NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 16, 2021

Max Fried

Tyler Matzek

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Atlanta Braves - 3, Los Angeles Dodgers - 2

Q. Max, just your thoughts on the outing. You get outs. I know there's some pitches you want back, but you leave, the game's tied, and you go six innings that I know Snit says is so important come playoff time.

MAX FRIED: Yeah, I felt like I was fighting myself at times, not executing two-strike pitches as well as I would have wanted, but I was working really well with Travis back there, really relied on him a lot, especially calling pitches later in that outing, I felt like he had a really good feel on that game and really relied on him.

Defense just made some really nice plays again. Obviously Austin's big hit to get us back tied. The only thing I was trying to do was just to keep it right there and give us an opportunity.

Q. Max, how do you describe what Tyler did there in the 7th, and then have you gotten to that point where you are confident that he's going to get out of that kind of situation more times than not?

MAX FRIED: I've got a hundred percent confidence in Tyler. He's been doing it all year. When you have a lefty that comes in and is in the high 90s and has a wipeout slider, you're pretty confident that if you just hold the game tied or with a little lead that he's going to keep holding it.

He's thrown every game this whole playoffs and obviously he's been extremely important to our success, so anytime that I can hand the ball off to him it's probably a good thing.

Q. Max, Brian Snitker was in here talking about how six innings in a playoff game is really tough with all the extra adrenaline, emotion. How is it different going six at this time of year compared to another time of year?

MAX FRIED: I think it's just more emotionally and mentally draining, where every inning is magnified. Obviously one run could be the difference. If you give up one run and you fall behind 1-0, that could be it. So you know how important every single run is and every out and you just kind of, I would just say that mentally you're exhausted and spent by the end of the outing.

Q. Max, the Dodgers hit a lot of home runs this year, kind of do that every year, today it seemed like they shortened up, got a bunch of two-strike singles. Did that approach surprise you at all?

MAX FRIED: No, that's a really good, prepared team. They're probably one of the best prepared teams in the league, they know exactly what I'm going to be bringing to the table and they had a really good game plan. They hit some balls hard and were looking for pitches in certain areas and that's what good teams do. It's definitely, it's a really tough game, so to be able to come out there and keep us in the game was basically my objective today and I was happy to be able to do that.

Q. Tyler, just the way that you guys are pitching right now in the back end, how much do you credit Snit for just kind of always believing in you guys, high or low, you're going back in that situation, good or bad.

TYLER MATZEK: Yeah, I think we have earned his trust and I think that all those guys that are helping us with preparing for the game are Drew French, the bullpen guy, he's been helping us a ton and we're prepared when we go out there, we know what we need to do and we just go out there and execute. And we got a stud back behind the plate, Travis d'Arnaud, he's back there, he's seeing how the game is going, and then having us make pitches that are going to get us in the best situation. So when you're surrounded by a bunch of people that know what they're doing, they're doing a great job at it, we just go out there and do our job, do what we need to do.

Q. Tyler, for you personally, what do you think about when you reflect on where you were over two, three years ago, versus now pitching, getting huge outs in the NLCS?

TYLER MATZEK: Back then I was just looking to play baseball, honestly. I didn't care if it was a men's league or Major League Baseball, I just wanted to be able to play baseball again. Once I was able to play baseball again it was, All right, well let's see what's the competition I can play against. I'm just so fortunate to have made it back here for the Braves to have taken a chance on me, and trusted me in situations like this, it takes a lot for an organization to go ahead and send a scout out to where I was and to pick me up in the middle of the season and then trust me in the last couple years in their bullpen. So, yeah, I mean, I feel like, this was always the goal but it was never right there. So it was definitely a grind to get here.

Q. Max, when you really look at your performances down the stretch and into the playoffs, what is one thing that you feel like you have really honed in on that has helped you continue to provide these great performances?

MAX FRIED: Simplifying it down to just execution, just trying to execute every single pitch, just really having trust in my stuff and what Travis is calling back there and what we're able to kind of game plan with, but I think it's just as simple as just trying to execute every pitch and not trying to do too much.

Q. Tyler, do you remember who the scout was who recommended you?

TYLER MATZEK: Oh, I've been told it and I can't remember his name right now. I can get it for you though. Because I definitely want to put him in there if you're writing anything on him.