NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 17, 2021

Will Smith

Truist Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Last night you had your third home run of the postseason. Just how would you describe where you're at offensively and what do you attribute to the success that you're having at the plate?

WILL SMITH: Yeah. No, I feel good up in the box. The swing feels locked in. Swinging at the right pitches and that's kind of what I try to focus on, just swing at the right pitches and put together a good at-bat and I just need to keep it going.

Q. Last night the Braves stole two bases to set up two runs. It's not a secret that your pitching staff's had a hard time holding runners on, especially the relievers. What's been the conversations all season long about it and what have you guys settled on to try to mitigate it?

WILL SMITH: Yeah, it's definitely been a point of emphasis. We got exposed early in the year in that part of the game and we've done a lot better job. But, yeah, last night they got two on us that ended up scoring and we got to clean that up going forward.

Q. Do you guys, is that, is there a philosophy of we're not going to change who we are as pitchers and we're just going to try to get the next guy out? What can be done?

WILL SMITH: No. Each individual pitcher has shortened their leg kick, worked in some slide steps. Their pick-off move's have gotten a lot better, throwing some inside moves to second, some pick-offs at second and do what we can.

But at the end of the day they got to execute it and we got to do a little better at it.

Q. When Max Scherzer came over here, obviously a very well established Hall of Fame kind of pitcher. In your relationship with, working relationship with him, what does he look for from a catcher and what have you come to appreciate from him from this advantage point?

WILL SMITH: What he's looking for out of myself and Barnsey is good targets, we're able to think along with him, and know what he kind of wants to do. But it's also having conversations in between innings about adjustments we need to make, just stuff like that. It's just being able to have confidence in yourself and confidence in him and him trust you, which is ultimately then what we've been doing and why he's had success this year.

Q. You have a decent amount of postseason experience already. What have you learned about what it takes to succeed here?

WILL SMITH: Yeah. No, in the postseason you just kind of got to slow everything down, whether it's an at-bat, just kind of take a breath, relax, not let, not try to do too much.

And same thing behind the plate. Slow the game down, think about what you're doing, think about who is on deck, what the situation is, just being able to slow the game down and let the game come to you.

Q. How do you learn that?

WILL SMITH: Just by doing it, honestly. It's just being able to breathe, relax, and play the game.

Q. You're about to wrap up your first full season in the big leagues. What do you feel like the biggest growth has been for you offensively, defensively, what do you feel?

WILL SMITH: Yeah, probably on both sides of the ball. Definitely feel like I've grown as a hitter being around the older guys, just more time, just a little more consistency, probably.

Same thing defensively, just it's the experience. It's being in big-game situations. It all just kinds of adds up to being a better baseball player and growing as a person.

Q. On Max, he's been so dominant since he came over here. What is it about the way he pitches or the just how well he's done that maybe you didn't appreciate or didn't know before?

WILL SMITH: I mean, he really studies the other team. He knows how to get guys out several different ways. Situationally, depending upon it, he goes to it and he knows everything he needs to know. And then he's able to execute it. That's one of the biggest things, just his execution is on point and he never gives in to the hitter.