NL DIVISION SERIES: CUBS v BRAVES

October 1, 2003

Bobby Cox

BOBBY COX: We discussed it before the series started and he said he was good to go two innings at any time. He will have one day off in between the next game so probably it will be good for one.

BOBBY COX: It was probably the ballgame. His first seven outs were recorded by strike-outs, and he had the stuff he just got off target the first couple hitters and got one sort of down the middle and he popped it. After that I think they only got two hits the rest of the evening. I thought Hampton pitched one of his better games. Rule out the first inning, but the rest of it was good. He was pretty much on the up standing side.

BOBBY COX: He hit a bullet right at Gonzalez. Giles pinch-hitting probably didn't hit it quite as hard, but it was in the hole. DeRosa got the big hit in the bottom of the 8th, and he's a good hitter and he's hit his whole career he's been a good hitter. I thought we swung the bats pretty well. Zambrano was throwing the ball very hard tonight. Sometimes the ball's got to bounce your way a little bit.

BOBBY COX: He feels good. I had planned on one inning, most of the time two, if it was okay with John. But he's the one that came to me and said I'm good for two, and our bullpen has been getting better and better and better, so, you know, for instance, Gryboski, that was on outstanding job. The 7th inning was the huge turning point.

BOBBY COX: He just couldn't move and couldn't run. He could swing the bat. He said he was good to hit, and he just couldn't run, so I think by Friday, he might be okay.

BOBBY COX: Yeah, it makes no difference how you get runs. The weather has changed. There was a real strong wind blowing in from left field. In the summertime that ball is a homerun. But tonight there was a pretty strong gale on that playing field. Sammy got would have gotten his balls gone on a normal summer day. We caught a break there.

BOBBY COX: Probably not on Friday. Probably good for one. If he's not used on Friday, he might be good for two on Saturday.

BOBBY COX: It's a great win for us tonight. We have Maddux going against Prior, and it will be another great matchup. We're looking forward to going to Chicago. It's one of our favorite cities. The more games we win the longer we stay there.