It certainly isn't the same we looked at last year when [Michael] Gosling and Halsey were neck-and-neck, and we didn't know anything about those guys. It is a much different battle this year.

In a year when we've shuffled quite a few things in the bullpen, this guy's really emerging as a guy going into next year you look at to pitch deep innings. He's a very high-energy guy out there, likes to be out there and has that look in him that he's going to get you out.

We've seen a lot of good things out of Lance this year. Obviously, recently in the last month, he hasn't been as good, but he was a savior for us there for a while. So it would be nice to be able to give him some confidence, a few outings where he feels confident again and get him back out there where we can use him later in a game, too.

I think [it bothers him] more so in the field than at the plate. It's when he slows down or takes off or when he dives for a ball and hits it wrong, those are the times you see it. He's had to play with it all year and some days it's better than others. We've tried to monitor it and give him a day off when he needs a day off. The way he's swinging right now, it's hard to give him a day off.

When a fastball is coming in at an angle like that, it's very tough to tie him up.

There were times last year when we looked very, very good, ... There were times we went into a shell. Part of it is the maturing process a team has to go through.