NL DIVISION SERIES: GIANTS VS DODGERS

October 9, 2021

Mookie Betts

Oracle Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Los Angeles Dodgers - 9, San Francisco - 2

Q. Could you take us through that throw and especially curious about the decision to spin, like did it help you get more extra on the ball or something?

MOOKIE BETTS: Like I kind of said earlier, sometimes you just do things that you don't know why or just kind of do it, and that was just one of those things. I kind of peeked and saw him going to third and, I don't know, just whatever. It all just kind of happened so fast, and fortunately, I was able to make the throw and stop the momentum there.

Q. Coming out of your hand, was that a throw that you thought had a decent chance to nail Flores at third?

MOOKIE BETTS: Once I threw it I pretty much knew he was out at that point with what I got on the throw, and it was on target, so I knew I had a chance at it once I let it go.

Q. What's the confidence level of this team now having scored nine runs, playing such a great all-around game, and having Scherzer in Game 3?

MOOKIE BETTS: I think we are always pretty confident. We got a good group of guys here, play the game hard, play the game the right way. And they have a good group of guys as well and so it's not going to be easy by any means. But you can't ask for a better Game 3 starter than Scherzer and so we just have to go and put up some runs behind him and hopefully he holds them off.

Q. Julio has pitched very well for you guys in the postseason. Is the confidence in him kind of growing to the level of some of the more veteran guys that you have on your staff?

MOOKIE BETTS: I think Julio has, for a long time now, has been kind of underrated and now people just are giving him his credit. He's always been really good. I think this year he just was really consistent. I think that's been the difference. Obviously in the postseason he's always been really good, but throughout the season he's had his ups and downs, but this year he's just stayed consistent, one of our best arms and he proved it tonight.

Q. Staying on the Julio topic, after getting shut out last night you want to take momentum back, score early, so when they walk AJ to get to Julio there in the second inning, you're in the on-deck circle and Julio comes through with an RBI single, how much does that get you guys going and get the dugout going and kind of swing the momentum back to your side?

MOOKIE BETTS: Obviously it's huge, sometimes it's just like the -- maybe a bad analogy -- but kind of like Steph Curry just seeing one go in, we just needed to see one cross the plate. From that point we were able to know we can do it and just I think it builds momentum and now I got a hit after that and we just kind of stayed consistent throughout the game, scoring runs the whole game instead of just in one or two innings.

Q. You guys are obviously the heat of battle with the Giants in these games, but not to use the word "enjoy," but do you appreciate this kind of rivalry and these kind of playoff games when you guys have two teams going at it with 107 and 106 regular season wins?

MOOKIE BETTS: Yeah, I mean, that's, you know, like it is a heated battle, but like you said, it's also a lot of fun. I mean, it kind of reminds me of the Red Sox and Yankees, kind of similar to that, but only in the National League. And it's a great rivalry to be a part of and I'm just thankful to be a part of it.

Q. What goes through your head when you make one of those like crazy plays? And I know you're not on social media, but social media's going crazy everybody's talking about it, what's your reaction internally?

MOOKIE BETTS: You know, I don't get too excited unless -- no, that's a lie, I do kind of get excited. But for that one I didn't get super excited, it was just big, big to stop their momentum. I think it was, at the time, it was just like more of a breath of fresh air or a sigh of relief just to get out of that inning there because they were building some momentum for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)

MOOKIE BETTS: Yeah, that was, that was only in the bubble. We got to get to that point.