NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 21, 2021

Albert Pujols

AJ Pollock

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Los Angeles Dodgers - 11, Atlanta Braves - 2

Q. (Questions in Spanish.)

ALBERT PUJOLS: (Answers in Spanish.)

Q. You've been a part of so many big playoff series. What was it like to be with these guys tonight that you've grown to love over these last few months and just what was the feeling like tonight?

ALBERT PUJOLS: It's fun. Having this opportunity first I give the glory to God for giving me another opportunity being here wearing this uniform. I wear it with pride every day when I come to the ballpark and I give Him all the glory.

And I want to thank the front office like always giving me another opportunity to be in the postseason. You see guys play this game for so long and they never get a chance to be in the postseason. I've been blessed to be in so many games, winning World Series, and it's fun. This is what every player plays for. This is why you train in the off-season to go to spring training and break camp and hopefully have an opportunity to be one of those eight teams that make it to the postseason.

And being in this situation was pretty special. I enjoy every ride. I enjoy when I'm playing. I enjoy when I'm on the bench just helping guys out as much as I can, like that's what I've been doing over the last four and a half months.

Q. You're a member of the three home run postseason club. How was it like to experience it in a different way by seeing Chris Taylor do what he did today?

ALBERT PUJOLS: Pretty special. This is something that we needed. In that second inning right there after Freeman went deep in the first, I mean, we know we had to score,, we needed to score some runs for our bullpen today, which it was unbelievable, I think, because the great game that CT had today. I mean, our bullpen kind of falls in the shadow, but they did an unbelievable job. Those guys came in and they put some zeros out there for us to allow us to score some runs for them and then end up winning the game.

But seeing CT have a performance like this is pretty special. I mean, he's an unbelievable guy, great teammate. I had an opportunity to play against him when he was in Seattle. Now having him as my teammate, it's pretty special. Just the preparation that he goes in day-in and day-out every day, the stuff that you guys don't get to see, but the players get to see, that's why he has the success that he has at the plate.

Q. Albert, on that, the only guys in postseason history that have had three homers, four hits, and six RBIs in several games are yourself and Chris Taylor. I mean what is a game like that like when you're in the middle of it?

ALBERT PUJOLS: Well, it's just, you are locked in. This guy next to me, too, he had a great game. I think something that he's going to tell his kids, the highlights are going to be there the rest of his life, and that's something that you're going to share forever. A moment like this doesn't happen every day. I mean, it's hard to hit one home run in a game, imagine three, especially in the postseason. This is not easy. That's why there are not that many guys that have done it.

So watching Chris doing that, it was pretty special. I was actually rooting for four, but, you know, he ended up striking out. But he did a heck of a job out there. And forget about what he did at the plate. I think the way that this guy also plays defense is just pretty special for this ball club.

Q. AJ, you guys have now won seven elimination games in a row. Is there anything about games like this that you guys actually prefer to ones where you're not like facing the winter?

AJ POLLOCK: Definitely not prefer elimination games. We want to eliminate other teams.

But, no, I mean, I wish we put ourselves in a little better position. But, look, I mean, I think we're always confident. We always feel like when we're, when we put the guys out there that we're going to win. So I think elimination, not elimination, it doesn't matter, we feel good about our team and our chances.

Q. Albert, you were a member of the 2011 Cardinals which was another team, it seemed like it really had the art of winning the elimination game down. Is there an art to that mindset of playing those elimination games that certain teams have?

ALBERT PUJOLS: I don't think so. I think AJ just said it. You never want to be in a situation like this. You always want to be on top.

But it doesn't matter. When you're in the postseason, whether it's elimination game or not, you need to find a way to win a game. I think for us every game should be -- and the postseason I think you should treat every game like an elimination game because every win is huge.

So we are in this situation. These guys were there last year. They came through. We're looking forward to hopefully do the same thing, but at the end of the day, we have the right guy on the mound on Saturday, but those guys are going to be ready to go also, with the fans. So it just, it's a great moment tonight but we need to flip the page and continue to do this on Saturday.

I think if we lose the game on Saturday you look at this game and say just another game that you win. So our goal is to continue to push this series and hopefully go to Game 7, and all eggs are on the table.

So I think the special group of guys that we have here, the preparation. I said earlier, being in the other side, coming for 20 years to this stadium and playing against these guys, like what is it about the organization, the Dodgers organization, the way that they go about it. And now having an opportunity over the last four and a half months to be around some of these guys I see the preparation, the way that they go about it, and that's why they have the history, and that's why they have, we got the year that we had this year because they don't take anything for granted.

We had some rough times early in the year, when we got here, but we bounced through. We won a hundred-plus games and we had a play an elimination game with the Cardinals. We end up winning that. We go to San Francisco. We came through. And tonight once again we come through.

So I think it speaks to the group of guys that were here and now myself adding into this special group is something that I will treasure forever in my life.

Q. You reached base three times tonight. How much do you savor these types of games, these nights in October at this stage of your career?

ALBERT PUJOLS: You know, the thing is, whether I'm in the postseason or in the regular season, I think for me I learn from probably one of the best managers that I ever played for, Tony La Russa. I don't take anything for granted. I take my at-bats. I take my game like it's my last game of my career, and that was, since the day one when I got the opportunity to wear a uniform with the Cardinals in 2001.

