NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS v DIAMONDBACKS

October 11, 2001

Steve Kline

STEVE KLINE: Just the way I thought it would be, nerve-wracking. This is gut wrenching. I mean, you sit out in the bullpen and you're like a spectator for the first eight innings, and then you're thrown into the lines and you're just trying to survive. I was fortunate I got some outs and we won.

STEVE KLINE: Same. I feel better actually today than I do when we have off days. That's when you get rusty because you're not here at all, you're not playing catch. I feel better today, and I'll feel good tomorrow. This is the time of the year where you really don't care about pain or anything. Kevin Brown said it best when he said "pain can be managed." I'm just here to pitch and do my best.

STEVE KLINE: Basically, I pitch the same. I'm trying to get ahead of these guys. They have tons of lefties, which actually I hit lefties pretty well. Gonzo hits lefties. I think he has 15 home runs off left-handers. Grace probably is a .300 hitter against lefties. Womack, he has potential of bunting and running against you. Finley, who is probably one of my tougher outs too, is a quality hitter. I wouldn't pitch them any different. But the rest of the team, here, you know, I wouldn't say I pitch them any different. They're a very potent lineup. I think hits are contagious on that team. They have to keep their hits down. If one guy gets a hit, you have to get the next one down. Veterans thrive off each other. They have a competition about who can get more hits and who is going to get the big hits. Like yesterday, I just said let those guys be the heroes and make quick outs for me and I fell behind in the count and I threw a couple of pitches and they rolled over and it helped me out big time trying to be heroes on the team.