NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 4, 2026

Michael Harris

Drake Baldwin

Dodger Stadium

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Braves - 3, Dodgers - 2

Q. Congratulations on the win. Obviously the Dodgers have this amazing lineup and everything, amazing pitching lineup. Walt was talking about the importance of getting a split. Obviously you come in hoping to win two games, but that's often not the case. What does it mean to get the split here before you go home?

MICHAEL HARRIS II: I think it means a lot to obviously overcome what happened yesterday, not winning the game, and taking momentum and going back to Atlanta and potentially hand the ball off to either Mahle or Sale. I think that gives us confidence and motivation to come back with some momentum.

DRAKE BALDWIN: I think a lot of guys had big at-bats today and pitched really well. Having a bullpen game three games in a row is tough to do. I think just kind of how our bullpen showed out says a lot about us, and especially when we have some starters lined up for the next two games back in Atlanta. I think it kind of instills some confidence in us and gives us some momentum going back to Atlanta as well.

Q. Mike, just to start out, on that triple, did you think it was getting caught off the bat? What was going through your mind when it was sailing up?

MICHAEL HARRIS II: I knew I didn't fully get it. I knew I was slicing away from them. As I got closer to first, I was kind of blocked by his body. So I didn't know if he caught it or not. Then I seen it bounce off the wall, and I just had to keep digging to third.

Q. With Ray, we talked about it so much after the Wild Card series, but now to go up against Snell and doing the same thing, what are you seeing from him, and what does it say about him?

DRAKE BALDWIN: I think it was kind of similar to what he did in the Wild Card series. He goes out there, and he just kind of does what he does. It says a lot about him. He's very poised out there, confident in what he does.

That's a really good lineup, and he was able to navigate it pretty well. Yeah, that was a huge start or open or whatever you call it in two huge games for us. So it says a lot about him.

Q. After your first three hits, was it going through your head at all in that last at-bat that you were a homer away from the second postseason cycle, or is that something you've just got to block out?

MICHAEL HARRIS II: You didn't know?

DRAKE BALDWIN: Second?

MICHAEL HARRIS II: No, not my second.

DRAKE BALDWIN: Second ever.

MICHAEL HARRIS II: I was aware, but I wasn't necessarily going for it. I knew it was a close game, and we still needed to get some runs and just find a way to get on base. Yeah, I was aware, but no.

Q. For either or both of you, to win the bullpen game and then to go home knowing you have Sale available, what kind of confidence does that give you guys?

DRAKE BALDWIN: I think whenever you have Sale on the mound, you've seen it the last couple years about what he can do. Yeah, you feel good whenever you're playing at home and Sale's on the mound.

Being tied, you feel a little bit better than being down 0-2.

Q. Mike, in 2021 you were watching the NLCS from the stands back then. What does it mean to produce in this year's the way that you have tonight?

MICHAEL HARRIS II: Yeah, it means a lot just knowing I was there in that situation watching, I guess Riley was kind of the only one that was still on the team, Riley and Ozzie. Watching him hit the walkoff and being there for that, just chanting MVP for him. Now we're here in the playoffs trying to do the same thing.

Yeah, it means a lot, and now I'm out on the field to be able to wear that jersey in front of the city that I grew up in and I was once sitting in those seats. Yeah, it feels good.

Q. Drake, tonight's ABS challenge went very well. What makes it so effective tonight?

DRAKE BALDWIN: I think it's something we got to work on throughout this entire season and something that was newer. It's nice late in the game having two challenges, you can kind of be pretty aggressive with those.

I mean, I wasn't like a hundred percent on them, but having two challenges late in games, you've got really good hitters up, it's the important time to burn them if they were wrong. Yeah, I thought they were close, so I kind of just sent it.