AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 20, 2022

Aaron Boone

Minute Maid Park

New York Yankees

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Houston Astros - 3, New York Yankees - 2

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Aaron Boone.

Q. You knew Valdez was going to be tough coming in, but how was he able to keep the bats quiet tonight?

AARON BOONE: I thought early on we had some good at-bats against him, even that first inning when he went one, two, three. I thought Bader had a good at-bat, Judgy got into a good count, smoked the ball to center. I think a little bit similar to Verlander, I thought he got into a really good rhythm there in kind of the middle innings and really started landing his curveball exactly how he wanted to, to go with his sinker, and we just weren't able to mount enough.

Obviously we got a gift there on the error and a good job of putting a couple balls in play to get right back in the game. But we got to find a way to break through against these guys.

Q. Understanding it's the postseason and you're seeing good pitching, but 30 strikeouts in two games. What needs to change about the offensive approach?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, well, I mean, the good thing is when we did need the ball in play today in a run-scoring situation, we were able do that. So take a little bit from that. We got to score. You know, swing and miss or, the idea ain't just to touch it. You got to touch it in situations. We got to score. They're about as tough as there is to score against. But we got to figure out a way and it takes all of us from a game plan standpoint to every guy in that lineup just doing their part to make it a little more difficult on 'em.

Q. That ball that Judge hit, it was only about 370, but did you think it had a chance in that short right?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I think, who would have thought. I think the roof open kind of killed us. I think it's a 390 ball. I think it was like 106 at whatever. When I went out to take Sevy out, we noticed it a lot with Tucker's ball. The base hit he got to right it kind of looked like it just went and stopped, and then I think Judgy's a homer all the time.

Q. The wind was blowing in?

AARON BOONE: The wind was blowing, yeah, across like that. So, yeah, I didn't think like he smoked it like no doubter, but it felt like his homers to right.

Q. The pitch Severino made to Bregman there, is it just one bad pitch or did you --

AARON BOONE: Yeah. You know, tip your cap a little bit too. I don't think he got it up as much as he wanted to. He got it to the edge, though. He just kind of cut it off a little bit. He probably got it off the end a little bit because he kind of raced to it because he did get it to the corner. I think he just wanted it a little more up.

Q. In a lot of ways now your season comes down to the guys who have been your two best starters this year at home on full rest. What do you think about that?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, we just got to go home and get one. It starts with that. Feel great. That's the thing. I mean, both these games we're in. We just got to find a way to do a little bit more offensively. But we feel like we can go out there and limit them enough, a very good offense, and give us a chance. Certainly feel no one better than Gerrit to hand the ball to get us right back in this.

Q. What was your assessment of the way Peraza handled himself at shortstop?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I thought he was great. Obviously a great play right out of the chute there to his left. And then that little slow roller that he makes the play on was really good. Thought he did really well. I thought he was one of the guys -- I talked about early on with Framber, I thought he had a good at-bat against Valdez his first time. Got in a count and got a pitch that he almost clipped to center. He got the ball in the air. So I thought heart-beat wise and in the flow, no issue. He was fine.