Oct. 7 Jordan Zimmerman pregame interview

Q. Could you tell the difference between when you first played the Cardinals?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, they have been playing some good ball. We came here and they really put up some runs and they are definitely a good hitting ballclub. We just have to make some pitches and make better quality pitches, and, you know, just pitch the way we've been pitching all year; we can do our part and the offense is doing great, and we're going to keep scoring runs here. We'll see what happens.

Q. How has the past week from clinching the division to going through the process of preparing for the playoffs, how has all that been for you? Is it different? Is it anything like you expected?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: I really know what to expect since it's my first time. But you know, it's been pretty crazy. We celebrated and enjoyed it for a little bit. But we also had to keep playing some meaningful games. You know, we just took it one day at a time and enjoyed it when we could, and kept playing as hard as we could because we knew we had the best record.

Q. You've always been so even keeled, at least outwardly as you go into this; inWardly, is there anything, butterflies, anything different than you would normally feel going into a regular season start?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: No, I think I just take a look at it as it's just another game. You know, I really never get nervous in any games, the only game I get nervous for is my debut, and I don't see anything changing this time. Maybe a few butterflies when I first walk out there but I'm sure they will go away quickly and I'll just take it as another ballgame. I'm sure the fans are going to be pretty rowdy and loud and I'm going to try to zone them out as best I can and pitch the way I know I can pitch.

Q. Your last start in St. Louis, you felt like you were overthrowing that game; what do you take out of that start that you can apply tomorrow?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: I thought I threw the ball pretty well for six innings. I got to the seventh and kind of hit a little bit of a wall. Didn't make any quality pitches and that's when they got to me. So I just need to focus later in the game, and you know, just make some better pitches and quality pitches, and, you know, I kind of breezed through the first six innings and just hit that wall in the seventh.

Q. You talked before about having too much time off, I guess it will be a week off for you. When did you throw your session and how do you think having that much time would affect you tomorrow?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, you know, hopefully it doesn't affect me. I threw a side session a couple days ago and I threw a little longer one to wear the arm out a little bit. You know, so hopefully I'll be good to go.

Q. You obviously have a pretty potent lineup on the other end; in the games that you guys have played, there have been some high scoring games. What is the key to shutting that lineup down, or at least controlling it?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: You know, just make quality pitches. It's going to be tough to shut them completely down. They are going to get their runs, but you know, just got to keep it to a minimum and try to get out of jams as best you can when you're in a tight spot, and you're going to give up a home run here and there, but hopefully they are just solos.

Q. Besides that he's a lefty and you're a righty what can you take from watching Gio in the first game, playoff atmosphere and all that?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: I'm just going to keep an eye on him and see how he's throwing these guys. Doesn't really matter that much since he's a lefty and I'm a righty. We're totally different styles. I'm going to go out there and attack and he's going to attack the hitters. Never want to walk anyone, so I'm just going to go after them and pitch the way I've been pitching all year.

Q. What do you think is the closest experience that you've had to this playoff game, one of these games down in the stretch or back in college, pitching in the College World Series?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: I don't think there's any games or anything close to this. I went to the College World Series and there was 5,000 people there, so this is I mean, that was nothing compared to this.

I mean, I can't even put one game on it that even comes close to the magnitude of this game.

Q. That being said, a lot of people have talked about the experience factor over the last couple days. Do you guys take that into account, or is it just business as usual for you and there's not too much more to the hype of a playoff game?

JORDAN ZIMMERMAN: Obviously we're young and we have hardly any experience outside of J Dub and LaRoche. But we are just going to take it as just another game, and you know, play the way we've been playing all year, and you know, hopefully we come out on top.