Knowing that we're going to have somebody with heart, playing as hard as he can, gives us a little more motivation.

You could see the younger guys improving and all of us getting better.

You just have to give O'Connor credit for what he's done with the program -- where it was a couple years ago and where it is now.

We know this is the time we have to start getting hot.

I haven't struggled this year, but I haven't done the right things. It was more of an approach (Sunday) to each at-bat that I wasn't going to waste any opportunities.

He had a hard slider and was working in and out with his fastball. Give him credit: He hit his spots.