** FREDI GONZALEZ
On the umps’ decision to play in bottom eighth
“They were trying to get the game in, to complete that inning. We were trying to keep the lead just in case something like this (play stopped after eight inning) happened, and it would’ve been an official game and we’d get the win. Nevertheless, that didn’t happen. So we’ll start tomorrow from the top of the ninth inning.”
So you agreed with decision to continue playing when rain picked up during eighth?
“Yeah. That’s the protocol. Try to get it through, try to keep playing and finish the inning. And give the home team either a chance to come back in the bottom of the inning or us to make three outs. If that happens and we’ve got the lead, and we end up having a three-hour rain delay or whatever and then they want to bang it (rain out), it’s an official game.
“So that’s what they were trying to do. Actually I thought it would benefit us, because we had the lead. I think Varvaro punched out the side, and we still gave up two runs.”
Tough situation?
“Yeah, I just don’t know who has the advantage there. I don’t know if the pitcher or the hitter would have the advantage or disadvantage. One guy’s trying to throw a wet ball and the other guy’s trying to hit it with all the rain in his face. So you just don’t know.”
You seen conditions that bad?
“I’ve seen worse than that. In a game at RFK, I was coaching third with the Braves and at the end there was standing water. You couldn’t even see the dirt. It (Friday) was definitely not the worst.”
What about your pitching tomorrow?
“Hopefully we’ll score three in the ninth and it’ll be Kimbrel. We’ll see. We could run Varvaro back out there, for that matter. It’s like going back-to-back days. We could do that if we wanted to. But I think the best-case scenario is for us to score three or four, or five, and run Kimbrel, or Rasmus, or Carpenter out there to finish the game.”
On using Gattis and confidence in him
“It’s almost better as a pinch-hitter, because you can use him anywhere you want to. Or you make moves to move his spot up a little further, like we did today. And you feel good about it.”
On Justin Upton having difficulty on two fly balls
“The first one (Duda RBI bloop single), I think he was playing pull with the left-handed hitter, and it was just one of those balls he couldn’t get to. And Simmons was probably playing shaded to pull also, and just couldn’t get to.
“The one that Murphy hit (over Upton’s head for double), we just don’t know where to play that guy. You play him one way and he hits it over your head, you play him deep and he bloops one in front of you. Same thing if ball’s on the ground. You shift him one way and he hits it the other. I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose or not, but that seems the case with him.”
On Medlen
“He struggled a little bit; it wasn’t one of his prettiest outings. But he only gave up three runs. And gets nothing out of it, other than a quality start. But I thought he did a nice job. Gave up two or three 0-2 or 1-2 hits or extra-base hits to some hitters, but other than that I thought he did a nice job.”
Will you need to bring up another pitcher tomorrow?
“I just got off the phone with Frank (Wren) a little while ago. We’re kind of throwing some stuff around to see what we can come up with.”
**KRIS MEDLEN
On the conditions, weather
“Anytime you get a delay at the beginning (16 minutes before first pitch), it’s already tough enough. That’s just the way the weather’s been all year for us. For a lot of people. The Mets got snowed out and they’ve got to go back to Colorado. Just that kind of year, weather-wise.
“You just deal with it. No excuses or anything. The other team’s got to play in it just like we do. No excuses at all.”
On the balls that Justin Upton had trouble with in left field
“I really just go back to two pitches. I felt like the righty-righty changeup to Buck, the one he hit out, was a good pitch, a pitch I’ve thrown him a lot and been successful with. We used it the first at-bat and that second at-bat I think he might have been sitting on it.
“The first-inning fly ball with Duda (bloop hit) that scored the run, it’s pretty tough with the wind and everthing else. You could see Justin at the very end kind of struggle with it, because I think the ball kind of came back a little bit. I was one pitch away from pitching out of a leadoff double to Murphy. I needed to execute that curveball to Byrd better.
“I mean, anytime you can kind of point to (just) a couple of pitches, it’s kind of a successful out. So .. I felt great. Wasn’t coming out (of his hand) very hard. You have these huge stands in front of you, and you still feel the wind in your face. Crazy. Crazy night.”
**ANTHONY VARVARO
On conditions in eighth
“I’m looking for any dry spot on my uniform to wipe my hand. I’m even going in my jersey, and I’m like, just roll with the punches.”
How much did it affect you?
“As soon as I’d get the ball I’d try to throw it, and it was just slipping out of my hand. I mean, I’m just trying to throw it over the plate.”
