What the SF Giants are saying about facing the Dodgers in the NLDS

SAN FRANCISCO — After the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals in the National League wild card game with a walk-off home run on Wednesday night, a historic NLDS matchup is set.

The Giants and Dodgers are set to meet in the playoffs for the first time in the modern era and ahead of a highly anticipated Game 1 on Friday, the rivals were scheduled to hold press conferences and workouts at Oracle Park on Thursday.

Giants players Logan Webb, Evan Longoria and Mike Yastrzemski all addressed reporters Thursday and here’s what they said.

Mike Yastrzemski

On facing the Dodgers: “For me, it felt like this was how it was going to end up anyways. I felt like I didn’t even have to watch the game to figure out who we were going to play. It just felt like it was going to be the matchup that we were going to have and it’s one of those things where it’s going to be two good teams battling each other and having a lot of fun competing against another good team.”

On comparing the Dodgers-Giants rivalry to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry: “Just kind of taking it in stride right now. I haven’t really thought about the emotional side of it until we get there. If you get too far ahead of yourself and get too lost in the future, then you’re going to kind of miss out on these opportunities that you have to recover and to get yourself right.But I imagine it’s going to feel a lot like the last couple games of the season because we were in a situation where it felt like we were fighting for our lives. It’s like we needed to win those games in order to be in the situation that we wanted to and that creates a different environment. I think that we handled it as best we could. We didn’t get too high on the highs. We didn’t get too low on the win the day before the last, or the loss before the last day of the season, and I think those things are really going to help us who don’t have the playoff experience really understand what it might feel like.So we’re just going to try and lean on the past couple games and assume that it’s going to feel pretty similar.”

Evan Longoria

On facing the Dodgers: “I feel like this may also be a series or a moment where baseball may have to think about restructuring the way the playoffs happen. 106 and 107 wins doesn’t feel like a (division series) matchup, you know? Especially because the season is so long for two teams to win that many games and then for one of them to have to go home this early. With that being said, obviously we knew we were going to have to go through them and they were going to have to go through us to go to the World Series, so better to get it out of the way early.”

On the playoff atmosphere: “This series is going to be a madhouse at both places. That just adds fuel to the fire. I can’t even tell you my last playoff memory. That’s how far ago it seems and how quickly it goes when you’re there.”

On his advice to teammates who haven’t been in the postseason: “To enjoy it. It’s been like eight years since I’ve been to the postseason, so that’s, it feels like another lifetime ago. So I’m just really appreciative to have the opportunity again to play in the postseason and this is going to be an unbelievable way to kick it off. This series is going to be a mad house at both places. And from what I understand this is the first time that the Giants and theDodgers have ever met in the postseason somehow, so that just kind of adds fuel to the fire.So just really try and soak it all in. I mean, I can’t even tell you my last playoff memory. I mean, that’s how like far ago it seems and how quickly it goes when you’re there. So, yeah, just enjoy it.”

Logan Webb

On facing the 106-win Dodgers “I think the way all the series went this year with those guys, you knew it was going to happen. You know it was going to be us too. It’s been the two best teams in baseball all year, I’m super excited and I know all of us are super excited.”

“It’s honestly crazy to me we’ve played each other in the playoffs. To be a part of that is pretty cool for me.”

On how he’ll approach the Dodgers’ lineup: “I feel like I’ve faced them enough to know how I want to throw to them, so I don’t know if there’s any like different way I would look at it. But I’ve definitely gone and watched past at-bats against who I think will be in the lineup and kind of the way that, what worked, what didn’t work, and stuff like that. So I don’t know if there’s necessarily a different approach going into this game.”

On the playoff atmosphere: “I don’t know what it’s going to be like. I’ve never been a part of a playoff game. I’ve been a part of the series that we’ve had here and in LA and even those are pretty crazy and wild and I’m sure it’s going to be even more than usual. I’m super excited to see it. I think it’s going to be fantastic.”