MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES VS ASTROS

October 29, 2022

Kyle Tucker

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 2 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Kyle Tucker.

Q. I know that in the World Series there's always a sense of urgency but after losing Game 1 is there even more a sense of urgency to not have to go to Philly 0-2?

KYLE TUCKER: I don't know if it's urgency. We try and come out and win every single game. So that's what we're going to try to do today and try and get out to an early lead and try and keep it.

Q. Do you get a sense of how much this run has meant to Dusty, your manager? It's been a big story line that he's chasing his first World Series and now he's getting really close. Have you seen just the emotions kind of get to him at times where he's got a real shot here now?

KYLE TUCKER: I think he knows how good of a team we are and we're a couple wins away from winning this. So we have, I still feel like we have a really good chance and we got another game today that we need to try to go out there and win and then take it to Philly and try and win those games.

So we have a pretty good team and he knows that and everyone in our clubhouse knows that, so we just got to get things done.

Q. The Astros have been so good at home in the regular season and in the first couple rounds of the playoffs, but 1-7 in the last eight home games here in Houston. Can you explain that? It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

KYLE TUCKER: I don't know. We play good teams. We win games on the road as well. So it's not like you're going to win every single home game and you're not going to lose every road game. So we're playing a really good team and they're out here trying to win the series as well, so they're going to do whatever they can to win and so are we. It's not always going to work out in our favor, but we're going to try and do everything that we can to try and win the game. So that's just kind of how it's just worked out.

Q. Both you and Yordan saw the lefties in their bullpen last night that they had to offer. You didn't get the result you wanted, but how valuable is that in the long run of this series to see those guys and have at-bats against them now?

KYLE TUCKER: It's good. We faced them at the end of the year as well. I mean, it's just how it is. I'm sure we're going to get them the rest of the series, probably every game, kind of just depending on how the game is going on and the matchups and stuff like that. We have seen them before. It doesn't make it any easier, but we're just going to go up there and try and get hits regardless of who is out on the mound.

Q. It looks like after the starters, of course, the Phillies are looking at, say, you and Yordan in the lineup and definitely looking to put left-handed pitchers in there. For you this year what have you liked and not liked about what you've done against lefties?

KYLE TUCKER: I don't really mind lefties. For me, I don't really necessarily care whether there's a righty or lefty out on the mound. I just still try and go up there and put together a competitive at-bat and try and get on base. I feel like I've done just as well off lefties as righties. I don't know my stats at all, but I think career-wise or just how I feel in the box is relatively the same.

Q. Since you're one of the few people in the majors that doesn't wear batting gloves consistently I wonder how often do you hear about that? And secondly, I know you've worn them here and there, but would you ever wear them consistently?

KYLE TUCKER: Probably not right now. If it's like freezing cold and I can't feel my hands I'll probably throw 'em on. But I hear about it whenever I do wear batting gloves because it's, I guess, a story at the time.

But that's just something I do every now and then, just kind of randomly and try to mix things up.

Q. Why don't you wear batting gloves?

KYLE TUCKER: Probably like my freshman or sophomore year of high school I probably just -- I probably ripped a pair of batting gloves and just never got another pair and just learned to hit without 'em. And that's just kind of how it started and I just never really felt the need for 'em, really.

Q. The year the Astros drafted you, it was their first good year, really, and they have been good ever since. What do you think it is about this organization that different players come and go, but they're always a top team?

KYLE TUCKER: Well we have a lot of really good minor league players. Whenever guys come up from Triple-A or from wherever they are in our minor league system they come up and they want to win and produce. I think our development side of our organization has done a really good job of preparing them to, when they do come up here, to play well and perform well.

We just have really good players in general. So I think kind of a little bit of the combination of just having really good players and kind of helping 'em, you know, teach them and try and help 'em out to stay in the big leagues and what they need to do to stay up here and do well. But like Hunter Brown, J.J., Seth, I mean a bunch of guys that we have come up have done well.

Q. When you watched your homers back from yesterday was that as much, you know, emotion and celebrating as you've done? Like what did you think of -- you know, the way you twirled I'm sure it just came out naturally, which a lot of guys do in moments like this.

KYLE TUCKER: Probably. It's exciting. We're in the World Series and to put up runs on the board in this point of the season is huge. We get really good arms that we have to face every day now. It's kind of tough to put runs up on the board. So when we do it's pretty exciting. Hopefully we can win the game today.