AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 23, 2023

Adolis Garcia

Minute Maid Park

Texas Rangers

Postgame 7 Press Conference

Rangers - 11, Astros - 4

Q. You certainly had the home crowd booing you every time you came to the plate. Do you enjoy playing the villain when you're on the road?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think that these types of games, when there's a lot of emotions, the fans out there, they are rallying for their team, it fuels me. It's motivation that helps me out when I'm playing.

Q. We're used to seeing your emotions and what you do for the team and what you bring to that dugout, but Corey Seager and Bruce Bochy just talked about that, when he came back to the dugout after his home run how excited he seemed. I wonder what that did for you all as far as where you picked it up from there?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think that gave me a boost, really, an injection of energy. We're used to seeing Corey, he's someone who's calm, someone that doesn't show his emotions too much. But once I saw that, he came in the dugout, it made me really feel that energy and gave me that boost to go out there and perform.

Q. When you go back to your baseball career, when you left Japan in 2016, you made a big decision. What has it meant to you, that decision for you, and then how do you think about -- looking back at the time, what do you think?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think it was a really beautiful experience, really, the one I had in Japan. It was great. It was amazing. I had a great time there. Once I was in Cuba and knew I was leaving, I always had my sights set to playing baseball in the United States. So that's how it kind of went through.

Q. A little further back at your time in Cuba, I'm wondering if you had had the chance to take it all in, the journey, the long journey that you've had to get to here and what this moment means to you having all of that in mind?

ADOLIS GARCIA: It really means a lot. Personally I know the struggle that I went through. The struggles that we go through when we're trying to leave, play outside baseball. And I know everything I had to go through and the struggle just to get where I am today, so I'm really grateful for that.

Q. Your teammates have spoken time and time again how you are the guy they want at the plate in hostile conditions such as this whole series here. What is it about those moments, and what is it about playing on the road with fans rooting against you that fuels you that way?

ADOLIS GARCIA: Like I always say, I put my faith in God first, and He helps me out in those types of situations. I believe that my teammates trust me in those situations, as well. I think they deposit their trust in me. They're seeing how I want to try to perform to help the team win, so I think that's how it happens.

Q. Throughout the postseason you guys have had incredible success wherever you've played. But you are 8-0 away from Arlington. What is it about this team's resiliency to go on the road and have the success you've had?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think that the team, they're just good at focusing or we're good at focusing on the little things. We try to look at what we need to do, little things, to get that win or to just be successful. I think that's really been key for us for having that success on the road, as well.

Q. This was your first experience in the playoffs. Has there been something about the stage, October baseball, that's allowed you to raise your game to a different level?

ADOLIS GARCIA: You can't really deny that October has that type of emotion, has that type of situation around it.

For myself, I just try to keep myself focused on the task at hand, try to perform, try to control the things that I can, and have the success that we can have.

Q. Cristian Javier has been very successful these postseason starts, and you completely flipped the tables today. What was responsible for accomplishing that, and also were you intending to be aggressive on the base paths as well to take him off his game?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think, like I said previously, it's all about the team. I think we all went out with a game plan, we knew how we wanted to attack and perform. And I think that's exactly what we did out there. We were able to get some timely hits off of the pitcher who's been really good during this postseason. But I think as a team we were able to achieve that.

Q. You brought up how it didn't go well for you early in your professional career when you came over from Cuba. What kept you believing that a moment like this -- believing in yourself that you could achieve moments like these eventually?

ADOLIS GARCIA: Throughout my career I've just been able to perform wherever I played. I've been able to keep good numbers wherever I've been playing and performing. And then also the confidence that I have in God, just trusting Him, trusting the plan and just try to perform as best as I can wherever I go.

Q. Last night after the game you didn't talk to the media, and I only remember you doing that one time before, and it was after an emotional game. What were you going through last night after the game, and how did you get ready for tonight?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I was just focused solely on Game 7. Yesterday after the game, that was all that was on my mind. And honestly I didn't want to say something or do anything that would get me off track from being able to perform on a game like tonight.

Q. You were one of the few people left on this team from the 102-loss team in '21, and you've watched the Astros kind of dominate this division. What does this mean for you guys, especially you and Nate and Dane who were left over from that team, to be able to do this and go to the World Series?

ADOLIS GARCIA: That's something that I think we're all really proud of. Like you said, we've lost almost more than 200 games throughout that journey. I think more than anything, it's not even about beating the Astros or that particular opponent, it's how proud I feel about the journey we've been on and how we've been able to improve to get to this point right now where we're celebrating this victory.

Q. These playoff games are so intense, and this has been a very intense series. Do you feel like it's helpful to try to play off of that intensity and let it fuel you in games like this?

ADOLIS GARCIA: I think so. I definitely think that the atmosphere and the type of game, the scenario that we're in fuels us out there. I think -- I take all that in, and it just helps us perform to the best of my ability.