Q. Pete, how would you describe how you're feeling right now and what awaits you guys this afternoon?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, I'm ready to go win a ballgame. I think it's nice that the focus can be so simple today. That's really all that's on my mind, though. Getting ready for 4:08.
Q. You've been so open about kind of your offensive struggles in the second half. Is there anything that you are pulling from that experience and lessons from that, carrying it into the postseason?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, yeah. The bat is the hardest part of this game. But I think the one thing I never have any trouble with is just showing up. I mean, the days that were hard to get in the cage and trust the process and everything, I think those are probably the days that I remember right now. Just relying on my ability to show up and do the necessary work just to get me ready to play nine innings.
Q. What do you anticipate the shadows will be like in the outfield at the start of this game?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, home plate area is darker I feel like at that time of the day, but the shadows in the outfield aren't much of an issue I feel like for me.
I mean, the sun is probably going to be in a tricky place for Seiya at the start of this game, but I think outfield-wise, it'll be just fine.
Q. Taillon has been rolling the last six weeks. How would you describe what it's like playing behind him and what it's like when you see him in such a groove?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: J-Mo always keeps us involved. I love his presence on the mound. But I think like I've beat a dead horse with J-Mo, Matt Boyd and Colin Rea. The starts we get out of our starters are awesome.
When J-Mo is rolling, it's great. Like I said, it's easy to stay involved when he's on the mound. He's a pro. He's a vet. I love watching him go out there and do his thing. It's definitely a blessing that we get to have him for this game, and I'm just ready to go play some D behind him for sure.
Q. We've seen when Tucker is in the lineup the impact he can have on the whole group, kind of that trickle-down. What has he meant to the offense throughout the season, not just production-wise, but kind of that impact on the whole lineup?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, I mean, it just adds depth. When Kyle has been in the lineup, it adds another left-handed bat. You get to throw that in the top of the order.
But talking about professional baseball player, he's a pro, too. I think you know you're going to get a good at-bat out of him every time he goes up there. I just think the opportunities he creates just by being in the lineup is big, and then yeah, I just think it adds a lot of depth and chance to our lineup.
Q. When you reference all we have to do is win today, how do you describe maybe the mental clarity that that provides?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, that's what we feel every game. I can't speak for everybody else, but I think that's just how we go out and approach -- we've approached the year as a whole. I love our team because there's no ego. I think everybody is just -- I think they're so good at keeping the main thing the main thing.
Everybody knows what the job is, so however we get that done, it doesn't have to be pretty. A win is a win in this scenario, and that's all we're going to be looking to do the rest of the playoffs.
Q. I know that Counsell has talked about letting the moment take you there as opposed to trying to put yourself there alone. What is it like hearing that kind of message from him and then going out there and getting a chance to try to put that into practice?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, I just think that I trust what he says and what he brings to the table in a playoff setting. He's been very successful there, and he's led us very well this year.
It's exciting getting the opportunity to go play a baseball game at Wrigley Field any chance you get. But I just think hearing that from Couns, I think there's a lot of trust that I feel after anything he wants to -- after any little bit of wisdom he wants to give us pertaining to playoff baseball, and I just think it's nice to be able to go out and play nine every day, and I'm following his lead and what he says goes, really.
Like I said, the success he's had in the playoffs speaks for itself, and obviously he's had good ball clubs before, and I think he has another one here. Couns is one of the most perfect people to have in this situation.
Q. After you guys clinched, you talked about looking forward to seeing a Wrigley playoff atmosphere. What has been the last two days and what likely will be today the environment you've experienced and just what it's like when you have the ballpark living and dying with every pitch like that?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, I mean, I would say the energy is what stands out the most about the last two games. There's always such a cool buzz when we play here, but I think it definitely feels a little bit bigger. I think the energy is at a 10 from pitch one or even from an hour pregame. It's so cool.
But yeah, it's an opportunity we get to feed off of, off of our crowd. So when you've got 40,000 pulling in your direction, I think that's always fun. We owe more playoff baseball to this fan base for sure, and hopefully we just use that energy today to our advantage.
Q. When it comes to Dansby and Seiya, just to see the way Seiya has been hitting and Dansby, it's like you have two opposite players. Dansby has the experience in these situations, leader. Seiya is experiencing his first postseason like you. Just what's it like playing with these guys in these types of games?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, we all know Seiya can hit. I think what's stood out to me the most about the last two days with Seiya is how he's held right field down. I think when he's been called upon to play right field, it's been so good this year from him, and I think he's gotten so much better as an outfielder in general.
I feel like the confidence I see from him and how we interact pitch to pitch, it just shows me that he's gotten more comfortable. I definitely think getting to know your fellow outfielders is important, and I think as me and Seiya have gotten to know each other better and how he can play and how we can both go get it, I think it's taken it to a whole 'nother level.
Having Seiya in right, it's nice. Gives Tuck more time to get his calf right, and it's just a good person in right field to have.
But yeah, his bat is one of the more impressive bats I've ever seen in my life, and it's really cool to watch him hit. But I think sneaky, it's definitely what he's doing in right field that I think has been super impactful.
And then Dans, Dans' playoff history speaks for itself, and I think you guys all know how highly viewed we all kind of see him as a leader or how highly we view him as a leader.
I think Dans has great presence for days like yesterday when we all want to go end the series in two, and being able to kind of bring us back down to earth and point out the obvious, which is that we knew it wasn't going to be easy.
Just having him as a guy to lean on I think in situations like this, him and J.T., and Carlos, Tuck, guys who have just done it before I think is such a nice part of a playoff team is the experience, and Dansby is that guy. He's who we need leading this team, too, from a player standpoint.
Having both those guys is great, and I think that gives us our best chance to go out and win playoff baseball games.
Q. I know there's a lot of conversations with Craig or some of the vets in the room about playoff baseball. I'm curious, how does it kind of stack up now that you've been through it with maybe what you were expecting or what you thought it might be to experience playoff baseball?
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: I mean, I had no expectations. I wanted to kind of treat it like -- treat it exactly like what it was. I had no clue what I'm getting into.
But playoff baseball is kind of everything I wanted it to be. Wrigley is amazing. I think it's the best place to be able to play in these kind of games.
Yeah, I think Wrigley does baseball justice when it comes to these kind of games, so I think that's kind of the whole point is you don't know what you're going to get with playoff baseball, which is probably why Couns is saying let the game take you to the next level. You can't be out here forcing anything.
I don't know, I mean, playoff baseball, so far it's everything I wanted it to be. It's exciting stuff. Yeah, today is just another opportunity to experience it, but it's an opportunity to extend our run, more of it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports