We didn’t muster much. Ryan Franklin had good command of his breaking ball, slider, change and curve. He throws all four pitches.

I can’t answer exactly how I’m gonna work through this thing. But it’s a nice problem to have.

The runner has to keep his head up in that situation.

To Brandon’s credit, he was running hard. You often see guys going 60 percent on a ball like that, and they don’t score.

He’s a kid who wants to help carry us — which is commendable — and of late it hasn’t happened. It’s like we say about hitters who want to go out there and do too...

Our bullpen just didn’t do the job. Yesterday, they were great.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks,

I’m sure we’ll discuss quite a few things, to be honest with you.

If those comments stir things up a little bit, that’s OK, because we’re all accountable,

We haven’t played that bad.

There’s nothing that we haven’t talked about before.

That typifies how, when things aren’t going well, how tough it can be.

I don’t like it at all. I am in charge so it is my responsibility. It bothers me. I’d love it to stop as quick as it possibly could.

I don’t want to say this week [or] next week. He’s feeling much better.

That first inning could have been something to get you going, … But then it was, ‘Ah! Here we go again.’

Like a lot of guys, Pudge has tried to do too much. Yes, he’s a free swinger — to a limit. This year he has expanded his zone.

They’re a lot further along than the Tigers were when I took over in 2003. … I’m not afraid to work,

This is the next stage.

If I leave, I leave with my head high, … I know in my own mind we’re making some headway, I believe that.

[JUST SHORT: Chris Shelton needed to go 3-for-4 on Sunday to hit .300. He went 2-for-4 and finished at .299. Shelton — called up from Toledo during the season — hit his 18th homer Sunday.]...

So many times when you think that way, you make a bad pitch. And those other teams that we play aren’t missing them. Flat-out. They’re not missing them.

Does that tell you how it’s been going for us?

His next start would be Friday. Right now, that’s up in the air.

We’re all responsible, … I’m the leader, the captain of the ship, and I have to take responsibility.

I give those guys credit over there, … They have a worse record. They’re battling. And that’s what we should be doing, to be honest with you. That’s the kind of way you’re supposed to...

I think everybody in the ballpark was thinking ‘could it happen?’ … but there’s no category for almost. I give the Angels credit for being opportunistic.

The first inning was the big inning. Coming out of the chute, we played real sloppy.

We’ve given him an opportunity, … but he’s taken advantage of it. And it’ll only make him better in the long run.

We got pounded tonight, no question. Jeremy (Bonderman) was not sharp and fell behind hitters. It just wasn’t his night. They got back on track and we just couldn’t stop them.

I didn’t think that there was any question that it was fair.

The schedule shows we play 27 more games,

Omar hasn’t been swinging all that well. He’s hit a lot of pop-ups. I still think Omar will get more of the time, but it’s going to be split up a little more, and I’ll...

If he’s swinging well, I will certainly do everything I can to get him in there as much as I can so we can really see if this is a different Carlos Pena and does...

We’re going to have to, … I’m sure he’ll be a topic. We’re not over yet, so he might make that decision easy one way or another. But he’s certainly opened some eyes. This has...

We stayed in the game but then they got a couple of hits.

Not too shabby. Getting out of that first inning was huge for him, because you could see he was nervous, but he got that big double-play ball and then he settled in.

You’d think we could do a little better.

We still have 26 games to go. I refuse to give in.

It’s been too long. But you know what? We broke it. Tomorrow, we have a chance to win the series. Haven’t had a chance to say that in quite a while.

It’s really just precautionary. He was examined by a doctor today and rest was prescribed.

What a big hit. He’s been a different player since coming back from the minors. The way he’s been swinging the bat, you’re going to get good production.

I liked what I saw, … We’re going to see him five days from now.

This guy is so valuable, we want to make sure he’s OK. Hopefully it’s just one start.

[Manager Alan Trammell had no problems with Ordonez’s summation.] You know what? He has every right to say what he thinks, … We haven’t been playing well. I was taught that if you want to...

Nothing’s been promised, … It was an opportunity to talk baseball and tell them why I think I’m a good candidate.

He was down in the dugout later,

When you think you might see him, you don’t, then there he is. It was good to see him.

It’s not unfamiliar for me to come into a situation where you’re not expected to win the World Series, … I’m not afraid to work. I like working with young players. That part doesn’t faze...

It should help us,

The wins have been hard to come by and today was no different.