AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 15, 2023

Nathan Eovaldi

Minute Maid Park

Texas Rangers

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. You grew up close by here. What does that mean to you to get ALCS start a half hour from home?

NATHAN EOVALDI: It's awesome. I'm going to have a lot of friends and family here for the game. Anytime we're in this stage in this moment right here, being this close to the World Series, it's a big deal. Doesn't matter where we're playing at, it's a big honor for us to be here. I feel like as a team we've accomplished a lot to get here.

Q. Can you speak to the run this team is on, undefeated in the postseason. And also the importance of trying to get off to a Game 1 start and set the tone?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, you know, I feel like it started in Seattle. We came into that series pretty good, and we didn't do our job. We made it to the postseason. We wanted to win the division, and we didn't. But when you get into the postseason, the regular season goes out the window, and from that moment on, it's win as many games as possible. Stay as focused as you can.

The egos go out the window, and it comes down to playing together as a team, and that's what I feel we did so well the first half, three-quarters of the season.

What was the second part of the question? I'm sorry.

Q. Just as a team getting Game 1 --

NATHAN EOVALDI: Game 1, sorry. Game 1 is huge, especially with the format, the way it's laid out. We can take Game 1, one of the first two games, it's big for us. We have to make sure we come out doing what we've been doing the whole time. We've had off days, and we've been able to rest. Everybody is feeling fresh and good, but we have to make sure we take this back to home and have a chance to win it there.

Q. It took you a little while to get going once you came off the injured list. Max and Jon are going straight from the injured list to a potential playoff, starter playoff appearance. How do you navigate that?

NATHAN EOVALDI: It's tough, especially in this atmosphere. You face some really good lineups that are locked in, ready to go.

As a pitcher, you've got multiple pitches. Both starters, they throw more than two pitches, you have to make sure you come to the game ready to go. Scherz is Scherz. His stuff is unbelievable. He knows exactly what he's doing out there. Not saying that Jon doesn't, but Scherz calls his games for the most part. And everything that he does, it's Scherzer's way. So it's really good.

Jon is going to be coming out, not sure if he's starting coming out of the bullpen, he's not really built up enough to start. His stuff, honestly, plays even better because his fastball and slider are so powerful, and he comes in and he has a chance to give us one time through the lineup, really good outings. It's going to make the bullpen better.

Having those two arms available, obviously Scherzer is going to be starting, but you know what I mean, it's a different format. I don't think they'll have any issues. When you're in this kind of environment, it just takes over. The adrenaline goes, and you're not thinking too much. It's see the glove; hit the glove.

Q. What do you take from your previous playoff experience against the Astros?

NATHAN EOVALDI: I think it's different. If we're talking about the past postseason experiences, I try to focus on this year, the way I've attacked them, the way that they've handled my pitches or the pitches that they've missed.

I feel like I'm a different pitcher than the last time I faced them just because that was my first one back from being injured and everything. And I feel night and day different compared to then as I do now.

So, you know, it's more so taking the strengths I've had from the last two outings, the way I've commanded my pitches, my fastball, the usage of the splitter and all my other off-speed pitches. Using those strengths to attack those guys.

Q. You've thrown a very high percentage of strikes in postseason games in your career. How much of that is what you're trying to do and how much is knowing in the postseason you wanted to attack hitters, you want to attack the guys right in front of you?

NATHAN EOVALDI: You touched on both of them right there. It's very important to work ahead. Against any of the hitters that you're facing, if you fall behind you're giving them a better opportunity to be in the driver's seat and kind of do some damage. You're in control out there and you're reading their swings. You have an idea of their approach in the box. You have an idea who's going to be aggressive and who's not. This is a very aggressive lineup that I'll be facing. They're going to come out swinging so I've got to make sure I have my pitches working from the first inning on. That's part of it, too, you don't know how deep in the game you're going to go, so you have to make sure pitch that you pitch the first inning as if it's your last, and you keep going from that moment on.

Q. How has Scherzer helped you as a teammate?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Scherzer is great, the work ethic, there's no surprise why he's been able to last as long as he has in the league. He shows no sign of going anywhere. He continues to get better and better. It's one of the toughest things to do in this game is to continuously get better. Some guys have one really good year and the next year it's not. He's been able to find a way to get better and better every year. The way he tunnels his pitches, the way he attacks hitters that's one of the biggest takeaways I've been able to learn from him, with him being over here so far.

Q. Typically it's like a two-parter, but No. 1, it feels like people talk about your World Series relief appearance almost in reverential ways. A, does it bug you that it was a loss that they talk about. And, B, do you feel like you're still searching for that elusive postseason moment?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, it bothers me that it was a loss. I feel like you go that far, you want to come out on top in that game. Obviously I know the significance of the game and it all worked out for us in the overall run. But for me personally it bothers me that it was the only loss in the World Series. But that's the competitor that I am. And as for the big moments I don't really -- to me I could go out there and give up five runs and as long as we win the ballgame that's all I care about.

It's those moments I feel like it's more of a team moment as opposed to my own personal moment. For us to be here in this situation, we've come this far, and we've got to keep doing what we've been doing, going out there and winning ballgames and win a World Series.

Q. Bruce Bochy has had a lot of success in the ALCS. What's it like playing for him, with the run you've had?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Bochy is awesome. He keeps it even keel the entire time. The more you talk to him, the more you realize how funny of a guy he is, manager, and he keeps it very light in there in the clubhouse for us.

That's one of the biggest takeaways. You feed off of that, and if the guy leading the ship looks nervous or hesitant, you feel that as well. But we don't feel that with him out there. Everything he does, he has a plan to it. We believe in him. From Spring Training to here, the message has been as one, and that's where we are now.