Quotes from manager Fredi Gonzalez, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, outfielder B.J. Upton and pitcher Mike Minor following the Braves' 5-4 victory over the Pirates Tuesday.
ANDRELTON SIMMONS
On everybody up and down the lineup hitting:
“It definitely makes us feel good. Still have a long ways to go. Nice to see everybody contributing. It’s going to show how dangerous this lineup can really be.”
On how bad he wanted to come through late after lost opportunities:
“I was trying too hard the first time I got a chance right there, and the following at-bat, the last at-bat, I was just trying to make sure I made good contact, made the adjustment to go the other way. I’ve been pulling off a little bit and I just tried to make the adjustment and go the other way and fortunately I did it.”
On first walk-off hit of the year:
“The year, and my life actually. That’s cool. Never. I hit a couple go-aheads but never end a game. That’s pretty cool. Nice feeling. It was weird, seeing everybody run, chasing me down, it was kind of an awkward feeling. I didn’t know what to do.”
On Heyward carrying him off:
“He showed me where I had to go.”
On ducking when they ran out there:
“They’re big guys. I had to make sure I protected myself.”
BJ UPTON
On seeing some results:
“It’s still got to get better though. I’ve got to cut down on strikeouts and some more fine-tuning but one is better than none and I’m just happy it was a big one.”
On this team’s ability in late innings, sometimes power, sometimes manufactured:
“We’re a good all-around ball club. I think the power overlooks everything else. We have the ability to beat you other ways. We showed that the last couple games. Some guys working some good ABs and getting some little things done. We know we can do it. We just have to keep doing it.”
On one better than none:
“It’s been a struggle. Just starting to get some results.”
On if getting confidence back even if mechanics not there:
“Yeah, I’ve always been confident. Going up to the plate I feel like I’m going to get a hit every time. Obviously it wasn’t happening. Just starting to see some results and that’s the big thing.”
On his motioning to third base coach Brian Snitker re: the bunt sign:
“I was just telling him to go over them again to make sure he didn’t take it off. Up there, I wanted to do what Fredi wanted to do.”
MIKE MINOR
On two-strike trouble:
“I was trying to pound the strike zone and it doesn’t always work out for you. I felt like I did a really good job tonight with attacking hitters and getting strike one, strike two and then I would make a bad pitch when I had them in my kind of count.”
On settling down and getting through it:
“I felt good, and I was making good pitches and then it was just the pitches where they should have been off the plate, and they should have been balls and I was just trying to get through it and throw them for strikes, when I should have just buried them. I should have just buried the curveball to McCutchen, left a fastball up and over the plate to Pedro and then the other one to Gaby was right down the middle.”
On with high flyball rate, live with that since nobody on base with those:
“Yeah. I was actually happy with a couple groundballs I got tonight. But yeah I’m just going to have to live with it until I develop a two-seam later on or something. I tried that in spring training. I’m just going to have to try to hit spots more and execute pitches.”
On if team has something special going on in late innings:
“I think it starts with our bullpen. Our bullpen keeps us around until those guys see, the other team has to bring their bullpen out. I feel like our guys are better matched up with those guys. We have a lot of power. And we make a lot of contact.”
On if walk away thinking pitched better than results:
“I looked at the video, that I should have made better pitches with. It does make me mad because I felt like I pitched a really good game. Could have gone later in the ballgame too with the run support that they gave me if I don’t let McCutchen beat me there, or Sanchez or Pedro. I had Pedro 0-2, and it showed the first AB that I threw him a slider and a curveball and he didn’t touch either one and I should have just went back to it. The report says that anyways. It was one of those I thought, he thought kind of thing and we went back to the fastball and he’s got a quick bat, and I know that from college. He can hit with power to all fields and he crushed that ball out there.”
FREDI GONZALEZ
On the game:
“Our pitching kept us in the game. And we kept putting people on base, putting people on base without getting any runs there late in the game and finally Simba breaks through with a double and game-winning RBI and we’re shaking hands. Our pitching was outstanding. Mikey did a nice job even after he gave up a couple home runs. And our bullpen was terrific. B.J. and Danny, Danny had a couple walks, a couple hits. B.J. with a big two-run home run to tie it. Jason had a nice day offensively. Freeman had a nice day and he could have been the hero a couple innings before that. But nevertheless good team win. A lot of good stuff pitching-wise and also offensively.”
On tough Pirates bullpen to do it against:
“Man oh man, they ran out some guys, you see some of those numbers. This kid here that we just got a run off is .90 (ERA) and Grilli has been outstanding and both innings we had people on base and just couldn’t get one off Grilli but we got one off the last guy so that’s good.”
On manufacturing runs lately too in addition to home runs:
“So far we’ve done both. Our approach has gotten better and better. I think once you start getting guys heating up with Heyward and Uggla and B.J. it looks better. The line starts to flow. It starts to keep moving. And I think that’s what we’re seeing.”
On guys you expected to come around:
“Yeah and it takes a little time sometimes. And you’ve got to stay with them and keep plugging them in there and when you give them days off you’ve got to pick and choose, but you’ve got to play them. That’s why they’re here.”
On B.J. reacting to bunt sign, asking Snitker to go through signs:
“We talked about it before he went up. It was one of those situations, do we bunt, do we not bunt and he goes ‘no, no whatever it takes.’”
