FREDDIE FREEMAN
On good finish to the trip:
“Obviously Philly didn’t go too well but we came in here and won the series and that’s all you can really ask for, just to come back. When you lose a few games in a row you’ve just got to come back and just get going out there again. You’ve got to battle every day. It’s September. Everybody’s tired. But we’re going out there and we’re playing hard still. We faced a guy tonight that we’ve never faced before and we were able to put some things together and that’s a good sign for us.”
On perfect combination of patient and aggressive:
“Yeah, I think the patience was Justin. He always seemed to get everything going for us. I was able to work a walk and Gattis obviously came through on that first pitch. He missed his spot and (Gattis) was able to capitalize. Freddy was the MVP. What he did today was pretty awesome.”
On what Garcia did:
“That’s a veteran with experience and he knows how to get guys out, and that’s exactly what he did today. Spot starts are definitely difficult. You don’t really go out there expecting him to throw six, seven innings. And he went out there and threw six strong innings and gave us a chance to win. We were able to put some things together and get the W today.”
On fun to play on birthday:
“It is. It’s always fun. I don’t think I’ve done very good on my birthday before but from a personal standpoint it’s pretty cool.”
On three straight 20-homer season, two RBI shy of 100 – both goals:
“Chipper and I have this little thing. I think I’m still 11 back of him still, but we always put jabs at each other. I guess that’s three down, 11 more to go. I don’t really set personal goals or anything like that. I guess I can send him a text message and that’s another one down, going into next year.”
On 100 RBIs:
“That’s me getting hits but that’s also the guys in front of me. That would never happen, if Jason, Justin, Andrelton, Schafe, whoever’s been in front of me, it would never happen. That’s almost like a team 100 RBI thing. Obviously I’ve got to get the hit but it would never happen if - I mean I don’t hit enough home runs to get to 100 so – that’s a team thing, if I do get there. If I don’t, it’s OK as long as we get to the playoffs.”
On charging toward clinching:
“Obviously, we want to do that as quick as we can, so we can get some guys some rest maybe skip another start for another starting pitcher who is fully rested going into the postseason. We want to do that as soon as we possibly can. That’s our goal. We’re not trying to come out here and just go through the motions and lose games. We’re coming out here trying to win the next six. I think our magic number is six now so the next thing we want to do is win the next three at home, then go into Washington and see if we can have some fun there.”
FREDDY GARCIA
On doing just what he wanted to do today:
“I’m really happy for the opportunity to start today. A couple guys got rest. Yeah (that’s what) I was looking for and made a good pitch when I needed it. We hit when we had to and we scored some runs. That’s what I need.”
On Gonzalez saying he knows how maneuver through a lineup:
“First-pitch strikes. I like to be aggressive. When you throw strikes you’re always in a good position to get people out and make good pitches when you need it.”
On how he would describe his contributions to Braves:
“I come here, they give me an opportunity to be in the bullpen and today to start and hopefully continue to pitch the way I’ve been pitching and whatever they need me to do – in the bullpen or be a starter, I’m ready for. And hopefully everything keeps going well.”
On what was working best:
“I throw five pitches. Everything pretty much. I was able to get out of the big inning, make a good pitch, and all set.”
FREDI GONZALEZ
On exactly what they got Garcia for:
“Right there. Gave us six innings, gave up one run. Plug him in there and give the starter (Alex Wood) a breather that we were planning to do. He gave us all that and a hell of a chance to win the ballgame.”
On nice addition coming out of pen or starting:
“He has. He knows how to maneuver himself through a major league lineup, and put a little on, put a little off, never give you the same look at any of the pitches. He’s a veteran guy.”
On not the only Freddie that came through today:
“Freeman two-run home, inching closer and closer to that goal of 100 RBIs. He swung the bat well today. And Chris Johnson. He got three hits and Coghlan might have robbed him out of four. We had some good approaches against the starter early in the game and got a big number against him.”
On if encouraging to see Walden back out there:
“Yes. We wanted to go out there and give him an inning and make sure he’s OK and I’m sure he is. That’s a big piece that we haven’t had in 19 days I think. That’ll take a little burden off some of the other guys that we’ve been using a lot. And for him to go out there and Carpenter to go out there and then Varvaro come in the next day in a row after he threw two innings yesterday and not had to use Avilan or Kimbrel or Ayala, it was good.”
On just what you wanted after Philly:
“That Philly series was tough. Every game was a one-run game. And we didn’t hit. We didn’t get the ball hit through the infield when we needed to and come in here and get three out of four and go home and quick turnaround and get two out of three there.”
