Athlete

My dad taught me really early so I could take a lot of pressure off my elbow. Because the way I throw it, it doesn't crank up my elbow like everyone else's curveballs.

I'm pretty prepared for anything. You could shove me out there in any situation - I've done it.

I was 11 years old and have the same curveball I have now. So I was literally striking everybody out. I always threw hard, and I was bigger than all the kids, so I would throw hard and throw that curveball, and no one could hit me.

It's hard to tell yourself to get ready when it's like, 'I need to make this freaking team first.'

I've had the benefit of doing pretty much everything. So I'm really pretty comfortable in any situation.

I don't think I put too much pressure on myself.

Repeating my mechanics was difficult. I was always trying to do something different to make it click.

I don't mind walking guys as long as I don't give up runs.

You can work this hard and sometimes not get recognition for it.

Seven innings, three starts in a row, that's an improvement for me, and that's what I want to do: be out there in the game longer.

After the first time I got traded - I was in the bullpen warming up for a game in Double A, and I got called back in and got traded - that was probably the, like, most crazy it could be. And once I got traded, the next time it got a little easier, and I got traded the next time - it's just part of it.

The cutter has really helped me stay in the game longer and helped me get past the five, six innings a little more consistently.

Just trying to go out there and do the same thing I do every time, take it one pitch at a time and give us the best chance to win.

My dad was a really big baseball guy who helped coach me and thought the game should be played the right way.

I can pretty much take anything that comes at me.

Pretty excited to get to Boston. Great city and great team; they're in the race. They want to win here, and that's what I want to do.

Every time is a learning experience, and you pick up a little bit, and you learn things and try not to repeat them the next time.

It hasn't been very normal in my career, but that first year in pro ball was the craziest year ever.

I have to do a better job of learning how to adjust.

When you don't have one that you throw for strikes - they are good hitters - they can cancel out one pitch and go to another. Now I have four pitches. If one's not working, I've got three others. It makes the game totally different.