NL WILD CARD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS BREWERS

October 4, 2023

Sal Frelick

Josh Donaldson

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Pregame Press Conference

Q. For Sal, just for taste of the postseason, just what was it like? Just how much of a different atmosphere was it for you versus what you had been experiencing the last couple of months?

SAL FRELICK: Yeah. I mean, obviously a different animal out there. A lot of nerves, angst, everything, but after the first swing, you kind of settle in. Definitely an amazing atmosphere. Really cool to be a part of that for my first season.

Q. Hey, Josh, considering how the first part of your season went with the injuries and everything and the frustration, I was just wondering how much fun this has been for you, the loss aside last night. Just being in this position with this team right now.

JOSH DONALDSON: Yeah, I mean, coming over here, first off, at the beginning of the season, that definitely wasn't in the plans, I didn't think, but how it turned out, it's been a great situation for me. The guys here have been awesome and super welcoming to me.

You know, to have the frustration that you were talking about earlier in the year to now where you get to go out here in a postseason format and to compete on the biggest stages is awesome.

Q. How do you guys size up the challenge ahead of you with the two pitchers that they've got lined up these next two days?

SAL FRELICK: Yeah, fired up. It's playoff baseball. You're going to get the best every day. That's why we want to be here.

But, yeah, everybody that they're going to roll out is going to be good and elite, so just have got to be ready for it.

Q. Josh, in your taste with Sal, with Bryce Turang, a little bit of Garrett Mitchell, Andruw Monasterio, you've seen some of the rookies that are part of the future. Generally speaking, what strikes you about these players and sort of whatever happens in this postseason, what the future here is like?

JOSH DONALDSON: I think a big dynamic that I see with all those guys is their willingness to compete and go out there and lay it on the line. They take great at-bats. They go out there and play incredibly hard on the defensive side of the baseball. Their energy is definitely contagious to be around.

Q. Josh, I know you probably have been in this position before in the postseason. What's the veteran leadership, the veteran message you can give this clubhouse?

JOSH DONALDSON: I think it's just stay in the moment. Go out there, compete to win every pitch knowing that every game is going to have its ebbs and flows, and to not get caught up in it, but stay focused on what your job is.

If you do your job and you do what it takes to be successful to help your team win, obviously that's what we're looking for.

Q. For both of you guys, obviously there were I think 11 guys left on base yesterday. Does that get frustrating? How do you avoid that in a different game and take it one at-bat at a time and not let things snowball at all?

SAL FRELICK: Yeah, I mean, I thought we did a great job yesterday of applying pressure every inning. Really making pitchers work, defenses work.

A few times I thought we may have hurt ourselves, but at the same time, I think they got some good breaks. Longoria made a great play, and Yeli was trying to stretch a great base running play into third and got caught in it. I think just a couple of bad breaks too, but I think if we keep applying pressure, it will be all right.

Q. Neither of you have faced Gallen this season, but just what's the approach against him, and then also what do you take away from seeing so many of their relievers last night?

JOSH DONALDSON: Yeah, I think seeing their relievers, a lot of their leverage guys too is important, but it starts in the first inning today. A, you want to try to get good pitches to hit and be ready to hit and really commit to a plan. And everybody is a little bit different, but I think at the end of the day, he is a good pitcher, but we feel like we're going to be able to put a plan together and hopefully have some success.

Q. Josh, just to follow up on that do-your-job thing you said before, is that another way of saying just try not to do too much, which is possible in an elimination game like this? Just kind of don't get outside of what you do best?

JOSH DONALDSON: Yeah. I think it's knowing who you are, knowing what your job is. That's to go out there and play good defense, be ready for every pitch. There are so many things that go on in between pitches of at-bats, on defense that to be able to see the plays before they happen and really just do the mental preparation of staying focused on what it is that we need to do as an individual effort. Stay focused on that.

Q. Like you just mentioned, Josh, you guys faced a lot of different pitchers yesterday, and it can be a challenge to face a really good starting pitcher as well, but what is the difficulty of six, seven guys coming in instead of getting three looks at a Gallen or Kelly?

JOSH DONALDSON: I think that's just kind of where the game has evolved to really. I don't think it's that uncommon to see anymore so many different looks. Obviously they do it for a reason. There are reasons to why that has success because, as you said, you see one guy, one at-bat, it's a different guy another at-bat.

But we're in the postseason. You're really going out there and trying to focus on what it is you feel is going to be your best plan to have success off each guy. It starts with Gallen today. Can't really look too far past him.

He's obviously had a very successful season this year, and we're going to have our work cut out for us today, but I think that we're more than up to the task.

Q. Sal, you've had a front row seat to Tyrone in his awesome second half. Obviously the home run yesterday robbed by Longo. What have you made of him looking healthy, playing well, and be being out there in the outfield with you?

SAL FRELICK: Yeah, it's a blast. He is somebody I looked up to when I was going through the minors. He was down in triple-A with us a few times on rehab assignment. And just as an overall teammate, he is a guy you want in the clubhouse, a guy you want on your team.

To see him go out and have the success he is having, like you said, in the second half here, just couldn't happen to a better guy, so it's really fun to see it and to be able to play next to him.

Q. Josh, maybe this is a little more of a big picture baseball question, but what's your view of where the home run fits in this game right now? There was maybe a little more action, more balls in play this year with the no shift, but the home run is still, we saw yesterday, such a powerful part of this game, and obviously that's your game. I'm wondering just your thoughts about the way you've seen the sport evolve and where the home run fits in it right now.

JOSH DONALDSON: I think that home run plays a part of it. I think home runs come by having a good approach at the plate and executing a good game plan. As we all know, if you hit a home run, you affect the scoreboard immediately, right? That's why it is important, and I think that's why you do see it in the game.

But, also, the guys on the mound are tough, and they're throwing extremely hard, and they have hard breaking balls and different kinds of pitches. So if you barrel it and have some power, the ball tends to go out of the ballpark.