**JUSTIN UPTON
On roll he and team are on
“It’s fun. We’re winning. We’re winning in different ways. Every night it’s different, so we’re having fun out there. It’s been a good week.”
Did you feel like you didn’t need to do much tonight with way Maholm was pitching?
“He made us feel that way. Obviously he was going up there, mixing his pitches well and getting out. We have fun playing behind that, and that gives us confidence at the plate.”
On a mission to prove Diamondbacks right?
“No. You can’t live that way. You can’t live hoping other people fail or doing things in spite of people. I’m just not that type of person. I’m with a new team now and having fun. This is a great clubhouse, great place to play, and I’m just enjoying myself.”
“You get to a point where all that stuff is going on and you think to yourself, you want to go out and have fun playing baseball. That’s what I’m doing right now, I’m having fun every night no matter what happens. Just going out and enjoying playing the game every day.”
That Ruggiano fly ball in the ninth, to the track, caught it over your shoulder in stride
“It carried really well. Off the bat, not playing here and with the lights and big backdrop, I couldn’t really read it very. I didn’t look the prettiest on it, but got the job done.”
On your hitting surge, think about it much?
“You definitely notice. You can’t ignore it. But you’ve got to try not to get too high on it and continue to come in and get your work in, and keep doing what you’re doing.”
On last at-bat, thinking about hitting for the cycle? (needed a triple)
“No, not at all. We’re only up 2-nothing in the game, we’re trying to tack on runs. I was trying to get something started.”
**PAUL MAHOLM
What was working tonight?
“Pretty much everything. I was just going out there, trying to get ahead, mixing pitches, letting them put the ball in play and letting the guys make some plays. Juan had a great barehanded play on the bunt. So the guys took care of me, and I tried to make some pitches.”
On pitching around Stanton
“I wasn’t technically trying to right at him. Left on left (Greg Dobbs) was coming up next. If he (Stanton) wanted to swing at one of my pitches, great. But I wasn’t going to give him a cookie to hit, and allow him to do damage. So it was one of those where I was trying to get him to fish and not be able to make solid contact.”
On his scoreless streak first two starts (12-2/3 innings)
“Obviously I’m going to give up runs. I’m going to try to ride this as long as possible. Every time out I’m going to try to do the same thing. I’m going to try to be aggressive, get some quick outs, mix speeds and get ground balls. Some days it’s going to work, some days it’s not. But right now I feel good, I feel in rhythm. The three walks aren’t exactly what I wanted, but it’s more managing the lineup than it was that I was really that far off.”
On Upton
“I told him just to make sure he keeps doing it when I pitch. (Laughter.) You know what? He’s obviously one of the top players in the league, and it’s awesome we were able to trade for him and get him in this lineup. Whenever the lineup is fully healthy – or even now – there’s not really a whole lot of guys where you can say, as a pitcher, they’re automatic outs. These guys are going to grind you out, and if you make a mistake they’re going to make you pay. Obviously he’s a huge part. It’s fun to watch. Not having to face him is a lot better.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Maholm
“He had command of all his pitches, and kept them off-balance with two different types of curveballs. You saw the normal curveball and then he took a little off it; he’s done that a few times. But he was able to get ahead and then throw the breaking ball
“Really, he threw the breaking ball behind in the count, ahead in the count, pretty much all night long.”
On Justin Upton continuing to rake
“Right now, between him and Chris (Johnson) and (Evan) Gattis…. Francisco had a good night at the plate today. The good thing about this is, we’ve got some (hitters) struggling obviously. We’ve only got about three guys hitting on all cylinders, but Roger has done a great job with the pitching. Our pitching, for seven games, has been right there. With Justin doing the damage. The Cubs series, it was the same thing. Which is good. I’m fine with our pitching being consistent all the time.”
On Kimbrel having a couple of baserunners in ninth
“I think we’re going to go out and a shoot him…. (Laughter.) No, he’s only pitched two games in the last four or five nights. He’s fine. Maybe he’s a guy who needs a little bit more work. Roger did a nice job settling him down, getting the hamster back on the wheel.”
On Justin Upton keeping this up
“I don’t think he’s going to hit – what’s he hitting now, about 490? Slugging about 2.000? – I don’t think he’s going to keep doing that. You can play with your leadoff hitter and the bottom guys in your lineup, but it’s nice to be able to pencil in Justin every night in the three-hole.”
“He’s had some great at-bats for a long time. He’s a guy that can carry you. That’s what a three-hole hitter does. You sprinkle some support staff around here and there and he can carry you.”
On defense
“I think something that got overshadowed was we played some good defense. You get good pitching, you get real good defense, and you’re going to win 2-nothing without our lineup hitting on all cylinders.”
