NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS VS BRAVES

October 11, 2021

Craig Counsel

Truist Park

Milwaukee Brewers

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Braves - 3, Brewers - 0

Q. How tough is the decision to take Freddy out? You were obviously searching for runs and that was your big chance to do it. Was that tough or easy?

CRAIG COUNSELL: No, it's a tough decision. I think Freddy was throwing the ball great. No question about it. He I think he could have got two more innings in an ideal scenario. But there was a path to the end of the game, I thought, for us, with our bullpen. And we needed to score. And there was a good opportunity to score.

And we had Vogelbach on the team for that situation in that spot. They made a great defensive play. We lined out. And unfortunately it didn't play.

Q. We asked Omar about this. What did you think about the pitch, did you see the one that Joc hit out?

CRAIG COUNSELL: I have not seen it. It looked up to me. From just the game view of it. It didn't look like a bad pitch. Give him credit. He hit a change-up the first day, and he hit a high fastball -- I don't know if it was in or not -- but it was certainly up.

Q. In the fifth with Omar up, Luis, there was a wild pitch there. Was that like a missed opportunity for him, in your view, to not move on that one? And did you have any issue with him reading that play at third base and breaking?

CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, they were both tough. I think the wild pitches, it's an immediate reaction, yes or no on the wild pitch.

And the Swanson play, it's just a great play. I don't know what to say. It's just a heck of a play. I'm not sure that Luis would have been safe. It was hit so hard. Lorenzo scorched it, it was hit so hard. So I'm not sure on that one.

Q. Out of curiosity, if it's a 1-0, if you get a run in before Peralta's spot, does he continue?

CRAIG COUNSELL: That was under consideration, yeah, depending on what the situation was there.

Q. What do you think made Anderson so effective? Looked like a lot of swings and misses on the change-up. He's got a good change-up.

CRAIG COUNSELL: It was the change-up for sure. I think we quickly adjusted and understood what he was doing. He was a little scattered with the fastball. But he did get enough first-pitch strikes.

And when you get the first-pitch strikes, then you're down in the count already. But he threw a ton of good changeups and enough strikes with the other stuff to kind of keep us off balance, really.

The change-up was good. I thought there were times when the hitters, they were looking for it and we just didn't hit it.

Q. Obviously that running effort that Lorenzo made, put his body on the line there. Was there more concern when you went out there originally. He obviously stayed in the game, but was there concern for his shoulder?

CRAIG COUNSELL: Yeah, I mean, it was an incredible effort and one we've seen from Lorenzo time and time again. It was, I'm going to catch this baseball. And he's putting his body on the line a lot. He was fortunate that he just kind of jammed his shoulder and really just kind of feels, so far, it's just been muscular, nothing structural. So he's probably going to be a little sore tomorrow, but I'm optimistic.

Q. Just how frustrating is it -- baseball this happens; you get into these slumps and it's a bad time for it to happen -- what can you do about it? And how easy is it to deal with?

CRAIG COUNSELL: We're in it, you know? And I thought we swung the bats better today. Luck wasn't on our side today with some balls in some key spots. As the game got on, I think the first time through the order, we have to probably be a little tougher first time -- making it tougher first time through the order. That's -- some good starting pitching is making it tough on us. And we gotta catch a break, frankly. Today we didn't catch a break.

But I did think there's a number of line-outs, number of hard hit balls. Yeli hit -- even the double play that Yeli hit, that ball can go through a bunch of times, that ball is well-hit. We didn't hit the balls in the right spot today.

Q. The results of today and who you had to use on the mound affect what you do tomorrow as you look to start the game?

CRAIG COUNSELL: We're going to discuss it here and we'll let you know. Yeah, we'll just look at it and map out the scenarios for tomorrow. But I think we're in decent shape.

Q. Is Corbin Burnes on short rest in that equation or is it a no-go?

CRAIG COUNSELL: It's not going to be Corbin.

Q. Did the way Houser threw the ball in Game 1 influence that he got it again today, because really Pederson is the only guy ...

CRAIG COUNSELL: The innings, as much as, the first two guys are matchups we were seeking for Adrian. Those guys deserve credit, too. Both went the other way, some nice pieces of hitting. Adrian's sinker has been really good. He's just been good, period, he really has. He's been incredible the second half. Had a really good first outing here in the playoffs. And just didn't play today.