**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Wainwright’s performance
“He beat us pitching-wise, and he also got that extra run for them (on sac fly) to give them a two-run cushion.”
“We’ve seen him do that a lot. He’s a special guy when he gets on the mound and can do what he did to us today.”
On J. Upton’s ejection, what happened?
“I don’t want to get into the details of the whole thing, but I didn’t think it was a good ejection. I don’t think there’s a right time or a wrong time to eject people, but I don’t think when the guy’s running away from you (toward first base), whatever was said or wasn’t said, it’s not a good ejection. Especially arguably your best player, middle-of-the-lineup type. I’ll just leave it at that.”
“My opinion only, it wasn’t a good time to eject a player. Especially a player of that caliber, for really nothing that was extravagant. And maybe the only three or four people who know what was going on were the first-base coach, the first baseman, the catcher and Justin and the umpire.”
On Medlen’s performance
“Med was good. Gave us six innings. We run him back out there in the seventh and he gets in a situation where you’re trying to leave it right there at a one-run game (when replaced him with Scott Downs with two on, none out). But he did a nice job, he really did.”
On the lineup without Heyward, needing others to step up, but tough on night like this
“Yeah, when you’re facing Wainwright. We’re not facing Joe Schmoe. We’re facing a pretty darn good pitcher. And the guy last night (Joe Kelly) pitched pretty darn well also. But we saw some good swings. B.J. had a nice base hit and drove the ball to right field and had some nice swings. C.J. got a couple of base hits off of him. We just didn’t keep the line moving.”
Surprised Wainwright came back out for the 9th after throwing 112 through eight innings?
“We’ve seen him do it. That didn’t surprised me one bit.”
**KRIS MEDLEN
On pitching well, but against Wainwright…
“When you go up against Wainwright, one (run allowed) is too many most of the time. It was a tough night, but I felt like I was cruising pretty good. Once again it comes down to one or two pitches. Holliday is way too a hitter to leave a pitch over the plate like that, especially in a tie game.
“I got taken out with 78 pitches. I was just about to start battling. I didn’t have to battle yet, but I wasn’t given the opportunity. I guess I’m voicing the fact that I didn’t appreciate that, but I don’t know what kind of mentality we’re trying to create for our starters. But I feel like I should be able to work out of some jams. I know we have a good bullpen and it’s easy to go to them. Downsy did his thing. But I felt like I was doing well enough to where I was a strikeout and a double play from getting out of the inning.”
Have you felt like that before, but tonight was just worst example of it?
“No, I’m not worried about any other examples. Tonight I felt like I earned the right to try to get out of that jam.”
Did you try to change his mind, say anything when Fredi came out to get you?
“No, the manager is there to make the decisions, and I think he made it when he came out to the mound. I don’t argue anything, but you’d like a chance to try to battle out of that and try to get a win.”
Lot of adrenaline when facing a guy like Wainwright on night like this?
“When you’re facing a lineup of that caliber, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. I felt like I was doing OK, then one or two pitches to some pretty good hitters. And Wainwright is doing his thing. He’s a Cy You candidate for a reason.”
On the 1-2 changeup that Holliday hit for homer
“It’s a pitch I’ve gone to a few times to get him out, and it’s worked. It was just not executed the way I wanted to, and it was a big situation.”
**JUSTIN UPTON
At what point did you realize you’d been ejected
“I got about halfway down the line and I thought I heard him behind me, say that I was ejected.”
Some people felt like whatever you yelled as you left the batter’s box was directed toward yourself?
“Absolutely. Hundred percent. To be honest with you, if I can’t get frustrated with myself and say what I want to myself, it’s sad. It’s really sad. We play this game and we come out here and work hard every day, and we get frustrated with ourselves. I have no clue what he heard. It’s sad.”
Did ump just think it was directed at him? Because a lot of guys curse leaving batter’s box….
“Well, the pitch before we had a disagreement, and he was immediately upset with me for complaining about the call. I think he was still a little upset about that, and he heard what he wanted to hear. And I was ejected from the game.”
Did he give you an explanation?
“Yeah, he heard something that I didn’t say.”
On Wainwright
“Yeah, he was on tonight. He was locating all his pitches. Obviously everybody knows he has good stuff, and he beat us. There’s nothing we can do about it. We can’t dwell on that. We’ve got to come back tomorrow and try to get ourselves a win.”
Going back to what the ump said, could he have thought you said two words when you only said one?
“He misinterpreted one of the words. Freddie Freeman was standing on deck, and he heard it loud and clear, and he was further away. So I think it was more a sensitivity issue.”
**FREDDIE FREEMAN
So judging from what people have said, what Justin said was apparently misinterpreted by the ump?
“Yes, it was. He heard something – I’m not going to repeat it – but Justin didn’t say that. I guess he just heard what he wanted to hear. That was a tough break for us right there, losing Justin in a game like that was big.”
On what Upton said to get ejected
“He said two words, and (the ump) heard one word, and Justin didn’t say that word.”
On Wainwright
“He was good. Real good. That cutter looks so good (to hitters), and you just can’t do anything with it. He starts in middle-in to us lefties, and it just buries in at the last second. You can’t get your arms extended. You saw how many foul balls we hit into their dugout today. And with that big curveball … he had a good mix going tonight.”
On losing first two games since Heyward broke his jaw
“It’s only two games, but Jason was a huge loss. He’s a non-replaceable player, what he does in the outfield and what he does (at the plate). He’s pretty much been carrying us the last three weeks, doing everything he does offensively. You know, it’s a tough break, but we’re going to have to tread water without him and hopefully come out tomorrow and put some runs on the board.”
