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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: TIGERS v RANGERS

October 11, 2011

Austin Jackson

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Three

Detroit Tigers Â– 5
Texas Rangers - 2

THE MODERATOR: Two or three questions for Austin Jackson.

Q. Austin, Jim was talking about how you were hitting early today with McClendon. Can you talk about what you guys were working on, anything specific? And what you were able to take of it into the game?
AUSTIN JACKSON: We were working on my leg kick and just trying to get that timing down. That's the main thing, I think, just trying to get me going, trying to get the timing down. Just got to keep battling with it, keep going out there and it's tough at this point in the season to work on things, but you just got to do your best. That was the main thing. Kind of working on my timing.

Q. Austin, I know you talk a lot to Ramon Santiago. What did you talk about? What was your mind set today coming into today's game?
AUSTIN JACKSON: Just to try to keep that intensity. I was working with Ramon the whole year. He's been there to pump me up when I've been down a little bit. He's done a good job all year being that veteran leader, not only for myself, but for everybody. He's a good teammate.
Like I said, he's always there to kind of get me through some things when it's tough.

Q. First two games playing near your hometown, how was it? Did you have extra demands? Was it in some ways a relief to come back to your current home?
AUSTIN JACKSON: It was fun. A lot of friends family and that didn't get to watch me play when we went there earlier in the season, they got a chance to come out. It was just fun to get in front of them and get to play in front of them in that atmosphere.
That's probably one of the best times they can come out to watch me play, and it's not that far from my house.

Q. Two things: When things are not going well to the plate? Do you carry that to the plate? Is it on your mind when you go there? And do you take consolation that you're at least getting on base through base on balls through this?
AUSTIN JACKSON: You try not to let it weigh on you. Being a leadoff hitter, you try to spark the team a little bit. When it's not going as well as you want it to, you kind of take it to heart a little bit.
I'm just trying to do whatever I can do to get on base, get in scoring position and try to let the guys behind me drive me in.

Q. Austin, the leg kick has really been at the heart of the whole situation with you as a hitter for a couple of years now. Can you give us any sense for what you might have done today specifically or technically that made any kind of a difference?
AUSTIN JACKSON: I don't think I did any one thing specific as far as the leg kick goes. I think the timing of it was the main thing. When the timing is off with the leg kick, everything is kind of out of whack. Just trying to find that timing and find the groove is tough.
But we were kind of able to work on it today at BP, and try to transfer it over into the game.

Q. Austin, you guys have watched Victor battle through this postseason through some injuries. When you see him hit the home run and then the way he was running around the bases, the concern in the dugout, what kind of emotions go through your mind, big hit, but, oh, no, here comes maybe another injury to a really key guy?
AUSTIN JACKSON: Initially we were pumped up that he hit that home run and kind of gave us that momentum. But you can tell when he was jogging around the bases that he was kind of in some discomfort.
So that's a tough loss for us if he's not going to be in there. But I think he'll battle back from it. He hasn't been swinging the bat as well as he would like. But he's a veteran leader on this team, and we need him to win these ballgames.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Austin, for coming in.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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