NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 19, 2023

Pavin Smith

Chase Field

Arizona Diamondbacks

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Pavin Smith.

Q. Brandon said you guys are kind of looking at this as a must-win game, and how good does that feel seeing the way you guys were able to win this one?

PAVIN SMITH: Yeah, 100%. It was a must-win game, and it gives us momentum going forward too. Being down 3-0 definitely would have been tough. We wouldn't have been out of it, but I think only one team has come back from that, so this definitely was a big one for us.

Q. Just to win it the way you guys did to keep that lineup in check and then to be aggressive in the ninth like that, what does that say about this team and the resiliency here?

PAVIN SMITH: 100%. They had their closer on the mound. Our crowd was amazing tonight. They got really into it. We fed off the energy. It definitely helped us in the ninth inning.

Q. Take me through Ketel's at-bat. What did you see? What were you thinking? Just give me all of it.

PAVIN SMITH: Yeah. I mean, I was on third base there. I was ready to go on anything on the ground. He got a fastball above the zone, and he was able to put a good swing on it. He has just been great for us from the right side of the plate, left side of the plate, doesn't matter. We're super confident when he comes up to the plate.

Q. It was one of those things, right? It was a clear base hit. When you are coming across, at what point do you know you're going to win? When do you start celebrating? How do you keep from moonwalking? You know what I mean?

PAVIN SMITH: 100%. I did check back for a half a second. You don't want to be the guy that doesn't tag when the center fielder catches it, but I was pretty sure it was down. As I was running home, I put my hands up in the air and knew we won and chased Ketel out there in center field.

Q. Just what did it mean to you to come up with two big hits in the clutch today?

PAVIN SMITH: Yeah, it means a lot. I've been rooting for this team on the bench, and ready for my opportunity when called upon. I've been having a routine. Benching is important, and I've been visualizing those ABs for a while, and I was able to come through.

Q. What's that routine like?

PAVIN SMITH: It was me and Jace would go in in the top of the fifth every time and hit with one of the hitting coaches and kind of go over to the bullpen. And just having a guy to do that with, you know, another lefty and just every inning just being ready when called upon.

Q. One thing that we can all see too is how Brandon pitched, and the rest of the pitching staff as well too. They really kept you guys in the game. So talk about that a little bit.

PAVIN SMITH: That was huge. Pfaadty had his stuff today, man. I played with him in Triple-A a lot, and that's where he got a lot of swings and misses down there.

When he first got called up, he wasn't getting as many swings and misses, and he really figured it out and had a career day today, and that's definitely something that I've seen from him before, so I wasn't too surprised. And to do it on the biggest stage is huge.

Q. You just mentioned Jace went into the cages with you. What does that say about this team? A guy doesn't get on the roster, postseason roster, but you're all working together to make this happen no matter what. That's pretty cool.

PAVIN SMITH: Just a veteran presence. He has been here before, and just a guy you can lean on and talk things through. He is very smart, and he's seen it all pretty much.

A guy like that, him, Longo. We have a lot of veterans on this team that have given us a helping hand.