Q. I know you talked about this in the past but Justin Turner, what is his insight and playoff experience? How has he kind of -- how has that helped you as you navigate your first playoff run?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Well, yeah, I mean the effect J.T. has had on my situation all year has been very impactful, but as has the guy to my left. There's just a number of guys on this team, I think, that have presented themselves in a way that anybody can kind of go to them and lean on them for any sort of wisdom.
But I mean, I think just having J.T. around adds that much more experience that I feel like we need. And it's just really nice having that around.
Q. This is your guys' fourth elimination game of this postseason alone. Dansby, obviously you have other postseason experience. Is the feeling right now the same before the other days? How do you look at what's ahead of you tonight?
DANSBY SWANSON: I mean, it's kind of hard to really put into words. We've worked so much all year to obviously put ourselves in this position. One of my favorite things about this group is just never taking a day for granted. Doesn't matter if it's nasty weather in Chicago in April and guys are excited to be there and go play, or if it's in a Game 5 of a Division Series in the playoffs.
So guys are excited to be here. Guys are ready to work, always looking for ways to get better and just really enjoying the moment of being able to go compete your hardest.
I think that's just an unbelievable trait for a team to have, and this team has embodied that all season long.
Q. You had so many, even early in the season, big comebacks. The D-backs' one jumps out where they scored eight runs in an inning late and you guys still came back and won. How much do moments early in a season that stack up like that give you the mental blueprint for that resiliency you guys have shown all year?
DANSBY SWANSON: I think obviously there's a lot of baseball moments and things throughout the year that you can point out, just adversity that we've had to overcome, whether it was comebacks -- like you mentioned, the Diamondbacks comeback -- whether it's that or managing our ace in Justin Steele going down, and then Shota missing significant time. And when things haven't gone our way, this team's found a way to fight.
I think there's so much more than even just on the field, just like how this group gets along, the things that we enjoy doing together, the trust that we've created with one another, whether that's on the plane, having conversations or playing video games together, board games, you name it. We're always doing stuff together and enjoying being with one another. And I think that just builds a bond that is really tough to break.
It definitely gets seen on the field with things, but there's a lot of work done behind the scenes that we've done in order to create that.
Q. We've seen throughout this series these, first four games the way that the crowd has been a factor in both cities. How do you guys handle any riding that energy, but also not let it get to you, so to speak?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, yeah, this is a really cool match-up, I think, for a playoffs series, just given the division rivalry here. And I think coming in and expecting the crowd to be at full force and taking that as something that's really exciting, being able to use it to our advantage at home, I guess. But it's the same game, just a little bit louder of a venue maybe.
So I think just being prepared to be in environments that can feel overwhelming at times and just embracing the opportunity that we have playing in front of a really cool crowd. I don't think there's any of us that run away from that kind of setting. I think that's where we all want to be.
DANSBY SWANSON: I'll add to that, too. I think that there's a balance of understanding -- it's the same game, right? 27 outs or maybe more, if it's similar to last night's. But it really is the same game. And the energy of the crowd, whether it's for you or against you, takes you to another place.
And understanding that and kind of accepting that and going with it is a key thing. It's not something to overthink. This place is obviously loud. They're very proud of the team that they've been supporting all year, which they should be. So it creates a lot of fun. This is why you play.
Q. This is, what, your eighth playoff game. They all run together. What have you along those lines what you just talked about, what have you learned, maybe? And is any of it the bigger the game the less you have to do kind of thing when it comes to this, or how does that work?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Gosh, I mean, I've learned that you need everybody to find success in a little bit tighter of, like, a time window, I guess. There's less room for error.
I think the beautiful part about our game is we play all year and have so much time to work on things, and that never really stops. But then, I think Dans, he said it best during the San Diego series, doesn't matter how you get it done. You saw the game last night. Getting the job done is the only thing that matters in the playoffs.
