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MLB WORLD SERIES: MARLINS v YANKEES

October 23, 2003

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Game Five

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Mike Lowell and Brad Penny.
Q. Brad, can you talk about the blister on your hand and when that came out, how painful that was pitching?

BRAD PENNY: Just came up the last inning when I was facing Jeter. Wasn't too bad. Hopefully we'll take care of it and maybe I can get back out there.

Q. Brad, will you talk about how far you've come this season and especially since the NLCS loss to the Cubs and how you've -- you're in position right now to be the World Series hero.

BRAD PENNY: Well, I mean, NLCS I had a bad day. Everybody has a bad day. I'm just glad they gave me another opportunity to go out there. I had some key defensive plays tonight. The ball hit to Mike, he smoked, had a double play. I had a lot of help defensively. Worked out.

Q. Can you talk about being in a position, two wins in the World Series, what it's like?

BRAD PENNY: It's nice. It's a dream to pitch in the World Series. To beat a team like that, I got the most respect in the world for that team. I mean, you can't explain it.

Q. Brad, could you talk a little bit about your at-bat. After giving up the run in the first inning, what it was like to be able to do that?

BRAD PENNY: First pitch fastball. I was swinging first pitch no matter what it was. Happened to be over the plate. Happened to get lucky.

Q. Biggest hit you ever had?

BRAD PENNY: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Mike, could you just talk about what the mindset of the team will be going into Yankee Stadium, knowing you only have to win one game out of two to be champions?

MIKE LOWELL: I think what we're looking at is one out of one. I think we got to just -- we've taken it one game at a time, especially in Chicago when our backs were against the wall. I think we took Game 5 and focused on that. Then we got past that test and went to Game 6. I don't think we're gonna take this any different. I think we're gonna look at Game 6, try to win that game. If not, we'll try to win Game 7. I don't think we're wrapped up in, "Hey, all we have to do is go 1-1." We're focused. I think we know it's gonna be a tough battle. But I think we'll be ready.

Q. Brad, how did you feel when you learned that first Soriano wasn't gonna be playing? Then at the last minute, that Giambi got scratched from the starting line-up? Is that relief for you as a starting pitcher?

BRAD PENNY: Little bit. You know the damage both those guys can do. But you can't take the guys that took their place for granted. They're all great hitters. It's definitely a little weight off my shoulders when you see both those guys not in the line-up.

Q. Mike, will you talk about getting a break with Wells coming out and what that might have done psychologically for your team? I know you still had tough pitchers to face.

MIKE LOWELL: Well, Contreras has great stuff. He throws hard, got a great split finger. But I think the thing that we were happy about was we knew their bullpen was gonna be taxed a little. They had to pick up eight innings of relief there. So hopefully that works to our advantage. But I think we had solid at-bats against those guys coming in. I mean, Contreras is no picnic and Hammond is a big change of pace to Contreras. So it's a big contrast in styles, but I think we had some solid at-bats.

Q. Brad, you talked the other day about your changeup in Game 1, how you thought that was effective but you wanted to still adjust off that. What did you do today that you thought was working for you?

BRAD PENNY: I think I located my breaking ball early, when I throw it early in the count, instead of only when I'm ahead with the fastball. But if I can get my breaking stuff and my changeup over early in an 0-0 count, it helps my fastball a lot.

Q. Could you both talk about the feeling of being one game away and obviously having that pent-up feeling of, "Wow, we're one win away from the World Series," but not trying to be overly emotional about it?

MIKE LOWELL: Well, I think it's kind of like the Game 7 in Chicago. I think when we were down 3-1, 3-2 made it respectable. 3-3 made it pretty exciting. When we went into Game 7, we said, "We're one win away to get into the World Series." I think we're gonna take that same approach. If we do win, we'll celebrate for a long time.

BRAD PENNY: I mean, it's tough. We got to go face Pettitte and Mussina. I mean, it's not over yet. We're one game away. We're real excited. We got to go out and take care of business.

Q. Brad, Jack said that perhaps you might have been able to pitch another inning because of that blister. Is that what kept you from maybe going out in the eighth?

BRAD PENNY: Yeah, I mean, definitely. Didn't want it to get any worse in case I do need to throw an inning or two out of the bullpen.

End of FastScripts...

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