**JUSTIN UPTON
On Fowler’s two-run double over his head
“I misread it. It was hit a lot harder than I thought it was. I had to retreat, and I just never got back to where I could catch it.”
At Coors, not getting a good read or jump on ball can be particularly costly?
“Yeah. Off the bat it looked like he inside-outed it, and it just carried. It carried a long way. I just couldn’t catch up to it.”
On the loss, blown chance to sweep
“I feel like we had that game won. That misread cost us. That’s a ball I should catch.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
It looked like Upton got turned around on Fowler’s fly ball in 9th
“That ball was hit pretty good. He did his best to get out there and try to catch that ball, but it hit the bottom of the wall. He hit it good.
“I thought he had a chance at it.”
Was Kimbrel having grip issues
“I talked to him after he came out of the game and he didn’t mention anything about it. I know he stepped off a couple of times, but he told me he just wanted to make sure to get together with Gattis. He just wanted to make sure they got the right pitch.”
On the failed squeeze
“We tried to get another run, because every run you can add on is important. And it became important in the ninth inning. Tried to get a three-run lead, and I thought we had the right combination of guys doing it. Schafer running and Pena at the plate. We just couldn’t execute it.”
On Tim Hudson
“I thought Huddy competed. He gave us a great chance to win the ballgame, obviously. He left the game with a two-run lead. We didn’t add on, which we have been doing the whole series. We didn’t add on and it cost us.”
No home runs today
“No home runs, but we scored other ways. We had a couple of guys with some big knocks in some RBI situations. We swung the bats. We had chances to add on later in the game and we couldn’t do it.”
On Freeman’s defense
“Those plays that he makes look easy, they’re not really easy to make. He’s (6-5) and he’s got great feet around the bag. Those are the things – Chris Johnson did a terrific job for us and Gattis did a terrific job when Freddie wasn’t here – but those are the things you miss without Freddie. Balls around the bag and his reach on groundballs, that kind of stuff.”
On the series
“Two out of three. That’s what we look for. We had a chance to sweep the series with our guy, with our closer on the mound, and we couldn’t do it. But two out of three in Colorado is a good thing. Day off tomorrow, then try to do the same thing in Detroit.”
**TIM HUDSON
On win No. 200 slipping away
“Well, unfortunately that’s part of the game. That’s why you play 27 outs. We played a good ballgame, just a tough play right there with Justin, turned him around a little bit. You’ve got to give Dexter credit, man. He put the charge in it. It was not an easy play by any means.
“It was a good-played ballgame for both sides. Unfortunately for us, we just came out on the wrong end of it.”
On giving up two homers early, then settling down
“Couple of pitches obviously that I would’ve liked to have back, a couple of hangers. Hanging curveball, hanging changeup. And they didn’t miss it. This place, games can get away from you pretty quick here, and I was able to settle down and start making some pitches and have a couple of decently quick innings.
“I feel like it was probably one of the best games I’ve thrown here, and a chance to come out with a win. But give those guys credit, they battled and beat one of the best bullpens in the game.”
Now you’ll get a chance to win No. 200 at home vs. the Nationals
“Yeah. Obviously I would have loved to have gotten it here, my first win here at this park, taking a long time. But it’ll be nice to do it at home obviously. Home crowd, chance to do it against one of our rivals, the Nationals. And my family will be able to be there and watch it. Hopefully it’ll be a good matchup again.”
On the series
“We played a great series here. We just can’t let this game get us down. We need to go to Detroit and keep playing some good, solid baseball and hopefully win two there.”
On Kimbrel being human
“Pitching at this ballpark, no matter who you have on the mound, you never really feel too comfortable. Even though we have a two-run lead there late, best closer in the game out there – you couldn’t have been in a better situation, there’s no question about that. But you understand that if there’s any place that can humble you, it’s here.”
“We had a chance to win this game. Could’ve, probably should’ve won it. But they made a tough play for Justin out there in left field and put themselves in position to tie it up.”
**CRAIG KIMBREL
Did you think Justin might’ve had a play on the ball in left?
“I did at first, but the ball just kept carrying. He got enough of the ball that it carried all the way to the wall, and they were able to score two runs.”
On his inning
“I’ve got to give it to them. I went to Herrera, I was 0-2 and tried to elevate, but I didn’t elevate enough and gave up an 0-2 hit. Any pitcher is going to be disappointed giving up an 0-2 hit at any point in the game. That was kind of like the momentum-builder for them, and Tulo came up and hit a good curveball.
“They put themselves in a good situation, and with Fowler coming up I tried to go in on him and just didn’t get in enough, and he was able to put the barrel to it. That’s what happens when you hit the ball hard.”
“I got hit with some pitches that I just didn’t execute. I didn’t elevate one enough and didn’t get one in far enough to be effective. And that was the difference in the game today.”
