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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ANGELS v YANKEES

October 16, 2009

C.C. Sabathia

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Game One

ANGELS Â– 1
YANKEES Â– 4

THE MODERATOR: First question for CC.

Q. CC, there has been a lot of speculation about the weather and the conditions affecting the game. You didn't appear to be affected in the least by it?
CC SABATHIA: It was cold. I mean, but I'm used to pitching in the cold weather. You know, playing in Cleveland for so long. You just got to go out there and deal with it.

Q. CC, you have one walk in the postseason so far. Talk about your control.
CC SABATHIA: I think that's something that's killed me in the past in the postseason is the walks and the extra base-runners. It's tough in the playoffs to pitch well when you're behind all the time and you have runners on base. Especially with this Angels' lineup and the way they steal bases and run the bases. You just can't afford to walk too many guys.

Q. CC, first of all, how do you feel physically in light of the fact you could very well pitch next on three days' rest? And second of all can you share with us how you felt in the seventh with the huge chance and the strikeout of Napoli there and the crowd chanting your name?
CC SABATHIA: I feel fine. I feel great. Like I said, I had a lot of off-days in August and September. You know, so I feel fine physically. That was a great feeling to have The Stadium rocking and to be chanting my name and to be able to get a strikeout. I was pretty pumped up. I don't really show a lot of emotion a lot of times, but it came out of me there.

Q. Mike Scioscia said he thought you had a better change-up, better command outside and inside of the plate. Do you agree with that than previous times you've pitched against the Angels?
CC SABATHIA: Yeah, definitely. I was trying to command both sides of the plate and was able to do that early. And opened it up and made the change-up a lot better. So late in the game I went to change-ups with two strikes and, you know, when I needed to get a swing and miss, the change-up was there for me.

Q. CC, I just wonder were you taken aback or surprised by the errors the Angels defense were committing today? And then secondly, how big was the offense, was the Yankee offense, in motivating you and carrying you toward this performance today?
CC SABATHIA: These guys have been swinging the bat every time I pitched all year. I just try to do what I can to get them back in the dugout. Like I've been saying all year, eventually we're going to score runs. It's too good of a lineup not to. If you can get them off the field and back in the dugout, you know, you have a good chance of getting a lead and them scoring some runs.
We can't count on the Angels making three errors every game. That's a really good team, fundamentally, defensively and it's just one of those days tonight.

Q. CC, what has changed fundamentally for you in the postseason from say 2007 and now?
CC SABATHIA: Just not trying to do too much. I can't say enough about the way these guys have been swinging the bats for me all year. Gives you confidence. If you go out and pitch a pretty good game, you have a good chance of getting the win. They banged out ten hits today against a very good pitcher.
So like I said, you just go out and get them back in the dugout. Nine out of ten times they're going to score some runs.

Q. CC, you've pitched in cold weather before, how does this compare, though? Is this about as cold as it gets?
CC SABATHIA: It was about as cold as it gets. I pitched in a couple of games where it snowed in Cleveland. But it was pretty nasty today.

Q. CC, you have gotten hit a couple of times by the Angels this year. What was the biggest difference for you tonight? And the way you rolled into September into the postseason, is this as good as you felt all season?
CC SABATHIA: I'm feeling pretty good. I got the rest in September. So I'm feeling fine physically. Just the command. And not putting a lot of guys on base and being able to -- my two-seamer was good. They were putting the ball on the ground when I needed to. Just had a pretty good game. The command was there.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming in, CC.

End of FastScripts

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