NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 12, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Braves - 5, Brewers - 4

Q. Doesn't get old, the celebration and your view of Freddie, big deep sigh there, Freddie in the eighth, just great on great?

BRIAN SNITKER: You can't make that up. Somebody asked me if I was thinking that. I had so many things going on in my mind when that happened, when he hit that ball.

It was like the perfect ending. Unbelievable. And God, I don't know if I've ever been involved in a game like that, just the intensity and everything that went on, and back and forth. My God. It was something else.

Q. What was it like to do this in front of a home crowd?

BRIAN SNITKER: I was sitting in the ninth inning trying to think if I remembered what it was like last year in Houston. I couldn't remember it. I'll never forget this. This has been unbelievable. The fans were amazing today.

I always praise them, but Braves Country came out strong, that's for sure. Those guys appreciate it. They feed on it. I think that was huge. A big part of the thing that kept them going in this game.

And like I say, we really appreciate the support. It was loud. And it was really cool. A couple times I did sit back and take it in.

Q. Craig talked about how he brought in Hader in the eighth because he wanted to be best on best, basically. So you're sitting there, two outs. What are you thinking now and Freddie, your best, is basically walking up to the plate?

BRIAN SNITKER: I figured they were going through the meat of our lineup. It was a good move. I would have done the same thing.

Honestly, I had so many things going through my mind. We just kind of had blown up the bench. And like I say, I was looking, and he hit it and I watched the ball. It was like my God, he got it. I was distracted, almost, just thinking about other things.

And I find myself, when I sit there and I focus on that. Boy, it would be nice if he hits one, it never happens. I try never to even go there.

And I wasn't. I wasn't. I was sitting there and he hit it.

Q. Did it take a while before you realized you had the lead?

BRIAN SNITKER: Right? No, I knew I had the lead. I just figured -- like I say, sitting there thinking, God, you couldn't script this any better. Have Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead homer off probably the best closer in the game, if you want to get right down to it. And that's Freddie. It was great.

Q. Travis mentioned that even though he knew that play -- he understood the play wasn't reviewable. He thought the crowd got so loud at that time and the team really got into it in that inning.

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, and that's something I'll have to look at. I get what they were saying, but because it was a foul ball, there's no runner-type placement, I don't know that -- it might not have happened before. But when it was explained to me, it was kind of like the thing the other day, in the Red Sox game. I get the rule, but I wonder -- it would be one of those things that maybe you look at down the road. If it's a foul ball, there's no runner placement, maybe you can review it.

Q. Did you get a sense like he did of the crowd?

BRIAN SNITKER: You could tell, every person there was into it. And so I mean -- there was a lot of different, I think, times in that game where guys probably felt that because the fans were so into it.

Q. Can you walk me through Jorge's situation, when you found out, what's the earliest he can return, just before the game?

BRIAN SNITKER: I'm sitting in my office. And the medical staff came in couple hours before the game. And they said he tested positive. I was like oh, my God.

So it's like we need a new lineup. You kind of just keep going. I mean, I told Alex, I was like these guys it ain't going to affect them I'm going to tell you that. Once the game starts they'll be on point and out there to win the game.

After the fact, I hate that he wasn't in there to celebrate with us because he's been such a big part of this. I hated it for him.

Because we've been kind of free all year. We haven't had anything. And then all of a sudden right then, I'm thinking oh, my God. So we just kind of did what we had to do to clear everything, get Pache up here. Things were spinning pretty fast at the time.

Q. Is he out a minimum ten days?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know all that. I never really got a feel how much he's tested, if there's -- I don't know all that.

Q. After so many seasons and so many different rosters and clubhouses is one of the greatest compliments a management can pay is it's their room and I don't have to be in there; is that sort of what gets you through a season like this when the ups and downs happen?

BRIAN SNITKER: It is. They designed this thing really good here, too, because there's doors on it. There's times, when they have the music on, I go shut them, when I'm in my office. I feel it's their room.

I go in there briefly, if I'm looking for a guy or if we're going to have any kind of a meeting. But that to me that's their domain. And I love the way it's structured here.

At Turner Field, it was everybody -- it was open with coaches the whole thing. I love how this is -- and it is, whatever they're doing; it's their area.

Q. How far were you willing to push Charlie today? Was he getting near the end anyway?

BRIAN SNITKER: Narvaez was his last hitter. You could see it. When he went out for that inning I told Kranny, it was uh-ho. He was throwing the ball so well. I told him I'm not putting any expectations on you. We'll go inning to inning. And after the third inning we talked to him. He's, like, I'm good.

He went out and it was like all of a sudden, I think he had maxed out. And that was his last hitter regardless. If he struck him out, Jesse was coming in to face Cain.

Q. Do you verbally communicate to the relievers we're going to try to push them forward today?

BRIAN SNITKER: We have meetings before the game. With Drew, when he's down there, because this time of year we've used them in different pods or whatever. It's like, tell so and so to be ready earlier. And things like give them a heads up. Kranny, we'll call him down there and tell them what's going on.

