NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 21, 2021

Chris Taylor

Cody Bellinger

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Los Angeles Dodgers - 11, Atlanta Braves - 2

Q. Chris, seven straight wins in elimination games. What is it about these games that seems to bring out the best in you guys?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I don't know. I think for us it's always just been about winning one game and we try to keep that mentality all year, do everything we can to win tonight, and just sort of take it one day at a time.

Q. Chris, to follow up, how much are you thinking about this could be the last game of the year when you're up there?

CODY BELLINGER: I mean, I don't think we think about that during the game. Like he said, we take it one game at a time and just do everything we can to possibly win that game that day.

Q. I have a question for the two of you. This is about Albert Pujols. How inspiring was it to see him in the starting lineup tonight and get this going with him?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, he's been an outstanding leader for us all season and we have a lot of confidence in him. Obviously he's been in some huge moments, huge spots in his career, and he's a true professional and he can really hit.

Q. You guys get fired up when the pitchers have great outs and innings. How exciting was it to see the relievers do such a good job against such a good team?

CODY BELLINGER: Yeah, it was, they've been doing it all year and for them to come in today and shut the door on a really good lineup, just can't say enough about them, starting off with, I don't even remember, but they all did great.

Q. Chris, have you ever had a curtain call before and what was the experience like for you here?

CHRIS TAYLOR: No, that was my first one. I think any time you do something cool, when you do it in Dodger Stadium, it makes it that much sweeter. I think this is a special place and these fans are awesome and for it to happen for the first time on this stage in front of these, this crowd, it was a special moment.

Q. Second, were you just up there hunting pitches?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I'm sorry?

Q. Were you just up there hunting pitches, like yesterday you popped up the first pitch, but you were aggressive first at-bat, were you hunting pitches there?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I was really, I wasn't thinking too much. I'm in a pretty good spot right now and when you're feeling good I think it's more just see the ball, hit the ball.

Q. Chris, I had flashbacks of Kiké in Chicago in Game 5 of the 2017 LCS. You guys were both there. He said he just kind of felt in the zone. So when you said you're feeling good is that what it's like just being in the zone where the pitch looks like a beach ball to you?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, mechanically, I'm in a good place, and then once you get a couple hits and the confidence is there, that's when everything just kind of comes together.

Q. Chris, you weren't even in the starting lineup when this postseason started. How important has it been for you to be involved in so many of these moments, to have some of these moments go your way?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, I've said it before, this is why you play the game. When you look back on all the years playing for the Dodgers it's all these big postseason games that are the most special to me and I think these are moments that we're going to be able to look back on for the rest of our lives and it's pretty cool.

Q. For either of you, collectively as an offense it seems like you guys haven't really been able to string together consecutive games where you guys really had it going. What was the key tonight and what's going to be the key sort of the next couple games?

CODY BELLINGER: Just staying simple. Kind of said it a few days ago, whether our approach is there or not, the guys on the other side of the ball are really good as well, so I think that's just baseball. Sometimes it's going to go your way. Sometimes it's not. It's just about how you continue to push forward and today was a good start. Hopefully we keep that going in Atlanta.

Q. Cody, this might be a little awkward because he's sitting right next to you, but I'm curious, what have you come to appreciate about being Chris Taylor's teammate all these years?

CODY BELLINGER: Yeah, I mean, you really can't say enough about him. Dude is just, he's a gamer and he helps the team in so many ways and he's a special player on the field and off the field and selfless as well. There's not, can't really say a bad thing about him. He just goes out and plays the game the right way and helps us win in so many different ways.

Q. Chris, it's been an incredibly eventful postseason for you. You had the walk-off in the Wild Card. You had a home run in Atlanta. You had the base running thing, mistake in Atlanta, but then the very next day you had the two-run hit that put the team ahead, now the three-run homer. What's the postseason been like for you, given all of this? You've been the center of so much.

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, I don't know, I mean, I think there's always, you got to take the lows with the highs and everything gets amplified in the postseason. And it's a game of failures. You're going to make mistakes. And then there's moments like tonight where that's what make it's worth it and that's why you just like put your head down and keep moving forward.

Q. Chris, you just added your name to a really cool list. Babe Ruth is on that list. Reggie Jackson is on that list. Albert Pujols is on that list. Players who hit three home runs in a postseason game. What does it mean to you to be on that list with those names?

CHRIS TAYLOR: It's cool. I hadn't really thought about that. It's definitely surreal feeling for me. I never thought I was going to hit three homers in a game, let alone a postseason game, and it just still hasn't really sunk in.

Q. When you walk to the plate knowing you have a chance to hit a fourth homer, how much is that on your mind?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I was trying not to think about it. I was really just going out there and I was trying to have a good at-bat and hit a ball hard and if it happened, it happened.

But I'm not the guy that can, I can't go up there thinking about hitting a homer. I'm just, usually I'm just trying to hit line drives.

Q. Chris, you got a curtain call. What was that like and what's it been like having these big moments here at Dodger Stadium?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, I touched on this a little earlier, I think these are the best fans in the world and anything you do, when you do it here, it feels that much better, and it's really special and it's a dream come true to play here.

Q. The production you got around you toward the bottom of the lineup tonight, how much pride do you guys take in being able to beat teams 1 through 9?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Yeah, I think all year we've been a pretty deep team top to bottom. We pride ourselves on having good at-bats and grinding them out and kind of pass the baton to the next guy.

Q. Cody, I know you were on deck, but how much cheerleading was going on over on your side when Chris was up there with a chance to hit No. 4?

CODY BELLINGER: It was awesome, man, it really was. I had the goose bumps sitting on deck. I had the best view, I think, for all three and I felt like he was really going to do it. He was seeing the ball well all day. And I haven't been like that close in that situation ever before either, so it was pretty cool to see that and to hear the crowd and understand what was at stake there.

Q. Chris, did the guys have to coax you out there for that curtain call?

CHRIS TAYLOR: I was on the bench talking to Seeds and I didn't hear it until they told me, yeah.

Q. And then it look like, was AJ yelling something to you from the dugout before your third home run?

CHRIS TAYLOR: Probably. I don't know. I don't remember.