Q. Max, you've got 20 games of postseason experience under your belt. How much will you lean on that, and how much does that help you in a start like tomorrow night?
MAX FRIED: I think any experience you can use to your advantage, it's all about how you learn from it and how you're able to kind of use that experience to kind of go forward.
I'll obviously be leaning on that, but this is it's own game: New thing, new season, new circumstances. So really excited for that.
Q. Max, how would you describe what it's been like to be part of the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry?
MAX FRIED: It's been a lot of fun. Every game feels like a playoff game when you play the Red Sox. It doesn't matter if it's here or Fenway. You know that every game matters, and it's been a fun one to be part of so far.
Q. Have you noticed anything different than maybe you expected coming in?
MAX FRIED: In what way?
Q. In terms of that rivalry?
MAX FRIED: No. Kind of what you see is what you get. It's two storied franchises going head to head.
Q. How would you describe what it's like working with Austin and having him behind the plate?
MAX FRIED: Austin's been incredible. We've been able to get to know each other a lot over the year and been able to learn from each other a good amount. I've had all my starts except for one -- or I also threw to JC, but down the stretch I've thrown with him a lot. So I'm really comfortable.
Q. You got a World Series ring. What did it mean to you when you got it, and does it ever come out? Do you ever wear it?
MAX FRIED: No, I never wear it, but it was a dream come true. It was incredible to be able to work hard with a group of guys and achieve the goal that we set out at the beginning of the year. It's one of those feelings that I definitely want to be able to have again, especially here in New York.
Q. How much do you embrace the responsibility of being the starter in Game 1 and being the ace for the postseason?
MAX FRIED: I think any time you take the ball in the postseason is important. The first one obviously you want to get off to a good start, but every single game means a ton. Between me and everyone else, we have a job to do, and it's go out there and win.
Q. What do you expect from this crowd tomorrow?
MAX FRIED: I've never experienced a postseason in Yankee Stadium, but I'm expecting it to be electric. The fans have been amazing all year, and I expect nothing else.
Q. With as many pitches as you throw, how do you keep the mechanics tight with all of them and avoid pitch tipping?
MAX FRIED: That's a tough one. I haven't been asked that. For me, it's just something that I've slowly kind of integrated throughout my career. So it wasn't like I had two pitches one day and then woke up and had six. It's kind of been a slow progression throughout my career where I kind of added one every year.
I've made it a focus to really have a good strong foundation and then be able to add on top of it.
Q. How do you keep from just a tic that would give away a tip?
MAX FRIED: You've always got to change. You've always got to be just doing something a little different.
Q. From one lefty to another, what impresses you the most about Crochet?
MAX FRIED: The stuff is off the charts. He posts -- he led the American League in innings and led baseball in strikeouts. So you've got a lot of -- you've got big stuff and a guy that wants to take the ball. He's had a tremendous year. You know he's going to be coming out ready to go.
Q. What is your first memory of maybe watching a Yankee-Red Sox game. I know obviously the playoff games you were probably 8 or 9 when they played and they were crazy. What's your first memory of watching these teams play? Did you ever picture yourself being in the middle of it?
MAX FRIED: First memory -- I'd probably say the first memory I had was ironically the Aaron Boone homer. That's probably the first one that I can think of right now. If you were to ask me back then, I probably wouldn't have thought that I would be a part of it but really glad I am now.
Q. Max, you seem like a really composed guy, an accomplished veteran. You've been in the World Series before, but as you said this is going to be your first postseason game at Yankee Stadium, which is kind of a unique experience. Do you imagine tomorrow you're going to have to take a deep breath and tell yourself, okay, I have to calm down, I need to calm down?
MAX FRIED: I'm not sure. Any postseason game, any game of importance, especially down the stretch, we've had a lot of really must win or playoff like games down the stretch here. I don't think, as far as me or any one of my teammates, have to do anything different than we've been doing, which is playing our game and playing loose, fast, and fun.
We've been playing really well, so I don't think we have to do much more.
Q. If you put your head on the pillow tonight and said to yourself these things need to go right for me tomorrow in order for me to be successful, what are those things?
MAX FRIED: I think it's just as simple as being as prepared as possible physically and mentally and knowing that, when I step between those lines, that I'm competing, leaving 100 percent of everything I have out there. There's no guarantee that I'm going to have another start, so from here on out, this could be the last one. So we're going to kind of empty the tank and leave everything that we have out there.
Q. Congratulations on your first year with the Yankees. The Yankees have a tradition and history of great left-handed pitchers starting in postseason play. You have CC's shirt on, Guidry. Any advice you've gotten in Spring Training that's prepared you for tomorrow's start?
MAX FRIED: I think the one thing that all the guys have kind of come back and been able to share something with me is be yourself, trust yourself. Yeah, don't have to do too much. It's all about pitching and playing the game. You don't have to do more than you have to. Have fun and believe in yourself.
Q. You take a lot of pride in controlling the running game. What kind of a task is that tomorrow with the kind of speed that the Red Sox have?
MAX FRIED: They like to run, and they like to put pressure on you. You've got to be prepared and know that that's going to be a possibility. It's just being aware of it and being ready.
Q. That Braves World Series team, what did you learn about what it takes to be the last team standing? You've been in the playoffs before and every team's different, but what were the intangibles, and what do you maybe see about this team with the Yankees this year that you could relate to it?
MAX FRIED: It's not about one person. It's as much of a team game in the playoffs as it can be. The whole season it's the same guy isn't going to win you every game. It takes every single person on the roster to win these games. Anyone can be the hero at any moment.
It's having that trust that -- the trust and the belief that you're going to be able to get it done, but if you don't, that the guy behind you or the guy next to you is going to pick you up.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports