Braves quotes after 11-0 loss to Brewers on Friday at Turner Field.
FREDI GONZALEZ
On the game
When you have to make substitutions—you’ve got Woody (Alex Wood) getting sick, that’s not anybody’s fault, really. Sometimes if you don’t get past a certain point in the game, the game can get out of hand. I thought the point of the game when we walked the pitcher with the bases loaded and two outs. Then all of a sudden it went from a 2-0 game which was reachable, very reachable, to they score seven runs and it really got out of hand. From that point on we just tried to piece it together and not get anybody where they could be able to pitch again tomorrow. I think we did that. I think Nick (Masset) and J.J. (Jim Johnson) gave us two solid innings on the back end because one thing you hate in those games is to bring in a position player to finish the game. That’s no fun. J.J. did a good job going out there in the ninth inning and making it fairly quick. Same thing with Nick. I think we should be in good shape.
On if Eric Stults and Christian Bethancourt seemed out of sync
There was a couple of times when there was some cross-up going on. I know we use very difficult sign sequences with men on second base and maybe that was what you saw there. That part of the game, that is what really made the whole game go in a down spiral.
On if he felt better about Stults after second and third innings
We weren’t thinking go out and give us seven, eight, complete game, two-hit shutout. It was an emergency, spot starter. After the third inning, you go, OK, he is going to be able to give us five innings. And I think he would have if we don’t walk the pitcher there in that situation. I think he goes back out and gives us a chance to get those five innings.
On if Wood will make his next start
His next start will be no problem. I’m trying to get him back as soon as we can with this virus and maybe help us out of the bullpen with his next start. You’ve got to let those things kind of run its course. He’s going to come in early tomorrow with our medical team and see where his strength is at.
On if early deficit made it tough on offense
I think so. It’s hard to battle. I thought we had some balls that were hit hard. It’s hard to battle from those deficits and they added on a little bit, too.
ERIC STULTS
On when did he find out he’d start and how did he prepare
I found out this morning. Normal preparation, I had plenty of rest. It felt like most any other start.
On how rest of performance felt other than fourth inning
Unfortunately in a start you can’t really take the bad out of it. That’s just the way it is. After the first inning, the walk to (Carlos) Gomez to start the game and a pitch up to (Ryan) Braun, I felt like the first few innings went pretty well. Then in the fourth it just kind of unraveled there.
On if anything changed after intentional walk in fourth inning
The one at-bat, the double (by Hector Gomez), I felt like I threw a strike. I looked at the video, it looked like a strike. It kind of flip-flops that bad. Instead of being 1-2, you are 2-1. I made a pitch over the plate because I didn’t’ want to go 3-1, he hits a double there and I felt like that kind of changed the complexion of that inning whereas if you’ve got a guy down 1-2 you’ve got him where you want him. But you’ve still got to come back and make pitches and I just wasn’t able to make enough pitches therein the fourth, the walk to the pitcher didn’t help and then the infield single kind of did me in.
On if he was unhappy or surprised when he got removed from the game
No, not really. I think I was just frustrated with myself. I felt like that inning got away from me. It was an inning where I could have limited the damage. I wasn’t able to do it the next few pitches and unfortunately it was one of those nights. I didn’t get hit hard but the walks came back to bite me.
On if he felt rusty after not pitching for a while
Not really. Like I said, I felt good physically. But it’s just one of those things I wasn’t able to pick my team up today. It’s unfortunate Alex was sick but that’s just the way it goes and you’ve got to be ready. I felt like I was ready coming into the start but it just didn’t go the way I wanted it to.
CHRISTIAN BETHANCOURT
On the fourth inning
It was one of those tough innings. You are trying to do anything you can to get out of that inning. They were swinging the bat. We had some issues, we got crossed up twice. We got confused. We are humans, I guess we are allowed to do that. We’ve just got to move on to the next page.
On the eight walks issued by Braves
Those are the things that frustrate you, me as a catcher and them as a pitcher. You don’t like to be walking that many guys. We are humans. They are not perfect and I completely understand that. We’ve got to get back on track tomorrow and get the win and do things better.
On being in a big deficit
They did a pretty good job pitching and they controlled our bats tonight. You’ve got to tip your hat to that and they did a good job and that’s why they got the win.
