JUSTIN UPTON
On not getting the big hit:
“We just didn’t swing the bats well. We came out and did what we didn’t want to do, we swung at some pitches out of the zone and even the hits that we got, we kind of shortened those innings couple times. We just didn’t piece together the hits.”
On the catch:
“I knew I had a bead on it, I just couldn’t tell whether it was going to go out or not so I kind of had to time it to make sure I could jump on it and make a play. I made it.”
On the offense:
“We didn’t capitalize on our opportunities when we had runners in scoring position or men on with no outs or one out. We didn’t get the big hit. That usually costs you. We left a lot of men on base.”
KRIS MEDLEN
On the batters’ box:
“I don’t like to (complain) about too much but it made a difference, I thought. I tried to get through the first inning. It was just awkward. They were lined up toward right center. I don’t know if it would have necessarily benefited him because he was a lefty. It was just a visual thing. The plate was in the same spot and everything. I went out for the second inning and it looked normal.”
On his command/comfort level:
“I felt fine. I was just leaving some pitches up over the plate and they hit them. After that, I felt like I had the game under control. I gave up some hits, but nothing too crazy.”
On the defense behind him:
“Justin made some great plays out there and Simmons too. Wow. That play over there in foul territory was awesome.”
On his outing:
“I go out there and try to keep us in the game the best that I can. I thought I did a decent job of it after the second inning. In the sixth, you make a pitch and he fights one off and has enough speed to get the infield single.”
On struggling a little early:
“Even in the pens between the starts, I have been pulling off a lot. Roger will stand right (to my left). I have been throwing pitches with Roger standing right next to me not letting me pull off. I just addressed the situation and made the adjustments I needed to. The second inning, it was what it was. I was leaving pitches out over the plate, pulling off and everything was flat.”
On his outing:
“I look at the second inning. Me not getting a (expletive) bunt down was huge. First and second, nobody out in a tie game, I’ve got to get that bunt down. There was nobody in the park more pissed than me. Then in the sixth inning, what can you do? I thought I made a pretty good pitch. Broken bat, a little infield single. That’s just the game we play. Obviously I’m pretty pissed. But what can you do?”
FREDI GONZALEZ
On opportunities with runners on:
“Plenty, plenty of opportunities and we couldn’t get that broken bat single or the ball to the back of the screen to get a run in. That’s just the way it goes sometimes when you’re not swinging the bats like you’re capable of doing. I thought Medlen did a nice job six innings gave up the three runs. We had the right matchup there with Barmes at the plate and he just happened to hit it right to the left of Simmons and not hard enough for us to throw him out at first base. But he did a nice job and our bullpen did a nice job. We got a little sideways there in the seventh, Avilan throws that ball into the screen and makes it a two-run game, but the story is we didn’t swing the bats. We got some opportunities. There goes that theory about on-base. You’ve got to drive them in. What do we have 15 baserunners and only got two runs. You always want to win series. We didn’t do that here, now we head to Colorado and try to win that series.”
On Upton’s catch:
“Yeah I thought we played good baseball. In all aspects other than getting that run in when we needed to. You’ve got to play them on.”
On the situation with the batter’s box:
“Both catchers right away realized. They thought the plate was crooked and Medlen saw it also with the batters’ box a little bit crooked. They fixed it. It was no big deal but both, when I went out there Russell was saying the same thing Gerald said, ‘I thought it was the plate that was messed up.’ the first couple pitches they caught were kind of weird. It happens. These guys are so good, they’ve caught so many games that even a slightly off a little bit they can tell. But I thought the umpire and grounds crew did a nice job not to take too much time and get back to playing baseball.”
On if team had same edge, focus as during win streak:
“Oh yeah. you run into a pretty good hot Pittsburgh Pirates team that pitches well. We had plenty of opportunities. We just didn’t get that big hit when we needed to.”
