AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RANGERS VS ASTROS

October 22, 2023

Josh Sborz

Minute Maid Park

Texas Rangers

Pregame 6 Press Conference

Q. In an elimination game, does it matter how many days you throw in a row, or are you amped up and ready to go?

JOSH SBORZ: I've been mentally preparing, as many innings as I can go. I had a situation last year where I was going to start, I opened, ended up getting hit, but I was thinking three or four innings. But as long as my arm is attached, I'll go as long as I can.

Q. What's the challenge for Eovaldi facing a team like this a second time?

JOSH SBORZ: When you play the Astros, they're just a really good team at making adjustments. Things that worked last time might not work this time. You've got to be creative in how you're going to get them out. Obviously the first two games, how we pitched, they adapted to it. And I think we adjusted pretty well last game, as well. It's just that chess game of keeping them guessing, not going to the same plan every single time.

Q. Boch said it's all hands on deck, bullpen-wise. How are you feeling going into this?

JOSH SBORZ: Really helps to have Nathan Eovaldi starting the game. He's been amazing this entire season, really. And then postseason. But third, fourth inning comes around, you're going to have to be locked in a little earlier. Whereas the past three or four starts with him, it's been sixth inning, seventh inning. It's just going to be ready early and just enjoy it.

Q. Even dating back to the start of the season, what has it meant to have Eovaldi around the team and just the impact of his presence?

JOSH SBORZ: It's special. There's a reason why he's been around this league so long. He dedicates hours daily, in the gym, pitching, game planning. He just sees the game a little differently. Just being able to watch and learn from him, it's cool. It's an honor.

Q. Jose has gone through a lot this season, and how good he's been in the postseason, but considering the hiccup, how much confidence do you guys still have in him in any situation that comes up today or tomorrow?

JOSH SBORZ: He's our guy. He hasn't had a problem up until that one hit. It was against a really good team, really good player. And you've just got to forget about it. There's probably been 10, 15 times this year where we've all given up a 3 spot. It happens. Sometimes the 9, sometimes the 6. We've just got to forget about it and move on.

Q. In your own personal journey this year, you've really finished strong. Do you attribute that to the fact that maybe you're more healthy or something else that's enabled you to do that?

JOSH SBORZ: Definitely getting healthy was the key. I made some subtle adjustments. I had a really bad August, awful August, to be more clear. Just kind of my shapes of my pitches weren't good, nothing was sharp. I was able to get in the lab and straighten certain things out that weren't working as well.

Q. Kind of going off that, what has this playoff run meant for you to have everything kind of click like it has for you?

JOSH SBORZ: Good. It's what you dream of. I don't really take how I've done for granted. It's a new game. And I guess bringing back with Jose, doesn't matter how good you are until you finish your outing today. So essentially it's a new game, new season again, and you've got to repeat it.

Q. Now that the Rangers are here, the expectation going forward is you'll be here every year. How do you guys embrace that?

JOSH SBORZ: I think it's more of an approach of taking it day by day. It's really hard to get here. We were really good for a long time this year. And I think we get it go. And I think if we take it day by day, win today, it's a long season, so you've got to be able to adapt. To repeat again would be great, but we have to do the same thing again, and that means we have to play well every day.

Q. After that last loss, how did you guys as a team process it? Fans were distraught. But you guys were on the field doing this. Knowing that you had them 4-2, they snuck out of the bear trap. It was a tough loss, so now they come back here --

JOSH SBORZ: Yeah, generally you get the whole night to sulk, and then you move on. 162 games, you're going to have bad days. But stick to our game plan. We had them. We've played them really well. Obviously they came to our place and beat us three times. But we're back here where we're 2-0, and it's just play your baseball. It's baseball, so it's hard. And things might not go our way, but just stay calm and do our jobs.