NL WILD CARD SERIES: BRAVES VS PADRES

October 1, 2024

Brian Snitker

Petco Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame Press Conference

Padres - 4, Braves - 0

Q. This didn't go the way you wanted but at the same time to get out of here knowing you have a fresh bullpen tomorrow, how important was that?

BRIAN SNITKER: Our bullpen today did a great job. I think before that last-inning homer they retired, what, 17 out of 18.

We gotta score, too. But in saying that, we do. We've got everybody back tomorrow. They've had a day off. They can pitch two days in a row now.

Q. How good was King tonight?

BRIAN SNITKER: Really good.

Q. He stacked up so many strikeouts?

BRIAN SNITKER: Really good. That sweeper, whatever, really good. I thought his fastball was really quick, too. It was getting on top of our guys.

And we didn't score but he did a great job. We had some opportunities and made pitches when he had to. It had a lot to do with him instead of us.

Q. Obviously with Smith-Shawver results, there's still going to be more questions about Ian. Ian's fastball was 92 the last month of the season. Was he just not ready, Ian?

BRIAN SNITKER: Like we said, he didn't pitch in the big leagues in a year and a half or more. You know what, we don't know any of those guys what we're going to get when we start them. We just had to dip down in.

And the best scenario would have been if we won the first game yesterday and had Grant to start today was kind of what we were looking for.

But still even so, when Bummer came in, they went three runs, and we didn't score. You've still got to punch back and score. It wasn't who we started. We just couldn't get anything going against their starter.

Q. Did you realize early that Smith-Shawver maybe just didn't have it?

BRIAN SNITKER: He started out at 93. All of a sudden I saw 98s up there. We did a good job of limiting damage. And the bullpen did a great job of holding the game there.

Like I say, it wasn't because of who we started that we didn't win this game. We couldn't get anything going offensively.

Q. Considering you've got Max going and the bullpen and Reynaldo to get to Game 3, how good do you feel?

BRIAN SNITKER: Good. I feel good. We've got to win tomorrow. It's not that -- we don't have to win two in a row, we've just got to win tomorrow.

We're sitting pretty good with Max Fried on the mound for us tomorrow.

Like I say, the bullpen had a day off, which is really good, and it will be all hands on deck again tomorrow.