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NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS VS BRAVES

October 2, 2019

Brian Snitker

Atlanta, Georgia - Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with Braves manager Brian Snitker.

Q. Can you update us on Ronald Acuña Jr.'s health heading into the series?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, we had a full workout yesterday. He ran the bases. We took batting practice, played an extended sim game actually, and there was no ill effects at all with his hip. He did all the running and more. And I think once tomorrow gets here he's going to be 100 percent.

Q. Do you have a rotation order yet?
BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, right now we're going to do Keuchel, Folty -- Foltynewicz -- and Soroka, first three.

Q. What was your reason to go with Keuchel and this order with these other two guys?
BRIAN SNITKER: I think Keuchel is -- that's why we got this guy. We went out and signed him because he brought instant credibility. He's been through this war. He's a World Series champion.

And I think when we signed him, we envisioned him making this opening start.

Folty has been hot -- hot hand right there.

And Soroka, quite honestly, as we went over this as a staff, an organization, we felt we could go any one of a few different ways and be okay. You look at Soroka home and the road splits and it hits you right between the eyes.

So, like I say, I think we could have went any one of a few different directions in putting this rotation together. And I think everybody would have felt really good about however we went.

Q. Did Freddie participate yesterday in the activities?
BRIAN SNITKER: He did. He did everything. He hit the regular batting practice. He did the live BPs. And it was really encouraging there, too, because I know in talking to him he had a really good day. Felt great.

Q. You guys have been here before. You were in the playoffs last year. How much of that experience are you able to build off this year?
BRIAN SNITKER: I think the whole year, coming from the start to the finish, going down the stretch, working really hard to clinch the division, I think everything we went through last year it definitely benefited these guys.

They're a year older. They're more experienced. I think they're more confident as a team, as individuals. And I think anytime you go through those scenarios I think it's going to serve you better in the future at what you experienced. And I saw the same emotion, enthusiasm, energy out of these guys as I did -- this year as I did last year with a little more confidence.

And I think, too, to a man they're all better players. They're a year more into this, and they'll continue to get better.

Q. Do you have a game plan for your starting pitcher in Game 4?
BRIAN SNITKER: Game 4, right now Max is available, depending on how we get there. If we have to use Max the first two games, I think we can still probably do that. But right now Max Fried will be our Game 4 starter. I say that, but getting there it could change.

I know last year we had a Game 4 starter and we brought Folty back on early rest. I guess that's also a possibility.

Q. Can you tell me when you signed Donaldson, did you figure he'd be able to play this many games after having his injury issue last year?
BRIAN SNITKER: I didn't have any perceived ideas about really anything with Josh. I know he finished the year strong. I watched some games with him with the Indians.

We went into spring training kind of guarding him a little bit. It was structured and planned. He didn't have an extensive spring training, and we started out the year giving him scheduled off days.

And I think, actually, we were in St. Louis, and it was just kind of like, you know what, we're just going to run with this. He was healthy. He was playing. He felt good. We were we're going to take off the shackles and turn this guy loose, and I'm glad we did.

Q. Third base has been kind of a revolving door the past couple of years. A lot of guys play over there. What has Josh meant to this club to have some consistency at that spot?
BRIAN SNITKER: He's meant the world to this club. I mean, he solidified our team. He lengthened our lineup. He strengthened our club. And quite frankly, he's one of the best third basemen I've ever been around.

I had no idea what this guy was capable because I just seen him in limited action over the course of some interleague games the last few years, and I had no idea that the defensive player was as good as it is.

Q. You've had a couple injuries to your bench with Camargo and Culberson; how difficult is it to recycle that?
BRIAN SNITKER: You could add Ender Inciarte to that equation, too. It's tough. It's hard to replace those guys. I think Alex did a really good job bringing in a Danny Echeverría. He's provided some spark.

When you look at, six weeks ago, and we looked at the potential of Ender and Acuña playing right field and Joyce on the bench with Charlie and Camargo, the way he came back, and it put a pretty big hit in our bench.

We think we've put together a very good bench, but I'd be lying if I said that the loss of those guys didn't impact our club.

