When I was out there in the sixth, my hands and my fingers started cramping up, ... The same thing happened when I went up to hit.

Oh yeah. I knew. I got a little careless in the sixth with the catcher there, throwing him a bunch of breaking balls in a row. That's why it's so hard to do it. I wasn't concerned about it. I wanted to win the game, and we did.

I lick my fingers because I don't like when my hands get slick. Licking my fingers helps me keep a good grip on the ball.

The consistency I've had, I think, is the most important thing. When I'm pitching, I feel our team is going to have an opportunity to win the game. I like that the best of everything I've accomplished this year.

[One of Carpenter's hardest pitches started with the softest of tosses. With the pitching coach who taught him the cutter, Mel Queen, Carpenter would stand about 15 to 20 feet away and fling the new pitch.] I was just lobbing it to the point Mel was catching it with his bare hands, ... I was just lobbing it to feel it come off my hand and feel the spin it was supposed to have.

I've got to take advantage of the opportunity they give me, ... When they put the ball in my hands, I try to do something special with it.