It was different than I have been led to believe. I felt like I was in Arizona. The bus rides weren't bad. It was almost exactly like doing it in Arizona, as it turned out. No difference for me.

It all felt good. It all tasted good. I really felt we were going to figure that one out somehow. We just couldn't finish it off.

I saw how it elevated pitchers internally. They just felt better about themselves. And we need to elevate our pitchers. It's contagious. Good hitting is contagious. Good pitching is also contagious. Guys want to keep up with the club.

I know how deeply I believe in that relationship and how it impacts the win column. No one is going to win unless the pitching staff does a great job and the catchers are true extensions of the pitchers. So why not bring these people together as closely as possible? That's what we're trying to do.

The bus rides remind you you're in the minor leagues but there's a lot of good from it, too. There's a lot of friendships, a lot of talking about game situations that go on during bus rides that you never forget.

(In) the Arizona game, I felt like I was back to being unstoppable. I didn't care who you are or what position you played, I was going to get the best of the matchup. ... I just hope it's not any different when I come back on Sunday.