Houston Astros
Monday, October 9, 2017
Steve Sparks
Astros postgame clubhouse with Steve
Sparks SportsTalk790
STEVE SPARKS: There's a chant going on in here and
I believe it's stanky. What? I'm not really exactly sure
what that means. I'm going to grab a couple of guys.
We got our feed unplugged by some of the television
reporters with Fox 1. So we're going to try to get some
of the action down here in the clubhouse and it is if he
is detective. If you know what I mean. Everybody's
starting to do a little sippy, sippy and everybody's
getting a little bit wet. Things are going a little crazy
right now. Some people are saying Sparky is staying
dry. He's bowling down a table almost like a frat party
as he's knocking over a couple bottles and cans on the
edge of the seats.
Q. Last six outs of this Division Series for Ken
Giles, great job. How did you do it?
KEN GILES: Grinded it out there.
Q. You ground it out and you threw some fill the
out there, you got Pedroia the last batter of the ball
game you said I'll smell you later. How are you
doing it?
KEN GILES: I'm doing great just having fun man that's
all I care about.
Q. How fun is this team?
KEN GILES: Can't count us out yet.
STEVE SPARKS: I got Devo and Joe, it's the Joe and
Devo show. Sparky staying wet. What are you talking
about? Joe and Devo, first of all, Devo, I want you to
sing a little something something. Some of your
karaoke special. You are the sunshine.
(Singing a song.)
Q. That sounds like a heart from heaven. You
threw three out of four days and you knocked it
out. Joe, you in the back end between the both of
you guys, working out in off season, knocking it
out, can you believe you guys are studs at the back
end of this bullpen?
CHRIS DEVENSKI: I believe it. I believe it.
Q. You guys know what's up?
CHRIS DEVENSKI: Me and Joe we have been
grinding a long time together and to share this moment
with him and all our teammates and everybody here it's
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truly amazing and truly special, man.
Q. How hard is it to go from starter to reliever and
to dominate like you have?
JOE MUSGROVE: It's tough. It's something I'm not
used to, but we train a lot in the off season and we
prepare for these kind of moments being comfortable in
uncomfortable situations and I've learned a lot from this
guy and following his lead in the bullpen and watching
him do what he does gives me the boost to go out
there and follow his lead, so I'm loving it.
Q. ALCS, it's coming up, you guys are one step,
one building block away from the World Series.
Can you imagine that?
CHRIS DEVENSKI: The dream's coming through and
we worked for this our whole lives and we just continue
to grind, go out there, we learned a lot from this series
and it was a grind, especially here in Fenway. But we
can do this and continue to work hard and believe in
each other and let's go.
Q. Joe, you guys depend on each other. This is a
very close knit team what's it going to take to get
through the Cleveland Indians?
JOE MUSGROVE: Just playing the game at our speed.
If we can keep the game under control and keep our
minds clear I think we got the team to do it we saw
today down in that hole right there we just kept battling
and came up with the huge hit and Giles shuts it out
with a sixout save.
Q. What about Bregman, he is a young stud?
JOE MUSGROVE: He's an absolute gamer, man, and
he's one of the life's of this team and him coming up
today just shows another reason why he is where he is.
STEVE SPARKS: Well he is where he is because he's
stinky. Stinky. Go Astros. Tear 'em up.
Q. The Astros remarkable season, your first year as
a major league coach, how sweet is this team? It's
unbelievable the talent.
ALEX CORA: It's unreal what they're doing and since
day one they said their goal was to win the World
Series and every day you see them and the way they
go about their business and this is just the beginning,
to be honest with you. I think we're going to celebrate
today like crazy animals and then we go.
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STEVE SPARKS: Crazy animals. With the calamity
going on, Carlos Correa dousing some of the reporters
here in the clubhouse.
Q. How unbelievable is the way that this clubhouse
is and you talked, you talked to look about a lot of
teams in the playoffs and Alex, this team stacks up
with anybody. Talentwise this team is a studly
environment.
