AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 20, 2023

Bruce Bochy

Globe Life Field

Texas Rangers

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Astros - 5, Rangers - 4

Q. Just how do you guys recover after the back and forth going to Houston?

BRUCE BOCHY: We have no choice in this game. You're going to get punched in the gut, you have some tough losses, these guys have been through it.

They've done a great job of bouncing back all year. And I'm confident that they will. It's just a tough one, no getting around it. It's part of the game and what you have to deal with. And good clubs deal with it in the right way, and these guys, they'll put this behind them.

Q. Leclerc has been very, very good for you guys this postseason. What was it about today that didn't go his way?

BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, he's been really good. I was concerned about that delay. I really was. It was a long one. It was taking too long, to be honest. The whole thing is a bunch of crap, to be honest, what happened there. Who knows what intentions are, but it's not the first time it's happened, and couldn't get the game going again.

And I'm sure it affected him, because he came in to get an out there in the eighth inning. Maybe that played a part in it. But they came out -- like I said, we had our chances to tack on, we just couldn't do it.

Q. On that, are you fairly certain you thought it was intentional?

BRUCE BOCHY: Who knows? The guy hits a three-run homer; the next time up help gets smoked there. It doesn't really matter. I'd be upset, too, if I was Doli. But like I said, it just took too long to get things back in order, that's what was frustrating me.

Q. There was no punches thrown or anything. Why did it seem to take so long to get --

BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, no, I didn't see any punches. We play the game the right way, and unfortunately this happened at a tough time for Jose, for Leclerc I'm talking about. But he's been so good. He just -- that one walk, I think, really hurt us there at that point, too. It seems like that's always involved when they have a rally like that.

But his stuff was still good, he just gave up a home run to a good hitter.

Q. What are you seeing from Marcus Semien at the plate?

BRUCE BOCHY: What am I seeing? He's trying to find his way. But with that said, you look at the ninth inning, he smokes that ball. We can use a little luck there, too. The ball gets by, and it's a different ballgame. He lined out to short, that's all you could do. It was a good at-bat there.