NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 12, 2021

Freddie Freeman

Will Smith

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Braves - 5, Brewers - 4

Q. Walk me through that eighth. It's something that's never been done this year, a left-hander taking him deep?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: In those type of situations, like, against him, in my whole career, I just look location, cuz he throws all those heaters up. Was I looking for an 0-slider up? No. I was just kind of looking up. He threw three straight sliders to Dansby, so I kind of looked up and away in location, and he threw it there and I was able to get it.

Q. Were you even thinking about that homer in 2019 when you go up there?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: No.

Q. Do you build off of that in terms of --

FREDDIE FREEMAN: No, the at-bat I had against him in Milwaukee, I saw him pretty well. I mean I don't know if you can see Hader very well. But I was able to work a walk and work a full count and fouled off a heater 3-2.

I saw some pitches and felt comfortable enough to work a walk, but in that situation I'm just trying to get on base against him. If I had to work another walk I was going to try to do it.

But three straight sliders to Dansby and threw a couple to Eddie. I didn't know if he was going slider happy, but I just kind of looked up and away to keep me from swinging at the slider down and away and luckily he threw one up there.

Q. Can you just take us inside your mind as you're rounding the bases?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: There wasn't much going on. I was hoping I didn't fall over. I had a lot of cool moments in my career, but so far I think that's going to top them right there. But hopefully that's not the last cool one. I've got a couple more in these playoffs.

Q. What's it been like for you guys to be able to clinch the division at home and then clinch tonight and you hear the chants and all that?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: A lot better clinching to go to the NLCS in front of home fans instead of last year with no fans. This was well worth it. They came out and supported us at 1:00 on a Monday yesterday and they came out in full force tonight. Just unbelievable atmosphere.

They scored two runs. We came back with two. They scored another two. We came back. Kind of of a testament of our team the last three, four years. Just a pretty amazing ball game.

Losing Jorge a couple hours before first pitch, just kind of pile it on us this year but this team showed it resiliency and just came back and put up a great game.

Q. Will, how gratifying has it been for the bullpen to come through like you guys have -- I think the only two runs were off Ynoa, a starter who was making his first bullpen appearance?

WILL SMITH: We always say bend but don't break down there, and I thought we did a pretty good job working through traffic when we got guys on and never giving in and staying with Travy and the game plan and the guys behind us making plays.

Q. Freddie, you've had some big moments here over the last few years. What was it about that moment that stood out to you?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: We're going to the NLCS. That kind of stood out. This team was kind of down all year just trying to tread water, playing .500 baseball. Alex went out at the deadline and got us some guys. And it was a whole different team in the second half.

I think we played .600-plus winning percentage baseball in the second half. We've been feeling pretty good about ourselves. And they just fought back and fought back. And to get that home run in that moment, and Will coming in and shut it down, that's kind of of a top moment for me.

Q. Will, when you're in the bullpen there warming up, I don't know if you're throwing at that moment or whatever. But you see Freddie coming up, what were you were your thoughts?

WILL SMITH: I had that inning regardless, tied at home, I was going in. And you see Freddie clip one and you've really got a job. You lock it in and here we go. And follow Travy and the game plan.

Q. Will, what was it like in the bullpen having Charlie pitch on short rest? You know you guys will get leaned on. Was anything said down there, any extra like -- not that you were lacking adrenaline -- but just the feel of the bullpen knowing that you're maybe five or six guys would pitch today?

WILL SMITH: We kind of know that going into any game, whenever the starter comes out, that's our time to work. Whether we have a lead or don't have a lead, guys need to go out there and put up zeros. We try our hardest. It was a regular day down there. We were ready to work, just waiting for the phone to ring.

Q. What's it like coming in from the bullpen now with him hitting that home run and the music is going?

WILL SMITH: It's nice. One-run lead, let's do it.

Q. Freddie, can you give me a picture of what the celebration was like? And what did Snitker say to you in the clubhouse afterwards?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: To be honest, I have no idea what Brian said.

WILL SMITH: I don't think you can say it out loud. (Laughter).

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think he stopped himself because there was a swear word or two. But just the pure joy in that clubhouse. That's everything we've worked for since February to get to the playoffs and keep moving on and moving on.

I don't know if I could repeat, remember anything, because we were so happy in the locker room. And seeing Snit started off the little speech and we, and then champagne starts going everywhere. Eyes burning. It's a good feeling.

Q. Freddie, you told me in the regular season finale you took a second to enjoy the moment. You didn't have to do that tonight. How nice is it just to create that, another special moment?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: It's nice. These are the things that, when I'm done playing hopefully a long, long time from now, I'll be able to look back and kind of remember this moment.

