NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 19, 2023

Kyle Nelson

Andrew Saalfrank

Chase Field

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pregame 3 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're going to get started with Kyle Nelson and Andrew Saalfrank.

Q. What is your favorite Brent Strom story about the impact he has made on your career?

KYLE NELSON: There's a lot of them. Let's think.

I guess I would say just earlier this year at the beginning -- there was a little article about it -- but he was watching Kershaw throw, and he was doing super well with his slider down under the zone. And he had just came up to me after and told me to watch him, like, specifically where he is throwing his stuff and basically told me just to follow that plan the whole time.

ANDREW SAALFRANK: I would be lying. I don't think I've been long enough here to experience any great stories. I think just Strommy is Strommy, though. Just seeing him day in and day out is a story in and of itself. Take that how you will.

He's a great guy and just how he goes about some things is just fun to be around.

Q. Andrew, you've pitched in this postseason in some really high-pressure situations. I guess as a guy who just came up last month, what is your mindset when you are jogging in from the bullpen, bases loaded, in the seventh, eighth inning of a playoff game situation like that?

ANDREW SAALFRANK: Yeah, just trying to treat it the same as you would any other outing. The only real differences are the guys are a lot better, and it's a lot louder. Still the same distance. Still the same strike zone. Having Gabi back there is probably a good step up from being in Reno, you know. Just trusting him, trusting my stuff, and just going out there and trying to do the job.

Q. You say the only differences are that the guys are a lot better. That seems like a pretty big difference.

ANDREW SAALFRANK: Yeah, you try to play it down as much as you can, right? You don't want to psych yourself out too much. Hitting is hard, right? So just not trying to make it more than what it is and just execute pitches and kind of stick to your game plan and whatever happens happens.

Q. What was the flight home like and kind of what's your guys' head space at the moment down 2-0?

KYLE NELSON: The flight wasn't too bad. I ended up actually getting some good sleep on it, so that was nice.

Obviously not ideal to be down 2-0, but I think what we did in those first two games is we were able to learn a lot about the team we're playing, how they're attacking us, and how we can attack them better. So I think just make some adjustments to the game plan and kind of see where that takes us.

Q. A couple of questions for Andrew. First and foremost, being in the same playoff series as a fellow Hoosier in Kyle Schwarber, I'm wondering have you met Kyle in the past, and what does it mean when you think about what he has set for that program to now be in the same playoff series as him?

ANDREW SAALFRANK: It's cool. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. Just kind of how the schedule has lined up, I guess.

But I actually said something to my girlfriend, it's pretty cool that there's going to be a Hoosier in the World Series regardless of how this goes. We're striving to make that myself, obviously.

I met Kyle, I think, my first visit when I went to Indiana, and he was a great guy, and I only hear great things about him in terms of how like the clubhouse goes. It's cool to look up and see another Hoosier.

I wish the success wasn't coming against us, obviously, but nonetheless, it's neat to see.

Q. I'm curious just to ask about the baseball culture there. I know Scott Rolen has been very involved in the program there at Indiana as well. I wonder if you have crossed paths with Scott a bit and just how you found your path to baseball in what's certainly a basketball state there in Indiana in many ways.

ANDREW SAALFRANK: It's an overlooked sport there for sure. Having Scott around is awesome. He came in, I believe, my junior year. And just having a guy with that stature and a guy with that experience, it's awesome to kind of listen to.

He called me draft day, which is super cool. How often do you get a call from a Hall of Famer, you know? That was neat.

But, yeah, just having a guy like that around just to kind of talk about the pro ball scene a little bit and just get an idea how he thinks about the game I think was super cool to have.

Q. Kyle, you got to get into Game 1, and you had a very successful outing, especially getting Schwarber and Harper to pop up. What was key for you to be able to be that effective, and how did it feel coming into that game in that environment as well?

KYLE NELSON: Yeah, coming in obviously super exciting. The Philly fans definitely do a good job of bringing the energy. I think the most anxiety, though, coming in is kind of before you actually get in the game. Once you get out there, it's the same mound. Everything feels the same.

Then in terms of, like, I think just executing your pitches, I think with guys like -- specifically you mentioned Schwarber and Harper. They obviously can do a lot of damage, so you just have to be smart, be careful with your misses, kind of pick your spots where to attack.

