AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 10, 2026

Stephen Vogt

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Vogter, just the lineup today, what went into moving Kwan out to left, Petey in center, benching Angel?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah, I would put it more of get Petey in there for the defense. I think we were looking at just kind of the way the first four games went. Obviously Ángel has not swung the bat like himself. With the matchup with Burke, felt like it was a good opportunity to get Petey in there. Obviously it solidifies our outfield defense really well also.

Q. Just as a followup, obviously Martínez was hit by a pitch. His health is fine?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. He's good. And obviously Ángel gives us a dynamic bat, switch hitting bat off the bench as well that we can use. Again, we don't know how they're going to deploy once Burke is done. So having that option off the bench gives us two weapons off the bench now, and we feel good about that.

Q. What do you think about Burke has given you fits this season?

STEPHEN VOGT: He's been great against us. He's got good stuff. He had a great year, and particularly against us. We have a tendency to kind of get in between with him. He'll get us to chase the spin underneath. He'll get us to chase the fastball up above, and he's got a good mix against us every time he's pitched against us this year.

So we need to be diligent to our plan, stick to it and make him work, make him come into the strike zone.

Q. How are you feeling today? What are the nerves and emotions like?

STEPHEN VOGT: This is our third elimination game in a row. Of course, you're anxious. You're anxious for the guys. I mean, they've worked so hard to get to this point and you can say the same for the other side.

This series was going to come down to five games. There's no way around it. Just with the way we've played each other all year, there's no shock. But you're anxious for them. You want them to go out and have a great day.

And they've worked all off season, all season for a day like today. We have a chance to win and move to. This is our first time having that this year in the postseason. Really excited for them. I think 8:00 is going to take forever to get here, but we're excited to do this in front of our fans at home, couldn't be more proud of these guys.

Q. To play here today, what does that mean to you guys?

STEPHEN VOGT: We want to play in front of our fans. We know it's going to be packed and loud. It was a great environment in Chicago. We're looking forward to our fans welcoming us back, and we get to take the field in our home uniforms, and there's no greater feeling than that.

Q. When you say you've been in between with Burke, at least on paper, what's the solution to that now that you've seen it?

STEPHEN VOGT: Again, I think it's individually with our guys. We need to know what pitch we're looking for, and we need to stick to it and not follow him around be with his mix. I think that's the biggest thing that hitters in general get in trouble with.

You try to follow, think along. No, stay diligent to what your plan is and be ready for that mistake or that pitch you're looking for and get on the barrel.

Q. How did Cade come in today? How is he feeling?

STEPHEN VOGT: Cade felt great yesterday. He's feeling good today. Obviously they're about to go out and throw, and we'll get the full report on how he's feeling, but he told me he'd be ready to go.

Q. How is the mental grind of 162 for the emotional swings of the playoff series?

STEPHEN VOGT: How much time do we have to think about that? I don't think anything prepares you for the postseason until you've done it. And again, for a lot of our guys, this is their first time, but now you've played two elimination games on the road. All bets are off at this point. Everybody's got experience. One postseason game feels like a year. I mean, it really does.

Nothing is like 162. I mean, that is a marathon that is really hard to win and do that. But now it's a sprint, and we get one game. We get one game to decide whether we go home or we get to move on. It's a great feeling, and I'm really excited for all of our guys to experience this today.

Q. Stephen, this is your third win-or-take-all postseason elimination game. Just how different of a manager do you think you are maybe compared to that first one two years ago against Detroit?

STEPHEN VOGT: I mean, you learn so much every year. You learn so much every day, if you allow yourself to. And I feel like I've done that. And you view it differently, and we're a very different team in this Game 5 than we were two years ago. We're constructed differently. We've got more experience. We've got different personnel.

Again, it's a tough balance of when do you make a move or when do you hold, when do you trust, when do you move on. And that's a balance that until you know the game today, you just don't know.

But I've grown a lot. I've learned a lot. It doesn't feel any different, but it's just -- it's an elimination game. We've already played two of them this week, and it's one more today.

Q. When Gavin is efficient, what is he doing on the mound? What gives him the opportunity to get deep into a game?

STEPHEN VOGT: When he's attacking the strike zone. I mean, a lot of it comes down to how his breaking pitches are moving, but it's the fast ball command. When he's running that sinker to both sides, when he's throwing the four seams at the top and the spin pitch is over the plate, I mean I know it sounds very elementary, but strikes -- you have to throw strikes to be efficient. And big-league hitters gotta get him out in the zone, and Gavin has got five pitches to do that.

So when he's throwing strikes and moving down the mound, it's a good day.

Q. Stephen, you were in here after Game 2 and you were actually smiling when you were talking about backs against the wall.

How much of that was trying to stay positive for the team in the moment where you thought you should and how much was that confidence in how your guys handle pressure?

STEPHEN VOGT: I mean, I'm myself. Like this is fun. And, again, anytime you go down 0-2, you can sulk, you can pout. And I feel the emotions. It's frustrating, obviously. But it doesn't do myself or anyone good to feel sorry for myself or feel bad for us. We're still in it. We still have a chance.

There's no acting. This is who I am. You're getting authentic me, and this is just fun, and we're going to have one more game today.

Q. It seems like the whole year, that's been your message, to have fun. How do you impart that before the game about how cool it is to play October baseball?

STEPHEN VOGT: Talk to the guys about how cool it is to be in the big leagues. I meant, I spent a lot of time in the minor leagues. I spent a lot of time not being in the big leagues. And every day you get to put on a Major League uniform is a gift and impart that on our guys and even more so, playoff baseball.

I've been fortunate to be in the playoffs. I think this is my seventh year as a player and coach, which means there were a lot of years where I wasn't, and you're making vacation plans in May and June, and that's no fun.

So every one of these games, you have to cherish, you have to be thankful for because they're not given. They're earned. And just reminding our guys of that.

And talking college football today, I mean we're watching college football. It's Saturday. Like what do you want us to do. This is who we are. So this is a game. It's a business. It's a really tough one, and these guys go through heck and back every day.

But at the end of the day for three to four hours a day, you get to go be a 12-year-old kid and play the game you've loved your whole life.

Q. Will said yesterday on the Zoom that there has been times during this series during games when you two will look at each other and just start laughing.

Is it just kind of the ain't this fun or it's a postseason, enjoy it, or just everything that these two teams have done this year?

STEPHEN VOGT: I think -- I have so much respect for Will. I've played against him, now managing teams in the same division. What a good human being. He's fun to talk to.

We've had great conversations off the field, on the field. I have so much respect for what he and that group have done over there. And we've just laughed all year because we play one-run games. The whole series was defined by one run. Now here we are in Game 5.

We had a moment after Game 4 where we ran into each other in the hallway and kind of shared like, of course, we're going to play five games. So yeah, just catch eyes when he goes back and forth. I just look at him like what else is new and he kind of does the same thing to me. I always enjoy little interactions like that even in game. I have so much respect for Will.