WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: SEMIFINALS - MEXICO VS JAPAN

March 19, 2023

Patrick Sandoval

LoanDepot Park

Team Mexico

Workout Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Patrick. First question for Patrick?

Q. How do you feel with the chance against the Team USA and now versus one of the two best teams of this tournament for the favorites to win this tournament? What is your feeling about this opportunity?

PATRICK SANDOVAL: Yeah, it's awesome. I'm very grateful for it. This is what you live for as a player, to play against the best and see how your stuff stacks up against the best in the world. So it's a big opportunity and I'm very thankful for it.

Q. Have you talked to Shohei at all about facing him, whether in Spring Training or recently here in the last week or two?

PATRICK SANDOVAL: No, I haven't really talk to him much about it. I saw him a little bit today in the outfield, just said, What's up? And caught up a little bit. But I haven't really talked much about the game. It's going to be fun to face him. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Have you got any sense from people in Mexico, friends, everything else, just how excited they are with Mexico kind of going where they have never gone before?

PATRICK SANDOVAL: Yeah, I've kind of just been asking the team like if -- you know, what's the vibe like in Mexico right now, are they talking about us, how do they feel about us, and yeah, they said people are going crazy, it's exciting, it's a cool time to be a Mexican baseball fan. It's cool to be a part of this. It's awesome. I don't even know how to describe it.

Q. First, this tournament has a lot of Angels going up against each other. You struck out Mike Trout. David Fletcher faced Ohtani in Tokyo. Is this something you guys are going to talk about, joke about, trash talk about once you're back in Angels camp?

PATRICK SANDOVAL: Oh, absolutely, yeah, without a doubt. I'll let Trout know, for sure. Hopefully I can let Ohtani know as well. But, yeah, it's fun. We got a great clubhouse there and guys love to give each other crap. So it's fun. It will be fun.

Q. You gave Austin Barnes a lot of credit against Team USA. Benji Gil talked about preparing for this team. How has preparation been for facing Japan? Are you familiar? Have you been talking with Austin? What's the plan?

PATRICK SANDOVAL: I'm not too familiar. But we did talk a little bit on the bus coming here, and then tomorrow we'll have our in-depth conversation. He's tapped this there, so it's good to bounce ideas off him to hear what he has to say. It's fun game planning with him, for sure.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.