NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS VS DODGERS

October 19, 2024

Evan Phillips

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Just knowing that tomorrow is a bullpen game, and I have to imagine it will be one similar to what we saw against the Padres, what is the mindset of you as well as just kind of the shared mindset amongst the group as you guys prepare for tomorrow?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I think we'll do the same thing we've done throughout points in the season including Game 4 against the Padres there in San Diego. And I think our expectation is we'll have communication from the staff about what it might look like and how things might line up. But we'll just go one pitch, one batter at a time and try to stack up zeros and hopefully get a lead and finish this thing.

Q. Is there something to being able to finish this here in Los Angeles in front of the home crowd?

EVAN PHILLIPS: That's certainly exciting. Fortunately we have the next two games at home if necessary. So the opportunity to do it here in LA in front of these fans will be very special.

Q. How much did that Game 4 against the Padres just kind of serve as like a proof of concept? I know you've done bullpen games in the season, but in that environment to see it work the way it did, going into tomorrow?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I suppose doing it at that time on a big stage like that in an elimination game, it shows that we're braced to do it at any point. And I think we've kind of built up that and that confidence and that equity in bullpen games over the course of the past few seasons.

Really my whole time as a Dodger, bullpen games are a piece of how we run things here. We're certainly excited about the opportunity to have a piece in it tomorrow.

Q. You guys haven't pitched a ton, especially you and Kopech and Treinen and Huddy. How much of an advantage -- in the series -- how much of an advantage is that, both from a rest standpoint and also just the fact that a lot of these guys have only seen you, like, one time so far this week?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I think generally, comparatively speaking against the Padres, playing them the week before the postseason started and then rolling right into their series, there was a lot of recency there. Plus, them being in-division.

Obviously with the Mets, we haven't seen them as much through the course of the year, especially now, as you said, in this series. We've been kind of protected from their guys in the lineup.

And I think the rest is probably more important to keep our guys fresh for tomorrow and a Game 7 if necessary. But those two things are hopefully in our favor tomorrow.

Q. With the bullpen games, how much of a different feeling is it, like, you know you're going to pitch tomorrow compared to the regular season, having no idea if you're going to get in that game or not?

EVAN PHILLIPS: There's something a little different to that. I think the benefit for us is that bullpen games are somewhat of a regular thing to the point where we're braced for whatever situation we're called upon for that day. That communication will come to us pregame, and we'll be ready to go for sure.

Q. So far this postseason, the relievers have pitched more than starters have throughout baseball. Do you think it will ever revert back, or is this to stay?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I think baseball is in a really great spot right now. I think you're seeing a lot of talented players on both sides of the ball shine. I think starters being able to go, hypothetically, five strong innings, and then have really great bullpen arms coming behind them, that's just part of the strategy these days.

Q. If you're going to be facing the same guy in a few days consecutively or in a very short span, do you feel the need to alter what you did the last time just to give them a different look so they don't cheat to an approach? Or how do you adapt the game plan if you're seeing somebody multiple times in a short period?

EVAN PHILLIPS: A lot of that is felt in the moment within each at-bat. Thankfully from our game-planning point of view we have more than one way to get a guy out. So whether or not we showed our whole game plan to one guy, it's probably unlikely that we did so.

So we still feel confident even if we faced a guy a couple times or back-to-back days, whatever it may be, we still feel confident in our plan.

Q. How do you read or adjust in a situation if you feel a batter is cheating to an approach they may have seen already?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I think that's between the pitcher and catcher relationship. And that's something that Will and Austin Barnes do such a great job of throughout the regular season is getting a feel for the game.

It's something that the starters might see throughout their stint or even an at-bat that a batter had against a different reliever. It might change I do something.

So that chemistry that is built up through the course of the year, plus that experience you get in the postseason really helps in situations like that.

Q. You experienced closing games and stuff. And you look around the postseason this year, Clase was pretty much unhittable during the season, struggled in the postseason. Do you empathize with guys like that, closers that are going through tough times in the postseason?

EVAN PHILLIPS: Of course. This game's really hard. And I think you're seeing that across every team throughout the playoffs. These pitches carry a lot of weight.

And definitely feeling for Clase in this situation. I have no doubt that he's feeling emotionally stressed out about this, but maybe he has an opportunity to bounce back and right it for himself.

It's just these pitches carry extra weight in the postseason. I think that alone makes it tough.

Q. At this point of the season, I don't think anybody is 100 percent healthy. How does your preparation for a game change? Are you pulling back on certain pregame workouts or are you throwing less? What are you doing at this time of the season?

EVAN PHILLIPS: I think generally guys try to stay normal, try to keep everything as normal as possible. You'll have to adjust here and there. That's typically based on workload or where your physical health is at that point.

I can probably explain it best on a scale. If one thing's not feeling as great you'll probably add more time to that today than I would something else.

But it's the postseason. Whatever my 100 percent is that day is going to be my 100 percent when I get out there.