NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 12, 2026

Robert Gasser

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. I always like asking this time of year, when you were a kid growing up watching the postseason, who were your favorite teams? What years stand out to you the most watching as a kid?

ROBERT GASSER: I was an Oakland A's fan growing up. They didn't win. They did win a few division titles, but Verlander always made it tough and pitched Games 1 and 5, and they couldn't win the Division Series.

Q. For you this season, how have you kind of adapted to different roles and even have your repertoire change as the season has gone on?

ROBERT GASSER: Partially a bit of last year coming back from Tommy John, building up to a starter, then moving to the bullpen. Pitching in the bullpen in the playoffs gave me some different experiences. This year only one bullpen outing, but I was out there a few times.

Q. As you think about starting on the road in the postseason for the second straight time, what moment stands out to you of Game 4? Something before the game, walking out there, walking to the mound, does anything stand out to you as a moment that maybe will help you going into this game?

ROBERT GASSER: Yeah, my parents were out there watching my bullpen. They live down in Southern California. So knowing that I'm going to have family and friends is great. They'll be supporting me.

Q. Were they literally over the rail?

ROBERT GASSER: Yeah, they were a little too close. I think they did leave before I started throwing, but when I walked out, I saw them.

Q. I asked Henderson this yesterday, but what's it like pitching behind Misiorowski and Henderson? What have you been able to learn from them, and how has that helped you throughout the year?

ROBERT GASSER: Those guys are bulldogs. It seems like every fifth day it's the same person running out there. Consistency in their work is one thing that I see. We don't really get to see it as a fan or a reporter, but just the stuff that they do day in and day out to keep themselves healthy and be able to pitch a full season, that's the impressive stuff.

Q. Having faced this lineup already twice this year, how much do you look back to those starts? I guess more specifically, the one in August? And what are the challenges of having to face this lineup for a third time here in the postseason?

ROBERT GASSER: They know me, and I know them. I enjoy having some familiarity with a lineup. Yeah, definitely looking back to the game in August and kind of watching those swings, obviously hitters adjust, but being a good guy in the dugout, watching them right now and seeing how they've changed to now and trying to build a plan for them.

Q. Adam had a great story about how Ty kind of gave you the message before Game 4. How much has the other guys in the rotation and the pitching group and just your unit given you kind of that? When you think about going back to the Mets appearance following Dustin and just this roll that you've been on since then.

ROBERT GASSER: It's awesome having a really young staff that's all very connected. To start the year, me, Drohan, and Logan were all sharing an Airbnb in Nashville, and now we're all out here on the CS roster. It's those kinds of bonds that you build early in the year that grow into later in the year. You just have a sense of brotherhood and unity and just being one and always rooting for each other.

Q. I know you didn't get to pitch much last year coming back from Tommy John, but you get the postseason experience. I was just wondering what was your approach going into this season during the off-season to get ready for this year, and what were your expectations going into it?

ROBERT GASSER: Initially I was looking to take some time off. Since 2024 I had been at the complex working and in baseball mode. So some time off was definitely needed.

Yeah, just trying to get back to what my new normal is, I guess. You build so many routines throughout the course of rehab, but honestly, part of me becoming better was breaking out of those routines and feeling that I needed to do so many different things in order to get my body ready.

Honestly, as I've shrunken that down, I feel like I've started to progress.

Q. When you look back at your journey through college baseball, what were the adjustments that you made and the changes, whether it was physical, mental, after leaving New Mexico as you moved to Houston? It seemed like a really important time in your journey. I was wondering what did you do to change and adjust during that time?

ROBERT GASSER: Those couple years were crazy. I feel like every other year I was having a good year and then I was having a terrible year. That was just learning how to be a real pitcher. I didn't fully start pitching until my junior year of high school. So I felt fairly fresh in the whole world of pitching.

So just trying to figure out who I was, one, as a person, but two, as a player. I had really good coaches down at junior college, and I had good people around me as well.

Sadly, actually, my coach passed away, Reed Peters. He passed away earlier this year. He's definitely been in my thoughts throughout the last few months.

Yeah, I had a really good staff there.

Q. You mentioned getting a late start on pitching. Were you strictly a position player? Were you playing different sports? I wonder what is it in your sports journey that had a later start for you to get pitching?

