AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 15, 2021

Kike Hernandez

Minute Maid Park

Boston Red Sox

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Astros - 5, Red Sox - 4

Q. Kiké, after you have a game like that but your team loses by a run, what are your emotions following that?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: Like you said, we lost, so I mean, it would have been a lot cooler if we won the game. So right now I don't have a lot of time to sit down and think about the game or what I did or whatever. I got to think about whoever is pitching for them tomorrow and it's a quick turn-around, so trying to not think too much about it.

Q. Is there any value in the ninth inning momentum-wise to hitting that home run for something that can carry over in terms of you've now scored on their closer as a team, you know what he is. You have now personally seen him. Is there value to that momentum-wise going forward?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: Maybe a little bit. I don't know. I think overall we played a good game. Once again, we didn't do a good job of adding on to the lead, and at the end of the day, that's why we lost. We weren't able to add any more runs. We went up 3-1, and we stayed there until the ninth inning, and we only were able to add one. That's basically it.

Q. Kiké, I know you talked about now is not the time to think about what you did, but you can see by the way you're playing, how much fun are you having right now both offensively and defensively playing the game of baseball?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: I mean, I'm having a lot of fun. It's a blast. It's October, and these games tend to be a lot of fun. A lot of adrenaline, a lot of electricity in the crowd. These games are a lot of fun, and the fact that I'm playing well adds on to it a little bit. As far as defensively, I thought my game was pretty adventurous. I had the nice diving play on Brantley.

But then after that, the pop-up that Bregman hit, I wasn't sure if Arroyo was hearing me or not, and I kind of felt him. I really didn't look at him to see where he was because off the bat, my first step was back, and then I came in and kind of just threw my glove out there.

And then the ball that Tucker hit, I mean, for the most part the balls that get hit and they knuckle are the low liners, and that ball, I mean, Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, they got nothing on that ball, to be honest with you. I was glad that I was able to somehow put my glove out and catch that ball. Yeah, we didn't win.

Q. Alex was saying earlier that you are one of the best first step outfielders around. Getting that first step. On the play earlier in the game, when you took the first step, do you know you have it? Do you think you have it? At what point do you go from I can get it to I will catch it?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: On Brantley's ball?

Q. Uh-huh.

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: I didn't think I had a good first step on that one because when Sale is on the mound, it's a little tough because he crosses up so much, and his slider starts so -- like basically it started at Brantley, and then I kind of lost the ball because of Sale's body and stuff. I knew it was a slider, and sliders down and away that get hit out front usually go to my left, and that ball got hit to my right.

And I haven't gone back and looked at my step, but I want to say that my first step was either a little left or I froze for a second. But off the bat, I knew that I was going to have a chance to catch it. It was just a matter of whether I had to dive or not, and the ball hung up enough for me to make a dive play.

Q. (Question in Spanish?)

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: (Answer in Spanish)

Q. You've obviously played a lot of postseason games in your career. How much has this month kind of been a product of that, that you are comfortable in this environment and being in big games like this?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: I think it has everything to do with it. There's nothing that compares to playing in the playoffs until you play in the playoffs. And the fact that I was able to be in the postseason six years when I was with the Dodgers, it was huge. We played some very important games, and with time you kind of get a little bit numb towards the moment or whatever.

But, yeah, I would say that being able to stay under control during these games has a lot to do with the fact that I played a lot of playoff games before.

Q. (Question in Spanish?)

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: (Answer in Spanish)

Q. Is this a pretty good indication of what we're in for with this series? You've got two really playoff-seasoned teams that are pretty stubborn. Is this what we're in for for a few more games here?

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ: I would say so. They have a heck of a ball club over there. They've been here before a lot, actually. We have a great team as well. We've been battling all year long, and we're never going to quit, and we're playing some pretty good baseball right now, and I think everybody expected this game or this series to be a slugfest, and this game actually there was a lot more pitching involved than hitting, I would say.

And yeah, this is going to be a heck of a series, and it was a heck of a Game 1. We expect nothing less tomorrow. It's going to be intense, and it's going to take everything we've got to be able to get past these guys.