THE MODERATOR: First question for Trevor.
Q. Hi, Trevor. Just a thought Bello on the mound tonight, what he's meant to you this season, what you look forward to watching him pitch?
TREVOR STORY: He's had a great regular season. We feel like he has matured a lot over the past couple of years. Just a guy who is ready for the big moment. He has really good stuff. Excited to see him go out there and put it on tonight. We know he is going to be ready and he's going to be well prepared.
Q. Trevor, how much of the mindset of the group tonight is, hey, let's go in, two out of three, we tried to do that all season long and try not to make this one bigger than it needs to be?
TREVOR STORY: With the win yesterday puts us in a good spot. The job is not done. We have to finish it tonight. That one is behind us. Being present in the moment is the biggest thing, is the biggest message that we have for our team is, you know, what happened yesterday is gone, and all we can control is what happens today. So that's really what we are locked in on.
Q. Trevor, the loss of Lucas is obviously big for your team. At this point with all of the starting pitching that you have lost because of injury, does it feel like you are fighting a battle of attrition when it comes to the health of your pitching staff?
TREVOR STORY: Yeah, it's tough, man. You never want to see guys go down, especially -- Gio has been through it. He has come back. He has had a great year from being injured the last couple, and he earned that.
He put in the work. It is tough to see that. But, you know, like we talked about all year, the adversity strikes, and we feel like we have answered the bell to that a few times, and it's really been kind of the mantra of our team is more adversity. You know, obviously it is striking again, so we found ways to, you know, make it work throughout the season. That's what we will do in the postseason.
Q. You mentioned adversity. Alex Cora was talking about the identity of this team yesterday, how would you identify the identity of the 2025 Red Sox?
TREVOR STORY: I would say scrappy. We have a tight-knit group. Our chemistry is off the charts. I think that serves us well. We have this belief in our team that we can get it done, kind of no matter what the score is early in the game, late in the game. We are really confident in what we can do. It lends itself to a game like yesterday, where we are down for most of the game, we have a spark and we come back and win.
Q. Trevor, yesterday one of the things Aaron Boone said about Alex Cora is he is great with the stuff like the game within the game. From a player's perspective, what are some of the things that you think about make up, like, the game within the game?
TREVOR STORY: Yeah, you probably have to ask A.C. about that when it comes to Xs and 0s and matchups and all of that. Too much thinking for me. That's why A.C. gets paid the big bucks to do that. Just as a manager, he is special, man. He has a great mind for the game, kind of blending the analytics with the people, man.
I think the communication is really good, and I think that is what is impressive about him, is being able to ride the line of the analytics and how forward it is in our game today, and being able to make adjustments and realize that these are people out here playing, and the emotions matter, and things like that.
Q. How are you feeling today after being sick yesterday, and did you catch whatever Bregman had?
TREVOR STORY: Yeah. Yeah, feeling much better. The last two days were no good. Yeah, got what Bregy had. No fun. But obviously a lot more energy today. So that's nice, nice to say that and be able to go through kind of a full pregame and more of a regular routine.
Q. Trevor, you have been through the one-game Wild Card format; now you are going through the three-game. Have a preference, and what are the differences?
TREVOR STORY: Yeah, I guess I wouldn't say a preference, but the difference is, obviously, you are walking into a Game 7 when it is a Game 1. Everyone is on deck. No one is going to be left. Your best players aren't going to be left not playing on that first day.
Obviously, just creates maybe a little more pressure on that first day, on the one-gamer. Yeah, we played that one back in -- I think it was '17 in Arizona, and I remember the atmosphere being amazing. Atmospheres always in the postseason are going to be incredible. Obviously you have a little more wiggle room on the three-game series.
It's a cool thing, I think.
Q. Trevor, just what are your impressions of Carlos Rodón, and what challenges does he present tonight?
TREVOR STORY: Obviously a good pitcher. We have had a lot of battles over the past couple of years, so we know each other well, and so it's going to be a good challenge for us tonight. You know, after Fried, we feel like, you know, he created some, you know, off balances for us. We are looking to fix those tonight. We are looking forward to a good battle.
Q. Trevor, a couple -- few weeks ago Alex Cora went out of his way to credit you for your words to the team after the Rafael Devers trade. What do you remember about those communications, and what was the message you were trying to get across?
TREVOR STORY: Yeah, I think just that what we have in this room is enough. It is tough to see that in the moment after you trade a guy like that. But just that the belief is in the people in this room. I think, you know, guys need to hear that, and need to hear it from a player.
I think, obviously, it took some time to get our footing back underneath us after that, but we played well. I think we showed the type of team that we are. And obviously, you know, good enough to be in the postseason. We like where we are at right now.
Q. Trevor, another format question. In this best-of-three, there has never been a team to win Game 1 that goes on to lose the series, and 10 of 12 have swept. That's pretty one-sided. How do you explain maybe the momentum that comes from winning Game 1, and how do you guys capitalize on that from last night?
TREVOR STORY: I think it is like we treat it as any other series, you know, throughout the season. I think that's what bodes well for us. Because we have been treating it this way for a long time. Obviously if you win the first one, it sets you up to win the series. But the job is not done. Like I said, we kind of put what is behind us behind us, and tonight is the night to win.
We feel like that's what all things are pointing towards, so there's nothing crazy that we are looking like that we haven't kind of done throughout the whole season. So just treat it like we always have.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Trevor.
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