Braves quotes from manager Fredi Gonzalez, Aaron Harang, Chris Johnson and Chasen Shreve and after Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Phillies.
FREDI GONZALEZ
On Hamels’ pitching
Yeah that was pretty good and he kept us off balance there for seven innings but we stayed in the game. Chris Johnson had a great at-bat after Justin (Upton) doubles and we thought we had something going there but he’s tough, man. We had some opportunities. BJ (Upton) laying out the single there in the eighth inning and trying to steal us a run and (Cameron) Rupp made a nice play on a ball on third he short-hopped him and threw him out.
“Our pitching was outstanding. It really was. (Aaron) Harang maneuvered himself through the whole lineup for six innings. That’s not easy to do especially since there’s a couple of guys in that lineup that historically have hit him pretty good and he did a terrific job. And then our bullpen was pretty darn good. It was nice to see Chasen (Shreve) come in and I like what I saw. It’s only the first outing but there were a lot of good pitches there. There was some depth on his breaking pitches and his fastball had a good enough…the lefties didn’t really get good hacks at it. So it was nice to see that.”
On Harang being able to get out of trouble when he’s got runners on bases
“He’s a veteran and I keep saying that. It seems like every fifth day I say he’s a veteran guy that doesn’t give in, gives you good…he’s got great command of all his pitches and when you do that you’re going to maneuver through the lineup and give your team a chance to win and that’s what he did for us tonight.”
Seems like Harang is improving each time out
“He did outstanding. He gave us six innings and what 104 pitches…and it was a hard 104 pitches, it wasn’t an easy 104 pitches. I’m sure there were times where…I sit in the dugout and I’ve kind of gotten used to him now where he’s not going to give in and he may walk a guy or he may walk another guy to get to the guy that he knows he can get out. And that’s being a veteran, that’s a guy who has been in the league for a long time and he gives you a good chance every night he goes out there.”
What made you keep Shreve in the game after he hit a strikeout in his first at-bat?
“Well had to pinch hit and there was a couple of lefthanders that were there and I wanted to see what he could do. He did a nice job, he really did. I’m looking forward to continue using him in that role and I think, again it’s still a long season, but I like what I saw in his first outing.”
What was Hamels doing right?
“There are a couple of guys in this league that do the same thing. They pound the strike zone with their fastball. And it’s not a straight fastball, it sinks and it cuts a lot to the right-handed hitters and it’s not an easy at-bat. He did that against us tonight.”
AARON HARANG
On fighting through several jams
“Sometimes you just really have to buckle down and make pitches when you need to. One inning I get the (bases-loaded) fly ball with one out. Obviously, it’s a different scenario with the pitcher running at third compared to (Jimmy) Rollins or (Chase) Utley or someone. I was able to get out of that situation unscathed. It was a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, going back and forth with zeros and it was just going to come down to that one or two hits.”
Did you have a sense early it would be a pitcher’s duel?
“I didn’t feel as sharp as usual. I was a little erratic trying to figure some things out but once I calmed down and was able to do that through the third (inning) the game went a little bit smoother for me.”
On doing anything different when approaching the Phillies again
“No. I just went back to our same game plan when we faced them in Philly. Just be aggressive with them. Not give them too good of a pitch to hit.”
On Cole Hamels
“I’ve faced Cole for quite a while. I watched him pitch in high school being from San Diego. I’ve got to watch him pitch and grow as a pitcher. He was out there being efficient, really attacking the zone and making us have to be aggressive.”
On not feeling sharp, what were you working on?
“I just didn’t feel as sharp. It was probably just having the extra time off with the All-Star break. That’s usually what happens. Things were quite certain how the rotation was going to work out after the break. Throwing the last day in Chicago and waiting to see how everything was going to fall when we had the workout Thursday.”
CHRIS JOHNSON
On Cole Hamels
“That is what happens in the big leagues when you have a guy like that and you find him on his night. We battled as best we could. You have to tip your cap some times in this league and this was one of those nights.”
Could you tell early on it was going to be a tough night?
“You got to that third inning, fourth inning and you think ‘Man, this isn’t good.’ It’s hard. We couldn’t get his pitch count up because he was throwing a lot of strikes. You couldn’t go up there and take pitches because you would have been down. If you go up there and swing his stuff is moving all over the place so you are down. It’s just one of those nights when you tip your cap to a really, really good major league pitcher.”
What did you hit on the seventh-inning double?
“Fastball away. I was just trying to stay on the big part of the field. He had my number before that. I had two strikeouts against him. I was just trying to stay short and put the ball in play, to be honest. It seemed to work. I thought (Chase) Utley was going to catch it.”
Were to going to second all the way?
“Once the ball hit off his glove I was trying to get into scoring position for Tommy (La Stella). Tommy has come up with some big hits, so I wanted to give him a chance. But what are you going to do? Cole was Cole tonight.”
On the review
“I have pretty good speed. I knew I was in there. I had a pretty good view. I can feel that I was there. He thought he had me but I thought I was safe.”
CHASEN SHREVE
On his debut
“It was fun. It was good to get the first one out of the way. I thought I pitched well, threw some quality strikes. It didn’t all go my way. It was all right in the end.”
On getting used right away
“Yeah, actually it was really good to get the first one out of the way right away and settle in and do some good things.”
Were you surprised you went back out for the eighth inning?
“No, I knew they have a lot of lefties in their lineup. I thought I pitched well.”
Did you learn anything tonight?
“Tons. Too much to say. It was awesome. A great experience.”
What was the conversation when you came in the dugout?
“Roger (McDowell) came up and said ‘Hey, you are going to go out for another one. First guy, just go out and do what you do.’ I thought I did that.”
Fredi joked before the game that he would put you in against Ryan Howard. How did you approach facing him?
“You just have to focus on what you are doing. Focus on the glove and don’t focus on who is up. Focus on the situation. You have to focus on making quality pitches. It was good to get in there and face the best.”
When you strike Howard out is there just a little (fist pump)?
“A little bit. A little bit of a (fist pump).”
