SAN FRANCISCO -- Evan Longoria admitted that the emotions would have been different if the game between the Rays and Giants would’ve been played at Tropicana Field, but he did say that it felt “really strange” to play against his former team.

Friday’s game was the first time the Rays went up against Longoria, who holds 10 franchise records, since he was traded to the Giants in December 2017. On Saturday, Longoria discussed his time with the Rays, the difference between the National League and the American League and what he thinks of the 2019 Rays.

Here are some of the notable questions and answers from Longoria’s availability with the media Saturday.

Q: After seeing them Friday, what are some of your thoughts on this year’s Rays team?

"They look good. I think they have some really good young talent, a good mix of veteran players that have been around the league, and I mean, their pitching is really good. That’s kind of where it’s won and lost. I think as long as they can strategically keep it together and keep things in place with the starters and openers and how they do that [they will succeed]. It’s a tough division. I mean, the AL East, I know that a couple of teams that they’ll contend against are off to slower starts, but that’s why it’s a long year. I’ll always pull for the Rays in the American League. Other than these two days, I’m wishing them the best, always. I hope that we can get to meet down the road in the playoffs at some point. I think they have a good and exciting team that the fans should be happy to have and excited to watch."

Q: Now that you got a chance to face Jose Alvarado in a high-pressure situation, what did you think?

"He throws hard. I always knew that he had the stuff, it was just a matter of if he could throw strikes or not. That was always his biggest thing. It looks like he’s figured it out a little bit. [Diego] Castillo, as well; two guys that have pretty electric stuff in the back end of the bullpen. They have some good stuff over there. Chaz Roe is coming into his own. I remember facing him when he was in Baltimore and he’s kind of turned the page. Wilmer Font, I think we faced him in L.A. and he got released or something and [the Rays] picked him up. They have always been really good at finding those guys. Again, a couple of those guys, I think Castillo and Alvarado were both homegrown guys, but outside of that, they’ve been able to find guys who have whatever analytics they’re looking at or metrics, they’ve kind of been really good at picking those guys out. The first guys I can remember were Fernando Rodney and Rafael Soriano. They have a good team."

Q: What did it feel like playing against the Rays on Friday?

"It felt just like losing another game. I was pretty much focused on trying to do what I can do to win the game. A lot of it got overshadowed that it was Opening Day here and there was so much that the Giants were honoring, a lot of tributes and stuff like that. I didn’t get a whole lot of time to reflect on what it was like. But it’s still really strange to be on the other side of the uniform. I think it would be a lot different if I were in Tampa in the visiting clubhouse and kind of walking through the same hall that I walked through for 10 years on the other side. I guess I’m kind of happy in that sense that I don’t have to go through that right now. If it does happen, it’d be another three or four years before it happens. I think at that point, I’ll be a little bit more mentally prepared for that moment. So yeah, it’s strange, but I’m trying to just focus on the game and what I need to do here.”

Q: What’s the biggest difference between the Rays and the Giants?

"Other than the differences in the stadium, playing outdoors, [really just] a few more fans on a given night. But I think the expectations are the same. The organization expects you to go out and win. They do everything they can to assure you have the best chance to win. I think philosophically, they’re a little different. Although bringing in [Giants president of baseball operations] Farhan [Zaidi] this year, I think he leans a little more towards the analytical side. When I came over here last year, I think it was a little more traditional in terms of the shifts and information we had. I don’t really have a belief in one or the other, per se. There’s a lot to say that the numbers bar out in terms of defensive alignment and all the matchups and stuff. But I’ve always said, if you have good players, you can win no matter where you stand. But the Rays ... they’ve always been on the cutting edge of that. They’ve always been trendsetters in terms of what they do from an analytics standpoint, and I think [the Giants are] kind of heading in that direction as well.”

Q: What was your favorite Rays memory?

"I think for me, personally, the 2008 season as a whole. It was super special being my first year, being a team that had never even sniffed the playoffs, lost 100 games every year, been at the bottom of the division for pretty much the entire existence of the franchise. And then to be able to go from worst to first and make it all the way to the World Series. It’s still one of those moments for me, there’s so much that I forgot about in that first year that I really want to sit down and re-watch some of those games and enjoy that whole postseason experience, because for me, it happened so fast that I forgot a lot about it."