Clubhouse quotes from manager Fredi Gonzalez and several Braves players along with quotes from several Nationals players after Saturday's game at Turner Field.
FREDI GONZALEZ
On tough situation for Medlen:
“Yeah but he did a nice job to come in and do what he did and kept us in the ballgame. We had some opportunities obviously being the home team to get one run and just made one bad pitch. And I’m not sure it was a bad pitch to LaRoche. He hit a home run but it’s just a weird game the whole way it started, Minor the shortest outing he’s had as a major leaguer and then we had to piece it together 14 innings after that, that’s tough and Strasburg is getting thrown out of the game in the second on their part. It was just a weird game but I’m really proud of our guys to just battle back and tie the game up in the ninth inning off one of the top closers in the National League. You always like to win those games. We didn’t but really, really proud of our club the way they battled back.”
On can’t ask more from bullpen:
“No you can’t ask more from anybody. The tanks were on empty, everybody, pitchers and position players and tomorrow we’re going to come in and see what we’ve got going on for the lineups. I’m sure both clubs are in the same position. You’ve got to be proud of our club the way we battled.”
On his view of Strasburg’s second inning, what happened there:
“I don’t know. It was just weird, when he walked Schafer he kind of spiked a couple balls on Schafer and then he wasn’t even close on Simmons. I don’t, I couldn’t comment on that. I don’t know if there was something else going on there but the umpires have to do what they’ve got to do and we’ll see.”
On if you don’t really think it was ill-intended:
“I don’t really think so. I think it was just one of those situations that is, from my point of view, it’s overwith. We played the rest of the game. I don’t know if there’s something wrong with him physically at that point, Strasburg, because it just didn’t look right.”
On if have to bring a pitcher up by tomorrow:
“We didn’t talk about making a roster move or anything but obviously Medlen going today we’ll tinker with the oration going forward and we’ll give you that tomorrow. Maybe push (Medlen) back all the way to Friday. We have that luxury with the off day Monday that you can tinker and give him some extra time.”
MIKE MINOR
On how he felt tonight:
“I felt good going into the game but I feel like they were really patient. I got a lot of the guys with two strikes, 1-2, 2-2 count and they just took. I wouldn’t say they were very good pitches though. They were a lot more patient tonight and couldn’t locate on the inner half, couldn’t throw any sharp breaking balls, so a lot of those were hangers.”
On if difficult to sit and watch rest of the game, in terms of the staff having to pick up slack:
“Yeah everybody, Mac had to catch all those innings and we battled back and we ended up losing. It doesn’t feel good. We’re here all night, would have been great to get a win but I feel like I should have done something more but I’m sitting here second inning and I can’t do anything, didn’t help out the team at all.”
On if felt one pitch away from getting out of both innings:
“Yeah I actually thought about that when I was out there. I was like ‘I’m just one pitch away, one pitch away.’ And it would be 3-2 again and I’d be like ‘well, I’ve already walked so many guys and don’t want to walk another guy because it seemed like every time it was kind of the meat of the order. So if it wasn’t Werth it was Zimmerman. Desmond, whoever. I just couldn’t locate, couldn’t throw a quality pitch.”
On how he took the situation with Strasburg hitting Justin:
“It was bound to happen almost, not that we really tried to hit anybody the other day but it was kind of just, we thought maybe it was going to happen. Then when it did, it was just overwith. There was no thought of retaliation or anything like that.”
On view of Strasburg getting wild in the second:
“None of us really know what was going on. It didn’t look intentional. He was really erratic and I saw the ones that missed Simmons by like a foot and he didn’t really, it was kind of the reaction and everything was a little off. He kind of just walked off, didn’t look like he was really there. The control was off or something happened.”
KRIS MEDLEN
On tough situation to enter a game in:
“It’s easy to get up for when you’ve got your team scratching and clawing back into the game and for us to come back from being down that far is a testament to our team. It’s a situation I’ve been in before. I’ve pitched in extra-inning games before out of the pen so once you experience it once it’s just you want to get in there and win the game and be a part of it.”
On when Avilan going in the 11th figured it was possibility:
“I had an idea. I didn’t know he was going to go two innings which I’m glad he went for the second inning. Our bullpen has been huge for us the entire year and tonight is just another example. Put up a bunch of zeros and tried to give our offense a chance but they’re, whatever their record is, man, they’re a good team and they fight too.”
On Fredi saying thought that curveball was a decent pitch:
“It’s hard to say oh, I threw one bad pitch because I felt great. I felt like that in New York. Rochy has been swinging the bat pretty well and since he was in the game I saw him put some pretty good swings on the ball. He’s a pro hitter and he hit a mistake.”
On Simmons’ double play:
“Oh, that was huge. With us having the bunt play on where guys are crashing over, for him to still be able to get over there, I just, I’m glad he’s over there. That was a huge play and you feel that momentum going in the dugout. You just feel like ‘Gosh, the game’s over, we’re going to win it right here.’ They fight too and they’re a good club over there. It was a tough loss. You don’t want to be the guy to get the loss hung on you but I thought about it positively. It was a chance for me to get a W, get a win for the guys.”
