Braves quotes after Monday’s 7-2 win at Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — Braves quotes from Hector Olivera, Williams Perez and Fredi Gonzalez after Monday’s 7-2 win against the Phillies.

**HECTOR OLIVERA (through translator)

On how good it felt to have a couple of big extra-base hits and drive in four runs in a win

“It’s a good finish to what could have been a bad start, at the beginning with my first two at-bats (strikeouts). I kind of gathered myself. I was just happy that I could contribute and help the club win.”

On adjustment he made after chasing a bunch of sliders on the first two strikeouts

“Yeah, I made an adjustment. Let’s be honest, those pitches were horrible pitches to swing at. I wasn’t focused. I focused a little better on the next few at-bats after that, and I looked for a pitch that I could drive and I got them, and I put a good swing on them.”

On sprinting out of the batter’s box on the double off the wall

“That’s typically how I am, I run out of the box. I don’t want to take anything for granted or make any assumptions. I don’t want to show anybody up. I don’t know how the other team might take it, so I just run out of the box, and if it goes out, it goes out.”

On having four RBIs and helping team snap skid

“I feel great that I was able to help the team get a win. It builds more confidence, and the more we get going the more I’ll start feeling better. But all in all, I’m just happy we were able to get the win.”

**FREDI GONZALEZ

Feel better about Williams Perez or Hector Olivera?

“Both. Our entire squad. It’s been a tough time getting W’s, and today I thought everybody contributed. The thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is Williams not walking anybody. That’s been his nemesis. He’s going to get a ground ball, but if you sprinkle a couple of walks with a couple of base hits in there, it becomes crooked-number innings. And today he didn’t walk any. He made them get three or four hits in a row, got some ground balls in a couple of situations. So for me, that was the No. 1 sign that he had that sinker working.”

On Olivera’s adjustment period

“It’s going to be tough. This guy not only changed teams in the middle of the season, he came from a different country, trying to do the whole language thing and stuff like that. It’s going to take him a while. We’re going to have to be patient with him. But you saw what our scouts see – some power. And he’s only been here a short time, but he’s got some RBIs. Even though he was hitting .140 or whatever before today, he still had driven in some runs. That’s a good sign for me.”

On adjustment he made after striking out on sliders away in first two at-bats

“Every day is going to be an adjustment. I know this guy has played in international competitions around the world, but ain’t facing major league pitching every night in those competitions. So every night is going to be an adjustment. He’s every seen any of these guys. He’s trusting our hitting coaches to give him information and work on them. I think him and Jose Castro huddled up after the second at-bat and talked about the slider – you’ve got to let that slider come up, don’t be chasing it…. It’s hard enough to hit in this game and be successful when you swing at strikes, let alone when you’re swinging at balls in the dirt.”

On end the 12-game streak and how much of a relief it was

“Oh, my goodness. Roger goes, ‘You want Vizcaino in the game (in the ninth)?’ I said, Vizcaino goes in the game no matter what. Because a (12-) game losing streak IS a save situation. Marksberry came in and threw the ball over the plate, we made some plays behind him. And Vizcy did the same thing.”

On the offense, so many contributing including Markakis, Peterson and Freeman

“And I tell you what, I’ve never seen anybody more snake-bitten that Michael Bourn. Every time he plays he hits two balls hard and doesn’t get anything for it.”

Olivera nearly hit that double out and it didn’t even look like he barreled the ball (hitting it squarely)

“He didn’t barrel it. And I don’t think he barreled the home run. Just a ball that he got out there and, Swish was standing next to me and he said, ‘That’s got some power because he didn’t hit that ball and it just kept carrying.’”

On pressure that Olivera could be putting on self, with family still trying to get here, etc.

“This is a tough situation. Got family in Cuba and the Dominican someplace and you can’t get to them. The language, the (new) teams, the pressure of the major leagues. It’s tough. It really is tough. And I think he’s handled it well. I like the character, I like the makeup, and the work ethic. Those three things will get you a long way in this game, because the other stuff will come.”

**WILLIAMS PEREZ (through translator)

On how good he felt tonight compared to recent struggles

“I felt really good. For once all my pitches were working and I was locating, so I felt really good out there.”

Did you change you gameplan, not try to be too fine? Or just do the same things been doing?

“Yeah, there were no walks, that was positive. I decided to go after the guys. My sinker was working really well and I was locating it, so I was going right after them. I was getting ground balls and a few fly balls, but everything was working.”

On the importance of getting through seven innings for the weary bullpen

“It was a relief that I could help the guys get a break today. I stretched it out for seven, then the setup guy came and Vizcaino closed it out. It was positive. It felt good that I could help the club out that way.