MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 26, 2021

Jose Urquidy

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. How does the team get prepared for a powerful lineup with the Braves and Eddie Rosario?

JOSE URQUIDY: We're really prepared, really concentrated on the job at hand. More than anything, just enjoy it. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the experience of the World Series and just doing everything we can to get ready for the game today.

Q. How many innings do you think you can throw tomorrow?

JOSE URQUIDY: It's been a little while since I've gone that deep in a game, seven innings, but God willing, I'll do whatever I can to help the team out, and I'll be as ready as I can be to go deep in the game.

Q. Jose, did you talk to Luis and Framber at all about how they were able to kind of rebound from their poor first outings in the CS and then come back, or are you not really concerned with that since that was a different team and a different series?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yes, we talk a little bit about the games that they throw. We talk about some hitters, some pitches, and I mean, they throw the ball well last outing. They were attacking the zone. They were spinning the ball there, and they were throwing hard. Yeah, we talked sometimes a little bit about some hitters.

Q. Jose, you started Game 4 in 2019 in Washington with barely any experience. How nervous were you for that game? And how much do you think that experience will help you coming on to a similar stage tomorrow?

JOSE URQUIDY: That game I was a little nervous. I mean, in the first inning, I think I was a little nervous. But during the second inning, I started to feel more confidence. Chirinos was catching me that day, and he was talking with me about concentrate and be focused on my throws.

Right now I'm very happy to compete and very excited to pitch tomorrow. I will enjoy all the game and try to be focused all the time.

Q. Just compare yourself to the pitcher that you were back in 2017.

JOSE URQUIDY: It's a lot different from the first time. I feel a lot more confident in myself, a lot more prepared. Having had that experience and having been in a lot of different stadiums with a lot of different noise, a lot of fans screaming different things at you, I think just gets you more prepared for different situations like this. I think I'm more excited and more ready for the outing tomorrow.

Q. Even though you have that experience, do you still feel nervous knowing how big of a game it is for you tomorrow?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yeah, I feel more excited than anything. I know that it's a big job that I have, but I'm more excited and have left the nerves to the side a little bit. So I'm really just focused on the job that I have to do tomorrow. I'm really excited to get out there and compete and do everything I can to help all the guys.

Q. If you had two outings in this, you'd be the first Mexican to have three World Series outings.

JOSE URQUIDY: I'm just really thankful, thank God that I'm on a team that has so much talent that I've been in another World Series early on in my career. Yeah, I'm just really excited. I'll probably have to have another outing at some point in the series. So I'm excited to keep getting after it and keep making history, like you were talking about.

Q. Jose, what does it mean to get the honor of starting Game 2 of the World Series?

JOSE URQUIDY: It means a lot for me for sure. It's going to be a big game for me for the team. I know that I have to win. My last outing was for sure bad, I know, but there's good days and bad days.

I'm excited to compete, and I know that a lot of people are watching me for sure. I'm going to do my best. I'm going to compete 100 percent, and I want to win for sure.

Q. I know you haven't seen a ton of this team, especially with the acquisitions, but when you dive into your reports, look at film, what stands out to you about this lineup with the Braves?

JOSE URQUIDY: I never faced them before, but they are in the World Series. For sure they are a good team. They are on fire right now. But we are going to compete. We have a good team too, and I've seen videos and see the weaknesses of them and try to attack them for sure.

Q. I was asking Brent Strom about you, and he said, when I deal with young athletes who grew up in Mexico, early in their athletic lives, they play very competitive competition, no matter what the sport. He said that's why guys like Jose Urquidy can come through in big moments. Do you agree with that? Was that how it was for you growing up in Mexico, highly competitive athletic situation?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yes. I remember when I used to play professional baseball in Mexico, I had professional coaches and a lot of teammates, and they had a long time playing baseball in Mexico. I received a lot of advice from them about how to control the games when you have a lot of people.

Especially some pitches, like a spin, your curveball spin, your slider, and I think they helped me a lot, and I think I got some experience how to play professional baseball, and that's the reason why I'm here.

Q. How does it feel to be backed up by such an impressive offense that the Astros have, and if you could talk a little about the job that Yordan Alvarez has done specifically.

JOSE URQUIDY: Speaking specifically of Alvarez, I met him back in 2017, and he never stopped surprising me with just the kind of strength he has at the plate. I got to know him pretty well in Triple-A back there, and he's just extremely impressive with what he can do.

It gives me a lot of confidence just knowing the defense and the offense the team has in general and knowing guys have my back like that and to rely on the offense we have, it gives you a lot of confidence when you go on the mound knowing you have that offense and defense with you.

Q. What are you doing to prepare for your outing tomorrow? Have any of your teammates given you any kind of advice to be successful?

JOSE URQUIDY: I'm doing what I can to get physically prepared for the game, just getting ready so that my arm feels good, my body feels good. I'm on a little bit more rest than usual, so I'm getting ready for the outing and potentially having another.

As far as talking to my teammates, I talked to both Framber and Luis. You saw they both had a couple of rough outings and turned around and had a good one. What they were able to do is throw hard and attack the zone. That's basically what they told me is attack the zone, be throwing a ton of strikes, and just attack the hitters. And spin the ball.

Q. Have you had any contact with Alfonso Marquez, the other Mexican in the series, the umpire?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yeah, I know him from a while ago. We haven't been in touch too much recently, but I know that he's another Mexican in the World Series and we have the chance to just say hello to each other from a distance sometimes. So hopefully I get a chance to actually get to know him in person sometime.

Q. You talked about working with Chirinos a couple years ago in the World Series. Is it possible that you'll work with Maldonado tomorrow? What does it mean to have his presence on the team?

JOSE URQUIDY: He's a really intelligent player. He's got a ton of experience catching a lot of different guys over the years, and he gives us a lot of confidence as pitchers, just knowing that he knows what to do in certain situations, what pitches to go to. It gives us a ton of confidence in the pitching staff to have him behind the plate.

He's a really important piece for us. He's got a ton of experience, and we hope to have him with us for a lot longer.