NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS BREWERS

October 5, 2026

Gary Sanchez

Petco Park

Milwaukee Brewers

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. I was just wondering, this is your second time with the Brewers. You played on a number of teams during your career in the Major Leagues. What separates maybe the Brewers from some of the other teams that you played, and how much have you enjoyed playing for Murph in particular?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: I think when it comes time for playoffs in particular, it doesn't quite matter which team you're on. I think there's a different sort of adrenaline that comes with the playoffs. There's a different adrenaline that the games, the fans, the intensity brings.

I think the difference is, in being with the Brewers and being with Murphy, Murphy, he likes to win. Murphy is a manager that he's managing to win at all times, and I think that we coordinate a lot in the decisions he makes. I think we're very aligned in that aspect of things.

I think another thing that Murphy does that's great is if you do something that's wrong or bad, he'll go and tell you directly. I think that's good and that's necessary.

Q. Where does yesterday's plate appearance rank among your favorite in your career, and what are the little moments within it that you're going to remember most? Which pitches or moments?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: I've had a lot of good moments in the playoffs, and each one of those are special. I think any time, you know, especially in the playoffs, that you can do something to contribute to the team winning, it's something special that you hold in your heart and something that you don't really forget.

I think yesterday in particular, again, being able to contribute and do something to help the team win, it's something that -- it's a special moment that I certainly won't ever forget.

Q. Gary, you said that Murph's not afraid to talk to you when you do something wrong. I'm wondering if he's ever said something to you after one of your ABS challenges perhaps and what those conversations have been like? You've got a guy like Vaughn on the team who hasn't challenged yet, I believe, and you're right at the top of the list. I was just wondering how those conversations go and whether he's gotten mad at you or had anything funny to say to you about that after you've done it?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: Yeah, he said some things to me. No, I think the way that I see it is it doesn't matter too much in the way that Murph says it to me, said some comments messing around with me at the same time.

When I'm starting a game, I don't necessarily know if I'm going to finish that game. I know that there's a strategy to maybe save the challenges for the end of the game, but again, I may not be in there at the end. If there's an at-bat where it's 3-2 and I strike out on a pitch that I think is a ball, there's a strikeout that I could overturn right there, a strikeout of mine that I could overturn -- again, I may not be saving it for any reason if I'm not in there at the end of the game.

Q. You've had the highest walk rate of your career this year. I think it's more than double what it was when you were here the last time. Obviously this team values swing decisions very highly. Do you think that's a coincidence that you're walking more with the team that walks a lot, or is that just where you're at in your career?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: Yeah, definitely. I think whenever you play with this team, with Milwaukee, it can kind of stick to you a little bit. It's a team that likes to battle every single at-bat. It's a team that values their swing decisions. It's a team that will take walks.

I think, again, that sticks with you, and there's some contagious aspects to that that rub off. I think at the same time as well, ABS has helped me with that, both in my own challenges and then I think the umpires have also been a little bit more -- a little smaller with their zones.

I'm not afraid to challenge if I think it is a ball. So I think kind of the combination of both of those things is what's resulted in that.

Q. With Dustin May on the mound tomorrow -- you've caught a lot of pitchers over the years. How much does experience -- he's pitched here a lot, he's pitched in the postseason -- how much does that matter in the start tomorrow?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: Like you said, he's experienced. He's an experienced pitcher. He's got a tremendous ability to move the ball around. He's got a lot of movement on his pitches. I think he's got the ability to control his sinker, to control his cutter. He's going to go out there and do the job tomorrow.

That's what he's going to do, go out there and attack hitters and battle and do his part. I think this is a guy who's already got three World Series under his belt with the Dodgers. So kind of like you mentioned already, he's someone who's experienced and going to be ready.

Q. I don't think you'll tell us if Mason Miller was tipping pitches yesterday, so I'll ask you this. Is your team good at catching when a pitcher is tipping pitches?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: I don't know if he was tipping or not. Seriously, I don't; and if he was, I wasn't aware of it.

I think even if he was and we were aware of it, hitting 104 is not easy by any means. Hitting a pitcher of that caliber and pitches of that caliber, you know there's nothing easy about that.

Yeah, again, I really don't -- I was not aware he was tipping. I was focused on other things in the game.

Q. You're a veteran, but how do you teach yourself to stay within yourself in the moment? For example, like yesterday your unbelievable at-bat where you pinch-hit and draw a walk. Same thing with Sal, he draws a walk, and Christian draws a walk and steals a base to get to Jackson Chourio. In those huge moments where you don't get too big for the moment, how have you taught yourself to just stay within yourself?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: It's not easy. I think it's a lot of talking to myself and telling myself to stay calm throughout. Like I mentioned earlier, the adrenaline of the playoffs is there, and that's part of the challenge is to stay calm with that adrenaline.

I think this is the first time in my career that I've come off the bench in a postseason game. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think that was the first time yesterday. Again, just trying the best as I can to tell myself to stay calm and control the adrenaline, extra adrenaline that comes with that situation.

Q. (Question regarding his time in San Diego.)

GARY SÁNCHEZ: It was a great learning experience for me, a great year that I was able to spend here in San Diego, spending it with guys like Machado, Bogaerts. It was a beautiful chemistry that the clubhouse had, not only with those guys, but I was able to have a lot of conversations with the pitching coach here at the time and learned a lot from the pitching coach just about the game and about game calling in particular.

There's definitely a lot of things that I used in my time here that I carry with me.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: In reference to the environments, I'm not focused on the environments whenever I'm in the field. Whenever I'm on the field, I'm focused on the job that's at hand, my task at hand and just the pitcher.

I've done a good job over my career being able to block out those environments and focus on what I need to do.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: In talking about previous postseason experiences and how they've helped me, they definitely have helped me throughout my career. Having those moments helps lower the adrenaline a little bit for you, even though the adrenaline in these postseason games is always going to be higher and it's going to feel a tick up from what a regular season game would be.

I've been fortunate to have those moments, and those are moments that I certainly have saved in a special place.

Q. We've seen your catching wristband. Would you like to inform the audience why you think LeBron is better than Jordan?

THE INTERPRETER: I was the one that made the wristband for Gary of LeBron.

GARY SÁNCHEZ: There's always been a discussion in the clubhouse of who the greatest of all time is. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and everyone has their own opinions, but for me I've always said that LeBron is the best to ever do it and best of all time.

That's not to take any credit away from other players or other people that have opinions that Jordan or others are the best, but for me, LeBron is the best to ever do it.

Q. Who agrees with you?

GARY SÁNCHEZ: There's a group in there that agrees with me. (Indicating to interpreter) He's kind of half-half. The ones that don't agree, I don't think we're ever going to find the end of that discussion, that argument, because I'm never going to go on their side.