AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 20, 2021

Michael Brantley

Fenway Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Hey, Michael. I don't want to put you on the spot, but you've played with both Lindor and Correa, and Correa has talked all the time about how much he compares himself to Lindor. I wonder what similarities you see between the two of them, not only on the field, but maybe in the clubhouse, and kind of how they can lead a club?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: First off, they're both great players. I had the privilege and honor to play with both of them. Phenomenal shortstops. Great defensively, great offensively as well. Lindor was younger when I played with him, obviously, but his voice was heard. Same with Correa. They do a phenomenal job with communication. Always talking.

Yeah, I'm very fortunate to be able to play with both of them.

Q. You've also played with a few managers now at the Major League level. What makes Dusty, the atmosphere that he creates, whether it's laid back or just lets the team run itself or however he does it, what makes it unique and maybe gives a little more of a family vibe than you get in modern Major League Baseball?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: For me it reminds me of my uncles and grandpas. So we have that kind of relationship for me personally. You always hear it. He is a player's manager. He lets us play. We go out there, and all he asks is you give 100% every day. He just kind of lets us do our job, and I think we have a really good team that is a veteran team that's been here, done that. They've been doing phenomenal job. My teammates have battled to put us in this position as well as Dusty. It's a team effort all the way around.

Q. What was it like for you to watch your bullpen do what it did last night and, secondly, what does that do for the confidence of this team going forward, especially in this short series?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: We always have confidence. No matter what happens, it's a one-game mentality. I think like I just said, this is a veteran team that's been here before, and win or loss yesterday, doesn't matter anymore. It's about focusing on today and the task at hand.

The bullpen did a phenomenal job of just putting up the zeros and allowing our offense, obviously, to put some runs on the board, but it was a well-balanced game on both sides of the ball. It's a competitive game. We knew it was going to be that throughout the entire series. So it was a good victory yesterday, and we look forward to playing another competitive game today.

Q. Another question built around your veteran status. You've been around a lot of great guys. Not your first rodeo. What do you see in Correa and Altuve that allows them to not only maintain that greatness in October, but often elevate it? Is there something you see with those two guys?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: Superstars step up at the right times. It's been an honor to play with both of them. Just watching how they prepare every day, what they've gone through to still keep their head above water and keep competing at a high level. They're special teammates of mine that I always will carry close to my heart, and I appreciate those guys for how hard they work every day and makes me want to be better every day.

Q. You've competed against Chris Sale for a lot of years in the Central and now. When he is at his best, what makes him such a challenge?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: He is one of the best pitchers in the game. It's going to be a tall task every time he takes the mound. We know that. I also believe in our guys at the same time. He has above average fastball, above average slider and he mixes up in the change-up now as well.

Just going out there and just watching him throughout his entire career, there's a reason why he has great numbers. But this team and how well we compete as a team and as a unit is going to be a grind, and we know that, and we look forward to it, actually.

Q. You're using that word "veteran" and "experience" and all those things. Maybe what beyond that with some of the personalities and the leaders that allow you guys to navigate these what we would call highs and lows of this series and perform the way you performed late in last night's game?

MICHAEL BRANTLEY: When I got here, I kind of noticed that right away. There really isn't no highs and lows with this team. It's really just one-day mentality, and it really opened my eyes when I first got here, if we were going through a losing streak, everybody just kind of stayed level-key and level-headed. We won a big game, lose a big game, we celebrate, but we don't get too high or too low. That's what makes a team special. There's no too highs or too lows, and they're really focused on the task at hand, and that's just winning the series.