FREDI GONZALEZ
On if it’s to the point where it’s tough to decide who to bring out of the bullpen
I gotta figure it out, whatever combination that works. It is what it is. I love the battle of our guys really, offensively, putting the ball in play, finding holes, scoring runs, running bases well. It’s my job to figure out how are we gonna (hold) the lead late in the game.
On if the team is frustrated by the bullpen faltering
No I don’t think so because of the way they’ve been playing. They’ve been playing extremely well as a unit and extremely hard and they still come to the ballpark every single day and they figure it out. Perez wasn’t…what’d he give up, five walks? When your starter doesn’t go deep in ball games you kind of get exposed a bit. And we needed him to go a little deeper there to get the ball to some other guys that could help us. I thought that some of the guys, we mixed up the roles. We used (Luis) Avilan a little earlier in the game. We used (Brandon) Cunniff earlier in the game. We used (Trevor) Cahill a little later in the game to try to see that combo works, and I’m not completely out of that one. And see what happens. We had five opportunities to get shutdown innings…and we only got four. We only converted one out of the possible five if I’m not mistaken and you let the teams those are big innings when your team scores and gets within one run, or goes ahead and that may be the most important innings in a baseball game is when you go back out there on defense and shut down the opposition.
On if he feels like he has the pieces in the bullpen or does the team need to make moves
That’s a pretty loaded question. I don’t know, I feel like when our starters go deep into ballgames, yes, I feel like our bullpen is good enough to convert that win. I feel, like anybody else, when your starters don’t go deep in the ballgame you get exposed more often than not.
On if the add-on runs are frustrating
Yeah, especially when your team keeps coming back. That’s the great thing about our club. They keep battling back. And we had a chance to win the ball game in the ninth inning. If someone hits it out of the ball park, which this is a big league game, big boys are playing, I think anybody that came up could have.
CAMERON MAYBIN
On if there is frustration with the bullpen
I wouldn’t say that. I’ve been on the opposite end of things where starting pitching and bullpen pitching have been lights out and they get no run support. Our job is to continue to pick these guys up, pat them on the backside and tell them we’ve got them. It’s frustrating to lose like that but we can’t spend too much time dwelling on it because tomorrow is going to be here quick. We’ve got to find a way whatever we can as a team to clean things up and finish games better.
On if the team is all-in
I would have to say there is some frustration as a group. I don’t think you can put it on the pitching or the hitting. It’s a group. You lose as a team and you win as a team. No matter the outcome and how it comes about. Whenever our guys are out there I believe in them and I think everyone else does as well. And we are going to continue to believe in them.
On taking solace in the offense scoring runs
You have to because it could easily be the other way around. My job, Simba’s (Andrelton Simmons’) job is to create havoc and we’ve been doing that. We are going to keep doing that and continue to put pressure on teams and give our team some run support. That’s all we can do.
WILLIAMS PEREZ (SPANISH INTERPRETATION BY BRAVES COACH JOSE CASTRO)
On if he didn’t have his command
I wasn’t commanded my sinker, especially to left-handed hitters. I couldn’t hit that outer third (of the plate).
On if that’s what happened on Neill Walker’s home run
I was having trouble with my command so I figured I’d try to lay in a fastball and Walker got me.
On if he could tell early he didn’t have command
In the second inning when I got in the jam, when I got out of the inning that’s when I felt my command with the fastball wasn’t there.
LUIS AVILAN
On if he missed his location on home run to Starling Marte
Yeah, I looked at the computer and it was just location. That guy has really good power. This is the big leagues. They don’t miss a mistake.
On if Fredi Gonzalez told him he would use him earlier in the game
I’ve been a reliever almost all of my career. I know since the fourth inning I’ve got to be ready. It’s no excuse. I’ve got to be ready. I was ready.
On if he knew Gregory Polanco would be the batter he faced in the fifth inning
Yeah, every single time they call to the bullpen and tell me to get hot, I always ask Eddie (Perez) which lefty is going to be up and I was ready for Polanco.
On if the relief pitchers are feeling extra pressure because of the struggles
Not at all, man. We know this is a really long season. I know we are not doing the job right now but it’s a long season. I’m sure we are going to be able to do the job during the season.
