NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 14, 2026

Garrett Mitchell

Jackson Chourio

Jake Bauers

Dodger Stadium

Milwaukee Brewers

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Brewers - 6, Dodgers - 2

Q. Garrett, you're on deck watching Jake work that at-bat before the homer, and obviously you're preparing for your own at-bat, which went pretty well. What was it like watching the tension build as he's up for 11 pitches?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Super sick. What more can you say about JB, man? He did it the day before in Game 2, and he did it again tonight. I think that more just goes to show like the type of player he is. It's a selfless at-bat. He's just trying to put the ball in play. He's trying to move the guy over and put an incredible swing on that.

For me being able to watch that on deck was awesome. For me after, it was just I get to go up there and put together another quality at-bat like him.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

JACKSON CHOURIO: In reference to the first pitch of the game, all I was going up there and looking for was a good pitch that I could hit, a good pitch to drive. Thanks to God, I was able to get one to connect with and put the team ahead early.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

JACKSON CHOURIO: The mentality doesn't change going into tomorrow. One win away from the World Series, it doesn't change anything for us. We know we have to go in tomorrow and compete and do everything we have been doing as a team and keep the focus in the moment.

Q. Jake, what's your thought process as that at-bat begins and as it goes on against a guy who can change speeds, change shapes so much against you? And then when you hit it, did it feel like -- as the at-bat goes on, did it feel a little bit like deja vu?

JAKE BAUERS: Yeah, there was for sure a moment where I thought to myself like, oh, you're in it again. As far as the approach for the at-bat, I didn't want to miss a fastball. I was looking for a fastball, and I didn't want to miss it. I said I'll adjust to anything else, but get a heater, don't miss it.

Q. For any of you, your ability to respond throughout this series has been a key, when maybe you get down, and that has been a key throughout the season. What about this group allows you guys to continue to respond and have that belief no matter what's going on in a game?

JAKE BAUERS: We play for each other. It's as simple as that, man. We play for each other. Any time there's a mistake, an error, a walk, pitchers give up runs, hitters strike out in a big spot, the only thing anybody's thinking about is how can I help pick that guy up? How can I help pick that guy up and do my part to win this game?

When you have 26 guys that are bought into that and believe that and show up every day, completely selfless, playing for each other, it's a special thing to be a part of.

Q. I have two questions. Number one, you're a win away from the World Series. This is for anyone. How do you feel about being one win away from the World Series?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Job's not finished yet. Just got to take it a day at a time, not really worried about what's happened today, what happened yesterday or what's coming tomorrow. We've just got to show up and continue to play our brand of baseball and continue doing it for one another.

Q. Jake, you're having your best season to date. What's impressed me the most is your on-base percentage. What turned this year around for you this year? Who do you credit?

JAKE BAUERS: There's a lot of people to credit, man. I've played a lot of places. I've picked up knowledge from a lot of different people. I think what changed for me this year was I stopped caring about results. I started caring about competing. I started caring about being in the moment and getting out of my own way.

I came into this year feeling like there was really only one person holding me back, and that was myself. So I think I just gave myself the space to believe that I could play, I could play in this league.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

JACKSON CHOURIO: In reference to them coming out aggressive, it was very important to be able to put that swing on it the first AB of the game and be able to put our foot forward there in a positive way. So I think it was definitely important to do that and to set the tone early.

Q. (Question in Spanish)?

JACKSON CHOURIO: Yeah, definitely it feels better that we have things in our favor this go-around, and we have the advantage. Like I said before, we have yet to complete anything, and the job's not finished for us. So we have to come with the same mentality, which is to win.

Q. Jake, against Yamamoto, you were just fouling balls back, but I think on the 10th pitch tonight you put a charge on one down the right field line, hooked foul. Does that change anything for you when you've really seen that one, get a swing on it for the next pitch, or does it not matter at all?

JAKE BAUERS: No, it's so pitch to pitch. Vaughny had a great at-bat in front of me to get on base there and start the inning off. Really the mindset was I've just got to get on base here. That's all I was trying to do.

I was hoping it stayed fair. I was hoping it stayed fair for sure. But no, nothing was changing there. Again, it was -- I'm in the moment. I'm competing. I'm trying to win this pitch.

Q. For Jake or Garrett, what kind of tone does that set when Jackson comes out and on the first pitch of the game does that, and in this ballpark, quiets it like that?

JAKE BAUERS: It's so big, man. It's so big. There's so much tension in the dugout right before the game starts, especially these ones. There's a lot of like nervous energy, tension, maybe even a touch of doubt. And then the first pitch of the game -- I was still putting my batting gloves on to get ready. I didn't even see him take the swing. I just saw the ball flying, and I knew he got it.

From there I think it kind of set the tone for the day and let everyone know that we're here to win this game.

Q. Garrett and Jackson, we're talking all about the home runs, and appropriately so -- did you have a different hat, by the way, if it wouldn't have gone this way, Jake?

JAKE BAUERS: No. I think the hat kind of portrays my mindset pretty well. I try to take everything as it comes, positive and negative, and use it.

Q. But the outfield defense, you guys ran down some balls today. I thought that also, especially early, made a huge difference. Can you both speak to that?

GARRETT MITCHELL: We like to not let baseballs fall in the outfield, first and foremost. Well, between me and him, I'm going to take the baseball from you. He tells me all the time just to take anything that's basically to the left of him. So I take that and do the best that I can.

JAKE BAUERS: He tried almost. I don't know what happened, but he tried.

GARRETT MITCHELL: We take pride in our defense. That's part of who we are. Like talk about pitching, you talk about defense, base running, like those are the things that it starts with. So any ball that we can stop from finding grass out there, that's what we want.

JACKSON CHOURIO: Definitely, there's a lot of talent in the outfield, and I think we have the utmost confidence in each other. The mentality, like Garrett said, nothing can fall out here. We know that, especially whenever we have the lead, our job on defense is to be able to make those plays to maintain that.