AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS VS ASTROS

October 8, 2023

Dusty Baker

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. The team announced the roof is going to be open tonight. How much input do the staff and players have in that decision? Is there any discernible difference with the roof open?

DUSTY BAKER: Probably the staff and players, none. That's a league decision.

Q. Do you feel like it plays differently?

DUSTY BAKER: Yeah, it plays differently. The wind comes in and bounces off of this and goes back out to that, similar to the roof playing different with Milwaukee with the panels open, or even Arizona it travels a little different. Anytime there's a circular building, that's creating kind of a wind tunnel, flags might be going this way and wind is actually going that way.

So, yeah, it's different.

Q. I'm sure there's a lot, but is there one thing in particular that's impressed you most about Yordan Alvarez in the time you've been around him?

DUSTY BAKER: He's the same. He's the same all the time, whether it's going good or going bad. He's at a high concentration level. He's externally humble and internally very confident.

Q. Do you have any idea yet with Abreu or Neris as far as their availability today?

DUSTY BAKER: No, not yet, until I go out on the field and talk to Josh and Murph and them.

Q. Dusty, after seeing what happened yesterday after other home team squads that have played in the Wild Card, how much difference does that make for you guys kind of setting the tone early and starting quick?

DUSTY BAKER: I watched the other games, but I was trying to figure out why, and I don't know if I figured it out or not, but we played down to the last day of the season, where the other two teams that clinched in the middle of September.

So I think even though we were extremely tired, the fact that we had played intense games down to the last wire.

Q. With Javier going in Game 3, was that always your plan coming into this series? And have you given any thoughts about beyond that in Game 4 and who might be available?

DUSTY BAKER: Yeah. I mean, we've given it some thought, but a lot of it depends on what happens today and what happens in Javier's game. So that might have a direct effect on who the other starters may be.

Yeah, I've given some thought, but like I said, you can plan and plan and plan, and the opposition throws a wrench in your plans.