Q. Josh has a lot of playoff experience. Wonder how much value you see in that, and have you seen anything in him over the last couple of weeks that he's anticipating having a big impact in the postseason?
BRIAN SNITKER: There's no doubt in my mind that he's not anticipating having a big postseason. I think everything he brings, the stability he brings, the confidence, the energy.

I mean, the guys feed off of him. As soon as he gets in that dugout before every game it's like an explosion when he comes up the tunnel, and how he plays.

But like I say, the energy, the passion. He expects to do good. He expects us to win, and I think guys feed off of that.

Q. Will you announce the roster today or wait until tomorrow?
BRIAN SNITKER: We don't have to announce it until tomorrow. I think it's going to be pretty evident what the roster is when we get out there and work out.

Q. Is Teherán going to be in the bullpen at all or will he be --
BRIAN SNITKER: No, he won't. Actually that was probably the toughest decision we had in putting this roster together is because we feel like with the injuries to our position players, we're going to go with a six-man bench and 11-man pitching staff.

And there was a lot of tough discussion the last two days and with the guys that were going to start, how the bullpen is configured that we left Julio off -- not to say that if we happened to advance to the next round that that could all change.

But right now for this series, we're just going to go with one potential long man, which would be Josh Tomlin. And like I say, that was a tough a decision as I've ever been a part of in my baseball career.

Q. Last time these two teams met in the postseason nobody had a better view than you did of that infield fly rule play and how crazy that night got. What do you remember about that night?
BRIAN SNITKER: I've obviously seen it a couple more times in the last few days and how scary it was being out there and everything that went on.

I remember telling Dan Uggla, because I don't think coaches were wearing helmets at that time. And I remember he had a batting helmet on and those water bottles and beer cans and everything coming, it was scary. I remember telling him I'm getting the heck out of here.

I've seen it a couple times the last few days and forgot how crazy it was.

Q. It's been a while since you guys have won a series. I think it's been since 2001. Do you guys use that as motivation? I know it's different teams, different rosters but going in?
BRIAN SNITKER: Not really. Because like I say, I don't think these guys feel that because they weren't around then. We feel like we went one year without winning a postseason series, quite honestly, in our clubhouse right now.

I know everybody, they make a deal about it. You hear about it. But I don't think the guys in our clubhouse, it affects them one bit. They want to go out and win the series, they want to win tomorrow, more importantly. But I don't think it's anything that those guys dwell on.

Q. Going back to that play, do you think that would have been called the same if you only had four umpires, because the left field umpire actually called that play first?
BRIAN SNITKER: You know what, I've never even thought about it. When you look back on it and how deep it was in the outfield, and I'm just thinking right there, we've got the bases loaded and pretty good chance right now. So I really haven't dwelled on it at all.

Q. 16 years ago you managed a kid in Greenville who you're going to be seeing in St. Louis pitching either Game 3 or 4. What did you think of him then and what do you think of him now?
BRIAN SNITKER: I loved him then and I probably love and respect him more now. He's one of my favorite guys that I've ever been a part of in baseball. Obviously in one of the -- my favorites, seeing him at a young age like that, and I just have nothing but the utmost respect for who that man has become, what he does for so many people and his legacy that he's going to leave on the baseball field.

Q. You've watched a lot of these guys grow up through the minor league system in your time being a skipper there and of course it's still a young club at its core right now. How much does last October's experience benefit some of these guys being that now they get to come in and kind of build on that because they're here again?
BRIAN SNITKER: No, you can't script it. You have to experience it. People can talk to them about going through a September pennant race and getting in the playoffs and playing in those games. Until you experience it, I don't think you can do it justice. I think experience in that last year is going to benefit these guys immensely as they look forward to what we're about ready to encounter.

Q. Follow-up to the infield fly thing, did you have any concerns when you heard Sam Holbrook was the crew chief?
BRIAN SNITKER: Not at all. That was a long time ago. That will be fine.

Q. Are you ready to say whether that extra position player is Riley or Ortega, and what's the decision because the argument is --
BRIAN SNITKER: I'll tell you, it's Ortega, mainly because we're just lacking a left-handed bat on the bench. He's done a really good job for us and maybe it was just more of that. Just having a left-hander on the bench.

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