That was a pride thing. We knew it was unlikely, a long shot. But ... if we'd have that type of intensity and carried it through those first two quarters, it could have been a different game.

He does that. We've been telling him all season long he's got the potential to be the best player in the league. But his inconsistency ... thank God tonight he showed up. That second half, nobody could guard him.

Those two base hits I gave up, I had two strikes on both the hitters, and I take pride in that. When you get two strikes on a guy, you have to put them away. After that, I took it upon myself if I get two strikes on a guy to try and go ahead and put them away.

That's probably what ate me up most inside. As a defense, we pride ourselves on stopping teams and keeping the offense in games. And lately, they've been keeping us in a lot of games.

One of the best temporary cures for pride and affectation is seasickness; a man who wants to vomit never puts on airs.

October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.