AL DIVISION SERIES: ASTROS VS WHITE SOX

October 9, 2021

Martin Maldonado

Guaranteed Rate Field

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Strom said yesterday he thinks you're the MVP of the team this year. Has he told you that before, and how does it feel to hear that from somebody that well respected?

MARTIN MALDONADO: He told me that before. I'm just grateful people know the work I put in on a daily basis. It's more exciting when I have a chance to help the pitching staff after relearning all my career from all the pitching coaches.

Having that is amazing. He is a guy that people love him in Houston. People have a lot of respect to him in the organization, so it makes me feel proud of the job that I'm doing.

Q. Martin, how much of the first two games -- how do you feel the divide has shown between your guys' defenses and maybe more of where Chicago is?

MARTIN MALDONADO: All in all I think we're playing different all year. We did improve on that, and that's why you guys see Carlos have two already here in day games, taking ground balls, he didn't get on the field or, as you say, on the side.

You know, we as a team, we have -- we have guys and staff, you know, (indiscernible) balls and fly balls, and that's why it's so important because (indiscernible) difference in the series. I think that's a focus of us. I know people haven't talked about defense so much this year just because our guys are so good, but I think we have one of the (indiscernible) we should have two or three finalists on our team, Correa (indiscernible).

Q. Martin, can you talk a little bit about just the development of Luis Garcia, watching him kind of grow up before everybody's eyes last year and what you have seen out of him this year as gets ready to make that start tomorrow?

MARTIN MALDONADO: I think Luis has been unbelievable for us. Especially I always go back to when he starts. Last year when we start him in San Diego, we told him that he was going to start Game 7. You know, he was kind of excited for it. Like a normal guy might be shy from that part.

His power, he wants the ball. He went out there and execute that game against the Rays. Just see him growing up, that guy worked harder than any guy on our staff on stuff, the way he has struggled in the middle of the season, a lot of innings.

But that guy is, like I say, one of the guys that always we believe on. Every time is he there to pitch we feel like we have a chance to win the game.

Q. With his workload that he has had this year, 155 innings, how have you seen him specifically handle that and particularly in some games where maybe felt he could have gone longer but the staff wanted to manage his workload?

MARTIN MALDONADO: Yeah, I think that's every pitcher, every guy want to be out there competing on a daily basis. I will say the stuff look -- I would say normal from the beginning of the year, so I don't think the workload has been that much different with him.

The numbers show (indiscernible) and it's the same pitches, so that's what we are basing on, and that's a guy that you say should be pitching deep in the game a couple of times in the year, but we have to be careful on that part.

Q. Who were some of the -- you mentioned earlier there were some pitching coaches and pitchers that helped out early in your career, sort of help you get where you are now and become a leader. Who were some of those people?

MARTIN MALDONADO: I think you always have people throughout your career, people that work with you or what's around you always give you that extra edge just to get better. I had the pitching coach in Milwaukee. Right now he is in Atlanta. Helping me out when I was young. You know, then (indiscernible) was kind of a manager from (indiscernible) we worked together in Milwaukee. The Molina brothers. (Indiscernible) the way he prepares. All those guys, the way they prepare.

Those guys, because they do the work, I think you have to be on top of your work too. So when you talk to them, you have to be sure what you are telling them is the right thing. Especially given sometimes they see what you saw before you and told them. You have to be 100% right when you are talking to those guys, you know, and be honest with them about what you see.

Q. How do you look at the White Sox in two games? Is there a thought that you might be overconfident as a team going in, or does the experience of this team kind of transcend that?

MARTIN MALDONADO: You know, we see -- anything we see in the playoffs, we have to go out there and play hard, give our best game. In the playoffs, we have to go out there and play the best baseball you can. We haven't seen anything even as a bad team or a great team, we see them -- we have to do what we can do to win that game.

Q. Sort of a follow-up to that, yesterday the pitching coach said the White Sox were a little bit easier to game plan for than, let's say, the Rays because they're very dominant right-handed. Have you sort of felt that way, too, as you prepare for this? It's just focusing a lot on those dangerous righties? Can you talk about that a little bit?

MARTIN MALDONADO: I think the easiest part about that question is normally the one lineup. It doesn't matter who is pitching. When you have a team like the Rays or, you know, San Francisco, you're facing two lineups with different pitchers, so it doesn't matter what pitch -- bullpen guy come in, it's a pitcher, you know, for the most part every two or three hitters.

So I think it's easy for my job, you know, just to just focus on the main nine guys and maybe ten guys or eleven guys or the other teams you have to focus about, you know, pretty much all of them, you know.

Q. Martin, we just got here, so I'm sure everybody asked you everything. Dusty yesterday said you have to approach this series -- this game now like it's 0-0. How easy is it? Is it easier said than done? What's the mindset when you are up 2-0 and you want to win?

MARTIN MALDONADO: The mindset is you have to go out there and win. It doesn't matter if it's 2-0 or 1-0 to us. We have to treat this like it's a tight series and go out there and do our best to win games. You know, we have to keep the momentum. The way we played that game yesterday, you know, go out there and perform tomorrow like it's a brand-new game from a new series.

Q. One more. I don't know if they asked this or not, but Brent Strom said you are MVP for the team. What did you think about that?

MARTIN MALDONADO: Yeah, I think that's more than grateful. A guy that always people are loving in Houston and another guy that I respect throughout the organization, and the years that I have been here just coming from him I think that's more than grateful and happy he say that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Martin. See you tomorrow.