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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 6, 2018

Brian Snitker

Atlanta, Georgia - Workout Day

Q. Snit, are you still planning on Gausman starting tomorrow?
BRIAN SNITKER: No. We just recently as, I don't know, a couple of hours ago I talked to Alex. We had discussed other options after the game last night, and we all got together this afternoon, and we're going to -- you know, the situation is kind of dire right now. We need to win. And not that Gausman doesn't give us that opportunity. We like how Newcomb matches up with them and the success that he's had against the Dodgers this year.

So we're going to let Newcomb get the thing off the ground. And I talked to Kevin, and he was like, whatever we gotta do. And I talked to Newcomb, and Newcomb was actually really excited. He felt good about it. And I told him that we need you to get this thing off the ground. You don't need to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning with a strike left or whatever. We just want to get this thing flying and be all hands on deck.

Q. Yesterday you had the opportunity in the first inning to really get something going with Acuna getting a double. Is that an important key for you guys and then the next game getting on the board?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I think it was yesterday. I felt really good. That first pitch was riding around in the gap there, and Freddie smoked one, too. And I think that would have been a big lift for us, to get even a one-run lead yesterday. So, yeah, we just want to score. I mean, I think if we could come out early and put something on the board, it would be a big lift for all of us.

Q. What might you do with Gausman tomorrow?
BRIAN SNITKER: He'll be in the bullpen and be available as well, you know, everybody really. I'm not going to pitch Folty tomorrow. But, you know, all the other guys will be available.

Q. You said last night you may make some changes to the lineup. What are you thinking about there?
BRIAN SNITKER: Well, like I said, it's going to be the same guys. I mean, again, I reiterate, we are what we are. I'll probably bump Andrew back up to two where we had him against right-handers the last, what, three weeks or whatever it was. And you know, you're running that string of lefties, but historically and all year the guys have swung the bat well off left-handers.

But it's just -- you know, like I say, it's not that big a difference. Like I say, because we are who we are. And there's not a lot of options, but that's one that I probably could do.

Q. This morning you'll have two days before Game 3. What's the message. Do you change it?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. They're trying. I mean, these guys want to do, you know, so well, and that's what happens in offensive slumps like this, team things, everybody wants to be the guy. And they put so much pressure on themselves. When you're hitting and everything's flowing and you get the line moving, guys are relaxed. They're not feeling that. When you go in -- you know, postseason, regular season, we went through this and guys just, they try so hard and want to be the guy, all of them.

And so it's one of those things, we just have to relax and play our game. And easier said than done, especially when you're facing the quality pitching that we are. We faced two guys that were just so good and never missed spots, never made a mistake. And so, you know, they get it. They know. I don't know that I have to tell them any more about the situation that we're in. And we just gotta win tomorrow. That's it. We don't have to win three in a row. We gotta win one in a row right now. That's all we gotta do.

And again, as I've said all year, the most important game we're going to play is today's. And that's been like that for six and a half months. So we gotta win one in a row right now is all we gotta do.

Q. Brian, how exactly did you tell Newcomb? Was it on the plane? Was it on a phone call?
BRIAN SNITKER: No. You know what, I mentioned it to him on the plane when we were on the way just as something we were discussing. I didn't want to just drop it on him. And then I called him this afternoon after Alex and I talked. I called Kevin -- and the first calls were to Kevin and to Newcomb. And like I say, Newcomb was -- you know, Kevin gets it. He's about as quality a guy as you're going to come across. And Newcomb, like I say, I could tell just on the phone that he was excited and looking forward to it.

Q. You mentioned Ryu and Kershaw, how good they were just hitting their spots. You don't really get a break.
BRIAN SNITKER: No.

Q. Is there something you want to see more from your guys' AB's?
BRIAN SNITKER: No. I think Ryu had a little bit to do with -- you know, we are a very aggressive 0-0 team. And I think he had a lot to do with that, just how he was spotting it up and changing speeds and the variety. And then, you know, the game plan yesterday was just to kind of jump on Kershaw, because he was throwing a lot of first-pitch fast balls. And didn't happen. I mean, he was just making -- again, making pitches and spotting it up, just unbelievable also.

So I just think, you know what, I think in this situation, we gotta be aggressive. We gotta take the safety off and start firing is the best thing that we can do.

Q. The Dodgers struggled against lefties throughout the first four months and had just gotten Machado when Newcomb threw that gem there. Obviously once they got Turner back and some of the other guys they added, the numbers improved. What stands out, like when you look at why Newcomb is a good matchup? Is there anything other than just his matchups against them?
BRIAN SNITKER: I think just the matchups against them. Like you say, they got really better against lefties. I haven't looked. When they got Machado and then Turner comes back in the lineup. I think more so Newcomb's had some success against them. The start here obviously, the two innings in relief were really good, were strong. It's kind of like he's thrown better recently than he had all September. And I think that's the big factor is like he's -- the way he's throwing right now is kind of how we remembered in stretches all year. So I think that had a lot to do with it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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