NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS VS DODGERS

October 12, 2021

Blake Treinen

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. Just last night what was working so well for you and what allowed you to be so effective?

BLAKE TREINEN: Oh, man, to be honest, it was actually a lot tougher than maybe it appeared. You saw, I threw a lot more four-seamers than sinkers, especially to Solano. It was just really hard to get the ball to do what you typically can expect it to do. The wind played such a huge factor.

So just, honestly, kind of rolled with the punches and just started throwing more four-seamers, and every slider I threw I tried to bounce, and thankfully the one was foul and the other one I got the check swing on.

But, I mean, for me it was more of a mental grind because going out there being able to challenge guys with my bread and butter, which is my sinker, wasn't really going to be the factor. So the early outs on early contact to the two lefties was huge and then it allowed me to kind of be more margin of error, I guess, against Solano.

But pretty good stretch of hitters, I thought overall our team pitched extremely well and it was just a crummy way to end the night.

Q. As you guys look ahead to tonight just with Max -- or with Walker Buehler playing on short rest, what is the mindset of a pitcher in a situation in which you guys could be facing elimination as you head into tonight?

BLAKE TREINEN: We have been here before. I think it was something like three straight games last year. And this team's battle-tested. I think we all know the task that's ahead of us, but the most important thing is focus on today and win each at-bat, win each, I guess from a pitching standpoint, win every pitch and at the end of the day if you go out and leave it on the line and trust that you've given it everything you had and all the preparation and the homework, execution, I mean, you take with the result is, whether good or bad.

But I will count on our team any time, any place. So this is what makes playoff baseball fun. It's never supposed to be easy. Very few teams have just waltzed through the playoffs. And this is only, this has pretty much been the battle it's been all year for us. The Giants have been a great team. We've been a great team. I mean, I don't know the last time two teams have had 108 wins facing each other, or more, in the Divisional Series. So, if ever. I don't know if that's a thing. But it's now, so...

Q. You tossed great scoreless outings. How better this bullpen got towards the end of the season?

BLAKE TREINEN: Our bullpen as a group? Yeah, I think we had a lot of trials and adversity forced on some young guys early. Corey went down with an injury bug that kind of cost him half the season, but he's had some opportunities and he's right back to where he, we all expected him to be, and he's throwing the ball hard. It's got life, he's executing his breaking balls. So he's Corey that the baseball world knows.

You get guys like Vesia and Graterol starting to come into their own again. That was huge. I know Vesia was certainly thrown into some tough spots in extra innings early on and he started to trust his stuff a lot more and you're starting to see the results with him. He's an elite arm. And everybody else there, with Joe being healthy, I mean, this is probably one of the better stretches of his career and he's had a really good career.

So I think just the experience, having to be battle-tested with our backs against the wall a little bit early in the year, and then trying to run down the Giants. I mean, we had a great year, but they had a better regular season. So we, as a collective group, have been forced into some situations and I think it pays. I think it bodes well for today.

Q. How would you describe the conditions last night, both on the mound and then even in the bullpen, and have you experienced anything like that anywhere? Minor Leagues?

BLAKE TREINEN: The only time I've ever experienced something like that was in college when I was at South Dakota State, and those kinds of winds if we're pulling the tarp, are throwing us over the wall.

So in Los Angeles I was not expecting that at all especially as nice as it was in BP. Yeah, that was something else. So, never seen it in the big leagues.

Q. I know you're more focused on the Giants' hitters but you have seen their bullpen all year too with the exception really of Castro and Doval. What have you as a guy who has closed a lot, thought of Doval, from what you've seen?

BLAKE TREINEN: I mean, he's got raw ability and I think success breeds confidence and you're seeing that out of him. He's letting the ball fly and he's done a great job for them.

So I think all of us who have played for awhile know the struggles that can be ahead of you, even if have you early success, and it will be interesting to see because he's got the stuff to be really, really good. I mean it's obvious. You watch him throw. He's throwing 100, 101 and he's got a sharp slider.

So a guy starts to command the ball on a regular basis, which I think he has as of late and that's why he's in the role he's in, he'll be really good.

Q. As Walker's teammate obviously facing elimination and on short rest, what makes him the right ball to get the ball in this situation?

BLAKE TREINEN: We've got a lot of options, but Walker's one of the best playoff pitchers I've ever seen and he loves big games. He loves the moment. And this is a team that's made for him and he's, like this is his, the moment to shine. He did it last year for us. With the back against the wall, he was our stopper. And we have many so many capable arms but it's, it says a lot about him being able to take the ball in a situation like this.

Q. Along those same lines, with Walker on short rest, in the event that he only goes four or five, maybe, is the bullpen, are you guys ready to take on multiple innings across the board?

BLAKE TREINEN: I mean, I would assume so. Max went seven innings. I think Julio went six-plus, something like that, maybe. And so we've had a day in between. I mean, our arms are fairly fresh. We haven't had to use too many bullpen arms.

So, I mean, whatever it is, it don't matter at this point. You got to win today and then figure it out for the next game. And, yeah, I think whatever Walker can give us, we'll take and move on from there.

Q. You say Walker's one of the best playoff pitchers you've ever seen. Obviously the numbers speak for themselves. We all see it. But from your advantage point what makes him sort of step up in these moments and a lot of, to shine in these moments?

BLAKE TREINEN: Well, it's, there's a lot of reasons. He was forced into a young age throwing Game 163 and shut out a team that had Daniel Murphy and Desmond Blackmon, Arenado, Story. That team was phenomenal offensively.

And then you look at what he did last year against the Padres, against the Braves. His stuff is elite. And he along with a handful of other starters I've played with, and a lot of them on this team, he's just fearless. There ain't no situation that he's willing to walk away from. In fact, I think he almost challenges himself to be in those situations so that he can prove to himself what he's able to do and prove to the organization and baseball world that he is made for these moments. He's a big-game pitcher.