PHILADELPHIA — Braves quotes from Ervin Santana, Justin Upton, Chris Johnson and Fredi Gonzalez after the Braves’ 5-4 loss to the Phillies.
**FREDI GONZALEZ
Did Santana lose his composure a bit in the sixth inning?
“I don’t think so. I don’t think it was his composure. We gave him### four runs. I think the rally started with two outs, nobody on. We just couldn’t get the third out. There was a couple of balls that looked like we got caught by surprise a little bit. The play at the plate on the ground ball (that Santana fielded), the topper on the third-base line. It looked like we just got surprised there. And the wild pitch that same inning. But I don’t think he lost his composure. I think he was upset. We let them back in the game, basically, in that inning.”
Were you trying to let Santana work out of that two-out jam?
“I thought he had pitched good enough, he’s a veteran guy, we let him (try to get out of it) as much as we could. Then we went and got him, and Shreve did a nice job getting Revere out there for the third out.”
On Bethancourt trying to backhand wild pitch instead of sliding over to get in front of it
“It’s something that, you know, he’s a young kid, and he’s not a finished product by any means. And we knew that coming in here. It’s almost two different guys, the first time he came up here earlier in the year, you saw him make all those plays. And then this time around, I don’t know if it’s not being used to playing into September; that’s a big learning curve, too, for a young player. All of a sudden now he’s got to play an extra month that he’s not used to playing. Last year he came up and sat, and only had one at-bat. I think that’s maybe part of it. Maybe he’s just learning the major league game. But the son of a gun’s got enough talent to do it, he’s got enough tools. So you keep running him out there, you keep working with him. Because he’s a guy that can be a game-changer.”
Asked if that sixth and seventh inning is the way it’s been going for the Braves
“The way it’s been going is we haven’t been scoring any runs. And today we get on the board and score two runs right from the get-go. Just gets his 100th RBI, first time in his career. And then we add on with Chris Johnson’s two-run homer, so you feel, OK, the offense is going to carry us today. And it did. Four runs, with one of your best pitchers on the mound, should be enough. But sometimes you find different ways to put yourself in a corner.”
Why play the infield back in the seventh inning, when gave up run on 4-3 grounder
“I don’t want to go down two runs in this ballpark. We’ve got two more shots at it, keep it at one run, and I think one run is easier to come back from that one rwo runs. I think any other part of the game, later part of the game, the eighth or ninth inning, you’ve got to roll the dice a little bit. But I didn’t want to give up two runs right there.”
**ERVIN SANTANA
On rough outing, blowing lead
“It’s very sad to finish the season this way, but it is what it is. I’m happy (overall) with everything I did this year, so I just want to thank the Braves for giving me the chance to play this year.”
Two-out rallies more frustrating for you?
“A little bit. At the same time, I made a couple of good pitches and they got a base hit, so nothing I can do about it.”
Did you get rattled in the sixth inning?
“No, everything was good, I just got bad luck in the sixth inning.”
Anything you or Christian could have done differently on the little RBI single you fielded near third-base line?
“I think it was bad communication. Because I know I don’t have a chance at first base, and he was running right there. So I just tossed the ball to (Bethancourt). That was bad communication.”
On not getting great run support much of the season, then blowing lead when you did get good run support early tonight
“It’s very, very hard. Because when we get runs, we have to take advantage of it. My team, they do everything they can to score runs. So it’s not their fault.”
On whether he thought about his comments about lack of run support might have tempted the baseball gods, that kind of thing
“No, because I know we’ve got a good team. We know we can’t score a lot of runs every game. We don’t have that luxury this year.”
**JUSTIN UPTON
On getting 100th RBI for the first time
“I’ve never done it before, so that was cool. Kind of sucks it was in a losing effort. We jumped out early and just didn’t get it done. So it’s kind of bittersweet.”
On 100 RBIs being a number that’ll stand up, even if the season has turned sour
“Yeah, this last month we’ve been kind of sluggish. Like I said, it’s bittersweet, but it’s one of those (achievements) you can’t take away, so you’ve got to enjoy it and take it for what it’s worth.”
**CHRIS JOHNSON
Thought on what Santana said about lack of run support after his start last week
“Nothing. It’s frustration (on Santana’s part). We all say things that we want to take back, or we’re frustrated, or it came out wrong. We’ve all made mistakes. I’m not one to judge, that’s for sure.”
