AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 15, 2023

Framber Valdez

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. You saw the Rangers team several times in the regular season. How does their lineup look different right now than maybe the ones you faced?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I don't think it looks that much different. They have a really good lineup; we have a really good lineup. I think for us it's just continue giving it our all today and tomorrow and just continue to play how we have in the regular season.

Q. Can you tell me the dislike level between these two teams?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I think it's just stuff on the field. We fight. We argue. We go back and forth. And I think it's part of the game. It's one of those things, everybody wants to be the best. So we want to be the alpha, so it's just part of it.

Q. What is something we do not know about Jose Altuve, and what is your favorite thing about him?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Altuve is a great guy. He's really fun. He loves to have fun. He jumps around with us. He's always dancing, loves music. He's always dancing in the clubhouse. Super happy. It's one of those things maybe you don't see. He doesn't expose that, I guess, much to the public; you see him a certain way. But he's a really fun guy in the clubhouse.

Q. Is he a good dancer?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Yeah, he's a good dancer, knows how to dance, his salsa, his bachata.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I made an adjustment. Hasn't been a huge one, something small. One of them, obviously, just throwing a lot more strikes. Throughout the season, since this is a long season, your mechanics get a little bit out of whack. But I made an adjustment, trying to get back into it with that.

My biggest thing is just try to put the team in a position to win. Try to have the team in the best position. I know they depend on me. So just try to put them in the best position to win the ballgame.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Doesn't matter, whether I pitch Game 1, 2 or 3, the goal here is to win. And that's our plan. Our plan is to win every single game we go out there, including going to the World Series and winning there. It really doesn't matter whether I'm pitching the first game or the second game of the series.

Q. Some of the best numbers in the American League, what makes their lineup so tough?

FRAMBER VALDEZ: Probably the consistency. For any good player, any team to be good you need to have consistency, you need to have a lot of focus, and I think that's what a lot of things we probably have.

Q. (Question in Spanish.)

FRAMBER VALDEZ: I think it's important for us to have our good round of attack. Try to go out and have a good plan. And like I say, try to throw your best pitch at the best situation at the best time. And just try to get ahead of hitters to set up those pitches.