MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 30, 2021

Jesse Chavez

Adam Duvall

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. Jesse, can you describe how good the bullpen feels as a whole, what it's done here this postseason? Just give us an idea how proud the guys are of each other.

JESSE CHAVEZ: What we're doing down there and what those guys are doing night in and night out, it's incredible. It's something we talk about each and every day, pre and post. We don't try to linger on the positive ones, we know there's a new day tomorrow.

That's the good part about this group. We tend to keep each day in check. That's the best part about us, which is why we're able to go out there and do our job every day.

Q. We know baseball is about routine and habit, and when you're used to coming out of the pen and then you're forced to start, how does that change? How is the night before, just sleeping-wise, and then the mental preparation of everything?

JESSE CHAVEZ: The more you do it, the more you get used to it. The one in Dodger Stadium, I was going out for a stretch, and then I find out. That helps me out more now than it ever did before. Just keep it the same, keep it the same ritual. Whether I've got a workout that day or not, it still stays the same. So that way I keep that mentality of whether it is the first inning, the fourth inning, or the ninth inning, I try to keep the same mentality each and every day, so that helps me out.

Q. Adam, same question for you. How impressed have you been with what the pitching has done, and how confident are you the next couple of days with these guys?

ADAM DUVALL: Playing behind it, it's always fun playing behind guys that work ahead of hitters because you feel like they're always on the attack, and you're not standing out there for very long.

What they've been doing is -- just like you said, it's impressive to watch, impressive to play behind, impressive to be a part of. It's been fun to do all those things for sure.

Q. How has the weather affected you both at the plate and in the field? Do you have to play further back defensively for that first skip of the ball?

ADAM DUVALL: We've played enough rain games here to kind of know what little adjustments we need to make. As far as -- yeah, I'll play different hitters in different spots, but you've got to be careful being super aggressive on maybe a line drive that's going to one-hop to you because it is probably going to skip off. So you've got to be careful with that.

So I would say for the most part just being a little bit more careful on how aggressive you are to balls going in, that would probably be the main difference.

Q. As you were looking to play more center field here, of course, during the postseason, late in the season, what's your process been like just to get more comfortable with reads there, and who have been the coaches that have had the greatest effect on you and impact on you in that position?

ADAM DUVALL: I played some center field before I got here that helped out a lot, and then when I got here, E.Y., and we kind of figure out where we want to play each player depth-wise and as far as shift-wise. And we'll go over all the different walls.

With Houston, there's a ton of different material, as far as chain-link fence, brick, that scoreboard out there. We'll go over all that stuff and figure out where we need to be as far as playing balls off the wall. So those are the biggest things.

Q. Jesse, I know you haven't pitched with Dylan Lee for very long, but in your experiences with him, what have been your impressions of him just in the bullpen getting to know him?

JESSE CHAVEZ: He keeps it simple. He knows what his strengths are. He knows his weaknesses. Pretty impressive to have that awareness this early.

Being down in Triple-A with him earlier in the year, I was able to talk to him about some things because you saw potential there. You saw he had a chance to come help out at some point, where I didn't even know I was going to be here helping out. So we had conversations like that that kind of helped him prepare, hopefully it did, for situations like this.

You can just tell right away he knows what he wants to do, and he runs with it.

Q. Also, just what about your personal experience. It's been a long, long journey to the World Series for you. Did you take a moment the other night after you faced that one-hitter to reflect on that? And just how is this living up to your expectations?

JESSE CHAVEZ: Oh, yeah, it's everything. I don't think it will hit me till after. Hope it does hit me after, not right now.

It feels good. Like you said, it's been a long journey. I took every year for a blessing, every ride that I had. Every trade meant something to me. It all had a path for a reason, and I'm just blessed to be here.

Q. Adam, how would you describe the whole experience of being here, leaving, going to Miami, then coming back and being in the World Series here?

ADAM DUVALL: Looking back on it, I never in a million years thought I would be back this year and be playing in the World Series with the Braves. It just goes to show you you never know what the future holds.

Like you said, I was in Miami playing the season, trade deadline came, I was sitting on the couch 12:30 on the trade deadline and got the call. Next thing you know, I was back here.

You just never know what the future holds.

Q. And this whole group of guys that came in together, what kind of bond is formed with all the outfielders that came in here?

ADAM DUVALL: The group of guys that they brought in are unbelievable -- unbelievable guys, unbelievable teammates. Then walking back into the clubhouse, obviously, I was familiar with everything, but the guys here did an unbelievable job of just bringing them in, trying to get them settled as quickly as possible so that they can be comfortable and make a difference.

That shows. That shows what type of locker room we came into, and it's awesome to be a part of this team.