ALEX CORA: It is Peter Gammons was in front of us
and he said this is the second greatest game he's ever
seen. And he's seen a million games. So just the
upanddown, going, coming to Fenway, it's not an easy
place to clinch. The fans were involved, but you could
see the guys growing. We got kids playing and this is, I
know they played a few years ago in Kansas City but to
come to Fenway and clinch it is amazing and this is a
learning experience and it's going to help us the rest of
the season.
Q. You played and you're part of the infield
coaching staff with this team. Alex Bregman,
coming up big time and driving one out of here off
of Chris Sale. What?
ALEX CORA: Yeah, he, for some reason today he was
serious Alex, like gamer, very quiet, and I'm like what's
going on with you, kid, have fun. We're in Fenway Park
you used to talk crap to the pitcher and all that. You
got one more atbat, let's go. Let's go. So his approach
was perfect and he's done an outstanding job for us
offensively he was amazing for us.
STEVE SPARKS: Alex, you've been a great addition.
Good luck the rest of the way.
Q. Back with Luke Gregerson and Will Harris,
prominent members of the back end of the bullpen
for the Astros. You guys going to the
championship series. Didn't get through the
division series two years ago, how does this feel
first Luke Gregerson?
LUKE GREGERSON: Incredible, this team is, it's funny,
we joke about over coming adversity a lot this year, but
this team has battled through a lot of stuff and we have
shown that we can play some really good baseball an
all the way through and it's just been a lot of fun and
we're excited to be a part of it.
Q. It's not a lot of adversity when you're this
talented, Will. What's up? This team is ridiculous.
One through nine in the order. You guys bullpen is
on clicking on all cylinders, what is it going to take
to get to the World Series Cleveland Indians, New
York Yankees, both very good foes, but I think you
guys can do it. What's up?
WILL HARRIS: Of course we think we can do it, no
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doubt. You watch that game tonight with the talent that
we had coming up to the plate facing Chris Sale and
Craig Kimbrel arguably maybe the best starter in
baseball and the best closer in baseball and we scored
two runs off of them in the 8th inning. Like it's just one
of those games that I know I'll never forget and I know
the people at home watching, no way they could ever
forget that one because that is the best game I've ever
watched.
Q. Hey, Peter Gammons is 111 years old he said
that's the second best game he's ever seen in his
life. I would imagine it's the 1975 World Series
clincher Carlton Fisk well not the clincher in Game
6. How does it feel to be a part of something like
this Luke?
LUKE GREGERSON: You can't put it into words. It's
probably one of the better playoff games that we have
seen in a while where a team that comes back big off
of Justin Verlander with a big homer and they take the
lead, swing the momentum their way and we come
back late in the game, Chris Sale, get to him and then
get to Craig Kimbrel after that, you couldn't ask for it to
play out any better than that.
Q. Luke, LSU is very proud tonight. A Jack by Alex
Bregman. A former Tiger. Going deep on Chris
Sale. He is studly.
LUKE GREGERSON: I've said it a million times, game
7 of the World Series, I'll take Alex Bregman.
Q. What is up with that guy? He's cocky.
LUKE GREGERSON: Of course he's cocky, look at
him. But the bigger the moment, the better that guy
freaking shows up and that's the kind of team we have,
man, guys, no moment's too big for them because they
believe in themselves and that's, it's fun to be a part of
that.
STEVE SPARKS: You guys have been grinding it out
for a long time. Thanks for catching up. Let's go get to
the World Series Will Harris, Luke Gregerson, thank
you guys very much. Back to you, Robert.
Q. McCullers, Junior, who pitched unbelievable
baseball in Game 3 of this series, how did it feel
getting out there and I know you pitched in the
division series two years ago, but going out there
in this tough environment at Fenway Park oh, my
gosh somebody just got crushed with a beer
shower. You got a stogie working?
LANCE MCCULLERS: Yeah, of course I do.
Q. That's going to cut down on your stamina.
LANCE MCCULLERS: No, it's not. Look, second half
of the season for me it's been tough. Personally when
everything was announced rotation was announced
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Charlie and Peacock have pitched great all season and
I was a little bumped.
Q. You would have to be. Why not?
LANCE MCCULLERS: Yeah I'm a competitor, I want
the ball. But A.J. told me, hey, man, if you were going
right we know what you bring, but with the injuries and
stuff we just need to see you out of the pen and
whatnot.
