AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 20, 2022

Alex Bregman

Framber Valdez

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Houston Astros - 3, New York Yankees - 2

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Alex Bregman.

Q. Can you talk about the home run, what your thoughts were circling the bases and how big it was, given, well, that was it for the offense and with the score that it was.

ALEX BREGMAN: Yeah, it was just, I was fortunate enough to get that at-bat because Yordan hustled down the line. He plays the game hard. Just trying to square up a ball is tough off of him. He's one of the best pitchers in the game. I missed under a few fastballs and was fortunate enough to square it, kind of square that one up and give us the lead.

Q. I know this might sound a little obvious, but just how important are home runs to what you guys are doing offensively, especially in the postseason? I think it's accounted for most of your guys' run production even dating back to the Seattle series.

ALEX BREGMAN: Yeah, I feel like we want to create runs in many different ways, but sometimes it's the home run. They got a really tough pitching staff over there. They're really good. So just trying to scratch and claw and battle and try and fight.

Q. How big is it for you guys to be up 2-0 heading to their park for two, maybe three more games?

ALEX BREGMAN: Yeah, I think we did a good job the first two games. Just got to keep playing hard, keep competing. It's fun playing in the postseason. Great atmosphere here, great atmosphere there. Just looking forward to continuing to compete.

Q. You raised both your slugging and OPS about a hundred points from the first half to the second half. What sparked that change in your season, anything you can kind of point to?

ALEX BREGMAN: Yeah, landing closed. I've been landing open for like two years, so I needed to fix some mechanical things. My front side was kind of flying off the baseball when I would swing. So just during the All-Star break really got in the cage and really got after it and tried to get mechanically sound.

Feeling healthy this year, and that's a big thanks to our training staff and strength and conditioning coaches. Just fortunate enough to continue to compete on this ball club.

Q. How did you recognize that were you flying open and then what did you do to actually fix that?

ALEX BREGMAN: Well, I knew I was doing it for the last two years, I just couldn't fix it or I would have. But we did some different drills in the cage so I could feel it. Still today, I did it on the changeup. I kind of came off of it a little bit. But just focusing on the mechanics with our hitting coaches and trying to put together some good at-bats.

THE MODERATOR: We'll welcome Framber to join Alex.

Q. If I could, your view of Tucker's catch at the wall, which is obviously a play that changes this game. And if you could maybe share, how often -- we have seen him do this and he makes it look routine. Do you appreciate the skill level that he employs there?

ALEX BREGMAN: Yeah. To be honest, this is a series of two of the probably I think the best of -- well, Mookie as well, but two of the top 3 probably right fielders defensively in the game of baseball. Judge and Tucker both make incredible plays in right field. So like you said, we have seen Tucker do that a lot, but he's a great defender. He really is.

Q. What was that mound visit like after Framber threw away Giancarlo's ball in the 4th inning? What did you do to settle him down? And then Framber, how did you kind of collect yourself after that and come back to get out of that inning?

ALEX BREGMAN: Actually, when we got to the mound, Framber was just ready to continue to compete. We just said, let's not let this be a big inning, let's just continue to execute pitches and do exactly what you do. And every time he takes the mound we have a lot of confidence in him and he competed all night and I was just super happy for him and how he pitched. He did a great job.

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Just going out there, I think in that moment I got a little bit too confident with that ground ball and I didn't get anybody out. Obviously, those two runs scored, but thankfully I was able to get locked in again, get out of that inning, and continue pitching and do a good job.

Q. Framber, what was your overall approach against Aaron Judge tonight, especially in that 5th inning at bat where you got him to fly out to Tucker?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: My plan of attack against him has been the same one all year. It's just attack them in the strike zone, throw them my good pitches in the strike zone, my curveball, my changeup, my fastball, my sinker. Just being able to locate those pitches well in the strike zone and that's what I've been able to do all year.

Q. Alex, can you talk about playing with the roof open. That's kind of rare here. Does it change anything for how you guys approach the game?

ALEX BREGMAN: It's tough to tell. Every time it's open it's a little bit different. But just one of those things. You just got to play.

Q. Framber, I would like to ask you about the maturation process that you've shown over the last few years and that Abreu has shown recently.

FRAMBER VALDEZ: First, to start with Abreu, I think we are all very excited to have him here. He's matured a ton and he's definitely helped the team a lot throughout the season. Even now in terms of, for me, I've just been trying to stay focused. I've been working with my personal psychologist all season and I think he's definitely helped me a lot to be able to stay focused throughout the whole year.

Q. That one-run games like this any one play can change things. That play at the end of the 6th inning that you obviously directed towards Jeremy, what did you think of the play that he made to finish that off?

ALEX BREGMAN: It was awesome. He was in the right spot at the right time. He made a strong throw across the diamond. Sometimes you got to get the ball to bounce your way and right there on that play it did.

Q. You fell behind a lot the first time through the order, but the strikeout of Bader to end the 3rd, did you feel like you started to get into a rhythm at that point?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Definitely, I fell behind a lot of the hitters the first time through. But I think the biggest thing is just trying to stay focused, just breathing between pitches to be able to get locked back in. And definitely because of that I was able to get through seven innings today.

Q. What, if anything, was different about your curveball the second and third time through the order? It really looked like it got a lot better as the game went on.

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I think the first two innings I felt I was a little bit cold. I wasn't fully warmed up. The roof was open. It's something that we're not used to playing with usually here. But I think after that inning I was able to warm up properly. And then the curveball got a lot better from the 3rd through 7th inning. But those are all adjustments that we make in the middle of the game and thankfully it did it.

Q. You talk so much about your growth and maturation over the past few years and all the work you've done like on your mental game. I wondered if you think three or four years ago if what happened in the 4th inning would have happened if you would have been able to shake it off and finish as strong as you did tonight.

FRAMBER VALDEZ: To be quite honest, I think back in 2019 I probably would have been done with the game. I probably would have lost all focus there at that moment. But those are all things that we work on and just continue working hard to be able to focus better and get better in the game. But, yeah, definitely I don't think it would have happened a couple years ago.