NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 15, 2021

Max Fried

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. When you were growing up I figure every big game you were acting like you were playing and you were a Dodger. What's it like playing all these postseason series against the Dodgers?

MAX FRIED: It's definitely kind of nostalgic of just being able to look back, and it's obviously a team I was rooting for growing up.

But at this point in my career I'm pretty settled in with the Braves. It's the team I've been with the longest in my professional career, and definitely being able to make my debut here and kind of just experience everything that I have, my connection to the Braves right now is just as strong.

Q. You've obviously pitched against them now on this stage. You're familiar with a lot of their guys. How can that familiarity come into play?

MAX FRIED: I mean, it can work for you and against you. They obviously know what you've done in the past but they have also seen you a couple times too. So at the end of the day, it's kind of like what I said before, it's just really about execution and just going out there and laying it out on the line. There's no secrets. We know each other well enough by now and it's, just going to go out there and just handle it between the lines.

Q. Can you describe the scene for us last night? Was there like a watch party? Were you guys all separately watching, a group text or something when you saw the reaction that the Dodgers won? And then now that you have home field advantage, what was the time's reaction?

MAX FRIED: It was just mostly on standby because we were waiting up until 12:30, 1:00 to see if we're going to be staying here or having to hop on a plane and head to San Francisco.

So no watch party or anything like that, just kind of watching the game, just trying to see where we were going to play and who we were going to play.

Q. Charlie started Game 1 of the other series. You start Game 1 of this. You've pitched in enough of these games yourself now, but have you been able to learn anything just watching Charlie, how he prepares for these big games that maybe you didn't know?

MAX FRIED: He makes you realize that it's the same thing. The way that you prepare for a normal regular season game with the importance of every single one of those games is just as important as one of these. So if you handle that with the same preparation that you would a playoff game, it's kind of all the same.

So you got to realize that the game is the same out there. The, obviously the intensity and the pressure might be a little bit more, but it's still baseball. So you just got to go out there, stay within yourself, not give in to the situation and just make pitches.

Q. You guys have the have had three days' rest to get ready for this and obviously they're having the quick turnover and the travel. Dave Roberts said last night that the plan was for Scherzer to still go Game 1 despite pitching out of the bullpen. What is the advantage for you guys in terms of the rest and especially in terms of the starting pitcher on small rest?

MAX FRIED: I'm not sure about the, what the Scherzer, I mean, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball, so it wouldn't surprise me for him to come out and be ready and you expect it from that kind of guy. So if he takes the mound he's going to give everything he's got and he's going to be one of the better pitchers out there.

So for us it was fortunate that we didn't have to go do a ton of travel. But they just played a really good series against a really good team and they have been playing some really good intense baseball, so they're going to be ready for the atmosphere. And obviously the team's been to the playoffs for however many straight years, multiple World Series, so the stage isn't going to faze them.

They know what they need to do to be able to win these times of games and obviously we've been in the playoffs for a couple years now and we understand what it takes too, so I think it's going to be a really good hard-fought series.

Q. Do you guys see it as, since there is this playoff history between you guys as well, do you see it as what everyone's calling a revenge game, a revenge series? I mean, are you guys extra motivated this series, not that you weren't before, but with the history?

MAX FRIED: I think we would have been just as motivated if it was the Giants or the Dodgers. I think when you get to this point of the year every team has one goal and that's to get to the World Series and win it.

So you got to worry about one game at a time and you're not going to be able to get there unless you get through this round. So we don't want to look too far ahead, just focus on Game 1, and then obviously each game after that.

Q. We know what the slider did for you in 2019 and beyond. Do you think a bigger step might have been taking that, being more willing to not chase strikeouts, but pitch to contact?

MAX FRIED: Yeah, I think it's just the development of who I am as a pitcher. You can kind of try to throw the perfect pitch, whatever you want to do, but these are really good hitters and if you try to strike everyone out and draw your pitch count up and kind of turn into walks and things like that, that at this time of year you can't give another team the luxury of or give them any kind of benefit.

