AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS VS ASTROS

October 7, 2023

Yordan Alverez

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Q. Yordan, what makes you so comfortable hitting against left-handed pitching, and is that something that you think you've even evolved as a hitter against left-handed pitching throughout your career?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: I don't know. I think, when I'm in there hitting, I don't think about whether I'm facing a lefty or righty. They've got to throw the ball over the middle of the plate.

Q. How did the Altuve homer sort of set the tone for this whole night and sort of put to bed you guys, the home struggles, and you give Verlander a lead after one swing, it just sort of seemed to change the whole tone?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Yeah, incredible, incredible. Obviously the first pitch of the game, hitting a home run there, I think it gave the team a spark, and I think we were able to see that.

Q. Yordan, what do you think has allowed you throughout your career to excel in the biggest moments for the Astros?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: I think the more games you play, every single day that passes by, you get a little bit more experience. So I think that's one of the things that allows me to stay calm, be a little more calm at the plate. When I go up there, try not to think about the situation, try not to think about the noise. Just say to myself I'm the only one that can get the job done at this moment.

So I think that's something that helps me.

Q. It's one thing to be a really good baseball player and a really good hitter during the regular season. It's another thing to step up in the playoffs. How much do you embrace coming up clutch in the big moments in the postseason like that?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Like I said before, I really try not to think of the situations. I just try to say to myself it's not any different. I'm the only one that can get the job done right here in this situation. The worst thing that could happen is I could strike out, hit into a double play, but that's part of baseball. So really just try not to think about it.

Q. You tied Yuli Gurriel with eight home runs, and now you're going to reach Randy Arozarena for most all time by a Cuban baseball player. How does that make you feel?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: You know, very happy. Very happy to be on that list of Cuban players that have accomplished things like that in the playoffs. So very happy.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YORDAN ALVAREZ: I just kind of went up there, just tried to make really good contact. In the situation there, got the result in that at-bat and definitely helped out the team, helped out the bullpen there.

Q. What adjustment did you make against Ober from the first at-bat with the strikeout to the second at-bat with the home run and the change-up?

YORDAN ALVAREZ: I saw a couple videos there before facing him the first time, and obviously it's not the same thing seeing the videos and seeing him in person. He's a really big guy, has really good extension. So it surprised me a little bit the first time.

But the second time I went up to hit, I already had a pretty good idea.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Again, like I said, that's something I really try not to think about. At this moment we're trying to take it one game at a time, one at-bat at a time. If I do something well, I know it's going to benefit the team.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Yeah, I faced him in the past. So I have an idea. But, yeah, the approach, let's see how he's going to pitch me. Obviously it would be great to know what he's going to throw to me ahead of time, but let's see how he pitches, see how the game manages, and go from there.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Incredible. That's what we needed from J.V. He was able to keep the game there. We were able to score a couple of runs. Yeah, we were able to help him there.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

YORDAN ALVAREZ: Very happy. Very happy. I sometimes look at that MLB Cuba page, and I see a lot of comments. Yeah, it's something that makes me very happy.