He's tough to compare to anyone, I think, because of not only his success but the longevity of his success. I mean, who pitches for 20-some years and has only one losing season and at the age of 43 has a sub-2.00 ERA?

A lot of guys get upset in that situation, ... but he was able to shrug it off. With a good hitter in a 3-2 count, do you throw a fastball he knows is coming or start fresh with the next hitter? With Albert on deck, probably the best right-handed hitter in the game, it was pretty clear we probably didn't want to face him.

I don't think he ever had a real good feel for his mechanics and release point. Whether it was related to the ball hitting him in the knee or not, I don't know. He always battles you, whether he has his best stuff or not. He has an ability to focus even when he's in pain. It was just a day when the Cardinals were better than us.

We knew our pitching staff was the backbone of the team. The question mark is our hitting. It isn't over yet. We've still got two weeks to go, and the offense has to come around. We're day to day with our offense.

I think he feels the door has been opened, and he's getting some shoves from behind.

I don't think he was feeling 100 percent, but with Andy Pettitte, he's got the mental wherewithal to overcome any type of tenderness and soreness with brainpower,