NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES v ASTROS

October 9, 2001

Brian Jordan

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, you know it's going to be a low-scoring ball game as far as for the opponents. Usually Maddux can hold them at least one, two runs in the game. We know if we can get two, three across, we got a chance of winning. It takes pressure off your hitters. (Inaudible). It's great to have pitchers like Maddux, Glavine. Burkett has had a great year. His record can't speak for his performance this year. His ERA has been down, we just haven't been scoring a lot of runs for him.

BRIAN JORDAN: It was important for me to do that. The last two, three games I've been struggling early in the game, really striking out my first two at-bats. I really wanted to get off to a good start, especially against a guy like Miller. This guy is a good pitcher. He gets confident as the game goes on. We knew we had to try to score early, try to get into his head. But we got ahead, but they came right back.

BRIAN JORDAN: I was trying to protect. I wasn't necessarily looking for a curveball or slider. Any pitch that he threw I was trying to protect and put it in play. He threw me a curveball and I gave it a good effort to put it in play and got the run in. So we got off to a good start that first inning.

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, that's what I said going into this game. They got a great offensive hitting team. They can -- capability of scoring a lot of extra runs. We had to play some great defense and our pitching really had to come threw for us. Today we turned some key double-plays. I think that was big for us early in the game.

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, yes. I mean, that was a big error at a bad time. It was great for us because it kept the inning alive and gave Chipper the opportunity to win the inning, which he did, on the first pitch. When things like that happen, it usually hurts you. Chipper made it hurt.

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, I knew Miller was throwing me away, away, away. He had two strikes, one ball. I knew he was gonna try to blow that inside fastball. I was kind of looking for it. When I first hit it, you know, I knew I had a chance. But I think any other ballpark it would have just been out.

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, I knew we just had to relax and, you know, continue to play our game. I knew we would have the opportunity to win it sooner or later. It was a big hit for Ausmus, especially against Maddux and for that team. It really got them going. It got the crowd back into the ball game. But we're used to that. We've been in that situation many times but we continue to battle and we never give up. Again today, Chipper came through with the big hit. That's why we're 1-0 right now.

BRIAN JORDAN: Well, I think the big deal was Maddux kept them from scoring a lot of runs. He kept it down. He and Brad hit a two-run homer. That was a big hit for them. They got ahead 3-2. But he kept us in the ball game. That's all we can ask as an offense. It's good to come through and win a game like that because, you know, those guys have pitched great all year for us and the offense really hasn't come through for them. So it's good to see him come out of the game but not lose a game.

BRIAN JORDAN: It's always good to get off to a good start. It takes a little pressure off. We know tomorrow's game is important. If we can win that game and go home, it's going to be a great feeling. That's our goal. The second game is always the hardest to me.