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NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS v BREWERS

September 30, 2011

Yovani Gallardo

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Workout Day

Q. How much different is this than getting ready for the first game in 2008?
YOVANI GALLARDO: For sure I think in 2008 it was my second start coming back after knee surgery. Obviously, you know, I was very excited in 2008 and a lot of adrenaline going on. But yet again, back of my mind, what if I have to field a bunt or something, it wasn't a hundred percent.
Now this year, I'm very excited. I'm looking forward to it. And also I was able to pitch for this team the whole year, which is also -- I look at it as a privilege.

Q. What does having that whole season under your belt going to the playoffs do for your confidence in what you can do for game 18 or the whole series?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I'm very confident going into it. It's being able to stay healthy the whole year. And going out there in Game 1 and, you know, I'm just going to go out there and do the same thing I've been doing all year.
It's just one of those things that, I mean, I'm sure that all the guys, we're all very excited. We can't wait for tomorrow. But yet again, we still have to go out there and it's going to be tough, but you have to look at it as just another game.

Q. The last two years you were kind of the guy at the top of the rotation. This year, Doug brings in Shaun and Zack. Did that take pressure off of you to have to go out and throw your best game? Not to suggest that you were halving it, but did it lighten the load a little bit?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Yeah, maybe a little bit. Just like I said, no matter what, I think the past couple of years I still went out there and gave it all I got, no matter what was the situation.
But for sure, you know, I think those two guys, they've been great for us all year. They've been doing a great job. They did a great job, and, of course, we all know what they're capable of doing. You guys seen it for yourself. And not only them, I think also with Randy Wolf and Narveson and they stepped up in certain situations. We pick each other up, which made us get here.

Q. You're 2-0 this year, 5-0 lifetime against the Diamondbacks. Have you pinpointed your success against them or is it just one of those things?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I guess it's just one of those things. You try not to pay attention too much on those things. But they have a good team. They have a bunch of good hitters. You've got to move the ball around with those guys. But I've been doing my homework, a lot of video and am prepared for tomorrow.

Q. Does it make a difference for you and your fellow starters to go out and take the hill when you know the kind of bullpen that you have behind you?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Yeah, it definitely does. Like I say, for the starters, of course, our job is to get as deep in the game as we can. We know we have the lead going into the bullpen, guys are coming in to take care of things. They've done a great job.
As far as for ourselves, we try to keep the team in it. And if we have the lead, like I mentioned, we know Hawk, Frankie, Ax, Kam, Saito, you name it, they've all done a great job.

Q. Being a Game 1 starter, will you be able to block out the whole game atmosphere? What do you think the biggest challenge will be?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I think the whole -- it's going to be tough. It's going to be kind of tough to block it out, but I think that's going to be the hardest challenge for me and for all of us. But yet again in 2008, as far as for myself and all the other guys, we experienced it a little bit. And we know what to expect. And we know what it's like, and I think it will help us out.

Q. How do you balance the kind of camaraderie and goofy antics along with the focus to push ahead, especially now that you're in the playoffs?
YOVANI GALLARDO: You know, just -- I think we have to stay the same, the same we've been the whole year.
You say to yourself, win or lose, the guys are the same. They joke around, have fun, enjoy the game. But yet again, once it comes down to game time, I mean once it's close to game time, if you guys were in there, there's nothing going on. Everybody is focused, they're preparing and doing anything they have to do for the start of the game.

Q. How different is it getting ready to go into this series as opposed to in '08 and how much has that mentality changed from you guys when you got to this time where you're playing hard all the way through?
YOVANI GALLARDO: How is it different, you're saying?

Q. How is it different just getting prepared for this series, as opposed to how it was in '08?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I think this year, just like I said, we clinched a little bit earlier. But yet again, we didn't know who we were playing. So it's tough.
But the guys, just like I said, the guys are focused. They're going to go out there and do what they have to do. They've been doing it all year. Yet again, they try not to look at things too in-depth.

Q. Assuming you do allow a baserunner at some point tomorrow, Arizona has been preaching aggressiveness, stealing and the like. Do you prepare any differently for a team that sets it out that they want to steal bases and be aggressive?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Not at all. You have to look at it that way with every team, no matter who you're playing. Like I said, we have a great coaching staff. They know the guys that run and the guys that don't. So they mention it to us, and then we've got to do our job, which is hold the runners.

Q. Do you feel like more is expected of this team heading into the playoffs as opposed to 2008 when it was the first time as a franchise in 26 years? This time it's a little bit different. More expected this year?
YOVANI GALLARDO: Of course, that's the goal for us. We said in Spring Training, that was the first goal for us, to win the Division. And we were able to do that. We're not done. I mean, like I said, we expect to go all the way to the end.
And that's what all the guys' mentality is and that's what they're focused on.

Q. What is your routine on the day before, the night before a start, and how will you sleep tonight?
YOVANI GALLARDO: How would I sleep? Hopefully pretty good. It's an early game tomorrow. But, you know what, I mean most of the guys in there know me. I try to stay as relaxed as I can. Same guy, whether I'm starting or not, just laid back, having fun.
But yet again, like I said, hour and a half or a couple of hours before the game, you know, that's when I start going through my game plan, what I'm going to do that day. And I guess that's when everybody just kind of leaves me alone. Like I said, all the starters are pretty laid back and relaxed. Just laid back, whether you're starting or not.

Q. In your last three starts it may have been your best run of three starts this season. Is there something that has clicked for you in particular and how does that affect your mindset going out tomorrow?
YOVANI GALLARDO: I think for me the past three starts just being able to command my speed, slider, curveball, it's a big part of my game. But throwing for strikes or strikeout or throw- away pitch, whenever I have to. And just the other day I tried to do the same thing. Just tried to find a good rhythm. The rhythm I've been in, and go from there.

Q. What's it going to be like to run out of that dugout for Game 1 in the NLDS at home?
YOVANI GALLARDO: It's going to be pretty amazing, I'll tell you that. It's going to be loud. And that's going to pump us up even more, you know, just being able to have Game 1 here at home. It's something to give for the fans. They've been great to us all year. They've been behind us, good or bad. Just to have that opportunity it's going to be pretty exciting.

Q. You guys starting rotation are a really tight group and have a lot of camaraderie together. What is your guys' feeling as a whole right now what you can do 1 through 4 in the series and your offense in that group?
YOVANI GALLARDO: We're very comfortable. Like I said, we try not to talk about it too much. We're just going to go out there and like I said, do what we've been doing all year. We've talked about it a little bit, but, you know, the guys that we have here are great pitchers, the four guys that are going to go in the series.
But yet again, they know they still have to go out there and compete. We know we're facing a good team. But we're going to give it all we have.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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