AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 16, 2022

Aaron Boone

Progressive Field

New York Yankees

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Yankees - 4, Guardians - 2

Q. Aaron, you knew your bullpen was perhaps compromised tonight and you could use some length from Cole. What stood out for you for the way he threw the ball?

AARON BOONE: His ability to mix, he used everything again tonight. I thought he was very much under control, you know, commanded his emotions well early on if he executed a pitch, he didn't, he had some -- I think the first three innings had the leadoff guy on base and didn't really flinch.

Just kept making pitches all night long. And I thought was just really in command of the moment and it was obviously a huge start for us and for him. And to get us that deep in the game set us up real nice.

Q. You mentioned handling adversity and controlling his emotions. It seemed at times in the middle inning he was taking a step back, taking a deep breath, trying to slow things down. Did you speak to him about that prior?

AARON BOONE: That's something that he actually -- he does a lot. I just felt he did a really good job of handling it all and not being affected by anything that went on in the game. Good, bad, or indifferent, he just kept slowing himself down, making sure he executed. Obviously emptied the tank, you saw some emotion there at the end when -- I think he was probably out of gas the last two, three hitters. Just a huge, big-time performance in this environment and to get us back home.

Q. Third straight time you had used Wandy Peralta. Just any doubt that you had him available tonight, what did you think of the job he did to close it down?

AARON BOONE: He was great. I mean, so efficient too, you know. You know, I was only going to go three hitters there with Wandy and didn't really want to get Lo in the game. So for him to just come in, just execute right from jump street was huge.

Was there any doubt? I mean, this morning and coming to the ballpark. But, you know, right away, he said he was good, wanted the ball, so I was going to go to him in a short spurt. But it happened to line up there in the 9th for that lane I wanted him in and he was terrific again.

Q. Is there any possibility of Wandy being available tomorrow or is that a wait-and-see situation?

AARON BOONE: Yeah. We're a wait-and-see. Yeah, hopefully it helped that -- you know, I think he threw in the single-digit pitchwise. Maybe that will help, you know, I'll have Nestor available tomorrow in kind of that role too. And we'll just see how he wakes up, see what we're looking at when we get to the ballpark.

Q. For Nestor, do you have an idea of how much he can give you tomorrow?

AARON BOONE: We'll see. You know, we'll see. Hopefully I won't have to use him. But he'll be ready to go and, you know, I'll put a limit on it.

Q. Aaron, so much talk in the last 24 hours about Clay Holmes. How did you feel about his performance out there. Did he come through okay?

AARON BOONE: Yeah. Yeah. I thought he threw the ball really well. You know, getting Straw there to start, Kwan puts a tough at bat on him. But then really did a good job with Rosario and Ramirez, who is obviously a tough match-up for us. And then set it up perfect to have that 3 batter guy for Wandy there in the 9th.

But I thought he threw the ball really well and was very much under control too and yeah, I think he came through and, you know so, we'll see, we have tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned that he was kind of on fumes at the end, Cole. If he loses Arias, is he out of the game?

AARON BOONE: That was his last hitter.

Q. So what is the value of winning both this game and tomorrow's game that he was able to both get Arias and the next hitter and leave it to just six outs for the bullpen?

AARON BOONE: Yeah. I mean, we'll see. I mean, it lined up pretty well for us tonight. You know, you start looking back, you know, it is like man, every little out that sets up somebody in a little bit better position moving forward is always big. Him getting that last out was huge because he -- yeah. I mean, that was it right there.

I was going to -- you know, I was going to Clay there and then, you know, who knows? He gets a little bit longer, you start to get into the Naylor, Gonzalez, potentially an inning earlier obviously, and it is just a different game. It kind of set up pretty well for us tonight and really thanks to Gerrit finishing off Arias there.

Actually Cole got Brennan.

Q. Well, I was saying were you going to take him off if he --

AARON BOONE: Oh, if he lost --

Q. And then his ability to get the next guy also.

AARON BOONE: Yes. Yes. Yes. Brennan was absolutely the last hitter, if he lost Arias, yes. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Q. I was asking what do you think about what Harrison Bader has given you in this series, three home runs now in four games for him?

AARON BOONE: Yeah. It's been awesome. You know, he worked so hard to, you know, get back, worked his tail off, rehabbing, you know, showing up in a walking boot. And, you know, right away trying to just endear himself in the clubhouse and absolutely has. We got to see it there the last couple of weeks in the season when he was able to get back, just kind of what a gritty kind of gamer that he is. He loves to play the game. The power showing up here in the post season for us has been big.

And another big -- you know, he really stepped on that ball tonight. I mean, that's a bomb. You know, it was huge for us to give us a little cushion there early.

Q. What did you think of Cabrera tonight?

AARON BOONE: Good. Handled everything well. A couple of tricky plays. I thought the Naylor play to his left, kind of ball hopped up on him, handled it well, turned a big double play. Felt like he had handled it well, and I thought he did.

Q. How did you feel about the Naylor home run celebration when he kind went a little crazy?

AARON BOONE: We can't get caught up in that. We're trying to win.

Q. On Cabrera again, do you expect him to be in there short again tomorrow?

AARON BOONE: Yeah. Probably. Yeah.