NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 12, 2026

Jake Bauers

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Jake, thanks for your time. I wonder, playing with Trevor Megill and going back to high school, can you describe your connection to him and how long you've been friends and teammates with him in different contexts?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, Trev, it's funny because in a lot of ways Trev is the same exact guy he was in high school, which is goofy, doesn't seem to care a lot what people think about him, which is, I think, a real admirable trait.

We didn't get to spend much time together in high school. He's a couple years older than me. Then he left early and went to college. It's just funny that the game of baseball will kind of bring you full circle in a lot of ways.

Q. Growing up in Southern California, how important was Dodger Stadium to you as a kid going there, and do you have any memories of being at particular games there?

JAKE BAUERS: I went to my first Major League Baseball game at Dodger Stadium. My parents brought me there. Definitely some very early memories of Dodger Stadium. Played my high school state championship game at Dodger Stadium, lost. Obviously got swept last year out at Dodger Stadium.

So not a whole lot of positive memories out at Dodger Stadium, but hoping to make some for sure.

Q. Finally for me, Murph had talked about just the toe injury and managing it for you. What goes into that every day just to get yourself ready to play? Have you had any different accommodations with your cleats to make sure that you can be as healthy as you can be on the field?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, it's a lot more time in the training room for sure. I think in the past I was a guy who would just get in the weight room and get ready for the day and go about business, but this year it's been -- I'm here probably an hour before the clubhouse is even open to make sure that I can get everything in the training room and do what I need to do to be ready to play.

Q. To follow up on you and Megill, do you see similarities in the path that brought you here and where you were at in your careers? And to be at that point in your career, how does that change things for a player?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, for sure. It's not easy to bounce around from team to team and still believe in yourself maybe the way that you need to to succeed in this game. For him to do that, to go from team to team and then end up as one of the game's top closers, has been -- it's been awesome to watch.

I think the one thing that he does really well is the guy believes in himself. He wants the ball. He wants the ball in the biggest spots. He wants to get it done for the team. There's a lot to draw from that for sure.

Q. Logan Henderson has been remarkably consistent, three runs or less every start he makes. Just from your perspective, what is it about him that's enabled him to be as steady as he's been just throughout his career so far?

JAKE BAUERS: I don't know. I don't know what the secret sauce is, man, but he's in the clubhouse now chopping it up with some of the guys like he doesn't have one of the biggest starts of his life tonight. That, I think, reflects when he's on the mound.

You can just feel it. When you're on defense, you can feel the poise. You can feel that the pressure doesn't get to him. You can feel that he's just focused on executing a single pitch at a time, which is -- it's super impressive for a guy who's as early in his career as he is.

Q. So Yamamoto has been really dominant in the playoffs in his young career. What changes are you going to make against him?

JAKE BAUERS: That's a good question. I think Yamamoto, it's such a big pitch mix, there's a lot that you have to try and deal with, and I think you can fall into the trap of trying to guess along with him.

So I think we've got to do as best as we can to simplify the game plan and just trust ourselves, trust our eyes and trust that we have an approach that can be successful against him.

Q. What do you tell younger players about how different October baseball is? Do you see some pitfalls? What are some pitfalls that younger players or newer players in postseason baseball fall into?

JAKE BAUERS: I would say it's not any different. As far as the game on the field, there's nothing about it that is different from a Spring Training game even.

I think when you look at what's different, a lot of what's different is the outside noise. Instead of having five, six beat reporters in the clubhouse pregame, you're sitting in this room doing a full-on press conference like you're playing NBA 2K or something like that.

It's really just about getting yourself to the point where you can realize that it is the same game, and I just need to do my best to settle into it and be myself.

Q. Murph has talked a lot about the clubhouse culture that you guys have and how it's kind of helped a lot of the young players come up. Yesterday having set up Luis Lara to come through with the game-winning RBI. Can you just talk more about how Lara has adjusted and settled into the Big Leagues and just being able to come through in that moment?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, sometimes I think it can be a little bit tricky navigating a Major League clubhouse for the first time. I think what this group does really well is we give everybody the space to be themselves while also holding everybody accountable.

That means holding Lara accountable, that means holding William Contreras accountable, that means holding Jake Bauers accountable. It's from top to bottom, the standard is the standard; and if you're going to be here, you're going to live up to that.

Lara's done a great job, man. Lara's done a great job of fitting into it, knowing what he needs to do to prepare each day, knowing that he can't get down on himself because there's going to be an opportunity for him to come through. You've seen him a few times this year come up in big spots, whether it be offense or defense, and get the job done for us.

Q. What do you attribute your improved success against left-handers this year to?

JAKE BAUERS: I think a lot of it just has to do with getting the opportunity to see them more often, and then I think I've really focused on developing an approach that gives me the best chance. Some of these guys, obviously it's not easy, whether it be high arm slot coming from behind you or someone throwing from the side.

Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with just comfortability of just getting those at-bats and getting an opportunity to see what I can do against them.

Q. I wonder yesterday you're locked in and you're competing, but there has to be a moment where you're saying I'm batting cleanup in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. And reflecting on the journey you've taken to get there, are there people in your life that you think were most impactful in helping you through this long walk of baseball to get to that point?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, for sure. There's a lot of people I can give credit to, a lot on the staff here for sure, but also I was thinking a lot about my wife. We have two kids, and she's holding it down at home by herself a lot of the time, which it's a lot. Those kids, they're a blessing and we love them, but man, they're a handful.

For her to do that and for her to allow me the opportunity to come here and kind of keep going and just support me any way she can, it's been crazy. It's been crazy to see her growth as a woman and a mom.

Yeah, so I was standing out there last night listening to the national anthem, and I was thinking about her and just she stuck by me this whole time when it wasn't always easy. I wasn't always the best husband. I wasn't always the best father.

Q. You had talked about the accountability in the clubhouse, but I'm just wondering with Murph specifically, what does he do that enables him to get the best out of veterans like yourselves and also the 21-, 22-year-olds in the clubhouse? How does he kind of set himself apart from other managers you've played for in that regard?

JAKE BAUERS: I think that culture of accountability starts with him. He has a way of communication that is very unique, and he tells you what you need to hear even though you might not always want to hear it. He's not scared to say it. He's not scared to have some guys maybe not like him for a little bit.

I think that accountability starts with him, and he holds the standard. He set the standard. Like I said, you're going to live up to it. I think you've seen what it's done for some guys and their careers, myself included.

So I think you see what a positive thing it can be for guys as players, and I think that's what kind of permeates down a little bit into the clubhouse that makes us want to lift each other up.

Q. We talked about bald Aaron Ashby after Game 4, but just the way he's pitching and the bullpen overall, what does that do for you guys, not just on defense, but maybe even the impact offensively with just how locked in this group has been in the postseason?

JAKE BAUERS: I think there's something to be said for getting a clean inning on defense and being able to come back in on offense and try to get something going.

Yeah, last night's game, even the Padres series, it seems like this is about as deep of pitching in the postseason that I think -- I mean, I can remember. Those guys down there are really good at what they do and executing pitches. So it's been fun to play behind them for sure.

Q. Jake, what have you enjoyed about the environment in Milwaukee here in the postseason, and what type of impact does that have on you and the guys?

JAKE BAUERS: It's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun playing in front of these fans. You can feel how much they want it, and that makes us want it just as bad for them. We'll just keep playing for each other, keep playing for the fans, and we'll see where it ends up.