And it's special. This is what you dream of when you're a kid. You really do, hitting a homer to clinch a playoff. And for it to happen, it's kind of amazing. It really is.

So kind of hard to put into words right now. It's still so fresh. But luckily we don't have to talk about that other part yet.

Q. Will, you're down 3-1 to Adames, and then you go to the fastballs. Talk about facing him that at-bat.

WILL SMITH: We obviously know what kind of hitter he is, the kind of damage he can do. So with a guy on first, you're kind of slowing the game down, making your pitches and trying your best to get him out.

Q. Why do you go to those fastballs? You had thrown nine breaking balls and then fastballs.

WILL SMITH: I think that's why we threw nine breaking balls; let's mix in a heater.

Q. Freddie, you've been in a lot of playoff series. How different was this one just from how hard runs were to come by?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: We faced three straight All-Stars in Burnes, Woodruff and Peralta. And we faced Lauer. He had a bounce-back year. He was great all year. So, runs were hard.

And then you've got Charlie Morton, probably the best big-time postseason pitcher in the game. And then Max Fried, who's done what he's done in the second half and all season. And Ian -- you knew runs were a premium.

Charlie gave us three-plus on three-days rest. It's pretty amazing what he did. And I think we had like eight or nine runs scored total in the whole series coming in today. I think we tied that in one game.

But runs were hard to come by, but when they were hard to come by we still pulled out two wins and we were able to do it today.

Q. Freddie, in San Diego when Eddie Rosario had that huge game, Soler said, in the American League, he had seen him have so many big hits. What have you thought about Eddie Rosario and his clutch performance?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Well, two years ago I think he hit 35, 36, 37 home runs. He's not far removed. And you can chalk up last year to kind of craziness and then a new team. I think he was with the Indians. So things just kind of crazy two years for him.

And what he did in that situation and pinch-hit and get us back in that ball game, two-run, that was huge. 98 up the middle. In that situation it's hard to slow your heartbeat down and he was able to do it and get us back in the game.

Q. Freddie, it's interesting, you said heartbeat. Ideally you want to make this a normal thing that type of at-bat. Is there a moment in your career where maybe that actually felt like what was happening, the heart rate, the pulse slows down and these at-bats become a little bit more normal?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, us being in the playoffs for four years in a row, you kind of get used to it. The crowd's going nuts. And it was a long game. So you just kind of get used to it. All the heart-rate stuff is usually before the games -- you're just antsy to get going.

Once the game starts it slows back down. Big situation. The crowd's going nuts. You can raise it a little bit.

So, luckily it was the first pitch and I didn't have to hear my name being chanted so much to make me do something. It's hard to bring your emotions down, but we were able to do it by a few guys today, especially him.

Q. As a reliever, last night, Joc said about the same thing Freddie did, of hitting; it's just another at-bat. When you come in do you feed off that or do you do what they do -- try to slow it down or let your emotions take over?

WILL SMITH: No, I'm definitely trying to do the same thing. I'm trying to slow it down, not treat it as a bullpen, but you still gotta have conviction behind every pitch you throw. The moment, as a pitcher, you try to do too much, that's when you get flattened out, your breaking balls aren't as sharp.

You try to take the extra two, three seconds in between pitches, slow it down. You know what kind of defense you have behind you, so let them put it in play and those guys usually go get it.

Q. Freddie do you have career long bragging rights with Dansby when it comes to sliding?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I saw his face go in the dirt. And he's got a huge lip and nose. He said luckily Mal likes me for me, not for my looks. Their whole dugout gave him a little -- let you know that you just face-planted. But he made it. That's all that matters.

Q. I think it was a couple hours before the game you found out about Soler. What was your immediate reaction? And also obviously since you bat behind him, how that might affect you at all?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: For a second, you're just, like, what else can happen to the Atlanta Braves this year. Seemed like everything that could go wrong had gone wrong but we kept coming back, coming back. And I think it was just so crazy and chaotic trying to figure out what was going on, him getting more tests done.

We kind of of found out that he had to get more tests around BP. When he came back in BP, then next thing you know he's gone. And ten days and stuff like that. And we're, like, who is coming.

You don't have time to dwell on you just lost your lead-off hitter two hours before the first pitch. Dansby came in, made us all calm down when he hit the lead-off double. It's tough. Jorge has been unbelievable for us in the last month or two. So it's going to be tough to carry it over.

But if we can keep going, hopefully he can get better and come back sooner rather than later.