AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 15, 2022

Terry Francona

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Guardians - 6, Yankees - 5

Q. Just the way Oscar continues to come through, do you feel like you're seeing, like, something budding in him?

TERRY FRANCONA: I certainly hope so. You know, I don't know if we have time to think like that during games. You're trying so hard to figure out how you're going to win.

But he can take some swings early in the count, and you're like uh-oh. When he gets to two strikes, he gets the barrel of the bat to the ball a lot of times, and did it again tonight.

Q. I mean, does it almost feel like he's growing more than, like, just a year?

TERRY FRANCONA: I think they all are. I think every game we play is just more experience for the whole group. Myself included.

Q. How emotional was that, compared to the other day?

TERRY FRANCONA: Which other day?

Q. I mean, beating the Rays. I mean, just that was a wringer thing. This was a little different.

TERRY FRANCONA: I mean, it was a good ball game. I'm sure it was a fun one to watch. A little bit agonizing. Early on, I thought we did such a good job with our at-bats. We didn't have enough to show for it. We scored up a lot of balls and they didn't go out. Then theirs did.

And, you know, so we had to play from behind. But they keep playing. I say that a lot, but they keep playing. And sometimes good stuff happens.

Q. Straw obviously had the well-hit ball in the 6th inning and went to second during that rally. How valuable was it or how big a spark was it to not only get the single in the ninth to get things going, but to end up on second there.

TERRY FRANCONA: I'm not sure being on second was all that big, just because we're down two. But getting base runners was huge. Yeah, you're right, he lined out in the 6th, and he squared it up and hit it right at the second baseman. We were just looking for base runners at that point.

Q. You talked about the bullpen going in. What did you like about De Los Santos there against the first half of their order and how big was it for him to get through there to allow you to stay close?

TERRY FRANCONA: The idea is we're trying to keep the game to where they have to use their bullpen and we don't go to our guys, we're going to go to them when we have the lead.

They gave us a chance. Sam left one pitch that Bader hit, but other than that, they kept it right where it was and gave us a chance and we didn't have to go to the other guys.

Q. What did you think of Triston tonight?

TERRY FRANCONA: I thought the ball was coming out of his hand really good. With this lineup, when you make a mistake, they can hit it a long way. The three home runs were all mistakes, and it's more glaring because they know what to do with them when they seem to go a long way.

Q. Terry, you took your team through a version of this throughout the season in terms of your offense putting the ball in play a lot. Is there any better example of the rewards for that from what your team did tonight?

TERRY FRANCONA: It was a pretty good example. Believe me, I wish one of those balls would have gone out. Amed hit his ball really well to right. Gonzie hit his ball really well to right. I think on a warmer night, those balls go out and we would gladly would have accepted that. Rather than putting your head down and pouting, they keep playing, and good things happen.

Q. Tito, Arias tonight had success hitting the ball. What did you think of him at first base? Didn't notice it was his first time out there.

TERRY FRANCONA: No, it wasn't his first time in the series. No, he's fine. I thought he played a good game. He had real good at-bats. He also drove the ball to right field. It didn't go, but I thought he handled himself real well. That was why we played him.