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NL DIVISION SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS v BREWERS

October 4, 2011

Joe Saunders

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Game Three

Q. Could you just tell us how your hand IS doing. Gibby said that it got jammed in batting practice before your last start.
JOE SAUNDERS: Yeah, my hand is doing better. I was kind of embarrassed. Took me 161 days to get my hand jammed in BPA. But it was my fine athletic ability that was enabling me to get my hand jammed. What are you going to do? It happens.

Q. It's fine?
JOE SAUNDERS: It's fine now.

Q. Seemed like it was a tough transition for you right at first when you were traded away from the Angels. But a year and a half later, has it worked out as well as possible?
JOE SAUNDERS: Well, I think the Lord works in mysterious ways. And I think everything has a purpose, and everything happens for a reason. So there's a reason for me coming over here. And I was just fortunate enough to help this organization, turn it around.
I was telling CY in August last year when I got traded over here in Philly that, hey, we're going to turn this thing around next year, and we're going to string some wins together and really compete in this division. And sure enough we did it.

Q. When you look at the Milwaukee lineup, do you think I can't let Fielder and Braun beat me?
JOE SAUNDERS: You look at their lineup and you don't want any of them to beat you, really. They're kind of built like we are. They're very similar to us. They've got speed. They've got guys that put it in play. And they've got guys that can hit it out of the ballpark with ease.
For us it dictates the situation, how you pitch to them, I think. Some situations hopefully with two outs and nobody on base you're going to go after them. If it's a make or break situation, you've got to be careful.

Q. Is there an advantage, I know you look at tape, you look at scouting reports, to having watched a team for three games before you get in and pitch against them. Get a chance to watch them in person, I guess is what I'm asking?
JOE SAUNDERS: It's always an advantage when you get to see a team for a little bit. But you've still got to go out there and throw the baseball, and they've still got to go out there and hit the baseball. You do your homework, and they do their homework, and you let the chips fall where they may.

Q. You're a veteran. You have much playoff experience. Could you please talk about the playoff jitters from the pitcher's standpoint. And also your closer, Mr. Putz, hasn't been in a playoff game yet. Can you kind of speak for what that is like to be first time in the playoff arena?
JOE SAUNDERS: There's a ton of adrenaline. I remember my first experience, I think I was in Boston, and I just had adrenaline flowing through every inch of my body. And when you do it and you get through it and you realize it's just another baseball game, you kind of settle in and you kind of try to slow everything down.
We've kind of figured that out. For us it's just going to be about as a team and as a pitching staff and as hitters, just to try to stay within ourselves and not try to do too much. I think we've gotten in trouble these last two games of maybe trying to do too much, trying to be the hero. If we can just be a team like we are and do what we're capable of doing, and not try to be a hero, I think we'll be fine.

Q. J.J., he's this intense, tough, big guy?
JOE SAUNDERS: For him he's going -- he might throw his first pitch 100 miles an hour, who knows. I know he's going to be pumped up. Once he throws that first pitch and gets that first strike out of the way, it's just going to be another save for him, I think.

Q. It's been a week since you pitched. How have you had to change your routine?
JOE SAUNDERS: I haven't done really anything different. It's nice to have a few extra days off. Threw a lot of innings this year, tried not to miss a start. And I think the extra time will serve me pretty good. I should be pretty fresh.

Q. You said you and CY, or you told CY that in August. You guys weren't really killing it last August. What did you see to make you think that?
JOE SAUNDERS: I just said -- when I was with the Angels we were in the playoffs a lot. We're a winning organization, we were a winning team. And that's what we were kind of built to do is win baseball games.
When I came over, just the vibe in the locker room at the time was just poop, really, to put it easily (laughter). I knew what their record was. I knew what they were going through. It was dog days of dog days, you know, at that time.
I came over here and I'm not a guy that likes to lose. I'm a guy that likes to win. If my team wins, then I win; if I win, then my team wins.
For, me and CY, I talked to CY a couple of times before that and offseason we met each other and got to know each other a little bit. Then I came over here and met him in Philly and said, hey, we're going to turn this thing around. I'm going to help you guys the best I can.

Q. What's the mood like in there today, Joe, with you guys down 0-2?
JOE SAUNDERS: You know, the mood -- I don't think it's anything different. I just think there's pressure on us, obviously, because our backs are against the wall. We're down 0-2. We need to start stringing some wins together, otherwise we're going to be done. That's the whole thing.
I think there's a little bit of tension there. But I think everybody's more focused than they've ever been today. I can kind of get that vibe from the locker room. But I think we'll be fine. We'll go out there and do our thing, we're going to be fine.

Q. What's your impressions of Roenicke with your time with him?
JOE SAUNDERS: Great guy. He's obviously done a great job for Milwaukee this year. I talk to Ron a lot, when I was with Anaheim. And we got to develop a great friendship. And now I get to play against him, hopefully. He's a good dude. He knows the game. He knows the game of baseball really well. He's been awesome for them. The Milwaukee organization is very lucky to have him.

Q. Coming into this season, Kirk Gibson kind of, I guess, changed the culture, is the way it's been put. And back with the Angels, Mike Scioscia kind of set the tone that way. Do you see that as a valid comparison?
JOE SAUNDERS: Yeah. I think -- I think the comparison on Gibby and Sosh, Gibby is a more, I don't know how to say this -- Sosh is a great manager. He's one of the most -- the smartest managers probably in the game of baseball. And Gibby is probably a little bit behind Sosh in that aspect.
But Gibby tries to put himself out there, too. And I think the thing I like most about Gibby is he'll come up and talk to you. Whereas, you know, Mike would kind of make up his mind already. That's the one thing I like about Gibby is where he's more of a players' manager, I don't know.
But they're both great managers. I'm not trying to dog anybody here. But Gibby is definitely more personable, if you will, maybe from my standpoint.

Q. Yesterday Gibby said he met with you guys, you were down 0-2. But he brought up some statistics and your win streaks after losing streaks and teams that have done it and what have you. What impact did that have on you guys?
JOE SAUNDERS: I think we all know, regardless of them bringing it up, it's been done before. That was their whole thing of bringing it up. Charlie has been through it when he was with Cleveland. I think Groove has been through it with Boston and Anaheim. They've been through it and they know it can be done.
And that's what they wanted to instill in us is that hey, don't hang your heads just because you're down 0-2. We've lost 6, 7 in a row and then come back and win 10, 11 in a row this year. It's definitely not over, by any stretch.

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