NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 16, 2023

Kyle Schwarber

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Kyle Schwarber.

Q. Kyle, the crowd was already in a frenzy when you got to that at-bat in the first inning, and just the sensation you have or had at that moment, just being able to start the game the way you did with that home run, just how did that feel for you, and just to get the team on the right track at that moment?

KYLE SCHWARBER: I think the biggest thing is obviously Wheels went out there, great first inning. Fans were into it. We were wanting to kind of hop right on Gallen there.

I'm sure he didn't mean to throw where the location was, but I was able to put a good swing on it. It just gets the crowd -- you know, wow. Talk about a fun crowd where you round the bases, you are looking around, and you are seeing a frenzy. It can put an extra layer onto what an atmosphere is already.

Trea goes out there and puts a really good swing on the ball, and then Harp follows up with another home run and adds on to another layer.

So can't say enough about what the crowd was tonight. They were with us the whole entire night and looking forward to getting back here tomorrow.

Q. Kyle, Torey Lovullo said you guys ambushed Zac. How much of that was the plan going in against him specifically, or was it more just wanting to set a tone regardless of who the pitcher is?

KYLE SCHWARBER: Yeah, for us as an offense, in general, we're not looking to take hitters' pitches. We'll give him some pitcher's pitches, things like that, but we're not trying to chase as well. The biggest thing is trying to get him in the zone, and he is such a great pitcher. He has had such a great year to where if you get him in the zone and you're going to get a good swing, you don't want to miss it.

That's the biggest thing. That's the whole thing with a lot of these really good pitchers that they can live off of a swing and a miss or a foul ball or something like that, and then you're going to a nastier pitch.

So the biggest thing for us is look -- obviously we all come up with a plan. Not everyone is going to have the same plan, but everyone goes up there with a plan. And you're looking to execute that plan, if that's looking for a pitch in a certain area or if it's just looking at an area, whatever it is.

Q. Zach Wheeler's last two post seasons, you've played with some really good postseason pitchers even with the Cubs. What are you seen from Zach, what does it say about him that he's done this on the big stage these last two years?

KYLE SCHWARBER: You can't say enough about the way that he takes the ball and the way that he composes himself. It's a rowdy crowd. I'm itching when I'm in the cage waiting for that first inning to be over. He is out there, and he is in control of the game. He's in control of the situation.

I feel like he does such a really good job of staying within himself and having plus stuff. When he has the command that he has, it's like he is just getting better with age, right?

He's obviously got electric stuff, but when he is commanding the baseball, it's pretty nasty. I'm happy to be on his team because I did not like facing that guy. Can't talk about the poise, the stuff, everything. It's all A-plus.

He's a true number one, and you're looking forward to handing him the ball.

Q. Kyle, your home run came off the bat at 117 miles an hour, which is the hardest hit home run you've had since the one off Darvish last year. Do you know when you have really got a ball like that, and if so, can you tell even before you make contact?

KYLE SCHWARBER: I think the biggest thing is just, one, you know when you make a good swing, you don't really feel it. You know that's when it's barrelled. Fortunately even when I didn't get the run in there from third base, I hit it pretty good. It still didn't feel like anything. You know what I mean?

I think, one, you don't feel anything, and two, you hear the crowd roar, and you see the trajectory and I think that's a pretty good sign.

Yeah, it was a good swing, and looking to bundle it up and try to keep putting more good swings on baseballs.

Q. You have played on a lot of great offensive teams in your career. I wonder, the hitters meetings that you have with this group, are there a couple of guys that are especially vocal? What's unique about just how much you guys love talking hitting with each other?

KYLE SCHWARBER: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is Caleb does a good job of breaking down the opposing pitchers for us and kind of gives us what they're doing lately and what their recent outings have been like and things like that.

Guys will kind of talk just around that whenever we're on a certain guy. And the input, it's really important. It might not even be in the hitters meeting. It can be when you are coming off an at-bat and someone is asking you what did that cutter look like, or what did the slider look like, things like that?

When you are formulating an approach and a game plan, overall there's a team aspect to it. And also, too, everyone has their personal game plan as well. Yeah, I mean, when we're inside and talking about a pitcher and we talk about that and then we talk about how we want to set a tone for a game, that's how it is for us.

We know that our pitchers are going to give us a chance to score, and it's our job to go out there and set the tone on the offense and get the runs on the board for our guys.

Q. What was the dugout reaction to Bryce homering on his birthday, and how did you guys help him celebrate?

KYLE SCHWARBER: I think he said it was a dream of his to play on his birthday, so pretty good birthday swings he had today. A big home run. Obviously the big single there. Worked a really nice walk too.

Yeah, I mean, everyone went nuts. This guy, he is looking for the moment, and he wants it. He's doing such an unbelievable job for us. Talking about when he is going up to the plate, you are just thinking that he is going to do something special every single time. Can that be unfair to have an expectation on a player? Sure. But that's what everyone is thinking when you're in the dugout. Man, what's this guy going to do next?

It's really cool to see a player like that really exceed in these stages and show everyone what he's all about.

Q. You said a minute ago that it seems like Wheeler just gets better with age. That doesn't always happen, but how has he evolved in what you have seen from him when you faced him earlier to the ace number one he is now?

KYLE SCHWARBER: I think the biggest thing is he has always had the stuff. Even when he was with the Mets, you know, he always had the stuff. He was always 96, 97, 91, 92, cutter, slider.

I think the biggest thing is you just see him evolving with -- he has a couple of different breaking balls now. And the command of the fastball is -- I think that's the success of anyone is the command of his fastball. And anyone's success, right?

John Lackey always said it. Down and away is recession proof. If you can throw down and away all the time, it's hard to hit down and away. If you are putting the ball where you want it like he is doing right now and like he has been doing -- he had a fantastic season? -- it's just going to open up so many different avenues for him with different breaking balls or different fastballs or things like that.

Q. You mentioned you were in the cage, just kind of itching to get out there. I'm wondering, what's it like kind of waiting for that first at-bat in a postseason game? What's your mentality like?

KYLE SCHWARBER: It's definitely nerve-wracking. It's not even that nerve-wracking. I think it's just positive anxiety, right, where I can't control anything out on the field anymore. So I'm just in the cage and sitting there watching and watching the live feed and trying to get ready for that bat and putting myself in different scenarios and putting myself in different counts and things like that in my head whenever we're flipping.

That's the biggest thing for me is just trying to put myself in different scenarios when I'm in the cage. So whenever I am out there, I'm not going to be shocked by any kind of scenario. But it's definitely anxious. You're wanting to get out there, wanting to be in front of the fans, get in that box and try to start the game off by getting on base or anything like that.

Q. Obviously you love this role, right? I mean, being able to get up there and set a tone like you did?

KYLE SCHWARBER: Oh, I mean, absolutely I like being able to lead off a game. It's a fun thing when you step into -- you're walking up to the plate, and next thing you know 46,000 people are getting on their feet and ready to rock 'n' roll.

You're looking to set a tone. If that's, like you said, a home run, if it's a walk, a single, whatever it is, to try to get on base for these guys behind me. Yeah, it's a really special thing.

Those are things I'm not going to forget ever whenever I'm done playing, you know, is walking up to the plate in these playoff games and hearing these crowds roar.