**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Hudson
“He gave us a great outing. You try to extend him a little bit there in the eighth inning; he made a nice punchout with Tejada there to finish his (day). But he did a nice job.”
On team’s improved hitting today
“I thought our approach at the plate was outstanding, it really was. We had some deep counts, guys going 3-0 and 3-1 and 3-2, drawing bases on balls and getting some timely hitting. Freeman, and Reed Johnson drove in a couple also. The last couple of games, our offense is picking up. We’ve seen good at-bats, getting deep in counts, good swings at balls that are in the strike zone.”
What did you think of the bullpen?
“Well, we got through the eighth inning, that situation in the eighth inning. Once thing you don’t want to see when that door opens, is guys walking guys, or hit-by-pitches, putting people on. We’ll get through it. We’ll get through that. O made a great pitch on Byrd with the bases loaded. I wasn’t real comfortable with that matchup…. One thing we haven’t done, we haven’t put people on, we haven’t walked people late in the game.
“And Anthony did a terrific job in the ninth inning.”
On reason for taking out Hudson, because close to 100 pitches? (94)
“It was a lot of things. We like to keep him right around 100, 110 max. He’s not 22 anymore. But you try to give him an opportunity to go deep into the game and save us an inning out of the bullpen, anytime you can do that. Especially going to Cincinnati (for series starting Monday). That’s why we tried to push him a little bit.”
More on Hudson and what he means to team
“He’s a pro. He really is a professional in the way he handles himself on and off the field, and everybody else around him is better for it.”
On the improved at-bats, that a focus in past couple of days after some bad offensive games?
“Walk (hitting coach Greg Walker) mentioned something to the hitters about that kind of stuff. But I think it’s just a matter of us starting to click a little bit offensively.”
On Freeman driving the ball deep to opposite field
“When he’s doing that, when any hitter’s driving balls to the opposite field, you know they’re starting to get locked in.”
On McCann
“He’s coming with us and he’ll be activated tomorrow, he’ll play tomorrow. And I think the move we’re going to make, we sent Pastornicky down. Let him get ready to come and help us; I’m sure in the long season we’ll see him back. He did a terrific job when he was here. A guy off the bench, a guy who can play second. He’s going to go down to Gwinnett and continue to play second base and even play some of the outfield positions.”
**TIM HUDSON
On his performance
“I felt alright out there. Early on I was making some pitches; I came out pretty aggressive and was able to get some quick outs early.”
On allowing walk and homer to start fourth, after Braves’ long, five-run inning in third
“It was a long inning, but long innings are good when we’re hitting. I got behind in the count against the first hitter; obviously you don’t want to go out and walk the leadoff hitter when you’ve got a nice lead, especially with a guy like David Wright on deck. So it was a stooge move on my end. I paid for it. Luckily I was able to settle down and get some zeroes after that.”
On the offensive support he’s had this season
“I’ve been fortunate to be out there when some guys have had some really good at-bats and put some crooked numbers on the board. I’ll take them any way I can get them, because I know that a lot of times you’re going to come across some pitching that’s going to hog-tie you a little bit. Take them as them come.”
On welcoming back McCann, any “presents’ he should expect from you?
“We’re glad to see him. I know he’s been working hard, trying to get back healthy. I’m sure we’ll have (smiles) — there are going to be some interesting times on the flight this trip.
“But I know he’s excited to get back in this locker room and put on a big-league uniform and help us win some ballgames.”
On being pulled after the strikeout with runner on and one out in 8th
“I never really want to come out of the game. I leave it up to the manager. With a lefty coming up, it’s one of those things, you can’t argue with the move. Obviously it got a little hairy in that inning, but you never expect that to happen. It did, but we were able to get out of it.”
**FREDDIE FREEMAN
On getting his swing going, hitting opposite-field drives to left field
“I feel good. It’s a work in progress. Just keep working hard. Coming off the DL, my timing was a little off and everything was going to right field. But the last couple of days, everything’s been working out well.”
Is this indicative of what offense is capable of?
“Definitely. We played really good baseball today, on the pitching side and the offensive side. It’s just great to win a ballgame. We kept it going, we kept going through all nine innings, so that’s a good game.”
On Braves working a lot of deep counts today
“We got a lot of pitches on Niese really early. We worked the counts, got into hitters’ counts and were able to put some contact on some balls and get them into the outfield and get them ino the gaps.”
On staking Hudson to a lead
“Any time as an offense when we can get out to an early lead and help the pitcher settle down, it’s a good day. Getting Huddy five runs in the first three innings, you start to feel good. But we kept going, scored some more runs to give ourselves a little more cushion.”
On getting McCann back Monday
“That’s huge. That’s a perennial All-Star coming back to your lineup; it’s like we traded for an All-Star. So it’s going to be fun. And once we get J-Hey back, we’ll be full-strength. So it’s like we just made a huge trade.”
**DAN UGGLA
On the offense Sunday
“We’ve been hot and cold, hot and cold, just kind of scratching the surface of what I think we’re capable of doing. A lot of guys showed a lot of patience today. It was, all in all, a good day.”
Five-run inning without a homer
“I know. That was not expected. But we worked counts, got base hits, made contact when we needed to. Like I said, just all in all, a good day.”
On Freeman when he’s driving balls to the opposite field like he did Sunday
“That’s a great sign. First the double over (left fielder’s) head, then the homer. That’s when you know he’s getting locked (in). He takes it to another gear whenever there’s runner on base, as well. There’s only a few guys out there who can lock it in like he can when there’s runners on.”
On getting McCann back Monday
“We’ve missed him. I’ve been trying to tell him that the whole time he’s been gone (on rehab), too. Because when you’re doing things (rehab) he’s been doing down in Orlando and rehabbing and stuff, you feel kind of left out. But he’s been missed. We’ve missed the crap out of him – in the clubhouse, in the dugout, on the field. And I think he knows that. He’s ready to be back. And obviously, we can’t wait.”
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