Q. What did you think of the fact that there's no DH here? You had it down in Houston. The union sounds like it really wants to negotiate it into a universal DH next year and this could be the last games where the pitchers are hitting. What's your take on it?

JESSE CHAVEZ: It's kind of iffy for us as pitchers. We're used to it. It adds another aspect of the game we have to pay attention to, and your body has to be ready to contribute to that as far as starting goes.

My personal opinion, I think it should stay the same. I think it's beneficial for the game because it adds two different aspects. It's a chess game out there. It's not checkers.

We're out there trying to counteract each movement, each pitch we make, each one we miss. And then each hit we give up, we've got to try to make another pitch to where we don't make the lineup come up later on in the game. I think with that, and you have the pitcher, I think it makes it more interesting for baseball.

ADAM DUVALL: It's tough because I've gone back and forth on this. You get into a big situation, and from an offensive standpoint, you'd like to have a hitter there to be able to have a greater chance of driving in runs, but then also there's the chess match aspect of being in the National League and knowing how to pitch around a lineup and figure out, okay, I want to go after this guy, maybe put this guy on. So I can see both sides.

Right now, I don't really have a stance on one way or the other. You could argue it either one for me. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward. If they do take it away, it could be something that we do miss. You never know until it's gone. Yeah, I don't necessarily have a side.

Q. You are using a lot of variety of ways within the bullpen. Is there any experience that you draw on to help build that confidence to know that I can come in, regardless of where I'm at, and get the job done?

JESSE CHAVEZ: Just watching the guys' situations that they're getting thrown into now, they're coming out in the big spots, that helps me in my situations knowing that I can still be on the attack mode and not have to hinder away from certain things or certain guys in the box, whether what part of the game it is.

Watching those guys go out there each and every night the past few weeks helps me out mentally and repetitively down there in the bullpen when I'm getting ready.

Q. As the most veteran member of this bullpen, what does that role mean to you? Is there anything you've been saying to the younger guys these couple weeks?

JESSE CHAVEZ: They teach me just as much as I try and teach them, in all honesty. I just try and keep it as loose and as even keel as we can down there. We talk about different things. If I see something that sticks out, I'll bring it up. If they see something that sticks out, they'll bring it up to me, and we'll have a conversation from there. There's no wrong conversation we can't have down there because we're all pulling for each other.

We're all going to be in different situations throughout our career, so if we have different scenarios we've been through, it helps out for the next person that takes the ball to keep us in the ballgame.

Q. From both perspectives, hitting and pitching, when it comes to these bullpen games, if you will, which we've seen quite a few of, it seems like, this postseason, what do you enjoy? What makes it challenging? As far as, Jesse, for you guys in the bullpen, is it fun? I would assume, Adam, it might not be as much fun to face a different pitcher every two innings or so.

JESSE CHAVEZ: It's antsy for us down there. You don't know who's going to be next. You're going to throw today, so you're just down there anticipating, waiting, staying ready, but still staying loose. When the phone rings, you can't get the adrenaline going too much because it's going to ring again, and it might not be you the second time or the third time.

So we just try to stay loose and know the phone call might not be you, but maybe it can be. So keep the adrenaline going so when it's go time, it's go time.

Q. Adam, speak to your experience with the Giants 2014. First year for you, you're going to be the World Series. How did you experience that October of 2014?

ADAM DUVALL: I got called up to the Big Leagues, and my first day in the Big Leagues, Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter. So it started off pretty cool, and the first year ended pretty cool too.

I was on the roster in the Wild Card game and then was on the taxi squad the rest of the way. Just being there and kind of getting to see everything for the first time as far as the World Series goes and seeing the guys prepare for that and all the stuff that goes along with being in the World Series too.

That was obviously an unbelievable experience for a guy that had been in the Big Leagues for two months. I just -- I remember it really like it was yesterday, just the adrenaline and just hanging on to every single out like it was the last one. That's the biggest thing that I remember about it.

Q. In your experience pitching -- I know you've started and done a lot of different roles -- what do you think of the bullpen game as a strategy? I know here it's sort of by necessity because of injuries, but a lot of teams use it and do well with it. What do you think of it?

JESSE CHAVEZ: It depends on what it's used for, what its purpose is for the organization. If it's to get another guy an extra day of rest or to bridge the gap or a day or two, it makes sense. If you're trying to get somebody acclimated to the Big Leagues by having an opener and having a guy come in later on, I don't think it makes any sense as far as development goes.

But if it's for the right reasons, it makes sense. But as far as for development goes, for the next guy to be bridged to becoming a starter later on in his career, I don't think it does anything for him because it takes him out of his daily routine that he's been doing to get his way up here to that point.