**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Medlen giving up two-out hits in big innings
“Two-out triples in two innings. Finish one of those innings and you feel like we’ve still got a chance.”
On the game
“We swung the bats well. In this ballpark, you stay within striking distance – two runs, three runs – we feel like we’ve got a chance. A couple of times, we scored a run and we didn’t get a shutdown. Or we couldn’t get the third out of an inning, and they capitalized on that stuff.”
On wasted opportunities
“Even though we got 10 hits and scored some runs, we didn’t really put a crooked number up (big inning).”
On offense being inconsistent, outburst Saturday night and failed to take advantage Sunday
“Today was a combination of a lot of things. It wasn’t just the offense; you get 10 hits, you can’t just blame the offense. A combination of not shutting down an inning with two outs – I thought he was going to escape it after he gets (runners at) second and third and get two outs with Ruiz and the pitcher, but Revere gets a triple there and scores two runs – but a lot of different stuff. You can’t just blame the offense.”
Did umpire Eddings not like what B.J. said after he got to the dugout, or what?
“B.J. didn’t say very much, to be honest with you. For him to get thrown out from the dugout. I was standing right next to him. I don’t know if there was a conversation during the at-bat that might have prompted that, but it wasn’t for what was said from the dugout. There’s a lot worse stuff said from the dugout, and you don’t get ejected.”
On McCann having another three-hit day
“He swung the bat this whole series. He peppered that wall in right field a couple of times with some singles, hit the ball to left field, which is a great sign. When he’s doing that, he’s right on balls. Teams are going to start not shifting him, because he’s hitting the ball the other way. He’s got a good swing going right now.”
He look as close as you’ve seen to the old, healthy McCann?
“Absolutely. He sure does.”
Any reason you’ve come up with for why team plays so much better at home?
“I don’t know. I don’t have any theory. We hit first on the road and wear a different color uniform. Other than that, I couldn’t tell you. It’s one of those things. Maybe in the second half we’ll start playing better (on the road). To win divisions, championship teams have to play (well) both places, on the road and at home.”
On Justin Upton and keeping him in 3-hole
“He’s swinging the bat well. There’s going to be games where he has tough games, but there’s going to be games where he has two or three hits and drives the ball.”
More on Medlen
“There were a couple of balls that I saw, without seeing the videotape, that just came back over the plate and caught a lot of the plate. Balls came back toward the barrel for some of those hitters.”
**KRIS MEDLEN
On being a pitch or two away from getting out of trouble, but not making those pitches
“Yeah, kind of how it’s been all year for me. Get into a jam and put yourself in position to get out of it. The two-run triple to Revere, I got myself into a situation where I got the two outs with guys on second and third, and just threw one right down the middle. Obviously I’m not trying to do that, but they are a veteran team that makes you throw the ball to the plate.
“It was one of those days where you felt like I jumped ahead OK and was ahead of guys, but putting them away was a different story. I threw balls off the plate that they hit – the home run to Domonic Brown, I thought it was about to hit him. He’s having a great year. He’s hot right now, so obviously you have to tip your cap and all that.”
“The (pitching) line, the game, it could have been completely different, with maybe two or three pitches. It just came down to execution, and I didn’t execute.”
On struggles against the Phillies
“Just being honest, it’s been this team, my entire career. I have no answers for them. Both base hits that Chooch (Carlos Ruiz) got — jammed him, (hits it) right up the middle. Ball a foot off the plate, down, and he puts it in play.
“I always get very frustrated facing this team, and it’s because they’re a quality team, a team that knows how to win. For me, I feel like I have to be perfect when I face this team. Obviously I come in confident and all that stuff. They’ve got some guys that, I think, like hitting against me.
“You play this game long enough, you’re going to have days like this where you get your ass kicked. It’s one of those days for me.”
On home-road disparity
“Sure, I’ve got my own theories, my own ideas. But … it’s just one of those things. It’s baseball. We get excited when we’re at home? I don’t know. Who knows.”
**BRIAN McCANN
On the two-run first inning
“Any time they score two when you get two outs … I tip my hat to him. Med made a mistake to him and he put good wood on it to give them an early lead. He settled down….”
On Phillies
“They’re a good team. They’re competitive. Every time you play them you know you’re going to run into a couple of horses. But we feel good where we’re at. They just beat us today.”
You guys let Pettibone off the hook a couple of times early?
“I’m not going to take anything away from him. He made his pitches when he had to.”
On Braves leaving a lot of runners on bases late
“Just chalk it up as, we weren’t able to get the big hit. But we battled. Now it’s on to Florida and go win a series down there.”
On difference between Braves at home and on road
“I can’t really put my finger on it at all. But we play really good baseball at home, and obviously we need to start playing better on the road.”
