Braves quotes from Jason Heyward, Alex Wood, Evan Gattis (on injury) and manager Fredi Gonzalez after Monday’s 5-3 comeback win against the Mets.
**FREDI GONZALEZ
Do you think tonight was a sign of your team’s resilience?
“It sure was. We were never giving up. We never gave any at-bats away. Perfect example of putting the ball in play and funny things happen: bad hops, guys have to make plays. Today we did that. I thought Woddy’s (Alex Wood’s) outing was the key. Very easily he could have given up a bunch of crooked numbers and he didn’t. At the end of the day he gave us six innings and held that team to three runs and kept us hanging around. (Tommy) La Stella had a couple pretty good at-bats there late in the eighth inning. It was a team effort.”
On Alex Wood getting in a groove later in his outing
“That’s what I was talking about, he kind of pitched like a veteran. He gave a single run in the first and third and a couple times he had a situation where he could have gave up a crooked number and he didn’t and he kept us right there in the ballgame. And then he got better as his outing went on. It was good.”
On whether Wood got more aggressive or efficient after he talked to Bethancourt in the third inning
“I know him and Roger (McDowell) talked in the dugout. I think Roger went out there in the (third) inning when he had bases loaded and he got out of that jam. He did a terrific job.”
On taking advantage of errors by opponents lately
“That’s what I mean by just keep hanging around and put the ball in play, and funny things happen. Good for us. Our bullpen, (Luis Avilan) did a great job there in the seventh inning then (Anthony) Varvaro, and then in the ninth inning when you hand the ball to (Craig) Kimbrel you feel pretty good he is going to get you a win after you hang tough and come back.”
Were you surprised Evan Gattis’ back injury was worse than some initially thought?
“No, we always said we’d have go to see how it worked out. You don’t know until you get the MRI. The MRI is the tell-tale sign of everything. I guess it was worse than we thought. We thought it was muscular but it was a bulging disc. He’s going to sit out for a little bit and get that straightened out and we will get him back.”
On whether Gattis can heal with rest or needs more than that
“You are asking the wrong guy about that. I barely know the infield fly rule.”
On if and how he will split starts between Gattis and Bethancourt
“I’ll see how it goes. Christian does a terrific job. We will see where it takes us.”
On now having a winning record against every division opponent, is that a boost?
“With the way the division is set up where you play 18 times, you’ve got to win the division. That’s the way (it is). You’ve got to play good against your division rivals. Everybody is so bunched up (in the standings) that you have got to win series and win every single game you can in your division.”
Will Braves wait to make a roster move to replace Gattis on the active roster before Tuesday’s game?
“Yes. We are trying to get a hold of the young man and get him here.”
**ALEX WOOD
Did you feel like you got stronger as the night wore on?
“Yeah, I mean any time you get starts like that where you have to work really early on, usually it’s kind of the opposite. You roll along the first two or three innings and it gets more difficult as you go. Tonight was kind of the opposite. Any starter will tell you those are the toughest nights because you’re having to work early on. You’re not used to typically having to throw that many pitches early. But I battled through it, figured a few things out, me and Bethancourt. Got on the same page and was able to get through six.”
On giving up a leadoff homer for third time in nine starts this season
“It’s one of those things where you’ve just got to get ahead. I mean, Curtis Granderson is a good hitter. You fall behind 2-0 to the first batter of the game – I mean, he pretty much knows he’s getting a fastball, because I’m not going to walk the leadoff batter of the game. So you (need to) just get ahead so you can open up some more things, especially with that leadoff hitter.”
You seemed to settle in after giving up a run in each of the first three innings
“Yeah, for sure. I was just trying to get through five or six and keep it at 3-nothing, because with our ballclub that’s striking distance for us. Fortunately I was able to do that and we needed up coming out on top.”
