Braves quotes from manager Fredi Gonzalez, Ervin Sanatana, Chris Johnson and Jason Heyward and after Friday’s 6-4 win against the Phillies.
FREDI GONZALEZ
On start to second half of season
“(Ervin) Santana was good, especially that sixth inning. He got into a little bit of a jam and he pitched out of it. Good outing by him. Bullpen was terrific, Simmons and Walden and Kimbrel getting his 30th save of the season. That is a nice number to get. B.J. (Upton) getting 500 career RBIs, that’s a nice feat for him. We had some good offensive games by Jason (Heyward) with a solo home run and drove in a run. Tommy (La Stella) had an RBI single. Up and down the lineup we swung the bats. (Chris Johnson) got a couple hits. I thought that (top) defensive plays were Jason’s (catch) and (Christian) Bethencourt’s (strike out, throw out) in the eighth. You saw a guy (Jimmy Rollins) who can run pretty well get thrown out. And Jason, you get so used to him making those plays. That’s why, to me, he might be the best right fielder if not in the game definitely in the National League.”
On two-out production
“You never know how you are going to come out after four days of not playing baseball. We had a couple offensive guys (at) an optional workout (Thursday) show up. The whole pitching staff showed up. It was nice for them to come out and have them swing the bat a little bit and get them back in the swing of things. Offensively today we kept the line moving.”
On coming back from All-Star break
“You just never know because it’s four days of not playing. As you know, we play every night. Then all of a sudden you go from playing every night to not playing for three or four days. It was nice to see that we got the win tonight.”
On state of team going into second half of season
“I like our club. There are a lot of nice pieces here. Now we just have to keep doing what we did in the first half and win series.”
On double play on second-inning bunt
“That was unbelievable. That was improvised by (Freddie) Freeman. We don’t even work on that play. It was a slash by A.J. (Burnett). It wasn’t a bunt. For him to hold his ground on that ball and then turn it to (Andrelton) Simmons. There are a lot of moving pieces there that you don’t really work on that play. Then Simmons hitting (Tommy) La Stella coming from second base to cover first base. It was one of the best plays I’ve seen anybody make.”
ERVIN SANTANA
On his performance
“It was good. The good thing is we got the win. It was a tough battle today. Finally we got some hits together and we got the win.”
On walks early
“A couple of pitches up.”
On offense getting four runs after he allowed two runs
“Of course. Every time we score runs it’s good for us.”
On defense
“That’s good too. Any time we get offense and defense that is huge for us.”
CHRIS JONHSON
On start after the All-Star break
“Especially when we are at home. The games in the first half obviously count for the same amount. Now we are getting down to the second half, that final stretch, and we have to play well. Hopefully we can stay on top.”
On offense picking up where it left off
“It was nice. You never know what you are going to get after a three-day break. That was what we were all thinking going up to the plate. I don’t know what to expect after four days off. It was nice. We had some nice swings. We stayed short to the ball today and we didn’t give up with two outs and scored some runs.”
JASON HEYWARD
On win
“It was good. That’s the way we’ve been playing baseball lately, you know manufacturing stuff, getting timely hits and putting up good at-bats making that pitcher work.”
On which he enjoyed more: homer or play in right field?
“The play in right, that situation in the game because you know it’s only a two-run game and if you let them keep having at-bats then maybe they put up another run or two but defense is going to win the game, at the end of the day. But it’s good to start scoring runs and (the home run) got us going a little bit.”
Is it hard coming back after four days off?
“Not year five. Maybe early on when we don’t have a feel, but you kind of have a good grasp now on what I need to do to feel comfortable coming back. We had a workout yesterday. It was a good start to the next half and a good team win. Magic threw well for us.”
On defense
“Hey, that’s going to win it, that’s going to win the game for us. I’m not worried about us scoring runs but we’re just going to have to continue to play good defense and get ourselves out of jams and prevent the big hit.”
Did you know it was a homer when you hit it?
“I had a good idea. But I just ran in and I didn’t know how the ball was traveling but I hit it pretty well. I wasn’t trying to do too much just got a pitch on plate and hit hard.”
Was the wet grass a factor on eighth-inning catch?
“Somewhat but it was just one of those where I didn’t want it to get beat over my head and it came out high of the bat and he hit it hard. Hard enough for me to get in there and make a play and get under it.”
What does tonight’s performance say about your swing?
“Not trying to do anything, not trying to pull not trying to throw it away. Just trying to be on time and hit it when it’s pitched. Take what they give me. If they throw you something to hit out then they do and if not sometimes it’s going to take a shot the other way.”
