Atlanta Braves left-handed pitcher Macay McBride was nice enough to give me a few minutes of his time last weekend to talk about his first half performance and what he's looking forward to in the second half.

Martin Gandy (MG): Macay, how would you rate your performance in the first half?

Macay McBride (MM): I would say a five [out of 10]. I'd like to have been better, I think I've definitely improved from last year, but I'm never going to be satisfied.

MG: What do you work on in the second half?

MM: Just concentrate on doing things with consistency. I've gone out there and thrown the ball really good and then I've gone out there for no reason and not done as well as I've wanted to. [I want to get] more consistent as I learn how to pitch here. [I never want to] go out there and feel acclimated to the big leagues, but I still know I can get better.

MG: Is it hard being a situational lefty? In the Minors you were used for an inning or two at a time, now you're used sometimes for one batter.

MM: Sometimes in the Minor Leagues you can give up a couple of hits in that inning and you still have a chance, but now if you're late in the ballgame if you're lefty on lefty you've got to get that guy. [There's] a little more concentration involved, and that's something else I need to work on.

MG: What do you like most about this Braves team, and what do you like the least?

MM: I like the most that we haven't quit. We've struggled and struggled and we still look up, and we've still got a shot at the second half. And least; there nothing, [no detractors], none at all.

MG: What is the one question you've never been asked, but you'd like to be asked?

MM: Not just for me but [for] the bullpen, you see a lot of people when we go out there and give up a run or something in a one run ballgame it's always the bullpen's fault. And that's just the way it is, but I'd like to be asked sometimes just anything that has to do with, people don't notice when we go out there and throw five scoreless innings. And then we go out there and give up a run and they kind of snowball us. I guess if somebody asks me, is it as easy as it looks, no, it's not. [laughter] The bullpen is not easy.