MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 31, 2021

Martin Maldonado

Carlos Correa

Truist Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Houston - 9, Atlanta - 5

Q. When they walked Bregman to get to you with the bases loaded, were you expecting them to do that? How did you feel when they did that? What was kind of your approach in that plate appearance?

MARTIN MALDONADO: I was expecting that. Breggy, we got down early in the game. I always like prepare, be ready for a guy that's been tough all series, been pitching great. I wasn't going to swing to get a strike.

It was pretty much try and be patient. I know he's got a good cutter. He's been amazing this year so far with that pitch. And you try to see him out for the most part.

Q. The back end of your guys' bullpen has done a really good job -- Stanek and Maton and Graveman and Pressly. What is it about those guys that's made them so effective and probably gives you confidence going into these last two games?

MARTIN MALDONADO: Those four guys, I would say probably everyone in the bullpen has been our strength this postseason. They've been keeping us in the ballgame. They've been holding the lead for us. They're all different. Every pitcher is different from them, and they attack the hitter, and they have that mentality to go out there and try to perform on a daily basis.

Q. Martin, given your struggles at the plate this postseason, how rewarding is it to drive in three runs on a night where you guys were facing elimination? What did that mean to you?

MARTIN MALDONADO: It means a lot. Every time you've got a chance to help the team win one way or another, it's always huge.

Q. I'd like to ask, you're down 3-1. We know teams have come back from this. Then you're down 4-0. You're in this place where they're doing the cheering. What's the mindset of the team that tells you, yes, we can come back, for both of you?

CARLOS CORREA: I say keep fighting. I'm a huge MMA fan, and I've seen lots of guys almost knocked out, and they battle back to win the fight. We were down 3-1. Now we're still down 3-2. I truly believe, if there's one team that can accomplish that in this league, it's us. We're going to stay confident, go out there and battle every single inning and try to win every pitch.

MARTIN MALDONADO: We put a good at-bat together, make good pitches as a pitching staff. All in all, we've got to keep fighting. As Carlos said, we're down 3-2 now, so we've got to take one pitch at a time.

Q. Martin, you had RBIs in three different ways tonight -- a sac fly, a walk, and a single. Is it just a matter of trying to do whatever you can to get that run across at your spot?

MARTIN MALDONADO: Yeah, it's like whatever way you bring a run, especially in the playoff, is huge. You get good at-bats, whatever the situation dictates. You try to work through it. I was really hopeful to help the team win whatever way we can do it.

CARLOS CORREA: Did you guys notice how close he was to the plate on the bat against Minter? You guys notice? That was sick (laughter).

Q. Carlos, you guys had a very difficult time getting hits in the first part of this series. What turned things around tonight, do you think?

CARLOS CORREA: I feel like that's what we do. Throughout the whole year, obviously, there are ups and downs and 162, so you've got time to make up for that. Here there's no time for that. It took us four games, the fifth game. We made the adjustments. Hopefully, we can keep doing that for two more games.

The pitching staff was executing very well today. Bats came alive. Hopefully, it's the start of a hot streak going into Houston.

Q. Carlos, this is for you. Dusty was in here talking about that mindset of coming back, and he said the hardest thing is to do it the first time because, once you do it the first time, you know you can do it the next time. Is that something that this team feels and embodies?

CARLOS CORREA: Absolutely. I feel like this game is all about confidence. Your swing could be right, but if you're not confident at the plate, bad things are going to happen.

Losing those first two games here the way we did, especially that second one, were really tough, and they hate you a little bit. But we found a way to bounce back today, and it gives us a lot of confidence go to Houston, our home ballpark. One pitch at a time, but we're feeling good.

Q. Can you just talk about that mindset, that toughness, is that something that you guys speak about? Or do you not even need to speak about it?

CARLOS CORREA: We talk about it. We talk about it, being confident and going out there and executing and trying to do whatever we can to stay alive and eventually win the series. Like I said, we're just going to go out there, and we're not going to give up. We're not going to quit. We're not going to back down.

We need to keep fighting. If it doesn't work out, we can say we fought to the end. If it works out, that's going to make for a good story.

Q. Being down 3-0 is almost impossible, as you guys know. Does 3-1 seem like a completely different thing, like way more possible?

CARLOS CORREA: It was something Maldy talked about yesterday. We were down 3-0 last year, we forced a Game 7. Now we're down 3-1. Why can't we force a Game 7 again? So one pitch at a time. Let's go Game 6, same mentality. Go out there and fight, and hopefully we can get this win.

Q. Carlos, everything you're talking about, having to fight back, they score four in the first. How important was it that you immediately got two runs back in the second, both for the team, and also Alex Bregman, who's been struggling, was able to knock one of those in. How important was it for the team and for him in the second inning to bounce right back?

CARLOS CORREA: I think that was the key of us winning the game right there, bouncing back right away, those two runs, Bregman getting the huge double. Getting the confidence all the way up like we just talked about.

From the moment we scored those two runs, we said, all right, it's time to go. Let's go. Let's put great at-bats together. Let's fight. Let's battle. Eventually, we ended up scoring all those runs and have a great game.

That's the mentality we keep having. They have a great pitching staff. They've been great all season long, but we've got to go out there and try to be better.

Q. On the outside, can you guys explain why you wanted Marwin back so bad?

CARLOS CORREA: We wanted him back because, one, the team chemistry is great when he's around. He's Altuve's best friend, so having him around helps Altuve in a big way. And he's a postseason hero for us. We know when the moments are big, it's not going to be too big for him.

He showed us tonight on a cold night, facing Minter, who's nasty. And going out there and helping the team win the game. We just want one at-bat. We preach it all the time. One at-bat can win the series, and he gave us a chance tonight.

Q. Carlos, you mentioned how close Martin was to the plate on that Minter walk. Just from your vantage point, that whole plate appearance you put together, what impressed you most about that?

CARLOS CORREA: Maldy's a guy that obviously we talk about how great he is with the pitch calling, and his defense is amazing and all that, but he's a guy that puts in the work every single day in the cage also. Even though when teams don't work out, he's there every single day putting in the work. He cares about the team. He cares about at-bats. He wants to win the game. He wants to get homers. He wants to go out and deliver.

Just simple things like that, the sac fly you mentioned, scoring a run, getting a walk with the based loaded, another run. It's productive at-bats. He does the hard work, and at some point it's going to pay off. I believe in him every step of the way.

MARTIN MALDONADO: Now you're going to make me cry.

(Laughter.)

Q. Carlos, what was the degree of difficulty on the play on Swanson, not only getting the ball, but turning it and making that throw?

CARLOS CORREA: Why you ask me those questions? What do you think was the degree of difficulty?

Q. For me, it was impossible. It was a 9.

CARLOS CORREA: It was a tough play. When I look at my hat, I see he's a 60 runner. I got all the runner speeds on my hat just to know how much time I've got. I know he's a 60 runner. I knew how to get rid of the ball quick and turn and make a strong throw. Glad it worked out. It's always tough to make those throws when it's cold.

Q. You and Alex and Yuli and Altuve have been together for a long time. How much is it driving you guys? Obviously you want to win, but specifically winning again with this group?

CARLOS CORREA: It's a special group, man. I love those guys so much. We get to work so many times together -- Spring Training, where every single day taking infields together. The regular season, we go out there and put in the work. We've grown together. We've gotten better together. We expect perfection out of each other. That's the way we push each other to just be better every single year. It's just going to be special.

We've just got to keep fighting, keep going, and focus on Game 6. I truly love those guys.