NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 17, 2023

J.T Realmuto

Kyle Schwarber

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Kyle and J.T.

Q. J.T., Nola has been throwing the ball great the last three starts. What kind of jumped out at you tonight? Let's start with that, I guess.

J.T. REALMUTO: I just think he's continued to be consistent at getting ahead of guys. He's done a good job of mixing his pitches, you know, using both fastballs to righties and lefties, using both sides of the plate. He's really just being unpredictable and getting ahead of guys and being able to put them away when he is ahead.

Q. I think he threw -- he threw changeups tonight. Was that because it was so good or just situation --

J.T. REALMUTO: We liked what we saw, and it looked really good in the bullpen. And then the first few he threw in the game it looked like it was one of his better changeup days.

They've had some success off him in the past hitting his curveball in a couple of outings recently, so we knew the changeup was going to be a big pitch today, and he had it going for us.

Q. Can both of you guys speak to the confidence boost it gives you guys when Wheeler is throwing like he is and then Aaron is throwing like he is?

KYLE SCHWARBER: Yeah, I mean, those guys are horses. I think our whole starting staff, the way that they've thrown the ball the whole year, they keep us in games. And they give us an opportunity to go out there and score runs and get a win at the end of the day.

It's not going to be every day, but the way that these guys are throwing the ball right now, it's been fantastic. And it makes our jobs a lot easier, and hopefully as we keep going through this, we can make their jobs a little bit easier too with scoring some runs.

Q. I would like to ask both you guys, obviously you got a lot of good hitters in your lineup, but at a time of year when pitching is supposed to predominate, are you guys surprised a little bit at what you've been able to do offensively?

J.T. REALMUTO: I wouldn't necessarily say surprised, no. I think this is kind of the lineup that we envisioned ourselves having all season long. And I just think that we're clicking at the right time right now.

From top to bottom, everybody seems like they're going good at-bats. The focus is there. The intent is there. We're not chasing as much as we did early in the season. We're trying to cut down our swings and just put the ball in play. Then you turn around, and we're hitting home runs all over the field, and these guys are doing a ton of damage.

I just think everybody is a little more focused right now and just locked in.

KYLE SCHWARBER: To piggyback off that, the way that we're controlling, one, the zone and trying to make them come to us, right? They're going to make pitches. The pitching is really good at this point of the year. Don't get me wrong.

But the biggest thing is just trying when we get our hitter's pitch, we don't want to miss it. That's the biggest thing right now. I feel like we're doing a really good job of really locking into that and cutting down the swings. Next thing you know, it's showing in the slug.

Q. Could you have imaged a much better game and better start to this series, and where is your confidence at right now?

J.T. REALMUTO: I mean, you can't really draw it up any better than the last two games have gone for us. We've pitched the ball really well. We've played phenomenal defense. There's been a ton of plays made in the infield and outfield that weren't easy plays, and we've turned them all into outs.

We've hit the ball well also. With that being said, this series is a long ways from being over. That's a really good ball club over there that we've got to go into their stadium and play now.

We just have to try to keep the momentum on our side, continue to play good baseball, continue to put together good at-bats and attack the strike zone. If we keep playing this brand of baseball, we feel pretty good about our chances. But it's far from over.

Q. For both of you. Kyle, I know you've answered this probably a million times, but can you tell us why you love hitting in the lead-off spot, and J.T., why you love seeing Kyle hit in the lead-off spot?

KYLE SCHWARBER: I don't know. I've had a lot of at-bats there. Don't get me wrong, I've sucked at it. I've had a lot of trial and error, and luckily, over the last few seasons, the last probably three seasons, it's been pretty consistent in that spot.

You know, it's just more making it your own, right, that you have this conception. I always said that I have one of the best lead-off hitters in my opinion in Dexter Fowler, and I got to watch that for a long time when he was in Chicago.

Then you get thrown into the lead-off spot when he goes away. You try to replicate that. You might not have success because, for me, I've got an eye. I can walk. Speed is definitely in play. Not really.

Taking away that conception of the lead-off spot and just making it my own, and I've been pretty comfortable with it the last three years. Just had a lot of at-bats there. It fits for our lineup.

J.T. REALMUTO: Yeah, for me, I like him in lead-off. As a catcher, I know what the opposing pitcher and catcher are thinking about all day long before a game. Even the night before. They're worried about that first at-bat. They're worried about the first pitch. They have anxiety. Because I know when we're facing guys like Acuna or Carroll over there, like, when they can do damage from the first pitch, it's a very uncomfortable feeling.

And Schwarbs is the best in the game at making the opposing pitcher feel uncomfortable before the game even starts. There's never a moment where they feel like oh, we can just ease into this game. They have to be on their top game the first pitch of the game. And that's not fun as a pitcher. Like I said, he's the best in the game at that, and he just sets the tone for our offense.

You can see almost a weight getting lifted off of our shoulders when he has a good at-bat. It's not only the home runs. He has really good at-bats every time. The first at-bat of the game is so important, and he's one of the best in the game at just making the pitcher work. Even when he doesn't hit a home run, he gets a ton of walks. He is never an easy out. That's what you are looking for out of your lead-off.

Q. Kyle, you starting to see the ball a little bit better in this particular series. You kind of struggled a little bit, but it seems like you stay calm even in the face of your struggles and all that as well.

KYLE SCHWARBER: Yeah. At the end of the day, it's about getting a win. I really don't care. I've always said I will go 0 for 4 if we win the baseball game. I don't care. This isn't about personal stats. This is about trying to find a way to win a baseball game. It doesn't need to be sexy or anything like that. It can be ugly. I don't care.

I feel like that's the mind set of our whole team right now. It doesn't matter. We're all going to be selfless. We're going to try to pass the baton to the next guy, try to get guys over to third base when we can, try to beat great situational hitting.

That's the story of the postseason, and if we all embrace that like we are right now, good things can happen for us.

Q. I think three years ago at this time there was a moment where you leave the Cubs, and it's an uncertain future in some ways for you to prove what you can do in this game. And I wonder if you can reflect about that journey and what you have done, all the work you've put in to now being in three straight postseasons and how you have built yourself back to being where you are right now?

KYLE SCHWARBER: Obviously it is what it is. I'll never make an excuse after that season in 2020. Yeah, I mean, I didn't perform at all.

I just knew that wasn't a representation of myself. I've been lucky to be on great teams with great people around me all the time, and it kind of shapes you into the baseball player you are right now. That's talking from my time with the Cubs, guys in Washington, guys in Boston, and guys here now.

These guys in this clubhouse are A-plus. When you get to go out and battle with this locker room, it fires you up, and it makes you want to -- we play for each other.

Obviously we play for the city. We have an amazing fan base, and we want to do this for the city, but when you have a bond like we all have in that clubhouse, it's so tight.

That's all you're thinking about inside is just trying to do it for these guys, and that's what we all think about each other. We're all trying to do it for each other and for the city.

Yeah, you know, the personal journey is the personal journey. It is what it is. I got let go, sure. But I just knew it wasn't the player I was, and the more that you can wrap yourself within a team -- you know, the best piece of advice I ever got is -- and take away the selfish quote right here of, you know, if you want to get paid, win baseball games. That goes a long way. That's what we try to do on an every-single-day basis is try to win the baseball game any way that we can.