AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 20, 2023

Dusty Baker

Globe Life Field

Houston Astros

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Astros - 5, Rangers - 4

Q. When Altuve is coming to the plate in these big-time situations, what comes to your mind?

DUSTY BAKER: Just get a good pitch to hit. If he gets a good pitch to hit, he can lose it. He sees the ball well here. And the next thing, I didn't want the left fielder to reach over the wall like Taveras did the other day.

And, I mean, that was big by Pressly. That was a big hit by Díaz and a big walk with Singleton to give us a chance. And that was a huge, huge victory. This is -- this will go down in history.

Q. I guess this notion that Abreu hit Garcia on purpose, I just wanted to get your reaction and how you --

DUSTY BAKER: Well, you saw my reaction already.

Q. Yeah.

DUSTY BAKER: You know, that was -- it didn't make any sense to me. We got a two-run game, and they explain to me that the guy just hit a three-run homer, but that was a mistake that he hit a three-run homer. His ball was down and in, and he wasn't trying to go down and in. We pitch him up. We pitch him up and in. And anytime you're throwing a projectile 97 miles an hour, some of them are going to get away. I don't care if you're Big League, Hall of Fame, I don't care who you are.

I'm just glad we came back and won the game. The guys are with us, because we didn't do anything wrong. And I can understand, I was talking to Bruce Bochy out there, I can understand how he'd take exception to that. Nobody likes to get hit. But you're not going to add runs on in the ninth inning in the playoffs when we're trying to win a game. I mean, this -- I just -- you know, how do you prove intent? That's what I don't -- I don't understand.

And I haven't been that mad in a long time. And I don't usually get mad about nothing. So I'm just glad that we won the game and it turned out right for us.

Q. Maldonado said that that fracas kind of woke the Astros up. Is that what you saw of the team?

DUSTY BAKER: I don't know. I wasn't seeing nothing. I was just seeing red, you know. And I couldn't even see straight because that was just -- I mean, I hope it did, you know. And if that's what it takes sometimes, I guess you got to do it.

Q. With Jose again, why do you think he's able to calm himself down and deliver in these big moments?

DUSTY BAKER: Number one, he wants to be up there. Number two, he's got a high concentration level, because that's what it takes in big moments like that, is concentration, desire, and relaxation all encompassed into one. And everybody can't do all three of those things.

And so, I mean, this dude is one of the baddest dudes I've ever seen, and I've seen some greats.

Q. How much did you wrestle with keeping Verlander out there? Was there a lot --

DUSTY BAKER: No, no, because we were trying to get through the 6th. And then the left fielder hit that ball by Bregman. That could have been right, that was barely by him. And they had some balls that were barely -- the one pitch that Verlander -- you know, he made like three mistakes. He made one at the slider at Seager to start the inning. And then a ball came down and in on Adolis, where you don't pitch him. And then the other one he missed location, and that ball was off the plate in the home run by Lowe.

But they didn't miss the mistakes. This guy was dealing. And you're in that bridge time of the game in the sixth and seventh, but you don't really want to go to your back end of the bullpen, but you don't want to go to -- you know, you want to stick with your high-leverage guy, so if things go well in the sixth inning, then I've got a fresh Neris, an Abreu, and Pressly. Sometimes when you plan, sometimes it messes up your plan.