NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS BREWERS

October 6, 2026

Aaron Ashby

DL Hall

Petco Park

Milwaukee Brewers

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Aaron, let me get the San Diego question out of the way. How much do you hear from your uncle during the season, and how has that communication maybe changed this series?

AARON ASHBY: I don't know it's changed much this series. He's obviously had a huge part when he was playing here, but I think he's in my corner right now. We keep in touch throughout the season obviously.

Yeah, it's a cool relationship to have, and especially to be here and play against the Padres, where he had so much of his career played here.

Q. Maybe for both guys, there's been a lot of bullpen usage in these first two games, which is expected in the postseason, especially for Aaron. Is this kind of your dream scenario of how much you like to pitch, how often you like to pitch?

AARON ASHBY: Yeah, I think any time you go into the postseason, you know the bullpens are going to be used. You try and stop momentum from the other team when it seems to be going their way. We know that coming in.

Yeah, any time I can contribute and try and throw every game, you always feel good about that.

Q. What makes your bullpen so tough on other teams?

DL HALL: I think it's kind of I think we have a little bit of everything. I think as close as we are too, we like picking each other up. I think it's like a brotherhood out there. We've kind of created this year of if we come in for somebody and their runners are on, just trying to keep them where they're at.

I think we take a lot of pride in that, and it's kind of become a thing for us is just like picking each other up. We're such a tight-knit group, but also just the variety we have. We've got plenty of lefties, plenty of righties. I think we just kind of have something to combat everything that you can kind of want in a bullpen. We've got sinker guys. We've got four-seam guys that just kind of swing and miss. Whatever the situation presents, it's like we have something to face that moment.

AARON ASHBY: I would say same thing. I think Charlie Greene, our bullpen coach down there, has done an awesome job the past couple years of kind of creating this culture down there of maybe not having an ego, checking yourself every day, and like just doing it for the eight, nine -- I mean, it's a lot more in the playoffs -- ten guys that are down there and picking each other up.

It's never like all on your shoulders. There's another guy like any time I'm out there, I know I got four other guys in the bullpen that, if I get in trouble, they're going to come pick me up. It's almost like a freedom when you're out there, takes some pressure off yourself because we do have those dudes that come in and get the job done.

Q. You guys are obviously used to -- this is for both of you. You guys are used to coming in with runners in scoring position on base, et cetera. How do you make sure in the postseason, when the atmosphere is amped up, that you try to keep yourself as calm as you can and try to make it like any other appearance that you have?

DL HALL: I think it's kind of what you just said, just trying to make it just like any other game, any game we played in the regular season. Obviously it's a little harder. The atmosphere is going to be different, you can't control that.

I think just focusing pitch to pitch is what our whole team has done all year, and we've taken it just each pitch is just as important as the next one or the last one. So it's just like making sure you're focused on that individual pitch. That kind of takes all the outside things away.

AARON ASHBY: Certainly. I think we have such good practice at that for the last 162 games. It's such a detail from Murph and our pitching coaches throughout the year in game and throwing program, that if you can have this high level of intent throughout the year, this is like just wonderful practice to have for the moments when things are certainly heightened.

It really doesn't feel like you're -- let me use this quote, but you're not like rising to the occasion, you're sinking to this level of preparation. And, like, remembering that when you get out there, things speed up. If you can just slow that first pitch down and concentrate, it's kind of like -- you throw that first pitch, and it's kind of like all back to normal after that.

Q. For both you guys, it's been 11 games, I think, since 2018, since the Brewers won a road playoff game. What gives you the confidence that this team is the one to win a road playoff game?

AARON ASHBY: I think there's just a different feeling, man. I don't know that I can explain it. We've had some like downtime the past day and a half here all hanging out, and it just like -- you can just feel that it's different, like there's a calm confidence around the team. It's like we're planning on it.

This team just feels so resilient. We're down in games, and it never feels like we're out of it, because we aren't. Just a credit to our offense, and they can get us back in any game, and just feel really, really comfortable with the group. Everyone's another year older who's been here and done the postseason for a couple years now. Just the confidence in that.

Q. Mine's kind of along similar lines. Last year's NLDS began exactly the way this one has. What do you remember or what did you learn, what did you take away from last year's experience that you think you'll bring into this year and that the group can bring into this year?

AARON ASHBY: I think any time -- every environment in the postseason is somewhat hostile, of course. I think that playing at Wrigley last year was even probably more hostile. So I think that -- like JB said it great yesterday or Yelly, just like we've got 40 guys versus 50,000. That's like a cool feeling knowing that everyone has got each other's backs. This group has bonded over that.

It just feels really cool. Everyone's on the same page of like this kind of onward attitude, I guess. Kind of just all linking arms, and we're going to do what we do.

Q. I asked Dustin this yesterday. If you could put yourself on the other side, what would be the challenge of pitching to Jackson right now? Just with how he's going and how locked in he seems to be.

(Laughter.)

AARON ASHBY: Listen, when he's locked in and he's focused, it's just his hands are so fast. I don't know if like you can truly understand like how impressive it is and how late of a decision he can make at the plate and still hit the ball like 110 the other way on a late decision. There's just not a lot of guys doing that.

You have to pitch to him because the other four guys behind him, I wouldn't want to face them either. Yeah, he's a special kid, and I'm glad he's on our side.

Q. DL, you started in a different organization. You came over here. When did you notice that the Brewers have something special going on, and how did you define what they are able to do that maybe other teams can't quite understand or put together?

DL HALL: I think almost immediately, I would say, I recognized it when I was traded over here. Just spending my first Spring Training with the team even. Being a new guy in '24 and just like -- like I said, it was immediate that I realized that it was like a family here and just such a tight-knit group, and it almost made me feel like even a bit more of an outsider when I first got here just because it is such a tight-knit group and they all are so close.

I wanted to obviously be a part of that, and they accepted me. But just seeing how tight everybody is, and that doesn't just go for the players, that's staff, coaches, front office -- like just the personable relationships that I've seen being here is something that I feel like I've only been in one other org.

But just the difference between there and here and seeing how tight knit everybody is and the conversations you have in the clubhouse with people who normally you probably wouldn't be having conversations with maybe other places, it's something pretty special, and I think that that speaks to why everybody here is just so eager to help each other out and become close.

It doesn't matter where you're from, what your background is, it's just like there's some type of link that just links everybody here, and I think it's a huge reason as to why we win baseball.

Q. Since we're talking about Chourio, you guys have both seen what he's done for years in October. I'm curious if what you're seeing now is just a continuation of the last few months, or is he just a guy who seems to find another level this time of year?

AARON ASHBY: I think he's certainly like a big-moment guy. There's a lot of those moments in the postseason. Those are certainly highlighted throughout the game, whether it's the first inning or the ninth.

Not that he's much different in the regular season, but I think there's a level of like special that comes out when the postseason is here.