On if will have an adrenaline rush for the next couple hours:
“Yeah I probably won’t be able to sleep. But the kid and wife are probably sleeping anyways so.”
On preparation for next start:
“We’ve already had a couple days off and I was deliberating throwing a bullpen today or tomorrow for the day game and I decided to throw one tomorrow and it worked out in favor of us.”
JASON HEYWARD
On eventful evening:
“It’s a little baseball being played. It’s a lot of fun. For me you go into a game expecting to face an ace, Strasburg or whoever, and kind of look forward to facing him for the better part of the game. When that kind of happens and he’s gone, it’s a different mindset for everybody going throughout the rest of the game. Whatever happened happened there but outstanding job for us to fight back and make them earn that W.”
On the bullpen:
“Outstanding. Bad starts can happen. We’re playing a good team, defending champs of the division. They just happen. Some days you don’t have it. They kept us right there. I know they got one more home run on the home from J-Wal but that was his first time back out there since getting hit in the hand. Hats off to them, again they earned that win. We definitely hung around and fought them the best we could.”
On the intensity between teams:
“For us we know who we have to beat to win what we want to win. You have to beat good teams. They’re a good team. And they’re division champs until someone else wins that at the end of this season. They’ve got really good players, they’ve got a good starting pitching staff. Guys who can timely hit, they’ve got good defense, Silver Sluggers and Gold Glovers. So it’s fun. We have a good team as well. We played like the team that was up 15 ½ games going in and they played like the division champs of last year. Almost makes for a fun series for me.”
On Strasburg situation in second, any chance there was ill intentions:
“To be honest, I don’t know what he was doing. I was down in the tunnel watching that at-bat on the TV. I don’t know what was going on there. I don’t have a feel for it. I just know he wasn’t in the game. I was expecting him to be in the game longer because he’s got that good a stuff.”
On nobody surprised Justin got hit:
“It’s whatever. For us it was like if it happens, all right big deal, if not, big deal. So whatever. We’re just playing baseball. We’re competing, having fun. It’s a part of the game. You just hope no one gets hurt or severely injured in those situations and after that, boys be boys.”
On best you’ve felt this season:
“I would say numbers are going to speak for themselves. It took some time, DL time, some at-bats, some failures, for me I’m just trying to be consistent, try to keep learning from everything as always, not be complacent with where I’m at now, want to continue to do better. That’s maybe my second homer at home in a big situation like that to tie a game. A situation like that you want to be in.”
On the stadium shaking, like some of Chipper’s homers:
“Growing up, watching some baseball here and then playing in some games here, it felt like one of those moments. It was a lot of fun. As you get more comfortable the more you’re in those situations.”
From the Nationals clubhouse, compliments of Amanda Comak of the Washington Times:
NATS BENCH COACH RANDY KNORR
On Strasburg:
“I think a lot of stuff was building up and you know, I don’t know why he would try to hit Simmons. I don’t think so. I think he was trying to go inside. He went behind him and I think the umpire thought the same thing and then the next one went behind him and he can’t let that happen, you know? Simmons’ beat us the other way quite a bit, so he was trying to go in.”
NATS MANAGER DAVEY JOHNSON:
On Strasburg hitting Upton:
“Well after somebody goes deep and you know he hit him in the rear-end, I don’t think it’s a big deal, you know? But I don’t know if he did it on purpose or not. Obviously he didn’t have very good command. My argument to Marvin was that he walked the guy on four straight pitches, he didn’t have a feel for the ball, he couldn’t throw it over the plate, you know, I sent my pitching coach out there and still couldn’t find the grip on the ball. Threw him out and me out. So I was upset.”
On if Strasburg is Ankiel:
“He’s still learning to deal with the adversities of pitching up here. First hitter hit one of his pitches out and I don’t know if he was trying to throw in or maybe send a message. I don’t know. Certainly other clubs do that to us. When he went back out in the second inning, I’ve never seen his command so bad. He didn’t come close to the first hitter he faced. Then McCatty went out and he threw a curveball that was 8 feet outside. Then he threw a couple behind the hitter. Didn’t look like they were trying to hit him. He couldn’t even find the strike zone.”
On why:
“I have no idea. The fact is when I came in the first thing I said to Stras when we were both in here I said ‘Are you hurt? Is something wrong with you?” He said no, I’m just a little out of sorts.’”
On if this back-and-forth is over:
“I think it’s a good competitive spirit and it will continue. That’s all I can say.”
CRAIG STAMMEN
On if he felt Strasburg hitting Upton was needed:
“Yeah, I mean they’re just throwing at us to throw at us. (Avilan) can say he didn’t do it on purpose, but he hit him in the back arm, which isn’t even close when the guy’s been throwing strikes all the time. So, I mean, you can say whatever it is, but the game will always police itself. And credit to their hitters, when they got hit, they walked down to first base, they took it like men and that’s kinda how it is and it should be over now.”
