Through five, I did exactly what I wanted to do with most of the pitches. In the sixth inning, just made a couple bad pitches to some good hitters. That was it.

It’s great following him. He told me to watch the hitters to see if they change their approach. I mixed it up and kept them off balance.

Those were game-saving plays,

I don’t know what it is, but I’m more nervous before a game and when I come out of it, … The mound is the one place I’m supposed to be. I’m in control and...

With a team like this, you don’t panic. I got rewarded for keeping the game close.

Just getting ahead. I watched Smally do it all day yesterday, and I saw how that turned out for him.

I’d love it, but nobody’s told me that will happen, … But yeah, I’d be ready.

I don’t mind the idea of competing for a spot. I don’t feel I’m owed anything by the Yankees. I have an opportunity, that’s all I can really ask for.

Not giving up two-run homers in the first inning, that’s always a bonus.

So now I feel like I’ve actually graduated to the point where it’s not because I’m a homegrown kid that I was in the major leagues. I think that’s what some people thought sometimes. But...

[The Bombers struck for another run in the second and two more in the third before knocking Zito out with a pair in the fourth.] There’s no doubt in my mind this team has a...

You could say nobody’s really looking forward to a six-hour flight to California. But I think everybody is now.

I had a pretty good spring. I don’t think I hurt myself at all. We’ll see what happens.

You don’t ever want to give the ball up as a pitcher, especially when you’ve got that mess out there you made yourself. Having the confidence in me to be out there and get through...

I was able to throw everything for strikes,

Everything leading up to this (start), it matters, … But it doesn’t when you’re in the playoffs and it’s win or go home. Nothing else matters. You don’t want the last thing people remember you...

I thought I pitched decent, not great. It’s tough to come back against a team like that, with their pitching staff.

In my last start, I kind of got in trouble by falling behind early in the count. I tried to go ahead with strike one, and then try to make them hit my pitch later...

It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m scared,’ You take it like a man and move on,

I have a belief that things happen for a reason. There were a lot of skeptics that said I couldn’t make the transition to New York. But I know what kind of person I am....

I wouldn’t say I needed it desperately.

I haven’t ever seen a pitcher leave Coors Field and become a worse pitcher.

You tend to get nervous and excited before and after,

It’s an honor to be part of all this history. You want to put your own mark on the Yankees organization and the history.

The first five [innings], I did everything I wanted. Then I made a couple of bad pitches to a couple of good hitters. As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready for the season.

You don’t ever want to give up the ball as a pitcher, … especially after the mess you’d left out there the inning before. Each start I’ve shown him I can go deep into games...

All I could say was, `Wow,’ … It’s one thing to stand here and say, `Everybody’s got to step up,’ but it’s another thing to do it. These guys did it. … Every pitch, every...

I think everybody understands that we have to win every day. The more pressure we can put on them, obviously the less pressure there is on us.

Some days it’s going to take the starting pitcher to come out and dominate, and you might win, 2-0. But for the most part, we’re going to score runs. With a team like this, you...

When it came time to go out and pitch, I realized why I was here,