He has an explosive fastball, a hard breaking ball and we haven’t figured him out very well yet. We are certainly going to have to because with them in our division, we are going to...

I think we’re well-situated … nobody is tired. We have some off-days.

We had baserunners. It’s kind of a rarity when we don’t throw a bunch of hits up there.

At some point, we have to make decisions on what’s best for your ballclub and I don’t think it means we’re not loyal. You have to be loyal to the organization. Sometimes the decisions are...

He has a good arm. It gets easier as you get to know guys and get a feel.

I sent a message to (general manager) Theo (Epstein) in about the sixth inning (Thursday) because my wheels were spinning. I said, ‘Why don’t you think about it, and I’ll call you before I get...

I was pleased with his demeanor.

There’s a big sense of comfort for me when he’s out there pitching. He knows what he’s doing and even if it’s not perfect, he’s going to compete. He’s not going to give in.

Last year, some of those guys kind of got their veteran status. They went through the trials and tribulations of a real good year and came up a little bit short, but they’re a good,...

The hope is that he can play on Thursday, but even if he can’t the news is good. He’s going to be OK, we’ve just got to let him settle down.

We’re going to try to make up some things to test [his knee] a little bit. He went from wanting to be traded to he’s going to start the day to he’s ready to start....

The hard part about that is there’s always a chance for a late trade that could change something. But I don’t think we’ll be in a position with one last outing, where they’ll be some...

They’ll go home feeling better than us. The good news is, we’ve got another one in 12 hours.

I think he’s handled the situation well. When you’re a Rule 5 guy, it’s almost to the veteran players like you’re on scholarship. Sometimes I think that gets resented a little bit. He’s handling himself...

and I’d love you to police yourselves. But if I have to step in, I will.

Whatever he did, he found himself, because early he didn’t have his good stuff.

He really buckled down and knew we needed innings. I think Wake just made some adjustments, even physically, and it really helped.

It looked like at a certain point in the game, he started hitting all his spots. And add to that, when you get a lefty in our ballpark on a day like (Sunday), where there...

If his velocity is OK and he’s hitting his spots, he’ll know it.

He really worked hard. He’s very well prepared coming into this camp. He’s not playing catch-up. He’s strong. It’s very obvious he worked hard this winter. He just came into camp ready to go.

I miss him already. He’s a good friend of mine. We really care a lot about him getting healthy. Nip will do a great job professionally.

Really? I wouldn’t comment on mine this year, so I wouldn’t comment on his [contract]. He’s probably going to be really happy.

How David hit that ball out I don’t know. I didn’t think anyone could hit one of there tonight.

After all these games we’ve played, we’ve played ourselves into a situation where it comes down to two games. That’s just the way it is.

There’s no feeling-out process,

He sat down [Saturday] with Dr. [Thomas] Gill, medical personnel and Theo. A decision will be made pretty soon, on what’s going to happen. He’s got some issues this week. His wife’s having a baby....

He’s thrown all his pitches in the bullpen. He has not thrown them all in the game as much as he has as a starter.

It’s nice that he has that left in the tank because that’s the guy I remember. He could reach back and get more when he needed it.

As the game progressed, he got a little more comfortable. It probably helped that when he got into the flow of the game, the ball started sinking a little bit better, cutting. I thought he...

He likes to compete. If he hollers at somebody once or twice a year, it’s not really the end of the world.

He’s played through a lot. But he’s been very productive and scored runs. If his extra-base hits are down, you still have to tip your hat to the guy that he’s still playing, and will...

They had this thing kind of mapped out. I don’t think this is a real deviation from the plan. I just think they wanted probably to test him further with better hitters. I don’t think...

We’ll strive to be better than Chicago.

It was kind of appropriate. He had a real tough first month, but since the weather’s warmed up, he’s been about a .320 hitter. His bat has become so alive. He’s lined out about six...

The ball, just when he throws it down, guys just swing and miss or they hit grounders. He’s in a little bit of a tough spot with us. We have a very full, veteran staff...

I asked him on [Thursday] if he wanted to make the trip [on Friday]. He could have stayed back. He wanted to get work against major league pitchers. He spent five hours on a bus...

Bell said. ”But he called about my nephew.

I believe in these guys, and I believe if you stay the course you get paid dividends. I believe it’s better.

The report was as good as it can be. Structurally, there was no damage. I think he bruised that area and got some swelling.

I actually went out there this morning because they told me not to. Somebody worked their ass off to get it ready. It looked pretty good, considering.

Oh, yeah. Because of what he did go through this winter, his showing up a little bit late, but showing up in the right frame of mind, is OK with me. We rely on him...

When your starter gives you seven, it certainly makes your options a lot better. You don’t have to ask guys to do more than they’re supposed to. Your chances to win are certainly a lot...

David’s had a tough spring. That doesn’t mean he’s going to have a tough season. You look at him coming off the mound; it’s human nature to kind of second guess yourself a little bit....

From this point out, I think we’ll be doing it on an individual basis. I mean, we’ve already talked to a few guys. They’re going to stay in camp. How they do the paperwork, I...

I think he’s better prepared mentally and physically to not let that happen. I think he’s got his off-the-field issues pretty well behind him, and his knees, for the most part, feel better. So I...

The prognosis is very good. I think four months is when he’s allowed to start throwing, give or take. That’s the basic diagnosis. I think he’s very optimistic about being able to pitch again like...

Yeah, we talked about it afterward. Early in the game, if he had to do it over again, take the double play, give them the run, clean the bases and go from there.

I’m not interested in making the Damon-Crisp comparison because I don’t think it’s really pertinent or fair. This kid’s at a different time in his career. … We’re going to see probably the best years...

I don’t take any pleasure in sending people down. It’s the way they earn their living. But I try to do it very honestly. I do sit home the night before and definitely think about...

The stage isn’t too big.