NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 8, 2021

Joc Pederson

Charlie Morton

American Family Field

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Brewers - 2, Braves - 1

Q. Charlie, when you go back to evaluate this one, do you think this is one of those where it's just really one pitch you'd like to have back?

CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, both those seventh-inning pitches, those were two-strike pitches. I had Avi with the heater. (Indiscernible) didn't go away there. I just yanked that four-seamer to Rowdy. I felt like I threw the ball well.

I worked into the seventh inning, felt like we were in a really good spot. And then I hit Avi in a two-strike count and I grooved one to Rowdy with a two-strike count.

Q. You talked about what a visceral experience. You lost the game 2-1, did you feel like you pitched a good game, though?

CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, I worked in the seventh inning, I gave up a couple of hits, didn't give up any runs. I worked in the seventh inning. Even in those at-bats, like I got them where I wanted to be, I just didn't finish them off. I hit Avi, and then I grooved one to Rowdy.

Q. Charlie, you were off (indiscernible) with Burnes there, looked like he was in big trouble in the first, then he gets out of it. You see that a lot, don't you, in baseball? I know as a pitcher, sometimes when a guy gets in a jam, a really good pitcher, he settles in, and that's sort of what happens, wasn't it?

CHARLIE MORTON: Yeah, that's what happened.

There's plenty of baseball left. I think, though, that he did a heck of a job. His stuff is great. He was making pitches. And after those first couple of batters, he just really settled in.

Q. Max is pitching tomorrow. You're down one. Snit said he likes your chances because he has Max Fried, seeing how he pitched in the second half. Can you speak to your confidence level, comfort level, knowing that you have him pitching tomorrow in a big game?

JOC PEDERSON: Yeah, he's a really good pitcher. And we felt confident with Chuck tonight. He threw the ball really well. We expect Max to do the same thing. They have some good pitchers on their side, too. And I think you saw tonight, definitely could have went either way. It was a pitcher's duel. Part of baseball. I think we're in a great spot.

Q. They haven't faced him in like two years. As a hitter does that make it for a more uncomfortable at-bat if you haven't faced a guy of that quality for a couple of years, or does that not matter?

JOC PEDERSON: Sure. I think that these types of games that it isn't going to play as big of a role. They're pretty intense. But if it does help, then hopefully it does because he's on our side. So it's use that.

Q. Joc, you have seen a lot of good postseason pitching performances. What Charlie did tonight, not just tonight, but describe -- how would you describe what he did tonight?

JOC PEDERSON: Dominant. What, the six or seventh inning with 70 pitches, and it just was easy to play defense behind him. Like he said, he executed his pitches. He made two tough ones when, with two strikes on hitters. And we weren't able to capitalize the first inning and we weren't able to get him any run support. So he was grinding.

But he threw the ball great. And we'll come back tomorrow, ready to win a ball game.

Q. Obviously two really good pitching staffs. Did you perceive the whole series sort of playing out like this in terms of runs, speed and play?

JOC PEDERSON: I think in playoffs, runs are pretty hard to come by. There's a lot of good pitchers. So, yeah, I think as a team we need to do better and take advantage of every opportunity we can, because the pitchers are good. So I think we'll be in a great spot tomorrow to put up some runs.