AL DIVISION SERIES: MARINERS VS ASTROS

October 13, 2022

Yordan Alvarez

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Houston Astros - 4, Seattle Mariners - 2

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions for Yordan Álvarez.

Q. The obvious question. Coming through again in the clutch with that two-run homer, some thoughts about that and your thoughts after you hit it.

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: I think that he was having a great game. He's a great pitcher. But I faced him twice earlier in the game and just went up there just trying to look for a good pitch to make good contact on, and that was the one that I got and thankfully I was able to connect there.

Q. You just make everything look so easy. Would you be able to kind of put us in your mind and tell us what is it like for you when you're up at the plate in such a high-pressure moment and how you're able to do what you do?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: I just try to disconnect from everything when I go up there to the plate. I just kind of try to go in there with a plan of attack and just go out there, try to visualize everything that might happen there and, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about the 8th inning when they put you on base intentionally. Dusty said that it reminds him of what they would do with Barry Bonds and that's a high compliment, what you thought about that moment and that remark.

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: I don't have much to say about that. That was a decision that they decided to do. But felt very glad that Bregman came behind me and was able to get the job done.

Q. On the home run, just how did you handle that pitch, a 98-mile-an-hour sinker that was outside? We know you got good plate coverage, but was that kind of your plan to go the other way and get it in the Crawford Boxes?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: Yeah, I was thinking if the pitch was outside, I wasn't trying to pull the ball. I fouled off the pitch a couple times, got under it a couple times. But my mentality was to try to get on top of the ball and make good contact.

Q. You signed your extension with this club a few months ago, and then also your parents and your family have recently been able to come over and watch you play. Do those things affect your performance on the field at all or are you able to keep it completely separate?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: I think it's helped me a lot, especially my family being here. I think that it does give me a lot of peace of mind having them here. Yeah, definitely I do think that it's helped my performance.

Q. Of course your highlights will be what you've done at the plate. Can you also talk about the way you've played left field and how comfortable you are playing out there.

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: We've been working on this for the last two years. And I've got the opportunity thankfully this year to play out there. I think I've shown that I can play out there. And because of that I think I've earned the trust of our manager.

Q. Your trainer was also here in attendance along with your family. Do you ever look in the mirror and see the player you've become with his help?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: Definitely he's one of the trainers that I worked with as soon as I became a professional and definitely deserves a lot of credit for a lot of the things I've been able to do at the plate. He's helped me a lot with my swing. And again, just having him here every single game, we sometimes joke around about the hitting, but he definitely deserves a lot of credit for the help.

Q. Can you talk about Framber's growth and how you've seen Framber grow through out the year, the season.

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: Framber, definitely I think he becomes a better pitcher every single time he goes out there. Just like I told him, I think he's starting to believe he knows the things that he can accomplish there on the mound and everything that he has in that arm. I always tell him to appreciate it. But, yeah, definitely he's grown a lot this season.

Q. Everyone seemingly in the baseball world is talking about your hitting and what you've been able to do these past two games. I wondered, if you had to describe your self as a hitter, what would you say?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: That's a great question. I would say intelligent. I think whenever I go up to the plate I try to visualize what the different kind of results that I could get up there when I'm hitting. If everything goes according to plan we'll get a positive result. Obviously there's still a pitcher out there who is trying to get me out.

Q. Before the intentional walk in the 8th inning did you feel you were getting a lot of good pitches to hit, given the protection you have of Bregman and Tucker behind you?

YORDAN ÁLVAREZ: Every single time I go out there I just try to look for a good pitch to drive. I really don't try to think about if they're trying to pitch around me to get to the guys behind me. Obviously Bregman and Tucker are really good hitters. But whenever I'm there I just try to get a really good pitch to hit.