AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 22, 2022

Aaron Boone

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Pregame 3 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Aaron.

Q. Was there any hesitation at all to put Giancarlo Stanton in left field and ultimately what told you that he was okay to be out there?

AARON BOONE: More just thought he moved around well out there in Houston, obviously made a really good play out there. So seeing how he was after that game, which came out of that feeling good, the next day felt good as well. As I deliberated on it yesterday, I checked in with him just to make sure that he felt good about it. I told him I was considering it. He was all in on it, let's go, and decided to go that way.

Q. Why Cabrera at short instead of some of your other options?

AARON BOONE: I just really wanted to get the third lefty at-bat in there today against Javier, who's a pretty extreme, I mean, he's had a great year against both, but he's especially tough on righties. So I just wanted to have the three lefties in there today.

Q. You talked about Cristian, generally speaking, over the long haul this year with the lowest batting average against, he doesn't have enough innings to qualify, but what's made him so tough for him to hit?

AARON BOONE: It's an elite fastball profile, to go along with a really good slider as well. He pitched one of the best games probably against us all year in that game he pitched against us here where he was really dynamic. But his fastball really plays up to go along with a really good slider.

Q. Some of your players have not experienced this level of playoff baseball. What do you tell them to make sure that they're not overwhelmed by what they're facing?

AARON BOONE: I mean, I don't think they're overwhelmed by it. We're facing a heavyweight opponent that, especially on the bump really top to bottom as a staff is about as tough as you're going to face. So nothing changes for us. Going into the postseason, going into the season, we talk about all that's coming for you, and that you got to withstand different trials along the way within a season, within a series, within game.

So our message is always just continue to move forward. The next play is the most important. Don't get bogged down, good bad, or indifferent by just what happened. So from a focus standpoint I feel like our guys are in a good spot and are ready to roll and excited to go out there behind Gerrit today and hopefully get a victory.

Q. Could you just talk about putting Harrison in the 6 spot today and just speak overall, please, his production this series.

AARON BOONE: Well, he's had an outstanding postseason, obviously. Hitting the ball out of the ballpark, had a good game the other day getting on base a couple times. So I feel like he's putting together a lot of big at-bats and hopefully he can impact us in the middle of the order today.

Q. Not a singular event like tonight, but do you think a lineup could be built through the off-season and regular season, acquisitions, etcetera, that can handle the playoffs, is built for the playoffs, or is it you better be healthy and hot at the right moment?

AARON BOONE: Both. I think getting hot and being healthy certainly is a big thing in the playoffs, but certainly putting together the right kind of balance of hitters and things like that certainly gives you a chance at success. So I would say it's a little bit of both.

Q. Do you think you guys have that balance?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, we should be able to, if we're playing at our best and clicking at our best, we should be able to carry the load offensively.

Q. Cabrera in the minors played more second base. I know he played some third and short too. What have you seen from his shortstop play and is he average, above average in your mind, how is he at short?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, we view him solid everywhere in the infield, wherever you play him. He had that, what was it, Game 4, I think he, Game 4 and 5 of the last series, I thought he was really good in Game 4, moving, making some plays. He's comfortable wherever you put him, and he's shown that he's now comfortable even when we put him in the outfield as well. So wherever we have Oswaldo I feel good about it.

Q. When an offense is kind of struggling in the playoffs, how do you balance the idea of, oh, they will get themselves out of it, the hits will come, versus also, we don't really have that much time, we kind of need it today?

AARON BOONE: Playoffs is hard, man. And we're up against probably the best pitching staff there is going right now, so there's going to be some bumps in that. We've gone up against Verlander, Framber. We've gotten two runs in each game. It hasn't been quite enough. It's hard this time of year. You got to just keep powering through it, game plan as best as you can.

We got a different challenge today and a different kind of look from Javier. Hopefully we can get to him.

Q. With veterans, particularly guys like Donaldson and Carpenter, do you say anything or do you just trust them to kind of figure this out on their own?

AARON BOONE: Well, I mean, we have our hitter meeting every day and we're pouring through the game plan, and we're talking through like approaches and things like that, but then it's go out and play.

Q. Obviously down 2-0, the optimistic view is, well, we have Gerrit tonight, Nestor tomorrow. Knowing that you have faith in Nestor all along, what do you think it says about his journey that he's at that point where he can inspire that kind of confidence in fans and teammates from where he's been just a couple years ago?

AARON BOONE: I mean, we've talked a lot about his journey. It's a great story. But here we are in the middle later part of October and he's a critical figure to our team, a critical person, player to our team, and I think at this point over the last couple of years he's proven that he is just a frontline impact pitcher in the game. So hopefully he'll be in a good spot tomorrow trying to pitch to even up the series.

Q. Is Rizzo leading off today because you like starting with the lefty or were there other things that factored in there?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I mean, just having three lefties in there today, just wanting some spacing with them because we haven't had that typical leadoff hitter necessarily rotating that spot today against Javier with the three lefties. More than anything it's just spreading them out a little bit and trying to have a little lineup balance.

Q. You made some comments the other night with the roof open at Minute Maid Park and how it played. Just curious based on the forecast today how you think the ballpark will play today, wind, that sort of thing?

AARON BOONE: I'm not sure. I'll get out there. The comments I made, I just answered a question. I mean, I don't know that I came in there commenting on something. I just was asked a question.

But obviously it will be a little chillier here. It looks, it seems to be a nice day. But we'll get out there. And the wind's always a little bit different day-in and day-out here.

Q. Because the Astros don't have a traditional left-handed reliever, did you think at all about running your three lefties together to see, since it can't be capitalized on later in the game with a lefty reliever, like, Hey, let's take a shot at Javier with them all bunched?

AARON BOONE: No, because them you're bunching up righties. Even though they don't have that lefty reliever, they still have guys, especially in higher-leverage situations that they prefer against, that they will shoot against left-handed hitters or that they will shoot against a string of right-handed hitters. So you still try to create that balance.

Q. Can you just talk about the mindset of Cole going into today's game as compared to his last start where he pitched really well?

AARON BOONE: Well, I don't think much changes. It's a different opponent, obviously, and different challenges that they present. But I think for Gerrit it's just how is he going to attack their different hitters. And, mindset-wise, I don't think anything changes. He's going out to put his best foot forward and hopefully have a great start for us. Albeit up against now a different opponent with different challenges.

Q. What are you seeing from Aaron Judge right now? He's struck out a lot, he's rarely walked. Obviously not as productive as in the regular season. What are you seeing?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I thought he swung the bat really well the last game. He had the base hit, smoked the ball to center, just missed homering to right. I thought he just missed another breaking ball that he popped up. So I thought he had a lot of really great at-bats in his last game. Hopefully a sign of things to come.