Q. And you were great yesterday.
LANCE MCCULLERS: I got my opportunity, I tried to
do the best I could as long as I could coming out of the
pen is a lot different than starting and a lot different and
I, the way I had to warm up and had to always be ready
by the time that fourth inning came around I was a little
bit out of my element.
Q. You have a new appreciation for the reliever
pitchers?
LANCE MCCULLERS: I said, I looked at Will Harris
today and I said, hey, I have a new brand new
perspective and appreciation for what you guys do.
Because it's tough coming out of that bullpen. And
whatever my role is going forward I just want to pitch
well, I want to pitch well for this team. I can't say
enough about the guys and how well they have done
and Charlie Morton, we have a great team here, it's
super fun.
Q. Verlander coming out of the bullpen today and
you saw it. I mean, it's not easy being a starting
pitcher, it's a whole different gig. But you guys,
bottom line, Lance, you guys are going to the
championship series, one step away from getting
to the World Series and you're going to get more
opportunities to make a difference in this series.
How does that feel?
LANCE MCCULLERS: The fact that you say we're
going to the ALCS, man, I think something that
Houston is always the underdog, like our city, like live
there now, it is my city, it's always the underdog.
These, the people that live there, its things they have
had to go through and the years of losing, they deserve
this and we want to give them the most enjoyment out
of this ride as we can and we have a great great team
and I don't think it matters who we get, I'll put these
guys up against anybody.
Q. Lance, as you've gone to live in Houston and
you become part of the community, and you
develop your charities and things of that nature,
what does it mean to you to try to build on what
this team is able to do, they have never won the
World Series, but you guys have a chance, man,
one step away from getting there and you're going
to be a big part of that. What does that mean to
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you?
LANCE MCCULLERS: As I lay more roots in Houston I
have a much broader and appreciation for Houstonians
and the city in general. I think everyone on this team
genuinely cares. People were going out in Harvey, not
just to be out in front cameras, not just to say they were
doing stuff. We were in L.A., I remember watching the
news, and we legitimately wanted to get home as bad
as possible because we wanted to try to impact the
community. I think what we have been giving back and
trying to give back as much as we can, along with
playing inspired baseball has been unbelievable. So
Charlie Morton's right here, I'm going to turn it over to
him, but, man, this guy came off of not pitching at all
last year and in my opinion has been probably one of
our most steady consistent presence in between starts,
during starts, he's a guy you can rely on, he goes out
there, he throws his heart out and he's a great
teammate and a great guy. So I'll let you talk to him.
Q. All right, thanks. You're going to be a big part of
this. Charlie? Catch up with me. What did it feel
like your second postseason start what, did it feel
like at Fenway Park?
CHARLIE MORTON: That's the other thing though, it's
not just the playoffs, it's here.
Q. That's cool, right?
CHARLIE MORTON: It's huge for me. The fans are
right on top of you.
Q. Nobody's rooting for you Charlie Morton but you
got it done.
CHARLIE MORTON: We had a good section up there,
but they were quickly drown out because this place
gets crazy.
Q. It does get crazy. Now let me be honest, during
the broadcast I felt like you didn't have your best
command that you've had this season, but were
you able to go out there and put up enough zeros,
got out of a base loaded jam in the second inning
and you got it done and that was a big reason why
this team came out victorious.
CHARLIE MORTON: Well, yeah, I mean the
environment really it changes how you feel. You're
amped you up, you're anxious.
Q. Isn't that weird?
CHARLIE MORTON: I don't think it's weird, I think it's
natural, it's a big situation. Your body's trying to get
you amped up for a big situation and sometimes you
get a little long in your stride, you wind up a little late in
your arm.
Q. When I watch you Charlie your stuff is elite, do
you know that?
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CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, I throw the ball well. I do.
Q. You throw it hard and it moves.
CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, I believe that. I believe my
stuff is up there. But the pitching part of my game
needs improvement. Executing, especially in situations
like that, I spiked a few sinkers, which you don't do, I'm
spiking 95, 96 miles an hour and throwing in the dirt.
Q. Isn't it funny that you're 33 years old and you
still have to be able to temper your emotions to go
out there and execute?
CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, well there's no simulating
that environment. There's no simulating that situation
and that's why guys have done it for a while and they're
big game pitchers, they keep showing up. And I feel
fortunate just to have kept the team in the ball game,
but...
Q. You've gotten a taste of Houston. You know the
city a little bit now, you know the community, you
know what's gone on there, how important is this
for you to help the community of Houston to get to
the World Series?
CHARLIE MORTON: I'm so happy for the city right
now. There's work to be done, tons of work to be done,
but the little that we can do, we're doing it. This team's
different I think Lance mentioned it but this team's a
little different in that you show up to the park and you
want to win, but and that's pretty typical, but when guys
want to do their job for each other, they want to see
their teammates succeed they want it see their
teammates win, they want to see those big moments
for their teammates, and guys are genuinely happy for
each other. So to represent the city and a team like
this is really special for me.
Q. Charlie, we're very happy for you, too. We
always talk about it, you're a great guy, very
sincere, very genuine, happy for your success,
keep it going, brother?
CHARLIE MORTON: Thanks, Sparky.
Q. I'm not sure if you're there, but I got Brian
McCann on with us right now and Mac you're right
in the middle of all the action, and you caught
some of these pitchers to knock it down, six last
outs by the smooth sounds of Kenny G. Knocking
it down. How sweet was that.
BRIAN MCCANN: What a win, what a game. I mean
you had
STEVE SPARKS: Some of the reporters are getting
doused by brewskies.
BRIAN MCCANN: No, that was one of the best games
I've ever been a part of. Sale coming in, pitching like
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he did, JV pitching like he did, some huge outs. Those
are two of the best pitchers of our sport, so if you're a
baseball fan, that's got to rank right there at the top of
the games you've watched.
Q. When you're sitting behind the dish like that, do
you get nervous at all? I know the pitchers get a
little bit nervous, but A.J. Hinch talking about you
guys got to be the calmness dudes on the field.
Are you faking it? Are you a little bit nervous?
BRIAN MCCANN: No, we're thinking next pitch, that's
the great thing about catching is you don't have time to
be thinking about anything other than the next pitch.
So I can't say enough about the pitching staff, I can't
say enough about.
Q. Hey, Mac, I can't say enough about you. I don't
know if you know about this but everybody to a
man says we get an unbelievable sense of calm
with Brian McCann behind the plate with his
experience and his preparation. They know that
you're the first guy to the field and they know that
you're ready and they can feel confident in the
fingers you're putting down to execute a game
plan.
BRIAN MCCANN: Ultimately it comes down to the
pitcher executing and we got guys one through 13 that
can get it done and I just have been, I've been so
honored to be a part of this team and this organization,
it's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my
entire life was to come to Houston.
Q. Lance McCullers wants to say something about
Brian McCann?
LANCE MCCULLERS: Brian McCann is the heartbeat
of this team. He's the most legit teammate person,
he's the heartbeat, the most legitimate teammate,
player, soul, that I've come across and man I'm blessed
to be able to work to this guy.
Q. Does he have the best body on the team?
LANCE MCCULLERS: Yeah, this guy has like the
perfect like he just does it.
BRIAN MCCANN: I got a bad body.
STEVE SPARKS: There's nothing wrong with that.
Baseball's cool like that you can be a plumber body
and go out there and rake like you have throughout
your career. Man it is awesome, this is going to be a
fun ride, got a chance to go to the World Series and
get it done.
BRIAN MCCANN: This is step one. There's two more
steps to be had, we're going to enjoy this, take
tomorrow off, and get back to work in a couple days.
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STEVE SPARKS: That's from a pear body. Good job,
buddy.
BRIAN MCCANN: You know it. Thank you.
STEVE SPARKS: Robert, back with Dallas Keuchel
getting wet. I don't know what this is oh good the
massage therapist is dousing me with Budweiser. I got
Dallas Keuchel with me. Mike Fiers is throwing a little
spray on Sparky.
Q. And I got Dallas on with me, and Dallas, it looks
like now with JV in their working extensive work
right there it looks like you're going to get Game 1
against the Cleveland Indians. You've had
success, how fun is this?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: It it's amazing, there's no words to
describe it, just to fall, to fall so close to going to the
championship series two years ago, to now actually
going, just a huge huge amount of relief off of our
shoulders and just having fun again.
