NL Division Series: Rockies vs Brewers Saturday, October 6, 2018 Bud Black Rockies Workout Day Q. How do you combat that while they did pitch Q. Tomorrow obviously a potential for an great, you guys did chase a few pitches, and how elimination situation; how is it that you approach do you fight through that? this game in terms of strategy and approach and BUD BLACK: Well, I think you have some contrast it, if you would, again Game 1 or any other conversations with some guys that look to be a little bit game? out of sorts, and we'll have those. Hopefully they can BUD BLACK: Well, it's going to be different for sure. settle down because some of the at-bats that you are We won't know how to approach it until the game seeing are not indicative of our guys. unfolds. I think our goals will dictate how you see it, right, but we know we have to win. But to tell you a We'll talk about it, and we'll try to do it through certain strategy, we won't know until tomorrow. We conversation. But ultimately it's up to the player to know this is an elimination game for us. really have that feeling of comfort and confidence at the same time. Q. Can you tell me how the conversation with German went when you told him, hey, you're Q. To follow up a little bit, there's more to this getting the ball game 3? Obviously you didn't have tomorrow in terms of your offense than simply to say our backs are against the wall or anything coming back home, correct? You have to take a like that, but tell me how that went with him. He's a hard look at where some of these guys are? In cool customer. other words, it's not going to magically get better BUD BLACK: Yeah, he is. He's a cool customer for because you're hitting at Coors, right? sure. He was probably that way just moments ago, BUD BLACK: No, for sure. This is about having good right? No, we told him going into the series that he at-bats. It isn't about where you're playing. We've was going to pitch the third game. So he was excited seen our offense go into sporadic little downturns over to pitch in the postseason. He's ready for this. It the course of the year, which all teams go through this. wasn't anything profound about what we said. We'll We talked about that during the course of the season. talk tomorrow, too, pregame, but do your thing. You've We had a little downturn there in September, then we had a great season. You're in great position physically bounced back. Now we're in a little bit of a downturn and mentally to go out tomorrow and throw well. this last week.

Q. You guys score lots of runs here. You're It doesn't matter where you play. You still have to have comfortable here, been winning here. Do you see good quality at-bats, no matter who the team is, where that as a series reset? you are. And there's something to facing good BUD BLACK: Well, we hope so. I think the second half pitching. There's something to that. But in general, the has been much better than the first half here. That's quality of our bats have not been great. for sure. I think our -- as it was documented early, we weren't playing great at home, but our second half Q. Milwaukee won their first two at home. You're record, much better. now back at home. What kind of factor does playing in your home park happen to be in the And I think offensively we got a little bit more on track playoffs? as the season went on. Today is a good off-day for us BUD BLACK: Well, it helps. And statistically, there's a for sure, to regroup a little bit, get the guys off their feet. home-field advantage, right, if you look at the history of It's been a hard couple weeks going through the last 10 the game. There is comfort in being back home, being days of the season, having to play the Dodgers, then in your own environment, but still, you've got to play a the Cubs, then the two games in Milwaukee. good game. It doesn't ensure anything.

But our guys will be ready to play tomorrow, and But we'd like to think that because we're back home, hopefully at home, in front of our crowd, a different vibe we have an off-day, things can shift. And if we win tomorrow, will jump start our offense. tomorrow, things shift a little bit more. So that's what we're hoping for.

