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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX


October 19, 2021


Hunter Renfroe


Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Fenway Park

Boston Red Sox

Pregame 4 Press Conference


Q. Hunter, how would you describe your experiences in Boston since signing last year?

HUNTER RENFROE: It's been great. I mean, obviously, all the fan base has been, obviously, enthusiastic, and, obviously, just very great towards me as well, so. I love the city. I love the whole atmosphere about Boston and Fenway, and, obviously, the coaching staff and obviously the players have been fantastic for me.

Q. You had a couple of walks yesterday, including one in the big inning. How would you describe the general quality of offensive approach that you are seeing from the team right now, and for you particularly, are you -- is there anything different about your game-planning in the postseason?

HUNTER RENFROE: Obviously, you game-plan like it's another game. Maybe a little bit more goes into the bullpen side of it just because of the starter may not go as deep, and obviously, every game matters. But as far as, like, you know, the team approach, I think it's kind of simple: We're trying to attack heaters in the zone and trying to attack pitches in the zone, and not necessarily try to watch as many pitches as possible, but just make sure we're attacking in the zone and not chasing outside of the zone. I think it's been great for us. I think as far as the team approach, we keep passing the baton to the next guy, and it's been fantastic for us. Three grand slams, that's unheard of.

I think it's been kind of -- what led to the success is getting into advantage counts. Like last night, Schwarbs gets in a 3-0 count, and got a pitch he could handle.

Q. Talk about the team defense and how big is it that the Red Sox have thrown out a lot of runners from the outfield?

HUNTER RENFROE: Our defense has been a little iffy at points this season. I think we're playing our best ball right now. I think defensively we're being fantastic all over the field. Rafi made some spectacular plays last night, and obviously, Kiké diving plays in Houston.

So as far as our outfield defense, we go out there and try to play as hard as we possibly can and do what we can to control the running game for our side and for the pitcher's sake. We go out there and give it 100%, make sure we work on it in practice, and do everything we can.

Q. For those of us on the outside, you guys look like a different team since the postseason started. Does it feel different on the inside? Is it the vibe different? If so, do you sense anything different? I guess I'm trying to figure out how to explain it.

HUNTER RENFROE: No, not necessarily. I think for us being the Red Sox, the end of the season was kind of rough for us. We were battling through some injuries, and obviously, coming off all the COVID stuff and getting their feet back under them. And the last series with the Nationals, it was kind of hard to see the ball. I think it was kind of a rough few days for the hitters, as far as, like, the shadows and stuff in Washington. You know, I think we're seeing the ball well right now. I think going into the Yankees series, to the Rays series, the hitters just keep getting better and better. Our offense keeps getting more and more locked in, and I think that's kind of put us in the position we are in today.

Q. You've been on a few teams. How would you compare the enthusiasm -- the in-game enthusiasm of this team, not only the teams that you played on, but teams you look across the field at?

HUNTER RENFROE: I think that's kind of starts as well with the guys on the bench. The guys that aren't playing. I think that's kind of where we drive our energy from. When the guys are on the bench and they're getting hyped and firing us up, I think that's a huge part of the team deal. If they're just sitting on the bench just sitting there twiddling their thumbs and drinking water and not on the top step cheering us on, that's a little bit lack of enthusiasm on our part. When we see those guys getting hyped and getting ready for us, it makes us want to play that much harder, and especially for the fans. The fans here are the best in the world, and I think that's kind of helped us for sure, being a home-field advantage and going out there and doing what we do.

Q. I'm wondering if you can give us a few comments on Christian Arroyo. He must have been happy for his bomb last night. He sings at Gillette. The guy is just killing it.

HUNTER RENFROE: No kidding. He had a little tough stretch where he didn't get to play a whole lot at the end of the season. I think he was bummed out about that, but he had some injuries this year. We had a great year, obviously, but he had some injuries that he obviously didn't see coming. At the end of the year Iggy was playing a lot of second base, but he knew his time was going to be coming in the playoffs, and he has made the most of it. He has done incredible. Defensively, offensively, enthusiasm, anything you can possibly think of, he has done it.

We love him here. We love having him in the clubhouse, having him on the bench, love him at the plate. It's great.

Q. His singing voice, you like that?

HUNTER RENFROE: It's terrible, but he tries. He tries hard. In the Patriots game, that's his personality. He wants to be front and center dancing, having fun, and it's great.

Q. Just a thought on what you have seen from Nick Pivetta and how much you look forward to having him on the mound tonight?

