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NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS VS BRAVES

October 2, 2019

Dallas Keuchel

Atlanta, Georgia - Workout Day

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Braves Game 1 starter, Dallas Keuchel.

Q. You've had Game 1 starts before. How does this compare in terms of excitement, anticipation?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: I think it's a new level of excitement and anticipation, just because all I had known was one team before. But with such a rich history and willingness to win for such a long time, puts it into a new perspective for me.

I'm sure I'll be a little bit more anxious tomorrow. Not so much nervous, but just because this will be the first time I'm going into the postseason with the Atlanta Braves.

Q. When you're at home, in April and May, could you envision starting Game 1 of a playoff series, or was that just not even something on your mind at all?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: Well, I always hoped to start a Game 1. I think any competitor would love that. But at that point in time, the Braves were still on my mind. There was some communication back and forth between my people and the Braves.

But at that point I was more focused on getting myself ready. Never been in that position before. But I was in Newport Beach so that helped out to get my mind off of some of the nonsense that was going on.

So I'm happy to be here, and this was a good match, I feel like, before it even happened. And just going to try to go out and have some fun tomorrow.

Q. Being a veteran on this staff, how do you embrace that role on such a young team, especially here in October?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: Well, the last few years, the starting staff age, I feel like has gotten dramatically lower and younger. So my veteran leadership of seven years now feels like 15 years. And especially with some of these guys with Soroka and Fried and even Touki and Folty. I was teammates with Folty in Houston. It just feels like those guys get younger and younger.

But those guys lean on me just as much as I lean on them. I don't know if there's a lot of leadership. I like to lead more by example more so than talking about it. If they ask me a question or two I'm always open arms to answer. But I like to lead by example. So I'm sure if they caught something or two it's from me on the field or doing something.

Q. You've obviously had, personally, postseason success before. Is that something that you have always craved? Is it something that always came naturally to you, because a lot of guys in that moment they think they want it and then they get out there and obviously something goes wrong?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: I don't really know what to say about postseason success or lack of success. I think it's just one or the other. And this is the real season. I mean, this is what you play for.

When I got my first taste in '15 of the playoffs, it was like getting that most favorite toy on Christmas, like your most favorite toy ever. And once you play in the postseason, you don't want to miss out on it anymore.

And I just take it like any other game, but at the same time you know how valuable it is. You know how much is riding on the games. But at the end of the day, I don't want to let my teammates down. And I don't want to let the fans, the organization, down. I know they put a lot on me to start games, to -- whatever it is, come in the middle of the game or finish a game, and that's just the way I look at it. I don't want to look over my right or left shoulder and see guys packing up.

The only time I want to pack up is after the World Series and we've won it.

Q. Always, traditionally, you were a sinker ball pitcher and last year obviously kind of got away from that. The last couple of months, started to use that pitch a lot more. What inspired you to go back to that?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: Well, the analytical data was saying that my four-seam played really well up in the zone. I believed it for a minute. But when you see opposite results, you don't really believe it anymore.

And that was a real big key for me. I mean, I think bits and pieces in that time, that I'm able to kind of use the top of the zone. But I've gotten more true two-seam action more that I'm accustomed and used to.

So that's kind of my bread-and-butter pitch. And everything really plays off that. But I started thinking about what was better for me in the long run was that analytical data that was saying this, but I was seeing something else, or something that I know has performed well on a five-day basis. And just went back to it and it's gotten me pretty good success.

Q. Is it tough to kind of stand your ground in that sense when you know the trends are opposite?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: I'm no stranger to standing my ground, obviously -- I didn't sign until June. But it's one of those things where I've played the game for seven years. I think -- and I'm not taking anything away from analytical data or front offices that have never played baseball, but there comes a point in time where you know what works for you, no matter what the lineup or who's at the plate.

And I'll always keep in mind some of the percentages that the data has given me, but I'm always going to go with what I know. And I'd rather get beat with my three best pitches than my two worst pitches, at the end of the day.

Q. Along those lines, seemed like in the second half you had a great partnership with Tyler Flowers behind the plate. I know there's a lot of different factors that goes into how you game plan each and every day. But what role did he play in your final eight or 10 starts of the year?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: A very special one. He got me to start throwing lefty-lefty changeup and my slider more. And then it was something that I wasn't really doing to start this year off. I felt so good with my two-seam and cutter that it was just -- the changeup and slider were really nonexistent.

When we got together and we started kind of going over the plans of attack and in the game, it really opened my mind to, hey, four pitches at any time is better than 75, 80 percent two-pitch mix. So, ultimately that just opens up a lot more avenues for the hitter. He can't really sit on a pitch or two, can't really sit on anything. He has to think about four or five different pitches coming from different sides of the plate.

And when you break it down, that seems a lot better than throwing two pitches 80 percent of the time.

But he's wonderful. We've got two wonderful catchers. I for sure wouldn't be the same pitcher right now without Flow.

Q. You often kind of allude to what you went through last offseason and what's wrong with the economic systems in baseball, which I think most people agree there's some problems. How much of what happened then still drives you? I know obviously the motivation is your team and winning for the team, but how much of that is still in the back of your mind? And do you still want to prove to people that, hey, you messed up not signing me; here I am now?
DALLAS KEUCHEL: Well, I think there's pros and cons to everything. For sure a lot of it still drives me, and I'm not one to come out and just be flamboyant about the whole situation.

I mean, when the time comes, I think a lot of us should be as players. But one of the pros about it is that I think if this offseason played out a different way, and I were to accept a four- or five-year deal I wouldn't be right here.

And I'm a religious guy. I believe in God, and I think that at this point in time there was something that told me I need to sit this out. One of it was because I didn't want to miss the playoffs for a year or two.

I had a couple of offers from teams that probably weren't going to make the playoffs, and they didn't. And I had my eye on this team.

For whatever reason, I feel like I'm in the best possible scenario for myself. But at the same time in the back of my tiny little head I'm sure there's a lot of factors that still drive me, and the offseason is definitely up in the forefront.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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