AL WILD CARD SERIES: BLUE JAYS VS TWINS

October 3, 2023

Sonny Gray

Target Field

Minnesota Twins

Pregame Press Conference

Q. You've been pitching behind Pablo Lopez for most of the season. One thing he talked about when preparing for his starts is watching you throw bullpens. What would you learn from him today that you can take out on the mound tomorrow?

SONNY GRAY: Good question. Yeah, we watch each other, throughout the staff, no matter who it is we've made it a point throughout the season to come to each other's bullpens, to be there for one another. No matter what else you have going on, make it a priority in your day to be there for the other guy.

And I love watching Pablo pitch, first of all. Ever since he came over from Miami, first day of Spring Training, we hit it off. But I never watched him pitch a ton, if we're being honest.

And watching him throw his first couple of bullpens, there were some similarities. So then I was like, okay, this is someone we could definitely learn from each other. Our hand positioning is similar. The way the ball comes out of our hand is similar. Not the same but similar.

So, when we game plan and when we go through things there's some things that we can bounce back and forth off of each other. And we've done that for a majority of the year.

I do like watching him pitch. I like watching his demeanor. I like the way he goes about his business.

And there are some things I can take from watching him attack guys. Like I said, not everything, because we are different pitchers and we do different things and we have different ideas and different mindsets and some different pitches, but for the most part I like watching him compete. I like watching what he does with the baseball and I've enjoyed pitching with him throughout the course of the year.

Q. The Twins have used just two catchers this year. First time since 1994, only two catchers have played. You have thrown to them in 16 games each. I know you call your own pitches, but how would you compare and contrast the two receive when you're throwing to them?

SONNY GRAY: First of all, I do not call my own pitches. We go into each start, no matter who the catcher is, with a plan. I do think having the PitchCom on the pitcher this year was a great improvement just for the simple fact of it can speed things up. You can call your own pitch.

So I would say maybe five to 10 times a game I suggest something that I would like to throw. But more times than not we are on the same page. We have a good plan going into each game, going into each individual hitter.

But having said that, they are different within their own minds. The same way me and Pablo are different. The same way everyone is different in their own ways. Everyone has a little bit of a different setup, demeanor, pitch calling, whatever it may be.

But I will say that we entertain each other's suggestions and we get on the same page as often as we can. It's just a testament to both of them, to be honest with you, because we've had an incredible amount of success throwing the baseball, pitching the baseball throughout this year.

And both of them to stay healthy to stay committed to that, kudos to them and they've done a great job. They're just as much a part of this staff as any pitcher we have.

Q. This will be your first one of these, taking the ball in a playoff game since 2017. What's that mean to you?

SONNY GRAY: It means a lot. It's something that I was hoping that we got the opportunity to do last year. I knew when I got traded to Minnesota last year it was a place that was wanting to win, trying to win.

As a player, that's all you can ask for. I'm excited, as you should be. I'm prepared. Take out all the "this" -- the opening ceremonies, everything else that goes on on the outside. That's all something that you welcome, in my opinion, something that you work out in the offseason. You get to Spring Training and everyone is talking about we're going to win the World Series, we're going to win the World Series.

But we have a chance right in front of us to do that. And I'm excited. I'm prepared. I'm ready for the challenge. Like I said, take away all the external factors, what I have learned from watching and from being around guys and talking to people who have been there and done it, once it starts, nothing else matters.

It's all about executing one pitch. Control your breath. Control the things that you can control. And as a pitcher that's executing one pitch, execute another one and execute another one. And do that as many times as you can until you're out there -- until it's not your turn to pitch anymore, until Rocco takes the ball. And just keep it as simple as that.

It's been my mantra throughout the course of the year. And I don't see why that changes.

Q. Do you guys try to avoid talking about the monkey-on-your-back syndrome come playoff time?

SONNY GRAY: Are you talking about not winning a game in X amount of times?

Q. Yes.

SONNY GRAY: It hasn't been discussed that I'm aware of. I think everyone is aware of it. I don't feel any type of way about that, to be honest with you. It's definitely something that everyone is going to talk about this, talk about that.

But it kind of goes back to the same thing I was just saying about executing one pitch, executing another pitch -- if we're thinking about that any way, shape or form, we're not going to perform to the best of our ability. And we've been a really good team for a majority of this season.

