NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 15, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Now that Max Fried is official, how comforting is it to have two guys that you can comfortably put in that No. 1 role?

BRIAN SNITKER: Well, it's really good and I feel really good about all three of the guys that we're going to be featuring. But it's a significant difference than a year ago when we started this tournament.

I feel really good about where Max is in the season, where Charlie is and what he's done throughout his career. I think it's a really good feeling to know we have two guys like that that we could choose.

Q. The rosters aren't the same as 2018 or last year, obviously, but a lot of the core guys remain for both of your teams. How does the familiarity just play a role?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I think we're very familiar with this team and understand how deep they are, how strong they are. They're relentless. They're just so -- I know offensively these guys just, the at-bats they put up are something else. They just keep coming after you. Their pitching is so deep and it's a really good Club, obviously. So are we.

So but like I say, when we're doing advancing and all, I think there's probably things that our people will dig up, but I think the guys, they know pretty much going in what they're in for and have faced all these guys numerous times, and so it should be good.

Q. Do you know what you're going to do with the rest of, will Charlie go two or have you decided on that?

BRIAN SNITKER: I'll probably announce that this afternoon.

Q. Does it make it more challenging or a little bit easier going up against a team that you are so familiar with?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, it's always challenging to go up against this team. Are you kidding me? No matter how familiar you are with this Club, it's challenging when you have a three-game series against them.

So, yeah, it's always -- it doesn't matter if we would have played the Giants. I mean, unbelievable challenges both those Clubs are. They're so good and they didn't each win over a hundred games by fluke. I mean, they're really good teams, and so it's just going to come down to we got to play well. You got to get big hits. We got to pitch well. I mean, it's just the whole thing. You got to play good for 10 days or nine days or whatever this thing goes.

Q. You go back to Tuesday night and how big of a situation that was when you were able to pull Arcia back. When you build your roster here for a seven-game series, what are you going to be thinking about? And knowing that there may be a bullpen game is it important to make sure you have a --

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I think after experiencing that, I have a different feel now for the roster and that, and if we do have a bullpen game, knowing that you're going to be hitting guys earlier in that game. So I think that's going to have something to do with how we construct the roster for this series.

Q. To piggyback on that a little bit, Dansby Swanson leadoff, it worked certainly for you guys, but what are some of the challenges to now how you think through figuring out --

BRIAN SNITKER: I have been the last couple days. I haven't arrived at anything yet. I like him up there. I mean, we were kind of hit with a situation that we really weren't prepared for, obviously. So it's different and we, and I'm confident in whoever we put up there. If Dansby is up there, he'll do fine. He'll be -- he profiles as that kind of back in the day type leadoff hitter. Now it's a little bit different, but we were dealt a hand we weren't expected so we're going to have adjust again. So we'll be fine.

Q. You spoke yesterday about the three days being especially good for your bullpen. I'm wondering about the starting pitching also in the context of, after the game last night Dave Roberts said that the plan was for Scherzer still to go Game 1.

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, well, I mean, that won't surprise me. That's probably like a side for him right there and take a day off. This guy is just a different animal. I mean, they say that he's a Hall of Famer and those guys are, man, they're cut from a different cloth than the normal guys. So it won't surprise me at all if he shows up and is on the mound.