AL DIVISION SERIES: ATHLETICS v YANKEES

October 11, 2001

Andy Pettitte

ANDY PETTITTE: Yeah, I mean, it was a tough game. They battled me. I had a hard time with my command. It was actually just a weird -- a weird game, to walk out there and to warm up and to have the President giving his speech on the big screen. You know, it was just a weird night, as far as going out there under that kind of circumstances and thinking about that. So tonight, really, starting out the game it was tough for me to control my emotions a little bit for the most part. I'm happy with the way I threw. Tim just threw a great game. You just have to take your hat off to him. He was superb tonight.

ANDY PETTITTE: Obviously, you are looking to win. So it's frustrating. I think the whole team is frustrated. You know, we are going to keep our heads up. But they threw -- Mark last night and Tim tonight, you know, they threw great games, so you've just got to take it like a man. We've won a lot of championships and we've won it with pitching. We knew coming in here we were going to have to pitch with them pitch for pitch. I made a mistake to Gant. I can't take it back. I wish I could. But he hit it out, and obviously, that was the difference in the game. Tim got in some trouble there late in the game but just made quality pitch after quality pitch to get out of jams.

ANDY PETTITTE: Well, right now, I think we feel still confident. We have two very good starters going at their place, with Mussina and El Duque going with lot of experience. I think they showed that they have been through a tough series with us last year, and I think you are seeing right now them as a team growing up, also. The way you grow up is to go out there and get in some pressure-packed situations like they did tonight as far as with pitchers and get out of jams, and that's bringing your game to a different level. The more situations that you are in, the more times you have to do it, the easier it becomes. You know, they are growing as a team, also, and they have got a great young team over there.

ANDY PETTITTE: Well, I think so. Definitely. In the playoffs, none of our games in the past really have been blowouts. They have always been just 3-1, 3-2, 2-1. But we have always got the big hit when we needed to. Again, like I said, and like we've said since we've been here, there's no substitute for great arms and great pitching, and they have done that. They are throwing good arms at us. These guys are throwing the ball well. You know, if you make a good pitch, you are going to get good hitters out and that's what we are seeing right now.

ANDY PETTITTE: Yeah, probably for three. We've always had the depth and that's been our big difference, and hopefully that's what's going to get us through this series right here, is we feel like we have got four strong starters. I realize they have got four starters over there that's throwing really, too. They have got a lot of confidence right now. Yeah, we knew -- like I said, we knew we were going to have to match them pitch for pitch and so for they have got the upper hand on us..

ANDY PETTITTE: We expect to win these games. Whenever we hang around like that, we have always won those ballgames. I think that that was not an exception tonight. Really, I felt like we were going to come out and win. I was not out on the bench for the last couple of innings, but I know sitting in the clubhouse I thought we would be able to pull it out.