**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Hudson home-run pitches
“Just a couple of breaking balls, a cutter, maybe a slider over the plate. We got right behind the 8-ball from the get-go with that. Offensively we had a chance that one inning with Buehrle. Boy he made a tough pitch (to strike out Uggla). I came up here after that at-bat to see it myself (on video). It could have gone either way, really. But it was a pitcher’s pitch there in that situation. And he made it. He made some pitches during the course of the night — Buehrle did — that kept us off-balance.”
Another game struggling against a pitcher with a bad record and ERA
“I’m scared of those guys. Especially if they’re left-handed and have a changeup or something. That’s the guys that get us, that keep us off-balance. I felt pretty good today about our matchups with Buehrle; we saw him a lot last year in Miami and had some success against him. He did a nice job today, commanding both sides of the plate and making pitches. Really, he never gives in.”
On Hudson being ahead in count 0-2 against Rasmus before he homered on 1-2 curveball
“It was just a — what do they call it? – a cement mixer. It didn’t do much. A slider or curveball right over the plate, and he put a good swing on it.”
Any concern about Hudson's recent rough outings, that's three out of his past four?
“Obviously you always have concern when you’re pitchers are not performing. But health is good, that’s No. 1. I don’t have any concern over that, the health. He’s just going through a couple of little rough patches. He did a nice job (in his last start) before the rain delay.
“It’s one of those things. Huddy is a veteran guy, and we’ll get him back on track.”
On Gattis’ three hits including 11th homer
“He smoked that ball to right-center. He’s a special guy.”
On Ramus vs. Rasmus brother matchup
“I was hoping our brother would get the better of that one, but he didn’t.”
**TIM HUDSON
On his performance
“It was not a very good night. I was bailing a little bit with my delivery. Pitches weren’t very crisp. I hung a breaking ball to Rasmus he made me pay for. Arencibia’s home run was a decent pitch; he did a pretty good job handling that pitch. Other than that, I really didn’t get away with a whole lot.”
On being ahead in count 0-2 against Rasmus before he homered on 1-2 breaking ball
“It wasn’t a very good pitch. I made some good pitches to him the whole at-bat, and the one pitch that I needed to put him away with was a pitch that … it wasn’t very good. Even though you get ahead of him 0-2, if you don’t make a pitch there to put him away, a hitter like him will make you pay for it.”
Three of the last four have been pretty rough for you
“I feel like there’s some work I need to do, obviously, on the side. Get with Roger and clean up a couple of things with my delivery. But other than that, a pitch here and there – obviously the quality of the stuff I’m throwing up there isn’t what I want it to be. That’s probably from a couple of things in my delivery that aren’t where I want them to be. As a result, the quality of pitches aren’t there. Not necessarily the location; that has a little to do with it, too. But I just mean the quality of the pitch. Throughout at-bats it’s kind of hit-or-miss. Couple of pitches are pretty good and how I want them to be, but it seems like a lot of time when I get in trouble it’s when I’m ahead in the count.”
On the home-road disparity
“I feel just the same at home as I do on the road. Obviously the results on the road haven’t been where I want them to be. You’re supposed to feel better at home. You’re supposed to feel more comfortable at home. Obviously we have a great place to pitch, a great mound. I’m sure there’s a comfort level there. But at the same time, you’ve got to be able to do it at home and on the road.”
On his specific pitching-mechanics problem
“I have a tendency of my backside collapsing, not staying tall and getting a good downward angle on some of my pitches. Looking back, when things flatten out a little bit that’s usually where the source of the problem comes from. I’ve gotten into some bad habits in that area, and I just have to go clean it up a little bit working on the side with Roger.”
“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with in the past. Nothing I’m really concerned with. I know there’s some adjustments that I need to make. Obviously the results stink for me right now, for our club. But I feel confident that things are going to be a lot better, hopefully really soon.”
**EVAN GATTIS
On him having more success against Buehrle than others
“I chase a lot of pitches up; that’s kind of been the book on me. So I was lucky to foul off that one before the double on the second at-bat. I at least touched it, kept me alive. And he was kind of going slower and slower and slower, where I just kept fouling them off, just really trying to back the ball up, hit the ball to right field – or even further. Just really trying to back him up , and I got some pitches I could handle. And he stayed away the whole time. Fastballs (off the plate), slow and sinking away.”
On guys like him giving Braves problems
“It’s like him, Gee, Marcum, Bronson Arroyo… Those are the guys I really appreciate, no matter what happens, I feel like I’m going to get better going up against guys like that.
“They have to be smarter. They don’t have as much stuff as they used to, or maybe that’s just how they are. But they’re smart, you know?”
**CORY RASMUS
Able to enjoy facing your brother, despite the outcome?
“It was still awesome. The fact that we lost – the outcome is the most important part. But me facing him was a lot of fun. It just sucks that he got a hit.”
At least you kept him in the park
“Yeah, unfortunately I couldn’t with Encarnacion.”
Did you get a sense you were going to stay in the game for second inning and face him?
“Well, I’ve had to throw as much as I can. I’ve had to get up here and throw and learn some things, make some adjustments obviously. So I appreciate them allowing me to get out there and get some work in, getting three more outs the last inning. But all I was worried about was each pitch, every batter at the time, instead of thinking about what was going to happen next.”
Going off the scouting report Braves had on your brother, or your own from growing up with him?
“I was going off what Mac put down. Obviously I got behind in the count, and had to make some quality pitches. He happened to get a fastball away and hit it that way, for a change. But that was a good piece of hitting by him.”
“As excited as I was facing him, I’m sure everybody back home was just as excited. But like I said, at the end of the day, we lost. Obviously I wish that had been a different story.”
Did you acknowledge him in the box?
“Honestly I wasn’t even looking at him. I was just saying, let’s get some people out. Let’s get out of here.”
**Blue Jays’ COLBY RASMUS
On facing brother
“It was a strange feeling. Lot of emotions going on. But it was awesome and terrible at the same time.”
“I’m not going to lie, my gut kind of wrenched up a little bit. But that’s the game.”
“I’m definitely proud of him, happy for him. That’s all I got.”
