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NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS v PHILLIES

October 4, 2011

Edwin Jackson

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI: Game Three

Q. How does it help you get in to watch these first three games to see the Phillies' hitters and how some of the guys attack them? Does getting to see at-bats from the bench for three days help at all?
EDWIN JACKSON: Definitely, especially coming into the game you see the approaches they've been taking. You see how we've been pitching them. But I mean, at the end of the day, everybody on the staff is a different type of pitcher, so we all have to go out to our own game plan and attack the strike zone and make them put the ball in play.

Q. Two questions: Have you been a different pitcher since you came to St. Louis? And how much do you enjoy being in the National League where you're able to hit? You're a good athlete, and you're able to do some other things.
EDWIN JACKSON: I wouldn't say I've been a different pitcher, but I've definitely taken an approach where you have to be aggressive and make them put the ball in play and take their chances. It's hard to pitch in this league when you're falling behind a lot and you're in hitters' counts. And that's what these guys get paid for; they get paid to hit the ball, and everybody can do that.
Being in the National League, it's a different ballgame definitely. It's a different style of play. But at the end of the day, it's a lot of fun. So you get a chance to help yourself out, being that we get a chance to hit. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. As a member of six organizations, has that been difficult, all the moving around? And do you eventually look to maybe get some stability at maybe one place?
EDWIN JACKSON: I wouldn't say it's been difficult. Being a military brat growing up, I was on the move, so I'm pretty much used to packing up, moving, meeting new friends. One thing I can say, I've gotten a lot of experience being a lot of places, and I've gotten a chance to see just about every city, so I look at it as a positive.

Q. Going back to your days in Tampa, do you think you owe the Phillies one?
EDWIN JACKSON: This is not anything personal. Our objective is to go out and win ballgames. This is strictly for the Cardinals. Anything that happened back with Tampa, that was the past. I just took all the experience from it, and come out tomorrow and have fun.

Q. One of the things that Duncan tends to bring to the equation is preparation, certainly to the minutio detail. I'm wondering how new that was to you when you got here and if it's changed through the post-season?
EDWIN JACKSON: The way Duncan runs his program, it was a little different for me, but it wasn't hard to adjust to. It's just a matter of getting settled down and learning the system pretty much.
As far as tomorrow, I've been in the pen, so my preparation has been a little different. I've had to be ready for any situation pretty much. But going into tomorrow, I'll watch the game tonight and just go out and stick to my game plan, what I've been doing all year.

Q. In each of the last two years you've more or less gone from a team that's been out of the post-season chase to one that's been in it via trade. Those two experiences, for lack of a better term, kind of reinvigorated you a little bit?
EDWIN JACKSON: It's definitely a better situation when you have something to play for, and the last two years I've been traded and it's been to a playoff contending team. So there's definitely no hard feelings, and I definitely wouldn't change anything. It's always fun when you have a chance to go out and play for October, and now this year I've been traded, and we are in October. It's definitely a lot of fun, and I wouldn't change it, wouldn't have it any other way.

Q. How would you describe how loose this clubhouse has been lately and how things are with team chemistry?
EDWIN JACKSON: I mean, it's been pretty loose. That's the only way that you can do the things that we just did. Coming back from behind, you have to play loose, you have to go out and have fun and just leave it on the field. And at the end of the day, if it doesn't work out, you know that you gave it all you had. This team right here, we've been doing that, and we've been winning, so we definitely put together a string of wins when we definitely needed them towards the end of the season to make this run that we've been on.

Q. I was going to ask you, you were like 19 when you were in Double-A and had a live arm back then, but what have you learned and how have you grown as a pitcher since?
EDWIN JACKSON: You learn how to pitch. Back when I first got called up, I was pretty much a thrower. That was my first full season pitching. It's like any job, as you go out and you get more experience, you get more experienced with the job, and you learn how to pitch instead of just throw.
There's a lot of guys with live arms that can go out and throw hard, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how hard you throw, these guys can hit it. You have to learn how to pitch and hit spots and keep them off balance.

Q. Jaime made reference yesterday that he's been pitching basically in playoff games for the last month now and this won't be any different. How do you look at tomorrow, and do you feel maybe the pressure will be higher or the fact that you guys have played in some pretty important ballgames the last week you'll try to keep it the same?
EDWIN JACKSON: To me pressure is put on more by yourself than the game. We put pressure on ourselves. When there is pressure, you have to take it as another game and stay relaxed. You watch these guys that's been pitching the last few days, and everybody is poised. That's what it's about. If you let -- you get overwhelmed with the game and what's going on around you, it definitely takes away from your focus and what you have to do to get out, so you just have to go out and take it as another game. As hard as it may seem, that's why we're professional, we have to go out and keep everything under control.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about the challenge that this Phillies' lineup presents, specifically Ryan Howard who's always played very well against the Cardinals, especially in this ballpark?
EDWIN JACKSON: Oh, man, it's definitely a lineup that you have to go out and you have to execute pitches. We can't afford to make too many mistakes with this team. They have a lot of depth in the lineup, and there's really no easy outs, just have to go out and be aggressive, but at the same time you can't give them too much credit. You have to have confidence in your pitches, and at the end of the day, either you get it done or you don't, there's no in between. So you have to kind of take that approach where you can't be afraid of contact. We have a great defense behind me; you've got to go out and let those guys do what they do and make plays behind you and keep a nice rhythm and pretty much attack hitters.

Q. How have you been able to keep your batting stroke together with your infrequent chances at the plate?
EDWIN JACKSON: Man, it's just a stroke of luck, swinging with my eyes closed. I'm not sure. Like I said, National League you get a chance to help yourself, which you don't have that luxury in the American League. Any time you do get a chance and you can prove to the manager that you can handle the bat, it definitely keeps you in the game longer, whether you can bunt or you can hit and run, or knowing Tony, sometimes he takes off the bunt and hit and run and he lets you swing away.
It's just one of those things where you have to turn into an athlete, you're not just a pitcher in the National League because you have a chance to hit and run bases and everything else that position players are doing.

Q. As you get set to hit free agency when the post-season is over, have you given any thought to past pitchers that have enjoyed post-season success that have gone on to pretty good paydays afterwards?
EDWIN JACKSON: I haven't really thought about it. I mean, my main concern is just what's going on in front of us right now. I haven't thought about free agency. I mean, we all want to pitch to do well any ways, so it's not like I'm going out to try to do good to get paid. Everybody wants to have success, regardless if you're arbitration or not or free agency, but the main objective is to go out and to be the best you can be and do the best you can, and everything else, let it control itself when it's that time. I can't really be worried about free agency right now when we're trying to win games.

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