Braves quotes after their 4-2 win against the Nationals in Thursday’s series opener at SunTrust Park, which moved Atlanta back into first place in the National League East.
** SEAN NEWCOMB
On issuing consecutive walks and throwing seven straight balls to start game
“I did a poor job of locking it in. First batter, four-pitch walk. Then another walk. So I just did a bad job locking it in. But then I was happy I was able to kind of find it and keep it going.”
Does it say something for how far you’ve come since last year that you were able to get back in control of the game after the two walks?
“Yeah, definitely. I think that last year that might have got away from me, I might not have went as long. Probably wouldn’t have given the team a chance to win. So it was good that I was able to do that.”
After the rough game at Fenway last weekend how much were you looking forward to getting back out there?
“Yeah, I was just looking forward to getting another start, kind of wipe it clean. Go out here and start attacking the zone.”
Does it feel like a battle from first base out there with the Nationals?
“You don’t try to focus on that stuff but I obviously know, they were a half-game up on us. So, came in with a little more intensity, for sure.”
After the first inning, when you get back to the dugout are you angry with yourself or what?
“Yeah, that’s a good way to put it, just angry with myself. Knowing that I could easily be throwing balls in the zone, getting outs and everything. Just lack of being locked in mentally, did a poor job.”
How about retiring 14 of the last 15 you faced?
“Yeah, I was able to lock it in to get through some innings. That was my approach. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get through seven after that first inning, but that was the through process, just lock it in and go as many innings as possible.”
On beating the relay throw to avoid double play and drive in a run
“Yeah, I was thinking if I hit it on the ground I had to get going if we had a chance to score that run.”
** BRIAN SNITKER
On level of concern after Newcomb threw seven straight balls to start game and walked first two batters
“A lot. I looked up and it was like 10-nothing, (10) balls and no strikes. And then I looked up in the sixth and he had just completely turned that thing around. I mean, that was so good to see, how he started out and just to give up one run in that first inning was huge. Huge. But he just never quit pitching. He was going pitch to pitch. It wasn’t working early but he never stopped that approach. And then he got in it and got on a roll, got settled in. But that’s a huge credit to him and where he’s come and where he’s going, regroup like that.”
Last year that probably wouldn’t have happened
“Oh, no. You sit there and think how you’re going to cover eight more innings. And for him to go through seven and finish really strong, too, I mean…. That was pretty impressive.”
No walks after the first two batters
“Everything kind of started working for him. He threw some really good breaking balls, change-ups – he used his whole mix and did a great job.”
Roark’s been so tough against you guys but today you strung together some hits and scored some runs early
“It was nice to see. He’s been really tough on us. He’s an unbelievable competitor, too. He’s another one that just never quits pitching. He competes as good as anybody. So that was big to beat him.”
On Vizcaino
“He had a couple of days off and he was strong, his stuff was really good.”
More on Newcomb, difference from last year
“I think he’s always had the mental toughness. I noticed that when he came up last year, in his quiet way he really competes. Fierce competitor. But I just think the pitches, the more he’s doing it the better he’s getting. Command of his fastball and especialy the change-up, I think, has allowed him to … he has something he can fall back on and it’s not such a life-or-death situation with his fastball all the time now.”
On Winkler
“You like him on the mound. He’s got great mound presence, he has a lot of confidence in himself.”
On Newcomb bouncing back from rough start at Boston
“I think were a lot of contributing factors in that start. And it’s always good when you have one of those -- because he’d been going so good – to see how he came back. And he really answered that, I tell you that. That was really good to see that.”
**PRESTON TUCKER
On coming out and taking early lead against team that had jumped over you into first place before today
“Yeah, it was nice not having to come back from behind like we have been the last couple of days. Nice jumping out to an early lead and having Newcomb on the mound, knowing we don’t have to push too many runs across. I think we played well for nine innings. It was a sound ballgame and we’re ready to carry that momentum into tomorrow.”
On stringing together some hits against Tanner Roark, who’s been so tough on Braves in recent years
“Yeah, he’s a bulldog on the mound. He’s a good pitcher and makes good pitches when he needs to. Fortunately we were able to push some runs across early and keep battling and work his pitch count up there. I think we did a good job of having good at-bats when we needed to.”
On importance of series, only end of May but to show first couple months no fluke
“Obviously I think we’re a really good team, but first place a third of the way into the season doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s nice to know we’re playing well against a really good ballclub and that we’re going to see these guys potentially in the playoffs. But whether you’re in first or second place at the end of this series doesn’t matter, we’re just trying to play well right now and it’s going to help us down the road.”
So many guys on this team are new, does it really even matter what happened between Braves and Nationals in recent years?
“No. It’s a really young ballclub. Obviously the talent we have here is a sign of good things to come and I think it’s really important that these guys are playing to the best of their potential right now. Obviously you’ve got Freddie and Nick, guys that are playing some of their best baseball right now. And you’ve got guys who are 20, 21 years old coming up and producing right away. So I think having that good combination in the clubhouse is really resulting in a lot of wins so far.”
On Newcomb settling down after seven straight balls and two walks to start game, limiting damage to one run in that first inning
“That was huge, especially against this lineup. That’s a lineup that can…things can get out of control pretty quickly. They have a lot of power up and down the lineup. I think once he settled in it was great. We pushed a couple of runs across early and that was all we really needed. He had a really good at-bat, too, he beat out a ball that really helped his cause right there. That really made it a little bit easier for us to play behind him.”
