He’s a top-notch guy, an awesome guy.

I gave him my cell phone number and told him to keep me updated. When you get the manager’s cell, you’re getting close.

But that’s just a start, it’s not where we ultimately want to be. I’m tired of being labeled a loser for 12 years. If you lose one more game than you win, then that’s what...

The umpire (Gary Darling) got mad, … He said, ‘Shut up and pick up the bat.’

I’m glad we were able to score some runs so he could benefit from his great pitching.

It’s hard to do what Mac was trying to do,

He had pretty good stuff but he fell behind too much, … But he made big pitches when he needed to and really limited the damage outside of the four-run inning.

We needed it tonight, and he picked us up big-time.

Dave Bush was really, really good. He kept his pitch count down. He got us through seven innings, which was big. He was spotting his fastball really well.

He didn’t have his good stuff. I give him credit because he was out there competing, but he just wasn’t sharp.

We’re trying to do something different with the (other) uniform we’ve got.

Left-handers don’t bother him. He has faced them all his life.

There are things we’re still trying to accomplish. The .500 mark is one of them, and to continue to battle in the wild-card race is one of them. You can’t fall too far behind in...

It got to the point where we all had been through it. The thing you do is not focus past today. You don’t allow negative thoughts to enter your mind.

That was an awesome at-bat. You know Roger Clemens is not going to give in, but the thing is, Miller didn’t give in either.

Rickie got a curve ball up in the fourth and hammered it. That was a big part of the ballgame.

It really helps to have defined roles, and we don’t really have that now,

It’s too early in the spring to be pushing anything like that. If it was during the regular season, he wouldn’t even have said anything.

It’s a matter of trusting his stuff, … If he ever finds it and is consistent, he can be a good pitcher.

The whole plan three years ago was to tread water until these kids got here. And it’s not just those three. It’s all the others, too, a whole corps of kids that are coming.

It was the exact same thing. We came right back, on the attack, and we got on the board early.

It’s hard to find guys who can play second, third and short. You can find guys who can play second and third, or short and second, but it’s hard to find all three.

He has grown up in this atmosphere. That’s why he wasn’t in awe like some guys will get. He’s been there, done that.

I’m thinking about a lot of things. I don’t want guys not playing an extended amount of time.

He had very, very good stuff today.

We haven’t had much of a need for a long guy.

He’s got more guys around him now that can do the job. He’s more comfortable. He knows the league a little bit better; he knows the guys around him are a little bit better, too.

We have the talent to be. It’s just the experience and consistency. And to get those, you just play.

He’s got a slight strain of the right lat, not his shoulder, not his elbow. We’ll evaluate him tomorrow, but we don’t even know if he’s going to miss a start. We think he’s going...

looked like an impossible task.

Doug’s a believer that he wants these guys playing deep into September and into October so that they can get used to it, … That’s a place we want to play in the near future.

I’m going to address our pitching after the day off (today). I’ll make an announcement then.

Billy is like the pitching coach of the bullpen. He’s a great compliment to (pitching coach) Mike Maddux and he has played a big part in the success we’ve had out there. When those guys...

He (Sheets) was lights out. Both pitchers threw phenomenally well tonight. They both had great stuff and were hitting their spots. Benny was about as good as Benny could be.

I told him he’ll never know how good he can be if he doesn’t go out and try it.

Rodriguez was really good today. The last time we faced him he was just OK.

It’s more precautionary than anything. I don’t think it’s anything major. They’ve backed off a little bit. They’re just being real cautious with him.

He sets a great example every day, from the second he walks in the clubhouse to the second he leaves. In every phase of the game — starting with his preparation and his work ethic....

It’s hard when you’re going to take the best 30 players out of the United States. It’s a tough task. It doesn’t motivate us. We have good players. We have confidence in what we’re trying...

Sometimes when a young pitcher gets to the point where he’s pitching pretty good, he thinks he’s being lucky. (Capuano) is realizing he’s pitching good because he is good.

Any time you get the tying run to the plate (late) in a ball game you’ve done a pretty good job. But the score really doesn’t reflect that.

The first time we saw him in Spring Training, we realized real quick that he was the same old Maddux. I don’t see anything different about him now than when he was in his heyday,...

It’s a transition in his mind, more than anything else. It’s a matter of being aggressive and being in control, and he was in total control (Tuesday).

He was throwing as hard a fastball as he’s had all year. He got it up to 93 [mph] a time or two,

He pitched a phenomenal game.

He’s been an important piece to our starting rotation, along with Ben Sheets and Doug Davis. They’ve really solidified the first three starting spots.

I don’t see where it’s going to get any more glaring than it’s been from the minute he signed. How much more hype does a player have than him? So it’s not going to get...

That was just what the doctor ordered. He was as sharp as he can be. He really pitched great.

Brady is seven days out and still four or five days away in the best-case scenario. Going into Houston another left-handed bat off the bench will help us.

The only way he doesn’t go out is if we get to his spot and there’s a runner in scoring position, … Then I probably would have hit for him, even though he was 2...