Phil Garner Couple Quotations

I would say he threw pretty good. He's probably a little bit rusty, but still threw pretty good. The first couple innings he was sharp. With the exception of a couple home runs, I thought he threw the ball pretty good. It was basically his first outing of the spring.

I came to a couple of the games, watched him pitch and he pitched great. I took over (as manager) and he pitched great. I learned that whatever it is he wants to do, he's going to do it.

You think it looks pretty good. A couple of innings later, it didn't look so good.

I said it's going to take a couple of breaks and someone's going to have to bust one long. That was the Hudson that I had seen in previous years in the American League with a good sinking fastball. He was keeping the ball down in the zone and just didn't give us much. And sure enough, we got something going. And Lance (Berkman) comes up with a big boom. Then of course Ausmus with a big boom, too.

He's dominated a few people the last couple of years. When he throws strikes, he's not going to get beat around too much.

When he swings the bat like we've seen the last couple of days, he very well could be that guy.

I thought Roy started tiring in the sixth, ... but he did the job he had to do. And the bullpen was perfect. Roy has had a couple of rough outings lately, but he was back in the groove tonight.

Chris got more big hits. That triple was an icebreaker. We've been trying to find some way to generate offence the past couple of weeks, done whatever we can.

Chris got more big hits. That triple was an icebreaker, ... We've been trying to find some way to generate offence the past couple of weeks, done whatever we can.

Both will get on track. Even though Brad has given up the lead and blown a couple of saves, I think he's throwing the ball pretty well. When he gets his location where he wants it to be, he's going to be fine.

We had a couple of chances. We couldn't get a run across the plate, but we got back in the ballgame. We did a good job fighting to get back into the ballgame. It looked like we were going to turn it and win it.

We had a chance to break through in the first couple of innings, then he settled down. You've got to get to him early, before he gets in a groove. That's what happened to us. He got in a groove.

The interesting thing about him is that Dr. Mac, for all of the bravado about wanting to hold the line on dollars, became the first guy to pay a million dollars to somebody (Ryan). ... Fast-forward a couple of years, and people have somehow forgotten that this guy crossed a barrier that hadn't been crossed and treated Nolan great. I don't know all that went on between Nolan and Mac. OK, maybe it's probably not the bright spot, but it certainly shouldn't be how he's remembered.

Chavez has done a good job in the past and so has Quintero. He came down with a couple of strains, and he came down with appendicitis, which was a terrible thing to go through, but he's healthy now and having a good spring. Hector didn't play winter ball, but he's looked fundamentally sound.

We're going to have to take a personal inventory as a team. This is September, and this is no time to fool around. We need to pick it up a little bit. It is fortunate to lose two ballgames the last couple of days after having a nice streak and not lose any ground to the leaders.

It's not been a position he's been playing a lot in pro ball, so I wouldn't say it's a given that you pick it right back up, but once you get on a bike you still know how to ride it, I would think. He's looked pretty smooth the couple of times he's been behind the plate for me.

I was a little concerned about him. I didn't think the last couple of batters he threw the ball like he had been throwing.

It was supposed to be a pitching series. It wasn't that at all; it was very much an offensive series. You just don't know what to expect sometimes. So, it wouldn't surprise me if we see a bunch of 2-1, 3-2 ballgames. Nor would it surprise me to see a couple of eight- or nine-run games.

I think Willy has shown us that he can play in these big games all along the course of the season. He's come up big for us, and he's made a couple of really nice plays in the hill out there, but that was not an easy play (to end the eighth) and he did a terrific job on that.

That's unbelievable. That's what St. Louis has done so well the last couple of years. They seem to have played real well in our division.

When you look back, there were a couple of points during the game where it could have gotten real close. It turned out OK, but I thought it was going to be real easy.

We're basically ready to go. We just have to make a couple decisions.

He made a lot of real good pitches and only made a couple of mistakes, even though the home run to Delgado wasn't a mistake. He made a real good pitch. I thought he did a decent job, especially against a team that has some real good bats and is leading the league in hitting.

His consistent play, his consistent hitting all year long -- and he's played pretty solid defense. He had a period in there where a couple of balls gave him a little bit of trouble, but he's been playing a pretty solid defense.

I noticed a couple times tonight where he positioned himself. That's the sign of a very savvy player.

The thought of a squeeze crossed my mind, but you think he's one our better hitters and you want him to have a chance to win the ballgame and drive in a couple of runs.

He's had a couple of games when he actually looked a little bit human - but sometimes we have to pick him up, too. Sometimes, you have to outscore the other team.