LOS ANGELES — Braves quotes from Nick Masset, Williams Perez, Albert Callaspo and Fredi Gonzalez after Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Dodgers.
**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Williams Perez getting out of jams, leaving with 2-1 lead after six
“He was a little shaky in the first inning; I think he had 30 pitches in the first inning. But he bounced back and he did a nice job. To come in here as a rookie – I know they didn’t have a sellout, but it’s still Dodger Stadium against a pretty good lineup, and the juices are flowing. You kind of expect that first inning. But I’m proud of him the way he settled down and gave us six innings. It was right about where we wanted him, 25 pitches more than last time. Something to build on and go forward.”
On bullpen blowing lead
“It’s tough to hold a one-run lead with three innings left. Gonzalez’s comebacker (that Avilan fielded, for an RBI groundout) couldn’t have been placed any better, and they get a run there and tie the game up. Nicky comes in in the eighth inning and gets Turner out. We figure, OK, run him back out there so he can face the bottom of the order, which we’ve been pretty dominant with them. And we just couldn’t get out of that eighth inning without giving up some runs.”
Has Perez been what you expected?
“It’s been better than what I expected, really. He’s a guy that mixes his pitches real well, he’s not afraid to throw his secondary stuff even when he’s behind in the count. That takes a while, for even the most veteran major leaguers to be able to do that. And he’s done that. So, so far I like the way he’s pitched and he’s progressed, and you run him back out there in another five days. Here’s a kid who only pitched (five) games in Triple-A before pitching here in the big leagues? So I’m thinking he’s doing a very nice job.”
Callaspo scratched from lineup before the game, what was that about?
“I get a phone call just before BP (batting practice) that there’s a chance for a potential trade out there, and I think it’s still going on. We don’t want him to get out there and get hurt, so that was the reason that he got taken out of the lineup at that point.”
On Masset, that’s not what we’ve seen from him in the last week, in one outing against Braves and two for them
“No, this is a guy that I thought, with the lefty-righty splits and him having some history with Ethier, run him back out there and kind of push the game back, because we were going to give Grilli a day; we haven’t really used (Grilli) three days in a row and we were going to give him a day today. We were going to try to push the game back a little bit, with Cunniff going the following inning and then see what happens in the 10th. Again, you feel like you had a pretty good matchup with Ethier and with (Masset) getting left-handers out, and again with the bottom of that order. It didn’t materialize the way we wanted it to.”
(Note: Ethier had been 1-for-6 with three strikeouts vs. Masset before tonight, and lefties were 4-for-25 this season w/ no walks, 6 strikeouts vs. Masset before tonight, when he gave up homers to a lefty (Ethier) and a switch-hitter (Rollins), along with RH Alex Guerrero)
**NICK MASSET
On giving up three homers in eighth inning of then-tied game
“It’s definitely an embarrassment. I feel like I let my team down, No. 1. There’s nothing worse than going out there and blowing a lead and getting a big, fat ‘L.’ I think some of my pitches just flattened out. I’ve had some good battles with these guys in the past. They put some good swings on it. Just kind of the way the ball rolls sometimes.”
Just one of those nights in this role, got to be able to come back next night?
“Yeah. I’ve been throwing quite a bit; that’s what I want to be doing. I feel good, I feel like my stuff’s been good. Like I said, I think some fastball just flattened out. Normally it’d sink in on them pretty hard and I’d get some ground balls out of it. But it just didn’t really … it wasn’t the turnout I was looking for.”
**WILLIAMS PEREZ (through translation by Horacio Ramirez)
Does it help your confidence being able to pitch out of trouble again tonight?
“Yeah, I was able to mix my pitches well and was able to get that double-play ball to get out of that jam.”
Were you nervous early in this game?
“No, I wasn’t nervous. I was just a little too excited. I was just missing with my pitches, but I was able to come back and make pitches and get out of it.”
For those who didn’t see you pitch in minors, is this something that you’ve become accustomed to, getting out of all these tight spots?
“In the minor leagues I had problems with the first inning, where I’d give up a run or two and have a lot of guys in scoring position. But I battle through it and end up being OK.”
On being able to avoid walks (only two total) in these first couple of starts
“My first (relief) outing when I gave up all those walks, I wasn’t used to that, I don’t know where that came from. I was surprised by that. That’s now who I am.”
**ALBERTO CALLASPO
On what Fredi told you when scratched from lineup
“’There might be a possible trade, so let’s see what happens tonight.’”
Did they give you any sense if they thought something might happen by tomorrow?
“No, they didn’t tell me that. They just said, ‘Let’s wait until tomorrow and see what happens.’”
You just view this as part of the business?
“Yeah, it’s baseball. I take whatever they do.”
