“The second at-bat, on the home run, I was trying to go in, and the ball ran out over the inner half of the plate. That's his power zone. Give him credit. He's fast, and he's out there trying to get on base, but he can hit for power.”
“I'm just trying not to throw a lot of pitches and keep my team in the game as long as possible. I've just been trying to get out of my starts with minimum damage. Even when you don't have your best stuff, pitching is about getting out of tough situations without your best stuff.”
“I just kept the ball down on the ground and made good pitches. I was getting behind on counts, but I sat back and went to make the best pitch possible to get out of those jams.”
“The fans are enthusiastic, so it's fun to come here and play well. The Cubs have hit me before, but tonight I threw strikes and the guys played defense behind me. And he (Pena) has hit the ball hard all year. I was grateful he did it again.”
“The biggest thing is everybody has to be consistent. We had some ups and downs last year. Guys are coming in early, getting ready for the season. We've got some veteran guys to fill in the bullpen. Starters have to step up and get us through six or seven innings and give our bullpen a chance to finish it.”
“It's the oldest franchise in Major League Baseball. For anybody to get that Opening Day start, it's an honor. But I'm going to go out and get ready for the season, build up some innings and get my arm in shape this spring.”