I think that's the biggest thing that I've seen is when we can go out and rely on our starters to give us four innings, our bullpen to come in and clean stuff up, rely on our defense to kind of be offensive in a way if we're not hitting, and just to be able to stay in the fight is probably the most eye-opening thing to me is, down two games here, I don't think there was any sort of panic.
I think the way that Couns addressed us was perfect in the sense that he made our focus enjoying what could be our last game with this specific group and really just diving into the relationships that we all have.
So I don't know if that's really the best way to answer what I've learned, but I don't know if I am super aware of what I have learned just yet. I'm really just focused on Game 5 today and going and getting a W.
Q. What are some of the challenges going up and knowing you guys are going to face plenty of arms, plenty different looks today and maybe some of the guys you've seen multiple times?
DANSBY SWANSON: Yeah, that's why these moments are always so challenging, just because they're smart, too. They know the best match-ups for certain parts of the lineup. There's no real tricking what is going to happen, right? The best guys to face the best guys is what it's going to be.
And thinking in certain situations like this you just always have to be at your highest compete level and composure level to go and execute, whether it's a game plan, to make plays, to prevent them from scoring runs.
You've just got to be really good at baseball. And thankfully we have a lot of really good baseball players and guys that can impact the game in so many different ways.
It's going to be a challenge. There's no doubt about it. But this group is definitely built to be able to handle challenges well.
Q. From a defensive perspective, how would you describe what it's been like playing behind and watching this bullpen from the start of the season and how the personnel, even, roles have changed to the group you have now, especially those five guys that have really been used in the high-leverage moments and what they've meant to this group?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, it's been such a pleasure being able to play behind them all year. Every dude has answered the call. I think our situation specifically is really cool to see what Poms has done to be able to come and do an incredible job, Brad Keller being able to throw really in any situation. And then to go off that, like, any guy being able to throw in any situation. It's just really cool.
And I think so many times we've had our starters kind of set a really good tone for them. Just watching our staff just be together every day has been really fun to watch for me. I think it's a really strong unit out there, for sure.
Q. You guys watching all year, seems you have 26 leaders in that clubhouse, each and every one of you. But how did Nico's getting a group together before Game 4 impact you guys about the crowd? And just as a group what did it do for you?
DANSBY SWANSON: I think Nico in so many ways sets a tone for our group, just the unwavering confidence and compete factor that he brings every day, how hard he plays, how he hustles, doesn't take anything for granted. And he's not always someone that addresses a group or necessarily speaks his mind freely.
So when he obviously addresses a situation or a group when it matters, guys listen and respond to that. And I think that's a really great trait that he has of somebody that can say what he means and say it in a very clear and straightforward way that gets everyone on the same page and brings confidence to other people.
I've said over and over again, he's an incredible baseball player and someone that I couldn't be more thrilled to be able to play with. Like, he's the man. Like, Nico really is the man.
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I think the way that we all watch him, I think it's very easy to assume that he's a leader just by how he does all of these physical things, whether that's running in off the field or just the composure I think you can clearly see. Being a softer-spoken guy -- Nico, not me -- obviously, (laughter).
DANSBY SWANSON: Really?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Being a softer-spoken guy, I think it just feels very profound when he decides to say something. And I think my experience with him is he just says things at the perfect time.
Q. I was wondering if either of you had a reaction to the Brewers rolling their All-Star closer out to start the game, and what that says about this series and if you've ever experienced a stretch of games where the first inning seemed to have such a profound effect on the rest of the game?
DANSBY SWANSON: Yeah, I mean, I've never really seen anything like it in terms of just the first inning mayhem that as kind of headlined this entire series.
Like I said earlier, they obviously have a great group over there, know what they're doing. And in a game like this, kind of all conventional thinking can go out the window.
He's obviously had a great year, and they're trying to put themselves in the best position possible to be able to succeed, and we're obviously doing the same thing.
It's just going to be a lot of fun tonight, just going out and competing and leaving it all out there and seeing what happens.
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I've never seen it, obviously. That's all I've got.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports