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NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS v PADRES

October 5, 2006

David Wells

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Q. David, what were your impressions or your assessment of yourself today and what is the likelihood that this will be your last start?
DAVID WELLS: I felt great coming in today's game. Great bullpen. Good attitude. Just I know what this is all about. And this is where I wanted to be. And getting the opportunity to go out there and pitch.
You know you feel good for a few innings, but then you give up a run, you give up another run and now you're down 2-0. Now you have to fight back. And the only thing I can do is keep the team in the ball game from that point on and hopefully we score.
You know, on the other end of that, this could be my last game. I hope not. Hopefully we can rebound from this, and come back and get another opportunity to pitch. I'd like to ride off into the sunset with a smile not with a grin and say what if.
It's something that I've been around a long time, and you know it's eventually going to come to an end.
So it would be nice to go out on top.

Q. David, this is the first time seems like you've been with the Padres that they have back to back losses, up 10, 19-8. How big of a lull is this being down 0-2 headed back to St. Louis?
DAVID WELLS: Well, it's not good. It's not good at all. I mean we really have our backs against the wall because one game ends it. And in the short series, there's really no room for error, and we've really got to play our butts off.
We've got to get on the board, score some runs. I think one run in two games isn't going to cut it. This continues, then you know that's the end of it.
So hopefully you know our bats wake up and pitching doesn't give up any runs. And we can go out there and put a couple up there and make this a challenge, because right now, I mean it's about as flat as it can get.
It's tough to go out there and pitch when you're down. I mean, but these guys are going to battle. We've got a great pitching staff. What happened to Jake in game one, you know, he got behind in some counts and before you know it we're down, you know, five to nothing, four to nothing.
But today's game we had a lot of opportunities, especially there I think in the first inning. But the only thing we got going was a two-out hit, and then that was it.
And you can't win ball games like that. You've really got to make some stuff happen. And these guys felt good about Jeff today and I gotta tip my cap to him. He pitched his butt off, and that's something that you know when you go out there good pitching will stop good hitting and that's what Jeff did.

Q. Kind of continuing that thought, in your estimation, I mean the Padres offensive struggles has it been more of maybe the guys pressing or have you guys come up against some really good pitching in your estimation?
DAVID WELLS: Today, it showed. They had really good pitching today. And you can't deny it. You know, that they went out there. They made the pitches that they wanted to, you know, and that's how you win ball games. Good pitching will stop good hitting. I'm not saying -- we have some good hitting. These guys can do it. Obviously not in PETCO, obviously the last two games. And we really have to get it going. I mean these guys know it. I mean they were just about as loose as you can get today before the game.
So the attitude is good. You know, I don't think there's any one guy in there that would have thought that we would have gotten shut out today. And everyone felt good about Jeff going up there.
A lot of guys were licking their chops. Obviously, you know, he stopped that real quick; and that's, you know, that's just what happens, and you know we're down 0-2 and hopefully these guys can come back and save us.

Q. David, could you go through the at bats with Wilson and Pujols in the fourth inning and with Pujols in particular, were you looking to pitch around him right there, obviously Boch gave you the call to go after him?
DAVID WELLS: Well, the pitch that Preston had was, you know, it was a ball down. He got it -- got out in front and hit it good. Squared it up. And Pujols, I don't have a problem pitching to Albert. He's a great hitter, yeah, but you can get him out.
I mean I got him out in the first inning, but the pitch I threw him was, you know, a cutter in. It was off the plate and he drew his hands in, and that's -- and that's what happens. Good hitters will do that.
But I don't feel I need to pitch around him in that situation with a base open. I've heard some of the analysts say that you know that was a mistake and you know I guarantee you anybody who is a pitcher doesn't want to go and pitch around somebody.
Because it's early in the game. I can understand if it was a homerun I made a bad pitch, then yeah. I made a good pitch, he made a good swing. You tip your cap to him and that's that.
But I'm not one to pitch around guys unless it's a really, really crucial situation. I got him out in the first. So I had an opportunity to get him out with two strikes. Didn't happen.

Q. David, if this is in fact your last game how do you want to be remembered?
DAVID WELLS: How do I want to be remembered if this is my last game? Gamer. Bottom line. And I think that you can, if you were to go to any hitter, you know, that I've played against from day one until today, they would say "That guy went out there and gave it his all and challenged guys."
You don't get over 200 wins for pitching around guys. You got an opportunity to get an out on a good pitch, you might as well do it.
I know a lot of guys out there who do pitch around people and have been successful, but that's just not my thing. I love pitching. I love challenges. And I said the other day in the interview, that's how you make a name for yourself by going out there and competing and challenging these guys, because then you can show them what you're made of.
You know, I think if that was any one thing, I would think it's this guy, you know, he wears his heart on his sleeve and went out there and pitched his butt off and he challenged guys.
I don't think you can get a better compliment than that. Hopefully they'll come pouring in. You never know.

End of FastScripts...

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