John Smoltz Innings Quotations

Ultimately, I did what I wanted to do. If I can throw seven innings the rest of the way and we sustain this lead, it's going to help me a lot.

I was trying to mess with their heads a little bit. I felt like if I could get through the first inning doing that, that the next few innings could give me some room for fastballs -- even right down the middle.

To be one out away, one pitch away, from winning and then have to play another nine innings -- it's a tough way to lose. When you're put in this position, you're going to have one of two feelings in the end: gut-wrenching or ecstasy. There's only one way you can feel. We got the gut-wrenching. And it doesn't feel real good.

I fight the frustration when I give up a few hits like that. I'm old enough to realize that I can fight through that and just keep it there. ... All in all, to go eight innings was probably a bigger deal for me than anything else.