NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS v CARDINALS

October 18, 2004

Phil Garner

PHIL GARNER: Well, I'm excited, can't you tell (smiling). That was a super ballgame -- I mean, anybody that's watched these last two ballgames, those are as good as it gets. It was a well-played ballgame on both sides of the diamond, well-pitched game on both sides of the diamond and well-played. That's baseball to me in its purest form. It was really a terrific ballgame.

PHIL GARNER: Well, I think Backe gave us a tremendous game, absolutely tremendous game. And you know what really concerned me was when I see pitchers - and it doesn't matter if it's young pitchers or veteran pitches - pitching so well, that have a no-hitter going through the middle part of the game, then they give up a hit, how many times have you seen it to turn into three, four, five runs real quick? I was concerned as we got deeper in the game and the crowd kept getting into it more and more. When he gave up the hit, I was concerned. Sometimes hitting can turn into a frenzy when something like that happens. He got out of that, got us through the eighth inning. I thoought that was a terrific job So you don't need to savor beyond the ninth inning. Brad (Lidge) was good for one inning tonight. It was fortunate that that's all it took. So well done job by both guys.

PHIL GARNER: Well, we met before the game and as we've said, "If you make your pitches, you'll be okay. They're good hitters, they're going to get hits." You're not concerned about that. But you stay ahead of them and you make good pitches, and you can have a good night. He did exactly what we would hope that all of them would do; he threw the ball in a good location, he pitched ahead, and he stayed aggressive. I think that's -- and he stayed out of the middle of the plate and up in the zone. When he went up in the zone, it's when he wanted to for the most part. That's where we'd gotten hurt so many times in the last few games. So he did a terrific job. Very focused and really, really kept his concentration the whole night.

PHIL GARNER: Well, all aspects of the game you have to enjoy. But when you're in a pressure situation, when these games are so important and guys are making such terrific plays, I didn't like seeing those guys make them. Rolen makes a fantastic play. Pujols makes a fantastic play. Both guys down the line, those are doubles and a chance to maybe just bloop a single somewhere and win a ballgame. But great plays on their part. Sanders made a great play out in the outfield on the ball that Kent hit, was hit in the seventh inning. Just looked like everybody was going to catch everything you hit. Beltran makes an absolutely fantastic - probably a game-saving play if he doesn't catch it, it perhaps is an inside-the-park home run with Renteria. So fantastic play on his part. Ensberg makes a good play. Good heads-up baseball all the way around.

PHIL GARNER: Haven't announced it yet.

PHIL GARNER: I'll announce it tomorrow.

PHIL GARNER: Well, no. We still have our nose down, head down; you got a job to do. It doesn't do you any good to get this far and let anything slip away. We're not counting what we have in our pocket; we know what else we have to put in our pocket. We have to stay focused, as we've been doing for quite some time now. You just play until this series is over and then you look up and see where you are and where you're headed. But we've got plenty of work to do. This is a good ballclub - a great ballclub that we're facing - not good, they're great. We're close, but that doesn't do you any good. You still have to win another ballgame and we've got to make sure we stay focused in that regard.

PHIL GARNER: It did. It actually did. That would be a good comparison with one exception: We had a boisterous crowd that day, but I have never seen a crowd like our fans in this homestand. It's been absolutely fantastic. Even though The Dome was rocking then, I don't think I've ever been in a place as noisy as our house here. It's just been something. I think that the fans have played a large part in our play. I think it's been building these last six weeks, eight weeks, that it's just gotten crazier and crazier and crazier. There's no question that that was some kind of intensity out there tonight. But this crowd was abuzz before this game started. Walked out before the game started, batting practice it was buzzing. Everybody was remarking how loud the crowd was. It continued. It just got louder and louder as the game went on. I would say that's a big difference. Intensity level was very similar, but the crowd was really into it.

PHIL GARNER: I'm going to sleep on the Game 6 starter. We don't need to worry about what is going to happen in the tenth inning. We didn't have to go there.

PHIL GARNER: Well, from my perspective, it looked like Brandon controlled his work tonight quite well. Whether he did anything differently or not, I'm not real sure and you'll get the chance to ask him that. But from my standpoint it looked like he was in control of his emotions and what he was doing all night long. I couldn't -- you wouldn't have known this guy hadn't pitched in ten World Series games tonight if you'd been over here watching. He was focused, locked in, and wasn't expending a lot of unnecessary energy.

PHIL GARNER: Well, it gives us one game up, that's about it. I think you go each game -- I think momentum can change in each game. I saw it in a couple of these games where I thought momentum kind of swung one way or the other. I thought momentum was on their side at one point yesterday then I think it would swing back to our side, then I felt it would go to them and come back to us. Perhaps in the bigger picture, maybe a little momentum was in our way and that's why we persevered. But I wouldn't say that there are any advantages other than the fact that we're one game away. That's definitely an advantage going into their place and being two-down, and not having to win two. But the bottom line is you've got to go play and you have to play nine innings at least.