NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS DODGERS

October 11, 2022

Trea Turner

Alex Vesia

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Dodgers-5, Padres 3

THE MODERATOR: First question for Trea.

Q. Hey, Trea, before the game when we talked, you said that you felt refreshed, and it certainly looked that way. Did that break really energize you after all?

TREA TURNER: I don't know. I guess I feel good. I feel like this year my body has felt as good as it has in a long time. Last few years and years past you play banged up, but this year has been pretty good.

So I felt pretty good body-wise, but having a few days off, I think, like I told you mentally and physically just helps a little bit and helps you hit the reset button real quick and then get right back to it. Yeah, I feel good.

Q. The double play in the 6th, started by Gavin Lux, he was shaded up the middle. How difficult of a play was that?

TREA TURNER: It's a tough one. He has to kind of make that 360. I'm coming across the bag, so he has to make a good throw to me as well. A lot has to go right to make that play. He is a good infielder and puts his work in every day early. He is athletic enough to make those plays too. It was a good play by him, and we got the job done.

Q. I know you were making a lot of adjustments with your swing late in the year. Do you feel like something clicked at all with you in that last game of the regular season?

TREA TURNER: Yeah, I think a lot of it was timing and being able to -- I thought I was on time, and I wasn't, and then when I'm late, I try to make up for it. A lot of bad habits. Just being earlier and on time cleans up a lot of things.

Just keep talking it over with the hitting coaches and some of my teammates and whatnot, and I think it just kind of comes down to time, and that's kind of the small adjustment I've made the last six at-bats or so along with some other things. I think it's mostly just being on time for 95-plus and adjusting to everything else.

Q. Alex, obviously, a big outing for you today out of the bullpen. Just what was working for you out there?

ALEX VESIA: I felt like I was able to get ahead. I think that was the biggest key, making sure that I got ahead with the fastball and then put them away with either a slider or -- I mean, I used my changeup once or twice tonight. So, yeah, just getting ahead.

Q. You were a 17th round pick out of a Division II, traded by one of the worst teams in baseball. For to be here at a moment like this now, what does it mean to you?

ALEX VESIA: Chip is on my shoulder all the time. I feel like I carry that in my heart pretty much every day. My college coach had told me, he said, You're not going to make your money in the draft. He is like, You're going to make it in the Big Leagues. That's always been pretty heavy on my heart.

Q. Trea, what enabled you and the team as a whole to get to Clevinger today?

TREA TURNER: Just doing what we do. Getting the good counts, battle, take our walks if he gives it to us. Hit the ball hard when we get a good pitch to hit.

We've seen a lot of them lately, especially in the last month or so this season. Kind of knew what to expect. Still have to execute and still have to get the results, but I think we just were ourselves and didn't give anything away.

Q. Did you feel going in that there was any kind of advantage to getting to face the No. 4 guy in their rotation going up against your ace?

TREA TURNER: I think that's the wrong way to think about it. I think all of us as a whole don't take anybody lightly. We know that on any given day somebody can throw a good game against us or beat us in general.

I don't think we think that way. I think he is a pretty good pitcher. I think we respect him in the clubhouse. I know what the numbers are, but that doesn't mean anything really when it comes to postseason or to that given day.

That was in the past, and we wanted to execute and kind of get to him again, and we did.

Q. For Trea, this is a five games, not seven. How crucial is it? How critical to get the first win in a short series?

TREA TURNER: Everyone wants to talk about that all the time, the odds if you win this game or lose this game or whatever it is. At the end of the day you just have to win whatever is in front of you, and tonight we did.

Tomorrow we have a whole other challenge, and they're not going to give up. You saw tonight they battled back and had some good at-bats and pitched well late in the game too.

It's not going to be easy, but it's good to get the first one, and we'll find out tomorrow.

Q. How weird did the weather get, and how strong was that wind, and at what point did it change?

TREA TURNER: It wasn't too, too bad. I think the one ball to Trayce in left field I think Manny hit was kind of wild, and it kind of came quick and then settled down a little bit in the 9th inning too. That's something you have to look out for.

It was definitely different. We haven't really had that all year, but I think last year in the postseason against the Giants, we had one of those games where it was crazy windy and it was kind of weird.

Can never count anything out, I guess.

Q. Trea, you guys don't take anything for granted no matter how far you are ahead, but what did it do for the attitude in the dugout when Clevinger left in the third?

TREA TURNER: We wanted to get to the bullpen as much as we can and see those arms and make them throw as many pitches as possible, so I think that was a job well done.

Like I said, they started executing when they brought those arms in, Wilson, Johnson, and some of those guys. Made some good pitches. We have to keep battling and keep the foot on the gas and don't give anything away.

I don't think we necessarily did. I think we did a good job taking our at-bats and grinding them out, but that's why every run counts because you don't know what's going to happen later in the game. You don't know how it's going to go. Keep pushing and don't give anything away.

Q. Trea, were you able to talk to Juan Soto at all before the game? Last year he was here cheering you on. You guys are playing against each other along with Bell?

TREA TURNER: I haven't talked to him much. Just right before the game said what's up to him real quick, and he said good luck, I said the same. A mutual respect that we have for each other. We're boys. I know he wants to beat us, as do I want to beat them.

Nothing crazy. I'll probably talk to him after the series is over and in the offseason a little bit more.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Alex?

Q. Alex, what was your rooting interest as a kid, and do you have any die-hard Padres fans in your family?

ALEX VESIA: Say that one more time.

Q. What was your rooting interest growing up?

ALEX VESIA: My dad is actually a Yankee fan. Yeah, that's a whole different conversation. Obviously, being from San Diego, I understand the question, and I've got a lot of friends and stuff that they're not too happy with me, but I think it's all right. I think they understand.

Yeah, man, it's been a lot of fun.

Q. Alex, when you talk about fitting into this team, what is it about this clubhouse that players like you and other players even like Trayce that came in, why do you fit so well in that clubhouse do you think?

ALEX VESIA: I think the biggest thing is to be yourself and that we embrace that around here. I mean, we have a bunch of different characters on the team. I think that nothing that you do is ever frowned upon, that we take our work seriously.

There's a lot of very, very good guys to bounce ideas off of and learn from, and I feel like I did that pretty well last year, and then I've just built on it this year more and more.

Thank you, guys.