WEBVTT - Evan Phillips (8-17-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>Now an exclusive interview with David Basse Say or Dodger Talker.

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<v Speaker 1>We're in the mile high and it hasn't got us yet.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm joined right now by Dodgers super reliever Evan Phillips. Evan,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks a lot for the time. I appreciate it, Yes, sir, anytime.

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<v Speaker 1>So you've been here enough times now, how do you

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<v Speaker 1>handle being a mile high above sea level?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, it's a I honestly love coming to

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<v Speaker 2>the games here. I think the ballpark's beautiful. The bullpen's

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<v Speaker 2>definitely a different vibe down there than you see at

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of ballparks, you know. Aside from that kind

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<v Speaker 2>of stuff and the physical adjustments we have to make

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<v Speaker 2>being here for a three game series, there are some small,

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<v Speaker 2>like subtle things I change on the mound just to

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<v Speaker 2>try to, you know, execute execute pitches better, just the

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<v Speaker 2>way the ball gets impacted.

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<v Speaker 3>But like you said, I've been here a hand full

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<v Speaker 3>of times now, so I feel like I've got a

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<v Speaker 3>good grasp on what I need to do.

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<v Speaker 2>And truthfully, I feel like it's kind of a it's

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<v Speaker 2>beneficial for the rest of the season because it's kind

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<v Speaker 2>of like just getting back to the foundation and the

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<v Speaker 2>fundamentals of what I do well there in the mound.

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<v Speaker 3>So yeah, I mean I've gotten gotten used to it

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<v Speaker 3>and hopefully we can get a few wins here.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you saying, when you go back to the fundamentals,

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<v Speaker 1>you have to be more mindful of that here?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's a great way to put it, just being

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<v Speaker 2>a bit more mindful of how I'm trying to execute

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<v Speaker 2>and where I'm trying to throw the pitches out there,

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<v Speaker 2>just because.

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<v Speaker 3>I feel like when I haven't performed well here, it's

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<v Speaker 3>been because of laps in.

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<v Speaker 2>Execution, and that could just come from a small mechanical

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<v Speaker 2>flaw that maybe you get away with sometimes, but here

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<v Speaker 2>you're not going to get away with it as much.

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<v Speaker 1>Evan Phillips is our guest. I had a first pitch

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<v Speaker 1>between the Dodgers and Rockies. You're a great guy to

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<v Speaker 1>talk to because I've been talking about you and preaching

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<v Speaker 1>to people that have never gone through an arm surgery

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<v Speaker 1>that it's really difficult to go through it and then

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<v Speaker 1>be thrown into the fire in the middle of the season.

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<v Speaker 1>How have you been able to manage all that? And

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<v Speaker 1>do you feel like you're getting closer to where you

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<v Speaker 1>believe you should be.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, definitely, I think, you know, I didn't know how

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<v Speaker 2>hard it was going to be until yeah, getting back

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<v Speaker 2>really at this level and competing out here on a

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<v Speaker 2>consistent basis. But yeah, there's just been you know, small

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<v Speaker 2>things really within every outing that I've thrown and where

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<v Speaker 2>I wish I could have that one moment back. So

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<v Speaker 2>just what I've done differently to try to circumvent that

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<v Speaker 2>is to be a.

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<v Speaker 3>Bit more mindful of, you know, my practice reps.

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<v Speaker 2>Similarly, just playing in Colorado, just kind of taking my

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<v Speaker 2>throwing program daily back to the fundamentals of what I

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<v Speaker 2>think I need to do well to have success, and

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<v Speaker 2>I have seen progress. So it's been itching to get

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<v Speaker 2>back out there after every outing, just to continue to

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<v Speaker 2>get all these reps built up that way, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>when the game's really you know, start to count, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>down the stretch and into the postseason, I'm ready to

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<v Speaker 2>be at my best.

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<v Speaker 3>You're not the only one.

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<v Speaker 1>Edwin Diaz had surgery during the season. He's the closer,

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<v Speaker 1>and he's expected to come in where the tension is

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<v Speaker 1>the highest. How much do we fully not appreciate what

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<v Speaker 1>he has to come back from.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, I think similarly to my situation. Right,

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<v Speaker 2>just we don't really have the luxury of getting too

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<v Speaker 2>much of a soft landing when it comes to like

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<v Speaker 2>getting back into games like Edwind's the closer, I have

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<v Speaker 2>expectations to.

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<v Speaker 3>Be, you know, part of the back end mix as well.

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<v Speaker 2>And when you get into those situations, you just want

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<v Speaker 2>to perform. You're not worried about, you know, the lack

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<v Speaker 2>of repetitions that you missed out on because of injury.

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<v Speaker 2>So for Edwin's case, you know, similar to myself, just

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<v Speaker 2>got to keep on running back out there, hopefully get

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<v Speaker 2>him a few more opportunities with a bigger lead to Hey,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, let him take a deep breath out there

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<v Speaker 2>and get through the outing more comfortably.

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<v Speaker 3>But he's gonna be just fine.