HUNTER RENFROE: Nicky is great. When he has his "A" game, when he is out there, he is focused and ready to go, it's fun to watch. There are some times where he may lose a little lack of focus. I can name a few times, but it's very few. When he is in there, he is focused, he is ready to go, he has his game plan, and he executes it, it's a lot of fun to watch. He has great stuff. He has a great fastball, got a great curveball, and when he uses that effectively in the zone, I think that's when he pitches best.

And I think he is going to be ready to go today. I think he is going to be -- obviously, he doesn't need any more momentum going forward, but he is going to be fun to watch, and we're going to be playing behind him.

Q. What was it like to watch the display of emotion? He really got into it postseason.

HUNTER RENFROE: When he has that emotion right on his sleeve, that's when he pitches best. When he is out there giving everything he has and just letting it go, I think that's when he pitches the best, and we are behind him 100%. It's fun to watch. Fun to be a part of. I think more than anything when he goes out there and tries to relax and just get through innings is where he kind of struggles. When he goes out there and gives it everything he has for -- it may be four innings, but when he does that, that's when he puts himself in the best position possible.

Q. Traditionally in the postseason good pitching beats good hitting. You've obviously had six, seven of your best games in the postseason offensively. Why do you think that this offense has met the challenge in the postseason? Why is it different in regard to that?

HUNTER RENFROE: I think really us we're just getting pitches we can hit. We're not trying to -- we're not necessarily chasing balls out of the zone too much. We've struck out a lot. There's times in Houston we struck out 12 times and still won the game. We're making quality outs, as far as hitting line drives, hitting the ball, passing the torch, taking our walks when we need to, I think that's when we're doing our best baseball.

As long as we keep our game plan simple but effective, I think that's when we're doing our best, and I think we've done a great job as far as knowing what we want to do with a starter, and knowing how to attack him and it's worked.

Q. 2020 was a little bit rough around here, and I'm just curious when you signed here if you sort of wondered or had your doubts about what the group was capable of and at what point, whether it was Spring Training or during the season, did it dawn on you that you guys would be capable of doing something pretty special?

HUNTER RENFROE: When I was over at the Rays last year, I think even -- I know from myself, standpoint, but when you looked at the Red Sox's roster and the way they played and stuff like that, you know they were kind of dealt a tough role. They had some injuries. E-Rod tough with the heart condition, and some of their other pitchers. Sale, obviously. You saw the pieces that were there, and, obviously, the offensive side, but you saw the pieces that were there. It just kind of was dealt the tough role. They were kind of struggling, but at the end of the season they started really turning it on, and J.D. started hitting the ball, and you kind of saw the pieces that were there before I even got here that they had the potential to be very, very good.

When I came over here, obviously, Sale was coming back, Evo, E-Rod was coming back. We had some pieces that were falling into place. J.D. came off to a hot start and Rafi and Bogey. They really did a great job. I think that's kind of when we first started thinking we had something special was in Spring Training. We knew the pieces that we had, and we knew Sale was coming back at the end of the year. As long as we came off to a hot start, we had a chance to be where we are right now.

We kind of knew then in spring after a few games that we had something special.

Q. What was it about the staff here, be it Tim Hyers or some of the veteran guys in the clubhouse, that enabled you to have an uptick offensively this season?

HUNTER RENFROE: More than anything I think it's injury stuff. The training staff here has done a great job of keeping me on the field, and the years when I'm healthy and playing, I do fine. I do great. When I'm out there and I'm kind of battling through an injury or ankle injury or arm injury, you know, that's when you're a little bit slow on your bat and you're a little bit lackadaisical. When I'm healthy, I'm strong, these numbers are going to continue.

Obviously, give props to our training staff here. They've been incredible. They keep me on the field, keep all the guys on the field, and they're one of a kind.

Q. How do the guys on this team feel like they had something to prove coming into this year? J.D. coming off last year. Evo that he could make it through a full season, make every start. You to be an everyday player. Kiké same thing. How much do you think that plays in the desire that you guys have to prove people wrong, to kind of bounce back from expectations?

HUNTER RENFROE: I think more than anything it was kind of, like you said, it was more of just self -- there was no self-doubt. I believed that we could do it. For me I wanted to prove that I could be an everyday player. I knew I could be an everyday player and just stay healthy, and Kiké, obviously, he wanted to prove that he could hit right-handed pitching, where with the Dodgers he was mostly a left-handed pinch-hitter coming off the bench. I think that's more than anything everybody here wanted to prove that 2020 was a fluke and that we wanted to be out there and win.

We all had something to prove. A little chip on our shoulder, and I think we did well.

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