NL WILDCARD GAME: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

September 29, 2026

Chris Sale

Austin Riley

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame Press Conference

Braves 5, Phillies 3

Q. Chris, can you tell us just how good you and everyone else feels about Austin, and what was your reaction as soon as you saw that ball go over the wall?

CHRIS SALE: I don't think I've screamed that loud in a very long time. I had gotten off the mound, I was doing my postgame routine, like kind of slowing everything down, just getting some arm care in. And unfortunately the TV I was watching was on the delay, and I just hear craziness coming from the entire clubhouse. Everyone is losing their mind, and I'm just sitting there like, whoa, what's going on?

About four seconds later, you see obviously what happened. Just couldn't be happier for him.

Q. Austin, can you tell us about that moment and how good that felt?

AUSTIN RILEY: Man, it felt good, no doubt. Yeah, just trying to get something over the plate. Duran is a really good pitcher. He's got some really good stuff.

For me, it's like, you try to just get something to push it out a little bit and was able to and put a good swing on it. I felt really good. Everybody knows kind of how my season went, not the way I wanted it to. But that's the beauty of the postseason. You kind of get a clean slate and go out there and try to do something for the boys and for this city. It's definitely a good start.

Q. Chris, you've talked about the belief that everybody has, all 26 men in that clubhouse. The postseason provides that clean slate, those moments. How excited is this team to see him have that opportunity to step up and really come through?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I mean, it seems like this first game of the postseason really was kind of our season in a nutshell, right? Like hard-fought, just mentally and physically draining, everybody just pouring everything they had into it and never folding, never feeling like we were out of it, from the first pitch to the last pitch, all nine guys, guys on the bench. Talk about being engaged and focused and determined.

I think I've said it a lot; whether you're up one, down one, down three, doesn't matter if it's the first or the ninth, you always have that feeling like we have a chance to win this game. Again, like I said, today was just another example of that.

Q. Austin, when you got to that big at-bat, was that the exact pitch you were looking for, especially when you were dealing with the shadows in that situation?

AUSTIN RILEY: Yeah, I mean, like I said, he's got the four-seam, he's got the sinker. You just try to push him out, push him up. You're not going to get many mistakes with those back-end guys. You typically only get one an at-bat and you can't miss it. Like I said, I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it.

Q. You talked about the belief that you have that you never felt out of the game. How is it leaving a game knowing that once that lead was blown, what's the process and routine behind just waiting to see what happens?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I mean, I have a routine that I do when I get done pitching no matter if it's a good game, bad game, whatever it is. I kind of just rushed in to get it done so I could get back out to the bench.

But again, like I said, we have faith and trust in each other. Didi is the right guy for that situation. I don't think there's anybody that's watched our team play a single game this year that wouldn't agree with that.

I told him, hey, man -- because he felt bad about it. I said, hey, man, sometimes we need help too. That's why this is a team game, and that's why you never feel like you're out of it. You never point fingers.

He's saved this team countless times. I just told him -- he hit that home run, and he was like, man, my bad. I just said, listen, man, this is baseball. This is the postseason. This is sports. Sometimes we need some help too.

Luckily he was there to pick us up tonight.

Q. Chris, you've obviously pitched in the postseason many times, but it's been a while for you. What was it like to go out there and take the ball today?

CHRIS SALE: It was exciting. I could have pitched this game at 8:15 this morning. I felt like one of those scary movies. My eyes were open and I just popped out of bed and I was just -- it was one of those weird situations where sometimes you have a night game and you feel like you're waiting all day to play.

It felt like I was warming up and I looked up and I'm like holy -- it felt like it was 5:00 by the time I started getting ready to run out on the field.

Again, I can't say enough about the fans, the atmosphere, and obviously my teammates. The experience was incredible, and I'm obviously looking for some more of that.

Q. Austin, before you came in here, Walt Weiss said that things like what happened today with you would not happen if you hadn't had the mindset you had all season where nobody could tell if you were having your best season or your toughest season. Does what you did today feel extra fulfilling given that you had to be so mentally mature and disciplined to get to this moment?

