DENVER — Braves quotes from Alex Wood, A.J. Pierzynski and Fredi Gonzalez after Sunday’s sweep-completing loss against the Rockies.
** FREDI GONZALEZ
On bad way to go into the All-Star break
“We came in here, we were playing good baseball for, what, three series in a row? Come in here and they’re (Rockies) playing good baseball. They’re swinging the bats. You make a mistake and they’re making you pay for it. For example, Wood gives up three runs in the second inning, that happens in this ballpark; that’s like giving up one. But we were one pitch away (from getting out of the sixth). It was the right pitch, just the execution – left it out over the plate to Blackmon, and all of a sudden that becomes a five-run inning. And that’s just the way it’s going. You hate to pinpoint on one pitch in an entire game, but that pitch right there, if we get him out there it’s a different ballgame.”
On Blackmon hurting the Braves the whole series
“The whole series. There were a couple of guys, really. Arenado had a good series, Blackmon had a good series. They’re a good hitting club.”
You had two on in the first with one out, then Bettis struck out KJ and Uribe
“We had some opportunities. We just didn’t get a chance to score a big inning. Only once in the whole series did we have a big inning.”
Do you think this five-game skid changes or affects how the front office will look at things as the July 31 trade deadline approaches?
“I don’t know. That’s something that you’ll have to talk to John (Hart) and Coppy (John Coppolella) about. For me, I would have liked to come out here and get a series win and keep the momentum going, and go into the second half of the season playing well and not have to worry about what you’re trying to get at (with that question). But we’ll see what happens. We have not spoken as a front office and coaching staff about moving people and that kind of stuff. I’m sure there’s always talks. Everybody calls to find out about your guys who’ve played well and what deal they can make, but we have not had that conversation.”
On not pinch-hitting for Alex Wood with bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning, did Coors Field play into that decision?
“Not really. This is my line of thinking – and I think it’s the question you’re asking – OK, you’re going to pinch-hit for your starter and he’s going to give you five innings. And then we’re going to go to the bullpen, which is one short already. And try to figure out four innings of bullpen. So that was my thinking. The park didn’t play into that. It was about giving Woody a chance to get us deep in the ballgame, and maybe we bypass some of those bullpen guys.”
On Wood giving up 10 hits three times in his past five starts, is that more about location of pitches in your view?
“When he gets hurt, it’s because he leaves them out over the plate. But you hate to have one of your best pitchers going five innings. I mean, I know we have the All-Star break ahead, but you’ve got to push these guys. And maybe we have to push them a little bit harder.”
**ALEX WOOD
On the three-run second inning
“I guess the best way to describe it, that whole inning would be a Coors Field. Arenado singles on a ground ball, relatively up the middle. CarGo hits one three feet in front of the plate and it bounces over Kelly’s head at first base. We battle back and I throw (Blackmon) a change-up and he gets a big hit. He got two big hits for them tonight. It’s a weird game for sure, because I really thought I threw decent, honestly. I threw good, just had really the one big mistake, the curveball that I hung to Blackmon in my last inning.”
So do you have to keep into account it was Coors Field, maybe the start not as bad as numbers would show?
“End of the day, whatever the numbers are, it is what it is. But from that same standpoint, obviously you’re angry. You never want to lose, especially you don’t want to lose the last couple of games going into the break. But I just think as far as how I threw, it definitely wasn’t as bad as it ended up looking. But that’s the way it goes sometimes. Get ready and come back from the break and start another streak.”
On how he felt
“I felt probably better than I felt Thursday. I thought was stuff was pretty good. Just two pitches you wish you had back.”
**A.J. PIERZYNSKI
On Sunday’s loss, some of the bloop hits that cost Wood
“Normal Coors Game. Those hits fall in. I mean, the outfield here is so big, and the outfielders play so deep. We had bloop hits, too. We just didn’t pitch very well and play very well for four days. After the way we played in Milwaukee the first two games, then to come here and play like that…. It’s baseball. Four days off to enjoy the break, and then come back hopefully ready to go.”
After getting back to .500, is it particularly disappointing to play like the team has in the past five games?
“Yeah, it’s definitely, I guess, disappointing. I don’t know if disappointing is the right word. I don’t know what the right word is. We’re right there, have a chance, then all of a sudden something goes wrong. But that’s the way it goes sometimes, and you just have to keep fighting and keep doing it the right way, we’ve done that all year and we’re not going to stop now.”
