Braves postgame quotes after Sunday’s win over Brewers

On nice to get insurance run in ninth:

“It was nice for me to get another hit, honestly. To get another insurance run…Craig (Kimbrel) doesn’t really need much. But it always makes it a little more comfortable.”

On if gave McCann a hug after homer:

“I did you talk about lifting the pressure off us. Trying to get that run, we almost didn’t. They got two outs but he put a good swing on it. It was pretty. It was fun to watch.”

On if everybody more relaxed in at-bats:

“A little bit, yeah. I think a lot had to do with Mac hitting that grand slam in the first inning just kind of put everybody at ease. We went back to having fun. We did what we needed to do.”

On Schafer’s game:

“He had an awesome game. Getting us started in the first inning, put himself in scoring position right off the bat and just kept it going all day. Homer in his third at-bat. Great catch in the outfield. He’s always fun to watch. He’s one of those exciting guys that flies around everywhere.”

On the silent treatment:

“Ah he’s just one of those guys we love to pick on a little bit because he’s a funny dude. So why not?”

BRIAN MCCANN

On the win:

“If you look back at the season we’ve had so far, we’ve run off some streaks. We’ve won 10, 12 games in a row. We’ve lost a couple in a row here, but all in all we’re having a really good year. Sometimes we’re going to go through stretches where we don’t play great baseball but that happens to every team in this league. Come out today and get a win was big.”

On how grand slam ranked among 10 of his career:

“It was big. To use the whole field and to go out to left center is something that over my career, I usually don’t hit the home runs over that way so working hard to stay on the ball and today luckily I put a good enough swing on it to go out that way.”

On job bullpen did:

“That was big. For those guys to fill the shoes that they’re filling with Jonny (Venters) and (Eric) O’Flaherty out, to do the job that they’ve been doing has been remarkable.”

On Schafer:

“I can’t say enough good things about that guy. To come back here for his second stint and I think he’s understanding what he can and can’t do on a baseball field, his limitations, and he’s staying within himself and you’re seeing this guy has got a lot of tools and we’re starting to see them on a nightly basis.”

JORDAN SCHAFER

On trying to help team get something going:

“I’m just trying to do my part. Mac put a good swing on there in the first inning that was huge for us. We haven’t scored a lot of runs lately so to be able to give Pauly a cushion like that going out in the first inning that was huge. Pauly threw well. Then guys got timely hits. Uggla in the last inning there, got an RBI there to put us up three. The big blow I’d say was Mac in the first inning. It was huge for us.”

On microcosm of season, staying within yourself with bunt, then homer:

“I’m just trying to take what they give me and move on, just do the little things to help us win.”

On good play in the field:

“I’m just out there trying to do my job, trying to help us win, whatever that might be – play defense, on the bases, hit, whatever it is.”

On the silent treatment after homer:

“They always like to pick on me. I guess I’m an easy target. I stayed in here (the clubhouse) for a while. They all laughed at me when I went back outside.”

PAUL MAHOLM

On getting an early cushion:

“Like I told Huddy and them, somebody has got to get all the runs. Obviously it was good. The first two games we didn’t play as we wanted to. Mac had a huge hit, with Schafe, Simmons those guys having big at-bats to start the game. I tried to go up there and put up zeros and they extended the lead a little bit. Unfortunately I let them back in it. I think it’s a good way to get us going and get us back to where we need to be.”

On borderline pitch to Schafer, then count not working in favor:

“Yeah, the only ball they really hit hard was Rickie had a hard hit single in the second inning and then the only other ball they hit hard was Lucroy’s homer and obviously there was a pitch in there that could go either way and it goes to 3-1. I tried to get a double play with a sinker and the count kind of dictates where he can sit pretty comfortable and go out and get it and he did and fortunately we were able to get out of it and the bullpen came in and took care of it. And all the credit goes to those guys for taking care of four innings and keeping it at the score it was. Obviously we extended it and the offense broke out for me which is good.”

On Walden getting out of the jam:

“Huge, every one of them, for the whole year, whenever they come in you’re extremely confident. Obviously Walden had a huge inning and comes in in a situation where they could have got back in it or taken a lead. That’s a huge at-bat and a huge pitch for him. Then you hand it over to Craig to finish it off.”

On getting first W vs. Milwaukee since 2009:

“It’s good. I think this might be my first win since my debut, so we’re getting close to eight years in between, so obviously it was good. But like I said the offense is the big thing today. I pitched well for four innings then I gave up some runs. It’s good for the team to leave here with a win, to go into an off day relaxed and get into Kansas City and hopefully go on a run like we’ve gone on a few times this year. We haven’t played well but we still obviously have a lead right now but we need to get everything rolling. The pitching has been doing all right. So hopefully we can get on a roll and get going.”

FREDI GONZALEZ

On early runs:

“We got some runs. I thought we swung the bats good the whole day. We got three hits, the grand slam and hit the ball good, that’s a good sign. I think the at-bat at the end of the day probably doesn’t mean anything but the at-bat that Danny gave you to get three runs up with two strikes and a man on second base – that was big. That was a big run and a big at-bat for him. He had a nice day offensively. I thought Walden was outstanding coming in with the bases loaded facing a guy that can hit the ball out of this ballpark and made some nice pitches. I think after that we retired the seven outs coming in. We didn’t want to get in a jam two base on balls there in the seventh, but nevertheless Walden did a terrific job getting out of there.”

On Schafer’s day:

“That’s what he can do for you. He can give you that spark plug off the bench or you could really pretty much put him in any of the positions in the outfield and he’s a plus defender. He can beat you with his legs or hit one out of the ballpark like he did today.”

On Walden’s 10 straight scoreless outings:

“He’s a big piece. He really is a big piece for us. The other night against the Mets we used him two innings. We don’t want to do that because we want to keep him healthy but we did. Today again, you give Cory (Gearrin) a chance to not use Walden four outs and we still had to use him. But he’s still a big piece, when he’s healthy, he’s a guy that’s got the experience. He’s done it, the back end of games, when he was with Anaheim, so you feel comfortable when he comes into games.”

On even vs. lefty there:

“Yeah exactly. Historically looking at his numbers this year and also career it’s almost better against left-handed hitters than it is right-handed hitters. He’s got that change-up that just kind of disappears and he’s got a 97 mph fastball too. It’s a nice two pitches for those left-handers.”

On grand slam coming after almost didn’t score:

“It was two outs. I think that was a big lift for us. If anything, it was to get ahead and get four runs and tack on a couple later on and win the game it’s big. They say hitting is contagious. This can hopefully catches a couple guys and keeps going.”

On Maholm:

“That inning they scored four runs, there were some borderline pitches, I thought he was getting early in the count. He didn’t get them and he fell behind and they capitalized.”

On silent treatment of Schafer:

“Schafer is like the little brother. He’s like the little brother that everybody picks on. The little guy that hangs out with older players. But he can take it. He’s funny.”