**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Gattis
“He’s a big, strong boy. We stayed with the plan (to rest him, get him healthy after viral illness last week). It was good to see his swing. He put some good swings on it, and really did a nice job catching a shutout. Good for him and Julio.”
On Teheran
“We put him in the (second) inning where we didn’t turn that double play, and he wiggled out of it. I thought he wasn’t going to be able to cover that up but he did, and he settled in and did a fantastic job. After the complete game his last time out, we wanted to keep him right where he was today. We didn’t want to keep running him out there and put pitches and innings on him this early in the season, so that worked out perfectly. And then Anthony gave us those two solid innings there in the seventh and the eighth, and Avi did a nice job with those two left-handers (in the ninth).”
On Teheran’s two strong bounce-back starts since the bad one in San Francisco
“This guy, I’m sure he’s forgotten about that start in San Francisco. He gets his work in and he’s ready to go for his next start.”
Gattis can go a few weeks where he struggles some, then have a game like today at any time
“There’s no reason for him to say that. I say that, and everybody struggles no matter how good a hitter you are. But his swing is short and quick, and he’s so strong, that sometimes he’s the one who gets himself out. Because there’s really not many moving parts to (his swing). But you know what, everybody struggles. But he can regain it that quickyly, I guess, is the better way to explain his swing.”
On Chris Johnson
“He got a base hit earlier in the game, and that was nice to see him hit one out of there and give us a seven-run lead.”
On Justin Upton having 10 of his 13 homers at Turner Field
“We tricked him this May telling him it was April. Maybe we’ll go on the road and just wear white uniforms and trick him that way, too. But you know what, he is a special talent and he can do those kind of numbers anywhere, really.”
On decision to replace Teheran after six innings
“We knew going in that we didn’t want to stress him in back-to-back starts. It was perfect. Whether it was 1-nothing or 5-nothing, the only tough decision would have been if he had a perfect game or a no-hitter or something. But other than that…. We won’t these guys for 33, 35 starts. And he understood right away. No problem.”
“We’ve got to keep an eye on these guys. We want them for the long haul.”
**EVAN GATTIS
On homering twice in win
“I was just happy to get a win against the Rockies, especially the way they’ve been swinging the bats. A shutout and all that is icing on the cake.”
Were you ever thinking three homers?
“No. The third guy I faced was at the top of the zone, and I just missed one.”
Safe to say your strength is back?
“Yeah, got my strength back. Or lucky, or whatever.”
On feeling better after missing four starts this week for viral illness
“I felt better after a couple of days, then we took an extra day pretty much just as a precaution.”
On Teheran’s performances lately
“Unbelievable. He’s always been like that, though. Dominant with all his pitches.”
When you have a game like you had today, are you tempted to ask to be in the lineup tomorrow? Or do you feel the way you’ve been used has helped you stay fresh?
“No, it’s kind of the same thing every day – 162, we show up to win every day. And it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m feeling good right now, I really want to go.’ No, not really. I had four days off, came back and had a good game today.”
On taking two of three from Rockies
“It’s good that we play them again in a week-and-a-half. Hopefully win another series there, and that’s it with the Rockies for the year, for the regular season.”
Is Teheran pitching like an ace?
“Yeah, he definitely can be.”
What have you seen, from spring and during season?
“It’s the same. Same as it was last year. I didn’t catch him too much last year so it’s kind of been a learning experience for me, with using all his pitches and what he likes to do. We’ll continue to learn and grow, finding ways to get guys out.”
On Teheran getting out of trouble early innings
“He’s always done that. He’s fiery, competitive.”
**JULIO TEHERAN
On not letting bad start in San Francisco affect him, coming back strong in past two starts
“I know that happens sometimes. Just concentrate in my next two games, and just trying to do my job. I know that I got in a little bit of trouble, had a little bit of hard time with (grip on ball) there. Just forget about that and concentrate on this one and the next one coming up.”
Anything you learned from that in San Francisco
“It’s just stuff happens in this game, and just try to understand that and be focused, don’t let that (affect) what you want to do (going forward).”
On having five days' rest since career-high 128 pitches in last start
“I rested my arm and concentrated. I knew that today I wasn’t going as long as I did in my last game, just tried to go out there and make pitches.”
“I know that that lineup is pretty hard and they’re free-swingers, so I just tried to make pitches. And that’s what I did today.”
On working with Gattis
“Always. I feel like I have support of him and the guys, and that’s something that motivates me. I feel like they get into it the same way when I’m pitching.”
On getting early lead
“I just tried to go out and not try do too much, just make pitches and get people out with as few pitches as I can.”
