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NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v GIANTS

October 6, 2010

Derek Lowe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Workout Day

Q. Derek, the Giants have been a team that's relied a lot on home runs the last month or so, and you're a guy that doesn't give up a lot of home runs. Does that work to your advantage?
DEREK LOWE: You know, that's a good question. I think looking at this team as a whole, from an outsider's standpoint, I see them as an aggressive team, a lot of first-pitch swing guys. So early pitches in the count are extremely important to this team.
They feast on mistakes early in the count. You know, I've -- I can't remember how this place plays at night. From my memory, it seems like it plays pretty big, and I think you look at both teams, and if you said there haven't been any home runs lately, that's not normally our strength. So it should be a great series.

Q. Derek, after the problems that you had in July and August, can you talk about what it means to have the September you had and also to be here today and be in the game?
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, it was the way -- the way September went was the way you envisioned pitching every month. It really had everything to do with my breaking ball. There was a lot more consistency, a lot more swings and misses with it where it really hadn't been that way for a long time. And to pitch like this in a penant race, it's something I've always enjoyed, pitching in big games and here we are with another opportunity tomorrow.
Derek, talking about big games, how much do you draw from the fact that you're on the mound in Yankee Stadium, in the ALCS and you won the World Series for the Red Sox.
DEREK LOWE: I think it helps. But the Giants don't care about my past. They're going to go out and play their type of game, but the more times you can be out there and understand what you're going to feel like when the game starts. I think that is the biggest thing in the playoffs, is how quick you can control your emotions. I think it's benefited me over the years because I'm not a power pitcher. And you see some guys that maybe overthrow early in a game because of the adrenaline. But there is no doubt that when the situations will present itself, tomorrow you can rely on past memories.
You figure you've been under the most pressure you're going to be in a postseason situation, there is nothing bigger than game 7 in Yankee stadium --
DEREK LOWE: Well, I think it's different. In Los Angeles, I was able to pitch the first game against Chicago, and L.A. hadn't won a playoff game in 20-some years. So there was definitely pressure there.
Right.
DEREK LOWE: This year you're trying to get the Braves back to the winning ways that they're used to, sending Bobby out on a great note, so there is always pressure this time of year. Doesn't matter -- just because you've had past success.

Q. Just to follow up, when you missed the start and got the injection, they thought it was good for you mentally and physically to take a step back and come back with a fresh approach. Can you talk about that? How much better do you feel mentally now than you did earlier?
DEREK LOWE: I think everyone kind of looks to that break ahead as a turning point, but, you know, I didn't see it as that. I look back at the Washington game where I had struggled so hard against them, and that was the first time that I sat down with Roger and came up with a complete different game plan that I believed in and executed it.
And then -- this game is so much about confidence, there is no doubt, and it just stream rolled in the right direction. But I don't think my -- my mental approach and physical approach has been the same my whole career. I was just able to put everything together for the last five starts.

End of FastScripts

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