Quotes from Andrelton Simmons, Mike Minor, Brian McCann and manager Fredi Gonzalez after Friday's loss to the Phillies.
ANDRELTON SIMMONS
On quite a pitchers duel:
“Yeah, Mike threw great. Cliff threw great, eventually somebody has to lose it and unfortunately for us, Mike got the loss.”
On making Cliff Lee mad, after you that was it:
“Yeah, he was pretty good the whole night. One fastball I saw that caught the plate, I didn’t miss it and after that he just went back to what he was doing which is just painting every single pitch, using his change-up, his cutter, he didn’t give us much to hit and the couple we got barely stayed in. CJ got, put a good swing that everybody thought would fall out stayed up. Mac hit one good, didn’t go out. Only so much we could do.”
On the kind of guy you’ve got to get early:
“Yeah after he got settled in, he knew his game plan. He felt his change-up was working, everybody knew he was going to pitch with it but you still can’t – it’s such a good pitch. If he’s spotting it up, your chances are very slim.”
MIKE MINOR
On pitching duel with Lee:
“I felt really good. I felt like I was making pitches and getting ahead of guys and just happened to give up the single to Ruf with two outs and then gave up the home run.”
On if he felt like he had good stuff tonight:
“I felt really good. I had a good bullpen, came out there was attacking hitters, had all my pitches, throwing for strikes and then kind of just brain lapse of just getting in a rhythm and just went after him again and threw one over the middle of the plate.”
On one mistake on the night:
“I guess you could say that. I probably had more; they just didn’t capitalize on them. I feel like I threw a lot of quality pitches tonight and just came at the wrong time for us and the right time for them.”
On positive to take from it:
“I felt like it was one of my best games all year and that’s what sucks about it. You have one of your best games and you get a loss and it’s because of you.”
On what a playoff game will feel like:
“Yeah just the score and Cliff Lee going after guys and that kind of caliber kind of pitcher over there. It might be the same thing, and that’s what really kind of kills me too is I feel like if I’m going to pitch in the playoffs, I need to step up and I need to win these games.”
BRIAN MCCANN
On Minor:
“He was dialed in tonight. The only thing about that was the guy on their side was dialed in too. We knew it was going to be a pitcher’s duel coming into the game. The game was exactly how we all thought it would be, it was just we were hoping that we would have won 1-0.”
On if as good as he’s seen Lee:
“Nah, that’s the standard for him. When he gets locked in, there are not many pitchers better in the game, the way he just dissects a lineup is just second to none. Unfortunately tonight he was locked in from pitch one. That’s what he does.”
On if can tell early on he’s got good stuff:
“He’s a guy that you cannot let him get into a groove. If you’re going to get him, you’re going to have to get him in the first two innings because once he gets a feel for all four of his pitches, that’s pretty much it.”
On feel going to postseason with Minor pitching like he is:
“Yeah, I feel very confident in him going up against anybody in the game. I’ll take him any day of the week. The way he competes, I’ve been saying this since he got called up here: he’s only going to get better and better, and we keep seeing it. We keep seeing him take steps. So yeah, I’ll take Mike Minor any day of the week against anybody.”
FREDI GONZALEZ
On if had the feel of playoff game way those two were pitching:
“Pretty good darn pitching matchup right there, both of those guys. Simmons gets Lee early on for a solo home run and then Asche gets Mike in the seventh with two outs. They made it hold up 2-1. We got three hits total, they got four. Good pitching matchup. There weren’t very many good swings, even though I thought some of our guys swung the bats. Chris Johnson’s ball but it went to the deepest part of this ballpark, he didn’t get anything. I thought Mac’s ball had a chance, didn’t go anywhere. Even the last one there, Gattis’ ball. Other than that there was really nothing much going on offensively either way.”
On not seeing lefty in a while, then Lee on his game:
“I don’t think it mattered, the way he was pitching, the way Mikey was pitching, I don’t think it would have mattered if we’d seen eight left-handers in a row. They were both throwing strikes with all their pitches, in and out, in on right-handers. I want to say this is maybe the most times I’ve seen a right-handed hitter strike out looking from a left-handed pitcher in a long time – both ways. They were making some nice pitches inside, both of those guys. So, go get them tomorrow.”
On Minor showing you he’s on his game at right time of year:
“Yeah, he’s been, we gave him that little breather a couple weeks ago and he’s been outstanding. It’s a tough luck loss for him to match up against Cliff Lee the way he was pitching tonight. I guarantee you most of the times he goes out there with what Mike had tonight, he wins the game.”
