It's nice but I don't think it really matters. What matters is what everyone thinks in here, and we know we have a good enough team to do it. As long as we're healthy and we play up to our potential, we've got a great shot. To say we would not be right there would be ridiculous.

It's impressive. Since I've been here he's started out slow. This year he's come out racking. I'm happy because I'm going to get pitches to hit. I'm hitting in front of Babe Ruth. I haven't seen that many balls hit that hard. I was standing on second base (on homer No. 2) and I thought it was doing to be a double. How that got out is beyond me.

With a pitcher like [Hernandez] you have to battle ? we need to do a better job of it.

We have to stay on it. We can't go into a skid like we were. There's no room for laying back or getting complacent. We have to play this way, and the way we did for two months. We can't think 'we're back.' We're playing the way we should.

We expect it to be tight again. I think whoever does the little things the best is going to win.

It's way better. Before I could barely walk, so to be hitting, that's big.