AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES v ATHLETICS

October 7, 2000

Olmedo Saenz

Barry Zito

BARRY ZITO: My game plan basically was just to come in here and hold them down to one or two runs. I knew Clemens was going to be tough, and that three-run homer in the first inning really helped us out. We got the job done, luckily.

BARRY ZITO: Hudson and I had a brief conversation, but not really. The scouting reports were really something that we emphasize going into the game. That gave me most of my information.

BARRY ZITO: Any pitcher knows it definitely helps when you have a first inning, you get three runs, they're going in there, you have a little buffer. Even if you give up a solo shot, it's not going to be a 1-0 game. You have that leniency, I guess. But you still can't make bad pitches.

BARRY ZITO: I try not to feel the pressure, I guess. I tried to go in there and approach it like it's a regular season game and really just stick to my game plan and trust my body and trust my stuff.

BARRY ZITO: Yeah.

BARRY ZITO: Oh, definitely. Definitely. I mean, it's the biggest pressure-type game, biggest - obviously, the playoffs - I've never been in that. Yeah, it was a great win. One for my scrapbook I guess.

BARRY ZITO: Well, I mean, the biggest thing with Sojo is to make your pitches because he can hit the mistakes real well. Getting that first inning double play definitely helped, helped the confidence and my momentum a little bit knowing that even if I get a guy on with no outs, I could still get out of there.

OLMEDO SAENZ: Well, everybody knows that Clemens is a guy that's pretty aggressive at the mound and is going to come and get you. You have to be ready to swing. I think that was one of the biggest things for us tonight, and get a good pitch to hit and help out a lot of our offense early in the game.

OLMEDO SAENZ: I don't think it's going to be any problem. This ballclub, we're looking for this post-season challenge. It's going to be a lot of adrenaline going on. This is a young ballclub. I think it's not going to be any problem for us.

OLMEDO SAENZ: Yeah, a little bit. I play mostly left-handed pitchers, and I got in -- I always come ready to play to the ballpark, but I got a little surprised when I saw my name in the line-up. Definitely I said, you know, I gonna enjoy the moment, and we were down in the line, we had the shot tonight to go home and I said, "Okay, I'm gonna try to help my team however I can."

OLMEDO SAENZ: Definitely feels great to hit a home run in Yankee Stadium. But as a professional, you have to take control of your emotions, you have to get control of the game. You have to stay focused in the game. You have to play nine more innings. Definitely helped the team, the momentum of the team, early in the game. I think that helps a lot more to relax Barry.

OLMEDO SAENZ: Definitely. I think everybody looks at this game their way, they have more experience, they had 25 championships, they gonna come ready to play. They are a great ballclub. We have a lot of respect for them. But I guess, like you say, it's gonna be pressure and everything. But this is a club that enjoys this moment. I don't think we have any problem. We are gonna play the hardest we can and definitely try to have a good game.