NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 6, 2023

Spencer Strider

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Spencer, so Snitker just told us that you're the Game 1 starter. What are your emotions like right now? How are you feeling and what was it like when he told you that you were going to be the first one?

SPENCER STRIDER: Yeah. We've know for a little bit that that was their plan, at least how they wanted to line it up. So it's good to get back into the playing mode. I know we've been doing the scrimmages, and I think that's been good. So I think everybody is excited to go out and have a packed stadium and a good environment, play some meaningful baseball.

Q. Spencer, I know you grew up watching Corey Kluber, and he obviously started his fair share of games. How long have you dreamt of a moment like this to get to start a series for a team like this?

SPENCER STRIDER: Yeah. That's what you play for. It's what you work for is opportunities in the postseason. That's been our goal as a team for the entire season. When we showed up to Spring Training, we expected to be here. In some ways, this is when the season starts for us.

We did a lot of good stuff in the regular season. Some of that will carry over in some ways, but most of it won't. So this is sort of a fresh slate. And like I said, we're excited to play some meaningful, energetic baseball and kind of go out and play our game.

Q. Spencer, you pitched so well against them in that clinching game in Philly and have in your career against them. How much does that help in a circumstance like this with going out there and being Game 1 starter and so many expectations, that kind of thing? How much does it help having success against them in some big games?

SPENCER STRIDER: Yeah. I think any amount of success is good. When you go into the postseason, you want to feel like you can be successful. You have done it before. Like I said, it's a fresh slate.

So they're a dangerous team. They're a very good team. They had a phenomenal regular season as well. And so we're expecting them to come out and fire on all cylinders, and we want to be as well.

So fortunately, like I said, we got to do the scrimmages, and we feel like we're a lot more dialed in than we were last year, having taken time off.

And I think the postseason is such an energetic environment that anything can happen, and we want to go out and sort of just stick to our strengths regardless of the opponent. So try not to make too much of a deal about who we play. It's more so about what we do, what we need to do to be successful.

Q. Spencer, last year you battled the oblique injury in September heading into the postseason. How important was it for you this postseason to enter it healthy?

SPENCER STRIDER: Yeah. It's always good to be healthy. We have some limitations, for sure, still. But Max didn't get to pitch as much as he would have liked going to finish the regular season with his blister. But he threw this week, and he feels good, and I think everybody feels good right now. So that's great.

And having the time off, I think, is still beneficial. Some people talk about getting to play is better than having the time off, but I think it's good for us to sort of take a little bit of a chance to recover.

And like I said, we did get our reps in this week. So, yeah, everybody feels good. I feel good, and we're looking forward to getting it started tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned that you feel like the team is more dialed in because of the simulated games. So how specifically do you feel like it just really helped you guys lock in, still being able to play and have the fans and the energy? Can you explain more about why you think that?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah. I think if nothing else, we had a similar routine to our days. We played as close to what we expected would be the game time for the DS. So we were coming to the park, taking BP, having stretched as a team, eating here.

It's the same schedule we would normally have in the regular season or postseason day. So I think that that helped sort of bridge the gap between regular season and postseason not making it feel like it was such a long period of time.

Q. Spencer, you know the narrative all season long for you guys has kind of been as you got through the season, the best team in baseball, this is the team that should end up on top at the end. When you consider the amount of pressure that that puts on you guys going into the postseason, how do you deal with that?

SPENCER STRIDER: I think you embrace it. We wanted this opportunity. I think that we played a lot of meaningful games this year, but down the stretch, we clinched early. And there were certainly some times where it felt like we were sort of waiting to get to October and play that meaningful baseball.

And the way things ended last year, everybody was itching to get back into this environment and have this opportunity. So we're excited. We're expecting a big crowd to come out and have good fans in a really good environment between two good teams. That's kind of what we've been looking forward to all year is this chance to play, like I said, some energetic baseball here in October.

Q. I know you mentioned the clean slate, but what did you learn from last year's postseason start, and how much did that drive you heading forward?

SPENCER STRIDER: I think like I said, it's a very energetic environment. So things happen quickly, the ability to slow the game down and focus on what you need to do to be successful and try not to let the environment dictate your thought process or your approach.

We have played a lot of games. We have had some success this year. So I think everybody's very confident in their routines and their preparation. And I think you want to let the adrenaline and the energy of the postseason sort of aid in that process rather than trying to avoid it.