Braves quotes after 4-3 win over Reds Friday at Turner Field.
FREDI GONZALEZ
On saying before game he didn’t expect much from pitcher Mike Foltynewicz
Nobody knew, really, not even (Gwinnett manager) Brian Snitker knew because he hadn’t seen him hit. But he did tell me he took BP every day and was working at it. I felt comfortable after the first at-bat. He looks like he’s going to put the ball in play. Obviously you don’t know he’s going to split a gap and get two runs and help himself get his first victory in the big leagues. I thought after the first inning he settled down and he looked great. Like I said earlier in the day, it wasn’t a one-day tryout. We like what we saw today. I think there is a lot of stuff Roger (McDowell) can build on from here and himself. And good for him, good for us. He’s a big, strong right-hander throwing 96 (mph) and a couple 98s if I’m not mistaken. It was good outing. A good baseball game all around. Bullpen did a terrific job, also.
On Foltynewicz making progress
That’s what our reports were. Four starts in Triple-A and every start was better than the next one. His breaking ball was good. There is a lot of stuff we still need to correct and get better at but it was a nice outing.
On Foltynewicz throwing high fastballs early
I think he was just ramped up. Nice crowd out there today and his first start in a Braves uniform and I think he was just a little ramped up.
On Roger McDowell going to the mound before Foltynewicz faced Brandon Phillips in first inning
I think it was just to calm him down a little bit. Get the hamster back on the wheel. Roger has a great knack and a great feel for those trips. He settled down. I think he had a 25-pitch first inning and then he settled down.
On Foltynewicz’s composure
There is a lot to like about him. He’s a guy that’s got a lot of ability. He’s got a good fastball. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s a young guy so there’s a lot of upside there and a lot of things you like about him
On the bullpen backing Foltynewicz up
It was nice to see those guys. It was nice to go to the back end with two of the veteran guys with J.J. (Jim Johnson) and (Jason) Grilli. Those guys have a short memory. They have to. IT was nice to run them out there in a one-run game and convert a W.
On Kelly Johnson
I don’t think he signed up for this. I think he signed up for twice a week. He’s played five or six days in a row and he may come in my office and say bench me or trade me. He’s swinging the bat. He’s a threat at the plate and he’s playing decent left field, also.
On if it makes it more special that Johnson is playing well in second Braves stint
There’s a comfort level with Kelly. We had him here when I was a coach. He’s a straight professional, great makeup. We talked about what the job title could be, he was in on it. He won the job in spring training. And good for us that we were able to pick up a veteran left-handed hitter that can play off the bench and play multiple outfield positions and he’s a threat at the plate.
On if Foltynewicz’s high leg kick was a factor in the Reds’ five stolen bases
That’s something we need to work on, we need to clean that up a little bit because we don’t want it to be a track meet. If you notice, he made an adjustment and he was almost too fast going to the plate. We don’t want him 1.8 (seconds) but we don’t want him 1.1. If you get him somewhere where he’s 1.3, 1.4… . The Billy Hamiltons of the world, they are going to run. You just want to keep the below average runners or the average runners from not stealing a base or even thinking about it. But if you are 1.7, .8 everybody in the ballpark is going to run and that’s what they did today.
MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ
On his first big-league start
I’m just glad I got that one out of the way. It could have been a lot worse and it could have been a lot better. I’m just glad to get out of there with a win. I knew going into it if I gave up two or three runs this offense would come back and score some runs. That’s what I tried to do out there and I did it and I’m happy to come out with the win.
On if he felt nerves
Absolutely. Starting, especially, there was a lot of nerves. You try to go out there and go as many innings as you can. I tried to do that as much as possible and I got a lot of 3-2 counts, which didn’t help me, but I’m glad I got that one out of the way.
On his two-run double in his second professional at-bat
It’s been a good six years. I was a little late on the first one so I told myself I was going to swing right when I let it go the second time and I hit it. It was pretty cool.
On his first career win
It’s awesome. It’s something you dream about is pitching in the major leagues and getting a win is pretty incredible. Tonight I celebrate. It’s pretty fun. It’s awesome.
On not letting early runs bother him
I’ve been working on that a lot. Things kind of happened differently today. A lot of hard-bit balls were outs, and kind of the soft-hit balls got put into play and got base hits. I told myself, that’s baseball and those things are going to happen. I couldn’t let things get the best of me and go out there and keep battling and get guys out the best I could.
On if he was as surprised as anybody when ball left his bat on the double
(Laughs) I think so. I went back and looked at it when I was outside. The first pitch I took was, in my opinion, pretty hard, especially after six years. It was awesome. I didn’t even feel anything. It was really something to cool to do.
On if he remembers his last at-bat in an official game
It was probably in high school. That’s the last time I could remember. The Astros got switched to the American League when I was in Double-A so I never got any at-bats then.
On if he relished the chance to hit
It’s something cool to do. Just go out there and hit and have fun and kind of hit the team as best as you can hitting and batting, too. Just put the ball in play and see what happens.
On pitching well after first inning
Just to get out of there with two or three runs I knew the team would score. They are capable of scoring at any time. The defense really helped me out a lot today. I only struck out two guys. Kelly Johnson out there in left field really saved me. The defense played awesome behind me. Let them put the ball in play because I have an amazing defense behind me and just go from there.
On change to his delivery since spring training
That’s a work in progress, really. The turn at the top of the rotation is kind of helping me to stay back, really, and don’t rush. Sometimes during the game I things get amped up and I rush a little bit. It’s just something I’ve got to tell myself when I am out there is to calm down a little bit and fine tune out there.
On coming to ballpark knowing he was going to start
Those nerves you have when you come out of the bullpen, you don’t know when you are going to pitch and what situation. Knowing you are going to come here today and throw the baseball the best you can is something I’ve been doing my whole life.
On knowing he’s going to get the ball again in next start
It’s really exciting because this was an OK outing. I’m going to go back out there the next five days and keep battling like I did today.
On the feeling when Jason Grilli got the last out
I was sitting here biting my nails the whole time. It was awesome. I told him I want him to be my guy in the ninth inning when we have the lead.
KELLY JOHNSON
On putting the Braves ahead with his home run
‘Folty’ pitched great and got the spark going, to be honest with you. We were a little dead and then after that, that got us up in the dugout a little bit.
On if it makes it more special that he’s playing well in place where he started in big leagues
Definitely. It’s a cool feeling. I live here and everything so it’s coming home and all that. But it’s still coming in and playing baseball and trying prepare and be the best you can. I’m just grinding it out and trying to get better.
On Fredi Gonzalez saying he didn’t sign up for playing so much
(Laughs) I’m signed up for whatever it takes. I love it. I’ve been preparing for it through the offseason. You certainly don’t sign up to sit on the bench.
On if he feels good about his swing
I feel good. I can clean up some stuff, just try to be more consistent. Like most guys, that’s kind of the goal. But I feel really good about where I’m at and I feel good about the preparation and the team. I’m much more trying to control the things I can control and let everything else kind of roll off.
