q. What about this group relishes proving people wrong?

XANDER BOGAERTS: We have a lot of guys that have playoff experience and we have some guys that's been able to experience this for the first time. It's a moment that you should enjoy. I came out my first year and thought it would be like this the whole time, and it took awhile to get back to the postseason after that. You have to enjoy the moment.

This was definitely a really tough game, one-and-out, I never played any game like this but facing Gerrit Cole at Fenway at home and facing Gerrit Cole at Fenway is much different.

Q. How much trust do you guys have in Alex, making the right decisions during the game, the bullpen moves, everything he does during this time of year?

XANDER BOGAERTS: He's done it for a while, 2018, 2019, he's been able to have success, with the coaching staff being able to predict scenarios and who they're going to bring in if something happens. Through all the years, he's been really good at that. Man, this was a nice game. It was one that was very nervous, as I said it's just one-and-out. It's not like you have another chance tomorrow. Either we are going home or we are continuing.

Q. What can a win like this do to maybe get you guys on a roll and do you think there's time to clean that stuff up and really get a little bit further in this postseason?

XANDER BOGAERTS: It can get you on a roll because as I said it was just one game. If we played bad, we would have probably been going home but we played good in a very pressured situation, a situation that was very important. We couldn't make much mistakes and I would just go on to Tampa and feel like we could play pretty free, you know, because the game is the same. Important, yes, but we just did something pretty spectacular, to be honest with you. And going over there to Tampa, playing a team that's also in the division, we have some familiarity with those guys. It's going to be an interesting series. Hopefully we come out on top.

Q. What are your thoughts specifically about playing Tampa and the type of challenge that they present and the type of baseball that you guys have to play? Do you have to raise your level and play against them?

XANDER BOGAERTS: They are a very clean team, to be honest. They score a lot of runs. They might not have the names that some of the other teams have, but they don't make a lot of mistakes. You see with the pitching staff or especially defensively, they don't give any extra outs. That's a team that plays best.

Tonight I thought we played solid all the way around, especially defensively we have been really good these last couple of weeks. If that continues, I mean, I feel like it will make the pitching more at ease.