WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - MEXICO VS CANADA

March 15, 2023

Jose Urquidy

Chase Field

Team Mexico

Postgame Press Conference

Mexico - 10, Canada - 3

Q. How do you evaluate your participation today? How do you feel?

JOSE URQUIDY: I felt very good, thank God. I trusted my fortitude, my strengths, I was attacking the baseball players. I started rough in the first inning. I knew how to control the situation.

But the umpire, we had a (indiscernible) with the batter but we tried to breathe and be on ease so we can go to the next batter. But I knew how to control it and I know this is what had me more content because I was able to adjust during the game.

Q. Mentally, what you can control, were you trying to focus because of the umpire and all the external stuff? At the end of the day you can't control this. Do you think that's the key for success or that the inning wasn't that bad?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yes, one needs to control what one can do. I try to control each pitch that I throw and then the decision of the umpire, that's his. But I do think that there was a pitch that I think it was in the zone, that pitching.

I did get angry. I did get angry at them. And then I rarely do this with the umpires, but this one, the emotion, the adrenaline one has comes out. But like I said, I made an adjustment, a very big adjustment.

In that inning I tried to breathe. I counted to 10. I be tranquil, take pitch by pitch, and that's what helped me a lot.

Q. What was the difference between the fielding and pitching today compared to pitching in the World Series?

JOSE URQUIDY: I think there's no difference today. I remember very well when in 2019 when that emotion that I felt like I felt it today. I saw a lot of people in the stadium. I see the moment when I was warming up, people were screaming at me, just like in the World Series.

It's the scenario, there's a lot of people. I know what it feels like. So I try to control myself, the nerves. I try to feel like I was well with my arm and I just tried to throw with my strengths like I've always done.

Q. What helped you with the experience you've had in playoffs, the World Series, so that you can control the nerves, like the difficult times you had in this game? Is this also your first time with national team? Are these like the nerves that you have? How mature you are after all you've had through the postseason.

JOSE URQUIDY: It helped me a lot. These types of scenarios that I had today, it's the same. There's a lot of tension. There's a lot of adrenaline. So that World Series that I had, that I played, it's very similar to what we had today. So, yes, they have helped me 100 percent to be in this situations.

Q. Mexico can advance to the next round. Which country do you want to play against the most?

JOSE URQUIDY: It's a very hard series. All national teams are very strong. I wouldn't know what to say. I'm just focused. We are focused on game by game. We're just focusing on winning, whoever comes, it's going to be a final, it's going to be interesting, but we're going to enjoy it. But to have a favorite, I do not have a favorite at the moment. My mind and my focus is day by day on winning, and whoever comes at the final, we're going to fight them.

Q. You have seen the first games from the outside and now the inside. Is it still the resumé of what Mexico is, it's what they're able to do with great pitching, have at-bats and players, very clutch players like Randy, is this the message, is this Mexico, like watch out?

JOSE URQUIDY: Like, when we first started the series, we hit a lot, we (indiscernible) a lot. There were a lot of players on base. They have (indiscernible) very well. Pitching has been very constant.

Like I said it before, since we started, this is a team with a lot of energy, with a lot of competitive. And this maintains a close -- these games we've been able to win. It's what we've been able to do. They've been good.

Randy has been -- respect for Randy and all the teams have doing a great job, like the manager as well.

Q. You're going to have enough days off in order to throw again Tuesday will you be the opener if you have an opportunity?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yes, the role that I have at the moment, it's for that. To be in the finals it would be for me. But I am prepared mentally. I'm going to enjoy these days off and we're going to go to Miami today.

We're going to rest and do the routines tomorrow. We have a day off tomorrow. But I'm going to work to be prepared even more and thank God we made it to the finals.

Q. How do you see yourself, that you've been the World Series and project yourself to the final where Mexico is a protagonist and you're the opener?

JOSE URQUIDY: Yes, it's very emotional. I've lived through this before. These games where I've been with the Astros, that they have a team with a lot of talent like this one today. We're always in the finals since the 2019, since the day I debuted.

It's these scenarios that helped me a lot to compete. And I try to overcome who I am and what is most profound for me. I've been in those type of scenarios, I know what it feels. I know it's a lot of concentration, very strong concentration, because these games are very important, just like here in the Classic. A lot of people are watching us.

We have a country where there's a lot of fans, Mexican fans, and we want to give them the best show. And a lot of Mexico comes over just to see us. So that motivates us a lot and we respect the opponent, but both scenarios are I try to enjoy them the best I can. I also try to do my maximum to give good competition.