MLB WORLD SERIES: PHILLIES VS ASTROS

October 29, 2022

Framber Valdez

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Houston Astros - 5, Philadelphia Phillies - 2

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Framber.

Q. After you got the five-run lead there in the 6th, the first two guys got on, Realmuto and Harper, how did you kind of settle yourself down there and bear down and get those big outs?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: A lot of it just deals with concentration, just all the techniques I've learned to be able to calm myself down in those situations that are pressure-filled, and thankfully, I was able to get a double play there and get out of that inning.

Q. What are some things that you do to calm yourself down? And also, along with that, how did you use the experience of last year's disappointment in the World Series and letting the emotions get to you maybe a little last year? How did you use that to reverse it this time?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Definitely last year my emotions got the best of me. I wasn't able to throw even more than two innings without giving up a run. But those were things that I was able to learn, separate my emotions from my job being on the field. Whenever I'm on the field, on the mound, I just keep my emotions outside of the field, try to stay calm, collected.

Sometimes I get excited and my emotions might get to me a little bit, but I always just try to think back and keep my emotions outside of that, keep it away from work.

Q. What did it mean to have your father here finally to watch you pitch?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: It feels good. I feel very proud to have my father here, even to the point he didn't want to come at first because he was afraid of flying. My mom, that's a different thing too. It's her second year here. She doesn't mind flying.

But, yeah, to have my dad here gives me a little bit of extra strength, and especially he's just used to seeing me pitch on TV, seeing guys like Altuve, Bregman, Peña on TV. Now he's able to see them in person. It means a lot. And, yeah, it means the world to me that he's here, that they're both here.

Q. Could you see your parents wave at you after each inning?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: The reality, no. There were a lot of people there, so I really didn't see them. I was waving out towards the crowd blindly. Hopefully they saw it. But it did feel good knowing that they were both there being able to watch this game.

Q. It looked like you changed gloves and your spikes in the middle of your outing. Can you tell me why you did that?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Yeah, I normally have different spikes when I warm up and the ones that I go into the game. Today I decided to start the game with the ones I warmed up in.

I had a long inning there and I was like, You know what, I'm going to change everything. I'm going to change my glove, my belt, my cleats. And those are just things that us Dominicans do, just some tendencies here and there. I mentioned mechanics I think at one point, but just things to stay loose.

Q. On social media there have been people who think they are seeing things that you're doing with what they interpret as maybe putting substances on the ball. Rob Thomson of the Phillies already said he's not bothered by anything. He thinks everything's fine. The umpires check you. But could you respond to some of the people who are saying, Oh, look at this, look at that.

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Yeah, I think like nobody should think of it as anything like in the wrong way. I do it out in the open. But it's all tendencies I do. I do it throughout the game. Maybe distract the hitter a little bit from what I'm doing. Like maybe look at me, rubbing different things, and nothing about the pitch that I'm going to throw. I've been doing it all season.

Again, just tendencies that Dominicans do just to be able to stay loose. Just tendencies. The important thing obviously is to win. And we're winning, obviously winning legally. But, yeah, just random tendencies.

Q. Can you talk about what it means to have the kind of outing you did in this World Series? To have the win and just the way you pitched. And then to leave and get the kind of response from the fans?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I think we can all agree we know this was a really good game for the fans, a really good game for our team and also for me. To that point I think I've just been playing really inspired. It just feels really good to be here in the World Series having this kind of outing.

Again, just like showing the fans that we are here to win. Obviously we have the strength to win and just continue to give us a good game.