Chris Carpenter Game Quotations

Granted, as a competitor, the games mean a lot to you. But we clinched, and there was nothing on the line anymore, everybody was talking about who we're going to play and what day we're going to play and where, all that stuff. You lose a tiny little edge and you get beat.

I'm sitting watching, thinking that they've got the best closer in the game on the mound and we have the best hitter in the game at the plate. It was an unbelievable feeling.

Each start is a new start, a new game, ... I can't take anything from the last game into this next one except to continue to try to throw strikes down in the strike zone. I feel like my stuff is pretty good and I feel like I was able to control counts and I'm going to try to do that again.

I felt good. I definitely felt better than my last two starts mechanically. My sinker was better. My cutter was better. My command was better. What allowed me to finish the game was taking the ninth like it was the first. If you rush through the ninth trying to get outs, you're not going to complete that game.

We have three games left. It's going to be a big weekend closing the stadium. But I think guys are eager and ready to get going, and I'm one of them.

The addition of Andy is big for them. They've always had a great bullpen. They have a team that knows how to play the game, they take quality at-bats and play the game the right way. It's fun competing against a team like that, knowing that they're a lot like us. They go out and do the little things to win. They're going to pitch, bunt, play defense and do everything it takes to win.

They are a lot like our club. They take quality at-bats. They are patient and they have an idea about what they are doing and the pitcher they are facing. They've got speed. They've got some guys who can hit the ball out of the park. They have got quality guys from top to bottom, and you've definitely got to be on your game and make quality pitches to get these guys out.

I think guys are ready to go. I think guys are ready to start the games that count, competing for real. We take the field here and we want to win, but making it worth something. I think guys are ready to go.

I can only control what I can control and that's go out and try to make pitches and keep my team in the game and give them a chance to win. So that's all I'm going to do.

It's tough to see the guys that aren't going to be back go. But that's the business of the game and I'm sure when we get to spring training we'll be ready to go.

You can say whatever you want. The results weren't there but ... we've pitched well all year and we've got five veteran guys ready to go out and compete. I don't see any difference when we start the series. I think we've got guys who are going to be prepared to come out and pitch. You get to a certain point in the season with 2 1/2 weeks left. Granted, as a competitor the games mean a lot to you. You want to go out and win and do well. But we clinched and there was nothing on the line anymore.

You can say whatever you want, ... The results weren't there but ... we've pitched well all year and we've got five veteran guys ready to go out and compete. I don't see any difference when we start the series. I think we've got guys who are going to be prepared to come out and pitch. You get to a certain point in the season with 2 1/2 weeks left. Granted, as a competitor the games mean a lot to you. You want to go out and win and do well. But we clinched and there was nothing on the line anymore.

That one game I think I got us two runs because I did the little things right. And I know if you do that, you have a chance to score some runs and it might get you a win. I've worked hard at it, and I feel like I've gotten better at it.

I had command of my sinker, command of my cutter, command of my breaking ball, and I was able to throw it where I wanted to throw it, ... I kept them off balance all night. We got some nice defensive plays, a couple nice defensive plays. It was a well-played game all around.

I can control the game down in the strike zone with them and keep the ball down. It's tough to elevate when you hit a lot of ground balls.