This is our playoffs. We have to take every game like it's the seventh game of the World Series.

It's a loss, but it's not as sour as it could have been.

They were competitive. Even though they pitched in some trouble, every one of them, they made pitches to get out of the big mess. I can't ask for any more than they did.

A veteran can provide leadership not only on the field but in the clubhouse. They're really invaluable.

Realistically, when you have a chance at the end of the season to be playing for a championship -- if you get into the championship round, that's tremendous. But just to be in it at the end is what you really want to strive for. It's a lot easier to teach when you're in a competitive situation.

We don't want to see a game of this importance decided like this, but sometimes the baseball gods are unkind to you.

When you leave spring training, there's always too much pitching. And three-quarters of the way through the year, there's not enough pitching.

I thanked them for their effort and playing hard the whole season. Hopefully they learned a few things this year they can apply toward the rest of their careers.