Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Ivoldi, who continues to pitch well this postseason, spoke about his game.
In an interview after beating the Houston Astros 5-4 in Game 2 of the Championship Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas on the 17th, Ivoldi looked back on his appearance (five hits, two homers, one walk, nine strikeouts and three runs in six innings).
He pitched well with two runs in 132/3 innings in his two previous postseason appearances, and also led his team to victory by recording a quality start on the day.
Asked about the secret of showing good performance in the postseason, he said, "I don't know either." "I feel the stadium is really loud in the postseason. But during the game, they have a tunnel view and block everything else while focusing more. In these critical moments, you have to hang in there and throw good balls. The atmosphere of the stadium is really hectic, but at the same time, I have to simplify everything and try to do what I can do best with the power I have," he said about his attitude toward the postseason.
"I feel most comfortable when I throw the ball on the mound as planned. Today was a really big win for us. We should continue to do what we have been doing well without losing focus," he continued.
Coach Bruce Bochy said, "When we talk about elite pitchers, these pitchers have the ability to change things when they have to. We were on the verge of a full base due to errors, but he saved the team by throwing a very good ball," he said, praising Ivoldi for saving the team from a full base crisis in the fifth inning.
Ivoldi said, "The opponent pinch hit Diaz with the bases loaded. I knew I was an aggressive hitter. And he was able to lure him into a manned pitch by throwing a good ball. Altuve is a good hitter against me in the past. I felt I didn't make an effective pitch in the early game. He led by 1-2 counts and hit with a splitter following a high fastball. But it was not completely over. Because there was Bregman. I was able to get out of the woods by throwing a good ball against him. That was one of the turning points," he said, looking back on the situation in the fifth inning.
Regarding the scene where he allowed a double against Michael Brantley in the sixth inning and lost a point, he expressed regret, saying, "I was disappointed that I couldn't make any adjustments against Brantley."
"I came into the dugout after the sixth inning, and the coach told me that my role was over now. He didn't even know how many pitches he had and was concentrating enough to go out in the seventh inning. I'm satisfied that I was able to overcome the bases-loaded crisis in the fifth inning in the postseason now. I'm grateful for the opportunity," he said, adding that he was not disappointed to finish pitching in six innings.
Coach Bochy, who trusted and entrusted him to the bases-loaded crisis in the fifth inning, expressed his gratitude, saying, "It cheers us all up." "He's got an old school mentality, but he's also well aware of what we're doing. He left the baseball world for a while, but coming back and leading the team really comes to us," he continued.
Texas third baseman Josh Young said, "He is a senior who gets angry if he fails to throw the ball as planned even when the team is leading by a big score difference. He is competitive and focuses on each ball," he said of teammate Ivoldi.
Young, who caused a full base crisis due to a defensive error in the fifth inning, said, "He saved me. It was a really big scene and a scene where momentum changed," he said, adding that getting out of the bases-loaded crisis in the fifth inning played a decisive role.
Texas, which won the game on the day, will return to Arlington with a two-win advantage.
Ivoldi said, "The momentum is on our side. But we still can't let our guard down. The Astros are a really good team and have a good lineup from top to bottom. Pitchers are good, too. We have to keep doing what we've been doing," he said, renewing his commitment. 스포츠토토
