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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: INDIANS v RED SOX

October 12, 2007

Mike Lowell

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game One

Q. Talk about Josh Beckett, and how has he changed in the years you've played with him in Florida until now.
MIKE LOWELL: Well, I think this year, especially the second time around in the American League, his second year, I think he's gotten together with Tek and has done a great job at forming a game plan, and the game plan is one thing but the execution is another thing. And I think he's been tremendously efficient and consistent following that game plan, no matter what team it is.
And he's been able to throw his fastball, mix it up, whatever the game plan calls for, he's been able to execute that, and that's been pretty impressive. We've needed to lean on him all year in some big games, and he's come through for us.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about Manny and David Ortiz tonight, 10-for-10 on base. Have you ever seen anything like it?
MIKE LOWELL: I've never seen anything like it. They're unbelievable. They're aggressive, they're patient, they're picking their spots, and it doesn't seem like it's just one thing. They just have such solid at-bats. Just to get on one after the other, it's great for me because they're always on base. But it's really special, especially going up against a pitcher like C.C., to get on every time is unbelievable.
I told Manny, he was 0-2 twice, and he was able to spit on those pitches, those tough pitches, and draws a walk. I told him, Are you just fouling balls off to mess around or what? But they're just both putting together tremendous at-bats. I think it's normal for other pitchers not to want them to beat you, but for them to get on base like they did today is a little bit ridiculous.

Q. Your big inning today started with Julio starting the double. How important is it at the bottom of the order to get on base?
MIKE LOWELL: I think it's really important. One through nine is important. We don't want the guys hitting behind or in front of that David-Manny combination not being able to do their job because we have Dustin -- when the lineup flips over, Lugo, Dustin and Youk, if they're on base, there's nowhere to put those guys, so they've got to pitch to them, so that's to our advantage.
And then if they come through it's the responsibility of the guys that follow, myself, Coco, Tek. It's up to us to keep it going so they don't get a free pass. I think we did a good job tonight of putting together a lot of professional at-bats and able to work the count, and put ourselves in a good position.

Q. If you go back to the end of the regular season and now the playoffs, you've gone up against some pretty good pitchers and knocked them out a little earlier than expected, 5th, 6th inning and today Sabathia, and then tomorrow Carmona. I think people said hitting might have been one of the issues the Red Sox had. What's happening right now?
MIKE LOWELL: I think towards the end of the season getting Youk and Manny healthy was big for us. But we did, I think during the season we had a couple dry spells offensively. I don't think we had the consistent production, so to speak, for some stretches during the season, and we were a little disappointed in that. But it seems like guys are really clicking right now, doing their job. Even Dustin bunting Lugo over, the little things, the big things, we're doing them all right now. So you can pretty much throw away the regular season out the window now.
We're doing it well at this point; I think that's a good sign.

Q. Back in 2003 in the postseason you had some issues that didn't allow you to perform as you, I'm sure, would have liked to. How gratifying and pleasing is it for you to be able to get off to a start like this in the postseason?
MIKE LOWELL: Very satisfying. I thought the postseason in '03 I really hadn't seen live pitching in 30 days, so that was a little bit tough for me. But I felt like I was able to contribute -- kind of treading water is what I felt like because the game seemed really fast for me. I was looking forward to this postseason definitely because I was feeling healthy and feeling good coming off a good season, and it's rewarding. I think it's very rewarding when you can do the job behind David and Manny. That's important. The guys that hit after him got to do a good job because we can't let those guys get a free pass. We need it to hurt if they do.

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