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NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS v BREWERS

October 6, 2011

Yovani Gallardo

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Workout Day

Q. How much are you helped by having the Game 1 start and the successes that you had in preparation for this?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I think it's going to help out a lot. It's obviously -- I mean, I've faced these guys quite a bit. But yet again, it's a whole different ballgame. You still have to have a game plan and execute once you're out there.

Q. What was that flight like last night after losing 2 games in Arizona?
YOVANI GALLARDO: It was tough. Obviously it was a tough two games for us there in Arizona. But like I said, this is the playoffs. That team made it for a reason. Anything can happen. Obviously they came out -- they had good games. They played good baseball both games out there.
As far as for us, just having the opportunity to come back and playing this final game here at home, I think it's huge for us.

Q. They jumped out to such big leads in those two games in Arizona right out of the chute. How important is it for you to control the game in the early innings and stop that momentum from continuing?
YOVANI GALLARDO: It's very important. I think it's getting those first couple of innings out of the way, putting zeroes up on the board -- who knows, just like I said, that might be the whole difference of the ballgame.
That's going to be one of my things I'm going to really focus on is coming out here, putting up some early zeroes up on the board and give our offense a chance to come back, come in and swing the bats.

Q. I think this is the only series where the home team won every game so far. What do you make of that? How much can you rely on that tomorrow; you can't really rely on that, can you, when you're out there pitching?
YOVANI GALLARDO: No, of course not. Like I said, it's going to be a pretty exciting game. I think we're all looking forward to it. It's going to be -- everybody is going to be out there playing hard. We all know either you win or you go home.
So of course for us, just like I said, playing here at home, we've been playing good baseball all year here at home. It's a bit of an advantage for us.

Q. How do you keep yourself from feeling the pressure that comes along with this game?
YOVANI GALLARDO: There's pressure even during the season, every start is tough. But obviously we all know tomorrow is going to be a little bit different. I just try to stay as relaxed as I can. I'm the same person no matter what. So it's going to be a little bit tougher, but I just have to stay out there, relax, and just pitch my game and see what happens.

Q. You pitched in Game 4 of '08, but when's the last time you started an elimination game in your career, do you remember?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I don't think I have. I would say definitely it is the most important game in my career, going into tomorrow. I came out of the bullpen there in Game 4 in '08. It's definitely not the same. You know you're going to be out there the first pitch of the game, and hopefully until your time's done to come out.

Q. Obviously it's a team game, but you say it's the most important game of your career. Are you excited for it, nervous about it, eager for it, what are you?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I think it's a little bit of everything. I'm excited. I can't wait, but yet again, there's always going to be that little bit nervous, you know, you're always going to be a little bit nervous.
I was like that in the first game, Game 1. I look at it pretty much the same way. Game 1 is very important, also. You want to get in a good start right away with the first game of the playoffs.
The last one, I mean, basically you have to win.

Q. You've had tremendous success against the Diamondbacks both this year and in previous years. How comforting is that when you know you've done well against a particular team?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Honestly, I try not to look at that. Just like I said, it's definitely a whole different atmosphere. You know you're in the post-season and -- I think with the success that I've had, you try to take that and you still have to go out and execute pitches. If you don't, anything can happen.
But I'm going to go into tomorrow with a game plan and definitely for sure they're going to be making adjustments from Game 1. I just have to try to be one step ahead of them and make adjustments also, pitch by pitch, if I have to.

Q. From a teammate's perspective, how do you think Prince Fielder has handled the last two years, the constant speculation of when he might be playing his final game in a Brewers' uniform and what his future holds?
YOVANI GALLARDO: You know what, I think he's done a great job. But obviously as a player it's tough. It's tough hearing things like that, questioning about contract or whether you're going to come back or not.
But he goes out there and plays. Obviously that's the only thing he can worry about. And whatever happens, whether he stays or not, he'll know he enjoyed being here, no matter what.

Q. Considering how great the starting pitching has been and really one of the main reasons you guys are here, was it a shock to see what happened to your pitching staff those two games in Arizona?
YOVANI GALLARDO: It was. But like I say, yet again, there's another team that plays good baseball at home, too. And it's not an easy lineup. It's not an easy lineup to face those guys. It definitely was.
But I think it was tough. It was tough for us those two games on the road. We just have to win tomorrow and give those guys another chance. They're great pitchers, they've been great for us all year.
But yet again, they've got some pretty good hitters on the other side.

Q. What would you say the challenges in their lineup, they have power, we've seen that with the home runs, Bloomquist, Hill, they get on base; what are the challenges? Do you have to face different challenges with each guy almost?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Yeah, I mean, kind of a little bit. Like I said, obviously with Bloomquist and Hill, they do everything they can to get on base for the heart of the lineup after Montero and Goldschmidt and Young. Obviously it's a different game plan for each guy, that's for sure.
But overall you have to make pitches to those guys, get them to swing the bat early and put the ball in play.

Q. Seems like it's this franchise's fate to always have to wait to see what happens next. In '08 you won and had to wait. And this game you win. And tomorrow if you win you have to wait because the Cardinals and Phillies play later. What's it like to always be in that waiting mode if it comes to that again?
YOVANI GALLARDO: It's tough. But I don't think we have a problem with that, to be honest with you. We'd rather be waiting than not waiting at all. So we discussed that yesterday.
Obviously we're the first game. So just like you said, as soon as we're done, we're going to have to wait until the Phillies and Cardinals are done to figure out what's going to happen.
Most important, we have to take care of business. We have to go out there and focus on our game and whatever happens after that happens.

Q. Does it put you in the extremely unusual position of rooting for the Cardinals, something that is heresy around here?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I don't know. It's just tough, man. But like I said, I mean, all I can say is both those games tomorrow are going to be pretty interesting. So we'll see what happens.

Q. Is there any doubt that these guys are going to come out and perform tomorrow? What was the plane ride like, were you guys in a comfort zone knowing that you're going back to Miller Park, we can control our destiny?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Of course, yes. Just like I said, obviously we play very well here at home. We're very comfortable playing here at home. The guys, like I said, it's an advantage to us.
That's one of the reasons we try to have second-best record in the National League, to have that home field advantage.
The guys on the plane, they just pretty much -- very confident. We're coming back to Milwaukee, we know we play good baseball and they're going to come ready. They're going to come out ready to play.

Q. The last three or four starts your curveball seems like it's been exceptionally sharp. Is that as good as you've thrown it all season in the last three or four starts?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Yeah, I think it is. I think just being able to throw it for a strike or for a put-away pitch. I think the last three or four starts of the season it's been there.
It's an important pitch for me. I would say it's my second-best pitch. Just being able to command that is huge. It opens up just the fastball a lot more. You can go up in the zone with the fastball, down and away, whatever you might need.

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