NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 12, 2022

Rob Thomson

Truist Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Is Seranthony Dominguez going to be available tonight? He didn't throw many pitches yesterday?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, he came in. He said he was feeling great. So we're still being careful with him. He's coming off surgery. But as of right now he's available.

Q. You said earlier, I think it was about a week ago, that the rules that you had during the season might be a little bit more flexible with him. Does that still stand with how you might use the bullpen moving forward?

A. Yes.

Q. Is there any clarity on the weather and just the pitching situation in general today?

ROB THOMSON: No. We have a meeting at 4 o'clock. Just came out of a meeting. We have another one at 4 o'clock for an update.

Q. Do you have a Game 4 starter?

ROB THOMSON: Not at this point, no.

Q. Do you have some contingency plans based on if Zack is starting and there's weather that comes or maybe possibly not starting him if the weather would have him only go an inning or two or something like that?

ROB THOMSON: I think general consensus is that we will not start a game unless we feel like we can finish it. We're not looking for delays. I don't think anybody is -- the Braves, us, Major League Baseball. If there's a window there, we'll go.

Q. You really have never designated a closer per se. And I know how much you like assigning relievers based on matchups. I'm wondering, in general, when you think about the ninth inning, the final three outs of a game, if there are qualities in a pitcher, whether it's swing-and-miss or whatnot that you especially like for that inning and for that spot?

ROB THOMSON: I think it's swing or miss for chase hitters and ground ball for contact hitters. The one thing that I think is mandatory is that you have to have a slow heartbeat and be able to control that moment. I think that's a huge part of it.

Q. Where is your mind right now with Zach Eflin after what you've seen with the last four or five situations in the last week or so and what you saw yesterday? How do you regard him? Is he still a ninth-inning option?

ROB THOMSON: He's an end-of-the-game option, not necessarily the ninth inning. If his pocket shows up in the ninth I still have full confidence in him.

I gave up an infield single to Acuña and 2-0 double to Swanson, big strikeout to Riley. Did give up the home run to Olson. But he kept the moment under control, got the next two outs and finished the game. I still have confidence in Zach.

Q. Seranthony was in here talking about when he first came back from the injury list, he was kind of thinking about am I going to get hurt again, can I hurt myself. I was wondering if you saw maybe him pitching tentatively, not letting loose the last two games. Does he look like a different person mentally, physically?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, he looks different now. I think he was a little bit when he first came back. And I think that's a natural thing. This is a young kid with a bright future, and I think that's only natural. But I'm seeing the guy that we know and we've seen the last few years come out this time of year.

Q. How does that work behind the scenes when you're trying to build a guy up and maybe tell him kind of be free, let loose? Is that just constant conversations? Are you talking Caleb?

ROB THOMSON: I think it's everybody -- Lundy, Caleb, Kap, myself, other bullpen guys. I think it's just a group effort to get them over the hump.

Q. You saw Zack Wheeler from the other side for a few years before he came to the Phillies. Is there something you didn't know about him that you've come to learn being his bench coach and now his manager for the last three years?

ROB THOMSON: I think just how good his stuff is. I mean, I always saw big arm. But on a daily basis you see command, control. You see the secondary pitches being plus plus.

And just his makeup. He's just a guy that doesn't really let anything bother him. He just goes out and pitches every day. And I guess that's one of the reasons why he's so consistent.

Q. You got production from your 9 hole again yesterday. And it's been a theme all season. But the season, the moments get bigger and bigger but you still get production from one or two guys, it seems, whenever your team is successful. You've addressed it before, but why do you think that is, and how much does that help when it doesn't have to just be the big name/big money guys?

ROB THOMSON: I'm not sure the reason other than we've got some pretty decent hitters hitting at the bottom of the lineup. And it is so important for those guys to be able to turn the lineup over and have runners on base, where you've got Schwarber, Hoskins, Realmuto, Harper coming. It's just naturally going to create runs. It's been a big deal all year, and those guys have done a great job with it.

Q. You've only hit one home run, I believe, in the three playoff games. How impressed have you been with the approach and the mentality at the plate and in some cases playing a little small ball, manufacturing runs?

ROB THOMSON: I think you have to do that at times. When you're not putting the ball in the seats, you've got to do something to create some runs -- steal bases, take extra bases -- and we've done a great job of that. Play a little small ball. We may hit and run. We may safety squeeze, you never know.

But at this time of year you're facing pretty good pitching, and runs are hard to come by sometimes. So sometimes you've got to create that, and we've done a really good job about it.

Q. I don't know if you addressed this yesterday, but what did you think of Rhys Hoskins' slide yesterday? Did you see it?

ROB THOMSON: Into the plate? It was a little rough, I would say. (Laughter) May have to get the sliding pads out and do a little work on it. But he scored anyway.

Q. What are you seeing from Schwarber here lately? And what have you liked about this lineup, the top half of it especially, and would you give any thought at jumbling it around or let him swing away?

ROB THOMSON: I've given no thought to it because that's who Schwarb is. He goes through some down times. But when they're good times and he's hot he's as hot as anybody. So we'll just wait it out.