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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 28, 2018

David Price

Los Angeles, California - postgame 5

Red Sox - 5 Dodgers - 1

Q. What was your energy like coming out in that first inning and how did you kind of feel going forward from that point?
DAVID PRICE: Energy was good. I felt good at first. Freese wanted to hit the ball to the right field, and he's a really good October hitter. He has been for every team he's been on at this stage, winning the World Series MVP, whenever they played Texas, '11 or '12, I don't know what year it was, but he swings the bat well. And to get that double play, that was huge after that. And to kind of settle in after that double play, that was big.

Q. You always talk about how this was going to happen some day, and that you just needed to pitch better in the postseason. Now that you have, now that you've succeeded at this stage what does it feel like? How difficult was it to overcome all of that?
DAVID PRICE: It was tough, absolutely. To answer that question in Spring Training day and day and day and day, and over and over and over and over, anytime it got to September, playoffs, I hold all the cards now. And that feels so good. That feels so good. I can't tell you how good it feels to hold that trump card. And you guys have had it for a long time. You've played that card extremely well. But you don't have it anymore, none of you do, and that feels really good.

Q. Is the confidence coming into this game and this Dodger team has bounced back so many times, was there a point in the game where you felt, we've got this, we're doing this?
DAVID PRICE: When Pearce hit that two-run home run in the first, that was huge. We have done a really good job of scoring in the first inning, all postseason. To get that two-run cushion before you even throw your first pitch, even though I gave back a run with that first pitch that I threw, but when Pearce hit that ball I think that pumped up everybody.

Q. What did you prove? What do you think?
DAVID PRICE: I can win a big game. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Haven't reflected on it. I am 33 years old now, last time I was in this type of situation was when I was 23. So a lot of things have changed since then. To be able to come out on top and to be able to contribute in October, that's why I play the game.

Q. AC had a lot of faith in you, man. Can you tell me a little bit about how far you've come in the relationship with him during the course of this year?
DAVID PRICE: Yeah, our relationship is definitely very unique. It started first week of January or second week of January, whenever we went out to team lunch, Sale, Sandy, Jackie Bradley and myself. Going to B.J.'s there in Ft. Myers, just him kind of setting that tone with the first meeting with just the four of us. I think he met with quite a few people throughout the offseason. And it was the Florida guys and he met with us.

Again, we have a very unique relationship. We're always in contact, even when we're away from the field. So I've said it many times, he's cool.

Q. Did it mean something to you that Alex let you bat that last time, so you could stay in and keep pitching?
DAVID PRICE: Yeah, I mean, if the score was a little bit different at the time, I might not have gotten that at-bat. I've got to give credit to our offense pushing those runs across in that inning, I think it was the inning J.D. hit the home run to center field. It gave us I think a 3-1 lead at the time. That was huge. I was throwing the ball well. I wasn't coming out of the game at that point.

Q. As the story goes, that some of us have heard, in Houston when you were warming up in Game 4, you figured something out with your changeup. Can you talk about that and how big of a difference that has made in the game since then?
DAVID PRICE: It was more so just with my delivery with my hands. Just allowing me to be more fluid, to not have any stops whenever it was time to go. And I really found that playing catch earlier that day, and after I got done playing catch Tek walked over to me, Varitek, that is, and he's like, "I see your hands are higher now." And I was like, yeah. I think that will allow me to be more fluid, both in the windup and in the stretch. And just puts me more on time. It enables me to be able to execute every single pitch I'm trying to throw. And it helped with everything.

Q. When the celebration was over and you were coming off the field, you threw your cap, somehow you managed to get it up over --
DAVID PRICE: I don't know why I did that (laughter).

Q. What was your emotion at that moment?
DAVID PRICE: We have a lot of Red Sox fans here. And hopefully one of them got that hat and they can tell that story for the rest of their life. I don't need that hat. I don't even want that hat. It stinks. It smells bad (laughter).

I appreciate those fans sticking around, rooting us on. And I just wanted to give them a little piece of the night.

Q. The guy that caught the cap was Boston, his mother has MS. She needed a warmer climate, she's a huge Red Sox fan. He said he's going to keep the hat the rest of his life.
DAVID PRICE: That makes it even more special.

Q. Your teammates speak so highly of you. What does it mean to you to be a great teammate?
DAVID PRICE: A lot. I mean, this is a game we get to play. It's the relationships that you make while you do this, while you play this game that -- that's what makes this game so special.

Q. You really flipped the narrative of your postseason career this series and especially towards the end of the Houston series. How do you think that is going to change your approach, mentality, confidence moving forward, and do you think there is that one special moment that really helped you turn the tide?
DAVID PRICE: My confidence was never altered through however many seasons I've been to the playoffs, however many times I've failed in October, however many times I failed in the regular season or against the Yankees. My confidence was never altered. I always had belief in myself and my abilities. To be able to come through on this stage and in October for myself and for my teammates, I know I can do it now. And it's always a good feeling to have. It's just good to know.

Q. Obviously you showed being a teammate by going out there on short rest and pitching in the bullpen in Game 3. When you do that, when you prepare to do that, how is the preparation different and how does it manifest itself on the field? Obviously the results were really good.
DAVID PRICE: Being in the bullpen is definitely different. You don't know when you're going to pitch. You don't know if you're going to pitch. You just kind of have to stay ready and stay locked in, just play along with the game, just knowing what situations are ahead and just knowing when your number might be called.

I don't know, I mean, it's October baseball and this was the World Series. If AC had asked me to start every game, I would have done it. I wanted to be out there. I wanted to have that baseball. I wanted to be special for my teammates. And we all stepped up this year and in the playoffs. That was huge.

Q. To start Game 2, relieve in Game 3, warm up in Game 4, start Game 5, what did you learn about yourself along the way?
DAVID PRICE: Nothing. I told you guys, Dr. Andrews said I have a special elbow. I'm sure you guys ridiculed me and mocked me and made fun of me, and did everything that you guys do. I wasn't lying when he told me that, and now you guys see that.

I feel good right now. I didn't want to come out of the game in the eighth inning, I wanted to continue to go. If it took me 120 pitches or however many pitches it took to get 27 outs tonight, that's what I wanted to be able to do. I felt good. I still feel good. That was very special.

Q. Clearly your teammates mean the world to you, you got emotional talking about them, thinking about them before. Equally so, have a chip on your shoulder maybe with regard to the media. Do you have anything to say to the fans?
DAVID PRICE: We're World Series champs. That's special. This is a very special team. We rallied together all year long starting in Spring Training. So we'll see them all at that duck boat.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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