Andy didn’t have his best stuff. Certainly the Pirates hitters battled with every single pitch. Whether it was to foul it off or take a ball, nothing came easy.

I think he could beat out an infield single if you made him run all the way to the foul pole. And if he couldn’t, it would be bang-bang.

After talking to him, I think he was battling himself a little bit, … But trust me, I’ll take Andy at any time, at any point with any game on the line.

It was just a much more important game for us than them, … I don’t think they are worried about making the playoffs. We’re fighting for our lives.

In a game like this you certainly want to win, because the guy behind you in the standings is staring at you across the field.

It’s going to go down to the last week,

I don’t think he’s moving out here to be living close to me, per se, … I think the idea of living in this climate and his affinity to golf is a big attraction for...

I don’t think he ever had a real good feel for his mechanics and release point. Whether it was related to the ball hitting him in the knee or not, I don’t know. He always...

In my mind, if I think it’s close I’m going to tag him or throw the ball to first, or turn around and look at the umpire, show him the ball and get a definitive...

People don’t understand that pain he has played with. It’s not simple pain. It’s the kind of pain people associate with an injury.

They brought the left-hander to turn Lance around and he came up with a big hit immediately, … Lane did a great job battling against Devine getting a single. They all had good at-bats, but...

There are some nuances to hitting in the eight hole. It’s nothing that thousands of players haven’t done throughout the course of baseball history. Sometimes you don’t get much to hit, but there are other...

Not only to get the strikeout and get out of the inning, but you don’t have to worry about facing Albert with the bases loaded.

When you have a record like that against a particular team, there has to be some luck involved as well. Roy is one of the best pitchers in the league. If anyone would have a...

Jeff’s very realistic. If he comes in here and two weeks into it he can’t swing the bat or he’s back to where he was last year, swinging the bat and it turns to pain,...

If he had any type of run support, he’d have 20 wins easily. He’s been that impressive. I can’t really put a finger on anything tangible he’s done different than last year, other than he...

This is part of our home-field advantage and for major league baseball to try and change that is either a) ridiculous or b) they’re American League fans.

He’s tough to compare to anyone, I think, because of not only his success but the longevity of his success. I mean, who pitches for 20-some years and has only one losing season and at...

He’s our Mr. October,

He’ll hit this year and then he’ll be back next year going for 500 (home runs). This isn’t the last of Jeff Bagwell.

I don’t think he was feeling 100 percent, but with Andy Pettitte, he’s got the mental wherewithal to overcome any type of tenderness and soreness with brainpower,

The main thing is being able to throw.

He’s 43, not 18, … He’s old.

It’s a combination of things. When you have a record like that, it’s got to be some luck. But he’s also one of the best pitchers in the league and certainly that’s a big part...

I probably was the only guy not jumping around in the dugout.

He is the most likely of all the young players on the team to become a team leader. Other players will want to look to him as his career progresses.

They’re either (A) ridiculous, or (B) American League fans,

A lot of guys get upset in that situation, … but he was able to shrug it off. With a good hitter in a 3-2 count, do you throw a fastball he knows is coming...

It definitely is now.

The most important thing is that he can use his right arm again. I know he’s going to get this surgery to remove the bone spurs. You never know what can happen. You hope after...

He’s the face of baseball in the city of Houston.

The last two weeks, … is like water torture. You play, and you look at the scoreboard and try to figure out where it all falls. Time just seems to crawl.

He was battling with his stuff.

This was a much more important game for us than for the Cardinals. We’re fighting for our lives at this point. We’re the ones in a pennant race. They’re umpteen games up with a month...

We have to go out and win with what we have. We know Roy and Andy are 1-2 around here, and that’s the way it was before Roger got here. We need people to step...

He is the strongest-minded pitcher I’ve ever played with. He has the ability to put pain and discomfort behind him and focus on nothing but the catcher’s mitt. He’s amazing.

To come out and lose again and to lose like this is draining.

We’re different. We have a healthy Andy Pettitte, which certainly helps. We also don’t have Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltran and a healthy Jeff Bagwell. Now our reputation starts and ends with our pitching, whereas last...

Emotionally it’s probably a little tougher to swallow (because of the suddenness). We’ve lost games before in the ninth inning. We’ll have it well behind us when we get to St. Louis for Game 6.

He was the one guy that anyone could and would come to if they had a question. And also the one guy that if he said something in front of a group everyone would listen....

Both pitching staffs, for the most part, did a nice job. And Brunt came up with the big hit to top it all off.

With the shortened arm path, the ball seems to jump a little better,

They have to deal with the fact that if you have a bad game, you lose.

I gave [Chris] Burke a hard time. I told him I played more second than he did.

He’s certainly one of the best pitchers in the game,

Once we start the game, my focus is on baseball,

To lose like this is draining,

He sustained his velocity for the duration of his outing. Adrenaline may have had a little bit to do with that.

Certainly, you would rather win it [at home] and get it out of the way,

Do it. You don’t let the facts get in the way of one of your columns anyway.