NL WILD CARD SERIES: METS VS BREWERS

October 2, 2024

Jackson Chourio

Garrett Mitchell

American Family Field

Milwaukee Brewers

Postgame Press Conference

Brewers - 5, Mets - 3

Q. We talked a lot about Jackson Chourio's journey over the course of the season. We have been talking to Pat. It's been a journey for you as well, coming in the middle of the year and coming off an injury.

How would you describe it at this moment, maybe not the capper, but especially with this, how would you describe the 2024 season for you?

GARRETT MITCHELL: I mean, not really looking backwards. There's been a lot of stuff that's gone on over the years, but that doesn't mean the work stops. You've got to keep going. You've got to keep pushing, got to keep getting better.

As for your question, I just show up every day ready to compete and do whatever I got to do and help the team win in whatever ways are possible.

I mean, I don't even know what else to say. I'm just happy to be here. I'm grateful, thankful. Come back out here and do it again tomorrow.

Q. For Jackson, it doesn't seem like the postseason, the pressure that's getting to you at all obviously the way you're performing. Where does that confidence come from, and how do you keep from -- how do you manage to maintain your poise and keep from feeling nervous in those situations?

JACKSON CHOURIO: The pressure is always going to be there. So as a player, our job is to control it the best way possible. So it's to go out there and find the moments where we can control it and keep going out there and doing what we do.

Q. Jackson, how does that eighth inning from you guys just describe the overall year, the mindset of this team that you guys have?

JACKSON CHOURIO: It's just been an incredible year. There's not much more to say than that. It's been an incredible year for everyone, for all the guys in that clubhouse. I think we saw the fruits that were beared from that.

Q. Garrett, first of all, when you come into the game as a pinch runner and kind of like everybody is he's going to go, he's going to go, and you get thrown out. How do you move on from that? How do you stop from dwelling on that and just hope for another opportunity?

GARRETT MITCHELL: There's 27 outs. The game ain't over yet. When you look at situations like that, even if the whole world knows you're going, things happen. It was a great throw. It was right on my hand. There's not much I could have done looking back at it, but I got back in the dugout. Everyone gave me a smack on the butt and said keep going.

Without words, I looked at Murph, Murph looked at me, smiled, and we just kept pushing.

Q. The other one, I guess you're on deck when Willy gets down in the count 0-2, two outs, nobody on, and then fouls them off, great at-bat. What was your view of that, and how important that was to set up your big moment?

GARRETT MITCHELL: He's been doing it all year. He's a true leader on and off the field. We see it day in and day out, and I would say you guys see it too, the presence he brings. He's always prepared in the big moment.

That motivates you if you're behind him. You see the type of battle he put up. I think that kind of led to me going up there and trying to have that confidence too, just being prepared knowing that they've got to get a pitch over the plate somehow, some way, and try and get an out.

It starts with him. It starts with the at-bat he put together. And like we've done all year, we just continue to fight. It doesn't matter how many outs there are.

We talked about it every night, but like win tonight, do whatever it takes, and that's what we did.

Q. Walk me through what's going through your mind. You are about to get your first at bat of the game. Fans begin to stand. They sense something big can happen when Jackson gets good. He hits it over the fence. Things start to move really quickly. Willy gets up, gets on base. Describe your heart rate as you are watching all of that happen knowing that you're going to have an opportunity?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Surprisingly, it wasn't too high. I was getting ready since about the fourth inning and just kind of staying loose and being prepared to go. Talked to Skip before the game even started, just said stay ready.

So going up there, like I said, in that situation, it's like the moment is telling you to speed up. Try to do more, swing for the fences, whatever you're thinking.

For me, it was just like just attack in the zone, like try to see some -- be yourself, be relaxed, pass it to the next guy. That was my mentality. I'm not trying to hit a homer there.

It was a nice result obviously, but my thought is pass it to the next guy, keep it going, because I know -- especially with two outs, we've seen it all year long, it's like two outs doesn't really mean anything. Two outs in the inning, but once we've got two outs, we keep rolling too. We just pass it from one guy to the next.

That's just another example of that tonight. Man, I'm just proud of this team. We just continue to fight. It doesn't matter the score, doesn't matter how many outs, doesn't matter the situation. We're ready to go.

Q. Jackson and then Garrett, can you describe the trip around the bases, what you remember of it, that emotion going around in the eighth inning? It's not a trot, right?

JACKSON CHOURIO: I think the adrenaline is still getting to me. I think I still feel the adrenaline there. It was a very special moment for me, and it's one I'm going to look back on and remember for the rest of my life.

GARRETT MITCHELL: Can I just say same? No, just -- yeah, I definitely haven't come down from it yet. That was -- to come off the bench kind of and have that be my first at-bat, I definitely was amped for sure.

But I think in those situations too, the first thought is looking around, seeing how excited the fans are. They're a big part of this too, like the energy that they're bringing.

After getting the second and going home, it's like let's go celebrate with the team. They're all fired up. It's an exciting time. I wanted to come give him a smack because he's the reason we got going in the first place there at the end.

Like I said, we root for each other. We want the best for each other. We're all out there wanting to win. Like I said, you get through the whole season, who else do you want to celebrate with? You want to be with your boys. You want to be with your team. So it was exciting.

Q. Jackson, speaking of the crowd, I don't know if you had a moment to take in the noise they're making, the way the place was shaking after your homer, but do you feel the way the city has kind of come behind you and supported you in this year?

JACKSON CHOURIO: Yeah, definitely. I think from day one here, I felt the support and love that the city and the fans of Milwaukee have given me. So I've always been just extremely grateful and happy for that.

These are moments that we get to share together, both me personally and the city of Milwaukee. So I'm just very happy we get to celebrate these together.

Q. Garrett, this question is for you. Jackson, I think probably knew that his was over when he hit it, it bounced off the facade, he hit it so hard. When did you know that you got it?

GARRETT MITCHELL: When it hit the top of the fence. I felt like, when I hit it, I hit it well enough. I'm not quite sure how hard the ball was hit, but I knew I hit it well and felt like, as I was kind of running down the base, I was kind of like go, go, go, go. Right when it hit the top of the fence, that's when I knew.

Q. Then Garrett, when it goes out and you hit first base, you kind of twist or twirl around and gesture. Was that to anybody in particular or just to the fans? What was that?

GARRETT MITCHELL: Our dugout, first base Coach Q.B., we have a little -- we usually point at each other. I don't even know if I pointed at him. And also the fans too, the energy that was in that stadium, that whole eighth inning, you felt it. It was like they were just waiting for something to erupt.

So I think just like at that point it was just wanting to celebrate with them. It was like throwing your hands up running around the bases. They're in it with us, and we're going to continue to need their support tomorrow and have a packed house. So hopefully they'll bring it again.