**SHELBY MILLER
How did you feel about your performance
“I felt like we lost. There’s nothing worse than losing. I thought we did a good job eliminating runs in the first five innings, then you give up three in the sixth, again. And, just…bad pitching. Obviously some things didn’t go our way, either, but at the same time we’re still in the ballgame, that inning doesn’t happen if I get out of it, we get that double play and it’s a 2-2 ballgame the next inning, instead of 4-2. That was obviously a tough inning. I think that’s the reason we lost the game.”
On the 10-pitch at-bat by Buchholz, looked like you had him struck out in half that many but didn’t get the call
“I felt like it was a good pitch, A.J. felt like it was a good pitch. But if he calls a ball, he calls a ball. You’ve just got to keep throwing. I mean, he put up a good at-bat, that was probably the toughest at-bat against me all game. For an American League pitcher he did pretty well up there. Tough out for me.”
How tough was it to pitch around a crucial error? (Uribe dropped pop foul)
“I mean, those things happen. Obviously just bad luck. It’s not something that you can get down on, or say if it didn’t happen those (three) runs don’t score. That’s just not the game of baseball. Those things happen. I didn’t do a good job personally getting out of it. I gave up some hits over the middle of the plate that were pretty crucial at times, and they ended up putting together a big inning. I felt like that’s the reason why we lost the ballgame. I go out there and give up three runs again, just like last time. Not a good job.”
On having a sub-3.00 ERA in past 6 starts and no wins to show for it
“We’ve been in ballgames, we’ve been close, our offense is doing good, they’re always going to come back and score runs somehow. Those past two games I’ve just given up big innings and we kind of dug ourselves into a hole. Last time we came back and won, which was great. But that’s not always going to happen. At the end of the day, I’m just still pretty upset about it. It’s my fault we lost, simple.”
**KELLY JOHNSON
On Clay Buchholz’s outing for Red Sox
“He competes. He’s always a guy that you look up and he’s deep in the game, whether he’s given up a few runs or he’s dealing. He’s got good movement. He’ll throw you anything at anytime. I saw 2-0 curveballs, 3-2 change-ups, 2-0 cutters, first three pitches off-speed. I might have saw two fastballs in the three at-bats. He’s got some movement and some deception, and he’s just not going to give in. He competes.”
On Shelby Miller’s performance for Braves
“I thought he was throwing really well; the ball was coming out of his hand phenomenal. I think that (10-pitch) Buchholz at-bat, not getting the pitch called and all those foul balls, may have got to him a little bit, and with the weather, things like that. I’m sure he wouldn’t tell you that. It just felt different after that. Of course, that 20-foot hopper over my head, and Juan not making that catch – things like that happen, and the wheels kind of kept going for them.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
Did you think the heat and humidity had any effect on Miller tonight?
“I don’t think so. It was humid. I thought he made some pitches. We got him behind the eight-ball with the fly ball we dropped, and that inning just kind of kept going. And then earlier in the game, the Buchholz at-bat. I mean, we had him struck out twice, and then six pitches later, we finally get him out.
“I thought he gave us a good opportunity to win the ballgame. You love to keep him in there as long as you can, for him to keep battling. It was humid, but I mean, he’s pitched in St. Louis for a lot of years; it doesn’t get any hotter or more humid than there.”
Miller hasn’t won in six starts, but has pitched pretty well in that span, under a 3.00 ERA
“If you wouldn’t have told me that (winless in six starts) I wouldn’t have known that, because he has pitched that good, for me. He gets an extra day now with the off day, and then on to the next one.”
On triple to start fourth inning, Maybin crashed against wall chasing it
“He banged himself up pretty good, and we’ll check on him tomorrow. He stayed in the game and got two hits after that. I don’t think any other center fielder even comes close to (making that play). I don’t think that ball’s catchable. That ball was hit and stayed hit for a while.”
On Brock Holt
“He beat us. The games we lost, he and Mookie and Boagaerts probably collectively outhit everybody else. And not only did he beat us with the bat, he beat us with the glove. Good players, all three of those guys I just mentioned. We were able to neutralize some of the other guys, but it seemed like those guys came up with some big hits.”
On Friday’s starter vs. Mets
“We’re going to send Marimon down and bring up (prospect Matt) Wisler. Wisler’s going to start the game for us tomorrow.”
