The Braves largely dominated the Cardinals in a three-game sweep. It was the first time the Braves had swept in St. Louis since 2012.
Mike Foltynewicz pitched five scoreless innings, with the Braves protectinga 6-0 lead to win 6-5 in Sunday’s finale.
Here’s what the team said afterward:
Manager Brian Snitker
On Foltynewicz: “He was grinding. There wasn’t anything easy about the whole outing. I’m just glad we could get him through five. It’s so hot and he was working hard from the very beginning. He never gave in. Just kept grinding and pitching and made it through it.”
On Freddie Freeman homering (he’d hit .170 in past 11 games entering Sunday): “It’s coming. Somebody’s going to pay. It’s just one of those things that everybody goes through. He’s working and we still have unbelievable confidence in him and what he brings. You feel like he’s going to do something special every time he goes up there.”
On the series: “It was a well-played series. We came off a tough homestand and came here at the beginning of a rough road trip. So it’s good to get out of here with three.”
On his decision to lift Jesse Biddle for Peter Moylan, who gave up a three-run homer to Tommy Pham: “It was playing match-ups right there. Biddle’s good against right-handed hitters. At that point in time, I’m not going to second guess myself. That’s what we’ve got Peter down there for, to go after the right-handers. If I had to do it over, I’d do it again.”
Starter Mike Foltynewicz
On his outing: “I would’ve liked to go a little deeper, but that heat was a killer. They had to deal with it too. It’s tough for me to eat before games, and if you don’t get food in you, it definitely takes a toll on you. I just feel like my stomach shrunk up a little bit. My arm felt amazing, actually.”
Getting swings and misses with his slider: “When you’re getting swings and misses, you know they’re waiting on the fastball, being a little aggressive. They didn’t come off the fastball much. So when I threw that slider, the were swinging right over the top of it. I’m really, really proud of how far that pitch has come. Been working like a dog on it these past couple years, so I’m really happy. I’m throwing it for strikes when I need to, especially in 3-2 counts.”
On the rotation: “We’ve been feeding off each other all year. It’s been really fun to say, ‘What’s Newk (Sean Newcomb) going to do this outing? What’s Julio (Teheran) going to do this outing? It’s like a friendly competition a little bit. It’s fun. It’s a really tight rotation here with a fun group of guys. We’re always pulling for each other, always asking each other questions and hanging around each other. It’s a good vibe with the starting rotation.”
Third baseman Charlie Culberson
On the rotation: “They’ve been awesome. Makes it easier on us. A little bit more relaxed for us going up there. They’ve been phenomenal and it’s been fun.”
On Foltynewicz: “He’s been looking great all year. He’s been a lot of fun to watch, going out there and doing his thing. I know he’s battling through the heat. It’s not easy, but he did a great job today.”
On playing in the heat: “I’d rather stand in the heat than be in Chicago in April. It’s hot. Everyone knows we’re going to sweat. But things could be worse. It wasn’t terrible.”
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