AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 18, 2024

Giancarlo Stanton

Progressive Field

New York Yankees

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Yankees 8, Guardians 6

Q. Even as Clase is as good as it comes when it comes to closers, you got to him yesterday and again you guys were able to get to him tonight. What do you think has allowed you to do so?

GIANCARLO STANTON: Not being scared, not being intimidated, just going in there with the right proper plan. It's going to be a tough at-bat, we know that, but this game is tough and we need runs.

I thought the guys did a great job just putting the ball in play. It shows you don't got to crush it. You've just got to put it in play and make things happen, make them make a throw or make a play.

Q. You blew this thing open in the fifth, but how important was the small ball that led to getting runners on base?

GIANCARLO STANTON: Big time. Just grinding out at-bats, getting on base any way we can, and that gave me the opportunity. I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for the guys in front of me. Yeah.

Q. You and Soto have combined for seven homers in the series. What about you? You've been the greatest hitter for the Yankees in the playoffs since you've been with this team. How do you get prepared to do this in October?

GIANCARLO STANTON: I mean, I just try to get any bit of information I can, any bit of film, all the swings I need. I exhaust it. That's why I'm exhausted after these, and I enjoy that. I enjoy that grind. I need to.

You're not always going to go out there and perform well, but as long as I have all the information I can, I'll be in a good spot.

Q. Can you take us through the emotion of hitting that home run, what's going through you?

GIANCARLO STANTON: I think it's huge just because it was 0-2. I've got to put the ball in play -- sorry, 1-2, in that scenario, just to get one run in at least. That was the idea, get the ball in the air far enough for a sac fly.

Q. A few days ago Aaron Boone said there's like a reverence for you in the clubhouse. How do you see your leadership role?

GIANCARLO STANTON: I'm here for everybody. Any bit of information, anything to discuss, it's an interesting time where you need to have the conversations and know the weight of everything that goes into these games. But you don't always have those.

It's kind of like, oh, we know, yada, yada, but you've got to have those discussions and talk everybody through it, whether you've been there before, whether you haven't. First time through, yeah, it's all important.

Q. Mark Leiter, Jr., gets added to the roster today and finds himself in a huge spot. What do you think of the job he did today?

GIANCARLO STANTON: It's unreal. That's a very tough spot to be in and thrown out there, too. He was ready for the challenge. I could see it in his prep, in his eyes. Ready for the ball, and it's very similar to when he first got traded over here. I think he got here in the second or third inning, and he was thrown into the fire right away and got it done. Yeah, he'll be big for us.

Q. How would you describe these two games back to back, all of the emotional swings of obviously a tough loss last night, 6-2 lead tonight, they come back, tie it, just the last 48 hours here?

GIANCARLO STANTON: Yeah, no lead is safe. It's a great team over there, but it's just important to keep pushing. That's what shows that we need every single person on our team to contribute in some way, and we're going to need everybody. They answered the bell. It's a wave. It's a roller coaster. But yeah, it was good to come out on top today.

Q. This is the closest this team has been to the World Series in a number of years. What does that feel like?

GIANCARLO STANTON: It feels like nothing until we get it done. As far as I'm concerned, we haven't done nothing. We'll enjoy this for now, but we've got to get it done tomorrow and on to the next.