AUSTIN RILEY: Yeah, no, it definitely felt good. I think the way the season went -- it's a mental grind. You ask anybody that's played 162 games, has been really bad, and you've got to go back out there each and every day and try to perform, it's a mental grind.

I think you try to be as even-keeled in this game as possible, never try to get too high, never try to get too low, and just try to put one foot in front of the other and trust your work, trust your routines.

Once you get out there, when the game starts, everything, all your work and stuff is done, and you've just got to go out there and play the game. Like I said, that mentality, that attitude of just trying to show up each and every day and try to get 1 percent better. Whether it was 0-4 or 4-4 the night before, whatever the case may be, you try to callous your mindset leading into the postseason.

Q. How satisfied were you with your start and just that ability to quiet things down after that first inning and get into a groove?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I felt like it was -- even coming off the mound after the first inning, I felt like I had felt my stuff where I needed it to be and where I needed to kind of get to to be there.

I felt like it was good enough to leave my team a chance to win. I obviously wish I could get two pitches back, right? You talk about an entire game, and it really came down to two pitches, and they were both within two batters in the last inning. Hitting a guy, giving free bases, that hurt me twice in this game. Then just a bad fastball. Got a little unlucky with it, but didn't execute it at the same time.

I was frustrated with that. But again, anytime I hear Didi's walk-out song, it puts a smile on my face and makes me feel pretty good. I liked our chances there. And like I said, my job as a starting pitcher is to win a game and to go as deep as possible, and anything after that is give your team a chance to win.

I felt like we accomplished that as a staff tonight, and he came through and played hero tonight.

Q. Chris, today you've set a career high for postseason game of strikeouts with nine. Today was the deepest you've pitched into a postseason game. Knowing how excited you were coming into it -- you even mentioned the goal of pitching as deep as possible -- does that add something to the day?

CHRIS SALE: I mean, I guess yes and no, honestly. I just want to win games. At this point, I don't care how it happens. If I've got to come out of the bullpen, if I've got to throw -- if Walt would have taken me out after 40 pitches and we win that game, it doesn't matter.

I try to break this down and make it as simple as possible for me. My job is not what, why, when, how, whatever. I'm literally a robot. You hand me the ball and I go throw until you say I'm done. If that's one hitter, it's one hitter. If it's nine innings, 120 pitches, that's what it is.

You try to take emotions out. You try to take the ego out, and you try to -- postseason baseball is played differently than regular season. I think we all know that.

As long as I keep getting knuckles from Walt, I keep running out there. That's kind of how I play it.

Q. Chris, all the way back in March you were asked about what it felt like to throw 100 and you replied that you hadn't done it for a very long time. But this season you've been hitting it pretty regularly. What's it felt like to be able to reach back and pull that out, especially in situations like this at this stage of your career?

CHRIS SALE: Well, I'm very confused how I'm getting so many questions and he won the game for us, to be honest with you.

I mean, yeah, it feels good. I pride myself on my work ethic and my determination. I've said countless times, and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, this isn't me on my own. I have an incredible team in my corner, from the guys in the weight room, the guys on our training staff, pitching coaches, catchers, everybody. It takes a lot for that to happen.

Again, I'm thankful to be in that position to be able to do that. But again, there's a lot of people propping me up to be able to accomplish that.

Q. Chris, about Tyler, you've seen firsthand the stability Tyler has brought to the rotation since acquiring him. Your confidence with him getting the ball to advance in his first postseason start tomorrow?

CHRIS SALE: Yeah, I told him, hey, you keep it rolling tomorrow. He's been outstanding since he's been here.

I think, again, after what he's done since that trade, everybody in that clubhouse has supreme confidence in his ability and what he brings to the table.

Again, after an exciting game like today, it just makes it that much more fun and interesting and exciting for tomorrow because we know who we are, but we know we have him going too, which adds a little layer to it.

Q. Austin, did you know it was out?

AUSTIN RILEY: No, I did not. I did not. I was praying that it was going as I was running to first. But no, no. Like I say, you just try to square it up. It hadn't gone that way in a while. But no, it was definitely nice.