MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 27, 2021

Brian Snitker

Minute Maid Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Does Tucker Davidson give you another option for a Game 5 start?

BRIAN SNITKER: Right now he gives us an option for today, if we need him. They're all options. They're all -- it's going to be how we get there type situations. We were dealt a significant blow, and we're just going to have to adjust and fight through it the best we can.

Q. I know he made that rehab start in early October that was pretty solid.

BRIAN SNITKER: He's good. Reports were really good how he was throwing, and he feels good. He did a really nice job for us when he was here the first time.

Q. How has he stayed active since then?

BRIAN SNITKER: He's been in Gwinnett throwing live. They're pitching simulated games and things like that.

Q. You guys were able to get Valdez last night, but Houston bullpen came out strong. How tough do you expect the Astros pitching will be going forward?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, good. They got a great job out of covering innings out of their pen. Very effective, kept them in the game, gave them a chance. That's all you can ask for out of your bullpen. I thought their guys did a great job doing that.

Going forward, this is going to be a dogfight every day, every day. We knew that coming in.

Q. You were talking about what a good job all the relievers did yesterday. How good was that to see Luke after what happened with the last series? Not that you were worried about him, but just for him to bounce back like that?

BRIAN SNITKER: That was great. Good for him too. He had a rough couple of games or a couple of pitches pretty much, I guess, but that was big right there for him.

I said before the game, we were talking, I was like Luke Jackson, he's going to have to play a part again. And I told him, after the last series, it's like you're a big reason why we're here. This guy didn't have a sub-2.00 E.R.A. pitching through probably the meat of most orders every night for six months, and he had just a tremendous year. Then a rough couple of games.

I admire him for how he bounced back last night, how effective he was.

Q. Have you seen Charlie today or talked with him? How is he doing?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, he left early this morning to go get further tests. I texted him. He hasn't got back to me yet. They're going to do more CTs and MRIs and that kind of stuff.

Q. He left back to Atlanta?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think he went back to Atlanta, yeah.

Q. Eddie Perez is the only player linked to that last World Series team here, and obviously he's been in this organization for a long, long time. Can you tell me what he's meant to the organization and being that bridge?

BRIAN SNITKER: Eddie will tell you he's the MVP of the '99 NLCS, just ask him. Eddie's great. I love -- it's the one thing the last couple of years that I talk to Alex, because we've been together for a long time as coaches here in the Big Leagues, and Eddie's another -- he's one of those guys that the guys look up to and respect and brings instant credibility. He's a big help here with the catching, with the workload.

Personally, I just like having him with me to bounce stuff off of because he's an Atlanta Brave. I mean, this guy's been here from day one, and he's just a very valuable asset for us to have.

Q. Yesterday you were talking about how the lineup, you kind of choose the lineup for that day's game when you were talking about the leadoff. I wonder from a pitching standpoint, now that you don't have the guy who kind of leads the rotation, do you look at what pitching's needed today and figure out tomorrow and get through?

BRIAN SNITKER: Pretty much, yes. We'll just kind of -- you know, we know we've got Ian going in Game 3. But it's going to be kind of a "how we get there" approach and take today separately and just go out and try to do everything we can to win that game and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

Q. When Max first came up with you guys a few years ago, how long did it take for you to start to see him as a guy who could be able to handle big moments?

BRIAN SNITKER: I loved his stuff from the get-go. When you watched him throw on the side in Spring Training, probably the first time I saw him, just saw the ability to spin the ball that he has, the live arm, the athleticism in the player, things that he can do to help him win games. I don't know that you ever know when they're going to be that guy like for the big games and all until they actually get there.

But you know he has the stuff. It's kind of like, when you call a guy from Triple-A, the GM will call, and it's like, you know what, he's done everything he can here; but when you put that third level on him, I have no idea how he's going to respond to that. And you don't know until you actually get him in that environment.

Q. How different is the normal World Series schedule this year in the way the games unfold compared to last year's LCS where you played seven days in a row?

BRIAN SNITKER: This is so much better with the off days. Now I look back, and I don't know how the hell we got through that last year playing seven games in a row. That was grueling. For the players, for pitching. So this is a lot better to plan. Just give a guy a day, a couple days in the middle of these things, and it's just so much -- the whole thing is so much better.

I thought they did a great job. MLB did a great job under the circumstances last year in the bubble environments. Where we were in Arlington was spectacular, I thought. It was really, really good and well done, but it was tough to go seven days in a row.

