JUSTIN UPTON
On being happy that his brother broke out of his slump to start season
“Day to day, I see him in the cage working, and for it to show up on the field, it’s exciting. We’re going to need them throughout the season, and to get him going is nice.”
Your parents were here tonight, right?
“They’ve been in town all week, so they got to see an exciting one tonight.”
On where this ranks among his big-league moments
“Ah, man, I think right now, in my mind, it’s No. 1. It was exhilarating out there. We had a great time with it.”
On whether he and his brother dreamed of moments like this
“We were hoping just to come in here and contribute, and tonight we both contributed in a big way. Any time you can do that and help out the ballclub, you’re excited.”
On the Braves never feeling as if they are out of games because of the lineup
“Yeah, we’re confident in everybody from one to nine. If you don’t get it done, you look to the next guy, you pass the baton and hope he picks you up. We’ve done a good job of that out of the gate. That’s something we’re going to really have to do for each other throughout the year.”
B.J. UPTON
On breaking out of his slump
"It’s good to finally get a couple of hits. These guys have been swinging the bats, and I just wanted to join the party."
On whether he and his brother have ever homered in the same game before reaching the majors
"No, not at all. We’ve homered on the same day a couple of times (for different teams), but this is probably No. 1 right here. I think just a great team effort. We were down late in the game and we stayed in it, pieced together that eighth inning and came back and got a win tonight."
On whether he and his brother dreamed of moments such as this
“We’d never dreamed of being on the same team, much less coming out here and that night tonight. It’s exciting. It’s good to be able to take a breather and take the monkey off your back, and it’s good that we got the win tonight.”
On whether his first hit got him going
“I know it’s there. I know it’s there, but to get that first one out of the way, it’s kind of the monkey off the back and hopefully things will get rolling here.”
GERALD LAIRD
On the game
"It's important because every game counts. To come back and tie the game and win it like that it speaks volumes about the team and shows how many different ways we can beat you. We worked the count that (eighth) inning and scored three runs and got right back in the game. We knew if we could get close we would have a chance to get to Marmol, and we were able to do that tonight."
On his two hits
"I am starting to feel comfortable. I didn't get that many at-bats during spring training. I felt like I was ready to go. I'm feeling comfortable and finding some holes. I really thought my best at-bat was that walk (in the eighth). I took some good pitches, took some good hacks and was able to work a walk."
You think Julio (Teheran) was nervous at all at the start tonight?
"He just wasn't crisp. It was his first start of the year. It wasn't the same stuff he had during spring training. It's understandable. He's still learning. He's young still. But the stuff is there. He's going to be fine. He didn't get out of whack, he kept us in the game and we were able to come back and get the win. That's the bottom line."
FREDI GONZALEZ
On the Uptons
"I've never seen anything like that in the ninth inning. I have a son, and I just couldn't imagine. I know it's special to have one son in the major leagues but to have two in the major leagues and both play on the same team and just having done what they did out there . . . I know that's got to be special for the Upton family."
Is it made more special because B.J. was struggling?
"His at-bats just kept getting better and better throughout the week. I think the chopper base hit (in the seventh inning) got the curse off his back a little bit. And, boy, what an at-bat he gave (Carlos) Marmol, both him and Justin"
RAMIRO PENA
On his two-RBI single n the eighth inning
"I feel so happy that I got my first hit. I got my first two RBIs, also. I just have to keep working."
On the lineup
"We know the lineup we have, a lot of power and hit a lot of homers, we are going to chances to get hits like that. Its' going to be good the whole season."
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