NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 13, 2026

Garrett Mitchell

David Hamilton

Dodger Stadium

Milwaukee Brewers

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Garrett, I know you grew up in Southern California, Dodgers or Angels fan growing up?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Grew up an Angels fan and then started following L.A. sports more when I went to UCLA.

Q. Any formative memories going to games? Were you around for 2002, stuff like that?

GARRETT MITCHELL: In 2002, I was 4 years old, so not many memories of that. Grew up an Angels fan, had season tickets in left field, so got to watch Garret Anderson play a lot. Had a personal relationship with him once I went to high school. His son and I, Trey, went to high school together.

So got to have some good conversations with him, take some blasts into the past and talk about memories, but some of my earlier memories are that.

Also was a big -- I was a shortstop when I was a kid too. So I enjoyed watching David Eckstein and Adam Kennedy. And I also have a personal relationship with Adam Kennedy as well, so yeah.

Q. David, you and Joey splitting time at third base, especially as he got so hot in the second half, why has that worked so well?

DAVID HAMILTON: I think you kind of mentioned it, like Joey, he got hot. I think Murph, he just wants to play who he thinks is going to produce out there, whether that be me or Joey. We're both going to do our thing when the time comes.

Q. When you got traded over here this spring, in the back of your mind and all, did you think this team went to NLCS last year, I've got a chance to get a ring if I join the Brewers?

DAVID HAMILTON: That didn't necessarily cross my mind, but I think it was the first game of the year this year, first or second, we came back against the White Sox. I was like how do we just win that game?

I don't know if it was -- I don't know who it was, but they were like, yeah, get used to it. It kind of happened all year. Yeah, man, it's fun to be a part of.

Q. Both of you guys, are you surprised just the way people reacted that you're up two over the Dodgers? You did win 103 games this year. It wasn't a fluke, but it seems like people don't seem to realize that.

GARRETT MITCHELL: I don't think it surprises us. The way we've gone about it just over the years, like the expectations for us are super high.

So in terms of like where we're at at this point, are we surprised? I don't think so. But there's a lot more still to go. We're playing a very, very good team, and you've just got to take it a day at a time.

I think the belief in our abilities and what we can do if we keep playing the way we play, the sky's the limit for us.

Q. The Dodgers pitching staff is almost like they have three, four No. 1s. It's almost like you can never really take a breath. How do you guys prepare for something like that? I know that this time of year, it's the postseason, it's supposed to be like that, but how do you prepare for facing guys like that every day?

DAVID HAMILTON: I think it's just part of our game plan going into it. It doesn't really matter who the pitcher is. If we can put together good at-bats, have long at-bats, get them out of the game as soon as possible, get to the bullpen and kind of wear them down, then that helps us over the course of the series or the season.

Q. Garrett, I was going to ask you about what David was saying a little while ago. How often do you get to the end of a game and think how did we win that game? Or are you used to it after so many years here?

GARRETT MITCHELL: I don't think you're ever used to it. I think, as I said, the expectations are so high, and I think we take pride in playing the game from start to finish.

You talk about like one thing that I thought that we do from like Game 1 to Game 162 and on is we just focus on each game. It's one game at a time. We win the game. How do we do that? It's doing the small things, all the way up until 162, when you have your starting nine staying in there the whole entire game. We just do it a little bit differently.

I think it builds a trust and a belief in one another, and just to go out there and do what we do. But I don't think it's really a surprise we play all 27 outs until you get the last out of the game. We feel like we've still got a shot. It's not just based on a belief, it's been proven. We've been down to our final out multiple times this year and found ways to get guys on and score runs and win games that way.

So I think that's just Brewers baseball for you.

Q. When you're talking about being an Angels fan, obviously you're probably too young to remember when they won the World Series, but any family members go? Did your parents go? Do they talk about it a lot?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Yeah, like I said, we had season tickets. I believe I went to one of the games. Like I said, I don't remember. But my parents, it's been a long time. So it hasn't been a conversation we've had recently. I just know that California baseball, like growing up in Orange County, I always loved how they played the game. It was always exciting.

It kind of reminds me now, being older, like how we play in a way too. Like I said, guys who maybe aren't the greatest or the best on the field but know what they've got to do and know their roles and grind and compete to the best of their abilities, and that's what it takes, it's a team effort.

Q. Even though Blake Snell had a rough outing in the NLDS, what challenges does he present on the mound for you guys, and how do you need to attack that sort of approach?

DAVID HAMILTON: I've personally never faced him. Obviously know he's a good arm. He's an ace. But it's just the same approach we always have. Grind at-bats and give it to the next guy.

Q. There's stories over the last day or so about Ohtani not hitting, and Garrett, both you guys, have seen what a dangerous hitter he is. How shocked would you be if he's not in the lineup tomorrow?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Yeah, I'd be shocked. He's the greatest player in the game, arguably going down as the best player ever. This game is very hard. One day you can be on top of the world, and on the next you are hitting the lowest of lows.

Obviously that's -- either way, whatever, that's obviously not up to us. It's up to them of course. Yeah, it would be a little bit of a shock, but I know that whether he's feeling good or he's not feeling good, he's always going to be someone that you have to game plan for.

You never know, it takes one swing to come back. I think there's proof of that even last year. Probably didn't have the greatest series to start, but that Game 4, it just takes one day. I don't know, but yeah.