SAN FRANCISCO — Braves quotes from Mike Foltynewicz, Chris Johnson and Fredi Gonzalez after Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Giants.
**MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ
On settling down after first inning
“In the first inning I just wasn’t really comfortable for some reason. My arm was a little stiff. I think I might have sat a little bit too long before the game started. But other than that, it’s one mistake, one bad pitch, I wish I could have it back but that’s baseball. I think I settled down and attacked the zone pretty well after that.”
On his progress since first couple of starts
“Yeah, just working with Roger (McDowell), everything’s coming along pretty well, keeping the walks down and just going out there and attacking guys and letting the defense do the work. That’s basically what I’ve been doing for the last couple of starts, and it’s working well for me.”
On difference after first inning
“After the first inning I just kind of got in a groove. I got a little upset that I couldn’t get a bunt down; I think that upset me a little more, so I was just going out there with a little more aggression to attack hitters, and just got in a nice groove there, and ended on a good note.”
On bounced curveball strike 3’s in 7th inning allowing two runners to reach base on what were scored as wild pitches
“That stuff happens. I mean, I’m not going to go out next outing and not throw a curveball in the dirt because that happened. I have all the trust in the world in A.J. It’s tough blocking balls like that. Nothing to worry about. It was a good way to end (his outing). It’s cool, we’ll go from there.”
You take a loss from this, but do you feel good and take positives from it?
“Oh, yeah. I’m not worried about it. I know the offense will explode sooner or later. It’s happened before. Just go from the positive notes and in the next five days get a good bullpen session and go out there and attack them in Arizona.”
**CHRIS JOHNSON
On Tim Hudson’s performance for Giants
“He was good; he was Huddy. We’ve seen that before. Knows how to pitch, knows how to keep you off balance, knows how to get ground balls. He’s a good pitcher.”
On Hudson’s sinker
“It was pretty good. I can only speak for what I saw. I thought I took a couple of good swings at it, but he gets ground balls. That’s what he does. That’s what he’s done his whole career.”
On Foltynewicz settling down and having a good performance
“Yeah, especially after the first inning. You give up a two-run homer to Buster that early in the game, and then you knuckle down and don’t give up anything else after that, that’s pretty clutch.”
On Freeman homering in the ninth to snap his 20-game drought
“Yeah, I don’t think anybody’s worried about Freddie. He’s going to be fine. It’s a tough game, you have ups and downs. Guys are going to go through ruts. That’s just how it is. But he’s a pretty good player. (Smiles.) He’ll be alright.”
**FREDDIE GONZALEZ
On Folty’s performance, settling down after first inning
“Another good night with starters giving us what they’re supposed to give us, you know? Tremendous outing by Foltynewicz, punching out two guys who reach on wild pitches. Other than that it was an almost impeccable outing. But still, Avi (Luis Avilan) came in and got out of the jam, and we’re one run down. And they were able to add on again, like they did last night. Like the Dodgers did earlier on the road trip in that eighth inning, same way. We need to figure that out. But I thought Folty was tremendous.”
On Jim Johnnson’s leadoff walk in the eighth, to start two-run inning
“Late innings you get that guy on, the leadoff walk or (however) you get that guy on, they can do a lot of things. You can bunt, hit-and-run, when you’ve got no outs and and a runner at first. That first out in that inning is big. It eliminates a lot of stuff an opponent can do.”
On Huddy’s performance
“I saw some videos of him pitching earlier this year, and today he had his sinker going. Really well. It was down. I don’t know how many balls we pounded into the ground, but I assume it was a lot. And he competed. That’s him. I know he’s almost 40 years old, but he competse, and he gave them a great outing today.”
The wild pitches, anything you can point to, or just one of those things that happen?
“No, just good darn curveballs that these guys swing at. A.J., even at his age, is probably one of the best at blocking baseballs.”
On Freeman’s homer
“You feel like he’s going to go on a long slump, and he comes out of it. He couldn’t have hit that ball any better, straightaway center in this ballpark. It wasn’t a cheapie, either. It was middle of that pit out there in center field. Hopefully that’ll carry him for awhile.”
On Johnson’s walk, did that set the tone that inning?
“I don’t know. You don’t want to walk anybody in a one-run game late in the game, but I don’t think that spooked him or anything like that. I think it’s a matter of we’re facing a pretty darned good team right now, you look at the batting averages, everybody other than Pence – and Pence has only about 60 at-bats, I think – is hitting .290 to .300. You give them an edge, you give them an extra out, and they’re going to make you pay for it.”
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