NL WILD CARD SERIES: PHILLIES VS CARDINALS

October 8, 2022

Paul Goldschmidt

Busch Stadium

St. Louis Cardinals

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Paul, all season long this team has crafted an identity based on resilience and keeping relatively even keel regardless of the situation. How do you feel like that trait is going to help you guys today?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: Yeah, man. That's what we have to do. I mean, we know the spot we're in. We gotta win today's game to keep playing, and we'll go out there and do everything we can. So I said it before, these three-game series is something we're used to. You play three, four-game series the whole year. Obviously yesterday didn't go the way we wanted it to. But that one is over, find a way to win today and get a chance tomorrow to try to win the series.

Q. Paul, one of the things we've gone back and forth with Ollie all year is how much weight you put into a guy's history versus a certain pitcher. How do you look at your at-bats against Nola? What do you see from those and how do you translate that for today?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: You know, for me, it's just about trying to execute today. Whatever I did earlier this year, last year, five years ago doesn't really have any bearing on it. So try to go out there and execute, try to find a way to get on, and I know their guys will be doing the same thing.

For me, it's all about today. I'm not worried about what's happened in the past. And there's times where you got really good numbers off guys, and you don't get on base. And there's times where you got bad numbers, and it goes the other way. So especially in the playoffs, just at-bat by at-bat, inning by inning, pitch by pitch and try to go out there and help us win.

Q. Paul, last year you guys were in the wild card game, and it was one and done. Having a series like you talked about, this is what you guys are used to playing. Do you feel like, okay, this is a good playoff format because of it, because you could come to the ballpark today and you weren't done, or do you have any reservation because you're a division champ on the brink of this?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: I mean, it really doesn't matter what we think, you know. We're in this situation. This is -- the rules are the same for every team. So this is what we have to do. We gotta try to win two out of three. And we lost our first one. I think our focus is just trying to play well today and trying to find a way to win and give ourselves a chance tomorrow.

Q. Do you think creating a playoff around a series is better after going through the one game last year?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: You can make the argument both ways. I try not to have opinions. I just do whatever the rules are that they tell us to play by. Like I said, I could make an argument that the one game was great, and I could make an argument that three is better. So I don't have an opinion either way.

Q. You were in the on deck circle when Albert hit a ball, 108 off the bat. I'm sure you saw Nolan's ball, 103 miles an hour. Is it difficult to drive the ball -- you know from years of playing here, it's going to be even colder tonight. Is it hard to get balls out of here in this weather?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: You can do. You got Yepez and there's other ways. There's usually not cheap homers. This ballpark has always been a tougher place to hit, especially when the weather gets cold, but both teams are playing with that weather and that stadium. So you gotta find a way to score, and you just play whatever the elements are. We don't know what's going to happen tonight. And we'll just go out there and try to do the best we can.

Q. Goldie, big start for Yepez tonight. You go back to Spring Training, and he's the guy who gets kind of bumped off the roster when Albert comes in. I'm curious, you've spent time with him, how you've observed what he's been able to do this year to go from that moment where he finds out he's not making the team to here starting in what is the biggest game of the year unless there's another one?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: I mean, he's played great for us. I'm sure there's been up-and-downs for him just like there's been for all of us. He was on the playoff roster last year after not playing in the Big Leagues and had a chance to make the team, but it didn't happen and then he came up and had some really big hits for us and some big games and got hurt and hadn't got as much of an opportunity.

I think that kind of speaks to the depths of this team. He's done a great job. He's played very well for us. He's won some games for us, big hits and homers, and we're going to need him tonight. He's a valuable part of this team, and happy for the way he's played so far this year. I'm sure he wants to go out there and play well for us tonight.

Q. From a personal standpoint, you've had a lot of good years in your career, and this is certainly one of them. Do you consider this your best year? And whether or not you do, what was working so well for you to be the best version of yourself in 2022?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: I haven't looked at the stats. It's had to be one of the best years, definitely in the regular season, which is great, but that's over now. So our focus is definitely on trying to win in the postseason. I mean, that's what you remember. Just trying to be consistent during the year. It's no different than any other year. Always had the same goals and tried to do the same thing for whatever reason. Sometimes some years are better than others, and I don't know if you can always really put your finger on it when you're in it. You just try to do the best you can, and you know, stuff happens. But as good or bad as the regular season is, that's all behind us, and I think the focus is 100 percent on just trying to find a way to win tonight and give ourselves a chance tomorrow.

Q. Paul, Ollie was saying one of the things he loves most about you is you're bluntly honest. He said when you're not feeling well, you tell him I'm not feeling well. But he said you told him you're feeling really good right now. How does that translate when you're in the box to hitting?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: Yeah, I mean, obviously the results are there. I didn't do anything yesterday. I was 0 for 3 and had some chances with some guys on and didn't get the job done. Hopefully today will be different. But, yeah, just trying to go up there and do the same thing. If you don't feel good, you gotta find a way to still get the job done. There's plenty of games throughout the year, even my career where it was like, oh, man, that doesn't feel great and then you get two, three hits, homers, RBIs, whatever it is.

You don't put too much stock in that because you can perform when you feel not great, and sometimes when you feel great, you cannot get any hits. And so especially in the playoffs when it's really just about the team and trying to win that game, you're just trying to do your job and trying to find a way.

A blue pick can be the greatest thing and a line out which can normally be a good play in the regular season doesn't get the job done. So I think the playoffs just makes it easy that each time you get in the box, you're just focused on what do I need to do in this situation, how can I get on base or move a runner, drive a guy in or have a good at-bat, whatever it may be and same thing on defense. You're just so in the moment.

That's definitely one of the fun parts about the playoffs is all the other stuff is out the window. So you never know what's going to happen, and just try to go in there and do my job. And I said yesterday I didn't do a great job of that. I was 0 for 3, and hopefully today will be better.

Q. Given what happened here yesterday and what's happening in Cleveland, we're apparently going to play till dawn and what Seattle and San Diego did yesterday. How impressive has the postseason pitching been so far?

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT: We know the postseason pitching has been so great. That's why all of us are in the postseason, us included. You know you're only going to face the best pitchers, so you know there will be some tight games. It will come down to one pitch or one play or a couple of plays, just like our game. And I didn't see really any of the other games, but I'm assuming they were probably pretty similar. That's the fun part of it is staying in the moment and trying to find a way, and you know there's going to be some tight games and wouldn't surprise me if this one is that way again, and hopefully we can find a way to win it.