Rev #1 by #166 at 2018-10-06 20:41:00 GMT page 1 of 3 games, you're going to see good pitching. There's Q. You guys had an arduous regular season. You going to be those games that sometimes are not guys had dramatic wins, dramatic losses. I indicative of a playoff game. imagine that the guys in there have a short memory for these types of things. Has that Last year's Wild Card game with Arizona, I think the translated over to the postseason do you think Dodgers and the Astros had a big number in the World given Game 163, and then winning that Wild Card Series game. That happens. But usually playoff teams game, and now in this situation, has that steeled are teams that have good pitching. I suspect that'll your guys in a sense having gone through that? continue. BUD BLACK: Well, I think so. I think our guys have been that way. I think our guys for the most part are Q. So much has been made about the Brewers' built that way. Like I said before, they have a great bullpen through the regular season and into the baseball IQ. They have a great perspective on what postseason. Given the bevy of arms that they have this game is all about as far as emotional wins, out there, is it challenging to scout and prepare for emotional losses. This is an everyday game. And our just that many -- guys have done that the last couple years. BUD BLACK: Well, I mean, the challenge is in the batter's box. They've done this in a pretty consistent This last couple weeks, this stretch of baseball, has way all season long with a group of guys that are very been in front of us, having to prove our resiliency. Our talented. Two of them were All-Stars this year, right, in last road trip of the season, we rebounded from that. Jeffress and Hader, Knebel was an All-Star last year. That last week of the season, we played there. And He's got a good arm. Soria is a veteran who then the ups and downs of LA, Chicago, Milwaukee. knows what he's doing. I mean, those guys are solid. We've rebounded. Now we've got to rebound again. They really are. We know we have to rebound again. Some of the guys that they have out in their bullpen Q. Yesterday was saying that the who are starters are good , too, who potentially story of the series is how they have pitched. It could be in these games. seems to me if you had gotten a couple runs here and there, it would be how you had pitched. Can But the challenge is you know they're coming, and you characterize these three games, first your you've got to be ready for them, and hopefully break starters, Freeland and Anderson -- through. I mean, they're not invincible, but they're BUD BLACK: Well, Freeland pitched in -- good. We've got to be ready for them because they're coming. Q. Yeah, counting that game, and Senzatela, and the bullpen. Just in separate innings looks like Q. I'll ask the same question I asked German. The those guys have gotten out of some tough reports looks like there could be some inclement situations. weather tomorrow. He admitted that it got to him a BUD BLACK: Yeah, Craig was right. It was well little bit. He thinks he's past that, but for your team pitched in Milwaukee, well pitched in Chicago, actually in general, can it be an advantage for you guys well pitched in LA. It was a 5-2 game. Buehler did a playing a team that plays in a controlled nice job. German gave up a couple homers. Kyle environment, a little more chaotic here? pitched great. Lester pitched well. Gave up 13 innings BUD BLACK: I'm going to say no, but I'm happy that in a 2-1 game, so that's well pitched. German was honest about that opening day and happy that he said he learned from it, which is part of The game in Milwaukee was, what, 2-0 going into the experience, part of a second-year player. As far as the ninth. Yelich hit a two-run homer. So in that ballpark conditions, I don't think it's an advantage to us or a where it's pretty offensive for me, it was a good place to disadvantage for them. hit. It was a low scoring game both games. Q. Specifically with and also Nolan I agree with what Craig said, that it was well pitched by Arenado, guys that have gotten a lot of attention, both sides. There was a couple breakthroughs. Even and the numbers haven't been what they would like yesterday, their first run was a couple hard hit doubles, in these two games -- then after that, there was some well-placed base hits, BUD BLACK: These two games. Kratz got the broken bat hit off of Russ. That's baseball. But I thought both sides pitched well. Q. Yes. Do you address it with them about maybe not trying to take too much on their shoulders -- And we'll see tomorrow if that can continue. In playoff BUD BLACK: Yes.

Rev #1 by #166 at 2018-10-06 20:41:00 GMT page 2 of 3 Q. And how do you do that? BUD BLACK: By talking to them. I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to say, but yes.

Q. And I guess as a , do you have to be conscious of that for guys like -- for some of the guys where there's a big media attention on them, there's fan attention on them. Going into a series, are you thinking, hey, this could be an obstacle or a subject going in? BUD BLACK: Yeah, but you've got to wait and see how it plays out. Then once it plays out, you address it. So yes.

Rev #1 by #166 at 2018-10-06 20:41:00 GMT page 3 of 3