So, yeah, I think if you just go after guys and give them your best stuff, and for me it's a lot easier to be able to handle those situations knowing, with that mentality and that kind of, I would just say it's tough because you want to go after strikeouts, especially in those situations, but just trying to keep your mentality down and just really understanding who you are as a person, and knowing me, I'm trying to get ground balls and weak contact and that's basically all it is.

Q. We talked to a couple of you guys yesterday about who you would prefer to face and I know it didn't really matter, but can you put into words what it means to be starting a Game 1 here in front of your home crowd versus what could have been on the road?

MAX FRIED: Yeah, I mean, you got a little taste of that in the NLDS where the, just the difference in the atmosphere on the field, having fans back was incredible. You can definitely feel the energy that was kind of injected into this team.

To be able to experience kind of like a rematch of the Dodger series now we're going to be able to play in front of our fans here and then also in L.A.

It's going to be obviously the same guys on the field, but it's, you can probably tell a little bit more of energy with fans and screaming and normal playoff atmosphere.

Q. Will Smith had some struggles like you did earlier in the season for various reasons. What have you liked or admired about what, how he's handled the season and what's done down the stretch like you have?

MAX FRIED: He's never lost faith in who he is as a pitcher and who he is as a player. He's really been going after guys and he's, I feel like he's really been on the attack. He's attacking guys. He's going after them. You can see a little bit of, his fastball velocity has been up a little bit. He's been locating his breaking pitches really well.

I think that sometimes it's a long year. Guys go through tough stretches and guys go on rolls and right now you're seeing him throw the ball extremely well with conviction and purpose, and the swings that guys are taking off him you can really tell that they're not picking it up well. So he's in a really good spot and big part of his team.

Q. What are some of the texts you're going to get from friends tonight going to say that are still Dodgers fans?

MAX FRIED: The ones I've already gotten? (Laughing).

No, just, it's not the first time, so you know to expect -- it's a lot of the rooting for you, but also want the Dodgers to do well. So, I don't know, it's kind of just up in the air, 50/50.

But it will be a lot of fun to be able to go out there and just compete, just get back out there, get out back on the mound, kind of just go to battle with these guys behind me and in the clubhouse. It's a lot of fun. We're excited and, honestly, can't wait for tomorrow.

Q. How different does this playoff run feel for you compared to last year, just with the experience that you have and kind of knowing now what to expect? Like, there's always butterflies but do you feel more calm going in and where have you seen the growth from this year to last year?

MAX FRIED: Last year was a sprint, where the season started and next thing you know it was the playoffs and we were just kind of flying by the seat of our pants. We were just, next thing after another, whereas we find out we're going to spring training and then it was quick turnaround into the season and then you look up and it's playoffs and going to the bubble.

So I think it was just, we were just kind of taking it day by day, whereas this year it really felt like a normal season where it was more of a marathon. You have your different stretches of the year where you do, you start off one way and the team hits a little bit of a rut and then you have to figure out how to get through that adversity. And I felt like this year we understand who we are as a team and players a little bit more, I think you have more of a sample size, so we can definitely use that to our advantage and I think we're pretty confident in what we can do as a Club.

Q. This may sound so simplistic, but does a playoff inning or two feel different from regular season innings? I ask because last night's broadcast Ron Darling said something about a playoff inning feels like two at a time. Does it feel that way to you or after experience is it just, again, like regular season game, only more intense?

MAX FRIED: I think it's more of the mental exertion, where, whether you're in the game or you're on the bench, you're mentally just, you're stuck, you're basically just giving everything that you have physically, mentally, to the point where after a game you're pretty much drained, emotionally drained.

I think that's kind of the biggest difference is even when you're not in the game you're still locked in and you're still exerting that energy and you just feel maybe a little bit more drained afterwards. But I would say that would probably be the biggest difference.