NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 10, 2023

Rob Thomson

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Rob, your team has been a team that's always been able to kind of put the previous game out of their mind and move on since you have taken over, maybe even this year and last year. How much does that help, especially after a tough Game 2?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, it's huge. We've done that a lot. As I've said many times, this is a tough team, resilient team. Day off helps, too clear your mind, but I expect nothing less than these guys coming in here tomorrow and getting after it.

Q. Rob, obviously the focus on Bryce last night. But that aside, just base running, the first month of the year there was so much talk over you being too aggressive and making too many outs on the bases and you said it was about finding the balance of being aggressive and pushing the issue. How do you feel your team has done in the last couple months and so far in the playoffs creating extra runs by being aggressive and taking advantage of opportunities?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, I think we've done a good job. We've stolen a lot of bases. We've taken a lot of extra bases, put pressure on people. That's what you need to do in the playoffs, and you can't be silly, but I think we've done a good job taking advantage of that.

Harp last night just clearly thought the ball was going to be over Harris's head, and he took a shot to score, and Harris made a heck of a play. You know, we'll move on.

Q. How does Kyle Schwarber impact your lineup at the top of the order because he's not like a prototypical lead off man, but he still gets on base? Like what does the power at the top of the lineup do for your lineup?

ROB THOMSON: Couple things. Well, yeah. He does get on base. The walks, the on base, the slug. He can impact the game from pitch one and give us a lead, one nothing. He's done that many times this year.

What he also does as we turn the lineup over, because we got a long lineup, so guys at the end of the lineup, they get on base and now we've got this power threat coming.

So he's -- not only has he scored a lot of runs, but he's created a lot of runs. And I think, yeah, he's not the Ricky Henderson typical lead off guy, but he's so effective in that spot.

Q. Rob, in the 8th inning last night, you obviously started that inning with Alvarado because you wanted the left on left. I'm wondering in a one-run game what made you confident with Hoffman against that pocket of Acuña, Albies and Riley instead of any of the other righties that have you a choice of out there? What made it Hoffman for you?

ROB THOMSON: Just his stuff, the high velocity, the slider, the split on the lefty. He tried to run a two seam on Acuña and got hit by a pitch. Made a great pitch on Albies to get an easy out.

And then just hung a slider, and Riley was strong enough to one hand it over the left field fence. So tip your cap to them. But I thought that was the right spot for him.

Q. Are those decisions a little bit more complicated this year because you have so many options out there? The night before Seranthony struck out, Acuña, Riley. You've got Kerkering as a weapon out there. Are those decisions even more difficult to make sometimes because of how many guys you could go to?

ROB THOMSON: That would be a good problem to have to have that many people out there. We meet. Pitching coaches, Mike Calitri, Dusty Wathan and I, we meet before every game and we talk about their lineup and our guys and what pockets we want to attack. And that was the spot that we thought Hoffman was going to be the most effective in.

Q. When you see Aaron Nola pitch, what are the indicators that he's going to be the best version of Nola, and what have you seen the last three starts where he's really been consistent after a year of kind of inconsistency?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, I think it's the command of his fastball. When he can get the fastball to his glove side, I think that's an indication.

Soft contact is an indication. Just the quality of the breaking ball and the use of the changeup. Those are things that he does when he's going good that makes him very effective.

Q. Rob, they haven't announced a starter yet for tomorrow. Does that complicate anything for you guys at all?

ROB THOMSON: Not at all. I'm assuming it's going to be a right-hander.

Q. Rob, the four hours of hell, three hours of hell, as you put it, last series, what did you think of it and the two Marlins games and how critical is that to the next two games?

ROB THOMSON: I think it's super critical. And our fanbase is the best in the world as far as I'm concerned, and they can create a lot of energy for our guys. And there are times when they can intimidate other people. So we love playing in front of them, for sure. So it's a big part of our club.

Q. Is Ranger going to start Game 4?

ROB THOMSON: Don't know yet. I'll announce after tomorrow night's game.

Q. So it depends on what happens tomorrow?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah.

Q. Okay. And then did you guys hear is it filtered through the clubhouse the team, Arcia after the game last night apparently was running around the clubhouse saying, haha, atta boy, Bryce. Does that motivate you guys at all?

ROB THOMSON: Really, I don't think anybody needs any motivation right now. But if that adds to our motivation, that's great.

Q. Following up on the base running thing earlier, just last night alone, Castellanos steals second, takes third on the error, scores on a sac fly. Acuña goes third to home. How important is just even one extra base in a playoff series, especially one like this, where it's going to be this close?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, it can be super important. Acuña steals third base there. Does that affect the breaking ball? He doesn't want to spike it, doesn't want to -- you know, so it happens.

So I think getting extra bases is critical. Getting in the scoring position, going first to third, getting a dirt ball read. We've been doing a lot of good things with that.

Q. Rob, as rivalries go, if Red Sox-Yankees is a 10, where are we with Braves-Phillies? Do we need some bulletin board material? Where are we with this?

ROB THOMSON: Today?

Q. In general, the last couple of years.

ROB THOMSON: Today, it's 10.

Q. We see around baseball a lot of times home field advantage makes no difference. Arizona won on the road. It happens all the time. But here it seems like it does.

What is different about Philadelphia in the postseason, and when you did lose a couple games at home last year in the World Series, was that shocking?

ROB THOMSON: Well, it wasn't necessarily shocking because we were playing a pretty good club and who's been there before. But I think that we play our best baseball at home, whether it's playoff baseball or regular season baseball. So I think guys are comfortable here. They love playing in front of our fans, and I think it gives us an edge.