So I think kind of like my specific game plan was to kind of not tip-toe, but make sure you stay on the edges and then kind of pick and choose the spots of attack.

Q. This is for both of you guys. You had mentioned that guys are a lot better here and that it's a lot louder, and you had just mentioned that the Philly fans know how to bring it. I'm curious how the atmosphere, especially in the playoffs, affects you when you are trying to perform on the field and what the home field advantage for the Phillies is like compared to you guys here and what your expectations are, that type of thing.

ANDREW SAALFRANK: There's been a lot of questions about the Phillies fans and the noise. I don't think anyone has talked about the crowd we had here against the Dodgers, right? Not to deflect, but I think crowd noise is what you make it.

You can take it as a negative or try and make it a positive, which is kind of what I try and do. It's cool. Like Merrill said the other day, you want people in the stands. You want people going crazy. That's what this is about, so it's just been super cool to try and harness that energy and make it a positive.

KYLE NELSON: Sorry. Can you say again kind of what your --

Q. Yeah, what type of affect does the crowd have on you when you are trying to perform, good, bad, versus road, home, that type of thing? How does that affect you?

KYLE NELSON: Right. I mean, like I said before, once you are kind of out there, it's really -- you don't notice it as much as you might think.

I think if you give it life and attention and you put your mind to the bigger crowds or the bigger environment or, you know, the stakes, I think that maybe can be a distraction. But I think if you just keep yourself focused on the job you have to do -- I mean, we have a job every day. We have to focus on it and stay right there. I just try not to give it any extra life in my own mind.

Q. So, Andrew, going back to L.A. that first game when you get in in, I think it was the sixth inning, to replace Zac and you are in the middle of Dodgers Stadium. They have runners on base. The crowd is swelling up. You are in the Majors on September 5th. A month later you're pitching in front of that. You were a little erratic out there, but you got out of the inning. What was that all like as you were putting it together? How did you feel in all of that situation?

ANDREW SAALFRANK: Ryan got me out of the inning. Ryan bailed me out a little bit, which is nice.

Yeah, cool first experience, I think, playing in L.A. Day one when I came in here, Torey came up to me and said, hey, dude, you're not here to throw in 10-1 ball games, which I think that's huge for the confidence level and kind of how you go about kind of thinking about the situations.

But, like I said before, just trying to simplify the game plan and execute pitches. Yeah, it wasn't great. I don't think I threw the ball very well that game, but like I said, Ryan came in, bailed me out a little bit. Got the win, which is all that matters.

So, yeah, it was a good experience, I think, to get that one out of the way. It's going to be tough to top that one, I guess, in terms of just sheer nervousness or adrenaline or anything like that. It was good and super grateful for Ryan coming in and slamming the door.

Q. A couple of questions for Kyle. On your high school experience there at Galileo in San Francisco, I'm wondering are there a lot of artifacts there from the DiMaggios, from Tony Lazzeri, the Hall of Famers that have been there at your high school. How much of that history is present for you when you are there?

KYLE NELSON: Definitely not as much as you would like to see for sure. They for some reason don't harp on that. Not like a big real baseball school, though, in general. So for some reason you kind of have to dig to find some of that stuff.

Q. Then for you, I know you played football as well. Was there a time where you thought football was going to be your main sport, and how did you find your way to baseball eventually?

KYLE NELSON: No. I think baseball was always one -- I kind of joked that I was always married to baseball, but then football was, like, my girlfriend for some time (laughing).

I mean, I always loved the sport. I always loved football. Especially I played quarterback, so I was always interested in that position and the challenge that it kind of is to play that position in sport. So I think what I learned through playing that game and stuff like that really has helped me now further my baseball career.

Q. Kyle, I'll ask you since you have been here a little longer. The roof tonight or today is going to be closed. Do you notice a difference when it's open versus closed, the panel is open versus closed? Does it carry better in a particular direction?

KYLE NELSON: Not necessarily. I think when it's closed, just with the AC pumping and all the air inside kind of being trapped, I think sometimes it tends to feel a little bit more humid because the air outside is obviously so dry.

Other than that, no, I don't really notice much of a difference.