NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS DODGERS

October 14, 2022

Chris Taylor

Petco Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Chris, how are you feeling, and just getting back out there today and playing, how have the last few -- the weekend, with some at-bats you've been taking, how are you feeling prepared for tonight?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I feel really good. I feel like I'm in a good spot. I got some live at-bats before the game started, and I feel like I'm in a good place, so I'm excited.

Q. Would you say that you're at 100 percent right now?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah.

Q. So many of your teammates and yourself have had postseason experience in the biggest of games. As this series goes deeper, do you feel like that's a tangible advantage for you guys?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I don't know. I mean, yeah. I think the experience definitely helps, just having a bunch of guys that have been there every year.

We know what it takes, and just having an experienced group.

But I think at the end of the day we just have a good baseball team, and we're just focused on doing our job and each guy doing their part.

I think we know if we play the way we're capable of, things will take care of themselves.

Q. Were you available for Games 1 and 2 health-wise, and were you surprised when Dave didn't use you as a pinch-hitter?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, I was available. I'm 100 percent, like I've been saying. I'm ready to go.

I mean, I'm always expecting it. I think you have to have the mentality when you go into it that you're getting the at-bat. If you don't and then you're really not prepared. Every potential situation that I could come in off the bench, I'm fully expecting to get that at-bat.

Q. When the neck issue first popped up, how concerned were you that this wouldn't be possible, getting back for this?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I mean, when it happened, it was more just unfortunate timing because I was coming off a really good game. I had three hits, and I felt -- all like middle of the field to right field, which I hadn't done that in a while, and it felt really good. I was finally like doing what I wanted to in the box.

Yeah, the timing of it was just unfortunate, like a week before postseason games. But like I said, it was more just having to get those at-bats right before and understanding that, kind of fighting to be in there right now, that was unfortunate.

But I'm 100 percent; I'm good to go.

Q. Were you able to get that feel back with your swing during the sim game situations? Or is part of that you don't know for sure until you get into an actual game like tonight?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, the first sim games, sim game we had, I think it was a Sunday. There was a little bit of that anxiousness again, just not seeing pitching in a week. It just takes a few pitches and a few swings to get comfortable, and then I kind of realized, oh, like I have more time than I thought.

Then once I put a few balls in play, I felt really good, and Monday I got some at-bats, and those went really well.

Q. Just watching from the side, the way that they've attacked you guys just as a whole so far, is there anything surprising or unexpected or just that you've picked up on? Dave has kind of talked about seems like they might be emphasizing a lot of spin and secondary stuff. What did you notice from the first two games?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I haven't noticed anything super obvious. It might be me not being in the lineup. I might not notice some things that other guys notice actually like being in the box hitting.

But yeah, like I said, I'm down in the cage and I'm like staying loose and hitting and stuff, so there might be some things I miss.

No, I think they're playing good baseball. You can see that right now. I would say they're playing their best baseball of the year since we've played them. We understand this is a good team, and we've got to bring our A game.

Q. Have you been able to pinpoint what it is specifically you've been trying to work through with your swing overall this year?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I mean, it's a long season. That's such a broad question. Right now I'm in a good spot. I'll just say that. I feel like I can -- at this point in time, I can actually do what I'm wanting to do, and that's use the whole field, hit the ball gap to gap, and throughout the year I was really having trouble doing that.

Q. You said earlier that sort of coming into last postseason, right before, you found something in your swing that worked. Do you remember what that was and when that was? Was it sort of the day of the Wild Card game? When did you --

CHRIS TAYLOR: Last year was -- actually the Wild Card game I felt terrible. That was just one of those things. Just one swing can kind of lock you back in.

Obviously that's huge for like your confidence going forward when you come up with a big hit like that going into the Giants series. I'm sure that played a part in me feeling more comfortable and better mechanically, as well.

But yeah, I mean, I remember what -- the adjustments I made going into that Giants series that kind of got me going, but I wish it was as simple as like, oh, this worked for me then, now it's going to work for me. And that's just not the case. Your swing evolves and changes.

A lot of the times the things that get you locked in are the same things that eventually get you in a slump and you kind of have to revert.

It's just constantly making adjustments, and I don't even want to go into what I did last year because it doesn't matter.

Q. Chris, you guys have dominated the matchups with the Padres so much in the last few years that even though when you'd come in there would be energy at Petco Park, but maybe it was muted for a lot of the game. Now they win the Mets series in New York, they win Game 2 in LA. What are your expectations of the environment tonight which may be different than any time you guys have played here?

CHRIS TAYLOR: No, I think it's probably going to be the best environment, the loudest environment we've ever seen here. We know they're going to be excited coming off a win, 1-1, playoff series -- like this is arguably the biggest games they've had here in a really long time.

I know it's going to be loud, and it's going to be fun.

Q. Blake Snell the other day said that Game 6 of the 2020 World Series was probably the best he's ever pitched. I don't think you were too familiar with him going into that series. Now that he's with the Padres, you've seen him a lot over the last two years. How does that help you going into this matchup seeing him tonight, and is it a situation where if he's locked in and in the zone, is he that tough again?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I mean, I think experience facing a pitcher, anytime you can get that -- I've always thought it's an advantage for the offense. The more you face a guy, the more experience you have, I think the advantage goes to the hitters. Maybe that's my biased opinion being a hitter. But I think it just gives the offense chances to make adjustments, and I'm sure pitchers could make similar arguments, just having that familiarity.

Q. Is the familiarity you think is (off microphone) --

CHRIS TAYLOR: No, he's got really good stuff. He's always tough. I think he's had some success off us all year. He has four plus pitches.

It's just a matter of sort of grinding him out and battling with him.