AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS VS ASTROS

October 11, 2022

Luis Castillo

Minute Maid Park

Seattle Mariners

Pregame 1 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Luis.

Q. What was it about Seattle and the Mariners that made you feel comfortable right away?

LUIS CASTILLO: I thank God that I'm with this team that's very competitive. I'm just happy and glad that I'm able to be with this team that's very competitive, that fights for every inning. I'm very thankful for that.

Q. Mitch Haniger described you the other day, on days that you start, as being very lively, upbeat, joking around. A lot of starting pitchers on the day they pitch have extreme kind of tunnel vision, they don't want to talk to anybody, they keep to themselves. Why are you wired that way and have you always been wired that way?

LUIS CASTILLO: It's natural. It's natural, just who I am. It doesn't matter where I go, if I'm in a different country or a different city, it's just who I am. I'm just here and I'm trying to just go and just enjoy myself and kind of live in the moment.

Q. You've been in the National League for awhile, but what are your impressions of the Astros over the years and have you kind of gotten a sense of the rivalry that the Mariners feel with the Astros wanting to beat them in your short time here with them?

LUIS CASTILLO: I haven't really gotten the sense of that because when I got here, we didn't face the Astros anymore.

But like I said before, it doesn't matter what team you are in the MLB, I'm going to come in and just kind of do my best that I can do.

Q. This can be a pretty challenging ballpark to pitch in, not just because of what the Astros offer offensively, but just the quirky dimensions and everything, a lot of weird stuff happens here. Have your teammates at all talked to you about that and just the challenges of pitching at Minute Maid Park?

LUIS CASTILLO: You know, I've kind of talked to them, not about -- I've kind of talked to them about the park, but like I'm not really focused on the dimensions of the park. When I go out there, I'm focused on what kind of pitches that I'm going to throw.

Q. Coming into the AL, you've been a little bit of a mystery to some teams, including the Astros. Does that give you an advantage on the mound?

LUIS CASTILLO: I don't really see it as an advantage. I mean, I kind of let God decide what he has planned for us.

But as far as for me, I'm going to go up there and do my best when I'm on the mound and just compete as I can.

Q. How does anyone hit your fastball?

LUIS CASTILLO: You know, just like I prepare every time I go on the mound to throw as fast as I can, batters are also trying to prepare to see what kind of pitch is coming for them.

But, yeah, there's always a counter to what you do, and batters can get a hit on it.

Q. Your best starts so far as a Mariner have come against the best teams that you've faced and with the best environments that you've pitched in, the biggest crowds. What is it do you think about the ballpark atmosphere and the quality of the opponent that makes you be seemingly the best version of yourself?

LUIS CASTILLO: You know, it's that energy that I feel that is kind of the environment. The fans play a big role that gives me that little extra energy to compete and give us that little extra energy to compete.

So if we're out there and we're battling and we're giving it 110 percent and that energy from the fans keeps going a hundred percent, we're going to give that 101 percent.

Q. How do you describe the baseball in Baní where you're from, and how do the aspects of that help shape how you need to be?

LUIS CASTILLO: It's a beautiful culture there in Baní. Me growing up there, a lot of the kids love playing baseball, and I grew up loving playing baseball. My dad was kind of the inspiration for that. He would always tell me, hey, let's go, let's go play baseball. I remember that the games were always on Saturday and my dad would be the one that always woke me up.

So I would say the big inspiration for me getting into baseball and staying where I'm at is definitely my father.

Q. I want to get your impression on this ball club's second biggest comeback in postseason history against the Toronto Blue Jays. What is it about this team that you guys never give up, and what was your reaction to see so many fans celebrate with you on the field after 46,000 fans left Rogers Center?

LUIS CASTILLO: To the fan part, it's great. It's great because we kind of see the support that we have and we will get no matter where we go.

And in terms of the first question, can you repeat the first question?

Q. What is it about this ball club that they just don't give up. In that game you're down by seven runs, second biggest comeback in postseason history. What is it about this team that you've been a part of that is able to do something like that and have been for months?

LUIS CASTILLO: It was incredible. What that showed, that comeback showed was that we are a team that will keep battling. We will keep battling, keep battling until we can get it our way. We were definitely away and we were able to get those many runs in that short time during that game.