NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 7, 2021

Freddie Freeman

American Family Field

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Obviously the numbers speak for themselves in terms of what the trade-move deadlines did for this team's fortunes. But even before they all got here, what energy boost did it give to you all when you heard they were making all these acquisitions when you were still below .500 at that point?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: It started with Joc, getting him. I think that was kind of a boost we needed. We were just treading water all year, kind of playing .500, couple games under .500 all year.

When Alex went out and got Joc, it brought a sense of energy that it just showed us that they still believed in us, to go add at the deadline.

And losing Ronald the day before, the All-Star break, and Ian pitched the last game of the -- and we knew he was going to get an MRI during the break. A lot of us were just, like, what's going to happen during the break.

It was almost perfect timing really to just kind of take a break, relax. We had just lost, in my opinion, the best player in the National League for the whole season. Losing one of our young studs, potentially. And everyone just go away. And that's kind of what happened.

And Alex went out and changed our whole outfield. Got Jorge, Eddie and Adam -- got a reliever in Richard. Just a huge boost of confidence. And guys started coming in, we started playing together. Couple lineup changes in the last couple of weeks, moving Jorge to leadoff.

We've been mixing and matching all year. It's been an absolute grind. I think that's what's so special about it this year is because I felt like we've been grinding all year, trying to figure it out.

We came out with 88 wins and the division title for the fourth straight year. Through all our ups and downs and losing the best player in the National League. Thought we would have Mike Soroka in April -- never happened. So many things that could have derailed a season. We didn't let it happen.

I think the deadline and Alex going and getting those pieces kind of just gave us that boost of energy to make it.

Q. This group has done this now in the postseason. There's a good group of you now for a couple years in a row. You talk about now the second half of the season, how you guys are feeling. What is different coming into this postseason for you guys?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think it's just we have the expectation to win now. 2018, I think we just surprised everyone. We were just happy to be there again after going through a rebuild. '19, you know, just didn't work out for us. '20, Ronald was a little banged up; Ozzie was a little banged up. But we still got one game from the World Series.

And this year, even though we lost Ronald in July, we played with the group we have for the last two months, it's been a whole different team. We've played .630, .640 winning percentage team. It's just a whole different outlook for us and how we go forward the way we finished.

I feel the last few years we clinched with a week to go and a couple days off here and there. This year, we had to go into the last week. And then we go and win the last series, even with a couple of us sitting the last couple of games.

We've got a really good group. And we've got a good feeling when you throw Charlie Morton, Max Friedy and Anderson, we feel like we're set up very nicely to go into this. And we expect to win.

Q. That's kind of what I was going to ask you about, the difference between last year when you go in with Max having pitched some in the postseason. But the other guys were all rookies, the other starters. Everyone was making their postseason start. What's the difference going in this year with Charlie Morton and Max Fried both having proven themselves?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Max, what he's done in the second half is not short of just incredible what he's done. When you put Charlie Morton as your Game 1, and you have Game 2 in Max Fried, you feel real comfortable and confident going into that series.

And you have Ian, who went out there and did it against the Dodgers, too. And we started A.J. Minter in the playoffs last year. We were just mixing and matching. Now you've got all these guys with experience and adding Charlie Morton to that mix.

We feel real good. We have the right guys to match up against their guys, because we're going against Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff and Freddy. I think the pitching staff, the starters, it's going to be a good match. But we feel pretty good about ourselves.

Q. You don't see these guys too often during the year. What's going to be the biggest challenge going against their pitching staff?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: You don't see them very often. We faced Brandon and Corbin in Atlanta. We didn't face them here. And we didn't face them in 2020. We haven't faced these guys, and I think it's either -- I think that's a plus sometimes where they haven't faced us either. We had some good success against them in Atlanta, against the first couple guys. We got some confidence that we know we can get them.

So I think we're set up very nicely. Both teams -- they lost Devin Williams, which was a huge factor. But they have Hader, who cover two innings. And they've Strickland and Boxberger, and we've got Max.

I think it's evenly -- it's an even series where it's not going to be high-scoring, I don't think. Corbin could potentially be the Cy Young. Brandon, who has been awesome the last few years -- fastball Freddy, but he's been throwing a slider more different look than what we faced them in Milwaukee in May.

They're not really -- they haven't really seen us and we haven't seen them. Something's got too give. And I think it's just going to be a good series, I really do.

Q. You've talked a lot about postseason experience. We've talked about it. As a player in that moment, can you kind of explain to us just how that does come in handy, when it comes in handy?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Especially on the road. It's going to be loud. Some of the guys didn't get to experience it last year. Texas, we only had like 10,000 people.

But a lot of these guys have played in Dodger Stadium during the playoffs. I don't think it gets much louder than that, 50 plus thousand. It can be deafening. When you get that experience, you can stay the same. You don't have to get all emotional. When you experience it once, it's only going to help you out going forward.

It's going to be loud tomorrow at the beginning of that game. If you can just -- I know how loud this is. We've already done that. You just stay the same. Don't let your emotions get out of whack and go. Because your emotions are going to be going all over the place.

It's the first one that can calm it down and get going. When you have Charlie Morton, whose emotions never go above a certain degree, I think it's good for us.

Q. Speaking of the guys you got at the deadline, Adam Duvall was part of this team postseason last year. But I just thought about it. The injury in Game 1 for him of the LCS. Do you think for him this means a lot to get to kind of do this again with you guys?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think so. I think we would have had 90-plus wins this year if we didn't have to face Adam Duvall with the Marlins. Great to have him back with us, great guy. Easy to root for. Losing him in the playoffs was huge for us, because then we threw Austin Riley out in left field. We were just trying to figure it out in the NLCS.

Having our group of guys healthy, going into the playoffs, it's only going to be better for us. And I think Adam wants to put on a little bit of show and hopefully he does it for us.

Q. Have you kept up with Jace Peterson, and what do you think about the year he's had?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Jace and I text here and there -- and Dansby and he talk a little more, with their fiancees and wives and all that. And Jace, we'll text every once in a while.

Q. What do you think about the season he's had here this season?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I thought he did great. He's been trying to find it for a couple of years, get that playing role. And he took it and ran with it this year. And we saw early on, Dansby and I talk a lot. Dansby will come up, say did you see how Jace did?

When they're your teammates and they move on, you always keep track. I always check the Angels and J-Up and all those guys. And Jace is one of the good ones. We keep up with him. Hopefully not this series.