NL DIVISION SERIES: CUBS VS BREWERS

October 5, 2025

Shota Imanaga

Q. I was wondering, Craig earlier today talked about how you pitch with joy but you're also a really fierce competitor. I'm wondering how you balance those two things to make yourself as effective as you've been.

SHOTA IMANAGA: I'm very thankful for that comment. I have very good reassuring teammates, so tomorrow just going to try my best 100 percent.

Q. After your last start you talked about wanting to go back and figure out why that pitch to Machado wasn't down where you wanted it. What did you see as you went over that, and what was your focus throughout the week?

SHOTA IMANAGA: That was one of those pitches that -- missed pitches in that game, and that game had a few of them, but that was the one that got hit.

I feel like as a pitcher, if you're scared of missing like that, that's just going to help the hitter. So I think just as a pitcher, yes, that's going to happen throughout a game, but just making sure, keeping it in my mind that you've got to stay calm at all times.

Q. Is there anything that you took away from your first experience of pitching in the postseason here that you feel like will be helpful to you heading into tomorrow's game or in the game itself?

SHOTA IMANAGA: So I really thought everything that I've done up to that point, that's all I can do. You can't all of a sudden do something that you've never done before. So I think just understanding that, all that preparation, hard work that came up to that point, and do my best for the game.

Q. Shota, in just four career games, Milwaukee has gotten to you a little bit; 14 career runs given up. Anything about them in particular or a player or two that gives you trouble?

SHOTA IMANAGA: I think all the hitters, they understand what they need to do, and I think that's the Brewers' offense. Even yesterday, just the next guy was up, the next guy was ready. So I think, for me, it's just making sure, take it one out at a time, and then thinking about that one out.