I think I can see the same attitude of these guys every day. They go out there, whether it's in the regular season, whether it's in the postseason, they don't take anything for granted. We take every at-bat, every pitch, every play like it's our last play and I think that's why you have success.

So for myself, that's something that I learned early in my career. I had the success that I had in the postseason and early in my career because that's how I go about it. I don't take anything for granted every day-in and day-out.

Now in a different situation, I'm not in the lineup every day, but I am looking and smelling and seeing when my opportunity is going to call up and be ready to go.

Q. AJ, you've been in and out of the lineup in the postseason, but when you get your opportunity you always seem to be ready. I wanted you to talk about that mentality. The team needed you more than ever tonight and you came through huge.

AJ POLLOCK: Yeah, just playing for the guys in whatever role is asked of me. Yeah, that's pretty much it, just playing for your teammates. And we needed guys to come up big. We had, we got down two runs early in a game like that where we could have gone flat, and I think it just pretty much says what kind of fight we have on this team.

Q. It just seems like every game the offense has been so inconsistent, last night four hits, tonight, I don't even know how many you finished with, but how do you explain that? Is it just that's baseball?

AJ POLLOCK: Yeah, a lot of it is it's baseball. Obviously we needed, there's times where we need to do a better job of putting pressure -- it's the playoffs. You put some pressure on a pitcher and you hope for them to crack, and if they don't, you tip your cap, but if they do, like you see tonight, then you can get some runs.

And so I think it's a combination of us needing to do a better job of putting pressure on, but at the same time there's other times where it is just baseball.

Q. You mentioned the two-run homer by Freeman in the first inning. When that kind of happens in an elimination game what's kind of the mood like? Do you guys give each other a look? Like how do you guys kind of go about that?

ALBERT PUJOLS: Yeah, you need to regroup. We did a great job, I think, you put are head down and just put good at-bats together, and you're facing their ace too, so you got a really good pitcher on the mound. That's it. You get a couple things to go your way, and our bullpen's been so good, so it's not, you have some people that have bullpen games and they're not confident about it. That's not us,, we were very confident in our bullpen. They have done so many bullpen games this year and completely just won the game for us. So we knew they were going to keep it close.

Q. AJ, I apologize for what is probably a leading question, but I'm wondering if you found Chris Taylor to be sort of under-appreciated just from the outside just sort of because of the team that he plays on?

AJ POLLOCK: We appreciate him a lot. He's a fun guy. He's got his own personality that's very unique. He's not a big guy for the drama. He's just super calm and he's so consistent for us. So I can't speak for you guys. He's just a really, really good baseball player. Since I've been here he's about as consistent as you get.

Q. What was it like seeing Joe go down early like that and what can you say about the bullpen putting up zeros after him?

AJ POLLOCK: Yeah, we were getting kind of burned with injuries. It's tough. It's tough seeing your guys go down, definitely injuries, and you guys, guys are putting their heart and soul to it, and then to have to come out of a game it's tough. It's tough on them. It's tough on the teammates.

So that was tough. But bullpen stepped up. I mean, you could keep naming, every single guy came in there, and I think once we got that big inning, got a lead, I think that kind of fueled them and they were just, I mean, they were locked in. They were getting quick outs and getting the offense back in there. So it was a good job of offense and pitching defense to regroup and play that kind of baseball.

Q. Did Justin have anything to say to you guys before the game? I know how much he wanted to be a part of this run here.

AJ POLLOCK: Justin, to me, he's been our leader, emotional leader, and obviously he does what he does on the field.

But, yeah, we got a text started, he had a couple good things for the boys. He's always going to be there for us, no matter what. He's going to be there, injury, not injury, he's going to be right there. You know exactly what you're going to get with JT, and so we're going to lean on him emotionally, and physically he's not able to get out there, but he's a great teammate.

Q. Not to put you on the spot but you said Chris Taylor's personality is unique. He said he doesn't make anything look cool. I guess hitting three home runs sort of qualifies. But what is his personality like, can you kind of even describe it, other than unique?

AJ POLLOCK: He's very soft spoken and doesn't get easily excited. The only thing that excites him, I've seen, is he likes to have a beer. He gets excited about that, a beer with the boys, and then he loves watching surfing. Only two things that really -- maybe the three home runs today might have spiked his adrenaline, but probably not. Most likely just the beer and watching surfing.

Q. On your second home run when you're just watching that one fly out, just kind of what's going through your mind in a moment like that and is that just kind of a reflection of how you're feeling at the plate tonight?

AJ POLLOCK: Yeah, it's fun. We take so many swings and we're working so hard so when something goes right it's a fun thing. So it was good. CT was getting me jealous, multiple homers, so I -- it motivated me.

Q. You said he loves watching surfing. Does he surf, for the record?

AJ POLLOCK: Oh, yeah. He surfs, but he, if there's the World Surf Tour, if it's on, he's like the one guy, I mean, it could be 6:00 in the morning and he's on his phone watching. Loves it. Loves surfing.