NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 16, 2021

Brian Snitker

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Atlanta Braves - 3, Los Angeles Dodgers - 2

Q. We saw this last year in Game 1. Riley came up with the big 9th inning hit. This is just, he's not just putting up numbers in the regular season. He's come up with big moments. Is he that guy now?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. No, I think he is. I think he has confidence in himself. I mean, you see what he's doing, the at-bats in the DS, here. No, I think that kid's definitely taken the next step forward.

Q. Knowing that the next three horses that they're coming with from they're pitching, how important, just the importance of tonight's game to come out on top with knowing what they're going to bring starting rotation-wise?

BRIAN SNITKER: Oh, no, it doesn't get easier. That's for darn sure. No, I think any, all these wins here in this thing are going to be big. They're all going to be hard to come by. It's going to be tough games. It's why teams are here, because they're really good. They got their deep pitching. They, it's the nature of the beast here, I think, and this time of year. I think all the games are big.

Q. What did you think of the way that Max battled out there tonight?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I thought he did, because I don't know that Max really felt like he was on tonight, but he just kept -- Max just kept pitching, never gave in, just kept pitching. And you get six innings, six innings is tough in a playoff game because it's so, there's, it's just such an emotional and adrenaline-type driven outing, I think, here.

I thought he did great. I mean, he was really good and he had to really work through the 6th. That inning there wasn't an easy inning for him and he pretty much laid it out there to get through that inning.

Q. There was traffic every inning just about, but what about Matzek getting out of that jam with a runner at third and one out?

BRIAN SNITKER: No. God, was that huge. I looked up, I told Walt, I guess a adrenaline's kicking in when I saw 99. And that's been, Matzek blooped one in and then they made, Barnes did a really good job. That's probably not a real easy at-bat to bunt with Matzek throwing like that and he did a great job. And that was a huge at-bat to Mookie then by Matzek.

But you could tell he was, he was into the moment, that's for sure, and he elevated his game right there.

Q. There's been so much attrition in pitching staffs around the game, even in October. How much is it helping you guys to know that you have three horses rotation, you have all your good relievers throwing well at this point in the year?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, it's good. I mean, it's huge. It gives you a lot of confidence because, like I said earlier today, I kind of feel like we have three really good options.

A year ago when we came into this we, you know, no knock on anybody, but we got three guys that have been out there and are proven and that's huge in this, I think.

All the bullpen guys that we're using now we used last year also. So I just think, especially the starters and a guy like Max, to get, you know, you think all those guys you hope and have confidence in them getting you through six innings to get to the back end of the bullpen is big.

Q. Just to follow up on that, I think the other three teams in the LCS have used 34 pitchers so far and you won by getting your starter through six innings. You ever feel like the last of the traditionalists managers?

BRIAN SNITKER: Oh, hell, I don't know (laughing). I don't know. I'm a big believer in starting pitching. I mean, it's, you know, a lot of those flags, all them flags are flying out there because of we had really good starting pitching. There are times, and I, it just depends on your team and all that. But a guy like Max to give us six -- I think six innings in the postseason is huge for a guy, just the energy they expend mentally and physically. I feel like we have three guys that can do that, with Ian and Charlie and along with Max.

I don't know what we'll do on the fourth day, but, you know, I don't know. I mean, I don't know, it's just kind of the way I was raised in the game. I mean, I came up with the Braves here and we were all about starting pitching. I don't know any better, quite honestly, I guess, if you want to get down to it.

Q. It won't show up in the box score, but Dansby's short hop on Joc's throw in the 9th when it gets out of that inning, just re-energize the guys?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. No, I thought, and I was just watching the replay. Joc did a really good job of closing in on that ball too. I mean, he closed in on it, got it in. Dansby had a heads-up play, as he always does. And, you know, you never know. I mean, that's a huge, huge out in the game. We didn't screw up the rundown or anything. But, like I say, Joc charged that ball well, that single.

Q. You've talked a few times during this postseason about how this year's postseason team is different than last year's, usually in relation to the state of the pitching staff, but how much is another aspect in which things are different is that on a night where Freddie, the face of the franchise, has a rough night at the plate, it's Austin who really came into his own this year is the guy that comes up with the game winner?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I know. I mean, and we were just talking about that. I don't know that we won many games that Freddie's -- and it's a good thing. I mean, that just shows you how these guys are growing and they're maturing and the moment isn't too big for them because they played in it now for three, four years.

So I think that's a really good thing organizationally when you see guys mature and they can slow the game down and do what they do, whether it's a defensive play, a rundown or a big hit, and our young guys are maturing right in front of us and that's good because, you know what, Jorge went, you know, we lost him the other day and the guy never stopped. These guys just keep playing and it's not about one guy here, obviously, and I think that's a really good thing.

Q. I was just wondering, ABC baseball is huge in the National League and it would prove today with you guys getting a stolen base with Rosario in the first inning, and then driving in the run, and also in the 9th inning with Ozzie Albies doing the same. So how impressive was that, in your eyes, as the team can rely on doing that instead of getting home runs all the time?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I know, and we've been a team that's relies on home runs, so it even makes me feel even better.

But I think we do that, but it's, every game's different, every opportunity's different, every situation's different, and I think our guys do a really good job of playing the game, playing the game, taking what's given to you, not trying to do too much. Because you script that stuff right there you just talked about. You just have to play the game. That's why I'm proud of these guys because they're baseball players and they see things like that.

Q. You sort of started to allude to this a little bit before, but I mean, you could have lost this game a hundred different ways. I think you guys had 14 strikeouts. The Dodgers kept leaving men on base in scoring position. From the dugout, what are you thinking as this is unfolding? Are you thinking, okay, for some reason we're still in the game?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I know. I had no idea that we struck out that many times, quite honestly. I'm not looking at that. I'm not sitting there with a clicker or, I'm just, you know, I'm kind of just watching the game unfold and looking and it's like who are we going to bring in next and how is Max doing and I didn't realize we did that.

I look at the scoreboard, quite honestly. And the fact that it's 2-2 going into the 9th, doesn't surprise me in playoff baseball because that's why teams are here, because they can pitch, and that team over there can really pitch and that bullpen's deep and, you know, it's not going to get any easier tomorrow either.

Q. I don't know if you necessarily like put a star next to a play or anything like that when you go back and look at a game, but are there certain parts of a game that you look at and you say, I don't know if in years past we'd make that play right there or if we're that heads-up in that situation?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I don't know. No, you know, I'll be honest with you. I don't think that because I think we, since I've been here, this team and our coaching staff, we're not a team that, you know, knock on wood or whatever, we're pretty solid fundamentally and we work a lot on that and these guys work on it every day. So when they make a play, and they do all the time, they make plays all the time that I'm amazed at because they practice and they're consistent in their work every day. So the fact that these guys make plays never surprises me.

Q. How valuable is it to be able to plug a guy like Matzek in in any situation there from the 7th through the 9th inning, and are you looking at Mookie tonight or what's your thought there?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. No, I mean, him and Luke to me are interchangeable. They're not matchup guys. It's just like, you know, do we want Matzek to pitch potentially, who is pinch hitting, things like that, or Luke, they're not matchup guys. They get both sides out. Matzek gets right-handers out as good or better than he does left-handers.

So, yeah. And Luke too, Luke can get left-handers. We're talking about, you know, I had Luke face Corey Seager, who is as good a hitter as there is on the planet. So, yeah, it's just kind of, we kind of look at the lineup and then just pick and choose and it's really like getting a hat, and I don't think we're going to go wrong with those two guys.