Q. In that sense, what do you think of the job, what do you feel --

BRIAN SNITKER: They did an unbelievable job, as they have been. And again, it's like I told Luke and Matzek, you get, like, four days off and I'm going to do it again to you. So those guys were unbelievable how they take the ball and want the ball. And Luke wanted to go back out if we didn't get down there and hit for him in the seventh. He wanted the ball in the eighth. He said I'm great. I'm good.

These guys, they're phenomenal. They all stick their head in the door: I'm good to go. They don't want to be down. They like throwing. And they love competing. It's a great group. Like I said, I've ridden them pretty hard, too.

Q. Going back to that Duvall popout and the freak play by Narvaez and Urias, what did the umpire tell you?

BRIAN SNITKER: All they said was it wasn't a reviewable play. He didn't get specific with me. I found out later because it's a ball in front of the infielders, and the infield, it's not reviewable. I was kind of -- I'd like to know more about it if in fair territory because I know it can be a slippery slope if you're having -- that ball's trapped or whatever and where can runners go. That's almost impossible; I understand that rule.

But seemed like in foul territory you're not worried about placing runners. So that's just something that I probably want more clarification of. And if it's a rule, it's a rule.

It's like I talked to Alfonso, it's the way it is. We're not going to change it right now.

Q. What was your current stance on the whole replay process? Seems like we have a lot of plays going against us going to the infield slide?

BRIAN SNITKER: We have. It's part of the game. You have to live with it. And they do the best they can. And it's tough.

There's nothing in this game that's perfect, no matter what we do. Any rule, anything that we do in this game, it's not a perfect game. That's the beauty of it.

And you can try. I don't know that there's any set of rules, any set of things that we do that there's going to be some exceptions to those rules. It's just the game we play. That's why we love it and keep coming back.

Q. You talked about the job that the relievers did today, but to hold them to six runs over the four games, what about just the job they did every day?

BRIAN SNITKER: Phenomenal. Our pitching, the whole series, you're right. We knew runs were going to be at a premium. Like I said in the first game of the series, looking at their starting staff, their bullpen, our guys, I mean it was a well-pitched series. And like I say, runs were hard to come by. And our guys just kept taking the ball.

And some of these guys were four out of five days pitching, but none of them did not want the ball today. They all wanted the ball today because they knew how big this game was.

They have an off day tomorrow. We'll be off tomorrow and do it again the next day. But it's been an unbelievable group. The whole group, how the starters, Charlie wanting the ball today to start the game, get it off the ground.

And shoot, he threw great, too. My God.

Q. You touched on it yesterday about how no matter highs or lows, you always stay positive; hey, when we're in the lows, it's going to get done. Is this kind of just the culmination of that's why I've done it and this is why I handled the guys this way?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, no matter how bad, there's things in this game you go through runs, and it's not good and you can't do anything, you've got to wear it and you have to take accountability. Because if you handle it and you don't start pointing fingers and you just handle it and come to the ballpark to play every day like these guys do, if you do that there's always good on the back end of that, always, but you have to handle it. And it's just because it's a long season.

There's a lot of adversity. I don't care how good a year you have, it's not easy to get to the end. And these guys do a great job of turning the page and staying in the moment, because I tell them all the time, the most important game you're going to play is the one today. This is the only one you can control.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is so far away. The only thing you can control is today. Like it, wake up. I don't care how bad you're going -- I feel like today we're going to start an eight-game winning streak.

Q. You got to Game 7 of the NLCS with a very inexperienced rotation last year. Does the experience you have this year maybe put you in a better spot?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think so. I think we're in a better position this year. We were kind of piecing that starting thing together all last year. And now we've got three guys that are pretty good and are battle tested and have been through the wars.

And I'm sure we're going to have to add another one or maybe do kind of what we did today type thing. But we'll see when we get there.

I think we're in a lot better position now than we were a year ago. And we were a game away from getting to where we wanted to go last year. I like our chances.

Q. I know you had a lot going on today, but how special is it on the same night you clinched and your son clinched with the Astros; you both have CSes. What does that mean?

BRIAN SNITKER: I Facetimed him on the field a little bit ago. I was watching their game. It's very special. Very proud of him and the job he's done.

I'm excited for him. So we may be the only duo like that in the game. Probably are, yes. I'm happy for him and proud of him. And that was really special to be able to do that.

Q. What about Eddie Rosario? He had that huge game in San Diego with the big hits and then tonight he comes through.

BRIAN SNITKER: I told Eddie, told him at the beginning of the day, Eddie, you're going to get in this game. You're not starting it, but you're going to play in this game, so be ready.

And really that kind of just happened when I pulled Arcia, and I'm thinking we might not load the bases again. But I just wanted Eddie to be on point and not go brain dead or anything, kind of lounging around, you're going to get in this game at some point in time.

So that was a huge at-bat. A tough at-bat. Fought off some tough pitches, and it worked out.

Q. Circle back to Freddie one last time here. Could you talk about what he's meant to you personally as a manager?

BRIAN SNITKER: He's been unbelievable to me. You have no idea what he's meant to me in my time here, kind of the go-to guy, somebody I can call. I talk to a lot. Run things by him. Trust his opinion. The maturity. Just who he is. How he goes about it. He's been huge for me in my six years here, huge.