“After the first three innings I started working a little faster and going at them a little more. We just got together and kind of got on the same page. I just threw to him when I was down at Gwinnett (getting stretched out recently in Triple-A). That was the only time since we were back in Double-A together that I’ve thrown to him, but he’s learning too. I’m still learning up here, every game, every start is a new experience. I think it was the second start for him? I think he’s finding out, too, it’s a whole different game up here. You start to see what work and what doesn’t. For the both of us, it was a good learning experience tonight. I feel like we both grew.”
On the Braves’ comeback
“It’s one of those things where you sit there and you’re like, it’s just a matter of time, it’s just a matter of time. And then when they go do it like that…. That at-bat (walk) by Doumit in that inning where we scored all those runs, that was a heck of an at-bat against an unbelievable pitcher who’s got pretty nasty stuff. So for us to go and do that against him, that’s a big-time rally. We’re playing good baseball right now and hopefully we’ll continue it over to tomorrow.”
**JASON HEYWARD
On the comeback win
“We earned that one. Wheeler had it going. We were able to chip one out again him (in the fifth), B.J. led off that inning with a knock and Simmy (Andrelton Simmons) moved him over to third (before the Freeman sacrifice fly).”
“Going into that eighth inning I was just saying I hope we can get one run here, and in the ninth inning put some more pressure on them. We came away with four (in the eighth). Some great ABs by me and Justin as far as just taking singles, not big swings there. Keep it simple.
“C.J. put the ball in play, and I hustled my best to get to second. The pitcher ended up making a bad throw. And Ryan Doumit, obviously with his (walk), Tommy La Stella’s been big for us over and over and over again. Good for him, good for us.”
On the value of putting the ball in play in those situations, forcing the opponent to make a play under pressure
“Absolutely. Because three-run homers are nice, but they’re hard to come by. Especially against relievers that were coming in and throwing the ball down. Familia was wild some tonight, but he still was throwing down, and it’s tough to get big on those. We took what they gave us. Tommy, huge knock again, and Ryan Doumit, that’s a big AB off the bench to be that disciplined and lay off some pitches. And Freddie with another walk there to get us an extra run; it’s nice to have insurance.”
On losing Gattis to bulging disc (DL announced during game)
“To be honest I don’t know; you guys probably know more that me. But it’s a huge blow to lose anybody like that who comes to the field every day, wants to play, is dangerous in the box, and he’s hungry. He wants to to get it done every night on both sides of the ball. Just seeing him take some big strides this year, behind the plate and at the dish – we’re going to miss that. I mean, (injuries are) part of the game unfortunately. Everybody deals with it. But I’m happy for him, the season he was having for us so far.”
**EVAN GATTIS
On what he found out from the MRI on his injured back
“The MRI found a bulging disk. I will get an epidural at some point. Not sure when yet, hopefully tomorrow. After that we will just see. I am not sure what he time table will be. I don’t think it will be too long term. Obviously, disappointing, but I’m just ready to get back out there.”
Have you ever had this kind of injury?
“No, never.”
Do you think you can get the epidural and miss only 15 days?
“I’m not really sure on the timetable. Personally, I don’t think it will be too long.”
Are you surprised with the severity of the injury, or could you tell it might be more serious than just muscular?
“I didn’t really know. It kind of felt like a pinch. The first day initially it felt like it was kind of close to the spine or something like that. I didn’t know if it was that or what. Initially it was kind of hard to breathe.”
Was the injury from a culmination of things or just from the one swing?
“I don’t really know. I haven’t really asked that question. All I know is I felt it on the swing and I didn’t feel it before that.’”
On if “not a long time” means a month or two weeks, or what?
“I think it’s just too soon to know.”
On how much pain he’s in right now
“It doesn’t hurt just standing here too bad. It’s not a crazy amount of pain. It’s just doing certain things, a certain way to move and stuff like that.
On if doctors told him what percentage of people with his injury need surgery
“It’s in the thoracic spine and apparently 95 percent of these kind of resolve themselves (without surgery).”
On what his treatment plan will be
“I’m getting the epidural and then after that I’m not sure. I know I’m not doing much activity for the next three to five days, for sure, and then after that I will just play it by ear.”