Q. How about Alex Bregman? He's a young guy on
this team and he almost looks like a veteran when
he comes up there and comes up in the clutch and
is able to deliver. How do you go over the Green
monster off of Chris Sale in that moment?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: He's that old school player.
Q. He's special, right?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: He's special, very special. He's
an old school player. The new school players
expecting, is expecting people to serve him and he's
not that way.
Q. He's not an entitled punk.
DALLAS KEUCHEL: He wants to go ask the veterans
questions about what it is they do that make them
great, what they see in him, and in turn he's very
knowledgeable. He's a knowledgeable young kid and
he's going to be a great player for years to come.
Q. He can talk some trash, can't he?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: He can.
Q. In a good way.
DALLAS KEUCHEL: He's good in that environment,
but, man, we couldn't have had a better guy up at the
plate against one of the best pitchers in the game.
Q. Do you ever talk trash when you're facing other
hitters in your mind?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: I talk trash all the time, that's what
I have to do.
Q. In your mind you're dropping a back door slider
on someone and you're saying, take a seat, bro?
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DALLAS KEUCHEL: I'm thinking whenever they don't
swing the pitch was too good, they couldn't hit that.
STEVE SPARKS: You're going to be a big member of
this team. You guys got a chance to go to the World
Series. Good luck the rest of the way.
Q. I got A.J. Hinch the skipper for the Houston
Astros and George Springer. George, do you
shave your chest?
GEORGE SPRINGER: I do not. I'm just not a very
hairy guy. I do not.
Q. That's okay because you rake, man. How was
this game, was this as high intensity, George, as
you've ever experienced?
GEORGE SPRINGER: Yeah, I don't know what it's like
for skip over here, but I know that I'm playing the game
and it was, especially those last six outs were
unbelievably anxiety filled, but I'm glad, I'm happy.
Q. You got to be glad. A.J., the plan came to
fruition, you bring in JV early in this game, you
bring in the elite starter on your ball club right then
and you're able to get it done. Ken Giles knocks
out the last six outs.
A.J. HINCH: It was pretty easy for me at the end with
the players that we have it's incredible but Verlander
being able to go on three days rest give us what he
had, I know the homer, but the outs after the homer are
huge. Dallas Keuchel was set up for Game 5 if this
game got away from us all hands on deck is a real
issue, it's a real thing. We want our guys to come
ready to win. We needed to close it out. We get a
couple days off before the next round.
Q. George, how special was it to you to be able to
come to Fenway Park and knock this thing down in
the park that you were able to come to with your
dad your grandpa and come to knock things out
and go on to the next round?
GEORGE SPRINGER: It's special. But I don't care if it
were here or out west or the central, I don't care. I'm
happy for our team, I'm happy for our city, it's, this is a
big day for us.
Q. A.J., were you able to enjoy that game?
A.J. HINCH: I enjoyed every bit of it. Obviously as
manager you want a few more runs early in the game
but George came through with a two out hit.
Q. You guys always like it easy.
A.J. HINCH: It makes it easy on us. I love this team.
These players make my job really fun, even though
there's some anxious moments, there's some tough
decisions, I'll go to bat with this team any day.
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Q. George, you guys are talented, you guys have
what it takes to get to the World Series, tough
division foe or tough anybody foe in the
championship series, whether it's the Yankees or
Indians, you guys got a couple of days to rest, how
good do you feel going into that next series?
GEORGE SPRINGER: Oh, I mean great. I can't wait
for it. It's going to be great. I'm excited.

STEVE SPARKS: And you and I had a race back to

Sugarland after the game the other day, I'm 10, you
took the loss, and it's a sad day for George Springer
and his family because you can't race on the freeway.

GEORGE SPRINGER: I did not take the loss. Admit it.

It's fine. It is what it is. Team picture, I got to go.

STEVE SPARKS: Okay. We're done here back to you,

Robert. Championship series here we come. Astros,
unbelievable, thanks a lot for everything that's going on
in the city of Houston right now, Houston strong.

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