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<v Speaker 2>This guy is one of the best pitchers on the planet,

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<v Speaker 2>one of the best closers we've ever seen here. So

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<v Speaker 2>you're gonna give him some more time, more reps, and

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<v Speaker 2>he'll be fine.

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<v Speaker 1>Evan Phillips as one of the highest baseball IQs I've

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<v Speaker 1>met of any player since I've been doing this with

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<v Speaker 1>the Dodgers, So I don't want to just put him

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<v Speaker 1>in the box of talking about the bullpen and his

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<v Speaker 1>comrades down there. What do you feel about the team

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<v Speaker 1>and where it's at right now, and how encouraging is

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<v Speaker 1>it to have the starting pitchers that you guys have

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<v Speaker 1>now in the rotation.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean not just our starters, but you know

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<v Speaker 2>what our lineups capable of doing. I think even within

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<v Speaker 2>a stretch like this, everybody knows what we're capable of

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred and sixty two game season, and we've got

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<v Speaker 2>you know, bigger aspirations beyond that as well. So I

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<v Speaker 2>think little ruts like this are just you know, part

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<v Speaker 2>of the long season. So it's kind of magnified right

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<v Speaker 2>now because I think every facet of the game is

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<v Speaker 2>having a moment or two of struggling base running, fielding,

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<v Speaker 2>and starting pitching at times or relievers at times.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's just a mix of putting it all together.

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<v Speaker 2>And when it does, it's you know, we've already seen

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<v Speaker 2>what this team can do and the ceiling that this

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<v Speaker 2>group can have. So we'll just you know, keep on

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<v Speaker 2>plugging away because I promise, like the work inside each

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<v Speaker 2>and every day hasn't waivered, you know, our guys, or

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<v Speaker 2>our leadership with our our veterans and our superstars.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, they're those guys are the hardest workers on

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<v Speaker 3>the team.

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<v Speaker 2>So those guys set the tone every single day and

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<v Speaker 2>set the standard for us.

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<v Speaker 1>And then can you take us inside a little bit?

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously not too inside, but the Dodgers are the only

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<v Speaker 1>team in baseball that has a player's only playing where

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<v Speaker 1>you guys fly to these different cities players only. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you guys talk the game on those flights or is

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<v Speaker 1>it no baseball talk? Is that where you guys can

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<v Speaker 1>actually hammer out whatever is going on in these type

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<v Speaker 1>of situations.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean it's a mix, and I think it

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<v Speaker 2>all started mostly it's just as a camaraderie thing. I

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<v Speaker 2>think we started doing it the twenty four postseason as

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<v Speaker 2>a way to just you know, really dig in with

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<v Speaker 2>that time together and you know that way when you're

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<v Speaker 2>out on the field, you're playing for you know, a

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<v Speaker 2>brother out there more so than just like a teammate

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<v Speaker 2>that you would on any other day. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>if those conversations need to happen, I don't think anyone

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<v Speaker 2>will shy away from having it, and even if it's

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<v Speaker 2>here in the clubhouse. Right So the travel has been great,

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<v Speaker 2>but I think it's more so just a way to

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<v Speaker 2>get the guys together more. All of our guys, most

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<v Speaker 2>of our guys have families, you know, so this season

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<v Speaker 2>takes us away from things of the personal, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>side of life. But you know, while we're in season,

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<v Speaker 2>I think everyone's decided that it's best that we stay

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<v Speaker 2>as connected as possible.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there what they used to call players only meetings?

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<v Speaker 1>Does that still happen? Have you experienced that this year?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, that's something that's you know, seldomly been done here.

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<v Speaker 2>It was my time with the Dodgers, I think, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Dave Roberts has such a good grasp on the clubhouse

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<v Speaker 2>and kind of lets us you handle the business each

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<v Speaker 2>and every day. There have been moments here and there

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<v Speaker 2>where you know, I know, the bullpen, we got the

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<v Speaker 2>guys together last year at one point. But we do

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<v Speaker 2>that kind of stuff, you know, every few weeks, just

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<v Speaker 2>to kind of check in with each other.

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<v Speaker 3>But yeah, that's a you know, we're a different group

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<v Speaker 3>done there.

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<v Speaker 2>We've got a lot of personalities coming in and out

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<v Speaker 2>of the clubhouse from time to time, so we take

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of pride and like keeping that unit solidified.

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<v Speaker 2>But you know, same kind I would imagine the same

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<v Speaker 2>thing goes for the guys that work in the cages. Right,

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<v Speaker 2>you just have little conversations here and there, but you know,

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<v Speaker 2>not no formal, you know, team meetings as of yet.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we've had to do a couple in my

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<v Speaker 2>time here with the Dodgers, but we'll seem to be

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<v Speaker 2>more and more rare because of how Doc leads this team.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for explaining that, Evan, you're the best. Appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>the time, and definitely you will handle course Field and

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully the Dodger starters starting with tonight's snail Zilla bump Day.

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<v Speaker 1>You guys will be used minimally.

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<v Speaker 3>Hey, we'll take whatever we can get. We're always ready

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<v Speaker 3>down there.

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<v Speaker 2>You know that