AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 18, 2023

Dusty Baker

Globe Life Field

Houston Astros

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Astros - 8, Rangers - 5

Q. What did you see from Javier on the mound tonight?

DUSTY BAKER: He was good, good breaking ball. Good changeup. Good location. I think he only walked one guy or two guys. And that's the secret, if you can stop from walking guys because you know they're going to hit the ball out of the ballpark at some point in time.

He was good. He was very good.

Q. Altuve hit his 25th homer in the postseason. What do you say about everything he brings to the team?

DUSTY BAKER: He comes to play. He comes to play every day. And you see him look bad on one at-bat and he'll pop you the next at-bat. This guy is one of the best playoff players of all time. We love him. The fans in Houston love him. He's a fan favorite. You enjoy watching him play every day.

Q. Brantley out there in left field, how big of a catch was that in your eyes?

DUSTY BAKER: That was huge. Because that would have been another run. That would have been a runner on second base. And the big thing was that was the last out of the inning. So there were some good plays made out there on their end, and Taveras made a great play on Alvarez, and then Michael returned the favor and made a great play himself.

Q. Down 0-2, did you see anything different from your team tonight, or just the same old, same old?

DUSTY BAKER: No, not really. We were close to winning the first two games. We were one hit away. Might not have won, but we were one hit away from at least from tying it up and going ahead. But this team doesn't quit. We know that the Rangers don't quit either. And it makes for a good series.

Q. Do you have a starter for Game 4 yet?

DUSTY BAKER: Have they announced a starter for Game 4?

Q. They have not that I'm aware of.

DUSTY BAKER: I have one, but I'd like to know whose theirs is.

Q. What is it about the home and road splits with your team this year, just a real oddity, it seems?

DUSTY BAKER: I don't know. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen. Because usually you want to be .500 on the road and way over .500 at home.

I asked the team in Spring Training to be the best road team. Maybe I should have asked them to be the best road and home team. They usually give me what I ask for.

And like I said before the game started, we had 50 games on the road, we won 50 games on the road, and the Rangers won 51 games I think at home.

So it makes for a good series.

And I've got to add, too, I was tired of coming in here second -- I mean first. I'm glad to be second.

Q. You got Dubón in the lineup. He came up with some big hits. Maldonado got a big hit. Talk about the bottom of the order.

DUSTY BAKER: Bottom of the order is always important because it rolls your lineup around. Dubón has been great for us. I liked the matchup with Dubón versus Scherzer more than I did McCormick.

And Maldy got some big hits. That was a big, big hit. That was too hot to handle, past Jung. And anytime you get two-out hits, two-out RBIs, these usually make a difference in the game.