"We know what we are."
Gerrit Cole spoke those five words to me in a silent, sullen clubhouse at PNC Park late on this Wednesday night. And having already completed his formal media sessions, now away from hot lights and seated at his stall, running his fingers through that ragged hair as still plotting his next pitch, he fairly spat out all five of those syllables.
Then continued.
"We know what this team has. We know what it's made of. And we know ... "
He hesitated. I'm guessing he wanted to get this just right.
"We know we haven't peaked. Not yet."
Good for him.
Here's hoping the rest of this magnificent 129th edition of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club feels the same way. And that these Pirates hold onto that feeling as a foundation all through this winter and well into 2016. Because they've undeniably earned that much.
In the meantime: Cubs 4, Pirates 0.
Yeah, one and done. Again.
Nine innings, zero runs. Again.
And really, only the names changed, if you think about it.
Madison Bumgarner morphed into Jake Arrieta, who mowed down batter after batter after batter with his sneak-up-on-you slider, his pinpoint precision and, if we're being honest and set aside his obnoxious arrogance -- "I knew my team would be confident with me pitching out there," -- he spoke afterward -- he dropped barely a bead of sweat.
Brandon Crawford morphed into Kyle Schwarber, who belted a ball out of the stadium and rung up the first three RBIs.
And the Giants, of course, morphed into the Cubs, who suddenly get launched into an actual playoff series as an actual favorite to win the World Series.
Right where the Pirates would have been.
Right, perhaps, where they should have been, had the format been fairer to both the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in all of Major League Baseball.
As it was ...
"Sports is hard," Clint Hurdle said. "Life's not fair. You go out and play. You get beat, you move on. I thanked the guys for the incredible ride they took, the coaching staff, the support staff, everybody in that clubhouse. We went to some new places, did some new things."
Jake Arrieta is part of the second champagne celebration in PNC Park's visiting clubhouse in a week. -- GETTY
Thousands of boisterous Cubs fans flooded the visitors' dugout in the final innings Wednesday night. -- GETTY