—Braves quotes after 3-2 loss to Pirates on Friday at PNC Park
FREDI GONZALEZ
On Williams Perez pitching well when he was injured
He was pitching well. He had that sinker going and they were beating it into the ground. They got him with a ball on the instep. We will see. We will reevaluate. He’s on a boot right now but that’s precautionary. The x-rays came back nothing but we will see. We will see when he comes in tomorrow morning.
On Pirates starter Francisco Liriano
He settled down and gave them a hell of an outing. He started throwing his breaking pitches behind the count. A bunch of 3-2 changeups and 3-2 breaking balls. He did a nice job for them.
On if it adds to frustration that Jordy Mercer’s walk-off double would have been an out in most ballparks
He hit it pretty good. That ball was pretty high up the wall. I don’t know that it’s an out in any ballpark. We were up against it. Lead-off double by (Andrew) McCutchen, you’ve got to pick your poison. We thought we had a better chance at (Pedro) Alvarez tonight, this moment. Tomorrow it may be a different story. You thought Mercer was a guy we could get out or hit a ground ball double play and get out of the inning. That didn’t materialize the way we wanted to.
On Perez’s injury
That’s what we feel like is we might have dodged a bullet. Those things, you don’t’ know how they are going to materialize with more swelling or something comes up. We are going to wait. I thought it was going to be more serious. I didn’t’ know where it hit him. When he tried to get those two hitters, something was there. His delivery wasn’t right. ‘Avi’ (Luis Avilan) did a nice job coming in there. I thought the bullpen did a nice job trying to piece it together after your starter only gives you 4 2/3. We’ve got to use our (regular) guys because it’s a close game. We don’t want to use your ling guy. We had a chance to win the game. Those guys gave us a good effort.
On if it’s unfortunate how things unfolded for Jason Grilli on return to Pittsburgh
Very unfortunate. He is a guy, we’ve done it three or four times with him where we brought him in to face the middle of the order on the road in a tight ball game. Usually people don’t like to do that because he’s your closer but he’s never balked at it at any time. Unfortunate it was here in his hometown he gave up a run. But he’s the type of guy you run him out there tomorrow and he will close out a game for you.
JASON GRILLI
On if it adds to frustration to lose in return to Pittsburgh
I’m trying to win ballgames. McCutchen knows my style. I’m trying to get ahead. He was aggressive. Lead-off guy get on, sometimes it can create a situation. I didn’t want to walk a guy. He earned it. I tried to make some pitches and just didn’t.
On if walk-off double is maybe an out in another ballpark
You can’t play the maybes and what-ifs. That’s not my approach. I go at people. Tonight no different than any other. You’ve got to sometimes tip your cap to the guys who are doing their job, too.
On the team coming back after Perez’s injury
That’s kind of been our thing. We are grinding it. The effort is always there. We’re in every ballgame. We’re doing our thing. We are trying to get into situations where we get a little b it of a flow and just maintain that. It’s been a struggle for us this year. We are just trying to win ballgames. This team has a lot of fight in it.
WILLIAMS PEREZ (via interpretation by Braves assistant coach Horacio Ramirez)
On if he thought his foot injury was serious
When I first got hit I thought it was a lot more serious. I thought maybe I broke my foot. But thank God it wasn’t that serious and hopefully I will be out there (again) soon.
On if the injury affected his delivery
After I got my hit I was a little scared, a little timid to get on the foot. That caused me to be a little more erratic.
On if it was frustrating to get hurt when he was pitching well
No,. things like this happen. It’s part of the game. I dodged a bullet and hopefully I will be out there soon.
On what he told trainers and Gonzalez that allowed him to stay in the game
I told them the truth. I felt fine at the time. But slowly but surely it started to hurt a little more and got a little stiff and I ended up a little more wild.
