AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 22, 2023

Nathan Eovaldi

Minute Maid Park

Texas Rangers

Postgame 6 Press Conference

Rangers - 9, Astros - 2

Q. When you got that last out in the first inning, you looked almost annoyed at yourself because of what had happened. How did you get it back together emotionally and be able to pitch those next two innings like you did?

NATHAN EOVALDI: I felt like at the beginning of the game I was rushing trying to do too much out there as opposed to just locating my pitches and trusting the stuff that I have.

Yeah, I was a little frustrated and on top of it I gave up a run. Anytime you're in a must-win game and you give them the lead first it's tough. It was big for us to be able to answer back the first inning, and make it 1-1 and go from there.

Our offense was unbelievable today, Garver, Jonah did a great job. Doli came up with a big hit. But we were able to settle down after that first inning. From that moment once we tied it back up it was attack, attack, attack. I felt like we were able to do that. Jonah did a great job calling the game today and helping to navigate getting me back on track. And I felt like once I get back on track now we're working together. As opposed to me having to rely on him. I thought he did an unbelievable job back there behind the plate. I was trying to go as deep as I could.

Q. You guys spent the entire season battling with the Astros. Is it kind fitting that it all comes down to one game?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, we knew that they weren't just going to roll over. When we came in here and then they answer right back and took three at our place. It's big for us to be able to turn the page and be able to lock in on this game today. Now we've got to do the same thing tomorrow. And obviously it's win or go home.

So we have to make sure we do what we did today and I think that set the tone with the starting pitching, and Scherzer is going to be able to do that tomorrow. And go out there and attack the zone and keep them off balance as much as possible, but everybody will be ready to go and play it by ear.

Q. What is your confidence level in Max tomorrow and how much do you think it plays, obviously he's been restricted by things that have happened to him. But how much does his experience in this kind of situation impact your feelings about his ability to do this?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, I mean, he's been in the situation before. He knows how to go out there and compete and pitch. I think he's definitely going to be a lot better than his last outing.

I was in the same shoes, obviously not the playoffs, but just bouncing back from start to start you continue to get better and better. And he hasn't shut it off or anything. And he's been ready to go and chomping at the bit. I know that last start didn't sit so well and the competitor that he is, he is going to go out and do a great job tomorrow.

Q. When starters are pressured or try to wiggle out of damage, they tend to power through it. You mentioned you kind of rely on backing off and locating your pitches. Is that something that you learned the more experience you've had in this league?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, I think so. I've got the five pitches that I can trust and go to at any time. At the beginning I was trying to overthrow and like you said, try to overpower guys. And I've been harping on that the entire postseason, you don't want to try to overpower somebody, you want to locate and use that pitch. Everybody has got their weaknesses, and if you locate your pitch, you should be able to get them out. Today once I was able to settle in I was able to do that.

Like you said, I think a lot of it has been from the past experiences. When I try to overpower somebody, I tend to miss the middle. And some big damage is done. I need to make sure I locate my pitches.

Q. That first set because of your pitching performance today almost the whole bullpen at your disposal, what kind of confidence does that give you guys going into game 7?

NATHAN EOVALDI: That was part of it today, I knew I had to go out there and attack the zone. It was part of the reason I was frustrated in the first inning. I look back and I think I was at 22 pitches and after the second I was close to 40. Altuve had a great at-bat the first at-bat and got a base hit. Then I walked Brantley and now I've got to face Bregman and Alvarez, and they are both very talented hitters.

I've got to make sure I'm saving my pitches, for me to get into the 7th was big for us today. And like you said, we're able to save a lot of our big arms out of the bullpen, and now everybody is going to be available tomorrow and we'll just play it by ear and it's a must win.

Q. Was there any conversation about going back out on the 7th or was there no doubt in your mind?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Well, they took me out, so I didn't really have a choice.

Q. Going back out?

NATHAN EOVALDI: I don't know. When I was done, I was done. Sorry.

Q. If you talk about Jose Leclerc's demeanor, especially after Game 5, what can you talk about him and his role in today's game?

NATHAN EOVALDI: He's been huge for us in the entire season, especially towards the end of it. We've been relying on him in a lot of big situations. And we talked about being able to turn the page, especially in one of these moments.

In regular season, yeah, you've got a month or so before you face these guys again. But when you have to roll out the next day after a tough loss like that you really have to turn the page and learn from it as fast as possible. And he was able to do that tonight. Singleton came up there with the bases loaded and worked another full count. And tonight Pico was able to come out on top of it. It was a big momentum change and boost for us and we were able to answer back with some more runs in the 9th.

Q. You're from here, you've pitched here a lot in the playoffs for other teams and you've had a lot of success here. Has that strained any relationships that you have in the area?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yes and no. I mean I always say my mom is more so against holding everybody else accountable. She wants whatever team I'm on to root for me and not the Astros. I don't have any hard feelings for family, though.

Q. Usually Alvarez is big in this game. In the 3rd you walked him to put the go-ahead run at 2nd base. I wonder if you could talk about the sequence. And then also your vantage of Josh striking him back out in the middle of that eighth inning for the Astros and what a big out that ended up being.

NATHAN EOVALDI: Yeah, he's had outstanding at-bats against me. I feel like I'm making good pitches, but the results, he's getting on base. I've got to do something different to get him out. He's a tough at-bat. I feel like if I locate my pitches where I should, I should be able to get him out.

But, again, he's had really good at-bats. And especially in a situation like this today, we don't want to have that one batter beat us. And I felt like he was the guy who could beat me. I have a little more confidence facing Abreu, even though he's an extremely talented hitter, but I've had a little more success against him. So wanted to attack him that way and kind of go from there.

Q. (Off microphone)?

NATHAN EOVALDI: Sborz was unbelievable. He was able to locate two really good curveballs and then a fastball at the top of the zone. That was a big strikeout in that situation for us. Again, we were only up by two runs, and one swing of the bat, he can tie it up.

Q. Six games in the series, the away team has won every single game. Have you ever been a part of a series like this before? Is there something about playing away from home, that underdog mentality that has you champing at the bit a little bit more?

NATHAN EOVALDI: I'm not really sure what this is about. I feel like for the most part you have your home crowd and you feel -- we've had a lot of success at home this year. But the Astros have had a lot of success on the road. They kind of overmatched us at home.

When we come back here, we know how important it is to win the first two games. Obviously we're trying to win both of them. It worked for us. We'd be happy with 1-1 and taking the rest of the series back at our place. The way it's unfolded, right now it's must win.

I think that's the mentality. Try not to do too much, but you go out there and you understand what's on the line as well.