Cubs 3, Padres 1
Q. Dansby, there's no MVP in this round of the competition, but Mike Shildt just said if there would have been one, it would have been your defense for the series.
How much does the run prevention make a difference in this with not just you, but everyone, what they've done in the series?
DANSBY SWANSON: It's kind of been a staple of our group all year. We have so many talented defenders and guys that can prevent runs being scored. We talk about it all the time. Winning baseball is a race to 27 outs. The quicker you can get there, obviously the more games that you're going to win.
For us this series, that was such a big part of why we won. San Diego is an unbelievable team. They have such a deep pitching staff, and obviously great hitters as well. So being able to just limit them in opportunities to score was huge for us, and it ended up making a big difference.
Q. When you see the ball leave the yard and you hear 40,000 on their feet cheering for something that you did, I know you try to stay in the moment, but do you get to kind of look around and feel what that atmosphere is like in that moment?
MIKE TAUCHMAN: Yeah, I think you just feed off of it. You feed off of the moment. You feed off your teammates. You feed off the fans.
I think, yeah, it's one thing that you just kind of let it happen. Throughout the series -- they're a good team and they've got a good pitching staff, and it's hard to scrape runs across against them. Anytime you can, no matter who's in that box, you've got a job to do, and anytime you can scrape one, it's pretty exciting.
Q. Dansby, when you signed here almost four years ago, you said you felt called to come here to bring a championship to Chicago. It's been a couple years before you could get back to this moment. Can you put into words what it's like to feel a clinching game here in Wrigley Field and hearing all these people cheer for what you guys just did?
DANSBY SWANSON: It's such a hard question to answer. I knew you'd ask me a tough one. God is so good. God, I feel like he really led me to be here. I'm so just grateful for this opportunity, for this organization, for this moment, for this fan base. Just literally so full of gratitude.
These moments never get old. Being able to compete on a stage like this is literally like the most fun you'll ever have in your life, and to be able to do it with guys like bushy and Happer and Nico and J-Mo and just so many guys on our team, to be able to go take the field with them and come together for something greater than ourselves, for this city, oh, man, it literally sends chills down my spine.
I'm so, so, so thankful, and there's a lot of work left to be done, and it's going to be a fun road ahead.
Q. Dansby, J-Mo was one of those guys that signed here, like you, to help return the team back to the postseason. Him giving you guys four scoreless today, what has he meant to this group the entire season?
DANSBY SWANSON: Really, I mean, Bushy can hit on this, too. He's a guy that does so much for this group that no one would ever see. Just his presence day in, day out, his professionalism, his ability to get others to enjoy themselves, his ability to hold others accountable, to say little nuggets here and there that may make a difference for a young pitcher or a young hitter. He's full of so much wisdom.
For him to come out and throw the way he did today, I thought it was honestly the best I've ever seen him, just his execution, his game plan, his confidence, and we needed every bit of his 12 outs. Yeah, he's been unbelievable, and I'm so thankful that he decided to join me here as well.
Q. In the sixth when you got those two outs, what was going through your head when you were making those defensive plays, and overall just Craig said the other day, it is almost like a home run with some of the defensive plays that you make. What does it make when you make those plays and hear people talk about your defense?
DANSBY SWANSON: Just like being a kid. Been doing things like that in my backyard for my whole life, and in these moments, I don't know, I literally think it's the most fun thing in the world.
There's no fear of failure. It's just all free to go be who I am and play as hard as I can. Just so thankful God has given me this stage and platform to be able to do so.
Q. After the Wild Card, it goes from 12 teams to 8 teams. Talk about advancing on and getting that much closer to your ultimate goal.
MICHAEL BUSCH: Yeah, it's just the next step for us. You set out a goal before each and every year to do stuff like this, and you celebrate it, and it's been fun to celebrate and continue to celebrate it tonight, but there's a lot of work ahead.
But yeah, when you set out a goal with guys that you spend 250 days with, it's fun, and it's special. It means a lot. Just kind of soak in that one inning because I've never been a part of something like this. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm going to celebrate this one, but a lot of work ahead for sure.
Q. Michael, you play whoever is on the schedule, but obviously you're moving on to face the Milwaukee Brewers. You guys know them, they know you. What do you think that environment is going to be like both there and here during that series?
MICHAEL BUSCH: Yeah, I expect it to be a good one. But there's been some good environments throughout the year between us. So I expect it to be a level a little higher, but we're excited about it. It's kind of the next step.
This was one goal that we had, but there's plenty more in front of us. It's going to be a fun one for sure in Milwaukee.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports