AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 9, 2026

Stephen Vogt

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Stephen, have you guys mapped out Game 5 starter pitching plans for tomorrow?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. Gavin Williams is going to take the ball tomorrow.

Q. How much did, if at all, that appearance yesterday affect things? Is it as simple as saying that could just amount to a higher intensity bullpen like you've talked about?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. That's obviously what we're hoping for. We're hoping it acts as a higher intensity bullpen, and obviously we need to do what we need to do to play tomorrow.

So Gavin is ready to go tomorrow. Feels good today. So we will obviously see how he's doing tomorrow.

Q. Vogter, there's so much around just seeing José rise to the occasion these past two games in particular. From a player standpoint being able to see someone that has had the season that he's had, what does it mean just for a guy like that to have these kind of signature moments the last two games and for the rest of the clubhouse?

STEPHEN VOGT: It's such a huge boost for him and us. Obviously José is our guy. We talked all year. He's obviously one swing of the bat away from doing this. He's a big-time player, and he's been able to showcase that and help us win two games.

Q. Vogter, going back to Gavin for a second, does the amount or the intensity that he threw last night have any impact on or any bearing on how long you expect him to be able to go in Game 5?

STEPHEN VOGT: I mean, I think we'll be watching the game. I think we'll be monitoring it. But I think, again, it's a Game 5, win or go home. Gavin wants the ball. We want him to have the ball, and it's his game.

And the game will tell us when it's time to move on, or maybe he takes it the whole way. We don't know. We gotta get there and find out.

Q. Vogter, how do you feel -- how is Cade Smith doing? What's his status right now after going back-to-back games?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. He's done it a number of times this year. Obviously threw 49 pitches over the last two days. So it's a very high volume. Feels good coming into today. He's going to get some good treatment, good rest today.

And obviously we're going to talk to him tomorrow and see how he feels. I don't know if it's something that we can push to a ton of pitches tomorrow, but again, when you have to play three straight elimination games, there's going to be some high volume. There's going to be some unorthodox things that need to happen for us to win three straight in elimination games. And if I know Cade, he is going to be ready to rock tomorrow.

Q. Vogter, in that same vein, unorthodox, some people certainly would say unconventional to go to your closer with a five-run lead late in the game, and I know you've pretty regularly preached you gotta live in the moment, especially if there isn't a tomorrow, you gotta make sure you have a tomorrow.

But walk us through how difficult, or maybe how easy, it is to manage a bullpen with what is a fairly comfortable lead late in an elimination game like that?

STEPHEN VOGT: If anybody thinks it's easy, go ahead. It's really difficult. I think when you're playing a team that's got the offensive power that they do and as you're managing a bullpen, you always go to worst case scenario in your head. That's how you have to think. That's how you have to operate.

With the way how efficient Cade was the night before, you trust him to go do that. And really the Colson Montgomery at-bat really changed the whole outing. You have to tip your cap to him. He made Cade throw eight, nine pitches in that at-bat and worked it and got a hit.

So you map out a plan, and you're talking back and forth. Carl and I are talking the whole game, talking with all the pitching coaches and Tony, and we all put our heads together and all signs pointed let's put Cade in this thing and let's stop it right here.

Q. How do you like where the offense is right now? When you talk about postseason small sample size from the first two games, but just the momentum that you guys kind of built the past two nights?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. I think you look at the last month or so of the season, this is the offense that showed up the last two nights. And they pitched us really well in Games 1 and 2, and we made some adjustments.

I love how we are taking our walks. We have been able to hit a few balls out of the yard. I really liked the approach with runners in scoring position. Using the whole field, going the other way, taking what pitchers give us. That's what you have to do in the postseason.

You're not facing anybody that doesn't have elite stuff. And their pitching staff is really good, and I love the way we strung a bunch of hits and base runners together.

Q. Vogter, as a catcher, how difficult is it to come off the bench and produce and not just be in the game, in the moment like that, but to have that calm, smooth approach that Patrick has had the last couple of nights?

STEPHEN VOGT: Patty has looked amazing at the plate and obviously the job that he and Hedgey do behind the plate. And catching a playoff game is so mentally taxing. It really is. You're constantly thinking. You're constantly remembering especially in a five game series against the same team, you're trying to avoid the same sequences. You're trying to avoid the same areas, whatever it might be.

So to have the mental bandwidth, the ability to come off the bench, obviously sparked a come back. Patty has been phenomenal behind the plate and at the plate and we're fortunate to have two of the best catchers in the big leagues.

Q. Vogter, during the course of the season, we really didn't get a close look at Armstrong because of the injuries, but what have you thought about him in the postseason?

STEPHEN VOGT: He's been phenomenal. I think, really, I thought he had the outing of the night last night, coming in -- that inning could have gone very differently, avoiding any kind of big damage. He's throwing the ball well.

We missed him the second half of the year. I mean, he threw some big innings for us in the first half and the unfortunate calf injury. And to his credit, he kept himself ready knowing that, hey, I'm not going to be back until the last week of the season and hopefully impact a postseason run. And boy, is he doing that and then some. So really thrilled that army is back and healthy.

Q. More on the pen, is it safe to say it's all hands on deck once again? Is there anybody that might not be good to go?

STEPHEN VOGT: Obviously we need to see how everybody feels today. We need to see how everybody feels coming into tomorrow. But I think if you're a pitcher on our roster, be ready to go tomorrow. It's all hands on deck. We need to win tomorrow. We know that, and just couldn't say enough about how proud I am of this group.

Going to Chicago down 0-2, that was a hostile environment, and really fun to play in that stadium packed with the way it was, but proud of our guys. We got it back to Cleveland.

Q. We were talking catching for a moment. I just wanted to ask about Hedgey, who took that foul ball off his knee last night. Any update on him? Assume he's normal and ready to go?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. He's really sore today. So going to get some good treatment. We have to see how he's feeling. That was a good shot right to the knee, but it's Hedgey. He's going to be ready to go tomorrow, and he's going to give us everything he's got.