NL WILDCARD GAME: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

September 30, 2026

Michael Harris

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Michael, we all know that Sanchez is tough on lefties. How much of a benefit is it that you at least saw him recently and you've seen him a few times during your career?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Yeah, I guess a lot of their pitchers we've seen a lot over the years and kind of know their tendencies. But yeah, it's just kind of going back to the drawing board, see what they do against us and try to have a good game plan against it.

Q. That moment Austin Riley had yesterday, obviously huge for the team, huge for the series. But it hasn't been a good year for him, and you have seen firsthand the work he's put in throughout the entire season. How nice was it to see him have that moment for you guys given all the work he's done?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Yeah, he's a guy that really deserved that moment yesterday. He put in a ton of work over the course of the season even though a lot of times it didn't really show with the results. Yeah, to see him come through yesterday was huge.

Q. Last year you had some firsthand experience with really having to grind it out over the course of 162, so I know that speaks to the respect you have for a guy like Austin doing it. But can you walk us through the work of the winter and throughout the season to have the kind of consistency that you put in this year?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Yeah, it all just went back to All-Star break of last year. Once I made the change with my hands or whatever, just kind of maintaining that and making sure I keep the mechanics polished over the offseason. And then coming into Spring Training, seeing pitchers, making sure everything is still good, and then trusting it over 162. I think that's pretty much all I did.

Q. I noticed, I think it was the second inning maybe, you come in on a fly ball and had to go back out. I think the Phillies were having some of the same issues. Is it a little different watching the ball coming off the bat in the afternoon games versus evening?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Sometimes it's a little difficult to see with the glare around the plate. On that one particularly, I guess he kind of lunged forward and he got it a little better than I expected. I made the initial read to come in and then had to pump the brakes on it real quick.

Q. Going back to Austin Riley and talking about how big of a moment that was for him, you've also talked about this being a dream of yours, playing for your hometown team. Can you put into words, for you, seeing that for him but also how much of a dream come true this is or a moment like that, to be in it?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Yeah, obviously he's been a part of this organization for a while, and I've even had a chance to sit in the stands and watch him do it in playoff games, making game-winning hits and end-game-time hits. So actually to be on the field for, I guess, a situation like that against a top reliever in the game is pretty huge, and I know it's a big confidence booster for him.

Q. You mentioned being in the stands for all those games. Can you recall what some of those moments were?

MICHAEL HARRIS: Yes. 2021 against the Dodgers, he had the walk-off double down the third-baseline. Then I was also here the next day. I don't know if he did it twice -- I think he did it twice in a row. I was here for both games. I had videos on my Twitter, by the way, if you want to check that out, search for it.