NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 9, 2021

Avisaíl García

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. How do you hit a Max Fried curveball?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: The pitcher today? I never face him before. This is the first time. So, you know, just gotta swing strikes and try to do my best to get on base for my teammates.

Q. If I could follow up, will you try purposely to see as many pitches as you can early in the game to measure up the break on his curve?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Yes. That's important, first at-bats. See a lot of pitches. I gotta see how the breaking balls come and the fastball.

So for the late at-bats feel comfortable. That's what I've got to do, see a lot of pitches, feel comfortable and get ready for the next at-bat.

Q. You guys talk about run prevention all the time. How about that run-prevention game that Omar had last night, the tag at the plate, blocking a possible wild pitch in the ninth inning, the play you got that guy at second base in the ninth? Talk about his run prevention.

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: It was big for us. I think he made a great job for us last night. I think he saved the game right there. So it was good for us. And then we got the game. So that's the most important.

Q. He hit so well for you, Omar hit so well for you in the first half. And it was harder in the second half for him. What did you think about the way he kept the defense separated from what was happening offensively? How hard is that?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: I mean, it's hard. This game's hard. So I think he's a great player. He knows what to do in those situations. And that's the kind of thing that you learn in this game. You've got to separate. You've got to separate. When you're not hitting you've got to play good defense.

When you have a tough defensive night, it's everything -- you've got to put everything together. But it's hard, but the good play is -- that's what he has been doing the whole year.

Q. You talked before the season about your weight loss, how you thought it would help you. Looking back at your regular season now, what difference did that make, do you think?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: I mean, I feel more energy. I feel better in the game. I don't feel a lot of tired. I feel I can run better, I can move better. So I think it makes a great difference for me. I mean, you guys can see it.

Q. Down the stretch, when you were having sometimes a little sore back, Craig was giving you a day off, really making sure you had rest. How much did that help you get ready for the postseason?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Big. Big. I think, you know -- I think everybody gets a little sore during the season. It's normal, because we play this game every day. And it's huge, because you want to play these games. You want to play these games. You want to feel healthy. You want to be strong for this game, because I think this game really matters, I think, for us, for everybody, and that's what we do. I think he did a great job with me, and I appreciate that.

Q. Does it feel any different today just coming in for Game 2, and how the game went yesterday, just getting at-bats, getting that postseason environment, obviously coming away with a win? Does it feel different today from maybe what you felt yesterday?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Well, the mentality, no, but your body and everything, yes, because we haven't played for like five days, I think. So it feels better for your body.

And the mentality never changes. You want to win every single game. We are not wanting to stop. And we gotta continue to play good baseball that we played yesterday.

Q. You played some playoff games with other franchises. Just in your first experience yesterday, what was it like playing in front of these fans?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Man, it was great. I mean, the support the fans gave us, you know, I think it was great.

That was one of my dreams when I signed here, to play here, because I got a couple of friends who tell me like playoff games, the work is different. So I saw that yesterday. It was pretty special.

Q. You have some decisions to make in the offseason as far as your contract and everything. What's going to go into that decision for you? How close are you with the guys? How much would you like to come back, all things considered?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: I feel good here. I feel good. I think we have a special group here. I'd like to come back here. It's pretty soon to make a decision, but let's see what happens after we win the World Series.

Q. You talked about some guys told you what playoff baseball in Milwaukee was like. Who brought that up to you?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Well Hernán, he played here for a long time, and Aguilar. They told me about the games here, about the playoffs. And they said it was pretty loud. I can see that yesterday. It was amazing.

Q. We learned you have lots of friends all over the game. Is there anybody on the Braves that you're very close with?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Well, Arcia, we played here last year and this year for a little bit. And when they traded him, it was hard for me because we were pretty close. But it's part of the business.

Q. What did you think when he gets a chance in the ninth inning last night?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Man, it was special, I think, because he was here. And then facing Hader and that at-bat in a game, I think it was pretty good.

Q. What's the confidence level with Woodruff on the mound today?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: It's like the whole year, 100 percent.

Q. Just a hundred?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Well, yeah, well, maybe I can say 1,000 percent. (Laughter).

Q. (Indiscernible) behind Brandon, you've been on some teams with a good bullpen, some good pitching staffs, what do you make of the confidence? And when you're in the outfield, the guy comes on, Adrian last night, what do you make of the comfort level playing defense behind someone like that?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: It makes the job easy for us. We don't have to move a lot. I think with those guys pitching, you feel comfortable. You feel, like, confident because their guy is nasty, man. And just focusing, play good defense for them, when they hit the ball, and try to do my best.

Q. You never know when guys come in during this season, what their impact is going to be. But when you look at what Willy has done and what Escobar and then Rowdy, he's hit some huge home runs through the year.

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Yeah, I think everybody on this team matters. I think the guys who come from Triple-A, the new guys, they're a big part of what happened with this team. Like I said, we had a special group. We had a special group, special guys here. Everybody is together. I think that's important for a team, have a good clubhouse, good teammates. And that's what it's all about.

Q. Is this as good a clubhouse you've ever been in?

AVISAÍL GARCÍA: Yeah. In Tampa, it was good. But not like here, because here we feel, like, closer.