Dodgers - 3, Blue Jays - 1
Q. What was your view of how that one ended there with the play with Barger?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: It's a tough read. Kiké playing shallow and one out you're thinking score. He made a really good play. It's such a tweener. He made a good play, good throw. Good play by Rojas too. Wild. Wild way to finish it, for sure.
Q. Your view of Addison's hit when that got lodged, did you think that was the call in realtime?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, kind of thought so. Been here a long time. I haven't seen a ball get lodged ever. Just caught a tough break there. He put a really good swing on that pitch and ultimately ended up second and third with nobody out with guys that make contact and just didn't get it done. But I thought his at-bat was great. Just kind of didn't bounce our way there.
Q. You guys obviously led the league in coming-from-behind victories this year. As the 9th inning started to unfold there, did you think you guys were in store for something special there?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I always like our chances, whether you start with a hit by pitch, hit, walk, whatever. Yeah, you kind of like the way that was kind of unfolding and who was due up and things like that. But, yeah, it just didn't work out tonight. Baseball happens sometimes.
Q. Kirk, obviously, is removed for the running, but how is his hand?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think he's okay. He's going to get X-rays just to make sure. Just spoke with him quickly, but I think he's fine.
Q. Could the umpires have scored Straw on that? Was there a discussion there?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: No, lodged ball is two bases no matter where the runner is.
Q. On Max, how confident are you always in him and especially in a Game 7 situation?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Very. Him, everyone. It's the two best words in sports, Game 7. No better guy to have on the mound to kind of navigate the emotions, the stuff. Max has been getting ready for Game 7 when he knew he was pitching Game 3. So all the confidence in the world in him and everyone tomorrow.
Q. After Game 3, did he walk up to you and say, Game 7 is next?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: No, we talked about it before the series. Once he was Game 3, he knew he was Game 7.
Q. What's your message to the group and to the fan base heading into tomorrow night?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: See you tomorrow. It's going to be electric here. These guys, it's business as usual, although it's coming down to one game. These guys are really good at kind of just turning the page. That will take awhile to kind of unpack. That's a wild ending. I love the way we played. Yamamoto was really good again. Had our chances with guys on base kind of as the game went on. But we're going to be ready to play tomorrow. Everyone's going to be ready to play. I expect them to be playing cards around 1:00 p.m. tomorrow and kind of shooting the shit with everyone. It's going to be fun here.
But to the fans I say, see you tomorrow night, be loud, be rowdy. We're going to be ready to play.
Q. Did you see anything before Game 7 of the last series that makes you think -- I mean, obviously, besides the win, but, like, the preparation and trying to keep it as normal as possible that makes you think they can do that again?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think they can win every night --
Q. I mean just, like, keep it normal?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, they did that. We've done that a lot. We've done that a lot this year. We've got voices in the clubhouse and people in the coaching staff that will keep it normal tomorrow. It's going to be fun. It's going to be three or four or five hours of mayhem and great baseball.
But these guys are going to be ready for it. Hopefully they get to slow some things down but enjoy it. It's Game 7 of the World Series at your home stadium. I mean, what the hell else do you want?
Q. Did you ever imagine you could be managing a big game in November?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, that's why we do it. October, November, yeah, it's going to be great.
Q. What did you hear from George over the course of the game, and how did his swings look to you based on what you were expecting and how it played out on the field?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, he was good throughout. I thought his at-bat quality was normal. First one, you know, the RBI single, took a good swing on a first pitch sinker ground-out, and then just battled his ass off for the hit there down the first baseline. I think if Georgie was -- even if he wasn't good, he wouldn't tell me. So everything in between innings and as the game went on, I tried to kind of stay away from him too, but he was good.
Q. What was your read of how you guys handled Yamamoto this time versus the other time? As you mentioned, there were a few more chances --
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I thought it was eerily similar to Game 2 between him and Gaus. I don't want to overlook what Kev did too, coming out of the chute the way he did and just the one inning again. And they had a couple big swings. But I thought our at-bats were better. I thought we made him work. I did think getting him out after the 6th was going to benefit us. We were damn close to getting it done.
But I thought the at-bats were better. We had some chances. I really think too, like, even in the first inning, kind of a hanging breaking ball to Vlad, double play's helped them a couple times, but I thought our at-bats were better. He's a damn good pitcher.
Q. Assuming that Varland is going to pitch because he pitches every game?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah.
Q. Is everybody but Gausman available tomorrow to get in the game?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yup, everyone that is active on the roster will be available to pitch. Maybe even Kev. So it will be all hands on deck tomorrow.
Q. Your thoughts on intentionally walking Ohtani in the 3rd with the open base. He hadn't hit recently, but I guess it's Ohtani, right?
JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, that's something we talked about before the series. If there is an obvious chance, take the bat out of his hands, yeah, we're going to do it. Again, man, they have really good hitters up and down their lineup, so you're damned if you do, damned if you don't sometimes. You're always playing with fire with the caliber of Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.
So you take your chances -- you know you're putting some extra traffic on there, but you take your chances with Kev. I like the way he was throwing the ball with the split and just a couple heaters, threw a split to Will and a heater to Mookie that beat us, but that was our plan from the get-go.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports