The Atlanta Braves kick off a critical six-game stretch to end the season tonight with the playoffs at the tips of their fingers. The New York Mets are two games up on the Braves right now, and they'll be the first team to come to Truist Park. Next is a three-game finale with the Kansas City Royals -- another team on the brink of the playoffs -- to finish the season.
The Braves manager, Brian Snitker, joined The Steakhouse ahead of the pivotal pair of series to discuss just how important these games are and how the team is mentally preparing for them.
"You do what you do on a daily basis," the manager said about their approach to the next few days. "These are big games, they're all big games ever since the end of March... We're just going to play our game."
The Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball after stumbling to a 24-33 (58-win pace) start over their first three months. In the subsequent four months of baseball, the team from Queens has produced an elite 63-36 record (103-win pace) and pushed their way to the top of the Wild Card race.
None of what was is important anymore. All that matters now is what happens over the next six days, and the Braves must make every game count.
"The only thing that we're worried about is today," Snitker told The Steakhouse. "And I always tell the guys that we're looking to go 1-0 today. That's the only thing that we can control is the game that's in front of us. We don't have to win two out three, we don't have to sweep them. The only thing that we have to do right now is win today."
The organization is taking it one game at a time, but the urgency is clearly being felt at Truist Park.
"I think every game is going to be Game 7, quite honestly," he said. "Within reason, it is. We've got six Game 7's right now until someone tells us we're in this thing."