Dodgers Interview: Snell Stoked for Game 2
"I can't wait to pitch here."
PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers stole Game 1 in Philadelphia. Now it is Blake Snell’s turn to keep the momentum rolling. On the club’s off day, the lefty kept it calm, kept it short, and made clear he is ready for a loud Monday night. He respects the stage. He likes the stage. Most of all, he trusts what this rotation has been doing for weeks.
“I’ve done it before,” Snell said when asked about pitching in Citizens Bank Park. “This place is special. The fans show up, they’re passionate, they have energy, and I can’t wait to pitch here tomorrow.” He didn’t pretend there’s a trick to handling the noise. “There’s not really anything you can do to prepare for it. As it’s happening, just focus, breathe, and enjoy the moment.”
What he will prepare for is the lineup. He spent Sunday absorbing what Game 1 told him about swings, approaches, and zones. “Aggressiveness on pitches, what they’re swinging at, what they’re taking,” he said. “Just learning. Can’t really give much away, but yeah, just learning.”
Snell leaned into the group dynamic that has carried the Dodgers’ staff into October. “We’re all pushing for each other, but competing with each other as well and trying to be the best we can be,” he said. “We know the deeper we go, the better it is for our team and the better chance we have to win. It’s a lot of fun to be in this rotation.”
Pressed on the plan against the heart of the Phillies’ order after the way the Dodgers attacked in Game 1, he kept the cards close. “The guys did such a good job,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know how to answer that without giving something away.”
If there is a theme with Snell, it is feel and observation. He talks often about reading swings, and he explained why. “Just watching baseball, asking questions, learning,” he said. “I’ve had some really good pitching coaches over the years that pushed me and helped me evolve. I’m always finding ways to get better and be the best me.” The learning came from teammates too. “Learning from veteran pitchers I’ve been around,” he added. “I’ve been very fortunate with the people around me who taught me a lot and helped me become the player I am today and the person I’m chasing.”
That sense of feel has grown with time. “I’ve always had a knack for the feel of the game at a young age,” Snell said. “As I’ve gotten older and faced adversity and failure, those are the things I’ve picked up on that helped me build confidence and gain trust to be consistent longer.”
He also lit up when a question veered into friendships and sports when he was asked about his budding friendship with Korean soccer star Son Heung-min. “I used to play FIFA all the time and he was the best player on the game,” he said about the L.A. FC star who tossed a first pitch earlier this year. “I was a big fan, then I went to his game, then he came out to the playoff game, and we’ve just been building a friendship. We both really support each other and it’s been a really fun friendship.”
Before he left, Snell was asked what he saw from Roki Sasaki, who slammed the door in Game 1. “I like how confident he is when he comes out of the pen to close games,” Snell said. “He’s throwing strikes, he’s attacking, he’s fearless. It’s a different Roki. The starter Roki was more cautious and a little nervous from what I could see. Now he’s more confident in what he can do. That’s so much fun to watch.”
The message was steady throughout the session. “Just learning,” he said again when pressed about Philadelphia’s stars. “Focus, breathe, enjoy the moment.” And when it came back to the rotation’s rhythm, he kept it simple. “We’re competing with each other and the deeper we go the better it is for our team,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Game 2 brings the same crowd, the same stakes, and a lefty who has lived in this kind of noise. The plan is written in his words. “Focus,” he said. “Breathe.” And then, with a little grin you could hear more than see, “I can’t wait to pitch here tomorrow.”
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