Cain is Just an Old Soul

7-16. 3.51 run support. 3.65 ERA. Giants fans are too familiar with these numbers, but so are Brandon Webb and Jake Peavy. It says something when two of the best pitchers in the NL take notice and include you in the top tier.

Webb, on Cain's tough season:

"I definitely feel for where he's at," said Webb, whose Diamondbacks lost 111 games in '04. "There were a lot of errors behind me, a lot of unearned runs. It's tough, but you've got to battle through and trust the next year will be great."

Peavy:

"He is as good as anybody in the N.L. on a given day. He's a big, strong kid who's going to hold up. He's going to eat innings. I love the mentality, the vibe you get when he's on the mound."

Peavy, on the Cain-Scot Hairston staredown:

"I love to see a pitcher stand up for himself and be a competitor on the mound. I totally get that vibe from him."

Cain:

"It's just not respecting the game when that stuff happens, and that's why I get upset about it. That's kind of my little area on the mound and I guard it. I don't want anybody to mess with it, and that's the way I take it.

"You want to own the mound and you want to own the plate, too. That's my mentality all the time."

"I just don't ever think I'm bigger than the game."

From the Merc.