He didn't look like it was his first time facing hitters. His breaking ball was better than what I remember.
You see him out there, and once he gets into a jam, you really see him rear back and get that extra two, three, even four miles an hour on his fastball. That's what sets him apart from everybody else. He has that extra two, three miles an hour in his back pocket, and he's comfortable throwing in the mid 90s. That's extra special to have.
Sometimes that pressure to make the team is good. Now it's more about getting into a good hitter's count and not about getting hits. Am I swinging at strikes and getting good pitches to hit? Any time you can get familiar or comfortable, it's easier to relax.
So far his breaking ball is better than last year. He's also throwing his change with confidence. He can throw it for strikes when he's behind in the count. Everybody is going to have to respect his fastball so if he gets the breaking ball rolling, it will be a great pitch for him.
It was an issue where I didn't feel respected, so I went in and said what I had to say. Then I called (Macha) when it looked like he wasn't coming back to Oakland and told him maybe there was a better way I could have handled it.
He's probably one of the best clutch players around, and he proved it the other day. Walk-off hit, defense, whatever, the guy can play. He might not be a household name, but he's making a name for himself.
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