How important was it for you to set the tone early? Hafner had the solo home run, but that was the only base runner you allowed in four innings while your team was scoring some runs.

JOSH BECKETT: I think it's always important, especially with someone of C.C.'s caliber, the first few innings become a little bit more important. Whenever you get a couple runs off a guy as tough as him, I think it becomes a little more important to get your guys back in the dugout, particularly on a cold night. You don't want them sitting out there walking a couple guys or something, and they're not getting any plays. I think it was huge.

You had another game where you didn't walk any batters, which has now become the norm this season. What kind of adjustments did you make from last year to this year to really fine tune your control the way you have this year.

JOSH BECKETT: I think my control was there. I think it was more me trying to not give in or make the perfect pitch every time, and this year I think in certain situations I just pretty much decided that my stuff is good enough. I'm going to trust it and I'm going to not try to make the perfect pitch, but a good pitch is sometimes what you need.

What was your game plan tonight against the Indians?

JOSH BECKETT: You know, they've got a lineup full of guys that can hit, and they're aggressive after you show them that you're going to throw strikes. I think just throwing strikes when you need to throw strikes early in the game, and then after you establish all your pitches, then I think it kind of opens some things up because they're going to be a little more aggressive, and throwing strikes when you need to throw strikes and throwing balls when you need to throw balls.

Based on the success you've had in this postseason and certainly in 2003, are these situations you're completely unfazed by, or is it an occasion you rise to?

JOSH BECKETT: I don't know. I'm just out there trying to execute pitches. You know, there's a lot of media and stuff that goes into this thing, and if you start buying into that, all it does is create distractions. I think for us right now we're just trying to stay away from the distractions that some exterior thing might present. I think we're just out there trying to play good baseball, and for me it's just executing pitches.

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When there is the chance even probability that you're going to face a team again in a series like this, does that at all affect how you pitch guys in Game 1 knowing that you'll have to face them again?

JOSH BECKETT: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. You're trying to get guys out. You don't want to say it's like there's no tomorrow, but that's kind of how you have to approach these games because you need to win every one that you can. You can't say, oh, well, I won't throw a curveball here because I'll throw it in Game 5. You're just out there trying to get guys out.

How happy are you that you don't have to pitch against Manny and David, or perhaps they should be happy they don't have to bat against you?

JOSH BECKETT: I definitely think it's the first one you said. I'm definitely excited I don't have to face those two guys, particularly back to back or even just one or the other.

Courtesy of FastScripts by ASAP Sports.