WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: QUARTERFINALS - AUSTRALIA VS CUBA

March 15, 2023

Armando Johnson

Yadir Drake

Tokyo Dome

Team Cuba

Pregame Press Conference

Q. What is in your mind right now before the quarterfinal?

ARMANDO JOHNSON: Yes, our condition is so deeply deeply thankfulness, and we have an opportunity to play against Australia, they are such a tough open, but at the same time, our condition is as good as they are. We are very bonded and we are disciplined, and we are ready to go to the USA.

YADIR DRAKE: First of all, well, I'd like to say my gratitude. I thank you very much for the opportunity for me to ask the question. Me, personally, I'm in good condition as well as the entire team. Most of the team is so excited about landing in Japan and playing in Tokyo, and after winning, we'll go to the USA.

Talking about Australia, all 16 teams, all the teams are so tough, so there's no easy game from now on.

Q. You had a huge home run, many home runs in batting practice. What's your condition right now?

ARMANDO JOHNSON: Very good. We are talking a lot and pre prepared with the hitting coach and in order to get a victory for the team, I'll do anything I can do, no matter what it takes, I am making good contact and swinging hard. And try to put everything I can do.

Q. Your starting pitcher tonight, he has experience playing in Japan as well. How do you expect him to pitch tonight?

ARMANDO JOHNSON: Yes, I have huge expectation. Yariel is such a great pitcher. He has great speed. Before I saw him, he was a good pitcher, but previously, he is a good pitcher, too. He is constantly pitching well, so I'm wishing him that he could do a good pitch tonight, too, and he's such a great athlete as well as a pitcher.

Q. Looking back at the WBC Pool A, five-way ties, all teams are 2-2. What kind of momentum do you have? Play it's hard to say. Looking back at Pool A, yeah, all the teams, they played so hard, and all the games are very solid games, and we didn't know until the last moment.

YADIR DRAKE: Pool A, there's many, many surprises, I lost the first game. We lost the first game. We are so confused, we didn't expect that we could go to Tokyo first but it happens, so yeah.

ARMANDO JOHNSON: First of all, our first two games at Pool A, that hurt us. That was a heart-breaking loss. But from 0-2, my players played hard, and thanks to my pitching staff, they minimize the runs and then we won consecutively. So thank you very much. I credit our pitching staff to minimize the runs, so that led us to the next round.

Q. Rodriguez, the pitcher, he pitched great last season in Japan. How did you see his improvement?

ARMANDO JOHNSON: Drake, he is one of the leaders to put our team on line. When you talk about the team, we have a wave. We have a happy moment, we have a sad moment, we have a struggle and we have good condition, and but overall his attitude affected so well. I think he's enjoying playing baseball, that's. Why tonight, yes, I'm hoping he will pitch well to make tonight's game better.

Q. Looking back at the WBC and a lot of players draw attention from all off-season the world. For instance, Japanese players Shohei Ohtani, he has huge attention from all over the world. What kind of impression do you have for Shohei Ohtani?

ARMANDO JOHNSON: Yes, the impression for Ohtani, he is incredibly good. As a hitter, or even as a pitcher, he has a great possibility so I am -- as an athlete, I respect him as an athlete and Ohtani is someone who is beyond my image.

YADIR DRAKE: Yes, speaking of Ohtani, currently, all the players wish we could be like Ohtani. Looking back on his Fighters era, I was so proud of him, playing with him, and also my image -- well, his stature is getting bigger and bigger. He's probably going towards the world and it's like he's living on another planet.

So once again, I repeat, he is one of the greatest in the world.