Q. Looking back, how did that fundamentally change your reliever use?

BRIAN SNITKER: It was pretty extensive last year because we had an open or two where we had a bad start. Max threw seven innings, I think, in one of the games, but he gave up three or four runs in the first inning and then settled in and went deep into that game.

But you were more aware of that because of the lack of off days where you're going to have to put a guy down. Right now we can kind of plan and go about it where you see that off day looming, and it kind of eases your mind a little bit that you're not going to have to put a guy down. That kind of off day always seems to recharge everybody, and you can start fresh again for a while.

Q. With A.J. throwing 43 pitches last night, is the plan to stay away from him tonight?

BRIAN SNITKER: We figured he'd have today and then the off day tomorrow, and he'll be good to go on Game 3.

Q. I apologize if you addressed this at the top, but having Rosario at the top of the lineup versus Soler. Did you talk about that?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I haven't. It was yesterday against the lefty, and I look back too, and I remember against Urias in L.A., I led Dansby off that game. As I said, I kind of felt better about it because I believe Eddie was 4 for 4 with four RBIs that game hitting fifth, like he did yesterday. But now it's just to have every intention of having him back up there today.

Q. With Terrance Gore on this roster after not having him last round, what was the thinking behind getting that speed?

BRIAN SNITKER: Just knowing with these games and just adding -- because we didn't use the extra guy that much, as much as I think we thought we would. I just figure that's kind of a nice item to have on the bench in a situation where it is a big run.

There's a couple of guys we probably would run for, and to have that there we just kind of felt was more important than the extra hitter.

Q. Dansby made the error last night, and he kind of pointed to it's the first one you guys have had in the postseason. How critical has the defense been, especially in the last three, four months of the season?

BRIAN SNITKER: These guys have been unbelievable. You point to the first inning yesterday, and that play Ozzie made, that's a potential big inning right there after jumping out on top. These guys have been so steady. They've been really, really good all year, in my opinion.

For me, I've got four Gold Glovers out there in the infield, and I think just the fact that they are -- like you go out any day and you see how consistent their work is and their preparation and what they do to prepare to play the game. Not to mention that they're really athletic guys too. I mean, they're good defenders.

Q. Could you describe how important is Roberto Magallanes to the coaching staff and also as a person? Your thoughts?

BRIAN SNITKER: Bobby has a really great relationship with a lot of the hitters. He's played the game, he's managed, he's coached. He's been in the game a long, long time, and a lot of these guys really value what he has to offer.

I don't know, we have three hitting coaches and Chipper part time. It's not too many, quite honestly. They all get along. They all speak the same language. Bobby does a really good job with these guys. A lot of these guys trust him, and that's a big thing.

Q. A couple of pitching questions for you. Obviously, what happened with Charlie was an anomaly, but it just seems that every team in the playoffs this year is short starting pitching. How much does that relate to last year's 60-game season, having to build back up to 162? And it seems like a lot of top-flight starters are gassed out.

BRIAN SNITKER: There may be something to that. People ask me why the injuries earlier in the year. Because every time you'd see the ticker, there would be injuries. I don't know if I downplayed the 60 games and not 162 enough because I've said we had a great Spring Training. Didn't miss any time. We got all our work done in preparation. The guys were ready to go.

I don't know if it's a result -- I honestly don't know if it's a result of that or not. Yeah, I don't know what the answer is.

Q. And as far as your pitching goes, even with your three starters, you needed a bullpen game against the Dodgers. Now with Charlie down, are you looking at two bullpen games somewhere along the way here?

BRIAN SNITKER: Probably. And we have guys that we can start that are stretched out. Even if we go bullpen game with an opener, we'll probably have somebody that we can bring in behind them that can extend the game for -- and it's harder to do that when we're going to be in Atlanta because the pitcher's spot and hitting is going to come around sooner. It's easier to do that in the American League and with a DH.

So when we're going to have to do that at least once, it's going to be in a National League game. Yeah, we were kind of dealt a bad hand yesterday. We'll keep going. We're going to keep going, and we'll figure this thing out somehow.

Q. Considering that attrition rate among pitchers that we've seen this year, what do you think about the idea of expanding the playoffs? Does that make sense to you, or do you like it the way it is?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know. I'll be honest with you, I haven't thought about it. I've been so wrapped up in everything I'm doing, I haven't let myself even entertain thoughts like that. I really don't know. Yeah, I don't know.