AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 5, 2026

Stephen Vogt

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Can you explain with the leftie opener today in Anthony going with Nathaniel and Patrick in the lineup with a leftie, potentially going more than one inning?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. Again, we don't know what they're going to do. I think that's the number one thing that they've done game one, game two now.

They've announced an opener, but we know who they have available and what it felt like today going into today's game. This is a game Patrick Bailey is going to catch. So it gives us the switch hitter at the bottom to match up with the bullpen.

With Nate, kind of looking at how Saturday went with only getting one at bat out of David Fry. If we're going to get one at bat out of David Fry, we'd like that in a leverage spot. So knowing we can do that later in the game and kind of leaning on Nate Lowe's experience and just his ability to navigate at bats.

Q. Stephen, with using Espino, does that take him out of the possibility of an opener role somewhere down the line here?

STEPHEN VOGT: I don't think so. We've got days off. And obviously Daniel has shown that he can throw. Especially with the day's rest, he's shown he can throw back to back. Daniel is kind of the one guy in our bullpen that has positioned himself to kind of pitch in any role we ask of him.

Again, we have no idea what we're going to do on Wednesday as far as how we're going to start the game, but Daniel has been great for us out of the bullpen and as an opener.

Q. With José, we've obviously seen him be a great player for a long time. Is there something as a manager that you learn about a great player when he's going through a year when there's been an injury and adversity that's even new and beyond what you'd seen from the past?

STEPHEN VOGT: José hasn't wavered from who he is. It's really easy to look at a superstar caliber athlete and see them having a typical year for them, and it's like, oh, yeah, he's a great teammate. He's a leader. José has been through it this year obviously with the injury and recovery and not putting up the numbers he's accustomed to having. He has not changed one bit. He is still continuing to help our young guys get better.

I saw him smiling even bigger in these celebrations this year. So José is José. He has not wavered from who he is. He's still our leader and our best player, and I have a feeling he's going to come through for us.

Q. Gavin obviously going today, if this does go five, he could be game five pitcher. What has he shown you this year his ability to come up in these types of big game atmospheres and pitching his best?

STEPHEN VOGT: He wants it. He did it for us last year in the playoffs. He's done it all throughout the regular season. Seems like when we need Gavin to step up, he does.

Again, today's a game where Gavin is going to take the ball and give us a chance to win. We just know it. That's who he is. He wants these moments. He wants to be the guy, and he's shown it all year. That's why he's going to be in the Cy Young voting, right, and he's put himself in that position.

Q. We've all watched the challenges during the course of the year. When you see catchers challenging in the right spot, do you think back to JT Realmuto with the game-ending challenge? As a former catcher, what are your reactions to that element now of October baseball?

STEPHEN VOGT: It's different. It's there. So we gotta learn how to use it. There's some guys that have gotten really good at it, and the game's changed. I think we're going to continue to learn more and more about it as the years go on, but it was definitely interesting to see a playoff game end on a challenge.

Q. In general with the lineup construction, obviously four switch hitters in your lineup today, how much is that a conversation even as far back as the offseason about giving you as much optionality for a situation exactly like the one you have right now?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. I think anybody wants to build their lineup with balance. Since I've been here in Cleveland, we've been very, very left-handed. So to have the four switch hitters has been a huge help this year.

We've faced a lot of bullpen games. We're used to it. So try to bring as much balance to the lineup, but also your best hitters need to hit most often. So that's how we construct the lineup.

Q. Such a young team. There's a lot of firsts. First playoff game. Coming off a first playoff loss. How do you see some of those young guys respond coming into a game like this and maybe flush it as quick as they did?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. Yesterday at workout, you would never know we lost on Saturday. Today guys showing up, you'd never know that we lost on Saturday. That's who this team is.

We're never out of it. We show up ready to go. We take the same approach to every game, and we are going to do everything we can to win it. And I haven't noticed any kind of change in behavior in any of our guys, and that's a credit to the leadership in that clubhouse and the way that they keep their mindset. Just today is another game. That's all we can control is today.

Q. When there's a 5:00 start here like we have today, the shadows on a clear day certainly come into play. How much do you scout that in advance and have that help potentially in your decisions?

STEPHEN VOGT: It is what it is. Both teams are going to have to navigate shadows. We've dealt with it all year because we always get the day games during playoffs. So our guys are used to it, and it's just the way it is. Both teams are going to have the shadows. It's a matter of making pitches and being competitive with your at-bats.