At the beginning of the year, like, like, what, what was it almost? Was it everything? Pitching, batting? Like, and then how does it just switch? Is it just 'cause there's 162 games and at some point, like, water kind of finds its level with your talent?

Yeah, I think we're just...

We're, we're a really good team.

We're...

We, we made some, some moves at the deadline where we, we kinda traded away some guys who were, were a big part of the team last year and, um, we brought on some younger guys and some guys that can help, uh, ba- some guys that can help moving forward.

Just some reinforcements, and I, I think we got better.

Um, and we're just kinda finally playing like we did at the end of last year, where, like, you know, we're, we're playing as a team, we're playing, uh, you know, just good solid baseball, and it's coming at the right time.

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What is the best part of being a Bills fan, and what is the worst part of being a Bills fan?

Uh, honestly, the end of the season is really painful every year, so that's the worst part, when it comes to an end and we lose.

Uh, but everything else is great.

They have such a great, exciting team to watch.

Josh Allen's awesome.

Uh, their, just their whole team's great.

They-- We've had a couple guys come hang out in Toronto.

[laughs]

So what's it gonna be like to be playing in a game where, you know, you're there to show the world what you can do, but you're also just kinda, nothing's on the line?

Yeah.

Yeah, like you said, well, w- we care about winning here.

That's, that's the only thing that matters to us, and it'll be a great experience.

It'll be awesome to share that with some of the guys here, and, uh, you know, you just try to get through the game healthy and, uh, kinda just enjoy the experience.

I don't think it's as much about the baseball as it is just, you know, being around a bunch of really, really great players and, and, you know, celebrating a good first half of the season and, you know, getting out of there and, and resting up for the second half and getting ready to go.

How impressed are you with how, how Canada shows up?

They always do.

Uh, how close do you think it is for you guys to turn the corner?

Yeah, it's close.

Uh, I mean, we're right there.

The, the Yankees are in first place in our division.

We're right there, you know, all weekend long.

We had a ton of opportunities to beat them, um, without Vladi.

Uh, so I, I, I think as we get, you know, as we get healthy, as, uh, you know, we start to really figure out and, and cement our team identity, which I think we're right there about to, to kind of figure out where we're at.

Because I remember in hockey it was like, "Man, do you even wanna approach the best player? Do you say anything?" Like, how does the dynamic work when it's the best player kind of going through it?

Uh, how close do you think it is for you guys to turn the corner?

Yeah.

It's close.

Uh, I mean, we're right there.

The, the Yankees are in first place in our division.

We're right there, you know, all weekend long.

We had a ton of opportunities to beat them, um, without Vladi.

Because I remember in hockey it was like, man, do you even wanna approach the best player? Do you say anything? Like, how does the dynamic work when it's the best player kind of going through it?

Do you see that too, and, and what fixes that?

Yeah.

I think you, you have to focus, you know, on, on getting better every day.

And, uh, every- love-- people love to talk about last year and how, you know, we didn't hit our stride until, you know, pretty much June.

I think it's, there's no better time than now to, to clean those things up and, and, you know, start playing the brand of baseball that, you know, we're used to and that we've, you know, set as the precedent here.

So I, I think we know what we need to do.

I think, uh, we've addressed the areas of, that we need to improve on.

What's it been like to be embraced by a fan base like this?

W- what went into that? What was the process like of getting that done?

Yeah, I had a long interview, um, and just kinda went over my journey and, and, you know, what it took to get where I am and all the failures that, that went into it.

And um, you know, we worked really, really hard on it.

It took a long time to do and, uh, you know, they did a really nice job helping me, helping me put that out.

But, uh, just really cool, get out of the comfort zone and, and do something a little bit different and, uh, you know, I, I just, I love the process and, um, you know, I loved, you know, writing a message to, to the Toronto Blue Jays fans.

What has it been like for you, after moving around a lot the last couple years, to be kind of a, a staple up the middle with a guy like him, you two?

Yeah, it's a little different than years past.

Um, but I've really gotten to, to work on, on second base and, and, you know, get really comfortable playing with Andrés, and, uh, he, he's an unbelievable baseball player, uh, even better guy and, and I've, I've loved, you know, getting to know his, his, you know, his game and, and, you know, we've, we've had that instant chemistry from the start, so it's just, it's been really comfortable, uh, being up the middle with him and, uh, you know, hopefully we, we get to do it a lot more.

Athletes, man.

Every time Schneids or Lukie would dust one, I would say, "Heck of a shot, nice." And then I'd do the same thing, and I expect the same.

It's ...

We can handle it.

You know, some, some people just, you know, can't handle the chirping, which is okay.

Um, I, for one, love it.

I, I, I encourage it.

... it's a tough scene to beat in the MLB.