ROBERT GASSER: I honestly wasn't very good at baseball for a while. I was really small, skinny, didn't really have any strong suits in the game. Luckily, from the time you start to grow a little bit, turn into a man. Lucky I found that at the right time and was able to keep throwing and found my way into pitching.

Q. When you're watching other starters, understanding that you are different pitchers, what are you paying attention to? What sort of intel are you gathering as you're watching from the dugout?

ROBERT GASSER: On the hitters? Yeah, they all have an approach. You try to do your best to read swings. We've got -- I've relied a lot on people around me, a lot of even the hitting coaches. Brandon Woodruff is huge. He knows so much about the game. And just trying to, like, read swings from the side.

And then trying to translate that to the game is obviously the hard part -- being in the moment pitching as well as reading swings. But just trying to figure out what their approaches look like from the side.

Q. You had that tough start in Pittsburgh in mid-July, and since then you pitched really, really well on the road. I'm just wondering what kind of turned from that point and what's been the key to you to be able to pitch in hostile environments to do as well as you have lately?

ROBERT GASSER: Yeah, that wasn't my best outing for sure. Honestly, I really don't feel like anything changed. I was able to take some time off. I took two or three days, not really doing a ton of baseball. Then I came back, and honestly my velo ticked up from there, and I feel like that gave me a little fuel. So just kind of riding that.

Like I said before, it wasn't one game or one outing that changed things. It was an accumulation over time of really good work, and it just panned out to be the start of the second half.

Q. What do you do to calm your nerves, or what do you tell yourself or lean into in these big games and big moments?

ROBERT GASSER: Just do my best to enjoy it. If I told myself as a kid I'd be pitching in the CS, I'd be ecstatic. So excited for that opportunity.

Being nervous -- obviously you're going to have nerves, but being nervous and shy about it isn't going to put my best foot forward. Just trying to suck up every moment because you never know when you're going to get another opportunity for it.

Q. Since you mentioned Nashville, is there any piece of wisdom that you picked up from Rick Sweet or Tyler Thornburg that sticks with you or really any -- I think it's five of you who started the year in Nashville.

ROBERT GASSER: Thorny, he lived the same life that a lot of us have lived, even in the Brewer system where you're up and you're down. You have one role, you're a starter or a reliever. It wasn't one thing that he said, but just having someone around that lived a very similar life and early career was great.

Sweety, that guy is full of knowledge. I don't know how many years he's doing it. I think he's second all time in wins in the Minor Leagues. So just being around him. Initially I was scared of him, and then it became I was good friends with him. So just that development of our relationship was great.

Q. Coinciding with your strong finish to the season was the decision to pitch from the stretch only in about mid-July. What went into that decision, and how important do you think that's been for your success down the stretch?

ROBERT GASSER: Yeah, initially it was kind of repeating my mechanics with a little extra movement. We just thought it wasn't going to be as beneficial. Every time, I think it was the Atlanta game, where I dropped it, I gave up a hit or a walk to start every inning. It was like let's not do that. I went all stretch, and I don't think anyone got on. So we just kept riding that from there on.

Q. You mentioned how impactful Brandon Woodruff has been. Could you expand on that or have an example or two of the way he's helped you specifically?

ROBERT GASSER: It kind of goes with that reading hitters stuff. He's experienced a ton. And even with the whole injuries and stuff, just coming back and trying to regain your confidence, we've both been on that same journey. So talking with him about that stuff has been really good.

Q. I got to go back to that Airbnb story in Nashville. I know you're busy right now, but a lot of people tend to forget that you're human. When you get a chance to talk to the guys you've bonded with, what do you talk about as far as the struggles, the journey, and what molded you today into what you are, in that Airbnb all those years ago?

ROBERT GASSER: There's really nothing -- there's nothing in particular. I don't know what level, I would say everybody is capable of playing in the Major Leagues, I wouldn't even say if you're drafted, but it's just about being consistent in your work. When you're here, you have everything you could possibly want to be successful. Down there it's a little bit tougher. The planes aren't as nice. The hotels aren't as nice.

It's about being really diligent in your work and taking really good care of your body. Then once you get here, all that stuff is kind of, it's already there for you.

Q. Do you pinch yourself occasionally?

ROBERT GASSER: Yeah, being in the Major Leagues is insane. I don't know how to put it into words. When you're in it, you're just trying to do the best you can, but being able to take a step out and understand where you are is great.