Blue Jays - 6, Dodgers - 1
Q. What's going through your head when you step up there that leads to hitting that first pitch out of the yard?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, Snell's a really good pitcher. Last time I only got a few fastballs, so I was kind of sitting fastball. Especially being a leadoff guy, you're going to at least get one, and I thought he was going to throw a changeup that first one, but saw a fastball and hit it out.
Q. Obviously, the game plan worked against Snell for you guys today. Can you describe what went into that swing where you're obviously thinking about what he might throw you before the game, what was that preparation like for you?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Yeah, he has a really good changeup, his off speed, his curveball, his slider, so he has a lot of good pitches. Obviously, his fastball's 96, 98, so you can't really take that for granted as well. But George kind of always preaches you always be ready for the fastball first pitch leading off the game, and George has done it for numerous years, and I got to take some advice when I can get it.
Yeah, sitting fastball, was up in the zone, I didn't really think I got it, but maybe playoff baseball is a little bit more juice, I don't know.
Q. Have you seen the video that your dad posted of the reaction to the home run yet, and if so, what has it meant this whole run to get to experience it with them?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, his Meta glasses are a little bit -- they're kind of dumb. I don't know why he wears those all the time, but those are the glasses that he was wearing. It's great to have my family out here and get to experience the World Series. It's the first time being here. We're from a small town in New Jersey and they deserve it just as much as me and couldn't be more grateful for them to be here.
Q. One more on the fastball. In Game 1, you guys seemed to really kind of grind Snell down. Today you guys came out really aggressive on that fastball. Was that kind of part of your game plan going in kind of team-wide today?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, we knew he was going to throw the changeup a lot. He couldn't really look at the fastball in Game 1 you, but he was still throwing that changeup effectively. So we figured he's going to try to get the fastball over for a strike and then kind of go to his off-speed. And he struck me out twice, so it's not like he didn't really do well.
So, yeah, just got to jump on the heater and hopefully he makes that mistake middle, whether that's a heater or a changeup, and yeah. I think a lot of the guys did a really good job tonight just seeing pitches and making him work, and that's what you kind of got to do with a guy like that, just try to make him work, wear him down, just because he has such good stuff and just got to make him kind of be patient a little bit, foul pitches, and try not to strikeout, try to work some walks, and let him get frustrated out there, put some pressure on the defense, and I feel like we did that.
Q. Switching to all the stances and tonight using an old minor league stance of yours. Why?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: I was looking at video early today, and so like what I hit all my home runs in the minor leagues, I kind of went with that stance in 2023. I mean, I might switch it next game, so you never know. But I just like doing it. Sometimes I feel like my hands are in a different spot one day and I need to change it. I've been doing it my whole career and I'm not going to stop now.
Q. What makes you pick each day the people you're picking, whether Judge or Stanton or Will Smith or whoever?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Usually when they're doing good. Our assistant hitting coach, Hunter Mense, he was my hitting coordinator in 2019, and we always joked about who is doing well that day or that week, and I usually pick guys who are usually doing well. So Judge has been doing well, Will Smith is doing well, and -- I don't know, I just like to have fun, and it's baseball, so you got to have fun with it.
Q. Any of them, ever when they see you or text you, say, You stole my stance?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: No, I don't think I'm friends with anyone outside our team. But I think it's funny. Like, if they notice, I don't know. Like, if Judge ever notices or Will Smith. I mean, I did it in Game 1, and Will Smith was standing right behind me, so I mean, I wonder if he noticed or not, but hopefully they notice now.
Q. It's got to be a lot easier, I assume, when everyone gets in the lineup, Game 3 all the players were in, and even today every starter got on base. The media likes to call your team the Glue Jays. Did that help a lot that now, okay, the nerves maybe calmed down, and you go back to doing what you've done all season long now that everyone's got that experience?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: For sure. I feel like when you have that experience, no matter if that's just getting to the big leagues or playoffs, like, getting your nerves out of the way, I feel like, is big, whether that's your first hit, your first at-bat, or something like that. The more reps you have, the more calm you're going to be, especially in the playoffs, which is a different animal. The more reps you can get in the playoffs, I feel like the more confident you're going to be out there.
So yeah, it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there, just the more reps you get.
Q. I know analytics is the thing in baseball. Analytics says when you're up 3-2 and you have the next two games at home, you're in pretty darn good shape. Could you just tell us your mindset right now? I know you're not declaring victory, but talk about your position.
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: I mean, yeah, job's not finished as Kobe Bryant always said. There's seven games for a reason. You got to win four of 'em. And they're a good ball club over there. You can't really take 'em lightly. Yamamoto is going to pitch Friday. He's such a good pitcher, so you can't really take anything for granted. And baseball's a funny game. You never know what you're going to see that day, and we just got to win one more and hopefully we don't have to go to Game 7.
Q. (No microphone.)
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: I mean, yeah, it's one. But I mean, no, I mean, not really. I feel like you can't really take the foot off the gas until it's over. You never know. Until the very last out happens, you can't really take anything for granted in this game. You never know, that day something special might happen, so just got to keep going until the very last out made.
Q. How important was it for you guys to get out in front and take away the home crowd?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: It was great. The more runs you can score early I feel like is really good, especially off Snell, he's such a good pitcher. He kind of settled in after that, but getting two off of him early is so big. Doing it on the away side is, I feel like, just as important, just because they're all amped up and everything like that, and getting two runs in the first is really awesome. Hopefully we can do that against Yamamoto on Friday. But take it one game at a time, one pitch at a time, and go from there.
Q. You guys struggled with Yamamoto in Game 2 and facing him next one. Do you have a better idea how to approach or like how to attack him?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I mean, it's always good to kind of see a guy if you haven't seen him before, and no one's really faced him besides a couple guys that we got near the deadline. But he's a really good pitcher, you never know what he's going to do the next time around. He might pitch the same, he might pitch differently. But he has really good stuff, he's a smart pitcher and hopefully we can get to him early on and make him throw some pitches, get to the bullpen and kind of do what we've been doing all year with starting pitchers.
Q. Is Barger staying on your couch?
DAVIS SCHNEIDER: We're going to get in at like 8:00 a.m., so I don't think anyone's kind of staying over at their place. But if he needs a spot, I mean, my place is open, so...
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