MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 28, 2021

Luis Garcia

Truist Park

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Luis, you're going to be -- one of the components of the game tomorrow will be hitting. I was just wondering how much have you worked on it? Is that something you look forward to, or is it going to add extra stress to when you really want to be focusing on pitching?

LUIS GARCIA: Not me. I don't get like -- I don't lose the focus on pitching. I like to hit, and I practiced a couple times. It was good. So I just like to hit.

Q. You've never faced anybody in their lineup before. Do you think that gives you an advantage?

LUIS GARCIA: I don't think so. I just want to do my job. I mean, they see videos on that stuff. I know it's not the same, but I think they know what I can do.

Q. You started pitching pretty late compared to most pitchers in your late teens. What is it like to have gone through that and now you actually are starting the game in the World Series?

LUIS GARCIA: It's like a dream, to be honest. When we were about to start the series, sometimes I thought like, wow, this is incredible. I mean, I couldn't believe it. Now I have to believe the moment, like believe it, you know. That's what I think about that.

Q. From what you've studied so far, what do you think is kind of the biggest threat of this Braves lineup?

LUIS GARCIA: I just have to -- I was watching Urquidy throwing last night, and I think I just want to do the same, I think. I can't say too much about that. So I'm just going to keep my focus and do the best that I can do.

Q. Your velocity was up a lot in your last outing in Game 6. Is that something that you think you can sustain into tomorrow?

LUIS GARCIA: I think it's going to be there again if that's what it was. I don't know. I'm going to do my best, and I think it will be there, and everything will be there, I think.

Q. When you bat, do you have your own bat model, or are you borrowing from a teammate?

LUIS GARCIA: I asked Yordan for one.

Q. What's the weight and length?

LUIS GARCIA: I don't know (laughter). I just used Yordan's bat, and that's it.

Q. Luis, your windup and delivery has gotten a lot of attention. Can you brief us on how that developed and what made you so comfortable with the way you deliver the baseball and the pitches?

LUIS GARCIA: I think I said this a lot, but it started to happen by itself, I think, nothing special. I started to do it because it was something like I thought to do the same every time. That's the main focus about that delivery. That's what I think about that.

Q. The consistency of the team and what it can mean to take an advantage back home for these three games.

LUIS GARCIA: I'm just really positive. I think all the guys are really positive. We have a lot of confidence, and I think that's the biggest key for us. I know we have the next three games in Atlanta, but we're just going to go out and play baseball the way we know how to and stay confident and positive.

Q. I was wondering how much do you think the extra rest before your last outing helped you both in terms of stuff and command? And was there anything you did in your routine before your last outing that you tried to take into this turn with the extra rest?

LUIS GARCIA: Yeah, I was going to do the same because the last time I rest before the game I was trying to recover my knee and all that stuff. I think I took a lot of things about that recover thing and take it with me in this period of time, like to get ready for the next game.

Q. Is there anything you tried to do even just out of superstition that you tried to carry over from last start to this one?

LUIS GARCIA: I think I'm very superstitious, like sometimes it's bad, but it happens.

Q. When you say you're very superstitious, what are your main superstitions?

LUIS GARCIA: I don't know, if I use one shoes, I use the same shoes if we win, stuff like that.

Q. What are the others?

LUIS GARCIA: How can I say? Simple things like every day. Same shirt when I get to the stadium, something like that.