We have had ups and downs just like every team that goes through 162 games. We've persevered. We've stayed consistent. We've continued to show up every single day and put in the work. And everyone in that locker room knows that this team and we have put ourselves in the position that we are prepared, and we're ready for any challenge that's in front of us.

But everyone knows, everyone is aware of it. I think you'd be dumb to say that you're not.

But at the same time, when the game starts, that's kind of out the door. There's no reason to even have that on your brain at all because it's all about, as a pitcher executing a pitch. And as a position player and a staff member and everyone else, it's just kind of let's just do what we've done and go out there and win some baseball games.

Q. You went through that stretch in the middle of the season when you really were trying to will yourself to attack more. I know you're a veteran pitcher, you came in with a good idea of who you are and your plan, but how much has the stuff or mentality evolved from a start one to tomorrow?

SONNY GRAY: I mean, a lot of y'all were with us throughout the course of the season. And started strong, went through the middle, and we talked about it a lot on a day-to-day basis for everyone who was around. I went through a stretch of walks, figuring ways to get out of it. I was still throwing the ball well, but I just knew that it would not last if I didn't clean up some things.

So through the middle of the season -- and we talked about it -- it was, hey, you've got to be out in front of it; you need to attack guys more; you need to fill up the zone more; you need to be better. I was kind of living on the edge there for a minute.

We talked about it. We went through it and we came up with a plan to push forward. And I did clean that up. And it was the idea of attacking, knowing that your stuff is great. Your stuff is some of the best stuff in the league.

It has been for a long time, and it still is. And to have confidence and trust in that -- and then it becomes, okay, now I'm going right at guys with all pitches throughout the middle of the plate and here we go.

And then there was some games that you started. You saw it coming back, and it was some seven innings, 70 pitches type of situations, some things where you're starting to clean some of that stuff up.

And just knowing that that's who I am. That's when I I'm at my best. And I don't think that changes. It doesn't change no matter where you are in a season, in a game or whatever because, like I said, that's who I am and that's when I'm at my best.

Q. Obviously you have that intensity and that level of being one of the best pitchers in baseball. There's such a history of pitchers of your level kind of making their legacy in the postseason. What's it been like for you these last six years to watch every postseason go on without you and not even get a chance to step up like that?

SONNY GRAY: I was very fortunate -- I was very fortunate early in my career. I was fortunate to be on good teams, be on division-winning teams, be on teams that went to the playoffs.

I got to pitch in the playoffs. I got to taste that. I got to have success doing that.

And then I went through a couple of seasons where I was on a losing team, and that sucked. And then I got a chance to be on really good, competitive division-winning, go-deep-into-the-playoff teams. So I got to experience that again.

And then went through a couple of losing seasons again. And count 2020 if you want. I didn't get to pitch that season but we went to the playoffs. I was lined up to pitch the third game. We lost the first two. But going through that, as everyone knows, that was a little different situation.

And then having a couple losing seasons and now having a chance to pitch in the postseason game, pitch in the playoffs.

I said this a couple of years ago, said it a couple of days ago, and I still truly believe it, it is truly, truly truly the only reason that I am still playing this game.

As everyone does, everyone has a lot of other things going on, whether it be family, different situations or whatever. I love this game.

When my boys got older, it really showed me how to love the game again. They really showed me -- they pushed me to be better. And it's just something that I am -- it's what drives me now.

Having them be able to watch me play, play with them, them being able to come into the clubhouse, to just be a part of it, that and then winning a World Series, going on a playoff, going on a postseason run, that's the things that still drive me in this game. That's the reason that I still show up and put in the work that I put in and try to be there for teammates and everyone as much as you can, knowing that the ultimate goal and the ultimate reason that you're doing all these things is for the situation that we have in front of us. That's what I have on that.

Q. Does Gunnar have any of the Blue Jays listed ahead of you in his card collection?

SONNY GRAY: I'm sure he does as he has all year. We were riding over here this morning. They came and dropped me off. And Gunnar gave me some more cards to get signed. Declan, I'm like, we'll see. I'll send some cards over there to the Blue Jays guys in the postseason series. Hey, will you sign these for me? They're for my boys, I promise.

Declan, he goes, dad, are we in the playoffs? This is this morning. I go, yeah, yeah, we are. He said, you better not lose. I was like, you know what, Declan? I'm going to do my best.

They shoot it to you straight. It's what you love about them. It's nice to have them around. And I guess that's what we'll do, we better not lose.