AL Championship Series: Astros vs Red Sox Thursday, October 18, 2018 A.J. Hinch Astros postgame 5 executing it and they were extremely tough. Red Sox - 4, Astros - 1 Q. We're now almost at two decades with nobody THE MODERATOR: Questions for A.J. going back to back. Besides the obvious that it's just hard to win any championship, did you learn A.J. HINCH: Before we get started can I say something anything this year about the withering effect of real quick? I'll ask my own question. winning one, trying to do it a second time that makes it more difficult than just winning a I just want to start by congratulating the Boston Red championship? Sox on representing the in the World A.J. HINCH: No, there's some -- it's hard -- it's hard, Series. That goes to Alex Cora, his coaching staff, the like you said, it's hard not just say, hey, man, it's just players, and the front office. The really hard in this league to win because other teams American League is really proud that Boston is going change their entire operation in order to try to catch to well represent the American League. So I want that you or try to beat you. Or you've got to have so much on the record. health in this game and you've got to perform at your highest level against the best teams at the most Q. How tough is it to know now there will be no intense times. more baseball for you guys in 2018? A.J. HINCH: It sucks. This is a press conference you And a lot of things can derail you, from the very never really prepare for. I don't know the right words, beginning of expectations in the spring to going the right tone, the right content. I mean, it's an through a season that will never have the adrenalin or extremely disappointed clubhouse because we want to the intensity that the previous keep playing. championship provided. And so it's hard. But at the same time about our team, what I learned about our We feel like we set the bar exactly where it should be team is we weren't affected by that. around here, which -- the World Series is the only thing that was going to make this team feel like we At the end we ran out of wins. We were beat up, like a accomplished much. I think over time the things will lot of teams are this time of year. But we've got a come out -- franchise record wins and division resilient group. We've got a ton of heart. We have a championship and things that just aren't common. selfless group that had their priorities in the right places. And that's what I told our team. I'm proud of It's, like, it's not normal. It's not easy. But it's a pretty our team. hollow feeling when the season abruptly ends the way that it does and the way that it did. It's hard to get October wins. And the American League was incredibly, incredibly good, and especially Q. You win Game 1 at Fenway. What do you feel at the top levels, when you talk about the teams that like happened in the series after that? made the playoffs. A.J. HINCH: They beat us. We ran out of wins. We had a tough-fought series. You can break down the So to run the gauntlet in one year is an incredible series however you want, whether it's their two-out accomplishment. To do it again is -- it feels like even hitting or -- they took it to us. And they won games. harder. And we were in those games and we had opportunities. And when you get two evenly matched Q. You guys have a really good team. The Yankees teams up against each other, there's going to be are a really good team. And Boston, I mean when swings in momentum and big at-bats and a little bit of you look at what they did to both of you guys, what luck, a little bit of bad luck. does it say about how good they are? A.J. HINCH: They have the most wins in the league for And they outplayed us. They did a really good job of a reason. They're as complete a team as we are. And having an excellent game plan and going and their at-bats are really exceptional. And that's not

Rev #2 by #188 at 2018-10-19 04:14:00 GMT page 1 of 3 taking away from their pitching. They pitched well. "A.J., I'm going to play second base tomorrow in Their bullpen stepped up when they needed to. Boston -- I mean in two days." And that doesn't go unnoticed to a group of teammates. That doesn't go They have tremendous balance. They put pressure on unnoticed to me or a coaching staff or a training staff. you from the very beginning. They don't concede any at-bats. They never got off our fastballs, and we And, look, it doesn't stop there. I mean, Lance couldn't quite -- they laid off tough breaking balls. They McCullers is coming back from injury to being an do it right. And that's why it's hard to get 27 outs extremely dominant stuff and out of the bullpen. You against them. see what Correa came from. Marwin Gonzalez played hurt largely the entire half of the second half season. So I think when the season started, there was a great He was a huge spark for us in the postseason. unknown of how they were going to adapt to a lot of the changes that were made. The talent was there. But Gerrit Cole, he didn't feel great. to they had to go out and play and prove it. And then come back, just to throw 35 pitches for this team. And when people doubted them, you know, it seemed like all he talked about today is how he felt he let that group they got better. And they never stopped. They never down yesterday and he didn't. stopped coming at you. They're a relentless group. Jose sets the example, and George and others follow Q. How good was , that you've seen, suit because of the belief that you do it right for the and his reliance on the changeup, did that throw right people at the right time and you're counting on you guys off? your team. A.J. HINCH: Well, he was really good. And we've seen him good. He's been tough on us. You can talk about Q. On Verlander, with the game as close as it was the David Price struggles all you want. It's really and needing to win this game, was that Devers fixated around one team, and -- that's haunted him a just barely clearing the Crawford boxes, little bit. But against us we've seen different versions of was that kind of a gut punch? him. A.J. HINCH: It was a gut punch because a lot of his home runs this year were those balls that creeped into It wasn't so much his changeup today. His velocity was the Crawford box. That's a little bit of bad luck in the really high. That's as hard as we've seen him throw ballpark, and a really good at-bat by Devers. He got against us that I can remember. And the changeup the barrel to it, and he's a strong kid. The ball was plays off of that. When you're throwing 94, 95, his elevated, and the ball carries to the right part of park, changeup is plus. His changeup was hard. Our guys and that's baseball, that's the game. were coming back saying -- everything had a little bit of uptick to it. There's some risk and reward. He hit a really good fastball today. Is it symbolic of anything? No, it hurt. It So when you see the emotion of the last pitch that he hurt him, it hurt us. And the entire game -- and Justin threw to Altuve and he punches him out, you know, it has this a lot when he pitches. mattered so much to him and he stepped up in a huge fashion, having pitched -- he was up for 25 minutes There's -- you have to be perfect in order -- in a playoff yesterday throwing bullpens, waiting to come in that game, you know, I said this earlier, when you fall game. And then he responds with some of the most behind, 1-0, you have to fight the anxiousness that crisp stuff that he's had, that we've seen. And that's a comes with a playoff game with being down. When championship-caliber performance. they bust open a really big height like that, it's a tough one. Q. You mentioned pregame Altuve is playing on one leg. What did you -- you've been talking about Q. When you think back to your first year it for years, but what did you see from him in this managing, what do you think about Alex to be series in terms of dedication -- going to the World Series in his first year? And A.J. HINCH: Tremendous heart. It's all about heart what's impressed you the most about him across with him. He is such a great example of what's right. the field? And I've said that over and over again. But he -- I wish A.J. HINCH: I never had the feeling of accomplishment you guys knew what he had to go through to play every the way I did being the of a World Series day and get himself prepared and then contribute and team and then a World Series champion -- at any level. do well. I wasn't a first-year guy last year. So I applaud him for being able to make the adjustments that he had to He walked up to me before the game today and he said make on his own team. I don't know the inner workings

Rev #2 by #188 at 2018-10-19 04:14:00 GMT page 2 of 3 of his team, but it's not easy to take over a team in that market in that setting and see the things that happen to that team and still come out with all the wins that he did.

Managing nowadays is not an easy job. And I know, I laugh about it but everybody thinks they're a really good manager. But to be able to command that clubhouse and lead a group of men to where he's going, he should feel very proud.

I think his convictions, his demeanor, his personality that rubbed off on that team is something that I noticed and something that he should be proud of.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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