Brad is a great closer, and we wouldn't have been here without him.

There's not another starting rotation that measures up to ours. And then you get to the back part of the game, with (Brad) Lidge. That's who we are. We don't outslug teams; we outpitch them.

Everybody wants to talk about the hitters being juiced. Nobody even really thinks about the pitchers. Before, they were throwing 95 mph, but now they're throwing 90. It's going to be a whole different feel.

It may not be intense in the stands, but it's intense on the field. It's not a rivalry of hatred. It's a rivalry of mutual respect. We enjoy competing against these guys.

He's not the only great pitcher on that staff. But we've got great pitching, too. We've got Roy ready to go, and he's been outstanding all year long. It's still up to us to get this done.

As far as who has the edge, it's probably a break-even deal. I think both teams are equally qualified to play in these games.